Apple Quietly Updates Entry-Level White MacBook

[rickboy]

Happy About the new upgrade.

Im going to BUY this laptop. The specs are very close to unibody aluminum case one now. When the new one came out I was mad that apple had removed the firewire port. And that changed my desision in buying one. but this one has what i need.

 

[ChrisN]

Hmmm maybe I'll buy this then.... hmmm what shall I do

ChrisN

 

[ltldrummerboy]

Doesn't look like it's LED.

 

[mosx]

Wow lots of misinformation in this thread. Whats up with that?

First of all, the difference between DDR2 667 and DDR3 1066 is not "minimal at best" as many in this thread have suggested.

In every day applications, like browsing the web or writing emails, yes you will not see the difference.

But if you're playing games or rendering video or editing photos, you will see a significant difference. Very significant.

Going just on clock speed differences alone, DDR3 in the aluminum MacBook is at least 35% faster, if not more. When you take that into account, plus the architectural differences between DDR2 and DDR3, you're easily looking at the aluminum MacBooks having at least 40% more overall bandwidth available to them.

If you're going to play games, this WILL make the difference between a game being playable or not. Don't expect the plastic MacBooks to run GTA4 like the 2GHz UniBody can.

I read some people saying the plastic is more durable than aluminum? No, it is not. I went through 2 plastic MacBooks with a combined total of 8 repairs due to build quality issues. My plastic MacBooks never left my desk and they still had issues with plastic cracking in various ways. Apple finally replaced my plastic MacBook with an aluminum MacBook and it has had no issues at all.

While the white plastic MacBook, spec wise, is no longer the laughing stock of the computer world.. the $1299 model is still the better buy for everyone. More durable casing, better screen, faster memory, smaller and lighter.

Oh and we will see 3GHz in a notebook (again) very soon. But a 3GHz CPU of today will probably be a good 6-8x faster than the 3GHz notebook CPUs of years ago thanks to advances in architecture and multiple cores.

 

[Wolfpup]

800Mhz DDR2 does not perform particularly differently from 1066MHz DDR3.

 

[Wolfpup]

Doesn't look like it's LED.

Thanks! I may yet use a small laptop as a PDA (though 13" is pushing it!) so the thought of this had crossed my mind...

 

[svndmvn]

Updated how? I don't see new versions of these until the Nehalem CPUs, and that won't be until the end of the year.

what commander.data said. Did you really mean that Apple's best selling Mac, the Macbook, would go without an update for more than a year while it usually gets updated every 6 months? It was updated more than 3 months ago. Since the base Macbook Pro could get a 2.66 I don't see why the backlit keyboard Macbook couldn't get it as well, and since the white macbook got the 2.0GHz probably because Intel stopped giving Apple the old 2.1GHz CPU or for many other reasons, I don't see why the base Aluminum Macbook couldn't sport a 2.26GHz.
http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyID=26548
Link provided by another Macrumors member earlier.

The 2.93GHz Core 2 Duo in the new 17" MBP was actually just released which was why the BTO on the 15" Unibody topped out at 2.8GHz when it was released. In Q2, Intel is releasing a 3.06GHz mainstream Core 2 Duo with a 35W TDP replacing the 2.93GHz one and bumping everything down price wise. The current 3.06GHz mobile is a Core 2 Extreme with a 45W TDP which Apple doesn't use.

With mobile Nehalem not due until at least Q3, although it may well fall into Q4, since OEMs have requested Intel hold off to clear inventory, a Q2 refresh of Apple notebooks isn't unlikely. The low-end 15" MBP will probably be bumped to a 2.66GHz 3MB L2 cache model, the high-end 15" MBP and the 17" MBP standardized on a 2.83GHz 6MB L2 cache model, and a unified 3.06GHz BTO option. I would prefer 6MB L2 cache across the board, but I believe Intel isn't cutting the price on the 2.66GHz 6MB L2 cache model introducing a separate 3MB model instead at the same price point as the current 2.4GHz model in the 15" MBP. A 2.53GHz 3MB L2 cache model has already replaced the 2.4GHz model used in the current low-end 15" MBP at the same price point, and the 2.66GHz 6MB L2 cache model in the 17" MBP has actually replaced the 2.53GHz 6MB L2 cache model in the high-end 15" MBP model for the same price so the 15" MBP can already get a processor bump at no cost. But it makes more sense to wait until Q2 and jump directly from 2.4GHz to 2.66GHz and 2.53GHz to 2.83GHz and not bothering with the intermediate steps.

thank you

 

[mosx]

800Mhz DDR2 does not perform particularly differently from 1066MHz DDR3.

Apple ships with 667MHz DDR2

And having a notebook with a Santa Rosa chipset (800MHz FSB) and DDR2 800, I can tell you from experience that upgrading from DDR2 667 to DDR2 800 brought absolutely NO bandwidth increases according to Sandra and other bandwidth benchmarks.

So what I said still stands. The DDR3 in the aluminum MacBook will be around 40% faster in real world apps that are bandwidth intensive, especially games.

I also forgot to point out in my last post, Apple claims the 9400M is about 6x faster than the Intel GMA X3100. Nvidia's press release claims 5x faster performance than the GMA X4500HD.

So that DDR3 will have a HUGE impact on gaming.

 

[gamer2502]

can i take my 2.4 ghz aluminum macbook in and trade it for the white one i bought it on dec.13 2008

 

[Vulcan]

can i take my 2.4 ghz aluminum macbook in and trade it for the white one i bought it on dec.13 2008

If you bought it less than 14 days ago, yes.

 

[mosx]

can i take my 2.4 ghz aluminum macbook in and trade it for the white one i bought it on dec.13 2008

You're well beyond the 2 week return period.

