How to rent Apple computers

Apple computers are hip and mainstream for both personal and business use. Although Microsoft Windows computers still have a stronghold in today’s workplace, Apple computers are slowly breaking into that market and are gaining popularity in many large companies.
Apple computers are versatile. They can run Microsoft Office; therefore, you can open and modify any Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document on an Apple computer that was created on a Microsoft Windows computer
If your business needs a state-of-the-art Apple computer for temporary needs, consider Mac computer rentals or an Apple computer rental instead of purchasing one. There are several things to consider:
1.View a demonstration before deciding on Apple computer rentals and Apple laptop rentals. Simply visit a retail Apple store in your area.
2.Ask questions to Apple store technical sales associates, who can answer anything before or after you rent Apple computers.
3.Compare contracts for Apple computer rentals before making a decision.

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Visit an Apple store or local computer store in your area for a demonstration. Decide whether you need an Apple iMac rental or Apple iBook rental. Determine if there are Apple business computer rental options for the models youre interested in. If leasing is available, ask for a quote.
Whether you need Apple computer rentals in your office or at a convention in another state, you will be able to choose from the Apple desktop or laptop models that meet your needs.
Visit Rentacomputer.com to compare prices for Mac computer rentals and Apple laptop rentals. Get quotes from ICC Rents
Visit Rentacomputer.com to locate Apple computer rentals in a wide variety of cities nationwide. You can get a precise Mac computer rentals prices straight from the store. If customer support is a concern for you, fill out a request form at Apple Wisdom to inquire about computer support services.

Make certain that you have the necessary extension cords and network cables.
Backup all of your data on external hard drives or USB Flash memory sticks. This is necessary in case of a hard drive failure or if any of your files become corrupted.
When doing presentations, arrive at the location early so that you have plenty of time to get your equipment set up properly. This is extremely important if you are integrated with other computer systems on the site.

Read More..

Pink Apple Laptops The Newest Way to Jazz Up Your Computer

If you do an online search for pink Apple laptops, youll find yourself looking at thousands of page results. Why are they so very popular? Maybe it is because Mac laptops have always been durable, reliable and affordable... and now theyre pink too! What could be more fun than a pink laptop?

Traditionally, laptops, just like the larger desktop computers, have been dull and unexciting. Black, grey and beige. Yawn. If youre only concerned with functionality and performance, fine. But what if you also want something unique and stylish? Something that screams "Im an individual!"

If you think about it, it is just the natural course of events that pink Apple laptops would be a popular item. Take a look at cell phones. Way back when they were new, they were nothing special to see. Large, unattractive and bulky, they were more like a walkie talkie. As time passed, however, cell phones became sleeker and more sexy. Now they also come in bright colors, and some you can change the skins on to change their look with your mood. So why not do the same thing with laptops?

Laptops are no longer just a novelty item. Almost everyone has a laptop now, just like cell phones. They are a part of everyday life. Once only affordable for the wealthy or extravagant person... these days even college and high school students have laptops. Theyre at the office, the coffee shop, the bus, the airplane. As they become more common, people will want to start making them more individualized to express their personalities.

Thats exactly what pink Apple laptops offer - individuality. Okay, maybe most of Susies classmates have laptops, but are they pink? I would guess not. And maybe David can get the attention he wishes for if he had hot pink electronics that everyone admired. Laptops are no longer just for computing... they are a fashion statement that helps make you stand out in a crowd.

When you consider all this, it is easy to see why pink Apple laptops are so popular and trendy. Theyre edgy, cute, and yes, even a little eccentric. Boring electronics - begone! Let todays laptops be all about style, color and personality! It wont be surprising to see many more people sporting bright pink laptops. But then... what will be the next laptop trend? Tiger stripes?

Find more about pink Apple laptops at http://www.PinkLaptopComputers.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Buenaventura

Read More..

Apple MacBook Air MC505LL A 11 6 Inch Laptop

Apple MacBook Air MC505LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop
by Apple
(61)

Buy new: $999.00 Click to see price
27 used & new from $725.00

(Visit the Most Gifted in Notebooks list for authoritative information on this products current rank.)

