The addition of the ‘Thunderbolt’ icon to Apple’s MacBook Pro 15-inch essentially marks an alteration in the design of the laptop; implying that the device largely retains its marvelous shape and form, with most of the changes being under-the-hood ones.

‘Thunderbolt’ is an I/O technology from Intel - codenamed Light Peak – which essentially boosts transfer rates to unprecedented levels. The technology resides inside the mini-Displayport, such that structurally the port appears to be fairly akin to the one in the earlier MacBook Pro iterations. However, when linked to a Thunderbolt-equipped peripheral, transfer rates can theoretically hit 10Gbps.

Though, in terms of design, MacBook Pro 15-inch ‘Thunderbolt’ is not a thinner or lighter laptop, it is nonetheless the most streamlined laptop in its class – with its center carved out of a thin slab of aluminum.

At 5.5 pounds, the laptop is at least one-quarter of an inch thinner and nearly a pound lighter than the 6.5-pound Dell XPS 15 as well as the 6.3-pound Asus N53JF-XE1.

The MacBook Pro 15-inch ‘Thunderbolt’ is available with a 1,440-by-900 or 1,680-by-1,050 display and has a number of screen options, which are all available at a premium; while the XPS 15 and the N53JF-XE1 either ship or have an option for a 1080p display (1,920-by-1,080).

The ‘Thunderbolt’ laptop has a chiclet-style keyboard with the characteristic Macbook Pro black keys that have backlights between them; along with the signature Apple clickpad that beats its competitors both in terms of size and responsiveness.