New Apple MacBooks demystified

Amid all the buzz about Apple's new iPhone 3G S, MacBook fans were also treated to an impressive set of component upgrades and price drops across Apple's laptop lines. With select systems changing names, others changing specs, or sometimes both, it can be a little confusing to get a clear picture of the current MacBook family. To that end, we've rounded up the key spec, price, and feature changes in one handy spot.

The 13-inch MacBook

MacBook, 13-inch
$999
Core 2 Duo 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

This is Apple's basic white plastic MacBook, and the last one left to carry the standalone MacBook name. It's always been a good deal for under $1,000, although the new entry price on the 13-inch aluminum models makes this less clear-cut.

Until today, it was the only 13-inch model with FireWire, and it remains the only one with a removable battery and a non-LED display.

---

The 13-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro, 13-inch
$1,199
Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

$1,499
Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

Previously known as the MacBook, the basic 13-inch aluminum unibody laptop has been promoted to the "Pro" series, and with good cause--the line between these and the 15-inch Pro models has been very thin since they moved to the all-metal construction and added GeForce 9400M graphics.

More importantly, the 13-inch unibody systems have regained their FireWire ports, and have added (drum roll, please...) an SD card slot. We've been bugging Apple for years to add this basic feature, and digital photographers everywhere are no doubt celebrating.

The battery on the 13-inch Pro is of the nonremovable type, which promises up to 7 hours of life, a purported 40-percent bump over previous 13-inch models.

---

The 15-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro 15-inch
$1,699
Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

$1,999
Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M + 256MB 9600M GT

$2,299
Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M + 512MB 9600M GT

The standard 15-inch MacBook Pro remains largely unchanged. The ExpressCard slot is being replaced with an SD card slot, also featured on the new 13-inch Pro. It also has the same non-removable battery, which promises up to 7 hours of use.

The least expensive Pro has the same GeForce 9400 integrated graphics as the 13-inch models, and the 2.66GHz and 2.8GHz versions add an additional GeForce 9600M GPU--but that's no different from the existing 15-inch Pro lineup.

What is new is an optional 3.06GHz CPU, available for an extra $300 on top of the $2,299 configuration. That makes this Apple's fastest laptop ever.

---

The 17-inch MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro 17-inch
$2,499
Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M+ 512MB 9600M GT

Not much new here, but the price cut to $2,499 is nice for video editors, designers, and photographers.

If you're looking for the new SD card slot, be warned, the 17-inch model is keeping the ExpressCard, and won't be adding an SD card support. The new 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, however, is available as a $300 add-on.

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The 13-inch MacBook Air.

MacBook Air, 13-inch
$1,499
Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 2GB RAM, 120GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

$1,799
Core 2 Duo 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M

Thanks perhaps to the new flood of thin 13-inch laptops, including the MSI X340 and Dell's Adamo, the thin, sexy MacBook Air is slimming down its starting price to a more reasonable $1,499. These have had the GeForce 9400M graphics and built-in battery for a while, and the system is still restricted to a single USB port.

Stay tuned for full reviews of several new MacBooks later this week. In the meantime, check out all of our WWDC coverage here.

Need more laptop news? Follow me at twitter.com/danackerman.

WWDC 2009: Apple Revamps Its Laptop Line

[sxydeeny]

..wow

[tipoo_]

Nice! The new pricing and addition of an SD card slot have me very close to jumping the gun!

[useful_worms]

This photographer is liking the SD card slot. YES.

[skwerlhater0]

And the videographer is liking the FireWire 800. MEGA YES.

[lycanr1]

Longer battery life? My battery goes through one to two recharge cycles a day - that's 365 x 2 = 730 cycles per year. How on earth does Apple get 5 years out of that? Ok I'm not an average user so let's say you half it? Still does't add up. Oh yes, and "you can't replace the battery" unlike every other computer on the market.

Our fastest computer yet? Every computer release is "our fastest computer yet". Duh! Show me OSX, not the notebook. Oh and that touch pad is nuts, it's giving me wrist strain pressing on it. So it encourages more users to buy peripherals and it's not the computer that is going to kill you, it's all the Apple stuff you need /for/ your notebook.

-CRANKY LYCAN-

[Staszek]

Seriously? You use your computer 365 days a for almost 14 hours a day with no power cord in site. Where do you work on the moon and never take vacations? You said you are not the average user, you are not even close the non average user. I think one of two things, either you are BSing (and you most likely are no one uses a computer THAT much) or you really need to get a life!.

