any strong opinions between white and unibody?

[tricktionary]

I'm gonna buy my first macbook. But I really can't decide which one is the better choise: unibody mac 2.0/ 4gb /ddr3 1066 mhz OR white 2.0/ 4gb/ ddr2 667mhz...?? White macbook is a freaking 200euros cheaper and i'm not that sure is there any huge difference between ddr2 667mhz and ddr3 1066mhz.. So why should I spend 200e more to the unibody? I just wan't to make the right decision. Thanks guys..:)

[morrisman1]

you should spend the extra and get the unibody if:

~ you want the LED backlit screen which is brighter, more energy efficient and doesnt have to 'warm up'
~ you want the (absolutely amazing) glass multitouch trackpad which is an absolute gem to use and is miles ahead of the old one
~ you want the advantages that the aluminium unibody gives (rigidity and wont look worn after time, and i think the unibodies run cooler cause of the thermal characteristics of aluminium)
~ you want a glass screen which is rediculously easy to clean
~ you dont need firewire.

i think i have covered it there. Graphics performance on the unibody will be better because of the DDR3 ram and in general the system should be a little more snappy.

[andalusia]

I personally had this dilemma. I don't think it's quite worth paying the extra 200 for a new body, ddr3 ram and a glass trackpad. The old screen is perfectly acceptable for everyday needs, and can even be used in the sun (unless it's incrediblyoverthetoptoomuch bright!). The extra amount just isn't work it in my opinion. However if you have money to burn you might not care :) The NVidia Whitebook has a better battery life too.

[morrisman1]

The NVidia Whitebook has a better battery life too.

ive owned both (well not the nvidia one but the x3100 one with the 2.2ghz cpu) and the the battery life is about the same. i can get over 5 hours out of the unibody if i dont use wireless. with wireless its about 4.5 hours and thats even running microsoft word!

the unibody has a small battery but is more energy efficient. It also charges at a much slower rate which i presume apple has done to prolong the battery lifespan

[andalusia]

ive owned both (well not the nvidia one but the x3100 one with the 2.2ghz cpu) and the the battery life is about the same. i can get over 5 hours out of the unibody if i dont use wireless. with wireless its about 4.5 hours and thats even running microsoft word!

the unibody has a small battery but is more energy efficient. It also charges at a much slower rate which i presume apple has done to prolong the battery lifespan

But from what I've heard, the Unibody ones mess up quicker.

[andalusia]

And just to add on, you can get 800Mhz RAM for your Whitebook anyway so the difference can be even less.

[Matek]

Generally I would also advise against the unibody - it's a 200$ saving and you don't really give up anything major. The only problem I can see is the build quality, which is very bad on the plastic model. Every single person (including myself) I know with the white MacBook has had plastic crack somewhere. It's mostly aesthetic, but it won't happen on the aluminium one.

[magamo]

My Rev. C white MB can handle day-to-day tasks just fine, so the current model should do so too. Unibody MB should be slightly more responsive, but it's the same difference if you ask me.

[silverblack]

The unibody is a little lighter, and run a bit cooler.

[VSMacOne]

But from what I've heard, the Unibody ones mess up quicker.

Oh please do expand on that.. what HAVE you heard?! :rolleyes:



to the OP, obvious advice from me is to go for the Unibody. This is my first Mac, I waited about 2 months for this new one to come out and I've been very satisfied with its performance. Everything about it is well thought out and it runs quieter and cooler, has a brighter screen, nicer trackpad (there's really no comparison with any other trackpad), it's lighter and overall just a sturdy laptop.

[andalusia]

There are several threads about how shocking it is.

[kasakka]

I'd also add that the white MB only supports external displays up to 1920x1200 resolution since the mini-DVI out is only single-link in Apple's infinite wisdom. If it was dual link I would've bought one already because the unibody mini-DisplayPort doesn't work properly with 30" screens.

IMO the 200€ price difference makes the white MB much more attractive.

The memory speed will make no real life difference. The display quality isn't good on either model.

[VSMacOne]

There are several threads about how shocking it is.

Come on now you can do better than that... :D
What exactly is shocking?

