Now that the high-end MacBook Pro has Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU, it's high time the latest processor technology filtered down to Apple's more consumer-friendly MacBook line. There are three MacBook models, one with a 1.83GHz CPU and two with 2.0GHz CPUs. The MacBook starts at a mere AU$1,749, but our review unit is the most tricked-out of the three, offering the faster CPU and a larger hard drive for a still palatable AU$2,399. These 13.3-inch notebooks, available in the standard Apple colours of black and white, are nearly as powerful as their 15- and 17-inch Pro cousins, and they include a lot of the same features, such as the built-in iSight camera and Front Row remote. If the handful of compromises vs. the Pro model, such as the screen size and the lack of discrete graphics, isn't a deal breaker, the MacBook is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to step up to an Apple laptop or upgrade their older MacBook.
While the entry-level MacBook is available only in white, when you move up to the 2.0GHz version, black is also an option. Our black MacBook isn't quite as sharp as the metallic MacBook Pro we looked at recently, but it still has a very distinctive look, with rounded edges and a boxy iPod-like design. The matte black surface is nice to run your hands over and is largely fingerprint resistant. The white 2.0GHz model is AU$300 cheaper and starts with a smaller hard drive, but it can be upgraded to an identical configuration.
Measuring about 275mm thick, 325mm wide, and 227mm deep, the MacBook is small enough to carry around every day and just big enough to comfortably function as your everyday computer. It weighs in at 2.36 kilograms, and while the difference is only 18 grams, it feels considerably lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Opening the lid, you'll find a minimalist setup, including a power button, a full-size keyboard, a sizable touch pad with a single mouse button, and a built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. If you miss the scroll bar present on many Windows laptops, you'll find that the two-finger scroll option works well (run two fingers down the touch pad, and it scrolls like a mouse wheel). The keyboard has totally flat keys (a touch we also liked on the Sony VAIO C150P/B), instead of the slightly concave keys you may be used to. It's matter of personal preference, but we like the cleaner look of flat keys.
The MacBook supplies you with two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port (the MacBook Pro adds a FireWire 800 port), a mini-DVI port (an adapter is required for hooking up a regular monitor), and a slot-loading SuperDrive DVD burner. You won't find a media card reader, however, which has become a common feature on many laptops. Unlike the MacBook Pro, there's no ExpressCard slot for adding components later. An Ethernet port, an Airport Extreme 802.11a/b/g wireless card, and the built-in Bluetooth take care of the networking.
At a resolution of 1,280x800, the 13.3-inch wide-screen display is easy to read and offers enough screen real estate for anything short of high-res Photoshop sessions. With a 15-inch MacBook Pro, you'd jump up to 1,440x900, but the difference is minimal to the naked eye. Movie-watching is best as a one-person experience on the 13.3-inch screen vs. the more sharable 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models.
Our review unit came with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive. You can double the RAM to 2GB for AU$285, which seems like a smart investment for future-proofing your machine, and you can ramp up the hard drive to 160GB or 200GB models for AU$160 and AU$320, respectively. Other than that, the MacBook configurations are mostly fixed, although Apple is happy to sell you a variety of external accessories, such as a USB modem jack (AU$79) or a mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter (AU$35).
Apple claims significant performance boosts, up to 25 percent from the move to Core 2 Duo CPUs. In CNET Labs' Photoshop CS2 and iTunes encoding tests, we found that the new MacBook, with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and 1GB of RAM, performed admirably, coming in behind the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro model, but not by huge margins. That's even more impressive when you consider the MacBook Pro we tested had a whopping 3GB of RAM. As expected, both Core 2 Duo systems easily outclassed an older Core Duo MacBook Pro from earlier this year. We have updated our benchmarks recently, so we can't compare these scores directly against the last round of Core Duo MacBooks, but the new Core 2 Duo MacBook did show a 26 percent boost over the older Core Duo MacBook Pro, well in line with Apple's claims.
In many areas, the new MacBook Pro and MacBook systems are very similar, with design, price, and screen size as the major points of differentiation. One important difference to note is in the graphics subsystem. The MacBook Pro has an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, while the MacBooks are stuck with Intel GMA 950 graphics. So if gaming is important to you, either Windows gaming through Boot Camp or Mac native gaming, you'll want to step up to the Pro model.
In our battery tests, we got an impressive 3 hours, 30 minutes out of the MacBook -- beating the 15-inch MacBook Pro by half an hour. That's about what you'd expect from a thin-and-light notebook and more than enough for a movie or two or any flight shorter than a coast-to-coast run.
