Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited
by Dan Knight
- 2006.11.10
This Week's MacBook, PowerBook, and iBook News
Core 2 vs. Core is at the top of this week's 'Book Review. The
consumer MacBook has been upgraded from Core Duo to Core 2 Duo, and
the 2 GHz models now have twice as much RAM, bigger hard
drives, and 6x dual-layer SuperDrives. That also means better
prices on refurbished Core Duo MacBooks (see Bargain
'Books for details).
Benchmarks at Bare Feats and Macworld find the Core 2 Duo
averages 10% faster than the Core Duo - and is significantly faster
on some tests.
On the other side of the OS divide, style sometimes trumps
substance, as in the Lamborghini "golden edition" laptop and a
crystal-encrusted Medion laptop "for the ladies" (no, I didn't make
that up - I couldn't make that up.)
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review.
News & Opinion
Tech Tips and Info
Tech Trends
News & Opinion
Apple Unveils New MacBook with Intel Core 2
Duo
PR: CUPERTINO, California - November 8, 2006 - Apple on
Wednesday unveiled its new line of MacBook consumer notebooks that now
include Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Just one-inch thin, the new
MacBooks are up to 25% faster than the previous generation and
feature a built-in iSight video camera for on-the-go video
conferencing, Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter that safely disconnects
when under strain, and iLife '06, Apple's award-winning suite of
digital lifestyle applications.
"MacBook has helped drive Apple's notebook market share to over
10% in US retail, and the new MacBooks will be among this holiday
season's most exciting new products," said Philip Schiller, Apple's
senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With Intel
Core 2 Duo processors across the entire line, these new MacBooks are
up to 25% faster than their predecessors."
With prices starting at just $1,099, the new MacBook lineup
includes three models: sleek white 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz MacBook
models, and a stunning black 2.0 GHz MacBook model. With Intel's
latest Core 2 Duo processors, the new MacBook is up to 25 percent
faster than the previous MacBook and up to six times faster than
the iBook, making it even easier for consumers to manage and enjoy
their digital content with iLife '06.* Consumers will also benefit
from the added power in the new 2.0 GHz models, including double
the memory and greater storage capacity than the previous
generation, as well as a double-layer SuperDrive for burning
professional-quality DVDs.
The new MacBook features a gorgeous 13" glossy widescreen
display, ideal for enjoying videos, DVDs and photos with Apple's
breakthrough Front Row media experience. The MacBook is just
one-inch thin and includes a built-in iSight video camera for video
conferencing on-the-go with friends or family using iChat AV,
recording a video podcast or iMovie using iLife '06, or taking fun
snapshots with Photo Booth.
Designed for the mobile lifestyle, the MacBook includes Apple's
MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to
the MacBook and safely disconnects under strain, preventing the
notebook from falling off its work surface. Apple now also offers a
new MagSafe Airline Adapter that makes using a MacBook on an
airplane even more convenient by connecting to in-seat power ports
for continued productivity throughout the duration of a flight. The
MacBook also includes Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor, designed to
protect the hard drive in case of a fall, and a simple and
intuitive Scrolling TrackPad for scrolling through long web pages
or panning across large photographs.
The lightweight MacBook design includes built-in AirPort Extreme
and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), making it ideal to take
anywhere consumers work and play - from the office, to the
classroom and the local WiFi hot spot. With the latest
high-performance connectivity options, each MacBook includes
built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a
FireWire 400 port, combination analog and optical digital audio
input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output to connect up to
a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
The MacBook comes with iLife '06, the next generation of Apple's
award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring
iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, the latest iLife
application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites
with photos, blogs and podcasts and publish them on .mac for
viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click.** The
MacBook also comes with the latest release of the world's most
advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4.8 Tiger, including
Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running
natively on the Intel-based notebook.
Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook is available immediately through the
Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized
Resellers. The Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter is available for a
suggested retail price of $59 (US).