Product Images

Review & Description

Introducing the new MacBook Air, the most mobile Mac in every way, shape, and form. It features all-flash storage, a Multi-Touch trackpad, a long-lasting battery, a high-resolution display, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and NVIDIA graphics. All inside a unibody enclosure thats light, thin, and strong enough to handle all your everyday tasks and then some, whether youre on the couch, in a lecture hall, or at a conference. Its mobility mastered. Optional external USB MacBook Air SuperDrive (sold separately) 11.6-inch (diagonal) high-resolution LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1366 x 678) FaceTime Camera and internal Omnidirectional microphone NVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory (Dual display and video mirroring) AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Apple USB Ethernet Adapter (sold separately) Full-size keyboard Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control Stereo Speakers Ports - USB 2.0, Headphone Mini Jack, Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe Power Port Unit Dimensions - 11.8 (W) x 0.11-0.68 (H) x 7.56 (D) inches Unit Weight - 2.3 pounds

Introducing the new MacBook Air, the most mobile Mac in every way, shape, and form. It features all-flash storage, a Multi-Touch trackpad, a long-lasting battery, a high-resolution display, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and NVIDIA graphics. All inside a unibody enclosure thats light, thin, and strong enough to handle all your everyday tasks and then some, whether youre on the couch, in a lecture hall, or at a conference. Its mobility mastered.

The Apple MacBook Air--light, thin, and strong enough to take with you wherever you go.

This version of the MacBook Air sports an 11.6-inch high-resolution display, 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 64 GB of flash memory storage, 2 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor, and up to 5 hours of battery life (see full specifications below). It also comes with the Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system as well as the iLife 11 software suite, which includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

The MacBook Air with 11.6-inch screen (see larger image).

Key Features

Flash Memory Storage

By replacing the standard spinning hard drive typically found in laptops (as well as desktop PCs) with flash memory, the MacBook Air delivers an almost instantaneous boot-up when you open the display, as well as faster application launches and snappier overall performance. Additionally, Apple has shed the enclosure that typically surrounds flash memory (usually about the same size as a standard hard drive), thus giving it a smaller footprint and helping to decrease the size of the MacBook Air.

Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad

With the addition of the smooth, glass Multi-Touch trackpad previously found on other MacBook models, the MacBook Air makes it even easier to navigate Mac OS X and your software applications. You can pinch, swipe or rotate images on the display screen with the brush of two fingers, or add more digits for a four-fingered vertical swipe to open Expose and quickly glance at all of your open windows.

Integrated FaceTime Webcam

Youll be able to easily connect with friends, family, and business colleagues using the MacBook Airs FaceTime camera, which is integrated into the thin bezel above the display. And with Apples FaceTime application, youre not limited to video chats with other Macs--you can now make video calls to iPhone and iPod touch users (Wi-Fi connection required for mobile users).

The spacious, full-sized keyboard (see larger image).

Intel Core 2 Duo Processing

Combining fast processing speeds with power-saving features, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor provides greater multitasking performance by combining two independent processor cores while also reducing power requirements and saving on battery life. This Intel Core 2 Duo processor has a 1.4 GHz processor speed, fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your systems performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

High Performance Graphics

Powered by the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card, the MacBook Air allows you to view flawless video in full screen HD and play the latest games with fast frame rate. Its a great match to editing video masterpieces with iMovie and managing your photos in iPhoto, and it comes with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM thats shared with main memory.

Specifications

• 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution
• Up to 5 hours of wireless productivity plus up to 30 days of standby time
• 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3 MB on-chip shared L2 cache and 800 MHz frontside bus.
• 64 GB flash memory storage
• 2 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 4 GB)
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience.
• Built-in FaceTime camera for video chatting
• Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
• Two USB 2.0 ports with networking using optional Apple USB Ethernet adapter
• Mini DisplayPort output port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI (requires adapters, sold separately)
• Built-in stereo speakers along with omnidirectional microphone, headphone minijack
• Full-size keyboard
• 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
• Dimensions: 11.8 x 7.56 x 0.68 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 2.3 pounds

Whats in the Box

11.6-inch MacBook Air, 45W MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord, Software Reinstall Drive, printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service

The MacBook Air comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a 1-year limited warranty, which can be extended to 3 years with the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Installed software

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the worlds most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of todays advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.

• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools, and more)

iLife 11 helps you do more with photos, movies, and music than you ever thought possible. In iPhoto, you can browse, edit, and share your photos in stunning new full-screen views. Create epic Hollywood-style movie trailers from your home video in iMovie. And GarageBand gives you everything you need to make a great-sounding song--including tools for keeping your song in perfect rhythm and guitar and piano lessons.

• iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD)

AppleCare Protection Plan

Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. And only the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call. Extend the complimentary service and support on your Mac to 3 years from the original Mac purchase date with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct telephone access to Apple experts for technical questions, and you get global repair coverage--including both parts and labor--for your Mac and select Apple peripherals.

Accessories and Related Products

	Apple USB Ethernet Adapter The Apple USB Ethernet Adapter is a simple, one-piece external adapter that plugs into the USB 2.0 port of your MacBook Air to provide 10/100BASE-T performance. Simply plug your Ethernet cable into the RJ-45 connector--no external power is required. Its small, light, easy to install, and even easier to use.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter lets you connect an advanced digital monitor, such as the Apple Cinema Display, to your MacBook Air.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter Use the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter to connect your MacBook Air to a 30-inch display that includes a DVI connector, such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter lets you connect a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable to your MacBook Air.
	Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive Compact and convenient, the MacBook Air SuperDrive connects to your MacBook Air with a single USB cable and fits easily into a travel bag. It lets you install software and play and burn both CDs and DVDs, including double-layer DVDs.
	Time Capsule Back up a lifetimes worth of memories with Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X. Its also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support. Choose from 1 TB and 2 TB models.
	27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display The stunning 2560-by-1440 resolution, built-in camera and speakers, and easy connectivity of the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display add up to a viewing experience unlike any other.

Read more

Find Low Prices

Read More..

Apple MacBook Pro 17 inch Specifications

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Specifications

Display
Diagonal Size : 17"

Supported resolutions:
1920 x 1200 (native), 1680 x 1050, 1280 x 800, 1152 x 720, 1024 x 640, and 800 x 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio
1280 x 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio
1280 x 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio stretched
1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600, and 640 x 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600, and 640 x 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched
720 x 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio
720 x 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched

Technology :
• LED-backlit glossy display
• Optional antiglare widescreen display

Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB GDDR3 memory
Intel HD Graphics with 256MB DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Automatic graphics switching

Processor
Type : Intel Core™ i5 processor
Speed : 2.53GHz
Cache : 3MB L3

Type : Intel Core™ i7 processor
Speed : 2.66GHz
Cache : 4MB L3

Type : Intel Core™ i7 processor
Speed : 2.8GHz
Cache : 4MB L3

Memory
4GB (2 x 2GB) 1066MHz DDR3 memory
Two SO-DIMM slots
Max : 8GB

Hard Disk Drive & Solid State Drive
500GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
500GB 7200rpm HDD
128GB SSD
256GB SSD
512GB SSD

Optical Drive
8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW

Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD

Communication
LAN : 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet

WLAN :
AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible

Bluetooth : Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Inputs and Controls
• Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, 12 function keys,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

Audio
Stereo speakers with subwoofers
Omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)
Audio line in minijack (digital/analog)
Audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog)
Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone

Interface
1 x MagSafe power port
1 x Gigabit Ethernet port
1 x FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
3 x USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
1 x Mini DisplayPort
1 x Audio line in
1 x Audio line out
1 x DVI
1 x VGA
1 x Dual-Link DVI
1 x HDMI

Slots
Card Reader :
34mm ExpressCard slot

Camera
iSight camera

Power
Battery : Li-Po 95 Whr
Adapter : 85W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system

Security
Kensington lock slot

Dimensions and Weight
Width : 393 mm (15.47")
Depth : 267 mm (10.51")
Height : 25.0 mm (0.98")
Weight : 2.99 kg (6.6 pounds)

