If you’ve been holding off on a new MacBook or MacBook Pro purchase, hoping for something a little more substantial than the underwhelming bump given the MacBook line recently, then you’re in luck. In line with recent rumors, Apple has updated the MacBook Pro lineup in a big way.

The big news is that the new MacBook Pros are the first Macs to use Intel’s latest Santa Rosa platform, meaning higher clockspeeds without the battery concerns. The 15-inch model now uses LCDs that are backlit with LEDs and are mercury-free, meaning we have a happier, more evenly-lit environment with less power consumption. The 17-inch model still uses a conventional LCD, but is available with an optional 1920×1200 resolution–30-percent increase–for $100. Here are the rest of the model specifics:

15-inch, $1999: 2.2GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, and GeForce 8600M GT 128MB

15-inch, $2499: 2.4GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, and GeForce 8600M GT 256MB

17-inch, $2799: 2.4GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, and GeForce 8600M GT 256MB

With Santa Rosa, the GeForce 8600M GT, and options like the high-resolution display, 250GB hard drives, and 4GB of RAM, you can configure a pretty ridiculously badass notebook with these new MacBook Pros. They’re available immediately, so go forth and purchase.

Filed under: MacBook Pro News