Apple Computer Inc. http://www.apple.com
The Apple MacBook 13-inch has captured the hearts of several generations of users frustrated with the complexities of Windows. It's a campus favorite and a hit among teens and novice users. Now, the MacBook 13-inch has made the transition to Intel's latest "Penryn" processor core, which has boosted speeds and battery life across every laptop we've seen it on. Thanks to this upgrade, Apple 's impeccable customer support network, and the MacBook's overall sex appeal, we expect sales of the new incarnation—the Apple MacBook 13-inch (Penryn), priced at $1,299 direct—to thrive for now. But other laptops are offering more features and cool designs for less money. Apple needs to work on a makeover, as well as improving the feature set and price, in order to keep the 13-inch MacBooks flying off the shelves.
Two years ago, the 13-inch MacBook's glossy white frame was a design marvel that had other manufacturers rushing to emulate it. With the MacBook Air clad in aluminum and decorative patterns appearing on competing laptops, the MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) is no longer leading the way. Still, subtlety has its benefits. The look bespeaks simplicity; it is clean of unnecessary labels, contrasting colors, lines and crevices. The polycarbonate plastic used for the exterior is similar to the kind used in bulletproof windshields, durable enough to protect the laptop from accidents.
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Although the 4.9-pound frame is light in weight relative to the HP Pavilion dv2500t, the Dell Inspiron 1420, and the Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830, it's too heavy considering Apple's reputation as an innovator. The MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn), with a 2-inch-larger screen, is only half a pound heavier. The MacBook Air and the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, with similar screen sizes, are 40 percent lighter. Three pounds doesn't have to be the target weight, but Apple needs to slim its 13-inch MacBook a bit further.
The 13-inch 1,280-by-800 LCD screen is superb for all things multimedia, including photo editing and or viewing YouTube videos or a DVD. Typing on the raised keyboard is slightly different from working with conventional laptop keyboards, but the overall experience was pleasant. The gesture-based touchpad, which debuted on the MacBook Air, wasn't implemented on the Macbooks, which is unfortunate. It's a standard touchpad instead, but you can still perform the two-finger scrolling function.
I appreciate that Apple has updated the MacBook 13-inch (Penryn)'s storage capacity to 160GB (from 120GB), but a 250GB drive is becoming the standard for mainstream laptops, such as the Toshiba U405-S2830 and the Gateway T-6828. The particular configuration of the MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) that I tested comes with a dual-layer DVD burner, but you have to pay at least $1,299 to get one, and you can't upgrade to one from the $1,099 base configuration—meanwhile, DVD burners are already standard among laptops at the $800 price point. Apple partly makes up for these deficiencies by implementing other cool features such as the Front Row remote, the MagSafe adapter (which magnetically connects power cord to laptop), and the iSight webcam.
These complaints aren't new to readers, yet the MacBook continues to climb in popularity. The advertising campaigns factor into the overall equation, taking cheap shots at Microsoft's Windows Vista—the competing operating system—at every opportunity. Fact is, MacBook owners are happy with the user experience and the idea of a more secure and stable Leopard operating system. The MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) includes a raft of free and useful software that you would have to pay an arm and a leg for on a Windows operating system. I rarely talk about customer service, but when PC Magazine and other publications rank Apple at the top of the totem pole in service and reliability, credit has to be given where it is due. Imagine if you're away at school and your MacBook experiences technical difficulties. A support network with a knowledgeable staff, short wait times, and quick turnaround times is priceless.
About the only reason why MacBook owners would want to upgrade or Windows users switch is the recent installation of a new Intel "Penryn" processor core. Keep in mind that a new Intel platform (code-named Montevina) is due to arrive in the summer of 2008, so you'll probably see another upgrade and perhaps a design overhaul later this year. Of course, this is only speculation. My configuration runs a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 processor and 2GB of RAM, producing SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall scores that ranked behind those of the Toshiba U405-S2830 and the Gateway T-6828. On the SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall and the Windows Media Encoder tests, the Penryn-equipped MacBook tallied a 10 percent and 37 percent improvement, respectively, over its predecessor, the MacBook 13-inch (Core 2 Duo T7200). The MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) also topped the competition in other categories, such as video encoding and CineBench R10 results. Granted, the HP Pavilion dv2500t and the Dell Inspiron 1420 haven't been updated in a while, so please stay tuned.
As always, my benchmark tests are compatible only with a Windows operating system; therefore Windows Home Premium was installed and run with Apple's Boot Camp application. Even so, the MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) scored 3 hours 41 minutes on MobileMark 2007—a 16 percent improvement over the previous version. It topped the battery scores of both the Toshiba U405 and the Gateway T-6828. Apple didn't switch batteries; the Leopard operating system was not the cause; and a super power-management utility wasn't involved. Improved battery life was a direct result of the Penryn processor's deeper sleep states and a more energy-efficient processor core.
