Updated White Macbooks Outperform Their Unibody Counterparts

[rugox]

"Although the upgrades that Apple's last-gen $999 Macbooks received last week seemed unimpressive, when benchmarked and pitted against the $1299 unibody Macbook, last-gen's model proved to be 5% faster than its unibody counterpart at nearly every test."

http://gizmodo.com/5277951/updated-macbooks-outperform-their-unibody-counterparts

How lame. I have a unibody 2.0ghz macbook and hearing this pisses me off. I bought this beacause it had better specs then the previous macbooks(white,black). I mean, the unibodies were the upgraded versions of the macbook and now the white(previous) macbook gets an upgrade that surpasses the UPGRADED unibody macbook?

[Abyssgh0st]

Glad I bought it and got to sell my old WhiteBook, sold the iPod Touch, and got a wireless all-in-one printer for $85.

[iKatianarie]

That's exactly why I'm waiting for WWDC :(. I hate waiting, but I'd rather wait and be satisfied than rush and make an impulsive buy that'd I'd regret later. It's really not that long a wait, and I'd hate to think I could have gotten more bang for my buck if I'd only waited.

[bubbagumpshrimp]

"Although the upgrades that Apple's last-gen $999 Macbooks received last week seemed unimpressive, when benchmarked and pitted against the $1299 unibody Macbook, last-gen's model proved to be 5% faster than its unibody counterpart at nearly every test."

http://gizmodo.com/5277951/updated-macbooks-outperform-their-unibody-counterparts

How lame. I have a unibody 2.0ghz macbook and hearing this pisses me off. I bought this beacause it had better specs then the previous macbooks(white,black). I mean, the unibodies were the upgraded versions of the macbook and now the white(previous) macbook gets an upgrade that surpasses the UPGRADED unibody macbook?
This is why i think we will see something happen with the unibody MBs june 8th.

[rugox]

Well of course if you are considering buying the macbooks now, you would of course wait until WWDC has passed since Apple might bring out an update. But, I bought my unibody right when it came out.

I know Apple has a habit of releasing hardwares and upgrading them in the near future. I also know that this is the con for those buyers who buy the new release right away instead of surveying any possible changes or flaws to the new hardware.

But I want to stress the point that it has been their habit to UPGRADE THE NEW HARDWARES TO ANOTHER VERSION. They upgraded the white(PREVIOUS version) macbooks. So those buyers, including myself, who bought the unibody right away, got totally screwed by this white macbook upgrade because essentially, we bought something that can't even outperform the previous generation. Isn't this the first time Apple did an upgrade on a previous generation hardware?

Apple probably did this because they wanted to get the sales of white macbooks going again since they were so dominant in the macbook sales. How selfish, strategic, and unordinary. And that's in a bad way.

[macbook yes]

I don't care if it's a little bit slower. I just bought mine 2 weeks ago and I decided I could either be upset that I now have an out-of-date laptop, or still be glad that it doesn't crack, looks a whole lot sleeker, and the touchpad is to die for.

[bubbagumpshrimp]

Well of course if you are considering buying the macbooks now, you would of course wait until WWDC has passed since Apple might bring out an update. But, I bought my unibody right when it came out.

I know Apple has a habit of releasing hardwares and upgrading them in the near future. I also know that this is the con for those buyers who buy the new release right away instead of surveying any possible changes or flaws to the new hardware.

But I want to stress the point that it has been their habit to UPGRADE THE NEW HARDWARES TO ANOTHER VERSION. They upgraded the white(PREVIOUS version) macbooks. So those buyers, including myself, who bought the unibody right away, got totally screwed by this white macbook upgrade because essentially, we bought something that can't even outperform the previous generation. Isn't this the first time Apple did an upgrade on a previous generation hardware?

Apple probably did this because they wanted to get the sales of white macbooks going again since they were so dominant in the macbook sales. How selfish, strategic, and unordinary. And that's in a bad way.
I understand your frustration but is a 5% increase in speed really going to spoil your enjoyment in your mac? Id still rather have the unibody knowing that the white MB is a hair faster. IMO the unibody is built much better with a few extra perks that make it worth it.

[rugox]

Your new alu macbook would be outdated when the NEW UPDATED ALU MACBOOK comes out.

