Whoops! Apple's gone and leaked its brand new aluminum MacBook and redesigned MacBook Pros to the interblogs. Yeah, it seems old Jobsy has really loosened the binds over in Cupertino -- he doesn't care what gets out these days. No, but seriously, some cats on the internet supposedly discovered a .Mac page which appears to display mockups (or actual product renderings) for a new line of laptops, as well as adverts for iTunes 8 and iPhones in the 32GB variety (for Australia, naturally). Of course, this is wild, crazy, unfounded speculation, and likely has no basis in reality at all. Then again, you never know... stranger things have happened. Steve, we await your takedown requests. See full pages for yourself in the gallery after the break.

Update: Looks like MacRumors got duped by its own forum members -- these are fan-made mockups. Oh well, at least we can dream.

[Thanks, al and sleuth]

It looks like that would-be class action lawsuit over the quality of MacBook and Macbook Pro screens has fizzled out to nothing, as the plaintiffs have quietly settled. Although it's technically true that the 6-bit screens can't actually display millions of colors at the same time, apparently the two photographers who filed the suit had a difficult time finding other people who had bought MacBooks based on the advertised color depth of the display -- and from what we're told, you just can't have a "class action" without a "class." Even still, we hope someone at Apple was paying attention to how much interest the case generated at the outset -- although MacBook Pro screens generally look fine to us, we've seen some awful MacBook screens in our day.

We've all ideas the designers at Cupertino had good intentions when designing the MagSafe adapter, but just in case you can't seem to find the value in said feature, the $11.99 MagStay Pro is out to remedy your curious quandary. As with the JerkStopper, this concoction actually plugs into your MBP's nearby USB port in order to get a better grip on the machine. Apparently, this thing is designed to help you avoid any "unintentional disconnections" in power, but aside from totally blocking your USB port (no passthrough?), you're also begging for some extraneous repair bills. To each his / her own, we guess.

[Via TUAW]

We know, we're getting tired of Apple Blu-ray rumors as well -- they're right up there with refreshed Cinema Displays in terms of rumor persistence -- but until Steve and the gang actually shove a drive into a machine we're stuck with them. The latest says that Apple is actively pressing Sony for slot-loading BD-R drives but quality control issues are gumming up the plan. Reportedly, this latest ho-hum MacBook Pro refresh was to feature BD-R drives, but all Sony could muster up were Blu-ray / DVD±RW drives, which Apple refused. That seems a little odd, frankly -- now that the format war is over and the competition's already shipping mid-range laptops with slot-load BD-R drives, you'd think Apple would want to cash in that Blu-ray Disc Association membership card with whoever can supply the drives. As always, we'll see when we see -- it's gotta happen sometime, right?

[Image courtesy of dadako.com]

While everyone and their second cousin third removed had something to say about Apple's ultra-sexy, ultra-hamstrung MacBook Air, we've a sneaking suspicion that folks previously eager about this week's MacBook Pro updates will be equally vocal. For whatever reason, Cupertino faithful had February 26th pegged on their calender, and while the addition of a Penryn or two was nearly a given, the dreamers in the crowd had much higher hopes for that fateful Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the time came and went, and the re-opening of the online Apple store brought a whole heap of disappointment to many. Sure, folks still (somehow) enamored with the aging MBP design were thrilled to have access to a more potent, less scalding iteration of their favorite machine, but honestly, we're still using the GeForce 8600M GT? Really, Apple? Needless to say, this refresh likely did little to satisfy your desire for a revamped MacBook Pro, but we're interested in finding out exactly what it is you really wanted. An option for an SSD? What about a built-in Blu-ray drive? Would integrated HDMI make things more appealing? Or is a top-down case redesign the only thing stopping you from abusing your credit card in the name of Steve Jobs? Go on, we know you folks are chock full of good ideas, so let's hear 'em, shall we?

Sure, more speed is great, but on OS X most bumps don't have an appreciable effect on everyday work (unless all you're doing is video encoding). We were more interested in what Intel's Penryn processors can do for the MBP's heat envelope, so we maxed out both CPU cores in this brand new machine at let 'em crank for a half an hour. Our test machine may or may not compare to a later 3rd-gen MBP in terms of heat efficiency, but here's the quick rundown:

Core Duo (2.16GHz)

• Peak: 195° F, fans over 5000 RPM
• Average: 185° F, fans about 4900 RPM
• Enclosure (bottom): very hot to the touch
• Enclosure (top): fairly hot to the touch

Penryn Core 2 Duo (2.5GHz)

• Peak: 176° F, fans about 3400 RPM
• Average: 173° F, fans about 2500 RPM (much quieter)
  
• Enclosure (bottom): warm to the touch
• Enclosure (top): warm to fairly hot to the touch

The usual Xbench tests are after the break.

We just got our 2.5GHz Penryn / 4GB fourth-gen MacBook Pro. Plenty of power under that hood, but the outward differences are few: it's got the new, reorganized F-key layout (which we're not all that fond of), and the trackpad physically the same (with the addition of multi-touch, which works just as well as it did on the MacBook Air). It's definitely an anticipated upgrade to the flagship, but whether you think the form factor's still got the longevity necessary to keep you coming back after, what, more than two years on the market with no major changes -- well, we'll leave that to you. We'll have some updated benchmarks shortly.

P.S. -It includes the same model 60Wh battery they've been selling on these for a while, for those puzzled about the battery life changes made to the Apple's MBP spec page.

