The New MacBook
Published November 16th, 2006 in MacBook, apple
It’s been a few days already, but Apple has released their latest version of the MacBook. If you’ve been hiding under a rock for a while, the MacBook is the new iBook. The newest model isn’t that much changed from the first iteration, but for the addition of an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. According to Apple, this makes the computer up to about 31% faster than before. This is due to improvements in the design of the chip itself that make it more efficient.
Other changes include more memory (1GB) and a larger hard drive (80GB) for the middle of the line white 2Ghz model. Another improvement is the the 8x dual layer SuperDrive that is included in the same MacBook model. The old one had a 4x single layer SuperDrive. There aren’t that many changes, but the things Apple changed are significant. The pricing remains the same at $1099 for the entry level, $1299 for the midlevel, and $1499 for that cool looking black MacBook.
I initially had reservations about the MacBooks because of the integrated graphics with shared memory, but I’m getting over that. If you look at the specifications and see how much faster and better this new MacBook is compared to the old iBook, I think you’ll agree. While I still don’t care for the idea of sharing the main memory with the graphics processor, benchmark testing has shown that the new MacBook is head and shoulders above the iBook in all categories. Coupling that with the 13.3″ widescreen that gives you about 30% more screen real estate and I’m going to have to add this to my Christmas list.
I’m starting to think I don’t really fit in as a blogger. Every blogger I can think of is a Mac user. I can’t stand the thought of using a Mac. Perhaps I’m just in the wrong game.
Leroy, you should give them a try. I’ve been using Windows for 15 years and I still use it at work. I like the way Macs work, though, or allow you to work. They are more intuitive and work better out of the box. They also generally tend to have a higher level of quality as well.
I’m not even mentioning the lack of spyware or malware problems. This was a big selling point for me in the beginning. I also really like having a unix system underneath the pretty GUI. That opens up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of software and development.
My first mac was one that I rescued from someone’s garbage. It was an old one, but I was impressed by the design and the fact that it was still rock solid even being something like 10 years old. Amazing. I would suggest getting a used one that’s dirt cheap and playing with it a bit…
I don’ know. To me, it seems that trying to use a Mac would be like learning to eat with my feet. Not that Macs are backward so to speak, but they are the complete opposite of everything I’ve ever used. After my first Commodore 64 and an old Apple II, I’ve had nothing but PC’s. Every time I am forced to use a Mac due to no other computer being available, I am nothing but frustrated. I guess the best thing I can say about Macs is that ‘dem sure is purty’.
Besides design, I just don’t ‘get’ Macs. Although I do want to congratulate Apple on finally moving to the same 2 button mouse that the PC has had since the 80’s.
Ahh, the joys of diversity - right? At least we have options.
I thought the same way at first, but found that the basic operation of a mac is pretty similar to windows. I think those of us who use computers a lot get into a routine and don’t like anything to get us out of our comfort zone. I remember being frustrated when I first got my iBook and was trying to figure everything out at once. I had to tell myself to chill out and just do what I had to do and I would pick up the rest as I went along. Now I’m comfortable moving back and forth between macs and windows all the time. And, yes, you have to admit that macs are ‘purty.’
I blog, and don’t use a Mac. I have a standard Dell desktop and an awesome Toshiba Satellite laptop. I have thought about getting a Mac, that was all I used in school. My laptop works well for me for now.
I know a lot of people who’ve used Macs in school, but I have to say I never did. Every program I’ve been enrolled in has used windows exclusively. Of course, I’ve never been in a graphic design program or even class, so I probably wouldn’t have been exposed. I work at a community college that has several Mac equipped labs and classrooms, probably at least a dozen, but I never have occasion to use them. I’ve only played with Macs on my own.
These days, I think a good case can be made for getting a Mac since they can now run Windows XP with the Boot Camp dual boot option or some other commercially available product (like Parallels).