Product Notes: Apple MacBook

February 27th, 2008

On February 26th, 2008, Apple announced updates to its MacBook notebook line. Specific changes to the MacBook include Intel's recently introduced Penryn microprocessors and larger hard drive sizes at all three price points.

This update follows a previous MacBook update in November 2007 and demonstrates Apple's continued strategy of incremental but steady upgrades to its consumer notebook platform. The MacBook meets or exceeds the Lightweight Notebook and Value Notebook specifications in the newly-revised Notebook Computer Purchasing Guide (the low-end MacBook requires a RAM upgrade to meet the Value Notebook specification).

Like all other current Apple notebooks, the MacBook has received a Silver rating from EPEAT and is Energy Star 4.0-certified.

Configuration & Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering a MacBook:

1. The MacBook is available with Intel's current Core 2 Duo processors. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) sees either the 2.1 GHz or 2.4 GHz processors as excellent choices - all else being equal, the 2.4 GHz system will be approximately 7% faster.
2. ISC strongly recommends choosing AppleCare when purchasing any Apple notebook.
3. See ISC's Notebook Computer Purchasing Guide for more configuration hints. As of February 2008, configuring a MacBook to the Lightweight Notebook specification can be done for approximately $1,400 while configuring one to the Value Notebook specification is about $1,250.

ISC sees the MacBook as being a solid choice among value notebooks available in early 2008. It also remains Apple's only relatively lightweight choice for Mac OS users who want an onboard optical drive. Continuing increases in the standard specifications have once again dropped the barrier to entry for appropriately configured models.

MacBook graphic courtesy of Apple

--John Mulhern III, Senior Project Leader, ISC Technology Support Services (February 27th, 2008)