| Category: | Computers & Electronics |
| Product Type: | Computers |
| Manufacturer: | Apple Inc |
MacBook
(Apple Computer Inc)
Notebook Mac
Processor: Intel Core Duo (2GHz)
Memory: 512MB DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
Display: 13.3in widescreen LCD (1,280 x 800pixels)
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 (shared memory)
Storage: 80GB hard drive, DVD writer
Operating system: Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger)
Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T), 54Mbps Airport Extreme WiFi
(802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0.
I/O ports: Two USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire port, mini-DVI, analogue/digital audio out
and line-in.
Other features: Wireless Apple Remote (for Front Row software), built-in iSight
webcam, scrolling trackpad, MagSafe power connector.
Dimensions (w x d x h): 35.7 x 24.3 x 2.59cm
Weight: 2.36kg
Price: RM5,999
This is the all-new Apple MacBook. And although it’s basically Apple’s new budget notebook, it’s a lot closer to the Pro models in terms of features and performance.
In fact, it’s more than the iBook range (which it replaces) ever was and it’s a vastly improved beast. For starters, it’s now available in both the usual glossy white enclosure and a new, strangely desirable matte black finish (apparently, black is the new white).
Other exterior changes include a new 13.3in glossy widescreen LCD and a new keyboard design. It’s more understated too – there are absolutely no protrusions, bumps or unnecessary lines. Even the mechanical latch for the LCD lid has been replaced by a magnetic one. Nice.
The MacBook’s beauty is more than just skin deep too. Unlike the iBooks, the MacBook has an easily accessible hard drive bay, which is convenient if you need to swap drives or upgrade. Then, there’s the range of processors: Either a speedy 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor or the even faster 2GHz model as found in this review unit.
Dance for me
If you’ve heard about the Intel Core Duo processor before (it’s also part of Intel Centrino Duo platform for notebook PCs), you probably would’ve heard about its superb performance.
With two parallel processing cores on a single chip and a very clever shared cache system, it works wonders in a multi-threaded operating environment such as Mac OS X 10.4.
The end result is that the MacBook, like all other Core Duo-equipped Macs and notebook PCs, is blazingly fast at processor-intensive tasks. It routinely outperforms the PowerMac G5 and Intel Pentium 4-based computers in the In.Tech office in audio/video encoding, software 3D rendering and image editing benchmarks.
In any case, it’ll run circles round any PowerBook G4.
In fact, the only kink in the MacBook’s armour is its integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics chip. While perfectly fine for general video and 2D graphics applications, it doesn’t have enough power for demanding real-time 3D applications.
It’s not officially supported by games such as Call of Duty 2 while reports from around the Web suggest that it’s not great for World of Warcraft. In our own tests, it’s not fast enough for Unreal Tournament 2004, dipping down below 10 frames a second on a fairly regular basis – even at minimal detail settings.
Being an integrated design, the GMA 950 eats into the main system RAM, which is a problem if you plan to attach a second monitor for an extended desktop (the MacBook doesn’t come with a mini-DVI to DVI/VGA adaptor cable, by the way – you’ll have to purchase one separately).
In normal usage (using only the built-in LCD for typical non-gaming applications) 493MB of the total 512MB of RAM is available. With the minimum requirements for advanced applications skyrocketing each year, I think Apple should have included 1GB of RAM as standard.
On the road
The MacBook takes only about 20 seconds to start up, which is good if you’re the sort of person who shuts down his computer rather than putting it to sleep.
Like all Macs, the MacBook has instantly wakes from sleep. However, leaving the MacBook in sleep for an entire working day drained about 20% of the battery, which is a bit worse than I expected.
Like the MacBook Pro, the MacBook runs very hot at full power, so don't put in on your lap if you are planning to be a father. It does run a lot cooler with energy-saving features turned on, though.
Speaking of the battery, the MacBook seems to have more endurance than the Pro versions. With the MacBook, I can easily manage four hours or more while surfing the Net through a WiFi connection and listening to music – something that requires extreme discipline to achieve on a MacBook Pro.
The new 13.3in LCD offers loads of desktop real estate, which is nice. It’s one of those glossy-coated LCDs – a first for an Apple notebook – and it offers much better contrast than traditional matte-screened monitors.
However, you might be distracted by stray reflections when using the MacBook outdoors or if you happen to have a Christmas tree behind you or something. But in most indoor environments, it’s fine.
But if you are going out, you’d better pack some earphones because the built-in speakers are too soft for use in any situation other than complete silence.
On the tactile front, the MacBook retains Apple’s very useful scrolling touchpad, which works like a scroll wheel on a mouse. Simply place two fingers on the trackpad and you’ll be able to scroll text and images both up/down and left/right.
I like the new keyboard too. Although lacking the excellent tactile feedback of the MacBook Pro’s, it’s comfortable to use and is more solid than the one on the iBook. But in spite of how it looks, it isn’t spill proof.
Conclusion
The matte-black MacBook here comes at a premium – it’s RM700 more than a similarly specified white-coloured model (which is identical apart from a slightly smaller 60GB hard disk).
And if you’re not too fussy about processor speeds and don’t need DVD writing capabilities, there’s the more affordable 1.83GHz model with a DVD/CD-RW combo drive for just RM4,399.
For all intents and purposes, the MacBook is a cracking notebook. As long as you’re not planning to use it for playing games, it’s brilliant.
Pros: Speedy processor; good specifications; looks and feels really nice.
Cons: Comes with only 512MB RAM; graphics chip not great for games.
Source: http://star-techcentral.com/reviews/story.asp?file=/2006/6/27/prodit/14641502&sec=reviews&ref=computer&new=1&cat=2&rid=929