Using one cycle 365 days a year will almost get you 3 years out of the battery, but again most people dont even do that.

Lastly its not the track pad thats causing your wrist pain, its using your computer every single day of your life for 14 hours plus!

BTW the battery is replaceable, it doesnt just pop on and off like most laptops.

[ramsey987]

They must not have a newer model MacBook Pro or they would know that the Mac trackpads can easily be set up so that you NEVER have to physically press (click down) on the button.

[tipoo_]

I agree with the touchpad thing, at least. It does hurt my hands after a while.

[rlcato]

Have you ever thought about using the supplied power brick that came with it? It works wonders. Maybe even an extension cord. Or how about getting a life like what Staszek said and-or getting into an relationship with a real person and gettin' yer leg over.
I think the reason you're having wrist pains is that you just can't leave it alone.

[druicilla]

after 2 days on the trackpad my wrist is seriously hurting. i changed the settings to allow clicking by touch and that helped some, but sometimes you just have to click. that's really annoying and I'm sad to say that i am unhappy for the very first time with an apple product... and i have had many over the last 20 years.

[alloyd50]

That all sounds nice, how about a matte screen?? So I can actually look at my computer when I sit near the window...the rest is chump change.

[Dan_Ackerman]

The 17-inch has an "antiglare" option, which is essentially a matte screen coating -- but I agree -- I prefer matte screens, and more systems should offer that option.

[Brian]

Agreed.

I don't mind the glare screen on my black Macbook too much, but if I was offered an option, I would select the matte display.

Apple has the market cornered with a "one size fits all" attitude.

No support for Firewire 400 users like myself is rather disappointing.

[LelandHendrix]

FIREWIRE--

All these machines with the firewire 800 port fully support all the firewire 400 devices. A one-inch small adapter that plugs into the FW800 port and has a FW400 jack on the other side can be found for less than $10.

And it's powered--unlike ANYTHING available from ANY PC manufacturer. That's why I got my MacBook Pro 15 months ago--so I could professional bus-powered firewire audio devices from MOTU. I have a completely mobile 24-channel recording rig with powered mic preamps that is completely powered by the laptop's battery and need no power adapter for the computer or the interface.

Beat that.

[rlcato]

I would still prefer an anti-glare screen with that purple coating on it than matte.

[RockaTech]

Say if I was to get the $1,199, 13 inch Macbook Pro with 2gb of ram. Would I be able to upgrade the ram later on? Such as by returning to an Apple store and hopefully getting it done for a small fee? And how long does the battery truly last for someone who actually uses a macbook on a daily basis since the battery can't be removed ? This macbook looks appealing =). And I'm a PC....

[thimk2000]

RAM is user servicable on most Macs now. (Basically, if you have to crack it open to change the RAM, like the Mini, you aren't supposed to.) Only your orginal RAM is covered under warranty, of course. If you experience any hardware issues (or even a software issue) and need to take your computer to be serviced by Apple, return the factory installed RAM before going to the Apple Store. Cheaper than paying Apple and jus as reliable.

The batteries are pretty new so it's difficult to tell. So far so good seems to be the general consensus on the Airs though.

[RockaTech]

Alright thanks thimk2000, its because if I do get a Mac I'm most likely going to be installing some form of Windows alongside it and the more RAM the better.

[streamline35]

thimk2000 - I know the ram was user replaceable on macs that had removable batteries because it lived right next to the battery, which had to be popped out to replace it (then a metal slot was removed with a tiny screw driver). But how is that possible when there is no removable battery? Did they start including doors on the bottom for replacing the ram?

[LelandHendrix]

The ram is not beside the battery. The battery and the hard drive are in one bay, and the memory lives behind an aluminum plate almost the size of the entire computer bottom, toward the rear.

It **IS** user upgradeable/replaceable, and the owner's manual that accompanies the macbook pro clearly explains and even graphically illustrates to the user how it is done.

[tipoo_]

Definately, only morons get above the minimum ammout of Apple memory. Go third party, just as good at a fraction of the price.

[Gadget70]

The 15" is the sweetspot size for me. Fully loaded of course. I've never wanted a laptop as much as I do now.

