Apple introduces MacBook overhaul with LED display, 7-hour battery

[AppleInsider]

Apple Tuesday released a newly redesigned MacBook with a polycarbonate unibody design, LED-backlit display, multi-touch trackpad, and built-in battery with 7 hours of run time.

Apple said the new model inherited technology and design features from the existing unibody MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook is now available for $999.

"The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there's never been a better time to switch to a Mac."

Apple said the new MacBook features a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure that makes it lighter and more durable. The new design includes a unique non-skid bottom surface and at just 4.7 pounds, the sleek MacBook slides easily into a backpack or briefcase. MacBook comes standard with a bright, LED-backlit display with the same wide-angle viewing technology used in the MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.



The new MacBook includes Apple's built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge, and up to 1,000 recharges. At nearly three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries, Apple's built-in battery results in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $129, which includes installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.



The energy-efficient MacBook joins the industry's greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.



The new MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad;
built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, or 320GB 5400 rpm, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

In September, AppleInsider exclusively reported that Apple would retain and redesign its plastic MacBook family with a slimmer, lighter enclosure and restructured internal architecture.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[infinitespecter]

So it's quite a bit lighter and gives up Firewire completely for the same price. Is it even a little faster?

[AppleGreen]

Don't yet know if it's black or white.

No Firewire. Makes sense. If you want Firewire, get the 13.3" Pro for $200 more. No back-lit keyboard, either.

Same screen as the 13 Pro? Same trackpad. RAM expandable to 4GB. Wonder if it will go up to 6GB like the current MacBook.

Not bad for thousand bucks !!

Actually if you can get a late model 2.4Ghz aluminum 13.3" Pro (with better screen) for under 1000, that would be a better deal.

[AppleGreen]

What does a polycarbonate unibody mean? I thought unibody only applies to laser-etched extruded metal enclosures. Curious.

[al_bundy]

the iMac changes look nice so far.better graphics option on the low end ones

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by AppleGreen

What does a polycarbonate unibody mean? I thought unibody only applies to laser-etched extruded metal enclosures. Curious.

it's a nice way of saying cheap plastic

[Wiggin]

Originally Posted by teckstud

NO FIREWIRE???? Let the BITCHIN begin!!!

I was a bit confused at first. The photo at http://www.apple.com/macbook/ still shows the old case with FW, but the tech specs say no FW.

Edit: And of course just as I post this Apple finally realized they forgot to to update the picture on the main MacBook page and changes the picture.

[Hattig]

New MacBook is more expensive: 799.00 GBP which is 1,305.41 USD

Take off 15% VAT: $1135

So a $136 premium for those of us in the UK :-(
And it only comes with 2GB RAM.

Let's not get started on the £650 Mac Mini.

[aplnub]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

it's a nice way of saying cheap plastic

Plastic is not really "cheap."

It's just a nice way of saying, we changed the case so it one piece instead of many pieces. Probably feels stronger in your hands but that is a guess at this point.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by AppleGreen

What does a polycarbonate unibody mean? I thought unibody only applies to laser-etched extruded metal enclosures. Curious.

Apple has never manufactured a laser-etched extruded metal enclosure! Unibody is a design concept for the laptop structure it is not a material.

Dave

[DaHarder]

Stunning Design, but...

2gb RAM? 250gb HD, No FW ports, 13.3 (16:10) Display?

For US $1000.00 isn't very competitive in the face of countless laptops with far better specs at half-the price.

Oh Well - That's Apple!

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

it's a nice way of saying cheap plastic

You shouldn't condemn it so fast. A well engineered plastic enclosure could be just as strong and durable as an aluminum one. Only time will tell if Apple did it right.


Dave

[Cory Bauer]

So much for more affordable.

[aplnub]

Originally Posted by DaHarder

Stunning Design, but...

2gb RAM? 250gb HD, No FW ports, 13.3 (16:10) Display?

For US $1000.00 isn't very competitive in the face of countless laptops with far better specs at half-the price.

Oh Well - That's Apple!

