The new Macbook does not – as you might expect – replace the old one. There’s an updated version of the original Macbook with the white case still on sale, with a 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB Ram and 120GB hard disk for £719.
In contrast, the other new Macbook is a shiny, metallic number with the same aluminium casing as Apple’s professional-level laptop, the Macbook Pro – albeit with a 13.3in display rather than the 15.4in display of the Pro model. You could, perhaps, think of it as the ‘Macbook Semi-Pro’.
The metallic model is available in two versions, the cheapest of which costs £949 with a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB Ram and 160GB hard disk. However, our review unit was the more powerful 2.4GHz model, which has a 250GB hard disk, and is priced at a fairly hefty £1,149.
The new look is an improvement. It will appeal to existing Macbook users who, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, have been ‘lusting’ after the metal look for years. However, the one other thing Macbook owners have been lusting after is a decent graphics chip.
To keep the price down, the original ‘white’ Macbook – including the £719 model still on sale – used the Intel X3100 graphics processor, an integrated graphics chip that couldn’t handle the high-speed action of modern computer games. Mind you, the number of A-list games released for the Mac in the past year can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
But, bowing to demand from customers, Apple has put a decent graphics processor inside the Macbook, in the form of Nvidia’s new Geforce 9400M. Apple claims that, depending on which game you try to run, the 9400M is two-six times faster than the X3100 of previous models.
That’s not much of a claim, as previous Macbook models could be brought to a halt even by games such as Guitar Hero, which is hardly state of the art these days. However, the improved graphics of the new Macbook do at least make it an option for the more casual gamer, and may swing a few undecided voters from the PC side of the fence.
There are a few smaller changes in the new models too. A backlit keyboard will illuminate the keys if you’re in a dark room. And Apple has removed the button from the trackpad area, allowing it to increase the size of the trackpad. If you want to click on something you can just press down anywhere on the surface of the trackpad. The old Firewire interface has gone too and the Macbook now relies solely on USB2 for expansion. However, it has gained an external video port so you can connect it to a larger monitor if you need to.
Other features provided as standard include Ethernet, 802.11n wireless networking, Bluetooth, a webcam, stereo speakers and combined digital/analogue audio input and output. There’s the usual bundled software too, with Apple’s iLife suite providing video-editing, photo-management, and DVD-burning software. Battery life is very respectable. We didn’t get the five hours that Apple boasts, but we won’t complain about the almost 4.5 hours that we did get.
The metal Macbook is certainly nice to look at – as you’d expect from Apple – and the improved graphics performance is welcome. However, a minimum price of £949 for what is meant to be an affordable home computer does seem steep. If you’re not that bothered about playing games then the one remaining ‘white’ model arguably represents better value.
In contrast, the other new Macbook is a shiny, metallic number with the same aluminium casing as Apple’s professional-level laptop, the Macbook Pro – albeit with a 13.3in display rather than the 15.4in display of the Pro model. You could, perhaps, think of it as the ‘Macbook Semi-Pro’.
The metallic model is available in two versions, the cheapest of which costs £949 with a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB Ram and 160GB hard disk. However, our review unit was the more powerful 2.4GHz model, which has a 250GB hard disk, and is priced at a fairly hefty £1,149.
The new look is an improvement. It will appeal to existing Macbook users who, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, have been ‘lusting’ after the metal look for years. However, the one other thing Macbook owners have been lusting after is a decent graphics chip.
To keep the price down, the original ‘white’ Macbook – including the £719 model still on sale – used the Intel X3100 graphics processor, an integrated graphics chip that couldn’t handle the high-speed action of modern computer games. Mind you, the number of A-list games released for the Mac in the past year can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
But, bowing to demand from customers, Apple has put a decent graphics processor inside the Macbook, in the form of Nvidia’s new Geforce 9400M. Apple claims that, depending on which game you try to run, the 9400M is two-six times faster than the X3100 of previous models.
That’s not much of a claim, as previous Macbook models could be brought to a halt even by games such as Guitar Hero, which is hardly state of the art these days. However, the improved graphics of the new Macbook do at least make it an option for the more casual gamer, and may swing a few undecided voters from the PC side of the fence.
There are a few smaller changes in the new models too. A backlit keyboard will illuminate the keys if you’re in a dark room. And Apple has removed the button from the trackpad area, allowing it to increase the size of the trackpad. If you want to click on something you can just press down anywhere on the surface of the trackpad. The old Firewire interface has gone too and the Macbook now relies solely on USB2 for expansion. However, it has gained an external video port so you can connect it to a larger monitor if you need to.
Other features provided as standard include Ethernet, 802.11n wireless networking, Bluetooth, a webcam, stereo speakers and combined digital/analogue audio input and output. There’s the usual bundled software too, with Apple’s iLife suite providing video-editing, photo-management, and DVD-burning software. Battery life is very respectable. We didn’t get the five hours that Apple boasts, but we won’t complain about the almost 4.5 hours that we did get.
The metal Macbook is certainly nice to look at – as you’d expect from Apple – and the improved graphics performance is welcome. However, a minimum price of £949 for what is meant to be an affordable home computer does seem steep. If you’re not that bothered about playing games then the one remaining ‘white’ model arguably represents better value.
by pcw.co.uk
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