Best Reviewed
Apple Laptops and Desktops
- Best Apple laptop 15-inch 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro *Est. $2200
- Best ultraportable Apple laptop 13-inch 128 GB MacBook Air *Est. $1300
- Best-value Apple laptop 13-inch 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro *Est. $1200
- Budget Apple laptop 11-inch 64 GB MacBook Air *Est. $1000
- Best Apple desktop 21.5-inch 2.5 GHz iMac *Est. $1200
- Best tablet computer Apple iPad 2 *Est. $500
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- New sleeker design
- Generous 250 GB hard drive
- LED-backlit display
- Multi-touch trackpad
- FireWire port was dropped
- No SD memory card slot
- Vulnerable to scratches
While the 2.26 GHz 13-inch MacBook Pro earns more awards and accolades, experts say the redesigned 13-inch MacBook is an excellent value if you don't mind missing a few features. In October, the MacBook was redesigned to look much more like a MacBook Pro. It now sports a unibody design (although still using white polycarbonate, not aluminum), multi-touch trackpad, LED-backlit display and a built-in battery. In addition to the 2.26 GHz processor, the MacBook includes a 250 GB hard drive (larger than the entry-level MacBook Pro), 2 GB of standard RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card. These features and snappy performance lead experts to conclude that the new MacBook is a great entry-level laptop. It is still missing a few features compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro; namely, there's no SD memory card reader or FireWire port, which frustrates some reviewers. Multiple experts also note that the new polycarbonate unibody is very susceptible to scratches and scuffs; it also gets dirty easily. If you need an SD card reader or FireWire port, the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro (*Est. $1,200 and up) gets excellent reviews.
A number of reviewers conduct extensive tests of the new Apple MacBook, including CNET, PCMag.com, Macworld and Laptop Magazine. Each of these sites offer balanced analysis and they rate the MacBook, making it easy to determine how this laptop stacks up against others in the Apple line-up. Slashgear.com and Engadget.com offer helpful reviews, although neither site ranks or rates the laptop against its competitors. Amazon.com is a good spot for user reviews.
| Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) | |
(101 reviews) |
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Our Sources
1. CNET
The new MacBook earns an excellent rating from Dan Ackerman at CNET, who says it's "a strong alternative to the more expensive Pro line, if you can live without extras such as an SD card slot." The lack of a FireWire port is another downside, but Ackerman thinks this is the best version of the MacBook yet.
Review: Apple MacBook Fall 2009, Dan Ackerman, Oct. 22, 2009
2. Macworld
Jonathan Seff at Macworld conducts extensive testing on the 13-inch MacBook, finding that it performs just as well as the entry-level MacBook Pro laptop. Like other reviewers, Seff notes the lack of SD card slot and FireWire port, but he still thinks it's a compelling choice.
Review: 13-inch MacBook/2.26GHz (Late 2009), Jonathan Seff, Oct. 28, 2009
The new MacBook also gets a high rating at PCMag.com, where Cisco Cheng raves about the new unibody redesign, although he wishes the price had dropped about $100. Cheng also compares the MacBook to similar PC laptops on the market.
Review: Apple MacBook (Unibody), Cisco Cheng, Oct. 22, 2009
4. Laptop MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Michael Prospero at Laptop Magazine gives the MacBook a four out of five rating. He's impressed with the overall performance, as well as the new design and multi-touch trackpad, but notes a significant lack of bass in the built-in speakers.
Review: Apple MacBook (2009), Michael S. Prospero, Oct. 21, 2009
5. Engadget.com
The MacBook leaves a less favorable impression on Engadget's Nilay Patel, who says, "we're totally underwhelmed" by the redesigned laptop. While he has good things to say about the display and trackpad, a lack of popular expansion ports is a serious downside. He also notes that the white polycarbonate scratches and discolors very easily.
Review: Unibody MacBook (late 2009), Nilay Patel, Oct. 22, 2009
In choosing between the MacBook and entry-level MacBook Pro, Vincent Nguyen at Slasgear.com recommends the MacBook. "You're getting pretty much the same specifications in the MacBook, only for $200 less," he says. Nguyen does note that the case is vulnerable to scratches.
Review: MacBook Unibody review (late 2009), Vincent Nguyen, Oct. 22, 2009
7. Amazon.com
Since the unibody MacBook is so new, only a few users have had a chance to comment on Amazon.com. After fewer than 10 reviews, the MacBook gets mainly positive ratings, and a number of owners praise the battery life and solid design. A couple of users think the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a better deal.
Review: Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop, Contributors to Amazon.com
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