Apple winks at parents: C'mon, get your kid a tweaked Macbook Pro

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro notebook line, adding a slightly faster processor and more memory for the cheapest models.

The company said the update will double the memory for models Apple describes as "entry-level" MacBook Pro Retina screen notebooks. The systems will retain their starting price of $1,299 and will now sport a dual-core Intel 2.6Ghz Core i5 processor (turbo boost to 3.1GHz) and 8GB of memory. They originally sported 2.4GHz CPUs.

Additionally, Apple said that it is lowering the price on its cheapest (non-Retina) MacBook Pro model from $1,199 to $1,099.

While the low-end MacBook Pro will now sport a cheaper price tag, the notebook will not be Apple's lowest-priced. The MacBook Air starts at $899 (£749).

The updated notebook models will arrive just in time for the back-to-school shopping season and could win over parents. Apple credited strong Mac sales with helping the company log record quarterly results.

Apple has quietly overhauled a number of its hardware offerings this summer. In addition to Tuesday's MacBook Pro update, the company has in recent weeks updated its iPod Touch and added a cheaper option to the iMac desktop line.

The company is also gearing up for the release of a new edition of OS X. The Yosemite, version 10.10, update has been pushed into a rare public beta phase after drawing huge interest from developers following its unveiling at WWDC. ®