[marold280]

unibody macbook would be slightly faster. amazing trackpad. looks nicer. awesome.
White macbooks connect with you . for some reason, mine seems to look more funky than the the uni.
its sort of like really expressive.

i really want a unibody though. Screw expressiveness ;)

[johnny13oi]

The battery life is longer on the white nvidia macbook. I get about 6.5 hours on battery with wifi on and brightness at a comfortable level. Probably half an hour or more with wifi off. Much longer than the 4.5 hours of the aluminum macbook on wifi. And also I have 4GB of 800Mhz ram and the difference in performance between this and the aluminum with DDR3 is almost negligent. benchmarks put me at about less than 5% difference in gaming performance and that could easily be due to slight variances.

[bikalpapaudel]

Well. I was in exactly same position some time ago.

AluBook:

- LED backlit screen. Better contrast, brightness levels, thinner.
Unfortunately if the Aluminum back plate gets dented and you have to replace it, the screen goes too, since its glued to the back plate. THAT will make it expensive!

- DDR3 RAM. This will show up in regular tasks and games as graphics depends on system RAM. However, since the RAM is 2GB in both which is not really adequate in today's terms, you might not see much benefit.

- 160 GB HDD. The Aluminum one has more disk space, the white one is at 120GB but on that level, I doubt it would be a problem. Not for me atleast.

- Battery Life. Apple says you get better life out of the newer MacBooks. But its under their 'ideal' conditions.. I think its not much different.

- Multi-Touch trackpad. Large, supports many swipe gestures and stuff like that. Zoom in/out like iPhone.
If you have it, you will feel limited without it. If you dont have it, you wouldnt care. Though it does ease out stuff, its just about training yourself to get used to something or the other.

- UniBody Enclosure. This makes the AluBook sturdy. But its thin. A thin aluminum plate is very prone to dents. And it is much less resistant to impacts.
Though it does not crack as opposed to some WhiteBook cases we've read about. Nevertheless, the WhiteBook should be able to take much serious impacts than the AluBook.

- Firewire. If you need firewire, you have no option but get the White MacBook, or MacBook Pros. And you dont have an extra USB port to sompensate!

- Mini-Displayport. This thing eases out connectivity to Apple's LED display and stuff. It has become popular with current generation Macs and is good to have as an option. But I wouldnt take its absence on WhiteBook to be a dealbreaker. You get adapters anyways.

- Thinner and lighter. 0.5 pounds lighter and a tiny bit thinner. Doesnt make a difference to me.


WhiteBook
- Cheaper
- Can take more impacts, plastic.
- Has Firewire
- Updated to all the UniBody hardware other than DDR3 RAM.
- Has a better battery life under certain conditionsm, say low brightness and the fact that its battery is a higher capacity than that in UniBody.


Sums it all up I guess?

[ZebraineZ]

Get the white macbook :) I got mine like what? about a year and a half ago, and I LOVE IT! Works just like it did out of the box, just the screen dimmed a bit over time, and the 'newness' has faded overtime, but the performance is still perfect! With the new white ones today I bet you can get about 3x the performance of what mine can do, and a brighter screen :) if you want a little bit more then what the macbook can get you, get the aluminum, but remember you won't have any firewire so if you need it then you are out of luck.

[bobriot]

Again like yourself I was in the same boat, I decided on the poly macbook but I ended up getting a unibody from the apple refurb store for only £80 more. Having had it now I am glad I didn't get the poly as I think the build quality is better (my brother in law has the poly) and the led screen is nice the trackpad is top notch and the list goes on. Plus it looks the biz.

It is worth the extra.

[FieryFurnace]

If I would get a MB today, I would still go with the white one.
I think it just looks better - I still cannot get used to the Alu look and I don't need the new track pad (I never use it anyways, always have a mouse).

Actually, I was in that situation last October. I waited for the MacBook event, with hopes of a $800 MacBook and all that stuff that was rumored at that time.
Then there was the event,..., I was very disappointed that day.
The new MB look is just not for me, I don't need a better GPU either and the price difference sealed the deal for me.

[Beerfloat]

Welcome to Macrumors. We have strong opinions about pretty much any topic. Particularly Macs.

Soo, you could spend the 200$ difference on a sweet 22 inch widescreen to go with that whitebook. You can even pick a matte one if you swing that way. Or maybe you want to get a spare replacement battery to go with it. Or an external Firewire disk. Or get both, and enjoy the fact that you can even use them at all, which no amount of money is going to do for you if you go unibook.

