Features
The MacBook will ship in two guises -- an entry-level unit costing
£949, and a more advanced model costing £1,149. The entry-level machine
uses an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU running at 2GHz, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a
160GB hard drive. That, we're not ashamed to say, is not good enough,
given how much of your money Apple is asking for.
Apple has switched allegiances from ATI to Nvidia for its graphics
hardware. The entry-level MacBook comes equipped with an Nvidia GeForce
9400M graphics card, a very solid card that allows smooth frame rates
in all but the most demanding of games. It's not as potent as the 9600M
GT in the new MacBook Pro, but it'll certainly do.
It's hard not to talk about the MacBook without mentioning its
13.3-inch widescreen display. This has a native resolution of 1,280x800
pixels, is LED backlit and produces absolutely fantastic image quality.
The only letdown is the fact it comes with a glossy coating on the
outer panel, which essentially turns it into a mirror whenever it comes
into contact with direct light.
The only difference between the entry-level MacBook and its more expensive sibling is that the latter sports a faster 2.4GHz CPU and a larger, 250GB hard drive. We're not convinced this is worth the extra £200, but if you're unaffected by the credit crunch, who are we to put you off?
Both MacBooks can be customised at the time of purchase. Up to 4GB of memory can be installed, and they'll accept hard drives as large as 320GB. A 128GB solid-state drive is available for a jaw-dropping £420. Software includes Time Machine for creating backups, Mail, iChat, the Safari browser, Photo Booth, Front Row, Boot Camp (for installing Windows XP in addition to OS X), and the iLife '08 suite.
Performance
You'll be hard pressed to find a Core 2 Duo
laptop -- Windows-based or otherwise -- that isn't fast. Obviously, our
PCMark 2005 benchmark won't run on a Mac, but anecdotal testing yielded
some positive results. Our review sample uses the faster 2.4GHz CPU and
2GB of RAM, and with this, the system booted in approximately 30
seconds and zipped convincingly through day-to-day applications. Even
when multitasking with iTunes, Safari and iPhoto, the system never
batted an eyelid. It also stayed cool to the touch -- even after
prolonged use.
Graphics performance is vastly improved on previous models.
Overall, Apple claims video performance is 6.2 times faster than on
previous models. The new Nvidia cards are also compatible with Nvidia's
Cuda technology. This enables programmers to write software that
utilises the processing power of the graphics card as well as the CPU
to solve complex computational problems. Video transcoding in
compatible applications, for example, is significantly faster through
Cuda, as is image manipulation in the latest version of Adobe CS4.
We're still in the process of testing the MacBook's battery life, but Apple claims customers can expect approximately 5 hours -- even with the wireless adaptor enabled. We find that difficult to believe -- 3 hours is more likely -- but we'll update this review with an independent battery score in the next day or so.
Conclusion
The new MacBook is, as we all expected, very good
but very expensive. We can see where all the money is going, though --
it's an absolutely gorgeous piece of engineering that you'll spend
hours just looking at. If you've got the cash, we'd thoroughly
recommend it. If not, you'll get more for your money buying a Windows
machine.
Edited by Nick Hide
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User reviews3
Add your review
matbacon 29 December 2008
Good: Multi Touch Trackpad
Bad: All the add-ons such as mobile me that cost a fortune
Comment: After parting with over £1000 cash you would expect a years free mobile me in the box but this is apple, the laptop itself is amazing. I would definitely recommend a mac to anybody and certainly a macbook.
Jool_86 25 November 2008
Good: It has Leopard, not Vista. The Design. The simplicity.
Bad: The trackpad is somewhat annoying. Thats it
Comment: I have only just bought the new macbook this week.
It arrived promptly and did not make a fuss.
After taking it out of its box, turning it on and going through all the registration screens, that was it, I was set up and ready to go.
The design, and size exceeded all my expectations. Id never seen a 13 inch macbook so I wasnt sure how big it would be but I was very happy with the size - big enough to use around the house, but small enough to take with me on the train.
The design itself, is breath taking. As cliche as that sounds, it is literally a work of art. Now dont get me wrong, I didnt spend over a thousand pounds for the design, but compare the macbook to a dell 13 inch for the same price and there is simply no comparison.
Even in spec, the macbook, compared to a dell runs smoothly along side it. Leopard is easy to use and compared to Vista, it is simply an awesome operating system.
I have, in the 24 hours I received it, had some problems with the trackpad. This is down to two things:
- I'm used to a mouse on a desktop
- The trackpad, despite its size and one click system is somewhat annoying to use. You end up running out of space and have to try and backtrack when dragging items.
This however, seems to be a knack I will eventually pick up in time.
Overall, I am happy I spent this vast amount of money on this piece of computer engineering.
I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade to 4gb (along with the 2.4ghz) and I dont regret it for a second, as the system is flawless and extremely fast.
Like the official reviewer stated, if you have the money, I would seriously advise anyone who is sick of windows laptops to buy the new macbook - the transition from windows to apple was effortless.
Aaron804 19 October 2008
Good: So simple, and easy to use. Sexiest thing ever. Very bright LED backlit screen. Feels very strong, no flex at all.
Bad: gets a bit too warm sometimes. £££!!!. Can get so much more, so much less with other makers.
Comment: Now i know that is Macbook was met by a lukewarm reception by the masses when this notebook was released this past Tuesday, most damning the price of this machine, and with reason. This is probably the most over-priced laptop on the market, but is it worth it?? You can bet your bottom dollar (pound with us in the UK) that it is. And when you buy the Macbook, you probably will reach ur bottom dollar....i can promise you that!!
First off, the Macbook feels great, the aluminium body nearly feels bullet proof, it is so strong. Lift it up with one hand, and the bottom corner.....and no flex at all. The screen is very thin due to the LED backlit screen, and it is also very bright. When watching vids, the quality is very good (straight on), viewing angles, along with most laptops is quite poor. I was a previous Windows user, and finding the mew OS very easy to use...everything jus makes sense. Now the bad...Specs r terrible when u look at the price. for £950, u get a 2.0GHz processor, 2GB ram 160GB hard drive,, WTF, for this money i would expect 2.4-2.6GHz processor, 4GB RAM and a 250+GB hard drive. You can get this with dell, and a lot of other laptop brands, your not getting this with apple. Though i say this, the macbook kills most processes with ease, i've only used it for a week, but even with itunes, and quicktime player on, i have still yet to encounter an application that takes more then 5 secs to load. My final words would be, best laptop on the market, if you don't agree, you have to admit its a sexy beast. but way over priced.
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