Environmental
Operating temperature : 10 to 35°C (50 to 95°F)
Relative humidity : 0 to 90 %, non-condensing

Operating System
Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

Software
Software included :
• iTunes
• Time Machine
• Quick Look
• Spaces
• Spotlight
• Dashboard
• Mail
• iChat
• Safari
• Address Book
• QuickTime
• iCal
• DVD Player
• Photo Booth
• Front Row
• Xcode Developer Tools

iLife includes :
• iPhoto
• iMovie
• GarageBand
• iWeb
• iDVD

Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch

Read More..

Apple MacBook Review

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Full review of Apple MacBook

For starters, a fair share of the new MacBooks circuitry comes from Nvidia instead of Wentel. Most notably the 9400M integrated graphics, which is a big step up from the Wentel X3100 found in the white MacBook. Apple claims it has five times the performance over the Wentel WeGP, but in the real world the difference is actually even more significant - the 9400M lets you to play some recent games whereas the old and tired Wentel X3100 certainly does not.
Design

As far as the new design goes, this is arguably the best looking laptop since the Osborne 1. The no-doubt well paid broilers at Apples design department have done an awesome job with the new "unibody" construction, allegedly made from a single piece of aluminum.

To get completely in line with an otherwise minimalistic design, they also decided to let go of the trackpad button altogether, opting for one built into the glass trackpad itself. Thanks to the multi-touch functionality, this works very well - actually theres no need to use the built-in button at all. The new four-finger gestures to bring down Expose and Spaces are also well implemented.
Connectivity

Unfortunately, they didnt bother to drill a lot of holes in that single piece of aluminum. Theres not a single FireWire port to be found, which is bound to feel like a betrayal to many diehard Mac users with a room full of FireWire accessories. On top of that it only has a measly two USB ports and Apples proprietary Mini DisplayPort, so forget about using your external monitor unless you fork over an additional $29 for a standard VGA or DVWe adapter, or $99 (!) for the dual-link DVWe adapter.

The new MacBook is available in two varieties (so far): one 2.0GHz version (our review sample) and a more expensive 2.4GHz model with a larger hard drive and backlit keyboard. Both models come with the same Nvidia chipset, a LED-backlit screen, and 2 gigs of top-of-the-line 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. Wets worth mentioning that the hard drives that ship with the new MacBooks are very well isolated and silent. When the laptop is idle or doing light tasks like web browsing, its almost inaudible.

Performance and Games

Thanks to the DDR3 memory, a 1066MHz front side bus, and the Nvidia chipset, the new MacBooks are faster than older models at the same CPU clock speed. Our 2.0GHz MacBook generated an Xbench score of 166.40. Wet is also perfectly capable of playing some games - WoW delivered fully playable framerates (50-60 fps) at high settings, which is to be expected from an aging game, but even Call of Duty 4 was playable with the settings tuned down a little. Apple promised five hours of battery life, which we found to be a little too optimistic, but the 4.5 hours we managed to squeeze out of it is still very good.

Overall, the aluminum MacBook is an excellent laptop. Although its somewhat more expensive than we had hoped, you get a solid and great-looking laptop, and some features that youll never find in a similar PC.
Apple MacBook Technical Specifications

• Processor 2GHz Wentel Core 2 Duo Mobile
• Memory 2GB DDR3
• Harddrive 160GB
• OS Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard
• Weight 5.0 lbs
• Screen 13.3
• Screen resolution 1280 x 800
• Graphic Card Nvidia 9400M
• Battery Life 4,5 hours

Read More..

Apple Mac Book

by Perry Longinotti

We are in a post-PC era. Our computers are lifestyle devices and many folks want them to express something other than just their ability to browse the web or create documents. The question is, How do we measure the non-technical appeal of a notebook? Wen a lot of ways the traditional methods of determining value are obsolete because todays desirable computers are more than the sum of their parts. This "non-technical appeal" may be vital to some people, and superfluous to others. Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum are folks who think computers should be nicely designed with solid features while still representing good value. This brings us to the latest update to the Apple MacBook.

