Update: An engineer from Apple worked with me on the problems I had maintaining 5 GHz draft-n connections.
I'll update this review on-line after that call. I had trouble with fluctuating connections when operating at 5 GHz, but Apple has set up a call with me to try to resolve it. 802.11 draft-n almost consistently connected at around 105 megabits/second, roughly twice the speed of 802.11a and 802.11g. MacBook's AirPort Extreme 802.11a/b/g/draft-n WLAN gave a fine showing in performance and range tests operating in the 2.4 GHz band. Your mileage will vary, but I found the difference startling. Apple's ColorSync color calibration tool kicked this mediocre monitor into brilliance that put my reading glasses back in their case. I did a more realistic test with an entry-level Samsung digital LCD monitor that was a fuzzed-out mess in Windows.
What I approached as a lark showed that MacBook's high-resolution performance is roughly on par with that of its built-in display. You can buy a MacBook and plow those savings into a really sweet desktop display.Īs it happens, my testing included using the optional mini DVI-to-full DVI pigtail to jack MacBook into a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display, just because I could. Those wanting real time mobile 3-D goodness can get it from MacBook Pro or from a PC gamer's notebook for an extra $500-$800.
Apple's developers worked magic, raising GMA 950 to meet Mac users' high standards for speed in GUI, PDF and HTML rendering as well as full-motion media playback. Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics controller is used in MacBook as it is in most Intel Core and Core 2 Duo notebooks that are not based on the AMD/ATI mobile chipset. MacBook's display is even viewable in direct sunlight, handy for those times when the fine gentleman in the window seat won't lower his shade. As it does for photographs, the gloss finish of MacBook's display makes colors more saturated and edges sharper. MacBook's odd-looking keyboard turns out to be evolutionary, completely silent and incomparably comfortable for ten-fingered and two-fingered typists alike. Its case is, as Apple's notebook cases consistently are, hardened against damage from crushing and impact. Quite the contrary: MacBook is a unique design that's ideally suited to professional use. There is nothing in its performance, capabilities or ergonomics that positions MacBook as either a poor man's MacBook Pro or a consumer notebook in a business suit. These qualities make MacBook a standout in its price class, but MacBook's specs are just the beginning. MacBook is a fast, unusually well-built notebook with a 13-inch wide-aspect glossy display, DVI connectivity to LCD, plasma and HDTV monitors, Bluetooth 2.0 and advanced 802.11 draft-n wireless networking. Buyers in the middle deserve something better, and Apple delivers. In compact commercial notebook computers, there exists a mainstream morass of undistinguished contenders in the $1,500 range between the thin and light and the desktop replacement.
OS X Tiger with iLife '06 give MacBook the finish it needs to be the quintessential mainstream commercial notebook for Windows switchers and those professionals seeking to upgrade from 12-inch PowerBook and iBook. Its 64-bit dual-core CPU, glossy display and 802.11 draft-n WLAN are state of the art, making MacBook's value outstanding. It is compact and affordable, yet travel-hardened and loaded with features.
Platforms: Delivered with with Mac OS X 10.4.8 Tiger (Intel) runs Windows OS (including Vista) with Apple's Boot Camp multi-boot utility, and some Windows applications directly using optional Codeweavers' CrossOver Mac Optional Parallels Desktop virtualization permits running most 32-bit x86 operating systemsĮxecutive Summary: MacBook is a popular first purchase for professionals switching from Windows, and it's easy to see why.
Price: Starts at $1,499 $1,779 as reviewed with optional 2 GB DDR2 RAM, dual-layer SuperDrive DVD burner and Intel 2 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU MacBook is a Switcher's Hit Windows switchers and PowerPC upgraders will flock to MacBook's compactness, affordability, speed and advanced ergonomics, not to mention OS X