Apple has unveiled its new line-up of MacBook Pro notebooks which feature 40 per cent longer battery life, are one of the most environmentally friendly notebook ranges on the market and are more affordable than ever, with some models up to $500 cheaper than before.

The new MacBook Pro range now includes 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models which all include an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad, illuminated keyboard, SD or ExpressCard slots, FireWire 800 port and state-of-the-art NVIDIA graphics.

“Across the line, all our new MacBook Pro models now include Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life, while staying just as thin and light as before,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.

“Starting at just $1,899 the aluminium unibody MacBook Pro is more affordable than ever and sets a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.”

Apple is also boasting that its 15-inch and 17-inch entry level lines are the most cost-effective yet, with an entry price $500 less than before.

Another major announcement to come out of Apple is that the MacBook Pro range can now be upgraded with up to 8GB of RAM, and up to a 500GB hard drive or up to a 256GB solid state drive. The 15-inch and 17-inch models can also be upgraded to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

The new range is also one of the most environmentally efficient notebook ranges on the market, with all models achieving EPEAT Gold status and meet Energy Star 5.0 requirements, Apple claims it sets a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.

The 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models are now available through the online Apple Store, Apple retail stores and Apple authorised resellers. Apple also commented that from September 2009, all new MocBook systems purchased will be shipped with the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard. All models purchased between 8 June and 26 December without the new operating system will be eligible to receive the new OS X for free (plus shipping and handling fee of $14.95)