[michael.lauden]

The battery life is longer on the white nvidia macbook. I get about 6.5 hours on battery with wifi on and brightness at a comfortable level. Probably half an hour or more with wifi off. Much longer than the 4.5 hours of the aluminum macbook on wifi. And also I have 4GB of 800Mhz ram and the difference in performance between this and the aluminum with DDR3 is almost negligent. benchmarks put me at about less than 5% difference in gaming performance and that could easily be due to slight variances.

too bad it's ugly, and doesn't have 'full' multi touch :)

and we've all talked about the DDR2 vs DDR3 RAM... let's not get into that again. i definitely doube you can get 7 or 7.5 hours out of your whitebook, unless you are at minimum brightness - and are not running any applications.


:p the extra 250-300 bucks for the unibody is WELL worth it. i just hate that 'cat tounge' trackpad feel. oh well just personal preference i guess

[fireman13]

Generally I would also advise against the unibody - it's a 200$ saving and you don't really give up anything major. The only problem I can see is the build quality, which is very bad on the plastic model. Every single person (including myself) I know with the white MacBook has had plastic crack somewhere. It's mostly aesthetic, but it won't happen on the aluminium one.

I think this is reason enough to go with the unibody!

[Sun Baked]

I think this is reason enough to go with the unibody!

However, if you have to stretch to buy the other unibody, then a drop can be very painful and kill your wallet.

A perceived "worse than" build quality can sort of make up for the I dropped the machine and got a scuff vs. I dropped and they want to charge me almost the same as a new machine for a repair.

[leekohler]

However, if you have to stretch to buy the other unibody, then a drop can be very painful and kill your wallet.

A perceived "worse than" build quality can sort of make up for the I dropped the machine and got a scuff vs. I dropped and they want to charge me almost the same as a new machine for a repair.

Yes- which is why I bought the last Black MacBook (dropped 4 times already and is perfectly fine) when it came out. I'm too rough on my laptops to have to worry about denting aluminum. However, if you aren't going to be carrying it around a lot, go for the aluminum.

[tayloralmond]

If you're that serious about saving money, I'd go with the Whitebook. If you wanted to bridge the RAM speed gap, go buy 4GB's of DDR2 800MHZ RAM (Yes you CAN do this on nVidia Whitebooks) and a 7200RPM HDD. I really doubt that you're ever going to notice a performance difference between the Whitebook and the Unibody if you do those things. I know my Whitebook runs great with just the 7200RPM drive and 4GB's of 667MHZ RAM.

[Darkroom]

sounds like money is your main concern but you'd like to get the unibody... easy solution: buy a refurbished unibody (http://store.apple.com/fr/browse/home/specialdeals/mac?mco=MTE2ODI)...

[fireman13]

However, if you have to stretch to buy the other unibody, then a drop can be very painful and kill your wallet.

A perceived "worse than" build quality can sort of make up for the I dropped the machine and got a scuff vs. I dropped and they want to charge me almost the same as a new machine for a repair.

Stop dropping your Macbook! Your never going to convince me that the build quality of the aluminum is worse than the plastic. I will concede however, that it is rediculous how much they cost for repair work.

Listen, I don't know about you, but when I hold $1300 or more computer in my hand, I'm pretty darn careful. Maybe that is just me though.

[LostLogik]

Just to add my 2cents, I was in a similar position last week. In the end I went the new White. (nearly) All the performance for several hundred dollars less, oh and a firewire port. Seemed a no brainer in the end and I'm very happy with it and have gone and used the change to buy an iomega 1TB minimax.

[bikalpapaudel]

Stop dropping your Macbook! Your never going to convince me that the build quality of the aluminum is worse than the plastic. I will concede however, that it is rediculous how much they cost for repair work.
Nope, I have experienced it. Aluminum is weak.

[axelnova]

i've just bought my first ever mac and went with the unibody MB. the DDR3, awesome trackpad and far superior build quality swayed me.

[ux4all]

Just to add my 2cents, I was in a similar position last week. In the end I went the new White. (nearly) All the performance for several hundred dollars less, oh and a firewire port. Seemed a no brainer in the end and I'm very happy with it and have gone and used the change to buy an iomega 1TB minimax.

