Apple updates MacBook spec

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 22nd January 2009
Comments (11) Stumble
Apple updates MacBook spec

The new MacBook specs give the hardware a decent boost, with the new graphics chip - with full OpenCL support - especially welcome.

If you're a fan of Apple's polycarbonate MacBook systems you'll be pleased to hear that the little white marvel has received a timely hardware refresh, bringing the device closer in specification to its younger brother.

The system, which remains at its US retail price of $999 after the update, was spotted with its new specification by Engadget – despite no official word from Apple itself.

So, what's changed? The 2.10GHz Core Duo processor has been swapped out for the better performing 2GHz Core 2 Duo at a higher bus speed, the RAM has been doubled to 2GB of DDR2, and the onboard Bluetooth module has been upgraded to version 2.1 of the specification.

Perhaps the biggest change is the graphics chipset: gone is the Intel GMA that graced the devices previously, and in is place is a spanking new Nvidia GeForce 9400M mobile chipset. A fairly hefty upgrade from the original, it also opens a path for the OpenCL GPGPU offloading support expected to feature in the next version of the MacOS X operating system – something which the original Intel graphics chip didn't support. As an added bonus, anyone hoping to dual-boot the device for some gaming action might actually be able to play games from this century.

The remainder of the specifications remain the same, with a 120GB hard drive and the older Firewire 400 port being carried over from the old hardware revision.

Has the refresh tempted you towards the Mac side of town, or are there better Windows-based laptops out there for the money? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote kenco_uk 22nd January 2009, 09:27
Tempting. MacOS on one partition, Windows 7 on the other.

Pricing is spot-on, too. $999 = £719, pretty much.
Quote mclean007 22nd January 2009, 09:40
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenco_uk
Pricing is spot-on, too. $999 = £719, pretty much.
...except in tech-pricing fantasy land, where $999 = £999.
Quote RTT 22nd January 2009, 09:41
I still wouldn't buy it because it has the crappy old track pad. Plus the plastic fascia lasts about 12 months before discolouring and cracking around the edges (unless they fixed it!). Oh and it's still a heavy beast of a notebook!
Quote lewchenko 22nd January 2009, 09:44
That really is a good price for that machine.. plus you get FW400, a non dodgy trackpad ;-) and it actually looks like a mac, and not a 'yet another laptop PC in a silver case'.

I dont think the macbook screen's are good enough personally.. I compared a macbook screen to a Sony CS range laptop (same prices), and the difference is night and day. The Sony CS model is as good as the macbook pro screen. The macbook screen (even on the unibody models) is poor.
Quote kenco_uk 22nd January 2009, 10:02
Quote:
Originally Posted by mclean007
...except in tech-pricing fantasy land, where $999 = £999.

Ah now, I thought that, but then I checked the mac page on apple.co.uk and the price is, amazingly, the same - using www.xe.com/ucc, $999 comes out at very nearly £719. The price of the new white slab? £719.
Quote Fod 22nd January 2009, 10:09
in the interests of fairness, why is this news? i don't see news articles when dell bumps the spec in their inspirons. why should i care when apple does it?

(note: not an apple hater)
Quote Gareth Halfacree 22nd January 2009, 10:11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fod
in the interests of fairness, why is this news? i don't see news articles when dell bumps the spec in their inspirons. why should i care when apple does it?
I think the phrase you're looking for is "slow news day."

In all seriousness, the move from Intel integrated graphics to a decent Nvidia chipset is pretty newsworthy.
Quote wuyanxu 22nd January 2009, 11:08
if i had £1000 laying around, i'd definitely get this Macbook and save the £200 for a q9650. always wanted a notebook along side my desktop gaming PC.

but i don't have £1000 laying around, and have access to computers whenever i go. or use iphone when on the move.


Dell is just another PC manufacturer. why would a modding community care about that? PC component hardware and Macs (because it's great to mod a PC into a Mac Pro) are news worthy, IMHO.
Quote DougEdey 22nd January 2009, 13:13
I prefer trackpads to nubbins/nipples personally, but I prefer external mice to them, what they need to invent is a foldflat USB mouse that fits in PCMCIA slots.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I just had a GREAT idea!
Quote Gareth Halfacree 22nd January 2009, 13:15
Quote:
Originally Posted by DougEdey
I prefer trackpads to nubbins/nipples personally, but I prefer external mice to them, what they need to invent is a foldflat USB mouse that fits in PCMCIA slots.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I just had a GREAT idea!
You mean like this? :p
Quote DougEdey 22nd January 2009, 14:52
Yes and no, more like a box...
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