And why would you want to anyway? Thats a huge downgrade in terms of performance, as well as the case and build quality and screen.

 

[svndmvn]

can i take my 2.4 ghz aluminum macbook in and trade it for the white one i bought it on dec.13 2008

your best bet is to sell it on ebay/craiglist and buy another one from Apple, be it the new 2.0White or the 2.0GHz aluminum, refurbished for $1099 or the 2.4GHz refurbished for $1399,I believe, or any of the new ones..new.

 

[VoR]

The DDR3 in the aluminum MacBook will be around 40% faster in real world apps that are bandwidth intensive, especially games.

So that DDR3 will have a HUGE impact on gaming.

Will be interesting to see the real world benchmarks in these games I would have thought the fps limits come from the (these) gpu(s) maxing out a fair bit earlier than the rest of the system.

 

[gamer2502]

You're well beyond the 2 week return period.

And why would you want to anyway? Thats a huge downgrade in terms of performance, as well as the case and build quality and screen.

i don't like the design of it compared to the old macbooks and only bought it because of the graphics

 

[commander.data]

Will be interesting to see the real world benchmarks in these games I would have thought the fps limits come from the (these) gpu(s) maxing out a fair bit earlier than the rest of the system.

Games are GPU limited but the 9400M uses system memory. It's performance is largely dependent on the speed of the RAM, which was why Apple using dual channel DDR3-1066 on the Unibodies is such a great thing. One channel of DDR3-1066 can saturate the 1066MHz FSB, leaving the other DDR3-1066 channel free for the GPU. It isn't quite how it works, but there is plenty of free bandwidth for the GPU. That isn't the case with dual channel DDR2-667 so the GPU will be memory starved and perform worse.

 

[mosx]

Will be interesting to see the real world benchmarks in these games I would have thought the fps limits come from the (these) gpu(s) maxing out a fair bit earlier than the rest of the system.

Well, the 9400M is a great performer, all things considered. It literally pushes twice the frames of the 8400M GS in my PC notebook. That definitely comes as a result of the DDR3 memory.

i don't like the design of it compared to the old macbooks and only bought it because of the graphics

You really don't like the design of the aluminum systems? The plastic ones crack at every opportunity, plus they run ridiculously hot.

Also, the white MacBook uses DDR2 memory, so you can expect the performance to be as much as 40% lower just in terms of GPU performance.

 

[Eric S.]

Did you really mean that Apple's best selling Mac, the Macbook, would go without an update for more than a year while it usually gets updated every 6 months?

Yes. I asked what kind of update you expected, since you weren't specific.

It was updated more than 3 months ago. Since the base Macbook Pro could get a 2.66 I don't see why the backlit keyboard Macbook couldn't get it as well, and since the white macbook got the 2.0GHz probably because Intel stopped giving Apple the old 2.1GHz CPU or for many other reasons, I don't see why the base Aluminum Macbook couldn't sport a 2.26GHz.

I don't consider speed bumps to be updates. I'm thinking of a design change or switch to new architecture.

 

[Dokter_Mac]

Firewire 400

It would be nice to see this corrected MacRumors ...

"With the processor and graphics now matching, the $300 premium for the aluminum model primarily offers the new look, faster RAM, a slightly larger standard hard drive, Mini DisplayPort, and no FireWire port."

Greetz

 

[svndmvn]

It would be nice to see this corrected MacRumors ...

"With the processor and graphics now matching, the $300 premium for the aluminum model primarily offers the new look, faster RAM, a slightly larger standard hard drive, Mini DisplayPort, and no FireWire port."

Greetz

the one in the picture is the white one, and your quote is about the aluminum 300$ more expensive, that doesn't have Firewire, has a mini display port, faster ram, a slightly larger hard drive and LED, multitouch etc.

 

[SkyBell]

"With the processor and graphics now matching, the $300 premium for the aluminum model primarily offers the new look, faster RAM, a slightly larger standard hard drive, Mini DisplayPort, and no FireWire port."

Greetz

They're talking about the unibody in that paragraph.

 

[mosx]

It would be nice to see this corrected MacRumors ...

"With the processor and graphics now matching, the $300 premium for the aluminum model primarily offers the new look, faster RAM, a slightly larger standard hard drive, Mini DisplayPort, and no FireWire port."

Greetz

Let's not get started on Firewire, okay? It's been widely accepted that Firewire is no longer needed.

Secondly, the faster RAM is going to make a very very large difference in gaming and other bandwidth intensive applications. Plus you still get a better LED backlit display and a much better case on the aluminum MacBook.

The MacBook white is for the people who need a Mac *now* and can't wait to save the extra $300 to get the better unit.

 

[Eric S.]

Let's not get started on Firewire, okay? It's been widely accepted that Firewire is no longer needed.

Oops. Your second sentence is about to override the stated intention of the first.

The MacBook white is for the people who need a Mac *now* and can't wait to save the extra $300 to get the better unit.

I don't understand - what does waiting get you?

 

[mosx]

I don't understand - what does waiting get you?

Better case, better display, significantly faster RAM, better trackpad, better battery life. Oh and a much cooler case, heat wise.

 

[Eric S.]

Better case, better display, significantly faster RAM, better trackpad, better battery life. Oh and a much cooler case, heat wise.

So you mean that if you wait, the aluminum MB will come down $300?

 

[mosx]

So you mean that if you wait, the aluminum MB will come down $300?

Nope. I mean wait and save the extra money, its worth it if you're actually going to buy a Mac and not a better PC for the same price.

If you're an average person, you need to save up the money to buy such an expensive computer. If you're already taken the time to save the grand for the one computer, whats waiting a little bit longer to save up the little bit more and buy the significantly better one?