MacBook

MacBook Image


At $999.00, the MacBook is an ideal laptop computer for students, business users, and travelers. Its 13.3″ screen is large enough for web browsing, email, word processing, spreadsheets, bookkeeping, and designing and showing presentations. At the same time, small, light weight, and extremely portable. You’ll recognize a MacBook by its white plastic (polycarbonate) exterior and gracefully curved edges.

The MacBook comes with:

  • 8x double-layer SuperDrive, which reads and writes CDs and DVDS, including double-layer DVDs that can hold up to 8GB each
  • Airport Extreme Wi-Fi that supports 802.11n, g, and b
  • 10/100/1000BASE-T gigabit ethernet
  • BlueTooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting to wireless keyboards and mice, syncing mobile phones
  • Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
  • Audio in/out minijacks
  • Stereo speakers
  • Omnidirectional microphone
  • Combined headphone/line in (supports digital output)
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone
  • iSight camera
  • Mini DisplayPort for connecting an additional screed (for a dual-screen setup)
  • Full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement)
  • Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
  • 2GB of RAM, upgradable to 4GB
  • 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo microprocessor
  • 250GB hard drive
  • Built-in 63.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery with a claimed battery life of 10 hours before recharching
  • 60W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
  • MagSafe power port
  • Kensington lock slot

All Macs are built around Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 microprocessors. All of these Intel microprocessor designs have multiple processors built into a single chip. We refer to each processor on a multi-processor chip as a core. Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, and some Core i5 and Core i7 microprocessors contain two processors each. Some Core i5 and Core i7 microprocessors contain four. That makes every Mac at least a dual-processor (dual-core) computer.

The quoted speed for any computer model is the speed of one core. So, for example, the MacBook, with a quoted speed of 2.4GHz, actually contains two 2.4GHz cores each for a total actual speed of 4.8GHz.

The MacBook’s 13.3″ screen uses LED backlighting. LED backlighting uses much less energy than the older fluorescent backlighting technology. It generates much less heat, is more even, and lasts much longer.

The included 2GB of RAM is adequate, but to get the best performance from this Mac we recommend upgrading to 4GB. The extra RAM is well worth its $100.00 cost.

Darryl Lewis