What’s Hot.
Aluminum “unibody” design creates a sleek new look and a sturdy build. Nvidia chipset improves integrated graphics. All-button touch pad allows for cool moves for navigation.
What’s Not.
Loss of FireWire connection proves a problem for some groups of users. Glossy display (and no matte option) may irritate users with its glare pick-up.
The bottom line.
Devoted Mac-users will probably adore the new MacBook’s look. Although it is not exaclty professional-grade for photographers and such, the MacBook still performs as well as it always has, and Apple continues to please with its innovative design.
MacBook users who have been jealous of the MacBook Pro’s sleek aluminum design, will be pleased with the new MacBook’s appearance because it looks like the MacBook Pro’s little brother. The chassis is cut from a single piece of aluminum, which results in an even more durable product. This new “unibody” construction, as Apple calls it, also creates a MacBook that is ½ pound lighter and 0.13 inch thinner than its plastic predecessor.
The new MacBook features a black, edge-to-edge glass display that coordinates more closely with other Apple products like the iPhone, iPod and iMac. Finally, your dream of coordinating every last one of your Apple gadgets has come true! The 13.3-inch LED-backlight display offers a standard 1,280 x 800 resolution. While the new glossy screen displays bright colors and sharp contrast, it is prone to bad glare. As I’ve discovered with my own glossy-screened HP, a reflective display can ruin dreams of working in Parisian sidewalk cafés on sunny days. To help with glare, the screen now tilts back 10 -15 degrees further and a new light sensor adjusts display brightness based on ambient lighting.
Perhaps one of the most obvious changes to the MacBook is the new all-button touch pad. Instead of including a mouse click button, the entire touch pad depresses or you can tap it like you would on a PC laptop. Sweeping four fingers up on the pad will hide your applications. Sweeping four fingers to the left or right activates the application switcher. You can also assign a “right-click” zone to one corner of the pad. While the new touch pad proves a little awkward at first, users seem to agree that it is easy to use after conquering the initial learning curve.
The new MacBook features the same style keyboard, but with black key caps. Except for the entry-level model, Apple offers back-lit keyboards on its new products.
The new MacBook does not feature a FireWire connection, a loss that has not been taken lightly by the Mac-user community. Those who can’t live without it will probably be better off to opt for the MacBook Pro. The MacBook includes only two USB 2.0 ports, which isn’t anything to write home about either. Photographers might also be disappointed with the MacBook’s lack of ExpressCard slot and SD-card reader. Mac users are very excited, however, about the new Nvidia chipset that results in improved integrated graphics.
Priced at $1,299, the entry-level MacBook includes a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, which is a slower processor than the previous model. For an extra $100, you can upgrade to the old model’s standard 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo CPU. The new MacBook operates on a faster front-side bus (1066MHz) and includes the latest iLife suite.
By all accounts, the new MacBook (2.4GHz Intel Core Duo CPU) performs as well as its predecessor and multitasks slightly better than Windows laptops running on the same processor. Apple claims that the MacBook offers 5 hours of wireless productivity, but more likely, you will get about 4 hours out of it if you are doing anything other than surfing the Internet.
For those of you adhering to the eco-chic trend, the MacBook, with a carbon footprint of 460kg of CO2 emissions over a 4-year lifespan, is a good option. Apple offers its standard 1-year parts-and-labor warranty and 90 days of toll-free telephone support, which makes the extended Apple Care warranty ($249) a wise buy.
MacBook dimensions: 12.78”w x 8.94”d x 0.95”h ; 4.5 lbs