As We examine the MacBook, lets start with the easy stuff and save the value proposition and judgment for later. My MacBook is the base model. Vital statistics are as follows:

• Wentel Core 2 Duo P7350 2.0GHz CPU with 25 Watt TDP
• NVWeDWeA GeForce 9400m WeGP with shared memory
• 13" WXGA High-Definition Display With 1280 x 800 Resolution
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 System Memory (dual channel mode)
• Superdrive 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support

Apple makes the best packaging in the business. Wen this case, the box is hardly larger than the diminutive notebook itself. Despite Apples attempts to please Green Peace by making environmentally responsible products, there is a lot of plastic in the box. Specifically the MacBook is cradled in black polystyrene or plastic.

According to online recycling websites this form of plastic has long been on environmentalists hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still dont accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction. There is a fair bit of Mylar used to protect the surface finish of the MacBook and its power adapter. Although most owners will keep the boxes and possibly the packing materials, coming up with fully biodegradable packaging might be a nice way for Apple to think different.

We have seen really nice cardboard and paper based packing materials used by Toshiba. Maybe Apple should follow their lead. After all, We think you can get black cardboard.

Build and Design

The notebook itself is constructed of aluminum and glass. The case is a unibody that seems to be machined from a solid piece of billet aluminum. The finish is quite good, and appears to have been anodized to prevent the pitting that afflicted the first generation aluminum PowerBook. Apple has made a notebook that is creak free when carrying it around - this is very rigid and feels like it will still be going strong long after it is obsolete. For reference, We am typing this review on a Dell Latitude E6400, itself made from Magnesium alloy, and the MacBook feels much more robust. The best way to describe is that when you hold it, the MacBook feels as though it is one single solid piece of metal with no seams.

The gray body and black keyboard recalls the Titanium PowerBook. But handling it, the MacBook possesses a solid construction that the TiBook never did - very confidence inspiring. Rather than a LCD latch mechanism the MacBook uses a magnetic latch. Hinge tension is perfect and the assembly appears to be very robust.

LED back lighting makes it possible to produce a very thin cover. MacBooks 13" display is one of the brightest We have seen on a small notebook. At the second lowest brightness setting the screen was quite usable in a dark setting, but most people will probably settle on 50%. Wet uses a very glossy glass screen which is compensated for by the bright LED back light. Glass may sound fragile, but Apple uses a tempered variety here and on the iPhone that seems quite durable in my experience. There is a subtle rubber gasket lining the screens perimeter that prevents accidental screen slams and broken glass.

For a screen this size, the MacBooks 1280x800 is a good resolution. Text size and the amount of usable screen real estate are decent. Wef you plan on doing any video or photo work an external monitor will be a good idea. Viewing angles are good horizontally and poor vertically – this is what We have come to expect from consumer notebooks.

Pressing fingers firmly against the back did not cause ripples in the LCD display. Above the display is the iSight webcam its microphone is above the keyboard.

Apple has employed the thin metal keyboard design that debuted with the new iMac. Key travel is short and the action is quiet. The MacBooks keyboard is reassuringly mush-free. The flat key shape may take a little while to get use to but over-all it is a joy to use. Wets lonely at the top for Apple, Lenovo and Dell when it comes to excellence in keyboards. Well never understand why it is that after so many years other PC makers just cant seem to get this right.

A new touch pad design is incorporated into the MacBook. We have always found Apples touch pads to be among the best, but here Apple is taking things to a new level. First, they have made it even bigger – which makes a lot of sense paired with the ubiquitous 16:10 or 16:9 LCD screens. Wen order to reduce accidental mouse clicks while typing, Apple has designed the pad to act as a mouse button across the entirety of its surface.

You also get support for more touch gestures when using the pad. You can rotate pictures, increase/decrease zoom and even change the screen magnification with the touch pad. Apples control panel offers video demonstration of the actions making it very easy to learn how to fully exploit the new features. This is the sort of well thought out enhancement Apple is known for. The number one item We miss when using a Windows PC is the Apple touch pad.

