Apple MacBook Pro Computers Make Debut

(Reuters) – Apple
Inc released its new lineup of MacBook Pro notebook computers,
featuring Intel’s peppy new processors and graphics chips made by
Advanced Micro Devices, helping boost the smaller chipmaker’s stock more
than 5 percent.

The new MacBook Pros will be
powered by Intel Corp’s latest dual-core and quad-core chips, which were
previously code-named Sandy Bridge and include integrated graphics
processing.

More expensive versions
of the MacBook Pro also include graphics chips from Advanced Micro
Devices for added performance. Graphics processors made by competitor
Nvidia had been used in past versions of the MacBook Pro.

Apple’s trend-setting personal computers are a high-profile battleground for chipmakers Intel, AMD and Nvidia.

News of AMD’s presence in the new MacBook Pros helped boost its stock 5.5 percent to $9.02.

"It
starts to show that the new AMD products have the potential to start to
elevate their notebook share," said Cody Acree, an analyst at Williams
Financial Group.

Intel supplied the
MacBook Pro with a faster, compact input/output technology called
Thunderbolt, which supports high-resolution displays and devices through
a single port.

The price of a
13-inch MacBook Pro, with a full-size keyboard, seven-hour battery life
and an aluminum casing, will start at $1,199. The 15-inch starts at
$1,799 and the 17-inch is priced at $2,499.

Nvidia’s shares were up 1.13 percent at $22.36 following a 13 percent sell-off over the past two days.

Intel’s stock rose 0.14 percent to $21.17.

(Reporting by Paul Thomasch, editing by Maureen Bavdek, Dave Zimmerman)

(Additional reporting by Noel Randewich)