I have read in a number of place on the net, which probably are copying each other, that the new Apple MacBook Pro 17", in its default 2.66 GHz configuration would be using the Intel P9600. Unless the Intel website itself is in error, this would mean this computer would not benefit from the virtualization extensions which seem absent from this model. Has someone found other information? Maybe they are all wrong and they use the T9550 (same watts) instead of the P9600 ? Similarly, it looks like the only 2.93 Ghz intel core 2 duo processor (mobile at least) with 6M cache and 1066 FSB would be the T9800. And that processor does have VT but lacks Intel64!! I can't believe that with the extended 64 bits capabilities of Snow Leopard, that top of the line, upgraded latest MacBook Pro would use a processor missing the Intel64 instructions. If these informations are true, it means the 2.66 model is a bad choice for using Parallels on it and that the 2.93 upgrade wouldn't be that clever too, missing the 64 bit. ?
open Terminal and perform following command sysctl -a | grep -i machdep.cpu.features check is there VMX, if it is virtualiation presents, but it may be disabled in firmware
John, thanks for your comment. Those new computers are not yet shipping (within days or weeks from now only). So I have no way to tell, yet. I guess I will have to wait for them to become available and move to an Apple Store to check before purchase. That was the purpose of my open questions: to choose my model right taking into account virtualization and 64 bits computing.
any mac with CPU Core 2 Duo can run 64 bit edition, as for Virtualization support, I guess you can check Intel CPU comparison chart http://www.intel.com/products/processor/index.htm?iid=prod_nav+proc
