The (de)evolution of mac?
Written: Feb 23 '09
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Pros: Multi-Touch trackpad, bright LED monitor, integrated chipset
Cons: glossy display, rearranged keyboard, no fire wire.
The Bottom Line: Unless you need an extra bright monitor or the multi-touch track pad, save yourself $300 and go for the MacBook White.
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| green's Full Review: Apple MB466LL/A 13 in. (MB466LL/A BUNDLE) Mac Note... |
Apple's family of laptops have long lead the way in portable computing. The first G4 equipped powerbook redefined the segment by putting desktop performance into a portable package and more recent versions of the MacBook Pro, have continued that tradition. With a pedigree like this expectations for a new model are naturally high.
The original MacBook was intended as a higher performance replacement for the mass-market oriented iBook and the smaller 12" PowerBook (my prior machine to my new MacBook). While likely one of Apple's most successful products, several users were somewhat put off by a cheap looking plastic shell and many, myself included, lamented the loss of the small but durable 12" PowerBook G4.
Enter the new MacBook. While an updated version of the white plastic MacBook still sits at the base of Apple's lineup, this new version of the MacBook was slated as a wholesale redesign, focusing largely on modest increases wrapped in an eco-friendly package.
At first glance the differences are almost breathtaking. The aluminum enclosure lacks almost any noticeable seam, the all black monitor removes the distracting silver bezel and Apple's characteristic throbbing sleep light shines from within, what can best be described as transparent aluminum. Visually, Apple lived up to all expectations.
Performance wise the new MacBook is a marked improvement from the previous model. While 2.0 Ghz Intel CoreDuo processor stays the same from previous models, an upgrade to 1066MHz front side bus (from 800MHz). To paraphrase former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, if a computer is a series of tubes, front side bus is the one going from your memory to your processor, and it is about as big as they come. For most tasks this means a pretty big increase in speed. Graphics performance is also noticeably improved with the integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor. While I doubt most users will notice the difference at first, little things do seem to run smoother (especially the new iTunes visualization) The 160 gig hard drive could be bigger however.
Of course most of these features, save 40 extra gig on the hard drive, are available in the less expensive MacBook White. What then justifies the extra three hundred bucks? Really there are only three things. The aluminum enclosure, the glass LED monitor, and the big glass track pad.
Apple claims their motive behind the aluminum enclosure and LED monitor was to make take noxious chemicals out of the product and production process and over all make the entire product more recyclable. While that is almost certainly true for the glass LED monitor, I am not sure how much it applies to an aluminum case that starts off as one big chunk of aluminum only to be whittled down to its svelte lightweight form.
Naturally the advantage must lie elsewhere. One noticeable advantage of the aluminum enclosure is that the computer runs noticeably cooler than previous models. The case itself dissapates heat more evenly across its surface. More importantly the lone vent, situated behind the monitor hinge, is enormous when the monitor is up and all but sealed off when the monitor is closed.
The LED monitor is a bit more puzzling. While noticeably brighter than its TFT counterpart, the added brightness goes to waste to overcome the glare of the overly reflective screen. I have never been a fan of glossy monitors, and this one sets a record in that development. The good news is that if you're concerned about a recurring cowlick, just put the monitor to sleep and viola! A mirror.
If there is one thing that makes the upgrade worth it, it is the oversized multi-touch trackpad. Several of the gestures have already proven themselves indispensable, while others I could probably live without. Four finger swipes to reveal expose, the desktop and the application switcher are brilliant, especially for those who used to use hot corners to accomplish the same thing. Two finger clicks to bring up the right-click menu, also something you will find hard to live without. The zoom and rotate functions adapted from the iPhone, less so, as they often activate at unwanted times. The only good news in that regard is the limited number of apps that support multi-touch. Oddly iWork '09 is not among them.
If I had to stop here the new MacBook would be a slam dunk 4 and a half stars, losing a half star for the glossy monitor. But this review would be far from complete without mentioning some of the stranger points on the new model.
For a company as design oriented as Apple, I find some of two of their choices existentially frustrating. First, is the omission of a fire-wire port. Not to say that I would trade out a USB, but after a decade of pushing the technology, and me buying the peripherals (including my backup disk) it is almost unbelievable that Apple could think to leave it out. Second, why in God's name would I need an extra 'option' key, especially when it meant removing the 'enter' key from the keyboard. In a similar vein, why move the volume keys to the other side of the keyboard only to replace them with a useless dashboard key and two blank keys?
When the glossy monitor, USB exclusive case and arbitrary keyboard rearrangement are all rolled togehter I can't escape the feeling that longtime Mac users get when visiting the Apple store: that apple is paying more attention to consumers they don't yet have than to those they already do. For the first time I feel that Apple is trying to put their status as a luxury brand above sound design choices. While it is not enough to render the machine unuseable, it is frustrating to say the least.
When all is said and done, however, it really doesn't matter what Apple does as long as OS X is only available on their machines. So if you are a multi touch fan, or simply can't do without the aluminum closure, the new MacBook is for you. Otherwise, most users will likely be happy with a MacBook white and an extra three hundred dollars
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1299.99
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 13 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: SuperDisk
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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green
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT
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