I was the exact reverse. Here is my opinions of why:

1. Trackpad
2. Unibody
3. Backlit LED
4. DDR3

All for 300 bucks. Can't beat that.

[Stiss]

Unibody all the way!

And if i was you i'd save and get the 2.4Ghz model, the back lit keyboard is amazing especially if you like to use your computer in bed like i do!

[pyromaniaque]

Nope, I have experienced it. Aluminum is weak.

Aluminum is EXTREMELY strong. BUT, it is very ductile and malleable. Meaning, you drop it hard enough, it will bend. My friend has a unibody mb that he dropped maybe four feet off the ground, and there is a slight bowing of the aluminum at the top, it is not even noticeable. He had to point it out and even then I still had to move to laptop under the light to get a better view of the nick.

He covered the laptop with one of those clear speck cases, and you can't tell there was ever anything wrong.

On my 17" pro, if i literally clean it, it looks brand new.

Honestly, get yourself the aluminum one.

[js81]

I'm gonna buy my first macbook. But I really can't decide which one is the better choise: unibody mac 2.0/ 4gb /ddr3 1066 mhz OR white 2.0/ 4gb/ ddr2 667mhz...?? White macbook is a freaking 200euros cheaper and i'm not that sure is there any huge difference between ddr2 667mhz and ddr3 1066mhz.. So why should I spend 200e more to the unibody? I just wan't to make the right decision. Thanks guys..:)

Geez, you just love opening up a can of worms, huh? :) I have a white one - my sis has the unibody. Both are great. Mine was cheaper - hers is "sexier." Mine has a slightly longer battery life, hers has an LED backlit screen. Mine has firewire, hers has DDR3.

It all depends on your priorities. To me, price was #1 - add to it that you can get the NEW model white Macbook for $849 from the Apple refurb store, and my mind would be made up. :)

[Snowmang]

I was the exact reverse. Here is my opinions of why:

1. Trackpad
2. Unibody
3. Backlit LED
4. DDR3

All for 300 bucks. Can't beat that.
In my case, it was for $500 since I got my whitebook for $800 new (nvidia model).


1. Trackpad - Nice, but not critical
2. Unibody - Nice, but is prone to damage as much as plastic. Chips/dents.
3. Backlit LED - REALLY liked this feature but the screens are still a notch below MBP. If they shared the same screen, then I'd do it.
4. DDR3 - speed gains are not there, DDR3 is almost equivalent to DDR2 800 (which the new whitebooks now accept).

[bchreng]

I was faced with a similar dilemma and, in the end, opted to go with the whitebook. You save a lot of money, but you have to go in knowing that sooner or later, the plastic will likely crack and you will have to bring it to Apple for repairs.

[hndn]

In my case, it was for $500 since I got my whitebook for $800 new (nvidia model).


1. Trackpad - Nice, but not critical
2. Unibody - Nice, but is prone to damage as much as plastic. Chips/dents.
3. Backlit LED - REALLY liked this feature but the screens are still a notch below MBP. If they shared the same screen, then I'd do it.
4. DDR3 - speed gains are not there, DDR3 is almost equivalent to DDR2 800 (which the new whitebooks now accept).
Agree.

[Bye Bye Baby]

Unibody all the way. I love design.

[jjahshik32]

you should spend the extra and get the unibody if:

~ you want the LED backlit screen which is brighter, more energy efficient and doesnt have to 'warm up'
~ you want the (absolutely amazing) glass multitouch trackpad which is an absolute gem to use and is miles ahead of the old one
~ you want the advantages that the aluminium unibody gives (rigidity and wont look worn after time, and i think the unibodies run cooler cause of the thermal characteristics of aluminium)
~ you want a glass screen which is rediculously easy to clean
~ you dont need firewire.

i think i have covered it there. Graphics performance on the unibody will be better because of the DDR3 ram and in general the system should be a little more snappy.

I find the 2 things I bolded from you original comments to be a negative compared to the white macbooks. Such as the glass screen actually is too reflective at times and smears substances easily and a little harder to clean but in general almost the same as the white macbook's screen since their both the glossy type. Its a shame that its backwards though, keeping the fw for the white macbooks and not the other way around.

But I would definitely get the unibody its worth it.

