Apple has updated their MacBook line without so much as a press release:
Apple’s MacBooks yesterday featured:
• 2.0GHz or 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 667MHz frontside bus
• 1GB (two 512MB SO-DIMMs) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 2GB
• Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
• 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 120GB or 160GB 5400-rpm drive or 200GB 4200-rpm drive
• Weight: 5.1 pounds
Apple’s MacBooks today feature:
• 2.0GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 800MHz frontside bus
• 1GB (two 512MB SO-DIMMs) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
• Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
• 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 120GB, 160GB, or 250GB 5400-rpm drive
• Weight: 5.0 pounds
Apple MacBooks are available in three basic configurations that users can customize:
13-inch White
• 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1GB memory
• 80GB hard drive
• Combo drive
– $1,099
13-inch White
• 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1GB memory
• 120GB hard drive
• Double-layer SuperDrive
– $1,299
13-inch Black
• 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1GB memory
• 160GB hard drive
• Double-layer SuperDrive
– $1,499
See the updated MacBooks here.
MacDailyNews Note: Also of note are Apple’s stealth additions of customization options to their MacBook Pro line which now include a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo for US$250 and the 250GB 5400-rpm drive for $150.
“Why did they get rid of the 12″ pro model?”
Because it wasn’t selling well.
Glossy screens were unfortunately what we had to work with for many years. Overtime with a lot of use we realized it caused intensive eyestrain, headaches and vision problems. It’s caused Computer Vision Syndrome, you can research it yourself.
That had nothing to do with the glossiness! It had to do with the fact that it was a CRT!
As a Mac user since 1984 and a consultant to a number of firms the new pricing in Canada is a slap in the face. We will be putting ALL Apple purchases on hold as well as encouraging all of our clients to do the same. This may only cost apple a few thousand computer sales but we need to start somewhere.
And the Macbook will run circles around the G5 on applications like “handbrake” and 64 bit apps.
Oh jesus that was funny
The G5 is a 64 bit computer and no the Macbooks can’t beat the Dual 2 G5’s in most anything, especially 3D gaming.
Swish!
LED backlight?
That had nothing to do with the glossiness! It had to do with the fact that it was a CRT!
How do you figure?
CRT’s or Glossy LCD’s doesn’t matter, the reflections are the problem.
The eye is constantly refocusing between the real image and the slightly out of focus reflections. This causes eye muscle fatigue, which causes headaches and eyestrain, which causes blurry vision as the eys get lazy, requiring glasses prematurely.
It’s well documented. Research it for yourself.
Glossy screens on computers are a fad, but they will go the way glossy screens on HDTV’s gone. bye bye.
They are just too difficult to use to avoid the reflections.
@Tre,
Please leave BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots alone. There is a rule against feeding the animals, plus she has extreme emotional issues that she’s dealing with.
I’m with Frank, the gap created by the ending of a pro 12″ needs to be filled soon.
I just did a poll with myself on the glossy screens.
100% of me likes them.
There’s a new statistic for ya.
This is great news. If the Axiotron ModBook ever becomes a reality, we’ll be able to get it with 4 gigs of RAM instead of 3.
With sites like this out there, do they really need a press release?
Looks like I will go to Hong Kong next week where the MacBook cost 768€. And I need to set up a scheme how to get the new MacPro too. Even I live close to the Chinese factories producing Apple stuff (iPhone, iMac, MacPro), it’s not possible to buy them cheaply (they need to be imported from the export zone).
Why the hell do they still insist on offering only 5400 rpm hard drives? It’s idiotic.
Relatively minor bumps in specs. That’s why no press release.
And I agree with the Canadians that, with the dollars almost equal, prices should be almost equal, too. On the other hand, I wouldn’t go so far as to switch to Windows over it!
Canadians should stop buy anything but the essentials from Canadian stores. Prices have been unjustly inflated by manufacturers for along time now. I for one am holding off from buying anything that I can get by without, unless a trip to the States is planned.
From what I’ve seen, Apple has been quick to adjust some of their items, but even they have some work to do.
Well….
Most Canadians live close to the border with the USA… One could just take a day-trip over to buy your new Mac at a lower price…
As a former Torontonian tho when I bought my Powerbook I just supped up the price difference, bought locally, and didn’t whine about it.
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Wow, it seems that there are some in Canada that seem to live on another planet!