Although the MacBook 13-inch (Penryn) is still a darling in the laptop space, Apple needs to work on several things in order to pick up more market share. You can get a lot of laptop for $800 these days, and the MacBook's $1,299 price tag might scare off many would-be Apple converts. You can configure a Dell Inspiron 1420, an HP Pavilion dv2700t, and several other systems exactly the same way for under $1,000. And with the glut of UMPCs infiltrating the marketplace, the Apple MacBook, or at least the base configuration, has to hit the three-digit mark. For now, the processor upgrade, improved battery life, and top-of-the-line support services will hold the fort until Apple can revamp the line.
Apple MacBook 13-inch
Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700)
The Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700; $3,799 direct) is the only 17-inch laptop that can be labeled as both a thin-and-light laptop and a desktop replacement. It's thin-and-light in that it weighs a mere 6.7 pounds, yet with its drool-inducing 17-inch widescreen, it can kick your current desktop to the curb. But this shouldn't be news to anyone. This form factor has been Apple 's formula for success since the first MacBook Pro 17-inch debuted in 2003. The latest revision involves gutting the inside of the laptop to make room for Intel's Centrino Duo platform. And for video perfectionists, you can now get the 17-inch MacBook Pro with a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution.
Keeping an entire laptop line to a thickness of 1 inch while upgrading performance parts every six months isn't an easy task, but Apple has figured out how to do it, and do it well. It's even more amazing that the 17-inch MacBook Pro is able to come in under 7 pounds, whereas its peers, the Dell Inspiron 1720 and the HP Pavilion dv9000t (Vista), both weigh more than 8 pounds. The reason for this may be that Apple's use of an aluminum-alloy chassis gives it more flexibility in molding laptops. Or perhaps it's just sheer engineering ingenuity that allows Apple to come up with great designs.
The area surrounding the keyboard follows the laws of simplicity, clean of any marketing stickers, extra media buttons, and tacky colors. Individual keys are tagged with subtlety in mind. Each letter, dark on a silver background, looks less prominent as you move away from the keyboard. The strong white letters against a black keyboard, like the ones found on the dv9000t (Vista), seem an eyesore when compared with those on a MacBook Pro. Both the full-size keyboard and the touchpad are centered with respect to the 17-inch widescreen, adding to the uniformity. The single mouse button further contributes to the symmetry.
The screen is the type that calls out to video professionals, photographers, gamers, and media enthusiasts. Apple adds to its appeal by offering an option for a glossy, 1,920-by-1,200 screen resolution, which is what I received for testing. If you haven't been a big fan of watching movies on a laptop, this screen will definitely change your mind. It's not as bright as the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED) of the MacBook Pro, but the color detail and picture quality are still mind-blowing. It's a $100 upgrade; Apple offers other screen options that are just as impressive. The higher-resolution screen also paves the way for Blu-ray drives to come (although Apple hasn't announced that yet, it looks like a done deal).
With the feature set, Apple continues along the lines of simplicity, which could be both a good and a bad thing. I love that the webcam is practically unnoticeable—it's only the size of a square in the game Minesweeper. The iSight camera is probably the best webcam in the industry. The dual-layer DVD burner is slot-loaded, meaning that instead of a tray that comes out it has a slot into which you insert the disc, like a CD player on a car dashboard. The three USB ports compare unfavorably with the Dell 1720's five, but they're more than enough for external peripherals. The MacBook Pro 17-inch comes with a 160GB hard drive. You can find hard drives this size on sub-$1,000 laptops; the difference is that this one spins at 7,200 rpm. You can upgrade, of course, but for this kind of money I was looking for a standard configuration with a higher capacity than 160GB. The only complex thing about the feature set is the extensive software suite that Apple throws in free. It's worth mentioning because it's the best in terms of giving you an excellent photo editor (iPhoto), video editor (iMovie), audio editor (Garageband), and DVD playback interface (iDVD), with remote (FrontRow).
Performance is nothing less than fantastic, but I wish Apple would offer the 17-inch model with a less-pricey configuration, as it did for the MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED). My configuration costs $3,799. Of course, it has the fastest Intel Core 2 Duo processor (the 2.4G-Hz T7700), 3GB of RAM, and a gaming-worthy graphics card (the nVidia GeForce 8600M GT). The T7700 processor is a $700 premium. If Apple offered other processor configurations, would-be Apple converts would come flocking to the site. Another complaint: The $750 the company charges for a RAM upgrade (from 2GB to 4GB; the 3GB that my unit came with is not listed on the site) is outrageous. Granted, this is Apple, but this crosses the line between luxury and gouging consumers.
