Apple MacBook 13'' White

After its impressive update of the MacBook Pro line, Apple has now renewed its range of standard MacBooks. Like its big brothers, this laptop uses what's called a 'unibody' shell made from one single component. Its configuration has also improved, making this entry-level MacBook even more tempting.

Handling: looks good, but not much connectivity

As we've come to expect from Apple, the build quality is excellent and the visual design is stunning. Whether you're a fan of Apple or not, you have to admit that its computers are always strong in those areas. Despite the shell being all plastic, it feels sturdy and solid. Admittedly the aluminium models have a lot more class, but this all-white model still retains a certain appeal.

The underside of the machine has a non-slip coating. It's soft to the touch and feels less "cold" than the plastic used on the rest of the shell. You'll have to be careful, however, because it tends to show dirt. The latch is magnetic and does a good job of keeping the computer closed - to the point where you need both hands to open it.


The keyboard is very comfortable. It's not especially wide, but the keys are fairly large at 16 x 15 mm, and your fingers get their bearings easily. Typing is soft and quiet. With backlighting, though, it would have been even better.

The glass-covered touchpad is very wide - wider than anything you'll find on a PC. Its comfort level is excellent, with perfect gliding qualities. As on other models, the touchpad is clickable over more than half (the lower half) of its area. Since it's multi touch, that opens up interesting gestures like  zooming, rotation and two-finger scrolling.

The webcam is very good, with good fluidity, contrast, and sharpness. In low light, the image is still clear enough, even though the white balance has a little trouble with artificial light.

The new MacBook is impressively quiet. You really don't hear it - which is pretty impressive when you consider that it has a standard Core 2 Duo CPU and a dedicated graphics chipset. It also generates very little heat, which is a sign of careful integration of components.

This model's big weakness is its limited connectivity. All the ports are located along the left edge of the machine. They include the power connector, an Ethernet port, a mini DisplayPort video out, two USB 2.0 ports, a mini-jack and an anti-theft connector. It's true that Apple has always been a little stingey in this area, and the ports are carefully placed, but we'd have appreciated a few more possibilities - like maybe a memory-card reader or a third USB port. On the right side is a slot-in DVD burner. It's very well integrated, but unfortunately it's very noisy when loading disks and during start-up.

Due to the unibody shell, there are no openings under the machine - including for the battery, which is built-in. But there's an up side: you don't have to worry about obstructing the air intake. The bottom of the unit is totally smooth, and ventilation is from behind, at the level of the display hinge.

Power, RJ45, mini DisplayPort, 2 USB, headphones	Glass touchpad
Magsafe power cord	Slot loading DVD drive

Processor Power: a good compromise with HD video

With its 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core CPU, the new MacBook is better than the old model overall, except for multi-tasking. IT packs more than enough punch for office applications, and it's quite possible to use it for photo and video processing.

Playing 1080p, or Blu-ray equivalent, HD video was no problem with the processor. CPU usage was around 55% on average, for a power consumption of 52 W.

Gaming: some popular 3D titles, but with limited graphics

Video games are still poorly represented on the Mac, which is a pity. But the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics chipset used in this MacBook is also used in other computers. It's known for  good performance, and will let you comfortably play a few popular 3D games that don't make heavy demands, such as The Sims or World of Warcraft.

Audio Quality: as we expected, acceptable, but no more

We didn't expect much, since the speakers are hidden next to the system ventilation. And as expected, the audio is only adequate, with very little bass and a very dry sound. Fortunately the sound from the headphone output is much better.

Portability & Battery Life: the best available

The 13" aluminum MacBook held up for 3 hours 40 of continuous video play (display set to 100 cd/m², headphones plugged in, and WiFi disabled). Its little brother left it in the dust though, with a battery life here that came close to five hours (4 hours 52)! That's an excellent score - even better than the MacBook Air with its energy-saving CPU.

The change in the chassis has made this MacBook lighter. It weighs 140 g less than the previous model, but on the other hand, the thickness has increased by 4.7 mm. The width has been reduced by 42.3 mm.