I agree and that is why I believe there to be something else around the corner to fill that gap. I think it will be a tablet but not be called a tablet. ;-)

[AppleGreen]

Originally Posted by wizard69

Apple has never manufactured a laser-etched extruded metal enclosure! Unibody is a design concept for the laptop structure it is not a material.

Dave

I guess you did not see the video that showed how the aluminum unibody MacBook Pros are made.

[dagamer34]

I doubt it's the "good" LED screen which the 15" MacBook Pro always had and the 13" MacBook Unibody MacBooks didn't start shipping with until April (visibility angle differences have always been one reason to get a MacBook Pro over a MacBook).

[frdmfghtr]

My concern with the built-in, non-user replaceable battery in the polycarbonate MacBook doesn't concern the battery...it concerns the hard drive.

In my old MacBook, I could swap the hard drive in five minutes, as it went in and out through the battery port; same with adding memory. With no removable battery, is replacing the hard drive and memory going to be a simple matter of removing the bottom enclosure?

[saarek]

Would love to recommend this to my friends who don't have a Mac but Apples insistence on ripping off anyone outside of the US is just not on, simply put the, attitude seems to be if you aren't am American you can bend over and take it like a bitch.

I won't recommend it on principal.

[UnexpectedBill]

Originally Posted by AppleGreen

What does a polycarbonate unibody mean? I thought unibody only applies to laser-etched extruded metal enclosures. Curious.

They could easily mold the polycarbonite body as one piece--it would probably be easier to do that than it would be to prepare the aluminum unibody design.

Originally Posted by al_bundy

it's a nice way of saying cheap plastic

As far as I can tell, the polycarbonite really holds up a lot better than the aluminum. One doesn't have to look far to see various Powerbook and Macbook Pro systems with dented aluminum casings. And while the Macbook Pro is a nice system (my dad has the 17" "movie screen" variant) I just don't like the way the aluminum feels to the touch. I find it hard to use on that basis alone.

I have an old black Macbook (with a busted screen) that lived a well-traveled life and it still looks good. I'm sure that an aluminum machine would have all sorts of little boo-boos on it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In response to the original post itself:

I am sorta surprised to see that Apple dropped the Firewire port from this system. I'm glad I got a previous generation nVidia 9400-based C2D Macbook with FW400, because I do have several Firewire disks and other devices that I still use regularly.

It also (yes, I know) would have been nice to see a matte screen option on the new system. I love the Macbook, but the screen is a pain, especially in a dusty environment. My old black Macbook has a busted screen, and I thought about replacing it myself. That looks to be an all day job, and I recently saw an ad here on AI that linked to matte screen conversions for Macbook Pro systems. Turns out the same company (can't remember who it was--have it bookmarked at home) also has a screen replacement option for all Macbooks with a matte option. At the price (less than $200 IIRC) I see no reason not to let them mess with it for a day.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by DaHarder

Stunning Design, but...

2gb RAM? 250gb HD, No FW ports, 13.3 (16:10) Display?

I'll admit that 2GB of RAM is stingy, but if the harddrive is more reliable then the ones Dell uses I'd be happy. One batch of laptops at work had an almost 100% failure rate of the Dell supplied drive. FireWire is very much a mixed bag, I was a fan at one time but now realize it suffers from terrible connector technology.

The interesting item in my estimation is the screen. If it is the quality they are indicating then it the laptop might be worth the expense. Cheap laptops suffer from poor screens.

For US $1000.00 isn't very competitive in the face of countless laptops with far better specs at half-the price.

Oh Well - That's Apple!

Point them out for us. Really I doubt there are many at all that are competitive with this machine. Just the battery life is hard to compete with.


Dave

[8CoreWhore]

Many firearms are now polycarbonate (starting with Glocks) and are stronger than steel. Unibody means it was carved from a block of plastic not molded.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by AppleGreen

I guess you did not see the video that showed how the aluminum unibody MacBook Pros are made.

The Aluminum unibody is not an extruded net shape part. It is a structure that is milled out of an aluminum plate. Those plates can come from an extrusion process but they really don't have to. Where ever the material comes from it is milled to dimension and has the holes for the speaker grill laser drilled. The case finish comes from mechanical brushing of the surface.


