I know this because the 15-in. sitting in front of me is largely devoid of the seams common to earlier aluminum MacBook Pros. In fact, around which this newest of 's laptops is built is carved out of a solid block of aluminum using a new process that, according to Apple officials, creates .

(Apple also revamped its consumer-oriented line, offering two new models that use the same aluminum-carving process and offer some features that were heretofore only available on the Pro models. We'll have a formal review of the top-of-the-line MacBook soon.)

Who cares whether your laptop is ? You should. Laptops are meant to be carted around, tossed into briefcases, picked up, put down, thrown in the back seat, used on the couch. The advantages for mobile computing inherent in this new "unibody" process show in the new MacBook Pro.

Actually, it is felt more than seen. Typing on the keyboard has the feel of pressing down on keys that have been mounted on a square of solid metal. This is true even with the switch to the "chiclet" keys that until now have shown up only on the MacBook and MacBook Air. And I've never used a more solid-feeling laptop -- or keyboard -- in all my years of using Macs. Apple calls it "pure typing bliss." That's not just market-speak. It's true.

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