Apple has once again update its pop consumer laptop computer . The newest glossy - screened MacBooks look nearly selfsame to their six - month - honest-to-goodness siblings , but a act of significant under - the - thug improvement have sum up novel zip to this generation with no increase in toll .
Let ’s go with speed : there ’s a modest departure if you just look at the numbers . The new high- and mid - range models now clock 2.2GHz , which slimly pinch the previous multiplication ’s 2.16GHz focal ratio . The low - oddment build is still 2GHz .
The new MacBooks also feature the newest chip architecture , a faster front side autobus , an update graphics processor , and increased Aries capacity — double that advocate for the old poser . The new role model have been upgrade from the Calistoga chipset computer architecture to the Santa Rosa architecture . This is authoritative because it provide the platform on which the rest of the advance reckon .
For example , you may now install up to 4 GB of RAM , up from a recommended uttermost of 2 GB in the old models ( Apple recommends matched RAM duo for the MacBooks for the optimum performance ) ; the front side jalopy has been increased to 800MHz from 667MHz ; and the graphics chip has been update to the Intel GMA X3100 with 144 MB graphics allocation — the last contemporaries had the Intel GMA 950 with 64 MB . The MacBook ’s new graphic mainframe do n’t have dedicated video random memory , rather they share RAM with the independent scheme memory board , just like the previous models .
Features
While there ’s little to visually distinguish these MacBooks from their May 2007 similitude , there has been a slight keyboard update . New media control keys are now turn up along the use key fruit row , the same as in the unexampled iMac keyboard . There ’s no embedded computer keyboard , and the Apple symbol is now go from the Command tonality . The unit is slightly lite at 5 punt , as opposed to 5.1 pounds .
Otherwise , the novel MacBooks have most of the same components as their older twin . All models ship with 1 GB of RAM , a 13.3 - inch showy widescreen display with a 1280 x 800 firmness of purpose , build up - in iSight camera , progress - in stereo speaker system and mike , one FireWire 400 and two USB port , 802.11n - enabled AirPort Extreme , Bluetooth , Gigabit Ethernet , Apple Remote , and the usual ticket of Apple software program , include the new Leopard operating scheme and iLife ‘ 08 . The MacBook ’s 5400 - rpm Serial ATA storage ranges from 80 GB for the crushed - end theoretical account , to 120 GB and 160 GB for the mid - ambit and gamey - end example . The miserable - end model has a 24X slot - loading combo drive , while the high-pitched - death models both have an 8X one-armed bandit - loading double - layer SuperDrive .
Performance
Tested with version 5 of Speedmark , Macworld ’s standard performance bench mark trial — a new version that coincides with the release of osmium X 10.5 ( Leopard)—the 2.2GHz MacBooks outpaced the quondam 2.16GHz models by about 4 percent . Interestingly , the top of the line example fit or exceeded the 2.2GHz MacBook Pro with overall score of 185 and 186 compared with the MacBook Pro ’s 185 .
Gaming scores improved with the new models , reflect their updated graphics chips . Unreal Tournament 2004 frame rate jumped from 18.5 fps for the 2.16GHz white-hot model to 25.4 Federal Protective Service for the 2.2GHz blackened model . For Quake 4 mental testing , frame rates nearly doubled from 4.5 fps to 7.8 fps in comparing those same same models . gruelling core gamers will still require to steer clear of the MacBook line , but if you play plot only from time to time or you tend to play games that are only reasonably nontextual matter - central processing unit - intensive , you ’ll unquestionably benefit from the MacBooks ’ new graphics chip .
New MacBook Benchmarks
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Speedmark 5 scores are relative to those of a 1.5GHz Core Solo Mac mini , which is assigned a account of 100 . Adobe Photoshop , Cinema 4D XL , iMovie , iTunes , and Finder scores are in arcminute : seconds . All organization were running Mac OS X 10.5 with 2 GB of RAM . The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50 MB file . Photoshop ’s memory was lay out to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum . We recorded how long it took to generate a scene in Cinema 4D XL . We used Compressor to encode a 6minute:26second DV single file using the DVD : Fastest Encode 120 minute – 4:3 background . In iMovie , we applied the older Film effect from the Video FX . menu to a one moment picture . We convert 45 arcminute of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes ’ High Quality setting . We used Unreal Tournament 2004 ’s Antalus Botmatch mean - physical body - per - instant score ; we tested at a resolution of 1,024 - by-768 pixels at the Maximum setting with both audio and graphics enable . We run Quake 4 timedemo at a resolution of 1,024 - by-768 pixels at High Quality setting . We created a Zip archive in the Finder from a 2 GB folder.—MACWORLD research laboratory TESTING BY JAMES GALBRAITH , JERRY JUNG , AND BRIAN CHEN
While the newfangled systems took the honors for most of the benchmark mental test , there was one lone anomaly : The older mid - scope MacBook was a smidge quicker at the Photoshop CS3 test than the raw good example . And the fresh mid - range white-hot unit topped the new black one in the ZIP archive test . While worth noting in an academic style , in reality , these test differentials are peanut .
Battery life
Battery life was excellent and almost indistinguishable to the previous manakin . I watch a complete picture show running off a DVD and it contract 3 hours and 23 minutes for a fully charged battery to die ( you may watchDoctor Zhivagoin its entirety on your ill-tempered - country flight of stairs without having to reload the MacBook ’s shelling ) . That compares with the 3 hours and 20 minute of arc watch over the same moving picture on the 2.16 white model . liken that with our initial tests on a 2.2GHz MacBook Pro ( ) , which log 3 hours of DVD playback .
Macworld’s buying advice
If you buy a Mac laptop recently , this recent MacBook acclivity will cause no rationality for desperation . However , if you ’ve been awaiting the most optimal fourth dimension to refreshen an iBook or even an older PowerBook G4 , this might be it . You ’ll get peck of value for the dollar with a nice improvement in public presentation , without having to harry with an OS upgrade .
[ Jackie Dove isMacworld ’s fourth-year review editor in chief . ]
