Apple Reengineers White MacBook
By Chris Maxcer
Latest polycarbonate MacBook boasts unibody design.
At first glance, Apple’s latest updates to the low-end white polycarbonate MacBook might seem like a fresh coat of paint and some new tires, but pop the hood and it’s clear that Apple has reengineered the $999 entry Mac notebook.
For starters, it’s curvier along the edges, and more importantly, it comes with a new unibody design similar to the unibody design found in the aluminum MacBook Pro.
“The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery,” noted Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, adding that Apple now has the only lineup of notebooks that all feature unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays, and long-life batteries.
Apple says the new built-in battery should last seven hours and live for years on up to 1,000 recharges. As of right now, Apple says depleted batteries can be replaced for $129, which includes installation and disposal of the old battery.
Lighter, Stronger, More Skid-Resistant
The new grippy backside.
The new design makes the 4.7 pound MacBook lighter and more durable than its predecessor, and it includes a new non-skid bottom surface. On the inside, Apple boosted the processor to a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, by the way, also sports a 2.26 GHz processor and the same NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics but actually comes with a smaller 160GB hard drive. There’s more to the MacBook Pro, of course, but for most consumers, this new white MacBook is a compelling option.
Still Green and Getting Greener
Apple’s now touting that it has the industry’s greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass, notes, adding that Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.
Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and the iLife suite, which features iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.
The Specs:
- 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
- 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
- 1066 MHz front-side bus
- 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB
- NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
- 250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor
- a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately)
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- built-in iSight video camera
- two USB 2.0 ports
- one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out
- glass Multi-Touch trackpad
- built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery
- 60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM or boost the hard drive up to 320GB or 500GB — both spinning at 5400 rpm.
As Featured on Amazon.com: Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Filed Under: Apple Action • Featured • Mac
About the Author: Chris Maxcer is editor and publisher of 