The 1.83 GHz MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099,
includes:
- 13.3" glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2
brightness
- 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 667 MHz frontside 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 in the 2.0 GHz white MacBook, for a suggested retail
price of $1,299:
- 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 1 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2 GB
- 80 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden
Motion Sensor
- a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R
DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive
Differences in the 2.0 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a
suggested retail price of $1,499:
- 120 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden
Motion Sensor
Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook include the
ability to upgrade to 80 GB, 120 GB or 160 GB (5400 rpm) or a 200
GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB
Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA
adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection
Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include: preinstalled
copies of iWork '06, Logic Express 7, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 and
Aperture 1.5.
*Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint and
SPECfp rate tests. SPEC is a registered trademark of Standard
Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see
www.apple.com/macbook for more information.
**Internet access required, fees may apply. The .mac service is
available to persons age 13 and older. Terms and conditions
apply.
Apple Updates MacBooks to 'Merom'
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Apple has upgraded its MacBook consumer notebook line,
dropping the range's Core Duo processor for a more up-to-date Core 2
Duo chip. Once again three models are on offer: two white ones and
a black version.
"This time, the 2 GHz black model has a 120 GB hard drive as
standard, so the extra $200 it costs doesn't entirely go on the
paint job. The 2 GHz white MacBook has an 80 GB hard drive.
Both machines will ship with 1 GB of 667 MHz memory."
Link: Apple
Updates MacBooks to 'Merom'
MacBook Pro Benchmarks: Core Duo vs. Core 2
Duo
Bare Feats' Rob-ART Morgan reports:
"We have a 15" MacBook
Pro 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo in the lab. Though we expect a 17" MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz Core 2
Duo to arrive soon, we went ahead and tested this one against
our 17" MacBook Pro 2.16 GHz
Core Duo....
"The MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo's advantage over the Core Duo version
ranged from 9% to 75% depending on what app we ran. The faster core
clock speed should provide an 8% advantage, so everything beyond
that is 'gravy.' Most surprising were the significant gains with
Aperture 1.5 and Photoshop CS2."
Link: Two MacBook
Pros - Core Duo versus Core 2 Duo
Benchmarks: MacBook Pro Gets Its Core 2 Duo
Boost
Macworld's James Galbraith reports:
"Like the iMac before it, Apple's MacBook Pro underwent an
upgrade highlighted by a chip swap - the Core Duo processor that
used to power Apple's pro laptop is gone, replaced by the
next-generation Core 2 Duo. And as with our iMac benchmarks, these
updated Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro models show a modest performance gain
when compared to older systems running on Core Duo chips with the
same clock speeds.
"Besides the switch to Core 2 Duo chips, the updated MacBook Pro
models also received a bump in processor speed. The 15-inch models
now feature processors running at 2.16 GHz and 2.33 GHz, compared
to 2 GHz and 2.16 GHz in the old Core Duo systems. The 17-inch
MacBook Pro now runs at 2.33 GHz, up from 2.16 GHz. Along with theboost to processor speed comes a jump in on-chip L2 cache - the
latest MacBook Pros come with 4 MB of shared L2 cache, twice
the amount of their predecessors. The new laptops also ship with
more RAM and higher-capacity hard drives.
"So what does this all mean in terms of performance?"
Editor's note: Macworld reports an average gain of 10% at the
same clock speed, based on the Speedmark 4.5 score. dk
Link: Benchmarks:
MacBook Pro Gets Its Core 2 Duo Boost
Take Your MacBook Pro's Temperature
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady says:
"If you've used an Apple notebook for any extended length of
time you probably have an opinion on its operating temperature. But
how do you quantify the temperature of an Apple's [sic] notebook?
Let's take a look at different ways to measure the temperature in
the MacBook Pro.
"You may have noticed that CoreDuoTemp (upper highlight in the
screen shot at right), smcFanControl (lower highlight) and Fan
Control all report different temperatures on the MacBook Pro.
That's because they're measuring different things."
Link: Take Your
MacBook Pro's Temperature
Tech Tips and Info
MacBook Pro
Hard Drive Transplant
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady has posted a tutorial on
swapping the hard drive in the new MacBook Pro:
"I recently purchased a new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro and
wanted to share some of the intricacies of swapping out the hard
drive...