[hamwyn]

i cant believe people got excited over an sd card slot and they dumped the express card slot why couldn't they just have a expresscard card reader come free with the mac books you already paying a fortune threre are still a joke in the laptop space and all of you still go nuts over some basic crap that other vendors have had for 5-6 years apple fan boys YOU ARE A JOKE

[SVEarl47]

Your grammar is a joke.

[LelandHendrix]

Agreed! I would NEVER give up my expresscard slot! It's the only real way to add advanced peripherals/accessory devices to a notebook computer that need core system access instead of just usb connection.

The previous solution was and is still the best--get an expresscard-type mult-card reader. That way you lose nothing and gain everything.

[coulterboyz]

@ harnwyn

Please, just please punctuate. I'm really going to try to avoid a personal attack here, but if you insist on insulting Apple fanboys, at least do it in a manner that doesn't dumb down your own argument.

But I agree with him, actually. I honestly do not care about the SD slot. First off, the cards stick way out. At least have them flush. Am I being picky? Yes. Do I still feel that Apple should have done that, especially given their desire to have the best aesthetics? Absolutely. And secondly, I really have no constant use for that. So meh, I'll take it, but really it is a complete non-issue. But then, I'm not a photographer, so maybe it is a bigger deal to some

[Mystakill]

I actually just ordered a 21-in-1 ExpressCard/34 card reader for my new MBP this morning. I don't understand why Apple would drop something much more versatile for something as pedestrian as a solitary SD slot. I would've purchased a 15" MBP, but the display tops out at 1440x900 and has no anti-glare. A matte finish 1680x1050 display would do wonders for 15" sales.

Caveat: The MBP is my *first* Mac, after 20+ years of DOS, Windows & Linux, so I'm not an Apple fanboy. I'm just tired of dealing with registry hacks, ****-poor network performance on shared drives on a gigabit ethernet connection, and overall poor performance in Vista. Windows 7, while more sprightly than Vista, is still underwhelming performance-wise; I expect some of that to clear up once the debugging code is removed. I'll still run Win7 in Boot Camp though, especially if the $50 Best Buy upgrade is for real.

[o2bpitching]

uhh, firewire 800 is backwards compatible to firewire 400. just an fyi...

[Gorifyny]

Since the nearest Apple store is a couple hundred miles from me, I think I'll stick with my current MBP, which has a user-replaceable battery. It also has an express card slot, which I absolutely must have. By the way, my still camera uses CF cards, not SD, so I'm not interested in that feature, either. I'll have to keep babying my current MBP for many years. (I'm also not too keen on the touch pad without a separate button.)

[pHenom_713]

same here, i've tried using the unibody MBP... not for me.

[donsms]

The price drops have convinced me that my thoughts about Apple have been correct.Price gouging and greed certainly do not make a product better in any way,shape or form.Shame on all those who consider themselves fanboys for continuing that myth!

[george_liquor]

Shoo, troll.

[tipoo_]

Do either of the 13-inchers support more than 4gb of memory?

[coulterboyz]

Yes, the 13 can also support up to 8 Gigs of RAM.

[mgheff]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like Apple just threw their Macbook line under the bus. Now, the Macbook Pro is only a little bit more expensive, and clearly outshines the Macbook. Well, Maybe we will see a price drop on the macbook, and possibly a new 15-inch Macbook. I think that would be a good deal.

[coulterboyz]

The only Macbook left is the White standard Macbook. Everything else is a Pro. So yes, they did kill the Macbook, but I do not think they want the White Macbook to last much longer so I think this will help phase it out.

[mgheff]

They have to have a Macbook line, though. So, will they create a new design for the Macbook? I mean, they can't just sell pro products if they want to stay in business.

[romodoc]

Staszek , "you are not even close the non average user" Doesn't make any sense

[spraebo]

Damn. I couldn't help but get excited when i heard about the price drops, but it seems as though the prices will remain the same in Canada. $2000 for the base 15-inch model without any dedicated graphics is too much for me.

[spraebo]

hmm, I checked and i guess I was wrong about the base 15-inch's lack of price cut. Although it's still kind of disappointing...

[canberra_photographer]

Um, the express card slot is being replaced with an SD card slot. Very stupid move I think. It was always easy to use an adaptor to turn the express card slot into an SD card reader, and even a reader for MS and XD. But making it a card slot only, users will loose the expansion options express card offers.

