Apple ships shiny new MacBooks: thinner, sexier, and one's cheaper

Steve Jobs introduced a new line of MacBooks today, saying that the $1299 flagship of the lower-priced laptop line is the same as the MacBook Pro, but smaller (well, almost, Steve — except for those faster processors and graphics in the MacBook Pro — compare them here).

The upgraded 4.5-lb MacBook will have a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display, faster NVIDIA graphics, a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 160GB hard drive, aluminum enclosure, and a glass multitouch trackpad like its larger bro. There's also a higher-end 13.3-inch MacBook ($1599), [corrected] also with 2GB of RAM, a 320GB 250GB hard drive, a backlit keyboard, a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, and an optional a 128GB solid-state drive for an extra $600.

Update: An optional 320GB drive is $100 more, and an extra 2GB or RAM will cost you a steep $150. (thanks, Aswitz!)

At the lower end of the MacBook line, Jobs announced a price reduction of the white plastic MacBook, now selling for $999 instead of the former entry-level price of $1099.