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Apple says that that performance is delivered by a combination advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery and Adaptive Charging technology, enabling better battery life without adding thickness, weight or cost.

The longer battery lifespan should also mean fewer depleted batteries and therefore less waste, and Apple is keen to stress the MacBook’s other “green” credentials, in common with its other newest notebooks, that include an highly recyclable aluminium casing, a mercury- and arsenic-free low-energy display, and no brominated flame retardants and PVC-free internal cables and components.

As a working machine it boasts equally impressive credentials. Its Intel Core 2 Duo processor powers a widescreen 1920x1200, LED-backlit display that Apple says can match the colour quality of desktop screens. Measuring just 2.5cm thick and weighing 3kg, Apple says that the most powerful Mac notebook to date is also the the world’s thinnest and lightest 17in portable.

The full specification is as follows:

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• 17in widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;


• 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;


• 1066MHz front-side bus;


• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;


• Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;


• Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;


• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;


• Slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;


• Mini DisplayPort for video output


• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;


• Gigabit Ethernet port;


• built-in iSight video camera;


• three USB 2.0 ports;


• one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);


• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;


• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analogue;


• glass multitouch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;


• and that new, built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery and MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 17in MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January for a suggested retail price of ?1,949 (inc. VAT). Build-to-order options include a 2.93GHz processor, 8GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 memory, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive, anti-glare (matte) display for ?35 (inc. VAT), various adapters and AppleCare.