[btr1389]

They're not going to spend the money in a laptop to put in ExpressCard when less than 10%(if that) of Mac users use the slot. So they made it into an SD slot which is by far the most popular and ubiquitous flash card out there. I wish it had support for CF, MS and XD, but it would just add more money to the computer due to licensing. I'm happy they did this. I've never used my ExpressCard port on my 2007 MBP and I do not know a single person who uses the port. Keeping the ExpressCard port is like how some PC manufacturers still have LPT-1 ports for the 6 people who use 20 year old printers.

[btr1389]

By the way, I'm not saying that the Expresscard is obsolete like LPT-1. I'm just saying that it's pointless to spend the money on hardware that a small percentage of people use.

[Brian]

I bought my black 13" Macbook less than a year ago and it's been replaced twice.

By the time I really am ready to "upgrade", hopefully all of these Macbooks will become completely obsolete.

Until then, I am happy with my investment.
I'm not made of an endless supply of cash that I can just pour into Apple's pockets.

[dalphahiveguy]

Well, I really don't think its fair to be cynical about Apple because they refresh their computers often. Like you, I bought a MB less than a year ago and have seen it drop quickly out of the "most current" category. I don't see it as a bad thing though. I just know that whenever I buy an Apple, it will be one of the absolute most cutting edge things out there that month/year.

Apple is the leader in new tech, and to stay there they have to innovate on a daily basis. Nothing we should hold against them.

[mjc1231]

I also believe that the new $1200 macbook pro comes with an illuminated keyboard, a nice perk up from the standard keyboard of the previous entry level unibody macbook.

[sevort]

Yes, it does. in fact, 13" one will become their most popular laptop ever. I am glad I waited, because I refused to buy one without FireWire. It seems many other people were sitting on the fence because of that too.

[dmarr05]

The new MacBook Pro looks really appealing, but again it all depends on what you want. For those wondering, the battery can be changed by taking the notebook to the store. You just can't do it yourself but if it begins to not hold it's charge or you have the coverage that extends beyond a year and it is no longer fulfilling your needs, you can take the notebook to the store and they change it there; no sending it away or anything like that. I'm a PC user who's really interested in switching now. Glad I waited until after the conference. And any students can sure benefit from the cheaper cost, student pricing on top of that, and free ipod touch.

[m0kume]

You're out of luck if apple does for the macbook what they did to my 3rd gen ipod. I had applecare and the ipod would only play for 20 minutes. Apple "geniuses" refused to replace the battery because it met their specifications and was not defective. This is why i will never by something so expensive from apple with a built in, non user replaceable battery. If you are only getting 40 minutes on the "new and improved" built in battery apple will refuse to replace it because it meets "their" specifications. Good luck with that!

[tipoo_]

As a comparison Sony just released a 13" SR with an ATI 4570, which almost equals a 9600 GT. Thats twice as fast as the 9400M the mac users are praising.

So much for 9 months of evolution. With OpenCL in OS10.6, the "macs arent for gaming" argument doesnt realy apply here. And OpenCL is an open standard which AMD supports strongly, so thats no excuse either.

[jhewell]

One big difference - Windows SUCKS; Mac OS X can do more with half the hardware - and yes, I use both platforms daily.

[dalphahiveguy]

The idea that Apple kinda sucks for using the 9400M chips doesn't really pan since they use both 9600 and 9400. Plus, I might add, its really not fair to compare Apple pricing to PC pricing as a knock against Apple. These days, Apple is generally cheaper. I think Apple has recently scored a big win against PC makers.


Viao SR390:
$1149.99
Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz)
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit
Night Black
2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2)
160GB SATA Hard Disk Drive [5400 rpm]
13.3" WXGA (XBRITE-ECO? technology)
ATI Mobility Radeon? HD 3470 with HDMI? Output
CD/DVD Burning Drive
No Fresh Start?
QuickBooks Simple Start
Windows® Live OneCare 90-Day Trial

Macbook:
$999
2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm

[tipoo_]

"The idea that Apple kinda sucks for using the 9400M chips doesn't really pan since they use both 9600 and 9400"


Only in the more upgraded model of the 15 inch and higher.

[tipoo_]

P.s, the SR also has

-Up to 9.0 hours (large capacity battery)
-Memory Stick Duo? media slot with MagicGate® functionality
-ExpressCard® 3/4 slot
-SD? memory card slot
-HDMI
-VGA out
-Blu-ray Disc available

And a 1 year default warrenty vs Apples 90 days.