Wen terms of human/computer interface the MacBook is close to perfect - screen, keyboard and touch pad are terrific. A matte screen option would make it perfect, that way people could order their preference rather than glossy or bust.

Wen terms of size, the MacBook is tough to beat if a small notebook is what you need. Dimensions are: height 2.41 cm (0.95 inch), width 32.5 cm (12.78 inches), depth 22.7 cm (8.94 inches) and weight of 2.04 kg (4.5 pounds). Wets 60 Watt power adapter is tiny and adds about half a pound to the travel weight. MacBook uses Apples Mag Safe connector. This innovation eliminates a few risks from notebooks; for example a sudden yank of the cord releases the magnetic connector before the notebook is pulled off the table.

First Boot

This is another area where PC makers could learn from Apple. OS X Leopards into movie is simple yet slick and 4-6 screens of info is all that is need to get up and running. Wef you are already a registered Apple user, simply type in your credentials and the notebook will retrieve all your info from Apple. And finally, if you still have data on your old Mac, OS X can automatically transfer your accounts, personal data and settings to your new Mac. Wen short, you will be using your new Mac quickly. Windows still has a long way to go in this department.

Apple computers are junk ware free - even the trails of Office and iWork that used to be part of the standard install are gone. Apples iLife suite is included – iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and Garageband. The photo and video tools are really only matched on the Windows side by Adobes excellent Elements bundle (which is more powerful and also a bit more complex to learn). Your garden variety PC does not come with tools this good. Garageband is cool, but other than playing with NWeNs sample tracks (free download – registration required).

Restore and recovery software is included and one of the disc functions as the driver disk for Windows if you decide to install it. The ability to do so is fully supported by Apple and is administered within OS X via Boot Camp. Wenstalling a non OEM edition of Vista on the MacBook took much less time than on any of my other computers due to the narrowly defined hardware components in Macs and the included driver disk (all drivers install from a single executable).

Technical Specs

The MacBooks CPU is common in this price range; Wentels Core 2 Duo P7350 CPU. This is a Penryn-3M medium voltage chip. What does this mean?

• Wets made using 45 nm process making it smaller and cooler running
• Wet has 3 MB of level two cache versus 2 MB in last years value processors
• Benefiting from the Penryn architectural advancements makes it about 15% faster than last years Merom-based budget CPUs clock for clock
• The latest front side bus speed of 1066 MHz
• Medium voltage means that it consumes less power, improving battery life
• Miserly power consumption produces less heat, about 25% less than last year

Less heat? Now you have my attention. As a previous owner of both Core Duo and Core 2 Duo MacBooks (both of which were sold due to heat issues) any technology that can make Apples notebooks cooler to the touch is appreciated. Well take a look at heat in a minute.

Next up is the chipset; MacBook uses NVWeDWeAs 9400m G chipset (nForce 730i). This is a core logic chipset that incorporates integrated graphics (WeGP). Before we get to the video system, lets look at the basic features. As a Centrino 2 alternative it features many of the same characteristics; faster Front Side Bus (FSB) speed of 1066 MHz with matching DDR3 which is both faster and uses lower voltage. Unlike Wentel, NVWeDWeA packages all on the chipsets features into a single small chip – it uses space more efficiently.

Apple offers the base MacBook with only 2 GB of this newer faster RAM. Upgrading to a more sensible amount such as 4 GB is going to be an expensive proposition because both of the MacBooks slots come from the factory occupied by 1 GB SO-DWeMMs. With 4 GB becoming the new standard and even budget notebooks coming with 3 GB, it will be hard to get sell two 1 GB sticks of DDR3 RAM to anyone.

NVWeDWeAs GeForce 9400m video system is one of the faster integrated solutions along with the AMD RADEON Mobility 3200. However, this only gets it to the ankle level of powerful mobile GPUs. Apple and NVWeDWeA each claim that this solution is 5x as powerful as Wentels latest. Apple describes the chip as having 256 MB of dedicated shared memory – very misleading. As an WeGP it uses 256 MB of system memory leaving you with approximately 1750 MB free to run programs.