We'd love to tell you that during AnandTech's dissection of the "new" MacBook Pros they made a shocking discovery about the internals of the systems that brought into light significant changes and / or upgrades to the computers. We'd like nothing more then to say that it appears Apple has completely reworked the architecture of these machines to be harder, better, faster, and stronger. But honestly? They're exactly the same as the old models, save for those little Penryns, and as a result, kind of boring. Don't believe us? Take a look at the photos -- you'll see.

We all knew this day was coming. Apple's previous MacBook Pro revision was certainly getting long in the tooth, a MacBook spec bump never hurt anything, and hey, Penryn isn't getting any younger. Still, it's pretty obvious that quite a few of the Apple faithful feel like the MacBook Pro and its cute little MacBook sidekick are in some serious need of a form factor refresh, and perhaps a little bit of SSD. We can understand Apple not wanting to steal the MacBook Air's thunder, and to be fair most major manufacturers put the new Penryn chips inside existing form factors, but that doesn't mean it's wrong for you to be upset. So, how do you really feel?

Aw snap. It finally, really happened... kind of. Apple has just dropped a nasty refresh on its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, knocking the processor speeds up, and giving the Pros that tasty multi-touch the MacBook Air has been sporting. Still, they couldn't break off an even slightly new form-factor for us? Both lines are sporting Intel's downsized new Penryn chips, which should make your lap and / or battery quite happy. Right now we're seeing updates to the GPU memory, an LED backlight (option!) for 17-inchers, as well as LEDs on all the rest of the Pros (sorry again MacBookers). New specs on the MBPs include a CPU boost to a base speed of 2.4GHz all the way up to 2.6GHz, that suspiciously new 3MB or 6MB L2 cache on the CPUs, added RAM to the graphics cards (up to 512MB for the higher-end 15-inch, and all 17-inch models), and of course the new trackpad. On the MacBook front, things look even more familiar, with only minor bumps to speed (2.1GHz up to 2.4GHz) and CPUs. Both new lines get hard drive increases, with the MBPs rocking 200GB or 250GB options, while the MBs range from 120GB all the way up to 250GB. Ports, weight, and size all appear to be just the same for both lines, undoubtedly to the chagrin of many readers, and Apple is skimping on the Apple Remote across the line; it's now a $19 add-on. Full SKU rundown after the break.

Update: Just to make it totally clear, Apple confirmed to us that the processors are indeed Penryn, as noted above. As for future updates and notable omissions in this round, they had little to say.

We've always heard that Apple deliberately sends out misinformation to distract the rumor sites, and it looks like that may actually be true -- check out these shots of the Future Shop inventory system, listing the upcoming MB402LL/A and MB403LL/A SKUs from Apple as being priced at CA$1149 and CA$1349, respectively. That's MacBook pricing, if we had to make a guess -- but remember that earlier Best Buy shot that showed a box size of 17 inches square, which is way bigger than any non-Pro MacBook. So, to recap: there are definitely new Apple laptops coming soon, but we have almost no idea what kind -- based on product cycles, we'd say it's the MacBook Pro, but signs point to the MacBook as well. Confused yet? Yeah, we thought so -- but hopefully answers are coming soon.

Our tip jar, it brings us so much joy -- and it brings you, dear reader, this printout of what's purported to be the Best Buy database listing for one of those heretofore-unknown MacBook model numbers. You'll note that whatever MB402LL/A turns out to be, it's said to be in stock on March 2nd, which is just a few days away -- but also note that current MacBook Pros have MA-series model numbers, while the regular MacBook has traditionally carried the MB designation. That's interesting, but we doubt a $1,999 MacBook is about to surface -- besides, the current MacBook box is 15 inches square, smaller than the 17 inches listed here. (Yes, we measured.) As always, we'll see when we see -- come on Tuesday, you're almost here.

If you've been replying to our earlier post on Apple rumors by repeatedly typing "MacBook Pro update" across the screen, you'll be happy to hear this latest news. AppleInsider claims they have confirmed three new Apple part numbers which are showing up in both the Best Buy and Apple inventory databases. The numbers, MB402LL/A, MB403LL/A, and MB404LL/A, have appeared on these systems with the prices of $1,999, $2,499, and $2,799 in tow -- leading some (read, all) to believe that they may be those new laptops everyone's been talking about. Of course, we haven't seen these inventory management systems with our own, bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes, so don't be too disappointed when it turns out this was just a really, really specific typo.

Update: Apparently AI had an actual typo in their part numbers (which we reprinted) -- they've been fixed.

[Thanks, Mark]

As you may or may not know, Apple has made some sort of announcement -- however minor -- every Tuesday since the beginning of 2008. The internet is currently stacked floor-to-ceiling with guesses of what this last Tuesday in February will bring. Many are speculating that it's going to be the often-discussed, never-seen MacBook Pro update, while others are certain that this will be the day old Jobsy unveils iPhone's supposedly-delayed SDK to the world. Still there are those who believe this Tuesday will see the launch of the Apple Robot Army, while many think that we're going to finally get a look at that iShrink shrink ray that's been long-rumored. Of course, it's possible this will be a heaping dose of iNothing. We want to know: what do the talented, handsome, and infinitely-wise readers of Engadget think we'll see tomorrow?

Read - More New Apple Products... This Tuesday?
Read - Tuesday's Coming