Dave

[solipsism]

I think the 7 hour battery will make Apple’s most popular Mac even more popular, especially among those going to school.

Originally Posted by DaHarder

For US $1000.00 isn't very competitive in the face of countless laptops with far better specs at half-the price.

Cool! Can you show us some? Note that part of the better specs are the dimensions, backlighting, weight, CPU type (not just speed), and realistic battery duration.

Originally Posted by AppleGreen

I guess you did not see the video that showed how the aluminum unibody MacBook Pros are made.

Uni- means “one”, it has nothing to do with a specific material. Most plastic molds are unibodies so this is mainly seems for marketing. The aluminium unibodies are unique for computers and likely no other company has the single model design sales to be able to compete with Apple’s MBP case.

[parky]

Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore

Many firearms are now polycarbonate (starting with Glocks) and are stronger than steel. Unibody means it was carved from a block of plastic not molded.

Unibody means it is a one piece body, it does NOT mean it is carved.
It can still be Unibody if it is moulded.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by dagamer34

I doubt it's the "good" LED screen which the 15" MacBook Pro always had and the 13" MacBook Unibody MacBooks didn't start shipping with until April (visibility angle differences have always been one reason to get a MacBook Pro over a MacBook).

Why wouldn’t be the same LED-backlight that the 13” MBP has? That doesn’t mean it can’t still be a TN display, which I’m sure it has, unlike the 13” MBP, which has a much better display.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by parky

Unibody means it is a one piece body, it does NOT mean it is carved.
It can still be Unibody if it is moulded.

Somehow people are confusing the terms unibody with machined.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore

Many firearms are now polycarbonate (starting with Glocks) and are stronger than steel. Unibody means it was carved from a block of plastic not molded.

I suspect you are wrong here. Unibody means the same thing here as it does in other mechanical designs using the technology. It is a concept not a process.

As to this enclosure I suspect it is injection molded likely with a complex tool. There may be a few secondary machining operations but the general idea here is to produce a near net shape part. This is the best approach for high volume mass production.



Dave

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by UnexpectedBill

They could easily mold the polycarbonite body as one piece--it would probably be easier to do that than it would be to prepare the aluminum unibody design.



As far as I can tell, the polycarbonite really holds up a lot better than the aluminum. One doesn't have to look far to see various Powerbook and Macbook Pro systems with dented aluminum casings. And while the Macbook Pro is a nice system (my dad has the 17" "movie screen" variant) I just don't like the way the aluminum feels to the touch. I find it hard to use on that basis alone.

I have an old black Macbook (with a busted screen) that lived a well-traveled life and it still looks good. I'm sure that an aluminum machine would have all sorts of little boo-boos on it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In response to the original post itself:

I am sorta surprised to see that Apple dropped the Firewire port from this system. I'm glad I got a previous generation nVidia 9400-based C2D Macbook with FW400, because I do have several Firewire disks and other devices that I still use regularly.

It also (yes, I know) would have been nice to see a matte screen option on the new system. I love the Macbook, but the screen is a pain, especially in a dusty environment. My old black Macbook has a busted screen, and I thought about replacing it myself. That looks to be an all day job, and I recently saw an ad here on AI that linked to matte screen conversions for Macbook Pro systems. Turns out the same company (can't remember who it was--have it bookmarked at home) also has a screen replacement option for all Macbooks with a matte option. At the price (less than $200 IIRC) I see no reason not to let them mess with it for a day.

tell me about it

my BB Curve will win against my 3GS if i were to give both to my 2 year old son. Last month he grabbed my Curve and started banging it against something. it has a lot of war scars but doesn't need all the protection the 3GS does like all the cases people buy for it.

[bigpics]

The least impressive and most curious of the new releases.

