In October 2008, Apple rolled out its Core 2 Duo Core MacBook or better known as MacBook 2008 as it didn’t come with a catchy name. With its release, Apple discontinued production of the Black and White MacBook series.
If you’re aspiring to go Mac, you may be wondering whether it will be a good buy. If you’re already a MacBook user, you would be wondering whether this new addition to the Mac family would provide you with some extra juice to enhance your computing experience.
Let’s take a look at what it has in store for you.
The Good
In the Mac circles, MacBook 2006 is refered to as MacBook Pro Mini as the only difference seems to be that the Pro model comes with faster processors and powerful graphics capabilities. MacBook 2008 has a screen size of 13.3 inches versus Pro’s 15.4 inches. Is that much of a difference?
The MacBook 2008 is also impressive with its cool design. It comes in a sleek aluminium body which easily catches the eye.
The battery power indicator has been moved to the side. The glass multi-touch trackpad is also drawing appreciation from users. There isn’t a button. You can click anywhere on the pad.
At slightly over four pounds and about an inch thick, it’s an attractive option to lug around.
With the new MacBook, a RAM upgrade will be a breeze. The same goes to a hard drive upgrade. The panels at the bottom can be removed without the use of screwdrivers .
Graphic capabilities have also seen an improvement with its Nvidia GeForce 9400M boasting a Video RAM of 256 MB.
What You May Not Be Happy With
A glossy screen replaces the TFT that previous MacBooks came with. It can be an annoyance in brightly-lit environments. Users have complained of excessive glare. However, there is less glare in low-light conditions. It is clear that the LCD is of a lower quality than the Pro version.
Conspicuously missing is the Firewire port. This is a surprising omission in the era of digital video revolution. If you’re a Youtube producer, or are planning to edit your holiday videos, you have to look elsewhere, unless your video camera supports USB capture.
The explanation Apple has given for the omission doesn’t hold much water. It said that the majority of consumer-level camcorders come with USB ports. So, there was no need for a Firewire port for a consumer-level laptop computer. Which means you will also have to forget Firewire booting – the convenience of starting your computer through an internal or external Firewire hard disk drive.
There was also expectation that the new model would come with a card reader, which would be a boon for photographers, professional and amateur. Again Apple disappoints.
The MacBook comes only with two USB ports, which is another surprise considering the amount of USB peripherals computer users rely on these days.
Any new computer release by Apple is eagerly anticipated. But the MacBook 2008 may not attract much admiration, specifically for the absence of Firewire support. Still, if you can live without Firewire , you will want to grab it for its new features and the improved graphics capability.