The White macbook is not something new, it is previous generation hardware, and it received an update that surpasses the next gen aluminum unibody macbook. So it's like saying the next gen macbook was outdated by the previous gen macbook....

I understand your frustration but is a 5% increase in speed really going to spoil your enjoyment in your mac? Id still rather have the unibody knowing that the white MB is a hair faster. IMO the unibody is built much better with a few extra perks that make it worth it.

Yes, of course, I'm definitely satisfied with the build quality and performance of the unibody macbook. But, the fact that Apple released this upgrade on a previous generation macbook that performance-wise beats the unibody disturbs me because it goes against the logic of technological advancements. I knew the alu macbook would be quickly outdated because Apple releases lots of updates but not by a previous generation macbook.

[ttttaylor]

i got my macbookwhite a week or so ago i think maybe the day or the day after the specs were upgraded. the only reason i didn't get the unibody was because i was on a pretty tight budget, and honestly wasn't patient enough to save a couple more $$$.

anyway, while i am definitely happy about getting the new guts, i don't necessarily think it takes that much away from the unibody. i'm still going to probably get cracks in the plastic, the palmrests and still going to get discolored (i'm already starting to see it :( .), and honestly i kind of feel like i have to baby it a bit more than i'd like to because of it's construction.

my point is, sure it's what, 5% faster, there are still so many things that are better about the unibody.

[eXan]

I don't see why are you so angry.

When the unibody line came out they updated the white MB as well (added Superdrive and reduced the price by 100$). You chose uMB because that whitebook wasn't good enough.

Since then Apple updated whitebook 2 times and did nothing with uMB yet, but why are you pissed off? Its not like they would have replaced your rev. A uMB with a rev. B for free...

At the time of your purchase you have chosen uMB for whatever reasons. You weren't forced to buy it and at that time, were you?

[Eidorian]

It's not surprising.

I'd take all the DDR3 fans lightly as well. Unless you want to show off synthetic memory benchmarks.

[rugox]

I don't see why are you so angry.

When the unibody line came out they updated the white MB as well (added Superdrive and reduced the price by 100$). You chose uMB because that whitebook wasn't good enough.

Since then Apple updated whitebook 2 times and did nothing with uMB yet, but why are you pissed off? Its not like they would have replaced your rev. A uMB with a rev. B for free...

At the time of your purchase you have chosen uMB for whatever reasons. You weren't forced to buy it and at that time, were you?


You certainly haven't paid attention to details.
You are asking me why I'm pissed off due to the fact that I chose to buy the aluminum macbook at the time...If you read my post correctly, that's not the central idea.

[eXan]

You certainly haven't paid attention to details.
You are asking me why I'm pissed off due to the fact that I chose to buy the aluminum macbook at the time...If you read my post correctly, that's not the central idea.

Why do even care that Apple didn't update uMBs yet? Are you going to buy one soon or what?

I don't get it

[rugox]

"Well of course if you are considering buying the macbooks now, you would of course wait until WWDC has passed since Apple might bring out an update. But, I bought my unibody right when it came out.

I know Apple has a habit of releasing hardwares and upgrading them in the near future. I also know that this is the con for those buyers who buy the new release right away instead of surveying any possible changes or flaws to the new hardware.

But I want to stress the point that it has been their habit to UPGRADE THE NEW HARDWARES TO ANOTHER VERSION. They upgraded the white(PREVIOUS version) macbooks. So those buyers, including myself, who bought the unibody right away, got totally screwed by this white macbook upgrade because essentially, we bought something that can't even outperform the previous generation. Isn't this the first time Apple did an upgrade on a previous generation hardware?

Apple probably did this because they wanted to get the sales of white macbooks going again since they were so dominant in the macbook sales. How selfish, strategic, and unordinary. And that's in a bad way. "

I think you have missed few of my replies.

Also, I'm not pissed off. I'm indignant.

[Scarlet Fever]

So those buyers, including myself, who bought the unibody right away, got totally screwed by this white macbook upgrade because essentially, we bought something that can't even outperform the previous generation. Isn't this the first time Apple did an upgrade on a previous generation hardware?

Does it even matter? It's not like you're gonna have benchmark competitions with your mates who own white macbooks. And besides, you have a better chassis, screen and trackpad than the PlacBook owners.