[kasakka]

If you wanted to bridge the RAM speed gap, go buy 4GB's of DDR2 800MHZ RAM (Yes you CAN do this on nVidia Whitebooks) and a 7200RPM HDD.

Does it actually run the memory at 800 MHz though? Since the FSB won't be increased (would increase clock speed and add heat) it can only automatically set a memory divider to run the memory at 800 MHz but I seriously doubt it does that. So that 800 MHz RAM will only run at 667 MHz.

Of course, you won't see any difference in real world performance whether it's 667 or 800 MHz.

The trackpad and unibody construction are the only real reasons to go for the unibody IMO. For the white MB you'd pick it because of the cheaper price and/or FireWire.

[neil1980]

Well it seems that those with white ones are going to say white and the unibody ones will say unibody lol.

Personally I have the unibody and have had 2 friends ask for recomendations... my advice to both was if you can afford the extra go for the unibody... it is an awesomly nice laptop and I do think that the case, touchpad and backlit keyboard (for the 2.4) is worth the extra let alone any performance benefit.

That said I also pointed out that the white macbook is pretty damn expensive for a laptop over here (UK) and its still a damn good laptop.

One friend went for a unibody and loves it to bits, the other friend went for a white one and loves it to bits. sooo if you can afford the extra go for the unibody, if you cant then go for the white one... simples

[LostLogik]

sooo if you can afford the extra go for the unibody, if you cant then go for the white one... simples


Mmm, well I can afford the unibody but went for the White. ;)

[clyde2801]

In my experience, the white has better wifi reception as well. My friends new nvidia whitebook will pull up access points like crazy.

Not wanting to detract from the holy war currently going on in this thread, I think either one will serve your needs nicely. If the whitebook still had intel integrated graphics, the unibody would win hands down, but it doesn't. If you're going to be using this machine for a while, the led backlighting and unibody construction should wear better than the whitebook (IMO) over time.

I'd go into an apple store, carefully look over and try out the two machines, and decide which one I'd prefer, or at least live with.

I'd then go online to the applestore and buy a refurb version of the machine I chose.

We can sit here all day and argue over the merits of the two machines. (Actually, we just about already have.) :D But I'd contend that it all comes down to aesthetics and our personal, intuitive, emotional reactions to the machines.

On the plus side, whichever model you choose, you win! :D

Okay, I'll shut up now and let this thread get back to the jihad already in progress...:)

[bikalpapaudel]

Aluminum is EXTREMELY strong. BUT, it is very ductile and malleable. Meaning, you drop it hard enough, it will bend. My friend has a unibody mb that he dropped maybe four feet off the ground, and there is a slight bowing of the aluminum at the top, it is not even noticeable. He had to point it out and even then I still had to move to laptop under the light to get a better view of the nick.

He covered the laptop with one of those clear speck cases, and you can't tell there was ever anything wrong.

On my 17" pro, if i literally clean it, it looks brand new.

Honestly, get yourself the aluminum one.
Okay my bad, I should have not said it is Weak. But yeah, an AluBook is weaker than WhiteBook. and it can be tested. I wouldnt volunteer though.

Aluminum is strong, and I know that. Its a friggin metal and used for so many purposes, like in Aeroplanes and stuff. Light and strong. Does that help here?

My Battery cover got dented so easily I had to use force to straighten it. It doesnt fit snugly anymore.

Polycarbonate shell can take much more impact than an Aluminum one. The Aluminum one will instead transfer the force to the internals, which is more harmful.

By all means, get the Aluminum if you can and if you think 300$ more isnt much a difference. Its not like you throw your laptop to ground everyday.
But in case that happens, The WhiteBook should have better chances of survival. The case might crack though. But in case of AluBook, the shell will dent and in the process, mess up with either the screen or the internals.

[IBradMac]

I'd also add that the white MB only supports external displays up to 1920x1200 resolution since the mini-DVI out is only single-link in Apple's infinite wisdom. If it was dual link I would've bought one already because the unibody mini-DisplayPort doesn't work properly with 30" screens.

IMO the 200€ price difference makes the white MB much more attractive.

The memory speed will make no real life difference. The display quality isn't good on either model.

I'm curious, do you or anyone else have a link to the proper connector that I need to buy to hook a white MacBook up to a monitor? :apple::apple: