2006-07-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Apple MacBook 1.83GHz Core Duo Laptop Review

The MacBook was arguably one of the most anticipated products of 2006 from Apple. The day the Intel transition was announced, fans of the company wondered what the future held for its most popular portable - the iBook. Despite being the most popular, the iBook was next to last to be revamped for the new Intel lineup. A little bit iBook, and a little Powerbook, the MacBook is not only an evolution of the previous line, but a step in a new direction entirely. The real question is does it live up to the anticipation? Or did Apple swing and miss?

As a previous owner of an iBook G4, I was happy with the style, and the ease of use of OS X, but was left wanting in comparison to similarly priced PC notebooks. The main complaints about the iBook were the screen quality, and the lack of real processing power for mobile professionals. Time equals money, and with my previous notebook, tasks simply took more time. With the MacBook, these concerns appear to have been addressed to an unexpected degree. With the MacBook Pro sporting an Intel Core Duo chip, it was widely assumed, the iBook replacement would be equipped with the lower end Core Solo. The fact that it is instead equipped with the same Core Duo as the MacBook Pro, made this unit a must-buy for me.

The 15 inch MacBook Pro was deemed to be too expensive. The new flexibility offered by being able to run OS X and Windows on the same machine made the decision final. The MacBook was purchased from the 5th Avenue, New York store, in the stock white 1.83 GHz configuration. Later 2GB of memory was added. For the purposes of this review, the stock config will be the one referenced, in order to give an idea of the value of this unit for budget users.

The 13.3 inch screen is absolutely stunning. As a former laptop sales rep, the number one complaint I saw levied against the otherwise popular iBook was the quality of the screen. It was noticeably dimmer, and less sharp than other units in its price range. It lacked the color fidelity and richness, compared to the screens I have seen on more popular PC notebooks. The screen is bright, and lighting is even. I saw no dead pixels in my initial testing of the unit. The colors are very even, and show no drop off or color changes as you view from side to side. Obviously there are slight changes in colors as you shift the screen, or change the horizontal viewing angle, but for the most part, the picture stays consistent, especially when viewing a movie in full screen.

I have heard concerns from potential buyers about Apples foray into the glossy laptop screen market, and those concerns do have merit. Though the glossy surface is reflective in certain lighting, under normal living room lighting the screen is clear, crisp, and sharp. I would venture to say this screen can be compared side by side to any other screen on the market, and it would hold its own. In fact, sitting next to my 19" Acer LCD monitor, it looks positively vibrant in comparison. In direct sunlight, the screen does wash out on the lower settings; Honestly, I have not found it to be the deal breaker some would say it is. I sit typing this review while on the road, on a bright summer 85 degree day, and the screen is still useable with the brightness at about 25%. The upgraded screen alone addresses my chief complaint about the iBook G4. The unit's maximum resolution has received a bump from 1024x768, to 1280x800, a godsend for mobile photographers, designers and developers. If there was ever a doubt about the difference a screen can make on a unit, this one is a great example of how big an impact it really does make. After using the MacBook screen, I could never go back to the iBook/PowerBook G4.

Moving away from the screen, the second change is the keyboard. Designed from the ground up, the keyboard is different from any I have seen thus far in a notebook. The look is difficult to describe, but the new design will do plenty to address those of us who ended up with crumbs and other debris in iBook keyboards. It definitely feels like a page from the Powerbook keyboard in regards to the feel. It is much more stiff and tactile than the iBook keyboard, which was described by some as "soft and mushy." The actual key placement remains the same as the previous generation laptop, so any complaints about that have been left unresolved until the next iteration.

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