Apple’s MacBook Review

The MacBook is a great laptop for all your needs.  A mere 1.08 inches thin and weighing only 5.0 pounds,* MacBook cuts a slim profile on any desk (or in any backpack or briefcase). Yet this go-anywhere notebook comes with go-anywhere durability. The tough polycarbonate shell keeps it ready for the rough and tumble of everyday life. And because the latch is magnetic — with no moving parts to snag, jam, or break — even opening and closing MacBook is a pleasure.

The details:

Processor: 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2GB, 800MHz, DDR2
Hard Drive: 60 GB with 5,400 RPM and a Nvidia MCP79 chipset
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9400M card
Operating System: OS X Leopard 10.5.7
Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.92 inches
Height: 1.08 inches
Screen Size: 13.3 inches
Weight: 5.1 lbs

This is Apple’s lower-end laptop, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work like a charm.    The MacBook now shares a significant amount of specs with the new 13 inch MacBook Pro.  It comes with a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and the Nvidia 9400M integrated graphics processor that you’ll find on the 13 inch MacBook Pro.  Basically, both your gaming and media capabilities are essentially the same.

It comes with a glossy white, polycarbonate body with a great quality iSight webcam above the display.  The speakers are decent and the keyboard is standard for all the line of preunibody Intel MacBooks.  With the raised keyboard, it performs nicely through lengthy writing sessions.  The touchpad, while not clickable and button-free, is still capable of all the great multi-touch features.

The display is 13.3 inches of glossy LCD and offers 1,200 x 800 native resolution, which is the same resolution to the newer 13-inch MacBook Pros.  The screen is not a LED backlit like its brother, the MacBook Pro, but the brightness and color are still exceptional for both media and gaming use.

The MacBook now comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a mini-DVI port, FireWire 400, with both a headphone and mic jack.  I’d recommend hooking up a good set of external speaker through the headphone jack.

We now see a 40GB increase from the older hard drive.  It now comes with a 160 GB hard drive and can be upgraded to a huge 1/2 TB, 500 GB if you choose to order.  The standard 2GB of DDR2 RAM can also be upgraded to 4GB DDR2 RAM at additional costs.

The 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo processor runs a bit slower than the 13 inch MacBook Pro, so you’ll see slightly less high-speed performance running iTunes or Photoshop.  To make up for the hard drive difference, the MacBook comes equipped with Nvidia 9400M GPU (the same as the 13 inch MacBook Pro).  For gamers, if you keep modest resolution settings this MacBook can definitely hold its own.

The battery life tests from third parties puts the run time at 3 hours and 30 minutes without a charge.  I’d recommend keeping it hooked up to the power supply if you’re working at your desk.