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MacBook posts

Unibody MacBook (late 2009) review

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 12:30PM

We'll just come out and say it: we're totally underwhelmed by the new plastic MacBook. Hell, we were underwhelmed by the old plastic MacBook back in June, when we reviewed the refreshed unibody MacBook Pros -- we said we were "honestly left wondering" why the $999 plastic model continued to exist when the $1,199 13-inch Pro was obviously superior. So when we heard the first whispers that Apple was working on a total overhaul of its low-end MacBook, we naturally assumed that it would either gain in features or drop in price -- but neither one of those things happened. The new plastic MacBook remains priced at $999 in its only configuration, and while it's been updated with the same unibody construction as the Pros, it's also lost some features along the way. So... what's going on here? Did Apple just blow a huge opportunity to totally re-think its low-end formula, or is there more to the MacBook than the spec sheets and price tags say? Read on to find out.

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Continue reading Unibody MacBook (late 2009) review

MacBook strips off its polycarbonate unibody shell for the expected teardown

by Ross Miller posted Oct 20th 2009 at 6:34PM

That thumbs up means exactly what you think, and just like all the other new MacBook (Pro) models, that "non-removable" battery in the new polycarbonate unibody MacBook is more of a guideline than an actual set of rules. iFixit's currently doing its traditional teardown process -- so far, other than the battery and hard drive swapping places, the internal geography looks about like its predecessor. Letting your eyes venture into forbidden territories is just a mouse click away at the read link below.

A video walkthrough of Apple's newest additions (Unibody MacBook, iMac, Magic Mouse)

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 20th 2009 at 4:12PM

Sure, you've seen the hands-on posts and the PR, but have you really gotten a look at Apple's new gear? Join us for a quick and spirited walkthrough of the goods. You won't be disappointed. Or you might be. It really depends on how picky you are.

Apple's new MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 20th 2009 at 12:50PM

We just took delivery of Apple's new MacBook -- it's an interesting revision to the MacBook formula, built using the same unibody techniques as the Aluminum Pros but with white plastic. That means it feels much more solid than the previous plastic MacBooks: there's zero flex when you pick it up by a corner, and the keyboard is nicely rigid. There's a price for that heft, though -- the battery is now sealed in, although we're guessing it won't be too hard to replace if you remove the soft-touch rubber bottom panel. Unlike the Pros, the screen is still set in by a plastic bezel instead of edge-to-edge glass, which means it's a little less glossy overall -- but make no mistake, it can still serve as a mirror in a pinch. Ports are looking pretty dismal -- there's no FireWire, no SD card slot, no dedicated line-in. Instead you get just two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, and a combo headphone / line-in jack. That's pretty weak in a thousand-dollar machine. We're going to spend some more time playing with this thing before we dish out a proper review, though -- anything you want to know?

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

MacBook goes unibody, available today

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 20th 2009 at 12:02PM

Like a bat out of hell, Apple has just shuttled a new, unibody MacBook in the gadget world's direction. The new model -- which looks like an arctic, glossy version of the familiar 13-inch MacBook Pro line -- will be landing in stores today (yes, today), with a familiar price tag: $999. In terms of changes, besides the new, high-test plastic casing (built in the same fashion as the aluminum MacBook Pros) the 13-incher boasts a LED-backlit display, new glass multitouch trackpad, and a built-in, "7 hour" battery. Inside the single SKU will be a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), an NVIDIA 9400M GPU, 250GB hard drive and the old standby SuperDrive. We had a chance to play around with the laptop, and it's pretty snazzy for a hunk of plastic. The surface is super slick (AKA super fingerprint friendly), though the base of the laptop utilizes a soft-touch, non-slip surface that's nice to handle. The display certainly is brighter and better looking than the previous model, though the one on the desk we saw was slightly dimmer than we would prefer -- in its defense it was sitting right next to a super bright iMac. As stated, the new model can be picked up right this very second at stores around the globe, and we'll have a much closer look very soon -- so stay tuned! A full spec breakdown is after the break.

Update: Check out our hands-on!

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Gallery: MacBook goes unibody

Continue reading MacBook goes unibody, available today

Apple Store down for updates, new iMac and more on the way? Update: part numbers!

