As anticipated, Intel has just officially launched the Core 2 Duo processor line based on the new Intel Core Microarchitecture, the same microarchitecture that the Xeon 5100 series (a.k.a. Woodcrest) used in the Mac Pro and Xserve are based upon. See Intel's specpage here. This new processor offers around 20% more computing power at the same clockspeed and voltage than the Intel Core Duo which is currently used in the MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. In fact, we expect that iMac and Mac mini users can just swap in a Merom (the laptop version of Core 2 Duo) and feel the benefits right away.

Along with the rollout of the new processor line came the unveiling of the first PC laptops to make use of the chip. Recent rumors point to the Core 2 Duo finding its way into the MacBook Pro sometime in September. Some speculate / wish / hope for a Conroe (desktop variant of the Core 2 Duo) based low-end tower from Apple, to sit between the Mac Pro and the iMac, though we've heard little in the way of solid evidence on any such forthcoming machine.