1. Really expected a $100 price cut to reach out to a new segment of the socio-economic populace. That way lies market and mind share. I mean they do sell a $49 iPod, so they do have a concept of mass marketing.
2. And a 15" 1920x1280 model to make MB a "line"
3. And an 800 FW port - it can't be that expensive component-wise. (They didn't even add SD if I read right - which looked like a strategic direction)
4. And a still poking along at 5400 RPM drive (unless there's a 7200 option) which neutralizes much of the whiz-bang of today's processors.

Also ups the predicted price of any iTab with $899 and $799 unpopulated by mobile product.

Macintosh: the computer for the rest of us BMW drivers.

[DaHarder]

Originally Posted by wizard69

I'll admit that 2GB of RAM is stingy, but if the harddrive is more reliable then the ones Dell uses I'd be happy. One batch of laptops at work had an almost 100% failure rate of the Dell supplied drive. FireWire is very much a mixed bag, I was a fan at one time but now realize it suffers from terrible connector technology.

The interesting item in my estimation is the screen. If it is the quality they are indicating then it the laptop might be worth the expense. Cheap laptops suffer from poor screens.

Point them out for us. Really I doubt there are many at all that are competitive with this machine. Just the battery life is hard to compete with.


Dave

The entire Acer Timeline series best the new MacBook in battery life, and have a wealth of processor choices.

I'm not saying that they're quite as 'processor-powerful' as this new MacBook, but they do offer F/W ports, built-in multi-media card readers, removable batteries, aluminum construction (chassis/lid), true 16:9 LED backlit displays at larger sizes, thinner designs, and far less expensive upgrade options.

Still, this a very nice MacBook update, better if it was US $700.00

Choice Is Always Good.

[DaHarder]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Somehow people are confusing the terms unibody with machined.

Indeed they are, which is all the more perplexing given that all they need to do is GOOGLE the term 'unibody' to find out what it means -

[satchmo]

Originally Posted by DaHarder

Still, this a very nice MacBook update, better if it was US $700.00

I would have even settled for 2.16 GHz model at $899.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by solipsism

...........
Uni- means “one”, it has nothing to do with a specific material.

Exactly

Most plastic molds are unibodies so this is mainly seems for marketing.

It could very well be for marketing as you indicated most bodies are such to some extent. In the case some pictures should clear up just how complex this unibody shell is. I see the potential for Apple to have more refinement than is common in this plastic shell. If you take many laptops apart you often find that the case shells are just that, they just cover up the internal frame work. I'm actually hoping for tear down pics real soon as frankly I'm intrigued.

The aluminium unibodies are unique for computers and likely no other company has the single model design sales to be able to compete with Apple’s MBP case.

I wonder about the HP MBP ripoff here. One big advantage that Apple has is the ability invest in production lines, something that is difficult for companies with no margins.

Dave

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by bigpics

The least impressive and most curious of the new releases.

1. Really expected a $100 price cut to reach out to a new segment of the socio-economic populace. That way lies market and mind share. I mean they do sell a $49 iPod, so they do have a concept of mass marketing.
2. And a 15" 1920x1280 model to make MB a "line"
3. And an 800 FW port - it can't be that expensive component-wise. (They didn't even add SD if I read right - which looked like a strategic direction)
4. And still poking along at 5400 which neutralizes much of the whiz-bang of today's processors.

Also ups the predicted price of any iTab with $899 and $799 unpopulated by mobile product.

Macintosh: the computer for the rest of us BMW drivers.

Apple only refreshes every 6 months or so while Acer and other may do it more often so you will see price differences.

yesterday the iMac was a poor value against a PC, today it's not. MBP's are getting a bit old with current specs and they will probably be refreshed in November.

the way i see it the computer market is being divided into low and higher end. Acer and the other Chinese brand X makers on the lower end with Apple on the higher end. HP and Dell are being squeezed in the mid end of the market. It was bound to happen since every computer is made in China by some no name company, including Mac's. At least Apple adds its own software and OS. Dell just buys, integrates with other third party software and resells at a tiny markup with the "value" being some crappy services. at least with a Mac i can take it to a store if it breaks.

the new configurations and pricing are enough for me to look at a mac over a PC. especially since the price is the same once you configure a Dell with all the options

and if you check used price listings on Ebay, doesn't make sense to get a Dell anymore

[tagman]

I like the new specs, but lower prices man!! How about $399 for a mac mini and $699 for an macbook.. Windows 7 is coming out in days and will be competing for consumers $$$. Why not make it a REAL compelling reason to consider buying a MAC vs buying just another windows PC..

