Apple has introduced its new 17 inch MacBook Pro notebook computer featuring the Intel Core Duo processor and a new system architecture that, the company says, delivers up to five times the performance of its previous 17 inch PowerBook G4, which is the current industry standard benchmark.

Powerwed by a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor that delivers dual-core performance, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is up to five times faster than the 17-inch PowerBook G4, and offers a new system architecture including a 667 MHz front-side bus that is four times as fast as the PowerBook G4 and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB that is twice as fast as the PowerBook G4.

Priced around Rs 160,000, the new 17 inch MacBook Pro is one inch thin, weighs 3.1kg, includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and Apple Remote that allows the users to access music, photos and videos from across the room through Apple's Front Row.

The Front Row allows users to access shared iTunes playlists, iPhoto libraries and video via Bonjour Apple's zero configuration wireless networking built into Mac OSX.

"The 17 inch MacBook Pro delivers the speed and screen area of a professional desktop system in the world's best notebook design," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With Intel's state of the art dual-core processor, the new 17 inch MacBook Pro delivers unrivaled performance in an innovative, sleek, one inch thin design."

Every new 17 inch MacBook Pro includes the same Apple innovations as the 15 inch MacBook Pro including a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go using Apple's award-winning iChat AV, or recording a video Podcast or iMovie using iLife '06. The MacBook Pro also includes Photo Booth, Apple's fun-to-use application that lets users take quick snapshots with the built-in iSight video camera, add entertaining visual effects and share their pictures with the touch of a button.

The 17 inch MacBook Pro comes with Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter, designed especially for mobile users that makes charging the notebook's battery easier by magnetically coupling the power cord to the MacBook Pro. The power adapter disconnects from the notebook whenever there is strain on the power cord, preventing the notebook from falling off its work surface. Every MacBook Pro also includes Apple's 'sudden motion sensor' that is designed to protect the hard drive in case of a fall.

Apple says it has designed the17 inch MacBook Pro for business and creative professionals, given it a 36 per cent brighter display to make reading text and viewing images even easier and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory, and a Scrolling TrackPad.

Providing industry-leading connectivity and high-performance I/O, every new 17 inch MacBook Pro also includes a FireWire 800 port, a FireWire 400 port for high speed data transfers, three USB 2.0 ports, optical and digital audio input and output, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and integrated AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking.

It also includes iLife '06 digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD GarageBand and iWeb - a new iLife application that makes it easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on. Mac for viewing by anyone on the internet. All the iLife '06 applications run natively on the new Intel-based MacBook Pros for maximum performance.

The MacBook Pro also comes with the latest release of the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4.6 Tiger including Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running natively on Apple's Intel-based notebook line. The Mac OS X Tiger includes an innovative software translation technology called Rosetta that lets customers run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly.

Intel-based Mac users have more than 1,500 universal applications to choose from with developers including Adobe, Quark and IBM's Lotus division announcing support for Mac OS X Intel-based applications. An updated list of Universal applications for Mac OS X is available at guide.apple.com/universal.

Additional build-to-order options for the 17 inch MacBook Pro include 100GB (7200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, and the AppleCare Protection Plan.