Apple today unveiled its new line of MacBook consumer notebooks that now include Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The 13.3″ glossy wide-screen MacBooks are just one inch thin and feature a built-in iSight video camera, the MagSafe Power Adapter, and iLife ‘06. Apple claims that the new MacBooks are up to 25% faster than the previous generation MacBooks.

New MacBooks quick specs:

* 13.3-inch glossy display * 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo * Up to 2GB memory * Up to 200GB hard drive * Apple Remote with Front Row * Built-in iSight camera * Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 * Slot-loading optical drive * Built-in AirPort Extreme * FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports * Gigabit Ethernet * Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

In bright white or sleek black, MacBook supports up to 2GB of memory and plenty of storage. Standard models offer up to 120GB of hard drive space, but if you haul a lot of data around, you can order your MacBook with up to 200GB of storage. That’s not all. MacBook keeps you untethered courtesy of built-in Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme (802.11g). A 6x double-layer-burning SuperDrive — standard equipment on the 2.0GHz models — not only lets you burn DVDs faster but lets you burn capacious double-layer media. And those 2.0GHz models pack 4MB of shared L2 cache, which helps deliver a 6x leap in performance over the iBook or PowerBook before them. - From Apple’s Press Release.

Reviews of the Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo)

CNET: Reviewing Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz), CNET gives it 8.1 out of 10 rating (excellent) and writes, “Now that the high-end MacBook Pro has Intel’s Core 2 Duo CPU, it’s high time the latest processor technology filtered down to Apple’s more consumer-friendly MacBook line. There are three MacBook models, one with a 1.83GHz CPU and two with 2.0GHz CPUs. The MacBook starts at a mere $1,099, but our review unit is the most tricked-out of the three, offering the faster CPU and a larger hard drive for a still palatable $1,499. These 13.3-inch notebooks, available in the standard Apple colors of black and white, are nearly as powerful as their 15- and 17-inch Pro cousins, and they include a lot of the same features, such as the built-in iSight camera and Front Row remote. If the handful of compromises vs. the Pro model, such as the screen size and the lack of discrete graphics, isn’t a deal breaker, the MacBook is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to step up to an Apple laptop or upgrade their older MacBook.

The good: Cheaper than the MacBook Pro, with nearly comparable performance; great design; built-in Webcam and remote control; can run Windows XP via Boot Camp.

The bad: No ExpressCard slot or FireWire 800; lacks media card reader; only 90 days of toll-free technical support.

The bottom line: The new MacBook, updated to Intel’s Core 2 Duo CPU, compares very favorably with Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro line, offering premium performance at a reasonable price.”

This entry was posted on November 9, 2006 and is filed under Apple, News.