[mr O]

dammit … they didn't opt for a white macbook with black border. Now, that would be very Miami Vice and sexy as hell!

[obs1970]

Very Nice
I was actually in the process of replacing my wife's Dell 1405 laptop, 3 yrs old; POS as far as manufacturing. She wanted something small. As I was looking for laptops and configuring them, I kept getting to the 999 MacBook as the best product. And this one looks even better.
But I ordered a gateway; 11.6 inch 1300x700+ pixels, Core 2 solo for 450. Mainly because it is small easily fits in her bag and $500 less than the MacBook. 10 inch netbooks are useless but the 11.6 larger resolution is where Apple is MIA; my niece bought one in July and I used it and liked its form factor. And I bet these will be hot items this holiday season.
Had Apple offered something similar for even 650, I would have bought one.

[Rind]

Long time reader but First time to post.

As someone that has been a PC user since 94 I have never used a Mac.
I am happy about these changes , While the price has stayed the same from what I can tell , the Specs have went up.

As far as a reason to buy this over a cheaper Windows 7 laptop.... Easy answer , Its Windows. As someone that has used everything from Win 3.1 to Vista Im not anxious to use windows 7. Although I will eventually since the company I work for is already looking to migrate to 7 eventually.

Cant get the Mac until Tax time 2010 so im stuck impaitently waiting

[Macs_since_1984]

Originally Posted by teckstud

NO FIREWIRE???? Let the BITCHIN begin!!!

No FireWire, no big deal since FireWire has been and is problematic.

I liked FireWire at first but experienced some Mac FireWire port failures and many FireWire drive port/chipset failures. For that reason, I quickly upgraded to FireWire/USB 2 combo drive enclosures just in case. I'm glad I did.

No, you cannot boot PowerPC Macs from USN but you can with Intel Macs.

Intel. with Apple's support, is developing a next generation reliable and capable optical port.

FireWire is doomed for port failures coupled with chipset failures. USB 2 now, USB 3 soon and Intel's optical port will be fine for me.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by DaHarder

The entire Acer Timeline series best the new MacBook in battery life, and have a wealth of processor choices.

Maybe but I'd want to see them running side by side fullly loaded. Advertised clock rates for laptops are only useful if the laptop actually runs that fast. Thermal throttling makes it difficult to judge laptops from specs only.

As to processor choices it is really the same deal here, Apple could offer a much faster processor but is then open to a couple of problems. One is that battery life goes to hell. Second is that they are open to poor performance relative to clock rate due to thermal issues. If any thing it looks like Apple is being honest with their specs and performance numbers.

I'm not saying that they're quite as 'processor-powerful' as this new MacBook, but they do offer F/W ports, built-in multi-media card readers, removable batteries, aluminum construction (chassis/lid), true 16:9 LED backlit displays at larger sizes, thinner designs, and far less expensive upgrade options.

One of Apples selling points is powerful machines in laptop packages. I suspect Apple choose the hardware used here to maximizes performance for a given battery lifetime. It makes sense for the markets Apple is after with the device.

Still, this a very nice MacBook update, better if it was US $700.00

Yes it seems like a good update. However I need to digest the specs some and see the unit first hand ( need to see the display ). So it might be a little rich for what is there. However we can't forget that Holiday shopping is only a few weeks away, Apple may have the intention of advertising an even lower "discounted - sale price" to draw customers into the stores. I'm just trying to tie in some of yesterdays comments from management.

Choice Is Always Good.

Yes it is. So far though I'm impressed with the little machine as it appealls to my minimalist but functional side. It could easily take sales from anything left going to AIR.

Actually I'm more concerned that Apple is to stingy with RAM more than anything else. 4GB ought to be a cost effective option.


Dave