Tech Review
The Apple MacBook: High Powered
Laptop Perfect for High Schoolers

By: Emilio Ramos (July 28, 2006)

The new Apple laptops are here! Well, actually they have been out for a while and I’m just getting around to the review now. The new MacBooks come in three different models, low, middle, and high-end. The $1,099 low-end model ships with a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Processor, 512MB of RAM, a 60GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive, and a DVD-ROM/ CD-RW combo drive. The middle is the same as the base model but has a 2.0GHz processor and a DVD±RW/ CD-RW SuperDrive, and the only differences from the middle to the high-end model are that the $1,499 high-end model is black and has and 80GB hard drive. All of the models come with Airport Extreme Wireless technology, Bluetooth, Firewire, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB ports, a built in microphone, and a built in web cam.

Design:

In this iteration of laptops, Apple has included some great design features. For starters a magnet has replaced the old mechanical latch. This is good because the latch will never break. The magnets are located on the corners of the screen and are strong enough to produce a strong hold and still be opened with one finger. Another magnetic feature is the power supply socket. It attracts the metal power cord and keeps it firmly in place. This is a great feature because if you trip on the cord it can detach from the computer with no harm done. A more notable design element is the keyboard. Instead of a typical laptop keyboard, the MacBooks have inputs that are more spaced out and do not taper at the edges. In my opinion this new keyboard has the best tactile feedback I have felt in a laptop keyboard; it is not “mushy” to the touch. Lastly, Apple has adopted a glossy display for the laptops. This glossy finish provides a brighter screen and better contract values, which is great for viewing movies and photographs.

Software:

Now on to the software included with the machine. The MacBook comes with lots of software preloaded on the hard drive. Some of these applications include the web browser Safari, Mail, the messenger iChat, Address Book, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand, iWeb, iCal, QuickTime, Photo Booth, Front Row, and Text Edit. I have a few gripes about the built-in software. First, the version of QuickTime is a stunted version. To get all of the features, you have to pay $30 to upgrade to QuickTime Pro. The second issue is that iDVD is obsolete on the low-end MacBooks because they do not have a DVD-RW drive. Lastly, iWeb is well suited with a .Mac subscription but otherwise uploading your custom website to another server is a long and tedious process. Otherwise the software is great. Most of the programs have been optimized to work well together. For instance, if you add a new contact in iChat, the contact will also appear in Address Book.

Performance:

With a 1.83GHz dual core processor, the MacBook can take on most jobs. However, when I have many large programs running like Word, I notice that the computer slows down slightly. This does not mean that this machine can’t multitask. When handling the web browser, a messenger program, iTunes, and other various windows, the computer still performs very well. It only slows slightly when running large programs. The computer ships with 512MB of RAM and an integrated graphics card. The graphics card draws memory away from the main RAM resulting in less memory for the computer to work with. This may pose a problem to gamers who wish to play very resource intensive games. As a solution, a $100 1GB RAM upgrade is available.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very good machine for high school students. It is small and lightweight so it can be easily transported to school and back, the keyboard is comfortable enough to be able to type for long periods of time, and comes with a motion sensor that locks up the hard drive when the laptop is quickly moved. This prevents disk damage if the laptop were dropped, a must for students. Do not buy this laptop if you wish to play resource intensive games on it because of the integrated graphics card and there are far more games for PCs. If you must play your Mac videogames, you can buy the RAM upgrade or possibly look at the more expensive MacBook Pros.