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Apple Quietly Updates Entry-Level White MacBook

I'm sorely tempted to sell my unibody MBP, get this, and pocket the cash difference... FireWire was the main reason I got this (and the X3100 the reason I didn't get the last revision MB)... I haven't used the 9600M nearly as much as I thought I might.

Hell, just buy it without any upgrades, and you can upgrade it on NewEgg for seriously cheap. Put this and this or this, and you've got yourself a VERY respectable machine for a lovely price, especially once you sell the stock RAM and HD.

This MacBook is arguably the best value computer Apple's got right now.
 
CoreyMac said:
Yes, however....Easier access to the RAM isnt necessarily a feature....the RAM is fairly easy to access on the unibody as well and you only go in there once (if ever)......Faster RAM/LED backlighting/the new trackpad, the thinner/lighter/more durable package & the better speaker are far more advantageous than how easy it is to get to the RAM.

After using an LED display....CCFL is quite disgusting
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LED or no LED is preference, I use both and I find the CCFL are warmer and easier on my eyes. The LED on the other hand is cold and harsh on my eyes. Then again this is preference. It reminds me of Font Smoothing and Anti-Aliasing that Mac OS X uses when compared to Windows.

Remember I use both a Mac OS X with an Apple machine and also Win XP on an Asus, plus at work. I am not taking sides, its just I prefer. :D
 
ZachsMacDaddy said:
I just did the same thing. My refurb 2.1 is supposed to arrive tomorrow. My 4GB RAM and 320GB HDD upgrades were less than the cost difference to buy this new Whitebook with the 9400 in it. I think I'll be just fine since I stick to Internet, iweb, itunes, iphoto... Not a gamer, not a high end editor...
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Yeah, don't get me wrong, I love this refurb MB. It's a lot faster than what I upgraded from (12" 1.33ghz G4 iBook) especially now that I've given it 4GB of ram and a 320GB 7200rpm HD.

But still, if the 9400 really is that much better, and everyone seems to say that it is, it seems like it would be worth it to spend the extra $100-$150 to get it. Plus there's the FSB upgrade as well. Bah, I doubt I'll go through the hassle of returning and exchanging it, though. Too lazy.
 
terriyaki said:
But still, if the 9400 really is that much better, and everyone seems to say that it is, it seems like it would be worth it to spend the extra $100-$150 to get it. Plus there's the FSB upgrade as well. Bah, I doubt I'll go through the hassle of returning and exchanging it, though. Too lazy.
Click to expand...
Exactly, you're basically paying for longevity. Personally I think it's quite worth it. Athough, this is coming from someone who paid $2500 for a 12" 1.5GHz PB when it was new. Any MB(P) is cheap in my opinion.
 
You Can Use Ddr3 Ram If You Want

Since the arcitecture is still the 9400M, it supports 1066mhz ddr 3 ram. So you would have to buy the ram on your own even if apple doesn't put it on their website. Now, the only question i have is that the ram speed might be 800 mhz, not 667 mhz, because i don't think the 9400m can support 667 ddr2. but i could be wrong. But for sure, you can put 1066mhz ddr3 ram into the new white macbook.
 
tazaracsp said:
Since the arcitecture is still the 9400M, it supports 1066mhz ddr 3 ram. So you would have to buy the ram on your own even if apple doesn't put it on their website. Now, the only question i have is that the ram speed might be 800 mhz, not 667 mhz, because i don't think the 9400m can support 667 ddr2. but i could be wrong. But for sure, you can put 1066mhz ddr3 ram into the new white macbook.
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You never know, Apple may have locked the firmware to 667MHz or 800MHz. We'll only know for sure when someone tries it.
 
I guess I don't see why this came as such a shock to so many people. Steve Jobs made it pretty clear that the whitebook is the best-selling Mac notebook and they were going to keep on selling them. It only makes sense that they would update them to be able to take advantage of Snow Leopard when it is released. This is their entry-level "affordable" notebook, with the low-end Al as the mid and the 2.4 Al as the high-end.