I ran SYSmark 2007 Preview benchmark tests under Windows XP Pro using Apple's Boot Camp software. If you plan on using Parallel's virtual client for dual-booting Windows, I suggest upgrading the RAM to 4GB, even if you have to do it yourself. In SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall score, this MacBook Pro outperformed the Dell 1720 by 19 percent. The Apple's Photoshop test results were 16 percent higher and video-encoding tests were 6 percent faster than those of the Dell. It beat the Dell 1720 in every aspect, except for battery life. The Inspiron 1720 does have a bigger (85 Wh) battery than the Apple's (60 Wh). The MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700) managed only 2 hours 25 minutes running down a DVD movie.
The one thing holding me back from giving the Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700) an Editors' Choice is the lack of less-expensive configuration options. What you do get for your money are the fastest components on earth, with the new Intel Centrino Duo platform and an impressive screen resolution. It's the type of desktop replacement (or thin-and-light laptop) that current MacBook owners, as well as would-be Apple converts, will drool over, whether or not they can afford it.
Apple MacBook Air
Apple Computer Inc. http://www.apple.com
Browsing through Apple 's growing list of products, you'll find there's no shortage of lightweight yet still powerful laptops that rival, and to some extent surpass, many of their Windows counterparts. For instance, there are the MacBook Pro 17-inch and 15-inch laptops, arguably the lightest in their respective categories. But for quite some time now, Apple fanatics have been calling for something that can actually be classified as an ultraportable, something that breaks the 4-pound barrier. Finally, Apple has answered with the Apple MacBook Air ($1,799 direct).
Browsing through Apple 's growing list of products, you'll find there's no shortage of lightweight yet still powerful laptops that rival, and to some extent surpass, many of their Windows counterparts. For instance, there are the MacBook Pro 17-inch and 15-inch laptops, arguably the lightest in their respective categories. But for quite some time now, Apple fanatics have been calling for something that can actually be classified as an ultraportable, something that breaks the 4-pound barrier. Finally, Apple has answered with the Apple MacBook Air ($1,799 direct).
The MacBook Air is a new class of laptop, even though it has a design similar to its MacBook Pro brethren. What makes this ultraportable different from the MacBook Pros and everything else in the industry is its thickness, or rather, lack thereof. It measures 0.76 inches deep at the back, tapering down to 0.16 inches as you move toward the front bezel. That's simply unheard of for a 13-inch ultraportable. The MacBook Air weighs in at 3 pounds and includes features that the rumor sites had long been predicting, including a 13-inch LED screen and an optional SSD drive. It lacks an internal optical drive, and the (very) limited number of connectivity ports will raise eyebrows, but the $1,799 starting price, standard-voltage processing parts, and full-size keyboard make up for its few limitations.
Going with a 13-inch screen lets Apple easily integrate a full-size keyboard, which is nearly identical to the one found on the MacBook 13-inch. The only differences are that the Air keyboard is illuminated, a feature brought over from the MacBook Pros, and it's black. I'm a little skeptical about the color scheme. The black keyboard may not be a complete design faux pas, but a white keyboard would blend in better with the aluminum chassis. Perhaps Apple chose to accentuate the keyboard as an aid to the user, along with the backlighting, in dimmer surroundings, or maybe the company wanted to move away from the design of the MacBook 13-inch. In general, the raised keyboard is comfortable to type on. It's larger than the raised-keyboard of the Sony TZ150N, which is only 91 percent of full size. The Portégé R500 and ToughBook W4 have traditional-looking, full-size keyboards. Still, I think the best keyboard belongs to the Lenovo ThinkPad X61.
The aluminum casing is completely recyclable, similar to that of the MacBook Pros. You won't find a trace of arsenic and mercury on the display or on the display's glass screen. All of the Apple-designed circuit boards are also PVC- and BFR (Bromide)-free. Apple is also touting the fact that, in addition to being rid of all these hazardous materials, the MacBook Air is Energy Star 4.0–certified and EPEAT silver–compliant.
Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch
Apple Computer Inc. http://www.apple.com
Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn), at $3,149 (direct), isn't the first laptop to undergo an Intel brain transplant in the form of a next-generation Penryn processor , but it's among the most sizzling we've seen so far. At the heart of this MacBook Pro, the 2.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 CPU and 4GB RAM played a pivotal role in tearing up performance tests, including a compelling 15 percent increase in battery life. There are other new additions worth talking about, but performance enhancements alone should encourage first-generation MacBook Pro owners and frustrated Windows users to take the plunge. For that, it retains the Editors' Choice for mainstream laptops.
