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Have a MacBook Pro with a faulty GPU and no AppleCare? You may still be covered
If you own a MacBook Pro with an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GPU and an expired warranty, you may be unaware that since late 2008 Apple has offered a free out-of-warranty service program for the faulty graphics chipset. Apple's replacement program for the 8600M GT was initially valid for three years beyond your purchase date, whether you bought AppleCare for your Mac or not, but in 2010 the program was extended to four years from your purchase date. According to Apple, "If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within four years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty." My Early 2008 MacBook Pro's AppleCare expired last week, and many early adopters of the first MacBook Pro with a multi-touch trackpad will be in the same boat. The good news is that even though your AppleCare coverage may be expired, your GPU is still covered for another year.
Toshiba's Satellite X205-SLI goes Penryn
We know you Toshiba lovers out there have been twiddling your thumbs for weeks on end just waiting, praying, hoping that the beastly X205-SLI would get updated with a Penryn chip. Thankfully for all four of you, the wait is over. Announced today, Tosh is cranking out the 17-inch X205-SLi2 and X205-SLi4, which both house a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, integrated HD DVD-ROM / DVD burner, built-in Harman Kardon speakers (with subwoofer) and twin 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GPUs. As for the former, you'll find 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a pair of 160GB 5400 RPM drives, a 1,440 x 900 resolution panel, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11a/g/n WiFi, webcam / microphone and a fingerprint reader to boot. The SLi4 ups the ante by tossing in an extra gig of memory, 7200 RPM HDDs, an external USB HDTV tuner, 1,680 x 1,050 panel and a bundled remote. Grab yours now for $1,999.99 or $2,499.99, respectively.
