MacBook Pro : 4-cores at least!
While Intel offers 4-cores mobile processors up to 2.53Ghz for a year, based on core2 technology, Apple doesn’t make the move, probably due to power consumption of these chips, that will impair autonomy and pose problems for heat dissipation on the slim MacBook Pro.
Intel’s just announced a new linup of 4-core processors, based on a technology derived from the one used in the new MacPro, that proved to be impressively fast even at lower clock speed. But the real novelty is that the consumption is really low, with less than 35W at 2.0Ghz.
The MacBook Pro line up will benefit from these Clarksfield processors at 1.73Ghz, 2.0Ghz and a 2.26Ghz (option), with 4 physical cores and 8 logical threads, with a clear benefit for Pro users that use multithreaded softwares, the new MacBook Pro will offer up to 2X the speed of the actual models!!!
Even if Apple may deliver early, seems the new MacBook Pro will be there during may or early june.
Technical Footnote:
The Clarksfield processors integrate the fastest DDR3 controller, offering the ability to offers 12GB RAM configuration on laptops with 3 DDR3-4GB DIMM, that’s a big plus.
It -also- integrates a graphic controller, but it seems that Apple decides to use only the GeForce 9600M, the Intel chip being insufficient to drive correctly internal and external screens for professional use.