[Dale Cooper]

the white(PREVIOUS version) macbooks

The fact that Apple has inteoduced another macook does't make the whitebook less of a current version.

[RiCEADDiCTBOY]

it doesn't outperform my 2.4 :D

but, in all seriousness i think people are overreacting just a little bit about this. apple updated the white macbook because they couldn't justify producing a unibody macbook at the 999 price range. so they did the next best thing and performed a moderate upgrade to the white macbook.

i'm sure most of you all won't be complaining needing an extra second to load up your itunes...

this was something that was consuming me awhile ago. i said f' it and bought my macbook and decided to enjoy it. it is one of the many pitfalls of ANY laptop - you simply can't stay up to date for long. live with it. if you don't want to deal with it - buy a pc desktop and upgrade to your hearts content.

[nufanec]

OMG, something released 8 months ago has been surpassed... what in the world to do...

[Petoz]

OMG, something released 8 months ago has been surpassed... what in the world to do...

Buy a new one....obviously :D

[Lone Deranger]

You're not pissed off you say? Really? Read your first post again... ;)

Also, I'm not pissed off. I'm indignant.

[rugox]

You're not pissed off you say? Really? Read your first post again... ;)

Read it. And? Read what you quoted again.

If Apple releases an update on the unibody macbooks and the specs get upgraded, which is, an inevitable thing with the ever-changing technological advancements, there is nothing to complain about.

The fact that an older model got upgraded to outperform the new model is where it's wrong. Read my further posts before you conjecture me with "deal with technological updates and advancements" statements.

[mosx]

Heres a direct link to the article:

http://www.macworld.com/article/140945/2009/06/213ghzwhitemacbook_benchmarks.html

I really don't see how a bunch of synthetic benchmarks using outdated software and testing methods that don't reflect real world usage or performance confirms that the new white MacBook is faster.

Also, only 38 frames per second for Quake 4 on the UniBody MacBook? I know its capable of running such an old game better than that.

If anything, in real world, aside from games, the new white MacBook and the UniBody should be equal when all things are taken into consideration.

Why don't they run some real benchmarks? No more of this stuff that doesn't reflect real world usage. No more outdated software. No more transcoding AAC to MP3 in a version of iTunes thats about a year old now. Run games in Windows, not OS X.

[mikes70mustang]

your also forgetting that the polycarb macbook gets way better wifi reception

[nick9191]

A white Macbook from mid 2007 would outperform the low end unibody as well. What does it matter? The difference is absolutely negligible.

[mosx]

your also forgetting that the polycarb macbook gets way better wifi reception

Thats not my experience. For me the WiFi reception is exactly the same as the plastic model.

A white Macbook from mid 2007 would outperform the low end unibody as well. What does it matter? The difference is absolutely negligible.

Uh.. no? The Mid-2007 model had a 2.16GHz Merom based Core 2 Duo running on the Napa platform with an Intel GMA 950 GPU and it was officially stuck at 2GB of RAM, unofficially 3GB. The Napa platform also used DDR2 667 and the FSB ran at 667MHz. The late 2007 model had the same generation processor running at 2.2GHz with an Intel GMA X3100 that performed worse than the previous generation product. The Santa Rosa platform had an 800MHz FSB but the RAM speed was stuck at 667MHz.

The UniBody sports a Penryn based Core 2 Duo running at 2GHz and 2.4GHz ($1299 and $1599) on the nvidia 9400M platform running DDR3 at just over 1GHz. The Penryn Core 2 Duos are usually around 10% faster at the same speed depending on what benchmarks you refer to.

[J&JPolangin]

...yeah, this sucks - how dare apple refresh a machine...:D

...that's part of the reason I buy prev gen units/refurbs...

Its better to be pissed off than pissed on...

[harry20larry]

how do you test these benchmarks?

[opinioncircle]

I really thought Apple would be smart, and upgrade the uMB 2Ghz, to at least stand up to the white MB. I mean how come you can justify (outside the DDR3, trackpad,...) the + $300. IMO That would be easier if Apple were to retire the White MB and go full blown uMBs...