The MacBook's AC adapter connects magnetically to the laptop, so if you accidentally trip over the cord, it will simply detach instead of sending your new purchase crashing to the floor. You additionally get Apple's tiny Front Row remote -- the same as the one that comes with the iMac; it controls Apple's Front Row software for playing back movies, music, and photos from a home-theatre-style 3-metre interface.
Many people prefer Apple systems specifically for the bundled suite of proprietary software, iLife '06, which includes intuitive tools for building Web sites, creating DVDs, composing music, and working with photos.
The default warranty for the MacBook Pro is one year of coverage for parts and labor, but toll-free telephone support is limited to a mere 90 days -- well short of what you'd typically find on the PC side -- unless you purchase the AU$419 AppleCare Protection Plan, which extends phone support and repair coverage to three years.
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Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.
System configurations:
Apple MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo (15.4-inch 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo)
OS X 10.4.8; Core 2 Duo 2.3GHz; 3GB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 256MB; 150GB Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook Pro Core Duo (2.0GHz Intel Core Duo)
OS X 10.4.7; Intel Core Duo 2GHz; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 256MB; 100GB Toshiba MK1032GSX 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo)
OS X 10.4.8; Core 2 Duo 2GHz; 1GB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 64MB Intel GMA 950; 120GB Toshiba MK1234GSX 5,400rpm
NaTHaN
16/06/2007, 10:02 AM
rating
10/10
great preformance, sleek design
Pros: No POP-UPS!!!!! unlike pcs my macbook has never got a pop up while im on the internet
Cons: none yet
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Shelley
20/04/2007, 09:08 AM
rating
2/10
Never had so many problems. Off to buy a new pc today and go back to something that really does work. Macs dont live up to their taglines or any of their adverts. "never errors" as if, thats all I get is errors.
Pros: It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Cons: Biggest mistake I could have made which will end up costing me a fortune.
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NDT
12/03/2007, 08:11 PM
rating
9/10
I have had the white 2GHz model for 6 months and have been very happy with it. My first notebook after 5 windows desktops. Suits my purposes down to a tee. A real joy to use
Pros: Spectacular design, most other notebooks look like relics compared to this! Neat, slick, attractive.
OSX is a joy, so user friendly and stable.
very thin
nice soft touch keyboard
user upgradeable HDD and Ram
beautiful sharp glossy screen
you dont need to add much software with all the in-built stuff you get.
Cons: trackpad button stopped working after 1month, whole top case replaced by apple overnight (next byte shop)
Gets very hot on your lap
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Love Apple
24/01/2007, 01:56 AM
rating
10/10
the best laptop ever
Pros: Fashionable, performance and sleek..
Cons: Why must it be an apple as allways
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sdmackpictures
01/01/2007, 09:44 PM
rating
10/10
Personally, I love everything about it.
Pros: Love the style, size (it fits in my camera bag for uploading to the news), good battery life, simple to operate (it just works!) and can operate XP if necessary.
Cons: Have not found any yet. Give me time.
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Macboy 24
28/12/2006, 12:01 AM
rating
6/10
Nice asthetics...BUT one big problem. My ne White Macbook pro with intel core 2 duo and 2 gb ram runs slower then my 17"imac intel core duo with only 1GB ram! my macbook runs very slow and is brand new... i don;t know why?
Pros: Great design
Cons: Slow...very slow performance. Mouse is an absolute joke...why not just give a conventional right click? Not very happy apple.
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arsenalroc
10/12/2006, 12:41 PM
rating
9/10
Good buy if you want a sleek,hardworking computer that will not fail. Bad buy if you want to game
Pros: great computer- fast,reliable,easy to use
nice interface,frontrow is cool, isight is great quality
Cons: black scratches really easily , graphics is bad, gets warm
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Crynja
26/11/2006, 03:51 AM
rating
9/10
"It weighs in at 2.36 kilograms, and while the difference is only 18 grams, it feels considerably lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro. "
I think you mean 180 grams.
Pros: Nice form factor. Great speed. Everything you need built in. Has wi-fi chip supporting draft 802.11n (when Apple chooses to support it via software). Runs all operating systems including Windows XP.
Cons: Would be nice to have more graphics options for Pro-app support and gaming. Glossy screen annoys some people. Apple has black tax on high end black model.
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madbad01
23/11/2006, 12:31 PM
rating
10/10
My Apple MacBook on black is the best laptop I have ever had! It's packed with features and looks awesome!
Pros: - Design
- Webcam
- 1GB RAM
- 80GB HD
- Beautiful screen
- Superdrive
- Super fast
Cons: - Screen attracts fingerprints
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