With all the time spent on perfecting the MacBook Air 's design, it's surprising that Apple did little to enhance the looks of the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn). Until someone can come up with a lighter 15-inch laptop, I guess Apple is sticking with what works. The system's 5.3-pound frame still measures an inch thick, no matter where you apply the ruler. Other laptops, such as the Dell XPS M1530 and the HP Pavilion dv6500t, have a sloping chassis that becomes thinner as you move toward the front. Still, those two are also heavier, weighing 6.2 pounds and 5.8 pounds, respectively. The MacBook Pro's brilliant widescreen sports a 1,440-by-900 resolution and is still the only 15-inch screen to use an LED backlight. LED-lit screens, as seen on many ultraportables, have power-saving characteristics, supposedly longer life spans, and a color gamut wider than that of their CCFL counterparts.
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These upgrades won't be enough to tempt those who bought their MacBook Pro a year ago to move to the new model, but early adopters bought a MacBook Pro when the model first came out and those who are migrating from Windows will find the performance benefits of this new model intriguing. With this Penryn system, Apple moves from a 65-nm CPU process to a 45-nm one in this model line. In other words, the 2.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 is based on an architecture that's completely different from the one for the 2.2-GHz T7500 in the previous MacBook Pro, translating into faster speeds. Since most of my performance tests are Windows-based, I loaded Apple's Boot Camp and Windows Vista Home Premium to gauge performance scores against other Windows-based laptops. SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall scores showed a 25 percent improvement over the previously reviewed version, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED). Granted, the clock speeds are a little slower on the Merom-based MacBook Pro, and the RAM count wasn't on a level playing field. The MacBook Pro (Penryn) loads 4GB RAM, producing some of the fastest Photoshop CS3 scores to date. Video-encoding tests were over 20 percent faster than those of the previous MacBook Pro.
Apple wasn't the first to come out with a Penryn-based laptop, but this MacBook Pro is one of the fastest laptops I've tested since these processors launched in January. Similar Penryn configurations, like the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ791N and the Fujitsu LifeBook A6120, lagged behind the MacBook Pro (Penryn) on SYSmark 2007 Preview, CineBench R10, and video-encoding tests. Gamers might also appreciate the enhancements to the graphics chipset. Although the actual graphics card—the nVidia GeForce 8600M GT—hasn't changed, video memory has been upped to 512MB, from 128MB. This boost improved 3D gaming at native resolutions (1,440-by-900) over the previous model. Intensive 3D games like Crysis and World in Conflict showed significant improvement at native resolutions, though I still wouldn't recommend them for this laptop. Scores at low resolutions (1,024-by-768) benefited from the faster processor on the MacBook Pro (Penryn).
The one test that stood out more than anything else, though, was battery life. The batteries themselves didn't change, nor did the Leopard operating system. Apple didn't invent some great new power-management utility. The improved battery life is a direct result of the Penryn CPU's deeper sleep states and its more energy-efficient processor core. The new MacBook Pro produced 3 hours 56 minutes on MobileMark 2007 tests, which is a significant jump from the 3 hours 10 minutes of the previous-generation MacBook Pro. That's about a 15 percent improvement, which should be music to the ears of road warriors.
A more energy-efficient core means that the new MacBook Pro is up to its nose in green certifications. It meets Energy Star 4.0 requirements, and though it didn't snag EPEAT Gold, it did receive a Silver rating from the consortium. Circuit-board laminates and internal cables are free of brominated flame retardants and PVCs. Apple's attention to removing hazardous materials such as these from laptop production also earns the company recognition from the RoHS consortium.
Even so, it wouldn't be right if PC Magazine didn't conduct its own energy readings. Using a Kill A Watt meter, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn) measured 16 watts at idle state, making it more energy efficient than the Dell M1530 (23W), the HP dv6500t (19W), and the previous MacBook Pro (19W). It didn't, however, hit the 14W required by Energy Star 4.0 in my own testing. And until Apple can achieve EPEAT Gold status, it's not ready to receive the PC Magazine Green Approved seal.
I still think the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn) is due for a design change. Upgrading to the new Intel Penryn processors is a nice touch, improving performance scores and battery life over the previous MacBook Pro by significant margins. It also brings over the gesture-based touchpad from the MacBook Air. My configuration is rather pricey, because Apple tricked out this system with 4GB RAM (+$400) and a 2.6-GHz T9500 processor (+$250). Otherwise, you'd still be very happy with 2GB of RAM and a 2.5-GHz processor ($2,499).
For now, I can't think of any mainstream laptop other than the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn) that does as good a job of combining fabulous design elements with top-of-the-line performance parts. Nonetheless, if Apple continues to upgrade processing parts every six months without any design changes, someone else will take the lead.
