In our benchmark tests, the new MacBook and its 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU performed comparably to its predecessor, which is to say that basic multitasking and productivity are a breeze, as is streaming and viewing HD-video content-much as we'd expect from any current Intel Core 2 Duo laptop. Apple is making a firm move to the DisplayPort camp by including a mini DisplayPort connection instead of mini-DVI or VGA, but a variety of external dongles (sold separately) will give you any video output you need. Our two fondest MacBook wishes-an ExpressCard slot and an SD-card reader-have yet to come true, so photographers (especially those who use equipment with FireWire connections) may be disappointed-or encouraged to spring for a MacBook Pro. With only two USB 2.0 ports and no more FireWire, the new MacBook isn't exactly brimming with connections. Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Once you get used to that, going back to a regular touch pad would be difficult.Īpple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, Nvidia GeForce 9400M) Most useful, perhaps, is sweeping four fingers left or right, which brings up the application switcher. On the other hand, there are some useful new gestures: you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner of the touch pad as a "right-click" zone. The all-button touch pad concept is actually a bit difficult to get used to, and feels slightly clunky at first compared with a traditional fixed-position touch pad.
#APPLE MACBOOK PRO A1286 15.4 INTEL C2D 2.4 PC#
In fact, the entire touch pad depresses like a button, although a simple tapping (as on a PC laptop) will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu. This larger touch pad uses multitouch gestures similar to those found on the iPhone, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, and offers a much larger surface area than previous 13-inch MacBooks-thanks to the elimination of a separate mouse button. The result is a lighter and thinner, yet stronger, chassis that feels more solid and substantial-a notable feat, as the previous MacBook models were already extremely sturdy.Īnother notable new feature is a radically redesigned touch pad.
#APPLE MACBOOK PRO A1286 15.4 INTEL C2D 2.4 PRO#
The actual construction for both the new MacBook and MacBook Pro now follows the MacBook Air model, with a solid block of aluminum carved down, rather than a thin outer shell that has had support struts added to it. The familiar white-and-black bodies have been replaced with an aluminum chassis that looks nearly identical to the new MacBook Pro, only smaller. Both new MacBook models operate on a faster front-side bus, (from 800MHz to 1066MHz) and move from DDR2 memory to DDR3. The higher-end model keeps the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, but also costs $100 more. And the $1,299 model gets you a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, rather than the 2.4GHz CPU. While the base model keeps the same $1,299 price (our review unit was the upgraded $1,599 version with a faster processor, a bigger hard drive, and backlit keyboard), you lose the FireWire port in the transition. Internally, the big news is an Nvidia chipset with improved integrated graphics, while the "unibody" aluminum chassis, the buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) touch pad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED-backlit display are the major physical changes on the outside. Some Internet commentators have even referred to the new models as the "MacBook Pro Mini." They can be seen as more advanced, and in some ways more expensive, versions of the classic 13-inch MacBook, but we prefer to think of them as slightly stripped down, and less expensive, versions of the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro line. There are two ways to look at Apple's newly reimagined MacBook laptops.