[bubbagumpshrimp]

I really thought Apple would be smart, and upgrade the uMB 2Ghz, to at least stand up to the white MB. I mean how come you can justify (outside the DDR3, trackpad,...) the + $300. IMO That would be easier if Apple were to retire the White MB and go full blown uMBs...
Just wait and see what happens Monday people.

[rwilliams]

"Although the upgrades that Apple's last-gen $999 Macbooks received last week seemed unimpressive, when benchmarked and pitted against the $1299 unibody Macbook, last-gen's model proved to be 5% faster than its unibody counterpart at nearly every test."

http://gizmodo.com/5277951/updated-macbooks-outperform-their-unibody-counterparts

How lame. I have a unibody 2.0ghz macbook and hearing this pisses me off. I bought this beacause it had better specs then the previous macbooks(white,black). I mean, the unibodies were the upgraded versions of the macbook and now the white(previous) macbook gets an upgrade that surpasses the UPGRADED unibody macbook?

Yeah, but is 5% even noticeable??

[NewMacbookPlz]

Yeah, but is 5% even noticeable??

Not in the slightest.

[Bill Gates]

I don't understand why the OP or anyone else for that matter would call the whitebook "previous generation" hardware. It isn't. It has the MCP79MX chipset with Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, whereas the previous generation had the Intel GM 965 chipset and Intel GMA X3100 graphics. It's hardware may not be on-par with the aluminum MacBook, but it's certainly current-generation. The fact that they updated the MacBook ahead of WWDC just tells me that they are saving something special for the aluminum models, and also for the MBP as well. If all indicators are excluded save for the fact that you can configure the whitebook with a larger hard drive, that would be enough for me to stand by my prediction. The fact that technology gets outdated is nothing new, nor is the fact that sometimes different products get updated non-synchronously. The fact that it's possible to buy a faster computer for less money is nothing new, since the whitebook has always been a better value for the dollar when only performance is considered.

[Fizzoid]

What he said ^^^

You bought the low end model unibody. If you wanted it to stay as cutting edge as it could for longer, you should have bought the 2.4. You're dismissing the whitebook just because the cosmetic design of it has been around for a while, therefore you see it as inferior and outdated, which it's not.

[harry20larry]

What he said ^^^

You bought the low end model unibody. If you wanted it to stay as cutting edge as it could for longer, you should have bought the 2.4. You're dismissing the whitebook just because the cosmetic design of it has been around for a while, therefore you see it as inferior and outdated, which it's not.

Internally it may not be, however externally, it is compared to the other computers on the mac range (iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro, all of these have aluminium in)
Owning the entry level unibody is fine for me, it does the job quickly + my one is probably slightly quicker than the new whitebook because it has 4gb of ram. I love the unibody design and too me the trackpad and screen are worth the extra cash alone.
Thats my opinion though, I do think this move is very strange from apple though and nearly confirms an imminent unibody upgrade at WWDC which I'm looking forward too as I own the entry level!

[Richard1028]

I certainly agree with the OP in all this. +300 smackers for a slower machine? It's pretty easy math folks - I'd be pissed too.

It's one thing to buy a macbook one day and find out the next they gave that same model a speed bump (which is to be expected)... but doing this to the UMB's lesser sibling?

[Fizzoid]

I certainly agree with the OP in all this. +300 smackers for a slower machine? It's pretty easy math folks - I'd be pissed too.

It's one thing to buy a macbook one day and find out the next they gave that same model a speed bump (which is to be expected)... but doing this to the UMB's lesser sibling? Thing is, the OP bought his uMB when they first came out, so hardly the next day.
I'd be pretty peeved if I'd bought my uMB last week though, although, I think the reson most people consider them over the whitebook is down to aesthetics

[mrj205]

hate to break it to you OP, but every piece of technology is "outdated"...even the stuff thats coming out tomorrow (hypothetically speaking of course). there will always be better, faster, more awesome technology...

[AdamLikesMusic]

hate to break it to you OP, but every piece of technology is "outdated"...even the stuff thats coming out tomorrow (hypothetically speaking of course). there will always be better, faster, more awesome technology...

It's quite apparent he knows that. He isn't complaining about technology advancing. His complaint is that what he sees as past technology is being updated to surpass current technology. (And at a cheaper price, to boot!)