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 20th 2009 at 10:44AM

And here we go: the Apple Store is down, presumably to update it with all the new gear we're expecting today. New iMacs, plastic MacBooks, multitouch input peripherals, maybe a new Airport Express -- we could get everything, we could get nothing. You'll know as soon as we do.

Update: Kasper from AppleInsider just hit us up with some last-minute leaked part numbers, which reveal a new iMac with a 21.5-inch display, some new mini configs including a server with two hard drives and no optical drive, new AirPort gear, and yes, a new 60W MacBook power supply. See? Dreams do come true. Oh, and that's apparently just part of the list, so we'll see what else happens when all this stuff actually hits.

MC207LL/A - K84 BEST BTR- USA
MC238LL/A - MAC MINI 2.26/2x1GB/160/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC239LL/A- MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/320GB/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC340LL/A - AIRPORT EXTREME (SIM DUALBAND) - USA
MC343LL/A - TIME CAPSULE 1TB (SIM DUALBAND) -USA
MC344LL/A - TIME CAPSULE 2TB (SIM DUALBAND) - USA
MC408LL/A - MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/1TB/NO ODD/AP-BT-USA
MC413LL/A - IMAC 21.5"/3.06/2x2GB/1TB/4670-256MB-USA
MC434LL/A - APPLE VESA MOUNT ADAPTER
MC461LL/A - MACBOOK 60W MAGSAFE POWER ADAPTER - USA

Apple to introduce host of new machines, new multitouch input devices tomorrow?

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 19th 2009 at 8:51PM

We're not sure why John Gruber and Dan Lyons are having some sort of megalomaniacal Apple super-pundit standoff, but we'll sit here and take the spoils: Gruber's just one-upped Lyons's earlier vague tease of new Apple gear tomorrow with a pretty specific list of things he's apparently heard we'll see, including new iMacs and plastic MacBooks, revved Mac Minis (including one that runs OS X Server), a new multitouch "Magic Mouse" (ha!) and some sort of multitouch desktop trackpad accessory. That pretty much covers every rumor and vague whisper we've heard over the past few months, so it's actually a fairly conservative set of predictions, outside of that trackpad -- which itself may or may not be related to this multitouch input device patent from a couple weeks ago. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning -- at this point we're half expecting a tablet, a pony, and some sort of multitouch waffle maker as well.

Google AdSense leaks Apple's refreshed iMac, Mac mini, Macbook?

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 4th 2009 at 1:01PM

This one is for all you online tea leaf readers and Apple SKU / crystal ball aficionados: Further confirming our suspicion that something more affordable may be on the horizon, Google AdSense this weekend started serving users in the Netherlands with ads for new iMacs, MacBooks, and Mac minis. Pointing to a dead link at the country's Apple Store, the ads read (via Google Translate): "Apple's Newest MacBook. Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today," "The Brand new iMac. Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only €1099 (roughly $1,603). Apple Store," and "Apple's New Mac mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499 ($723). Order immediately." (For a little perspective, that's €100 ($145) less than the cheapest Mac mini currently on the Netherlands online store.) Granted, whenever peeping purported translations from foreign tipsters we're always half-afraid that we're actually reading Celine Dion lyrics or dialogue from Caddyshack, but this one seems to be the real deal -- for whatever that's worth.

Update: Apple's "New Mighty Mouse" advertised as well.

[Thanks, Ronald V.]

Apple about to unveil refreshed plastic MacBooks?

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 27th 2009 at 3:58PM

The white plastic MacBook has been looking pretty lonely at the bottom of Apple's lineup ever since all the unibodies went Pro, but we'd been hearing Apple had some grand plans for the low-end -- and now AppleInsider says revised MacBooks in a thinner, sleeker shell have hit manufacturing and could launch "in the coming weeks" alongside that rumored iMac refresh. AI also says there are hints at a new-school integrated battery and a white plastic case, but we'll see what happens -- anyone think Apple might cut prices below $999?

Video: crooks clean out New Jersey Apple store in 31 impressive seconds

by Darren Murph posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 1:55AM

And you thought making off with 39 iPods in 15 seconds was something to behold. After studying said crooks in Utah, a trained team of larcenists headed over to Apple's Sagemore location in Marlton, New Jersey in order to one-up the duo by snagging even more goods in under a minute. As the surveillance shows, a single blunt object decimated the iconic glass doorway and enabled five hyped-up thieves to enter, snag 23 MacBook Pros, 14 iPhones and 9 iPod touches, and head for the hills -- all in just 31 seconds. Look, we aren't trying to glamorize crime or anything, but this is the stuff GTA heists are made of. Head on past the break for a look at the video, and please, don't try to replicate this at your nearest Apple store (without wearing a head-mounted camcorder and hooking us up with the footage, of course).

[Via TUAW, thanks Mike]

Continue reading Video: crooks clean out New Jersey Apple store in 31 impressive seconds

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 26th 2009 at 10:05AM

If we've learned one thing 'round here, it's that the KIRFsters love taking on Apple. And you know, at first glance this KIRFacious take on the MacBook Air doesn't seem half bad. Of course, check it out in profile and it looks a lot more like your average netbook than it does Cupertino's ultraportable -- but at least the shanzai manufacturer in question as thrown in a few things that were neglected in the original, including: two USB ports, a removable battery, and a PCIe slot for a 3G module. That said, they also went with an 11.1-inch display (as opposed to the Air's 13-incher), which could be a good thing or not, depending on your POV. Of course, with a 1.6GH Atom processor and 1GB RAM, this thing isn't exactly a workhorse, though it's safe to assume that the price point will fall far below that of the "real deal." But don't take our word for it -- check out a couple more views of the thing after the break.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

Polycarbonate MacBook to live on, be redesigned?

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 25th 2009 at 5:54PM

It might seem like Apple's been ignoring its non-Pro MacBook line lately -- even doing hardware updates on the sly -- but consumers haven't, and they've been lapping up that solitary SKU with unabated enthusiasm. No surprise then that Cupertino would have bigger plans on the horizon, and AppleInsider claims Apple's engineers are already hard at work on an "industrial design overhaul" for the humble 13-incher, with some configurations expected to come in under the current $999 price point. Great news if you're lusting after a Mac, but still want to be able to buy groceries -- right, Giampaulo?

Apple releases MacBook Pro firmware to silence those 7200 RPM HDDs

by Ross Miller posted Aug 19th 2009 at 6:42PM

That new MacBook Pro's 7200 RPM HDD singing you too many ballads lately? As promised, Apple today released a new firmware update to silence that troublemaker. If it doesn't come up through automatic system update, you can obtain Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0 (catchy name, eh?) via the read link. Admit it, you're gonna feel just a teensy bit lonelier once your laptop stops chirping so much.

Update: Apple today also released Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.1, which alongside various bug fixes improves compatibility with the company's wireless mouse and keyboards on all machines with the Broadcom chipset -- that includes all unibody laptops and any Mac released in 2009.

[Via TUAW]

Apple 'fesses up to 7200 RPM HDD issues, aims to dispatch a fix forthwith

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 11th 2009 at 4:32PM

MacBook Pro owners suffering from 7200 RPM noise pollution and performance issues, Apple has acknowledged your pain and wants you to know that it's working hard to remedy the situation. According to CNET, the problem seems to be restricted to 500GB / 7200 RPM hard drives, with the likely culprit being code that's somehow "causing the drive to sleep during use." No word yet on a release date for the patch, but you'll know as soon as we do. As you know, we'll pretty much take any opportunity we can find to run a Lloyd Dobler Photoshop.

[Via Register Hardware]

Apple reinstates matte display option on 15-inch MacBook Pro, charges $50 for it

by Darren Murph posted Aug 11th 2009 at 5:24AM

We'd heard just under a month ago that Apple was mulling the possibility of adding matte display options to more than just its flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro, and lo and behold, it seems the anti-glare revolution has begun. Starting now (like, right now), those in the market for a new unibody 15-inch MacBook Pro can order one directly from Apple with an anti-glare widescreen display, packing 1,440 x 900 pixels and a LED backlight. Sadly, the privilege will run you an extra $50 over the traditional ~~mirrored~~ glossy panel, and it will replace that svelte borderless look present on glossy MBPs with a silver frame bezel (check here to see just what we mean). A brief look around Apple's international sites also shows it available elsewhere in the world for similar amounts, though we're still curious as to what machine will be next in line for the upgrade, er, "option."

[Thanks, Pascal and Khattab]

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Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Gallery: MacBook goes unibody

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