Apple updates MacBook Pro

Apple has updated its line of high-end laptops with faster processors, better graphics and longer battery life, as the company continues to take share in the personal computer market.

Apple said on Tuesday its 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro notebooks were refreshed with more powerful Intel processors and new graphics chips from Nvidia.

The 13-inch model, which starts at £999, boasts up to 10 hours of battery life, Apple said.

The company said its new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models, which start at £1,499 and £1,899 respectively, are up to 50 per cent faster than their predecessors, with eight to nine hours of battery life.

Apple, which is set to announce quarterly results next week, is the No. 5 maker of personal computers in the United States, according to industry tracker IDC.

In the final quarter of 2009, Apple's computer shipments surged 33 per cent to 3.36 million units.

Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple were down 0.3 per cent in morning trading on the Nasdaq.