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The Ars Macworld team had the chance to check out Apple's new unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro immediately after the keynote. Here are some photos from the Expo floor along with our initial impressions.

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If Wired, TUAW and Macrumors are independently reporting a Mac Mini is on its way, we know it exists. Evidently, we're just not going to see it at Macworld. So what about other rumors?

From our original Macworld 2009 rumor roundup, here's the rundown on how all the rumors panned out.

Came True:
iLife and iWork '09 (with iWork in the cloud)
DRM-Free iTunes
17-inch Macbook Pro

Didn't Come True:
New Mac Mini
Updated 30-inch Cinema Displays

Didn't Come True Stretches:
iPod Touch Jumbo/XL/Pro/Netbook/Thing
iPhone nano
Home Server
Snow Leopard Availability
New iMacs

Seeing as many of the rumors were an admitted wild shot at best, we'd put the real rumor batting average around .400, even if it's closer to .266 on paper.

Battery life is limited, but Apple built a non-removable battery for the 17" MacBook Pro that lasts up to 8 hours. [Apple]

Apple has apparently crafted a compromise with the major record labels, dropping DRM and introducing tiered pricing.

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Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The new 17" MacBook Pro with a unibody construction and an integrated battery feels thinner than the previous version and really looks beautiful. Check out our gallery to see for yourself.

Today iPhone users can download music from iTunes not just through their computers or Wi-Fi, but AT&T's 3G network. So how does it work? Testing it in Vegas, we can say rocky but functional.

I tried downloading Radiohead's Bodysnatchers in an area providing 3 bars of 3G reception. With no fanfare, I was able to enter the iTunes store without a Wi-Fi hotspot and purchase the song.

So far, so good. No firmware updates needed or anything!

Then the download stalled for a moment. Then the iPhone pulled that classic "you're on 3G, oops, you're really on EDGE" maneuver. I wondered what would happen. Would the download stall and wait for 3G? Or would it slowly trudge on?

It trudged on. I guess that's both a good an a bad thing. While I was able to download the song, it took me nearly 10 minutes to grab the 3.7MB file. Wilson Rothman ran the same test from nearby and was also booted to EDGE, though the download only took him about 5 minutes.

Overall, I'm glad that truly wireless iTunes downloads are here. Hopefully more and better 3G coverage will make them live up to the generally pleasant iTunes experience.

iTunes is going DRM free and breaking their single-price rule with three prices: .69 cents, .99 cents, and $1.29. Not surprised, given the pressure from other music stores. The iPhone will allow 3G downloads too.

Apple today announced a handful of new products at Macworld Expo '09 in San Francisco. It may be the company's last time attending the trade show, but Apple had a collection of both new software and hardware products to show off on stage.

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Finally providing a noticeable difference between the MacBook and MacBook Pro, Apple has pushed the Pro's screen to 17 inches, its price to $2799, and thrown in a high-capacity (non-replaceable!) battery.

The new Pro has the unibody aluminum build—and virtually everything else—in common with its smaller 15" brother. But now you won't have to put your fancy new notebook next to the cheaper 13" variant to see what you've paid for. There are precious few under-the-hood upgrades:

Available late this month, it's just under an inch thick, weighs in at 6.6 pounds, and is claimed to be the "thinnest and lightest" 17" notebook on the market.

The 1920x1200 screen has LED backlighting standard, with a 140x120 viewing angle, an impressive 700:1 contrast ratio and 60% greater color gamut than the last 17-inch display. There's also an optional anti-glare coating option for the screen that'll run you $50.Overall, the specs are mostly identical to the last MBP iteration, with the notable exception of the battery.

Apple says it's the longest lasting MacBook battery ever—it's a non-removable lithium polymer battery with "three times" the industry standard lifecycle, courtesy of "adaptive charging." How long does it last? 7 hours with discrete graphics, 8 hours with integrated graphics. That's 3 more hours than the previous-gen 17" MBP. And it'll cycle through that at least 1000 times with minimal wear.

The new MBP comes in just one base configuration: At $2799, you get the 2.66 ghz processor, 4gb ram, the dual-video card solution, a 320GB HDD and the Superdrive. It's available for pre-order now.

This is roughly in keeping with the same pattern Apple set in 2006 with the original MacBook Pro, which debuted with a 15-inch screen and saw the two-inch upgrade just a few months later. [Macworld 2009 Coverage]

Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro With Revolutionary New Built-in Battery That Delivers Eight Hours of Use & 1,000 Recharges

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today unveiled the new 17-inch MacBook(R) Pro featuring a durable and beautiful precision aluminum unibody enclosure, and a revolutionary new built-in battery that delivers up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a high resolution LED-backlit display and the same large glass Multi-Touch(TM) trackpad introduced with the new MacBook family in October. In addition, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics and the latest generation Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors. As part of the industry's greenest notebook family, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is made of highly recyclable materials, meets stringent energy efficiency standards and is made without many of the harmful toxins found in other computers.
"We've developed new battery technology that is better for the user and better for the environment," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Apple's advanced chemistry and innovative technology deliver up to eight hours of use on a full charge cycle and up to 1,000 recharges."