That being said, this won't stop me from buying my Unibody MacBook later this summer. The Unibody offers more pros than cons, for me.

[mrj205]

It's quite apparent he knows that. He isn't complaining about technology advancing. His complaint is that what he sees as past technology is being updated to surpass current technology. (And at a cheaper price, to boot!)

That being said, this won't stop me from buying my Unibody MacBook later this summer. The Unibody offers more pros than cons, for me.

I understand. I guess more what I meant to imply was that since he got his uMB in October, then he shouldn't let something being updated 8 months later burn him up. Yes, the white MB was updated before the uMB, but that was only a few days ago. I am sure we will see some sort or spec bump for the uMB soon.

But I'm in the same boat as you, I really want a uMB, but I will wait it out a bit longer to see if there is an update.

To the OP, don't sweat it. You still have a great machine.

[iMacmatician]

I don't understand why the OP or anyone else for that matter would call the whitebook "previous generation" hardware. It isn't. It has the MCP79MX chipset with Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, whereas the previous generation had the Intel GM 965 chipset and Intel GMA X3100 graphics. It's hardware may not be on-par with the aluminum MacBook, but it's certainly current-generation.I was going to post that but I couldn't word it properly. You said it better than I would have.

Internally it may not be, however externally, it is compared to the other computers on the mac range (iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro, all of these have aluminium in)Interestingly enough, although I agree that it can look "outdated," the Mac mini and the Mac Pro's designs are all older than the white MacBook's (plus the Mac mini still has plastic).

I think the white MacBook is almost like a distinct model line from the aluminum MacBooks—and will be even more apparent if the aluminum MacBooks are renamed to MacBook Pro.

[Toofan]

Unless you are
1) a software developer
2) a video encoder by occupation
3) a really hardcore graphics designer

....there's no reason for anyone to complain about macbook specs. In all honesty and with all do respect, if anyone is spec hungry, go buy a PC, you'll get something probably 8x as fast for the same price you pay for a Mac. Otherwise enjoy your mac. It's a machine, they age, get over it. If people understood the technical aspects behind what little difference marginally higher specs made, they'd laugh at themselves for fretting.

[Bubba Satori]

I sell aboot 10 WMB for every 1 UMB.

[Eidorian]

I sell aboot 10 WMB for every 1 UMB.Why does the WhiteBook sell more?

[JamesGorman]

Why does the WhiteBook sell more?

My guess is that their cheaper, and parents looking to buy there kids a mac, or students looking to buy their first, generally go for this one because its more affordable. Or it could be that if your in the market for a macbook, and need firewire, you have no choice but to buy that one, especially if upgrading to the pro is not an option......Theres a whole whack of reason that the whitebook would sell more than the unibodies.

[adm531]

do people think that apple will bump up the specs of the unibody macbooks at WWDC later this week?

[Love]

My great touchpad, intact case, and beautiful display make up that 5%:D

[Geoff.]

My guess is that their cheaper, and parents looking to buy there kids a mac, or students looking to buy their first, generally go for this one because its more affordable.

Yeah correct im currently on my brand new white macbook. My first ever mac. My parents are not techy people and couldnt understand why i wanted such a expensive computer. But the cost on a student discount on the white macbook didnt shock them to much and they argeed to buy it :D. I love this little machine even though its going to be hard to keep it clean

[Eidorian]

Yeah correct im currently on my brand new white macbook. My first ever mac. My parents are not techy people and couldnt understand why i wanted such a expensive computer. But the cost on a student discount on the white macbook didnt shock them to much and they argeed to buy it :D. I love this little machine even though its going to be hard to keep it cleanMr. Clean Magic Eraser (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/quick-tip-use-the-mr-clean-magic-eraser-to-clean-a-black-macbook-244582.php).

And for the concerned (http://www.fsafood.com/msds/vault/001/001953.pdf).

[Geoff.]

Yeah i heard about that but i dont think that product is in ireland

[opinioncircle]

do people think that apple will bump up the specs of the unibody macbooks at WWDC later this week?

