Which Apple notebook should I buy?
From Mac Guides
Apple's rebrand means that over half its lineup is now a MacBook Pro. This guide aims to help you make sense of the rebrand and see all the vital information at a glance.
Contents |
Release Cycle
Before considering a certain model, checking MacRumor's buyer's guide is highly recommended. The buyer's guide estimates when a model will be updated by using past release cycle data, therefore letting you know when is the best time to buy.
Overview
| MacBook | Apple's budget notebook. Featuring a 13" polycarbonate design, this machine is ideal for those with light needs, a tight budget or those wanting a second portable machine. |
| MacBook Air | Apple's latest MacBook Air is significantly cheaper and also faster too. However, the MacBook Air is still significantly slower than the equivalent 13" MacBook Pro, has very few ports, no optical drive and a shorter battery life. This machine should only be a consideration if you require as light a notebook as possible. |
| MacBook Pro | Now coming in 13", 15" and 17" sizes, the new MacBook Pros feature incredibly fast Core 2 Duo processors at a lower price point. |
Comparison - Price
| MacBook | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook | Low-end 13" | High-end 13" | Low-end 15" | Mid-range 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | Low-end | High-end | |
| USD | $999 | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,699 | $1,999 | $2,299 | $2,499 | $1,499 | $1,799 |
| GBP | £749 | £899 | £1,149 | £1,299 | £1,499 | £1,699 | £1,849 | £1,149 | £1,349 |
For many, the most important factor is price. Remember to leave some extra money spare for BTO options such as extra RAM and bigger HDDs, and accessories such as cases, an Apple remote and external HDDs.
Comparison - Power
| MacBook | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook | Low-end 13" | High-end 13" | Low-end 15" | Mid-range 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | Low-end | High-end | |
| Processor | 2.13 GHz | 2.26 GHz | 2.53 GHz | 2.66 GHz | 2.8 GHz (3.06 GHz BTO) | 1.86 GHz | 2.13 GHz | ||
| 3 MB L2 cache | 6 MB L2 cache | ||||||||
| 1066 MHz FSB | |||||||||
| Standard RAM | 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM | |||||
| Max RAM | 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM | 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM | 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM | ||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (Lower clock speed) | ||||||
| 256 MB shared memory | 256 MB GDDR3 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 256 MB shared memory | ||||||
A faster processor will show improvements in almost all applications. However, even the 1.86 GHz MacBook Air has enough power to run light applications such as web browsers, word processors and presentation software almost as quickly as a MacBook Pro. Differences will only be discernible when running multiple applications or more demanding applications. All of the MacBook family use the NVIDIA chipsets which have the same benefits as Intel's Montevina platform, mainly the 1066 MHz FSB.
More RAM also improves speed when multitasking or running heavy apps. Not enough RAM can cause your system to slow down and "hang". It is recommended that you get as much RAM as you can afford. All models come with at least 2 GBs of standard RAM while most MBPs sport 4 GBs of DDR3 SDRAM. 2 GBs is enough for almost all users, but those with more demanding needs are recommended to get as much as they can afford. Remember that for those units with graphics cards relying on shared memory, you will have less RAM available to the system (up to 256 MB less).
Finally, the whole MacBook family includes the 9400M which shares RAM, but can still handle games such as Call of Duty 4 and Quake 4. It should be noted that the MacBook Air's 9400M is clocked slightly slower because of heat constraints. High-end models of the MacBook Pro also boast the dedicated 9600M GT graphics card which can be used when power takes priority over battery life. This card can handle almost any game, including Crysis with at least medium settings.
