Thread: Apple MacBook

Macbooks have always been attractive to laptop buyers. In fact with the reasonable price, MacBooks are within reach for many who want an Apple machine. The latest generation comes in a classy white polycarbonate unibody carved out of a single piece of plastic, which is more rounded and squat than previous models. Even though the surface attracts fingerprints, they can't be seen on white as much as on glossy black surfaces. Unfortunately, it's also highly prone to scratches and discoloration.

Pull the lid up and you are greeted with a full-sized keyboard and a rather large glass trackpad. What you will also notice is that the trackpad has no buttons: it's a button itself-a thoughtful addition since it gives you more room to track and click. The keyboard features the same chiclet design and feel as the Mac Book Pro but without the backlighting. The speakers are at the rear just under the hinge, in order to accommodate the full-sized keys, but audio quality has not been compromised.

Built around Nvidia's MCP79 chipset and GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, this Macbook model is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo P7550 processor with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. Storage is taken care of by a 250 GB hard disk. Connectivity is offered via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet, but you will find only two USB ports, that too so closely spaced that a large plug or dongle will block both. You also get an audio line-out, but display is only via mini DisplayPort-no adapters for VGA or HDMI are included.



The Macbook is evenly matched in price and performance with other mainstream laptops. Other than work you will also be able to game with a bit of eye-candy turned on. Under light loads, the MacBook will give a decent runtime of approximately 4 hours, but with movie playback and gaming the battery will last for only around 2 hours.