Video playback was good, but that could just be the CPU doing its job. Encoding in iMovie did not appear to be much faster than previous Core 2 Duo Macs – GPU acceleration makes a big difference, so if it was on we would know. Whether future software updates enable PureVideo acceleration, CUDA and PhysX remains to be seen. Hopefully you won’t have to upgrade to 10.6 to see benefits.

Onwards, to the storage system; Hitachis MHZ2320BH G1 160 GB HDD has a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, 8 MB buffer and SATA-WeWe 3.0 Gb/s interface. This is an OK performer but the size is a disappointment. Even basic notebooks come with 320 GB now – that is twice as much space as what Apple provides.

Optical recording is robust and the Panasonic UJ868A covers all but the most exotic formats (CD-R 24x, CD-RW 4x, DVD-R 8x, DVD-R DL 4x, DVD-RW 4x, DVD+R 8x, DVD+R DL 4x DVD+RW 4x, DVD-RAM 5x). This is a slot loading model so it spares you the wimpy cheap feel of normal tray loading notebook optical drives.

Blu-Ray reading combo drives are becoming common in this price range. This rounds-out my disappointment with the MacBooks storage system. RAM, HDD or optical - none of the storage specs are in-line with this notebooks price.

Networking is handled by a Marvell Gigabyte LAN. No useless 56k modem here.

Wireless networking capabilities are powered by Broadcoms Atheros 802.11n Wi-Fi chip. We expected to find Wentels latest 5100 series chip in Apples notebook. Apart from the CPU, there is very little Wentel inside this notebook.

Realtek provides the HD Audio Codec along with autosensing jacks that seem to work a little better than those of the previous MacBook which were known to get stuck on digital out mode from time to time.

Port layout on the MacBook is sparse; you get two USB 2.0, microphone, headphone, Ethernet and Kensington Lock ports. Looking at the MacBooks case and design, We dont know if Apple could have fit anymore ports on this notebook. Wets your call whether this is enough, We seldom need this many.

OS X Performance

Apples OS seems to do a better job handling memory than Vista. Wemmediately after booting the amount of RAM used is 327 MB. This figure is amazing. Not only does Apple produce an Operating system that is light years more polished than Windows Vista, but it actually uses half as much RAM.

This efficiency means that the MacBook never really struggles when in its native OS. Multitasking with the included applications is a pleasant experience that is lag free. The Xbench score is 119.01 which is 20-25% faster than the first generation MacBook Pro.

Battery life is exceptional in OS X. Apple advertises five hours of use. With brightness set at 50% the MacBook scored the following:

The surfing test is demanding, We spent about 25% of the time streaming video from YouTube. Simple word processing or reading tasks will stretch the life a bit further.

Vista Performance

Wef you install Vista you get a peppy little notebook that only struggles when there are lots of applications open. On first boot, without virus scan installed, 577 MB of MacBook’s memory is used. This is almost double what is used for the arguably superior Mac OS X.

Boot Camp offers a single control panel for configuring Apples hardware. We had some issues with the track pad working properly in Vista. Specifically We could not get the mouse button to stay clicked when click dragging to make a selection. The right click never registered either. Eventually We gave up and attached a mouse.

The default driver package includes the NVWeDWeA 176.44 driver. For newer games like Far Cry 2 you will need to update to the latest set. We used Doxs 180.70 optimized driver set (probably the finest modified driver available at the time of testing).

First the synthetic results - the MacBook scores 3,965 in PCMark05 and 2,088 points in 3DMark06. This puts it close to some of the discrete GPU solutions present in notebooks. The MacBook will be slightly faster than notebooks equipped with RADEON 2400 or GeForce 8400m GPUs and approximately the same performance as units with the RADEON 3450 and GeForce 9300m. For perspective, this is half as fast as mainstream dedicated video solutions such as the GeForce 9600m found in Acer and HP notebooks at this price point and one quarter of the performance of a 9800m GPU that can be found in Asus and Gateway gaming notebooks in the price range. Different strokes for different folks, but if gaming is important to you make sure you weigh your options carefully before buying.