Yeah I think so. Hold on, I hope so :D

[AdamLikesMusic]

Yeah I think so. Hold on, I hope so :D

It's all speculation. Can't hurt to wait until afterwords to make a purchase, though! (I'm hoping too, though I'm not banking on it)

[ux4all]

This is strictly a supply issue people, get over yourselves. The chip suppliers started shipping the 2.16 chip as their base model to fulfill the wMB Apple order. Why would you continue using a 2.0 chip when the supplier has 2.16 for cheaper?

uMB will get a bump to Nehalem at some point, whereas wMB won't (IMO).

[Jimonthewall]

The aluminum macbooks are and have been overpriced. Their release made it clear that Apple doesn't care about reasonable prices and would rather focus on marketing a "cool" product at this point. Maybe they'll announce new pricing at WWDC? I'm purchasing my white macbook after WWDC and can't wait!

[Beerfloat]

How lame. I have a unibody 2.0ghz macbook and hearing this pisses me off. I bought this beacause it had better specs then the previous macbooks(white,black). I mean, the unibodies were the upgraded versions of the macbook and now the white(previous) macbook gets an upgrade that surpasses the UPGRADED unibody macbook?

This is a non-issue and the complaint is too funny :)

[jmann]

Who gives a s:eek::eek:t? It's not like you could actually notice the 5% difference. Just enjoy the Unibody because it's more beautiful, and it "looks" faster. That's all the matters. ;)

[RiCEADDiCTBOY]

In 8 months this argument will come again. Just go buy end enjoy. Your money and time. I bought because I needed mine. I bought a 2.4 and it runs great. I'm happy.

[sam10685]

That's exactly why I'm waiting for WWDC :(. I hate waiting, but I'd rather wait and be satisfied than rush and make an impulsive buy that'd I'd regret later. It's really not that long a wait, and I'd hate to think I could have gotten more bang for my buck if I'd only waited.

There hasn't been one release or update to a mac laptop in June since 2007. Don't hold your breath.:rolleyes:

[iomatic]

There hasn't been one release or update to a mac laptop in June since 2007. Don't hold your breath.:rolleyes:

@WWDC. Spec bumps can happen in the middle of the night, regardless of the event. More likely not, since their energy is probably focused on iPhone, iPhone OS 3.0, Snow Leopard, etc.

[dmmcintyre3]

Remember the white MacBook has firewire.

[celtikmind]

The aluminum macbooks are and have been overpriced. Their release made it clear that Apple doesn't care about reasonable prices and would rather focus on marketing a "cool" product at this point. Maybe they'll announce new pricing at WWDC? I'm purchasing my white macbook after WWDC and can't wait!

I agree and I do hope that they don't bump the price as well if they bump the speed. Then it won't be worth it...

I guess we'll find out tomorrow. I don't expect anything to happen to the Macbooks though.

[kas23]

I don't expect anything to happen to the Macbooks though.

But, they can't possibly keep the low-end unibody MacBook the way it is - being outperformed and outspec'd by a $300 cheaper model.

[opinioncircle]

But, they can't possibly keep the low-end unibody MacBook the way it is - being outperformed and outspec'd by a $300 cheaper model.

They could for a short time period. Maybe to introduce the tablet everybody's been talking about to replace the white MB?!!

[AdamLikesMusic]

They could for a short time period. Maybe to introduce the tablet everybody's been talking about to replace the white MB?!!

Why would they replace their newly-upgraded, best bang-for-your-buck laptop with a tablet? All the people who buy white MacBooks don't want a tablet. They want a $1000 laptop.

[PracticalMac]

The White-book will also back-up/transfer files faster then the AlBook.

USB 2.0 is SSSLLLLOOOOWWWW.

WhiteBook has FireWire the AlBook does not, so the latter is slower to back up and transfer files, and you lost Target Disk Mode.

And then you do not have eSATA.

So Apple forces you to use the slowest port in use today to back up everything.

Shame on you Jobs for a really dumb idea.


PS, I am unashamed FireWire fan, because FireWire is 10000x better then USB2

And FireWire is an Apple technology (USB is Intel).

[Fizzoid]

WhiteBook has FireWire the AlBook does not, so the latter is slower to back up and transfer files, and you lost Target Disk Mode.

That's SO yesterday, AlBook has FW800 :D

[tekio]

That's SO yesterday, AlBook has FW800 :D

There isn't new AlBook anymore :p

[Fizzoid]

AlBook Pro