While Apple's previous generation of laptops took full advantage of Intel's Core i5 and i7 chips in the 15- and 17-inch versions, we said in our last-gen MacBook Pro review it felt like it was falling behind its stablemates, stuck as it was with a Core 2 Duo processor.
It meant that although the larger machines lived up to their 'Pro' moniker, you had to wonder about the smallest model, especially looking at the power packed into the Alienware M11x thanks to Intel's new Core i-series processors.
However, now we have a new MacBook Pro 2011, and the 13-inch version has gone straight from the bottom of the class to the top when it comes to power, as you'll see during the remainder of our MacBook Pro review. You'll have seen the unbelievable speed of Intel's Sandy Bridge processors in our review, and Apple's been fastest off the mark getting them into its laptops.
Apple's claiming as much as double the speed in some tasks from these new CPUs, thanks not only to technologies such as Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost, but also the new single-chip design in the Sandy Bridge architecture.
Apple supplied us with the higher-powered Core i7 version of the MacBook Pro 13-inch, which is £1299, though there's also a £999 Core i5-powered version.
However, the brand new Core i5 and i7 chips aren't the only big news in the MacBook Pro of 2011. There are always plenty of Mac rumours just before a new release, and it was all about Intel's Light Peak tech this time round.
The leaks turned out to be accurate this time, and Apple confirmed the new high-speed I/O port (now renamed Thunderbolt). In the new MacBook Pro range, it's been merged with the mini-DisplayPort connection, creating a multipurpose I/O port capable of 10Gbps both ways.
There are a few other updates of note around the MacBook Pro 13-inch. Though its big brothers got shiny new AMD graphics cards, this model makes do with Intel's latest integrated graphics.
Consistently the subject of derisive snorts in the past, Intel's really upped its game in this area. The Intel HD 3000 graphics chip is now built into the processor, and should offer strong performance as well as solid battery life.
There's also the new FaceTime HD camera, which enables you to make 720p video calls to another Mac (or lower resolution to an iPhone 4 and iPod touch).
One area that hasn't been upgraded is the screen, which remains 1280 x 800, while there are still the usual Ethernet, FireWire 800 and USB ports, along with an SDXC card slot. The optical drive remains, too, as does the multi-touch trackpad.
