New MacBook Reviewed
Published on 12 Nov 2007 at 8:25 am.
12 Comments.
Filed under apple, macbook, review.
I bought my first MacBook at about 10:00 AM on the morning they were announced. And for better or worse, I’ve had nearly each revision of the MacBook (the exception being the speed bumped models just prior to the current revision).
The second revision (MacBook late 2006) was significant in that it sported a new processor from Intel – the Core 2 Duo – and an 801.11 draft N Airport card (although this functionality was not initially enabled and required buying a $2 driver from Apple).
This time around Apple has updated the MacBook with a new chipset from Intel (often incorrectly referred to as Santa Rosa) that includes improved integrated graphics and slightly faster processors. This new chipset runs the CPU on an 800MHz bus and supports up to 4GB of memory (up from the official 2GB on all prior MacBooks). Although the bus is running at 800MHz the memory is still running at 667MHz.
The most talked about change is Intel’s new graphics silicon dubbed X3100. Sure, it’s an improvement, but about the only difference you’ll probably notice is that the on-board graphics now suck away more than twice as much of your memory as the previous GMA 950 chip. Benchmarks are about the only place where you’ll see an actual performance difference. For example, Windows Vista rates the GMA 950 at 3.1 and the X3100 at 3.5. That’s an improvement of about 10%. The performance is still far short of all but the worst discrete graphics chipsets, and is certainly not going to turn the MacBook into a gaming notebook.
The processor takes a jump from 2.16GHz to 2.2GHz. With today’s notebooks running at 2GHz+, a 40MHz bump is practically a rounding error. The faster bus may however provide some extra performance in CPU intensive tasks like video encoding. I haven’t run any benchmarks, but it’s suffice to say that the CPU is faster, just not much. And the same can be said of the graphics.
Support for 4GB of memory is great for one thing I use this MacBook for – running Windows. I have a constant need to use Internet Explorer 6 and 7 to test my web designs. I’ve chosen to use VMware to run Windows and avoid the constant rebooting that I’d have using Apple’s BootCamp. More memory is great for virtual machines. With 4GB of memory I can now run both Windows XP and Vista at the same time on top of Mac OS X without the system resorting to paging to disk. I wonder how I ever made due with 2GB.
Unfortunately, the good news ends here. Apple has chosen to make a few changes in this new model that leave me puzzled.
People had complained that the MacBook screen looked “sparkly.” This is not a result of the glossy screen, but that the LCD is 6-bit. The LCD does not support the “millions of colors” Apple claims. In this new revision Apple is still claiming that the MacBook can display millions of colors and has even gone as far as calling the display 32-bit. It’s far from it, it’s a total of 18-bits. Worse yet, in a likely effort to remove the so-called sparkle they have also changed how the screen dithers colors. The sparkle never bothered me much, the new dithering does.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the screen looks like crap. Like it or not, Leopard has large shadows under windows, a translucent menu bar and various other screen candy. All of it looks like crap – like an 8-bit GIF – when displayed on the new MacBook. I miss my old MacBook’s sparkly screen to be quite honest. I couldn’t use this for any graphics work, and I’d be hard pressed to recommend it for watching video, let alone editing it. The same is true for photos as well – the color and dithering make this a bad screen for editing. I hope this is something Apple can fix via a firmware update or new drivers.
You’ve probably seen Apple’s new aluminium keyboards which were obviously based on the MacBook’s keyboard. Apple chose to drop the numeric keypad from the wireless aluminium keyboard. Personally, I feel this was a mistake. Well, the MacBook now has the exact same keyboard as the wireless aluminium keyboard, complete with no numeric keypad. Numeric keypads have been a part of notebooks for as long as keyboard have. For what seems like no other reason than to make the keys look “cleaner” Apple has removed this feature. Oddly enough the arrow keys no longer have “home, end, page up, page down” printed on them, but the functionality is intact. It’s really a mystery as to why they completely dropped the numeric keypad. Is 10-key passé now? I’m sure this will disappoint people, maybe not everyone, but some people for sure.
And the non-sense continues. The Airport card goes from three antennas to two. My only guess is that this was done to reduce costs because it certainly doesn’t improve reception. Other long standing complaints, like the trackpad button feeling “mushy,” have gone unfixed.
I try to tell myself that the MacBook is an entry level notebook so that I don’t feel so bad about it’s shortcomings. But the only real evidence of that is the reduced and degraded features. The price isn’t entry level, I can get a Dell or HP with the same specs for a few hundred dollars less.
If you already have a MacBook and are thinking of upgrading – don’t. Not unless you need 4GB of memory. Even still, although you’ll suffer a little in performance, prior MacBooks do support 3GB RAM just fine.
With this model I believe Apple has focused on improving their margins and not on improving the user experience. I’ve noticed this trend from Apple and I hope it changes soon, or my next Mac is likely to be a PC.
C on 12 Nov 2007 at 4:38 pm: 1
Wow, I had no idea about the screen. I’ll have to check it out. This is sad. This goes back to the idea that Apple is really milking this product line for profits. They at least could have dropped the price to $999 or $899 and thrown in a DVD recorder like EVERY OTHER vendor at this price level does these days.
Ein on 12 Nov 2007 at 10:38 pm: 2
I have the new MacBook. Your review is right on the spot. The screen sucks.
Piet on 13 Nov 2007 at 9:16 pm: 3
Could you please post some comparison photographs of the old and the new screen?
Holland Rhodes on 13 Nov 2007 at 9:29 pm: 4
I tried to take a photo of the new screen, but it’s very hard to capture the issue. Apple replaced my old MacBook so I don’t have it to do a comparison with.
John on 14 Nov 2007 at 8:22 pm: 5
What do you guys mean by sparkly?
My screen doesn’t do that, and I have the SR Macbook.
Seth on 16 Nov 2007 at 3:41 pm: 6
I have a Late 2007 Macbook and a friend has a 2006 and I honestly think the new screen looks better. Hell, regardless it
looks waaaay better than the G4 ibook’s screen that the macbook replaced.
Sean on 16 Nov 2007 at 5:20 pm: 7
how can u tell if ur macbook is the Santa Rosa version?
Hack This Mac : My Mac’s security is being compromised by .Mac on 17 Nov 2007 at 9:21 pm: 8
[...] I do however need the email a bit longer so I did add my .Mac account to Mail.app on my iMac and new MacBook. This had the side effect of filling in my account details in the .Mac preference pane, something I [...]
supergrandma on 12 Dec 2007 at 12:56 pm: 9
I have the new MacBook. Everything is great…except the screen, which is TERRIBLE. I can only hope that the problem can be fixed in an update.
Paul Reader on 18 Dec 2007 at 6:51 am: 10
My son is happy with everything about his new Macbook except the lack of numeric keypad. As a professional user of Sibelius this is a serious problem, especially as it’s ability to support third party USB numeric keypads is also very suspect - so far he has not found one that is adequately compatible.
Johny on 18 Dec 2007 at 11:51 am: 11
I’m a software dev who just migrated to OS X. Actually just received my macbook last Friday. Being an amateur photographer / graphic artist on the side I can say with complete honesty that I don’t see the issues you point out about the screen. Colors are vibrant…. images look so clean and real it’s almost scary. Then again I’m not privy to have seen the previous version’s screen.
All in all I found your review to be quite pessimistic, not informative, and quite unenjoyable. Those are harsh words, but hey… this is a free internet.
MacBoy on 21 Dec 2007 at 9:05 am: 12
Why bother buying a Mac, running Windows and then complaining about the Mac. Buy a PC you prat!