MacBook Pro Core Duo (L2400) 2006

The Apple MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 1.67 15-Inch, at first glance, shares a strong resemblance to its predecessor, the PowerBook G4/1.67 15" (HR). However, it is powered by an Intel "Core Duo" processor, marking it as one of the pioneering Mac notebooks with Intel architecture. This model contains a 1.67 GHz "Core Duo" processor (L2400) with two independent cores, a 2 MB shared L2 cache, and a 667 MHz frontside bus. It is equipped with 512 MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300), an 80.0 GB hard drive featuring "Sudden Motion Sensor" technology, and a 4X single-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. It also includes an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 128 MB of GDDR3 video memory and dual-link DVI, plus a 15.4" widescreen TFT active-matrix display (1440x900) which Apple states is 67% brighter than the one before it.

Like the model it replaced, this version keeps the fiber-optic "ambient light sensor" that adjusts keyboard and screen brightness, the "scrolling TrackPad," AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a FireWire "400" port, two USB 2.0 ports, optical digital audio in/out, and DVI out. It does, however, omit the Firewire "800" and S-video out ports, replaces the PC card slot with an ExpressCard/34 slot, and lacks an internal modem. The MacBook Pro also introduces a built-in iSight camera, an Apple Remote for Front Row, and the new "MagSafe" power connector. It is worth noting that although this model was announced, it was never actually sold to the public.

This 1.67 GHz model was announced as the entry point for Apple's landmark transition to Intel processors, but it was ultimately never shipped to consumers. It was slated to be the more affordable sibling to the 1.83 GHz version, introducing the world to a Mac with a Core Duo chip and the innovative MagSafe connector. Although it remained a 'phantom' configuration that never reached the public, its announcement alone was significant. It publicly marked the end of the PowerPC era and signaled the dawn of a new age of performance and capability for Apple's entire notebook line, setting the stage for the models that followed.