"Since I purchased the 120 GB configuration and my previous
MacBook Pro has a 160 GB drive (which is 80 percent full, mind you)
it wasn't practical to use Apple's handy Migration Assistant to
move my data over. Nor was it possible to clone one drive to the
other with Mike Bombich's excellent Carbon Copy Cloner
software.
"My strategy was to physically swap the larger 160 GB hard drive
from the old MBP to the new one but you need to do a few things to
make it work properly....
"Swapping hard drives in the MacBook Pro is not a trivial task
nor for the weak of heart."
Link: How-to:
MacBook Pro Hard Drive Transplant
Tech Trends
Lamborghini VX1
Golden Edition Laptop
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Asus has confirmed it is preparing to ship an updated version
of its Lamborghini VX1 laptop. Dubbed the 'Golden Edition', the
machine boasts an almost top-of-the-range Core 2 Duo mobile
processor, 2 GB of 667 MHz DDR 2 memory, a 160 GB hard drive
and Nvidia's GeForce Go 7400 VX GPU.
"As before, the Golden Edition VX1 will ship in yellow and black
versions. Both models sport a 15in 1,400 x 1,050 display, Gigabit
Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.0 and all
the usual ports and connectors."
Link:
Asus Kits Out Lamborghini VX1 Golden Edition Laptop
Medion's Showy Crystal Laptop 'for the
Ladies'
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend, roars Medion's latest
announcement, but you won't find any such gemstones on its new
notebook, a Chavette-friendly laptop embossed with 300 Swarovski
crystals - lead glass, as the material's known in the trade -
arranged in Medion's logo and a flower motif.
"Yes, the ostentatious SIM 2060 laptop is aimed specifically at
women - footballers' wives, we'd suggest. The machine's plastic
casing is of a 'subtle' hue called 'pink chrome' with grey-green
hints that looks as bad as it sounds. The Medion logo and flower
decal are likewise coloured. The flower motif is repeated on the
touchpad."
Link: Medion
Shows Showy Crystal Laptop for the Ladies
Bargain 'Books
The release of new Core 2 Duo
powered MacBooks this week has precipitated another ratcheting
down of prices on refurbished Macintel notebooks at the Apple
Store. You can now get a Core Duo MacBook for $899, one with a
SuperDrive for under $1,000, and a MacBook Pro for $1,399! If there
was any doubt that the switch to Intel chips would result in lower
prices, they should now be erased.
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible
for AppleCare.
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233
MHz, the cacheless MainStreet
version and the later Series II
with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from
the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included
links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for
the PowerBook G4/667 (VGA) and
G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs.
aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz 15"
PowerBooks.
PowerBook, iBook, and MacBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
- refurb 13" 1.83 GHz MacBook Core Duo, 512/60/Combo, $899
- refurb 13" 2 GHz white MacBook Core Duo, 512/60/SD, $999
- refurb 13" 2 GHz black MacBook Core Duo, 512/60/SD, $1,099
- refurb 15" 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo, 512/80/SuperDrive/,
$1,399
- refurb 15" 2 GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo, 512/80/SD, $1,449
- refurb 15" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo, 512/100/SD,
$1,599
- refurb 17" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo, 1024/120/SD,
$2,199
TechRestore is offering a $25 discount to 'Book Review readers
off any PowerBook or iBook in stock. Just enter the code CWM during
checkout when ordering online. The coupon code is valid from now
through 2007.12.31.
- 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/SD, $999.99 - $25 =
$974.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz, 512/80/Combo, BT, $1,049.99 - $25 =
$1024.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz, 512/80/SD, BT, $1,099.99 - $25 =
$1,074.99
- PowerBook Pismo G3/400, 256/20/DVD, $305
- Clamshell iBook G3/366, 256/10/CD, $199
- 12" iBook G3/500, 256/10/CD, $275
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/Combo, $425
- Add AirPort for $90
Lots of iBooks under $500....
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/CD, $299
- 12" iBook G3/800, 128/30/Combo, $369
- 12" iBook G3/900, 256/30/Combo, $449
- 14" iBook G3/700, 128/30/Combo, Scratched, $299
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 256/40/Combo, $619.99
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
