With Intel’s next-generation Ivy Bridge mobile processors not expected until March 2012, it’s highly probable Apple will release a MacBook Pro refresh in the company’s traditional fall calendar envelope for laptop upgrades, somewhere from mid-October to late November, to keep interest up and goose sales a bit over the winter. That probability has been reinforced by Intel announcing that upgraded Sandy Bridge Core i7 processors will be released soon, dovetailing nicely with Apple’s traditional product update schedule, to headline a timely fall MacBook Pro refresh.

Today, Apple shipped sealed pallets of products to some dealers. The pallets have strict warnings against breaching the integrity of the sealed pallets, which can mean only one thing: a product refresh. And the products most likely to be refreshed this week based on rumors and the current shipping time frames on the Apple Store online are the MacBook Pros.

The online Apple Store has once again returned to its normal state, but with the addition of an updated range of MacBook Pro computers. Each machine ships with 4GB of RAM as standard, with support up to 8GB. The starting price is now at $1,199 for a 13-inch model, and rises up to $2,299 for the base model 17-inch. You can also upgrade the MacBook Pro to take advantage of a 512GB solid state flash drive.

With the online Apple Store down, it’s becoming quite likely that a refresh to the MacBook Pro range is only hours away. And it seems as though AppleInsider sources have managed to get the basic specifications of the upcoming laptops before their official announcement. Of course, without signed confirmation from Mr Jobs, these are only rumors, but quite solid rumors at that. If their sources are correct, here’s what we could be seeing later today…

Steve Jobs certainly has a way with words even through his emails. While most of his random responses to the probably large amounts of emails he receives on a normal basis are no more than a sentence, they do say a lot. Furthermore, since they are coming from the Apple CEO himself, you know they’re accurate. When emailed from a worrying customer that Apple has been putting too much energy into the iPad and has forgotten about updating the MacBook and MacBook Pro, Steve Jobs urged him simply “Not to worry.”

Support files for unreleased MacBook Pro computers have been discovered in the latest devloper build (10C531) of Mac OS X 10.6.2. The new build was seeded to developers just a few days ago, and includes a few references to the unreleased 6,1 and 6,2 MacBook Pro models. The latest available MacBook Pros carry a 5,x model number, and were last updated in June. No rumors of MacBook Pro refreshes have surfaced recently, although previous reports have suggested that Core i7-based processors could be integrated into MacBook Pros by late 2009 to early 2010.

In the first of what will be plenty of WWDC announcements, Apple has released an update to their MacBook Pro lines that will be shipping starting today. The new line (15-inch and 17-inch) has a built in SD card slot as well as a better display, and the extended, revolutionary built-in battery that was currently only in the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Although this battery isn’t replaceable, Apple has said that it will get up to 1,000 charges, meaning that you won’t cause harm to the environment like other battery manufacturers (five year life). The backlit keyboard will now be standard, and there is a 13-inch model of the MacBook Pro as well. Most of the machines come with 4GB RAM standard.

Apple’s newest offering for the MacBook Pro is quite the portable powerhouse. And in true Apple style, no compromises are made. The machine screams. Yes, complex graphics weep at the very sight of the Nvidia 9600M GT. And to top it off, the machine is designed beautifully. It’s fast, powerful, beautiful, bright and loud. If it was a person, it would be a guy who wears a suit everywhere, including (but not limited to) work, the store, your place, and even when no one is looking. But instead of dress shoes, he wears Chucks just so everyone does a double take, only to find out he’s that much more awesome with every glance.

For me, the MacBook Pro was all about discovery. From the moment you open the lid you’ll be figuring out things about the machine on a constant basis. It only adds to the fun of getting a new piece of technology, as if it wasn’t enough fun in the first place. I mean really, what’s not fun about a better processor, two improved GPUs, more RAM, a better and brighter screen, a new and larger trackpad, and a design that drips with style? Okay, okay…besides the price.

Full review after the break.

We’ve already summarized the Apple earnings call for you, but now the call has been transcribed for your reading pleasure by the good folks at SeekingAlpha.

To start off the call, Peter Oppenheimer gave us the run down on all of the important details.

First, we sold more Macs than we have in any other quarter in Apple’s history. Second, we sold more iPhones in the September quarter than in all previous quarters combined. Third, we sold more iPods than in any prior non-holiday quarter and finally, we generated more revenue and earnings than in any previous September quarter in Apple’s history.

It’s also quite evident that Apple’s iPhone is doing well; even better than expected, actually.

Nvidia has unveiled a desktop version of the motherboard design that was included with Apple’s latest notebook refresh. It’s called the GeForce 9-series, and will be making it’s way to manufacturers like Foxconn and Asus this month.

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