Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited
by Dan Knight
- 2006.05.17
13" MacBook Introduced, 15" MacBook Pro Speed Bump
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
The MacBook Arrives
The headline story in the Apple portable orbit this week is the
eagerly anticipated arrival of the new MacBook, which replaces the 12" and 14"
iBook models and the 12" PowerBook. It features Intel Core Duo
processors and a new 13" 1280 x 800 glossy widescreen display, all
in a package that is claimed to be up to five times faster than the
iBook G4 and up to four times faster than the 12" PowerBook G4.
Dan Knight covered the particulars thoroughly in his MacBook Value Equation column
yesterday, so I'll just add some general comments here.
Back in Black
The most arrestingly visible changes compared with the preceding
models are the widescreen display and the availability of the first
black Apple 'Book in more than five years, since the PowerBook 2000 Pismo was superseded by
the Titanium PowerBook G4 in
January, 2001.
I think the glossy-black MacBook is über-cool looking and
that Apple will sell a bunch, even with the slightly outrageous
price premium they've imposed.
Together with the 15" and 17" MacBook Pros, the new MacBook
completes Apple's Intel-based portable lineup. Apple's entire
portable lineup now offers Intel Core Duo processors, so the Power
PC laptop era is formally over. The 12" PowerBook and the 12" and
14" iBooks are quietly gone from the Apple Store.
It's a bit sad, but based on their looks and
specs, the MacBooks portend to be very worthy successors to the
models they replace.
"The complete MacBook lineup leads the industry with Apple's
trademark innovative design and advanced mobile features - from top
to bottom it is the best notebook line that we have ever offered,"
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product
Marketing, enthused at the unveiling. There is a bit of wait and
see dynamic that will have to be played out, but I think he could
be right.
Apple went with rugged polycarbonate plastic for the MacBook's
skin - the sensible choice I think. Tough, durable polycarbonate is
a better, more practical material for laptop housings than
metal.
...drive swaps won't require major
disassembly.
Another very welcome MacBook feature is that its hard drive
lives in a bay accessible through the battery cavity on the
underside of the computer, so drive swaps won't require major
disassembly. That's the diametrical opposite of the iBook, whose
hard drives were buried in the guts of the computer and challenging
to access even for trained techs with well-equipped shops.
Less cool is that, like the Intel Mac mini, the MacBook uses
Intel's integrated GMA-950 graphics chipset, which siphons off 64
MB of system memory for its graphics buffer plus 16 MB more for
general startup, which means 80 MB less for running programs and
tasks - not the most elegant solution.
Also in common with the Intel mini, the MacBook uses
dual-channel system memory architecture, so it's recommended that
you install memory sticks in matched pairs. Because of this, the
MacBook comes with its RAM expansion slots full (2 x 256 MB), with
optional configurations 2 x 512 MB and 2 x 1 GB. At least RAM
upgrades are easy, also being accessed through the battery
cavity.
At 1.1" thickness, the new MacBook is 20% thinner than the iBook
and features a 13" glossy widescreen display that is 79% brighter
than the iBook and the 12" PowerBook. According to Apple, it
provides crisp images with richer colors, deeper blacks, and
significantly greater contrast. At a resolution of 1280 x 800, the
MacBook display provides 30% more viewing area than the iBook and
the 12" PowerBook.
MacBooks come with a built-in iSight video camera for video
conferencing on-the-go, Front Row media support with Apple Remote,
gigabit ethernet, Apple's hard-drive protecting Sudden Motion
Sensor, a scrolling trackpad, AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi for up
to 54 Mbps fast wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
(Enhanced Data Rate), two USB 2.0 ports, combination analog and
optical digital audio input and output ports, a mini-DVI video
output port, and the MagSafe Power Adapter that safely disconnects
from the computer when there is strain on the power cord, helping
to prevent the 'Book from falling off its work surface.
Hard drives are 5400 RPM across the board and of 60 or 80 GB
capacities. 100 GB and 120 GB drives are available as
build-to-order options.
...the value is arguably there and then
some.
The base 1.83 GHz MacBook sells for $1,099, a $100 price hike
($150 if you require a modem) over the entry-level 12" iBook it replaces, but the value
is arguably there and then some. Moving upscale, there is a white
2.0 GHz MacBook at $1,299 and a black 2.0 GHz MacBook at $1,499.
The latter model is the one whose value is questionable, although
it does come with an extra 20 GB of hard drive capacity for the
$200 higher price.
In summary, the three MacBook models stack up as follows:
1.83 GHz white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of
US$1,099, includes:
- 13.3" glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2
brightness
- 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
- 667 MHz front-side bus
- 512 MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2 GB
- 60 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden
Motion Sensor
- a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
- Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-video sold
separately)
- built-in iSight video camera
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth
2.0+EDR
- two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting
both optical digital and analog
- Scrolling trackpad
- the infrared Apple Remote
- 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter
Differences for the 2.0 GHz white MacBook, for a suggested
retail price of US$1,299:
- 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
- a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive
Differences for the 2.0 GHz black MacBook, for a suggested
retail price of US$1,499:
- 80 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden
Motion Sensor
- black finish
Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook include the
ability to upgrade to 80 GB, 100 GB, or 120 GB 5400 rpm hard
drives, up to 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI
to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, and the AppleCare
Protection Plan.
I predict that used and refurbished 'Book prices will undergo a
significant adjustment downward as a result of the MacBook release.
Apple already dropped the price of MacBook Pro 15" refurbs by
$100-200.
I wasn't at all surprised by the MacBook's specs., which were
pretty much exactly what I had been anticipating they would be.
It's a very nice piece of work, and I imagine I'll have one
eventually.
- Link: MacBook,
Apple
MacBook Pro Gets a Speed Bump
Coinciding with the MacBook release on Tuesday, Apple also
increased processor speeds on both models of the 15" MacBook Pro at no additional cost.
The US$2,499 model now includes a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo
processor, up from 2.0 GHz, and the US$1,999 model now includes a
2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor, up from 1.83 GHz.
The MacBook Pro also offers the new glossy widescreen display as
a Configure To Order (CTO) option on both the 15" and 17" models at
no additional cost.
- Link: MacBook
Pro, Apple