Comparison - Features
| MacBook | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook | Low-end 13" | High-end 13" | Low-end 15" | Mid-range 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | Low-end | High-end | |
| Display | 13.3" widescreen at 1280x800 | 13.3" LED widescreen at 1280x800 | 15.4" LED widescreen at 1440x900 | 17" LED widescreen at 1920x1200 (HD) | 13.3" LED widescreen at 1280x800 | ||||
| Storage | 160 GB | 250 GB | 320 GB | 500 GB | 120 GB HDD | 128 GB SSD | |||
| Optical Drive | 8x DL SuperDrive | No optical drive | |||||||
| Ports | 2x USB 2.0, 1x FW 400 | 2x USB 2.0, 1x FW 800, SD Card Slot | 3x USB 2.0, 1x FW 800, 1x ExpressCard/34 | 1x USB 2.0 | |||||
| Keyboard | Full-size keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard | |||||||
Higher resolution means more effective workspace. All MacBooks include glossy screens, but the 17" MBP includes a matte option.
The computer industry is beginning a slow transition to flash storage (similar to the storage technology in today's iPod shuffle, nano and touch). SSDs offer performance improvements in some areas, may reduce battery usage and as they feature no moving parts, are much more durable than Hard Disk Drives. The Hard Disk Drives offered in the MacBook and MacBook Pro operate at 5,400rpm but the 15" and 17" MacBook Pro can be upgraded to include a 7,200rpm HDD and all of the MacBook Pro family have the option of a 128 GB or 256 GB SSD. The MacBook Pro has a user-accessible Hard Drive, but it is a little harder to access than in the past due to the removal of the door on the bottom of the case. The low-end MacBook Air's default storage is a 4,200 rpm "iPod-grade" Hard Disk Drive, which is slightly slower. A typical text file is under 100 KB, a 4 minute iTunes song (128 kbps) is around 4 MB while a 4 minute iTunes Plus song (256 kbps) is 8 MB and a 3D game can require several GBs of storage.
An external SuperDrive designed for the MacBook Air is an optional extra for those who require it.
All MacBooks come with at least one USB 2.0 port. This incredibly popular port provides a connection between peripherals and add-ons such as external mice, external hard drives and printers. The MacBook Pros also includes a FireWire 800 port which is backward compatible with FireWire 400 while the polycarbonate MacBook has one FireWire 400 port. While USB 2.0 is in theory faster than FW 400 (480 Mbit/s vs. 400 Mbit/s), in practice FireWire 400 is significantly faster than USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 is double the speed of FireWire 400. MacBook Pros also come with ExpressCard/34 slots for further expansion.
Backlit keyboards allow you to clearly see all the keys during dark conditions. It is automatically controlled by an ambient light sensor. A multi-touch trackpad allows users to use gestures as shortcuts.
Comparison - Portability
| MacBook | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook | Low-end 13" | High-end 13" | Low-end 15" | Mid-range 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | Low-end | High-end | |
| Battery Life | 5 hours | 7 hours | 7 hours (6 hours w/ 9600M GT) | 8 hours (7 hours w/ 9600M GT) | 5 hours | ||||
| Weight | 5 lbs/ 2.27 kg | 4.5 lbs/ 2.04 kg | 5.5 lbs/ 2.49 kg | 6.6 lbs/ 2.99 kg | 3 lbs/ 1.36 kg | ||||
| Length | 12.8"/ 32.5cm | 14.35"/ 36.4cm | 15.47"/ 39.3cm | 12.8"/ 32.5cm | |||||
| Width | 8.92"/ 22.7cm | 8.94"/ 22.7cm | 9.6"/ 24.3cm | 10.51"/ 26.7cm | 8.94"/ 22.7cm | ||||
| Height | 1.08"/ 2.75cm | 0.95"/ 2.41cm | 0.95"/ 2.41cm | 0.98"/ 2.5cm | 0.16 - 0.76"/ 0.4 to 1.94cm | ||||
For those who travel often, portability will be a factor. A MacBook Air is the best choice for a frequent traveler but the MacBook and even the MacBook Pro are still very portable machines. It should be noted that the only the white MacBook has a swappable battery, which means this is the only machine you can carry a secondary battery to potentially double its battery life.
How to Make An Informed Decision
Obviously technical details cannot be enough to help buyers arrive at the right decision for them. As such, it is advisable that you consider your needs carefully. It is perhaps best to start with a list of features you believe you must have in order to do what you need/want to do with your Mac. If, for example, you want a particular screen size, you can eliminate certain models.
