New MacBooks and MacBook Pros
Today Apple introduced the MacBook to replace the old iBook line of consumer laptops. The MacBook borrows its name from the MacBook Pro which Apple announced earlier this year.
Detailed MacBook photos if you want to see it up close
What's most surprising to some is that the MacBooks are now offered in White or Black, much like the iPod.
All of the MacBooks feature the new Intel Core Duo processor and range from 1.83Ghz to 2.0Ghz (the black model is only available in the 2.0Ghz configuration).
New features of the MacBook include: a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go; breakthrough Front Row media experience with Apple Remote; and several advanced features including DVI with dual display support, optical digital audio input and output, Gigabit Ethernet, Sudden Motion Sensor, Scrolling TrackPad and MagSafe Power Adapter.
At about one-inch thin, the new MacBook is 20 percent thinner than the iBook and features a new 13-inch glossy widescreen display that is 79 percent brighter than the iBook and the 12-inch PowerBook.
Starting at only $1099, these new laptops are a very good deal and feature-rich in my opinion. I'll be interested to hear any customer reviews when people start getting their hands on them.
The MacBook Pro 15" model also received a long awaited speed bump. Now the $2499 model comes with the 2.16Ghz chip by default and the lower-end of the 15" line has 2.0Ghz, up from 1.83Ghz. Finally there's a proper price difference between the 17 and 15 inch MacBook Pros when configured the same.
UDATE: Apparently someone has posted a fairly specific story about how easy it is to scratch the veneer off of the black MacBook. Might want to read this before running out and buying one.
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Comments
Shane,
Stopped by my local mac store this afternoon and surreptiously 'scratched' a few black macbooks... nothing even remotely resembling any damage!! The black cases aren't the gloss finish that the white ones are, so I suspect the black isn't 'black throughout,' but still... seemed to survive MY fingernail test. And when I asked a few mackeys in the store at the time, no one had heard of this phenomenon! And they were flying out of the store, for whatever THAT'S worth.
Posted by: Marty | May 20, 2006 9:49 PM
Yeah, that is helpful Marty. Thanks for sharing. Maybe this guy was scratching harder than he claims.
Posted by: Shane | May 21, 2006 2:06 PM