Tuesday, October 14th 2008
Apple Introduces New MacBook Family
Also introduced today were two Apple laptops, the new MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro. Both new laptops are housed in an all-metal enclosures and feature a stylish new glass surface trackpad that has no buttons, but relays on tapping only. We already knew about the new multi-touch trackpad from previous news so it comes as no big surprise to everyone.
The new MacBook, which serves the role of an entry level laptop, comes with a 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for 1280 by 800 native resolution and millions of colors. It also relies on a 2.0GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache, 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM upgradable to 4GB, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256MB DDR3, a 160GB 5400-rpm SATA HDD (optional 250GB or 320GB 5400-rpm HDD or 128GB SSD), and a 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). Peripherals include a built-in iSight camera, Wi-Fi network, 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, built-in speakers, a Mini DisplayPort and two USB 2.0 ports. Apple ships the new MacBook with Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and some third party software installed. Start price for this model is $1,299.00.
The MacBook Pro boasts bigger 15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with native resolution of 1440x900 pixels. Processor choices include one base 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 3MB L2 cache or 2.53GHz or 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache. Going on with the specs, the new MacBook Pro can ship with either 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, that's also the maximum installable memory. Graphics options are two here, and they include only NVIDIA cards again. You can choose from a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with dual-link DVI support or a GeForce 9400M with 256MB DDR3 memory. If you choose the 9600M in a 2.4GHz configuration it will ship with 256MB of DDR3 memory. If you choose the MacBook Pro with a 2.8GHz Intel CPU and 9600M, the video card will come with a 512MB of DDR3 memory. For storage and optical drives MacBook Pro offers a 250GB or 320GB 5400-rpm SATA HDDs or option 250GB/320GB 7200-rpm HDD and even a 128GB SSD if you have enough cash. A standard 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) is also included. MacBook Pro features the same peripherals as the new MacBook above. There's only one difference, the Pro version adds a backlit keyboard. Apple ships this models with a Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and additional software also. Starting price for this models is $1,999.00.
Both laptops claim to offer up to 5 hours of battery time without recharging.
For more information on the new MacBook, please click here.
For More information on the new MacBook Pro, please click here.
Source:
Apple
The MacBook Pro boasts bigger 15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with native resolution of 1440x900 pixels. Processor choices include one base 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 3MB L2 cache or 2.53GHz or 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache. Going on with the specs, the new MacBook Pro can ship with either 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, that's also the maximum installable memory. Graphics options are two here, and they include only NVIDIA cards again. You can choose from a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with dual-link DVI support or a GeForce 9400M with 256MB DDR3 memory. If you choose the 9600M in a 2.4GHz configuration it will ship with 256MB of DDR3 memory. If you choose the MacBook Pro with a 2.8GHz Intel CPU and 9600M, the video card will come with a 512MB of DDR3 memory. For storage and optical drives MacBook Pro offers a 250GB or 320GB 5400-rpm SATA HDDs or option 250GB/320GB 7200-rpm HDD and even a 128GB SSD if you have enough cash. A standard 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) is also included. MacBook Pro features the same peripherals as the new MacBook above. There's only one difference, the Pro version adds a backlit keyboard. Apple ships this models with a Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and additional software also. Starting price for this models is $1,999.00.
Both laptops claim to offer up to 5 hours of battery time without recharging.
For more information on the new MacBook, please click here.
For More information on the new MacBook Pro, please click here.
26 Comments on Apple Introduces New MacBook Family
1./ that glass ultrareflective screen. Having worked with a Xerox glass front TFT 2 years ago... which LOOKED amazing... in practice was awful. Here is the xerox:
We bought two of these for the office. After an initial WOW, after 6 weeks we sold them and replaced them with matte screen TFTs. Consumer designism over function (TM). Apple.
2./ The weight. At over 2kg I really dont see that this product is keeping up with the market. Ultraportables and nettops are what we want, and 2kg requires a weightlifter to carry around from office to office and airport to airport. Where is the Apple iLite? 12.1" 1400x900 and 1.4kg?
I was SO NEARLY an apple convert. We are due a laptop refresh in the office, and have been considering the MacBooks but PC ultraportables are IMO a more interesting purchase. We waited until today to decide "Yes, lets switch". But now, we all agree, the SONY TT, or other ultra is the way to go.
Maybe you have tried them. But once you know, you know apple
I wonder if anyone did a study on the average life span of a MacBook. When they run at temps like that, they can't last long.
cheers
DS
2./ How did you get the free ipod? Is that a US deal, or did you get that in Austria? (EU)
I think you can get it at the US site too. basically need to pay the ipod up front and then get the money back from apple (mail-in rebate). they tend to honor these rebates, that that is not a problem.
cheers
DS
I checked the German site. Beleuchtete Tastatur (backlit) or just Tastatur.
I didnt see any free ipods or rebates on the UK or German site. :(
My Gateway 7811 cpu idles around 30, loads around 55ish...the gpu idles around 40, and loads around 80.
The only reason I say the MacBooks might benefit from the aluminum enclosure is because some of the smaller Macs I've taken apart actually have heatpipes coming from the cpu, connected to the chassis.