It is not Canada that is being gouged, and it is not specifically Apple. US dollar has been sinking against the entire world. US retailers, as well as foreign manufacturers, in their effort to preserve their presence and market share in the US, have been reducing their margins in order to keep price levels in US$ relatively stable. The result of that is US becoming an isolated economic island akin to a banana republic, where everything is cheap to the outside world.
Apple never changed retail pricing to their products in Canada (or any other country, for that matter), with the exception of few minor and less expensive items here and there. In fact, very few manufacturers ever do this; it is extremely detrimental to your product line to have price constantly moving around according to the exchange rate gyrations. The point is, the world is paying normal prices for their goods. The US, meanwhile, is getting it all much cheaper, without even knowing it.
The question is, how much longer are all these manufacturers (and US retailers) going to be able to sustain these US prices without losing money. If Dollar slide continues (it hit $1.44 against Euro yesterday!), very soon we will begin to see prices creep in the US. Until them, if Canadians (or Mexicans, or anyone else for that matter) want cheap MacBooks, fly to the US; buy one for yourself and another one to sell. Your trip to US will be free, and you’ll get a new Mac at 25% discount.
Yeah, processor wars, I have the same get up, but macbones is probably right. I do remember reading a while back that the original core duo notebooks were roughly on par with the dp g5’s as long as rosetta wasn’t involved. Geez, the consumer notebook keeping up with the pro desktop was kind of a letdown.
Still keeping the g5, though. It’s more than fast enough to do my consumer applications, and I really don’t need any faster. With the constantly new lineups from intel, apple’s keeping up with the constant newer, faster, better 6 month upgrade cycle that the windows world has been on.
Sigh. I remember when they’d come out with the ‘new and improved’ powerbook, only to find out that they bumped the g4 processor from 1.33 to 1.5 ghz. It made it significantly less tempting to upgrade every time a newer model came out. Sigh…
Just noticed that the Education price has dropped from $1049 to $999 on the base MB.
Nearest US Apple retail store is at least a couple hours away for me, and why should I have to bother crossing the border for this? Apple gets money either way, so shopping in the US doesn’t “send them a message” or anything.
To everyone advocating Canadians buy in the US, don’t forget you get slapped with duties and I think GST coming back in. Sure, you *could* try not declaring it, but have fun if they catch you.
@ Hg Wells, I at the very least never said I’d switch to Windows over a parity difference, but I’ll definitely be contacting Apple and letting them know I’m holding off buying because of it.
OK ..
here is my predicament..
I bought a Black Macbook last Friday in addition to my Leopard at our local Apple store..
I told them I want to return it but it may costs me a few hundred dollars to return it and get the new Black Macbook… what is the policy here in Alberta Canada for returning such merchandise???
Looks good to me. I will buy one of 13 inchers. I have one of the new iMacs and it is great. I have three macs networked and need to replace the old PB1400 which is not very usable in todays computing environment.
“Supposely these Intel Duos are so much faster, but they are hobbled by the slow bus which feeds data in and out of the processors.
After all the processors are only as fast as the data they can get to work on.”
Large L2 caches reduce the need for a fast FSB. The PowerMac G5 only had a 512kb L2 cache compared to the 4MB L2 cache on the MacBook (8x as much). That makes a big difference. One of the reasons the Dual-core 2Ghz G5 PowerMac was faster than the Dual-processor 2Ghz G5 PowerMac despite only having one 1Ghz FSB for both cores instead of one per processor is that it had a 1MB L2 cache instead of a 512kb L2 cache.
“The G5 is a 64 bit computer and no the Macbooks can’t beat the Dual 2 G5’s in most anything, especially 3D gaming..”
The MacBooks and the G5’s are both 64-bit, and I believe there are benchmarks proving that the MacBooks are faster at certain tasks, particularly one’s not needing a graphics card. I suspect these new ones might even be better at that, depending on the card in the G5.
Apple’s policy is 14 days and includes a 10% restocking fee if you open it. It doesn’t cover items that have been customized in anyway – only “stock” ones.
If you can, it’s actually a little better to buy your Mac’s at generic retailers. For example, at BestBuy you have 15 days and no restocking fee. Plus, the BestBuy extended warrantee is better than AppleCare as BestBuy has the infamous “drop kick” warantee where AppleCare covers only unintentional damage or manufacturing defects.
I’m fine with my glossy screen, but yours is the most reasonable complaint about the glossys I’ve read here.