MacBook Gets New Display, Trackpad, and Built-in Battery for Old Price
Today Apple announced the release of an updated MacBook, and Senior VP Phil Schiller says it best in a press release for the new Macbook:
“The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery.”
The new MacBook remains priced at $999, which will disappoint some hoping Apple would compete more aggressively with netbooks. However, the new MacBook does not disappoint on specifications or build quality. Featuring a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure with magnetic latch, the new MacBook weighs in at 4.7 pounds, down from 5 pounds, and is 1.08-inches thick. The LED-backlit display is the same as used on the MacBook Pros. Apple is claiming the built-in battery will last up to seven hours.
As for specifications, the new MacBook has a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and integrated graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M. The two DIMM slots support up to 4GB RAM, available for another $100 from Apple. A 320GB or 500GB hard drive is optional, $50 and $150 extra, respectively.
About the only thing missing, besides a price drop, would be the SD card slot and FireWire port included across the MacBook Pro lineup. Nonetheless, even at twice the price of the best netbook, the new MacBook is easily more than twice as fast with double the battery life, and is many times more aesthetically pleasing.
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Adam on October 20th, 2009 at 11:01 am
At what point are folks going to realize that Apple doesn’t lower the price on new model announcements?
Staff Comment Charles Jade, TheAppleBlog on October 20th, 2009 at 11:41 am
It’s not a new model. The 13″ unibody MacBook last year was a new model. When Apple updated it to be a MacBook Pro, they dropped the price. Next question?
MacRat on October 20th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
This is a new model.
It replaces the 13″ plastic MacBook.
Matt J on October 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Only thing missing is SD card slot? What about Firewire?
Tom on October 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Firewire is once again gone on the Macbook.
Still seems odd to me that Apple has basically one Macbook, while the Pro line has 6 configurations.
Janko on October 20th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Wait … so the only real difference between an entry-level Macbook Pro and the new Macbook is Firewire, an SD card slot … and 200 bucks? That’s a pricey Firewire port right there.
Marl Crump on October 20th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Backlit keyboard, up to 8 gig ram, glass trackpad, SD card, firewire.
Nuno Campos on October 20th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
And the aluminum enclosure.
MacUser on October 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
The white Macbook *IS* the Apple “netbook”. Get used to it. And, yes, it’s more expensive than the under-$400 windows netbook. You should have known this already that Apple is NEVER EVER going to come out with an under-priced netbook. The profit margins on netbooks are not worth it for Apple compared to how much more they make with their standard higher priced Macbooks. Get used to it.
SD slot? Go get a USB SD card adapter. No removable battery? So what. You get seven hours on the new non-removable battery. And how often do you actually remove the battery? How about the no Firewire? Go get an older Macbook if you really want Firewire. Or dump your firewire devices.
So, if you really want *NEW* which is what all the Apple FANBOYS seem to crave, then get used to Apple taking away features and keeping up the same higher price. Yup. Get used to it. You should be used to this by now.
crander on October 20th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I do love mac and I love my Mac Mini, but the white macbook is not a netbook because it is too big to be at netbook. Netbooks are a form factor as well as a price point and an Air while an ultraportable, is too expensive and port limited.
There are new super-netbooks with Nvidia ION chipsets running Windows 7 that are really ultraportables with weak CPUs and strong GPUs (instead of the typical other way around).
I just bought the HP 311 Mini which has the same Nvidia graphics (WoW at 35 FPS) as a Macbook and similar specs otherwise except for an Atom processor sucking up less than 5 Watts instead of a Core 2 Duo taking much more power than that. Windows 7 is OK for me as well.
The price isn’t a big deal, a 12″ Macbook mini with ION work fine for me at $800-900. Its the 12″ and ~ 3 pounds I want.
If Apple is used to having crappy marketshare in PCs then I guess they can stay used to it and not embrace smaller cheaper systems.
Raiden on October 22nd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Actually Apple’s netbook is the iPhone/iPod Touch. Steve Jobs said in his September keynote that “the iPod Touch is a great portable computer”.
Eric Knibbe on October 20th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Don’t forget its new lack of an audio-in port.
Eric Knibbe on October 20th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Ok, so I looked more closely, and it’s a combined audio in/out port. But that’s still an annoyance for, say, GarageBand users.
mxs on October 21st, 2009 at 9:49 am
They keep dumbing it down, don’t they??
Dave on October 24th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Macuser may well be right about it being a hideously overpriced netbook. It’s use as a multimedia device is shrinking with each vanished socket.
I’m buying the old model… I physically wouldn’t be able to capture / edit / USE this new Mac.
The perfectly serviceable MiniDV and HDV Cameras I use for animation / education aren’t going out of the window for a long while yet. The other shame is that i can no longer find the model on the Apple site so i’ll have to buy it elsewhere.
Wellu on November 9th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
You can buy the old models refurbished on the Apple site. I’m not sure how long those will last though.
FireWireLuver on November 10th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Overpriced.
Bring back Firewire…
ipsec on November 19th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Yes… Overpriced.