Thoughts on the new MacBooks
The big topic in mobile tech has certainly been the new MacBooks announced by Apple. One thing is certain there are probably equal number of folks who are excited by the refresh as there are those who wanted more. We’ve soaked up everything we could find out about the new Macs and analyzed every hands-on account of them all and have some definite thoughts to share about them.
The MacBook White is basically the same white MacBook today as it was before the announcement. The big change is the new lower price of $999 for the entry level configuration. This is a good thing as finally there is a notebook from Apple that breaks under the $1000 barrier although barely. It has a slower processor and bus speed than the new Pros but is overall a sufficient configuration for many. The big question is how competitive is it going to be with the much cheaper offerings on the Windows notebook side and how consumers will choose. Budget-minded folks can get much cheaper Windows notebooks with better configurations so only time will tell.
The biggest news for us in this refresh is the new 13-inch MacBook, which is basically a new smaller MacBook Pro. It has everything the bigger Pros have with the exception of the new dual graphics chips but for those who have wished Apple would make a MacBook Pro smaller than 15 inches this is for you. I admit I’m a bit confused why Apple didn’t go ahead and call this a Pro model but they seem to so what they want. The thought of a 13-inch MacBook Pro is very nice for those of us who like mobility and even though it’s still heavy (4.5 lbs.) compared to netbooks it’s the most portable Mac yet (with optical drive and full port set). The entry level price of $1299 does make it pretty compelling for those who have been wanting a Pro and that configuration is not shabby. I suspect this will be the new model that Apple finds selling much faster than the others.
The other MacBook Pros will sell as well as previous 15-inch Pros have been selling which is pretty good. They are still pricey making them high-end laptops by anyone’s standards but that’s Apple’s plan. I have read that Apple is planning to phase out the 17-inch Pro since they have left it largely unchanged but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t surprise everyone with some sort of refresh later. I see a lot of people using these and don’t think sales are so bad that Apple would just chunk the big Pro totally. Time will tell.
that small macbook is indeed confusing, as its the only non-pro with firewire (400)…
“it’s the most portable Mac yet” ??????
Isn’t the MacBook Air a Mac?????
dan, you are correct I should fix that. I meant full-featured Mac including optical drive, ports, etc.
The look of the previous MacBook Pro was much more professional. It set the Macbook Pro apart from the usual run of the mill notebook. Now at a quick glance you could mistake the new MacBook for any other notebook. Additionally Having the DVD drive on the front was a better idea when you take into account using a mouse on the right hand side.
“as finally there is a notebook from Apple that breaks under the $1000 barrier although barely. It has a slower processor and bus speed than the new Pros but is overall a sufficient configuration for many. The big question is how competitive is it going to be with the much cheaper offerings on the Windows notebook side and how consumers will choose.”
There had been an iBook below $1000 before this. And from Apple’s perspective, they’ve been charging above market rate for their computers for quite a while now, and unit sales are at an all time high, so I don’t think they see the incentive to change.
I disagree with the comments made by many that the new MB Pros no longer look “professional”. I really think this is a matter of personal taste. While I like the old look (and I have a G4 17″), the metal-on-metal tone look was starting to wear a bit thin. I do agree that a matte screen would have probably been a nice option, but overall, Apple’s refresh hits the sweet spot for many Mac and potential Mac users in terms of appearance/features/price.
I’m also not sure I agree that a sub-$1000 netbook/notebook is critical. I bought the Acer Aspire One… and was uninspired and returned it. Let’s be honest – you get what you pay for. I have Macs as desktops, and the only reason I use a Windows PC is because I value the functionality my tablet offers. Other than that, I have far fewer complaints about my Macs than my lone Vista machine.
I think Apple did not update the 17-inch laptop yet because of weight concerns. The 15-inch MacBook Pro gained 0.2 pounds in this redesign. How much would the 17-inch gain (owing to even more aluminum used)?
This is also not the first time that Apple has done a phased notebook introduction. When the Aluminum PowerBooks were first introduced, the Titanium PowerBook was left to soldier on for nine months until it was finally replaced with the Aluminum 15″. The 17″ PowerBook G4 was sold for four months after the 15″ MacBook Pro was introduced. So, it’s not surprising to see them do it again.
It’s always worth waiting for an iteration or two before buying Apple’s latest and greatest. The original Titanium PowerBook G4 and the first MacBook Pros both suffered from quality issues that the next iterations did not. In the meantime, great deals on the older models will now be available. After the Penryn-based MacBook Pros were introduced, I picked up the mid-range 2.4GHz Santa Rosa model for about $1600 after rebate from Amazon. I expect that in about a month or two, similar deals will be available again. If you don’t need to have the absolute latest-and-greatest, it’s an opportunity to pick up a 15″ MacBook Pro for a 13″ MacBook price.
The 17″ will be updated later. There was a Q/A session after the event and someone asked about it.
The Macbooks lack 7200 rpm drives. Boo! I don’t understand why I can’t get a fast drive in the smaller nicer(for me) form factor of the Macbook.
The Pros are just insanely huge to me and not portable at all.
As a tech enthusiast you could call the 13 inch Macbook somewhat underwhelming but lets face it what a cool device. To the young Ipod target market it is the PC to have. Get em young with cool stuff sounds like a great way to take over the world to me.
As a tech enthusiast you could call the 13 inch Macbook somewhat underwhelming but lets face it what a cool device. To the young Ipod target market it is the PC to have. Get em young with cool stuff sounds like a great way to take over the world to me.
The $999 white MacBook, in addition to the price drop, got the addition of the SuperDrive.
I agree that the MacBook is now kind of a MacBook Pro “lite”, and believe that’s how customers will perceive it. Still, the lack of FireWire and the discreet video of the Pro models (along with the larger screens) offer some level of differentiation.
The new MacBook does have discrete graphics which is a big change from previous models. It doesn’t have the dual GPUs of the new Pros.
I don’t think the graphics in the MacBook can really be called “discrete”, though it’s pretty beefy for integrated graphics. It’s still built into the unified north/south bridge and still uses system memory instead of dedicated graphics memory.
No, the new 13-inch MacBook uses the same NVidia 9400M as the new Pros use. The $999 white MacBook still uses integrated graphics.
While America received a price drop on the white Macbook of $100, the price in Britain actually increased by £20. Odd, huh?
James, that chipset is an integrated graphics chipset which is built into the system bridge and uses system memory. The MacBook Pros allow you to switch to a dedicated chip with dedicated GDDR3 for better performance; the new 13″ MacBooks do not.
Brian, you’re correct, it shares 256 MB of system memory but uses the same graphics processor as the lesser GPU in the Pros.
The big news is really Apple dropping Firewire support from the Macbooks.
Judging by the fury over at Apple’s own forum and on the mac blogs everywhere the issue is becoming a firestorm Steve will need to sort out with more than his one line and very terse response that everything is USB now….