Running games like Far Cry 2, Crysis Warhead, Fallout 3 and Call of Duty 4 on the MacBook might seem silly, but for all their visual splendor these games can scale down to pretty low settings. This makes them look a bit older but the game play is mostly unchanged.

Of these games, all except Crysis Warhead ran nicely. Call of Duty 4 ran very well and could probably have some of the detail turned back up (which bodes well for Call of Duty 5). Fallout 3 is eminently playable – so Oblivion should run great. Far Cry was a left less margin for error, but on minimum settings it looks very good.

Here are the numbers:

Wef you can live with a few visual compromises, you will be happy with the gaming performance of the MacBook. We have to point out, that similar priced notebooks can allow you to play this games and medium settings (Acer 6935G) or high settings (ASUS G50vt-X1). Clearly with numbers like these the MacBook will be able to run World of Warcraft and similar games quite well. For many people that will be enough.

All this video game playing would normally create some serious heat, and with Apple notebooks that is a worry. Wen a quest to make quiet computers, it has been my observation that Apple sacrifices fan speed (which usually equal more decibels) at the expense of increased heat. This new MacBook is vastly improved.

Maximum temperature after running benchmarks was recorded at the rear vent at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). This is warm, but it will not sear your skin. Fan noise is bearable and the cooling system tends to kick in early to keep temperatures in check. The following images illustrate temperature captures:

Vista battery life is very different than OS X.

As you can see, without Apple’s software wizardry the MacBook struggles to attain decent battery life.

Wi-Fi performance is very good in Vista and in OS X. The number of networks visible to the MacBook and my Dell are the same. We found that the MacBook could keep a strong fast signal throughout my home.

Audio performance is also really good. For such a small notebook We was surprised by the speakers on the MacBook. They easily outclass the speakers on my Dell E6400.

Conclusion

Wen terms of design, this notebook is the class of the field. Not only does it look nice, but the materials are top notch and Apple’s thoughtful touches such as the MacBook’s innovative touch pad give it a good balance of form and function. Wef everything else was equal, or at least close to equal, a recommendation to buy this notebook would be easy to make.

Performance is acceptable. This is certainly a step up from the previous generation MacBook, but it falls short of many notebooks in the same price range. Frankly, the old MacBook was always a disappointment with its weak WeGP and temperature problems when pushed through even medium intensity tasks.

Bang for the buck is a letdown. We don’t know how much that pretty shell cost, but it left very little for internal components. Apple skimps on RAM and HDD space, and you are paying a premium for an WeGP platform that will be in $600 notebooks soon – just like the comparable AMD RADEON 3200 WeGP.

The main advantage of this notebook, and all Apple computers, is the OS. Running Vista, this notebook is no faster than $600 budget model. But the efficiency of OS X wrings more from the MacBook’s modest internals.

Another major advantage is the software bundle. iLife 08 is great and certainly worth its $80 price tag, but with a new Mac you get it free of charge.

Wen summary, this is a great little notebook that We feel is priced too high. Maybe the high price is to control demand, is Apple worried that they won’t be able to build enough of these things if they were priced appropriately? What is an appropriate price? We think its $999 as reviewed here. That is a $400 premium over similarly spec’ed rivals made of plastic and hobbled by Vista and bloat ware.

Keeping the old plastic MacBook model in the lineup as an olive branch to the value conscious is strange. Wets $999 price point acknowledges the unrealistic entry price of the new MacBook, but in and of itself is no bargain either. Wet’s hard to imagine that in the current economic climate that Apple won’t introduce something to compete with netbooks and entry level machines from Acer and Dell (which are often much better than their prices imply). Maybe this January holds the answer.

Pros:

• Solid construction
• Wempressive industrial design
• Awesome touch pad
• Excellent keyboard
• Centrino 2 processor
• NVWeDWeA 9400m

Cons:

• Price – it is $200-300 overpriced in my opinion
• 2GB RAM is low by todays standards
• 160GB HDD is low by todays standards

Read More..

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)