I think it's a great move, one that I expected, and totally just smart business for Apple to have a sub-thousand dollar, up-to-date, notebook. Plus, as much as I love my new AlumBook, I'll always have a place in my heart for the whitebook! :)
 
Did they lower prices on the refurb MBA? I don't remember it being $999 for 1.6ghz.
 
terriyaki said:
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I love this refurb MB. It's a lot faster than what I upgraded from (12" 1.33ghz G4 iBook) especially now that I've given it 4GB of ram and a 320GB 7200rpm HD.

But still, if the 9400 really is that much better, and everyone seems to say that it is, it seems like it would be worth it to spend the extra $100-$150 to get it. Plus there's the FSB upgrade as well. Bah, I doubt I'll go through the hassle of returning and exchanging it, though. Too lazy.
Click to expand...

I'm of the opinion that unless you get an all around upgradeable machine (like the Mac Pro), you should buy for longevity. Especially in a laptop. This is exactly why I went ahead and bit the bullet for the MBP. I didn't buy mine brand new, though, it was 3 months old but still, for an Early '08 MBP, I should be good for several years - at least until AppleCare runs out. I would say it would be worth it to exchange for the upgraded MB.

Now, I'm not experienced with selling on eBay or craigslist, but I guess you can buy and go that route as well. But, I tend to hand down my equipment to family members or friends.
 
Mikey B said:
I guess I don't see why this came as such a shock to so many people. Steve Jobs made it pretty clear that the whitebook is the best-selling Mac notebook and they were going to keep on selling them. It only makes sense that they would update them to be able to take advantage of Snow Leopard when it is released. This is their entry-level "affordable" notebook, with the low-end Al as the mid and the 2.4 Al as the high-end.

I think it's a great move, one that I expected, and totally just smart business for Apple to have a sub-thousand dollar, up-to-date, notebook. Plus, as much as I love my new AlumBook, I'll always have a place in my heart for the whitebook! :)
Click to expand...

It's not sub-thousand dollar. Please don't try to say that $999 is under a thousand. Unless Apple sold these tax-free.

Apple has no future-proof computer under $1,000.
 
Reading some of the responses, it seems like people are actually more put off by the 0.1GHz drop in speed than the MASSIVE increase in 3D power by the new GPU. This is now Apple's BEST laptop deal. It still supposedly has firewire (I can't seem to get spec sheets for it on Apple's site; they just show the new aluminum model), has the new graphics, the hard drive and ram are easily upgraded. Can I assume it doesn't have the new mirror-like ULTRA glossy screen (I don't see any mention if it's the old glossy or matte, though so I'll assume glossy). If I hadn't gotten that $1440 deal on the previous generation MBP, this is the one I would buy at this point. With the option of a matte screen, it'd be the the new base laptop Apple SHOULD have released instead of the bottom aluminum one, IMO.
 
tazaracsp said:
Since the arcitecture is still the 9400M, it supports 1066mhz ddr 3 ram. So you would have to buy the ram on your own even if apple doesn't put it on their website. Now, the only question i have is that the ram speed might be 800 mhz, not 667 mhz, because i don't think the 9400m can support 667 ddr2. but i could be wrong. But for sure, you can put 1066mhz ddr3 ram into the new white macbook.
Click to expand...

DO NOT put DDR3 Ram into a DDR2 sodimm slot! DDR2 and DDR3 are not pin compatible, they also run on different voltages 1.8v vs. 1.5v. Just because 9400M supports DDR3 does not mean that the Whitebook can accomadate DDR3. In either case, the DDR2 slot itself won't allow you to insert a DDR3 sodimm due to the different split in the pcb pins.
 
QuarterSwede said:
Athough, this is coming from someone who paid $2500 for a 12" 1.5GHz PB when it was new. Any MB(P) is cheap in my opinion.
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x2 only I got an original 867MHz version, and only since the new unibody's have I seriously thought about upgrading. It's served me well. $2500 for a laptop that lasts 6+ years of daily use doesn't seem that unreasonable to me. :)
 
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