Apple uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro's incredible design.* The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes an ultra-thin, widescreen glossy 1920 x 1200 display with 78 percent more pixels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 60 percent greater color gamut that delivers desktop-quality color in a notebook. The LED-backlit display has brilliant instant-on performance, uses up to 30 percent less energy and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights.

Measuring just 0.98-inches thin and weighing 6.6 pounds, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is the world's thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is the most powerful Mac(R) notebook yet with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available up to 2.93 GHz, up to 8GB DDR3 main memory and a graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive standard with a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 128GB and 256GB solid state drives as options. As with the rest of the new MacBook family, the 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight(R) video camera, mic and speakers.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the aluminum unibody MacBook family in setting new standards for environmentally friendly notebooks with every model achieving EPEAT Gold status.** Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $179 which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

Pricing & Availability
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January and will be available through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), and includes:

— 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;
— 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
— 1066 MHz 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;
— a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R
DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
— Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
— built-in AirPort Extreme(R) 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth
2.1+EDR;
— Gigabit Ethernet port;
— built-in iSight video camera;
— three USB 2.0 ports;
— one FireWire(R) 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 analog;
— glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
— built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery; and
— 85 Watt MagSafe(R) Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 memory, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive, anti-glare display for $50 (US), Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

*A properly maintained Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/17inch-battery.

**EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit http://www.epeat.net.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

(C) 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, MacBook, Multi-Touch, iSight, Apple Store, AirPort Extreme, FireWire and MagSafe are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Finally providing a noticeable difference between the MacBook and MacBook Pro, Apple has pushed the Pro's screen to 17 inches, its price to $2799, and thrown in a high-capacity (non-replaceable!) battery.

The new Pro has a unibody aluminum build—and virtually everything else—in common with its smaller 15-inch predecessor. Now, though, you won't have to put your fancy new notebook next to the cheaper 13-inch variant to see what you've paid for. There are plenty of under-the-hood upgrades too:

Available late this month, it's just under an inch thick, weighs in at 6.6 pounds, and is claimed to be the "thinnest and lightest" 17-inch notebook on the market.

The 1920x1200 screen has LED backlighting as standard, 140x120 viewing angle, an impressive 700:1 contrast ratio and 60% greater color gamut than the last 17-inch display. There's a $50 anti glare coating option for the screen.

Overall, the specs are mostly identical to the last MBP interation, with the big difference being the battery.

Apple says it's the longest lasting MacBook battery ever—it's a non-removable lithium polymer battery with "three times" the regular lifecycle. How long does it last? 7 hours with discrete graphics, 8 hours with integrated graphics. That's 3 more hours than the last 17-inch MBP.

The new MBP comes in one configuration: At $2799, you get the 2.66 ghz processor, 4gb ram, the dual-video card solution, a 320GB HDD and the Superdrive.

This is roughly the same pattern Apple set in 2006 with the original MacBook Pro, which debuted with a 15-inch screen and saw the two-inch upgrade just a few months later. It made sense then, and it makes sense now. [Giz at Macworld]

Just as rumored last week, Apple is taking iWork '09 online, with file hosting and group editing services. Think of it as MobileMe, but for your documents. And that's not all.

The suite is getting a pretty strong set of new features— some fluff, but many meat. See the full list, updated as we get new info, below. But first, the cloud.

Pretty much the whole suit gets towed online here— Pages, Numbers and Keynote all now feature the same online storage and collaboration capabilities. There are two modes of access, too. An online interface, at iWork.com, and transparent integration into the actual apps. Documents

The suite takes on Microsoft's SharePoint and Google Docs, but approaches online document management totally differently. Rather than editing and organizing documents only through a web interface, Apple has integrated the online aspect into a familiar interface somewhat seamlessly.
[Giz at Macworld

New Features:

Keynote:
Motion Move—this Keynote effect will create object transition between slides, like when teenagers morph into vampire on low-budge TV

Interstitial slideshows: This interrupts your presentation to display standalone slideshows

Text transitions: There are some news ones! You can slide, twirl, shimmer, etc. All the things that made you hate PowerPoint can now help you hate Keynote, too.

Keynote iPhone Remote: This 99c app lets you run your Keynote presentation over Wi-Fi, from you iPhone. It's pretty basic, but also has the capability to display presenter's notes.

Integrated online file storage
Simultaneous group editing with revision control, a la Google Docs

Pages:

Fullscreen: Pages should have always had a fullscreen-ish option. Now it does!
Advances outlining, listing: A sensible alternative to a standalone outlining/planning application, it's meant help you plan out longer projects. It's also dynamic, so any embedded document links will automatically update on changes.

Mail merge: Mail merging with Numbers! Again, long overdue, but at least now you can easily do your Xmas cards on your Mac.

MathType: Are you a scientist, mathematician or student? No? Then this doesn't matter for your. The whole suite now has many more functions and full MathType capabilities, for writing formulas into your documents.

Numbers:
Boring! MathType is the biggest addition here, but users also get drag and drop formulas, new chart types, multiple axes, trend lines, and error bars, along with dynamic linked charts. And lots of templates, lest we forget.

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