Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) yesterday rolled out an across-the-board upgrade of its popular MacBook Pro line of laptops that comes with speedier and more power-efficient 'Sandy Bridge' processors from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), a high-definition webcam, and a new data transfer interface called Thunderbolt. Its 13-inch models have also eschewed a discrete GPU in favor of integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000, though the 15-inch and 17-inch models now sport a faster AMD 6750M with automated graphics switching.

A new "FaceTime HD" webcam now sports 720p resolution and comes with improved low-light performance--the company has spread its FaceTime video-chat capabilities beyond the iOS platform. Apple says the new MacBook Pros are "up to twice as fast as their predecessors," though some analysts have decried the update as a "ho-hum" upgrade. I personally felt that the inclusion of Thunderbolt is not insignificant, however.

With the new MacBook Pro refresh, Apple has effectively become the first company to sell a laptop incorporating the new Thunderbolt technology. Thunderbolt literally leaves all current external interfaces in the dust with its ability to operate at 10Gbps, and is described by Apple as being 12 times faster than FireWire 800. You can read more about Thunderbolt here.

In addition, an upcoming version of the new Mac OS X was also announced, which is available as a developer preview for registered Mac developers. Among other capabilities, Lion will come with API enhancements to make it easier to create software with full-screen user interface, and will also support more complicated touch gestures. Much like on iOS-based iPhone or iPad tablet, the state of applications will also be saved when users logs out or shutdown, which allows them to be resumed when the computer is restarted. You can read more about Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview here.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Los Angeles Times
- check out this article at Ars Technica
- check out this article at PC Magazine
- check out this article at InformationWeek

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