Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz)

Apple's redesigned 13in. MacBook is essentially a shrunken version of the more expensive 15in. Pro line. With its new aluminium body, new touchpad and Nvidia graphics, it's an even more attractive choice for mainstream notebook buyers than was the plastic model it replaces.

There are two ways to look at Apple's newly revamped MacBook notebooks. They can be seen as more advanced, and in some ways more expensive, versions of the classic 13in. MacBook, but we prefer to think of them as slightly stripped down, and less expensive, versions of the 15in. and 17in. MacBook Pro line. Some commentators have even referred to the new models as the 'MacBook Pro Mini'.

Internally, the big news is an Nvidia chipset with improved integrated graphics, while the 'unibody' aluminium chassis, the buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) touchpad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED-backlit display are the major physical changes on the outside.

The base model starts at AU$2099 (inc. GST) price, while our review unit was the upgraded $2549 (including GST) version with a faster processor, a bigger hard drive and backlit keyboard — you lose the FireWire port in the transition, though. Also, the AU$2099 model only gets you a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, rather than the previous model's 2.4GHz CPU. The higher-end model keeps the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU as before. Both new MacBook models operate on a faster frontside bus (1,066MHz, up from 800MHz) and move from DDR2 memory to DDR3.

Even with the slower base model CPU and missing FireWire, the new MacBook represents both an impressive value and an impressive feat of engineering — although it's hard to expect anything else from Apple's flagship computer product, which has been a consistent favorite for several years.

The most obvious changes are physical. The familiar white-and-black bodies have been replaced with an aluminium chassis that looks nearly identical to the new MacBook Pro, only smaller. The actual construction for both the new MacBook and MacBook Pro now follows the MacBook Air model, with a solid block of aluminium carved down, rather than a thin outer shell that has had support struts added to it. The result is a lighter and thinner, yet stronger, chassis that feels more solid and substantial — a notable feat, as the previous MacBook models were already extremely sturdy.

Another notable new feature is a radically redesigned touchpad. This larger touchpad uses multitouch gestures similar to those found on the iPhone, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and offers a much larger surface area than previous 13in. MacBooks — thanks to the elimination of a separate mouse button. In fact, the entire touchpad depresses like a button, although a simple tapping (as on a PC notebook) will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu.

The all-button touchpad concept is actually a bit difficult to get used to, and feels slightly clunky at first compared with a traditional fixed-position touchpad. On the other hand, there are some useful new gestures: you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner of the touchpad as a 'right-click' zone. Most useful, perhaps, is sweeping four fingers left or right, which brings up the application switcher. Once you get used to that, going back to a regular touchpad would be difficult.

The 13.3in. wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280 by 800 native resolution, which is standard for screens between 13in. and 15in. It provides for text and icons that are highly readable, but we'd love to see Apple move into the 16:9 display universe, as in the case with new systems from Sony, HP and others.

Apple has also added LED-backlit displays (previously available on the Pro models), which means a thinner lid and some battery life benefits, plus the edge-to-edge glass we're seeing more often on multimedia systems. The glass, however, also grabs stray light rays with ease, making the glossy screen seem that much glossier — a problem if you prefer matte screen finishes.

With only two USB 2.0 ports and no more FireWire, the new MacBook isn't exactly brimming with connections. Our two fondest MacBook wishes — an ExpressCard slot and an SD card reader have yet to come true, so photographers (especially those who use equipment with FireWire connections) may be disappointed — or encouraged to select a MacBook Pro. Apple is making a firm move to the DisplayPort camp by including a mini DisplayPort connection instead of mini-DVI or VGA, but a variety of external dongles (sold separately) will give you any video output you need.

In our benchmark tests, the new MacBook and its 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU performed comparably to its predecessor, which is to say that basic multitasking and productivity are no problem, as is streaming and viewing HD-video content — much as we'd expect from any current Intel Core 2 Duo notebook. Although the hardware is largely similar, MacBooks score better on our Multitasking test than similarly configured Windows notebooks (such as the Dell Studio 15), thanks in part to the efficiency of the Mac operating system.

With no new CPU options, the big development in terms of performance is the new Nvidia chipset, called the GeForce 9400M, which also includes improved integrated graphics. Of course, one would not have to go far to improve on the Intel integrated graphics found in most notebooks — we've long ago given up on trying to find a 3D-game test that gives playable frame rates from Intel's integrated graphics.

The GeForce 9400 graphics were impressive, giving us 58.7 frames per second in Quake IV (admittedly not the most hardware-intensive game) at 1,024 by 768 resolution. There may be some hope for integrated graphics yet — long the bane of any semi-serious PC gamer. The new MacBook Pro takes it one step further, including a separate discrete GeForce 9600 GPU and letting you switch between integrated and discrete graphics to save battery life or give better performance.

We're continuing to test the new MacBook's battery life and will update this review shortly with full results, but we expect similar results to the previous MacBook model, despite the more powerful integrated graphics.

Apple continues to both frustrate and impress with its service and support. MacBooks still have a standard 1-year parts-and-labour warranty, but only 90 days of toll-free telephone support. This, along with the proprietary nature of Apple's products, makes purchasing an extended Apple Care warranty almost a necessity, at AU$419 for a total of three years of coverage.

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