First take: Apple's new MacBook offers sleek style, solid performance
It's still encased in white plastic, but it gets new 'unibody' look
If you're looking for the performance of a MacBook Pro without the Pro price, then you're going to like Apple's newly updated MacBook.
The MacBook, unveiled with updates to the iMac and Mini lines last month, is still priced at $999 -- $200 less than the 13-in. aluminum-clad MacBook Pro. But compared to the model it replaces, Apple's latest entry-level portable delivers an updated architecture, a beefier hard drive and a higher-quality screen.
The biggest change from the old model is the redesigned plastic housing, which is created using Apple's "unibody" manufacturing process. While still encased in the shiny white plastic that has been the hallmark of the line for years, Apple's latest MacBook forgoes the boxy look in favor of flowing lines, swooping angles and a precision fit.
The end result is a solid laptop that feels sculpted instead of assembled and has the processing power users need.
New curves, updated hardware
Not only is it curvier, but the MacBook now weighs in at 4.7 pounds -- 0.2 pounds lighter than before. It's still just over an inch thick when closed.
The screen size is the same, 13.3 inches, with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. But the new model features an LED backlight, improving the picture dramatically. It's brighter and offers a better viewing angle from side to side than its predecessor, minimizing color shift. The contrast ratio is the same as the pricier MacBook Pro, although the Pro screens have a 60% greater color gamut and a glass display.
Speaking of glass, the redesigned MacBook now features the larger glass-coated multi-touch trackpad found in the MacBook Pro and Air models. This trackpad offers support for the two-, three- and four-finger gestures Apple has popularized in its other laptops, and they work just as well here.
The keyboard, too, is virtually the same as the keyboards used in the more expensive Pro and Air models, except that the MacBook's keys are not backlit. Typing feels just as solid as it does on Apple's other models, although I noticed that when the MacBook is in heavy use, you can feel heat rising through the keyboard. (It still doesn't get as warm as my 15-in. MacBook Pro.)


- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Intelligent Systems: Unlocking Hidden Business Value with Data
- An intelligent system enables data to flow across an enterprise infrastructure, spanning the devices where valuable data is gathered from employees and customers,...
- The Executive Buyer's Guide to Project Portfolio Management
- The Innotas Executive Buyer's Guide provides you with a concise overview of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and delivers important buying criteria to help...
- Eight Considerations for Evaluating Disk-Based Backup Solutions
- In the past, the movement from tape- to disk-based backup has been less compelling due to the expense of storing backup data on...
- ExaGrid Helps U.S. Federal Government Agencies Reduce Backup Windows and Improve Data Protection
- The U.S. Government has been the largest user of tape-based backup systems since the 1970s. Most agencies have begun to deploy disk storage...
- Centralized Virtual Desktop Eases PC Procurement, Deployment, and Management
- Centralized virtual desktop, or CVD, is a form of server-based computing. CVD utilizes a server-grade hypervisor to host multiple unique and isolated client... All Macintosh White Papers
- Banking on the Mainframe
- This presentation will look at banking application issues and provide examples on how banks and financial market clients are responding to these challenges.
- Banish Poor Application Performance: Eliminate Business Disruptions, Increase End User Productivity
- End User Experience, 30-Min Webinar
Wed. Feb. 22nd ~ 11 AM ET
Are you ready to gain the proactive ability to rapidly respond... - Spear Phishing and the Modern Cyber Attack
- Learn how IT teams can protect against spear phishing tactics. Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer of Bit9 offers a frank discussion about spear...
- Understand Your Data: The Future of Backup and Archiving
- Archiving and Backup are the foundation of the next generation of information governance. However, commodity data protection tools and basic archives are only...
- Customer Lifetime Value for IT
- Watch the video to learn how IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics enables marketers while reducing the burden on IT. All Macintosh Webcasts