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.
” 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.”
Another MacBook Pro option is a 200GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm. I think that’s new.
1000 grit sandpaper, a sanding block, a little elbow grease and you’re good to go.
RE: Buying American goods
There are a number of proxy (package forwarding) companies who will handle this. Access USA (http://www.myus.com/) is one, and it’s about $45 Canadian to have a MacBook shipped up here. If you consider that our exchange rate is $1.058 (last I checked anyway), you’re total would be $1461.98 – about $37 less than the US MSRP and about $187 less than the Canadian MSRP.
RE: DIY Matte
LOL – tough to get even though.
@nonarKitten
Thanks for the link, I checked it out but found this in their FAQ:
“The published Access USA shipping rates are for door-to-door delivery. There may be additional import fees or duty for merchandise shipments coming into your country. These fees vary by country and they are not covered by Access USA. Please contact your local customs office for more information on duties or import fees.”
Free trade my ass…
wff is up with apple and their 5400-rpm hard disks? Isn’t it about time they joined the rest of the computer world in offering 7200-rpm as standard? Why does Apple have fast hardware everywhere else, but then choose to bottleneck it with a slow spinning hard disk?
That gripe aside, this is a descent update. It’s not the 12″ aluminum notebook everyone and their mother is begging for, but at least they are keeping their specs up.
7200-rpm drives are hotter, use more power, and for most people buying a MacBook, wouldn’t make a huge difference. More RAM also mitigates the effect of a slower hard drive, since more can be cached thus requiring less frequent hard drive access. I’m surprised the high-end black MacBook doesn’t have 2GB standard, but Apple is notoriously stingy on RAM.
I suspect it will be a moot point in a few years once notebooks start using flash drives.
Relax everyone not in the USofA. At least for a while. As of this writing, the new MacBooks are not on the Canadian site. Still the old product. I assume this is the case elsewhere, too.
I’m sure the delay is that they don’t quite know what price to put on them right now. I read one analyst (I know, I know) pegging the Canadian $ at 1.25 to 1.26 US.
It is really hard to tell the difference between the old and new product. Check the tech specs and see if they are fitted with GMA 950 graphics (old) or X3100 (new).
Wrong. The http://www.apple.com/ca/macbook page hasn’t been updated yet, but the one for the online store has, and the prices are still the same.
Why do I have the feeling that the passionate anti-glare people might just be one person posting over and over again?
Joe
info@steamteam.co
WHERE ITS THE NEW MACPRO!!!!!!!! IAM START TO BE IMPATIENT APPLE SUCKERS! I NEED ONE!!!! NOW!
All I can say is
GMA X3100 integrated graphics and up to 4 GB of memory!
WOOHOO!
Apple keeps RAM prices artificially high to keep resellers happy and to make extra money on those foolish enough not to know the difference.
The slow standard HD keeps their prices lower and helps with power and heat management issues. Anybody who really wants a faster drive can get one. It would be nice if Apple offered it as a BTO option.
Damnit now my 17″ 2.4GHz isn’t the top anymore 🙁
My local Apple Store in Corte Madera, CA has unequivocally stated that most MacBook Pro customers choose the matte screen. Period.
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 WHOLE computer has to be fast in order achieve all around performance, not just doing one thing, like something CPU intensive which a cache will help a lot I admit.
Because CPU output has to go somewhere, either to a graphics card or a hard drive. Which the MacBook fails miserably in both aspects. Even worse with a slow bus.
A computer, like a chain, is only as fast as it’s weakest link.
My Dual 2 Ghz G5 can run 2 3D games AT ONCE!!!
Why is this? Because a Dual 2 is two seperate processors, each with a wide bus, almost like two computers in a box, with their output joining at the graphics card to display or a RAID 0 set of hard drives to eliminate bottleneck.
So there is no way in hell a MacBook is going to beat a Dual 2 overall, except in some certain CPU operations. Because as soon as that data tries to leave the processors, it’s hobbled.
I have a Intel Duo MacBook Pro 2 meg, it’s slow as hell with its laptop drive at 7200 RPM, beachballs when loading apps. My Dual 2 with 4.5 meg, RAID 0 2x 10,000 RPM loads apps in a blink of a eye, it just jumps at any thing I want to do. But this wouldn’t occur if I didn’t have a fast bus into the processors.
Most people don’t do a lot of full on CPU intensive operations, they do a lot of little different things, multi-tasking. SO a fast bus and hard drive make a big difference.
The Canadians are getting hosed. Heh, oser!?
Joe V,
it’s even worse here in Europe.
Apple products here are about the same price in Euros as they are in the US in dollars.
That means you pay 40% more!
€1,- is about $1,45
Yup. It is now officially OK for Canadians (and probably others) to be upset at Apple’s brain dead pricing policy for MacBooks.
They are up to 20ish % too expensive for the current exchange rate.
Any ideas on how to complain effectively?
No surprise there was no press release. They don’t want all the fanboys who waited for the leopard release to get a new machine then had the last of the old stock dumped on them to be bringing their back.
Apple Customer Relations:
1 800 275 2273
Be polite. I was.
You don’t seem to understand what an L2 cache does or how it mitigates the need for a fast FSB.
If your MacBook is that much slower, something is wrong with it.
Take off hoser!
@Joe V – “I hope all Canadians stop buying Apple products unless they are offered at a fair price. I cancelled my iPod touch when I noticed the extra $50 Apple added on, I cancelled my .Mac subsciption until they lowered the price, I checked the price of Leopard before ordering and now I want to order a new laptop but I refuse to pay extra dollars in Canada when I dollar is trading above the U.S. dollar. Canadians are being hosed and this will continue until we stop buying. Shame on Apple!”
I’m also a Canadian.
Apple never changed retail pricing to their products in Canada (or any other country, for that matter). 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 question is, how much longer are all these manufacturers (and US retailers) going to be able to sustain these US prices without losing money.
My first gen Intel iMac has a matte screen, but I view it with glossy eyes.
Mossman, someone has to pay for that free medical care….
“I’m with Frank, the gap created by the ending of a pro 12” needs to be filled soon.”……..I gonna just let that one hang there!
On a serious note, I know a young man who just left Kuwait for Iraq, and he is looking for a dependable laptop. I suggested the Macbook to his mother, but I’m not sure what type of support he could get over there. Anybody got experience on this? Thanks.