Filed under: Hardware, MacBook
$999 MacBook hardware updated to near-unibody specs
It's always nice to wake up in the morning and get a surprise from Apple!Today's surprise is an update to the hardware of the white polycarbonate body $999 MacBook. The low-end MacBook now comes standard with 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM and the same Nvidia GeForce 9400m graphics processor that is found in the unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro.
The CPU speed still remains at 2.0 GHz, and there's no backlit keyboard option, but the upgrades make an already attractive MacBook even more delicious. You can check out the new specs and order the MacBook at your local Apple Store or by clicking here. The online Apple Store is showing availability in the next 4 to 6 days.
Thanks to many TUAW readers for the tip!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Edmund said 10:59AM on 1-21-2009
Well, this sucks if you just bought the $999 model 5 days ago.
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strang said 11:01AM on 1-21-2009
No kidding.
JoshK said 11:03AM on 1-21-2009
If you buy an apple product within two weeks of an update I believe you can take it back and get the new one. You either have to pay the difference or restocking fee. Something like that.
Nathan said 11:48AM on 1-21-2009
Welcome to buying Apple products, you must be new. :)
Bart Dorsey said 11:05AM on 1-21-2009
Does this still have the Firewire ports?
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vandil said 11:08AM on 1-21-2009
This is the *first* question that came to my mind.
There's no photos of the laptop to look at and no mention of it on apple.com/macbook.
Also, when pricing one out, it only shows mini-DVI to (whatever) adaptors, no mention of any mini-DisplayPort to (whatever), so it may not have a mini-DisplayPort.
Sam said 11:28AM on 1-21-2009
According to Engadget, it does keep the Firewire ports..
Simon Arch said 12:25PM on 1-21-2009
Yes, it does. Go here: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTE3MzM
Click the "Compare" tab (it's in the middle of the page on the right side...took me forever to find it) and then click on "Complete Specs".
And it's port, singular. The MacBook has only ever had the one Firewire port.
Jash Sayani said 11:08AM on 1-21-2009
Just ordered the unibody MacBook a few hours ago.... At that time, it showed Intel GMA on the old one....
But, the unibody still has a DDR3 RAM !
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Jesus A. Torres said 11:10AM on 1-21-2009
Apple does have a 14-day return policy. I'm sure if you ask they'll waive the restocking fee...
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Bart Dorsey said 11:13AM on 1-21-2009
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/specs.html
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Emil said 11:16AM on 1-21-2009
I hope my pal Merdav gets one of these. It's sure to change his life! :)
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ErnieP said 11:18AM on 1-21-2009
When is this stupid company going to update the Mac mini?
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iomatic said 11:58AM on 1-21-2009
I'd like to know how you justify the word, "stupid" here.
Because, it seems to me they're making a smart business decision-- provide users with a low-cost laptop alternative with near-unmatchable specs in the industry, and probably at a low production cost as well. I'm not so sure the mini is game-changing like Apple's other products, and warrants the attention you seem to transfer upon.
What's the problem here?
iBearTouch said 11:21AM on 1-21-2009
Mac Mini... hopefully soon. But i think it is gonna be part of a big fuss event. No secret updates on this one. Methinks it's going to be big.
Surprises are great, because they throw people off, and they don't have to have any self-imposed deadlines.
I like it when they keep no promises and then drop surprises on us... don't you? More exciting...
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Nick K. said 2:59PM on 1-21-2009
It's going to be big?
I thought Mac Minis were meant to be small.
:]
Dave said 11:36AM on 1-21-2009
The author is incorrect in stating that the "CPU speed still remains at 2.0 GHz" - it was 2.1 GHz yesterday. (Still is at places like Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9107398&type;=product&id;=1218024601724)
I think it was confusing to consumers to see the $999 laptop have a faster CPU speed than the unibody ($300 more). You would get people saying things like "I am paying $300 more for a slower machine?" We know its not a big deal, but it makes the "better" machine seem like a downgrade, or settling. Smart move to drop the speed (although they could have just bumped the unibody up.
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Ocell said 11:36AM on 1-21-2009
New specs are only showing up in the US store. The stores in Spain, France, Germany or Italy still show the older specs.
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ZeroCorpse said 12:04PM on 1-21-2009
I just wish they'd offer the backlit keyboard as a pay-for-it upgrade on all their laptops. I have the 2.0 Unibody, but I'd have paid an extra $50 for the backlight.
I don't NEED it, of course, but I wasn't about to go to the higher-end Mac just for a light.
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SM said 12:37PM on 1-21-2009
It is interesting that they have added the new graphics chip to the white macbook while maintaining the firewire port.
It would be nice if they could add a firewire port to the unibody aluminum Macbook.
As it stands now, the updated white Macbook looks like a better value since it offers more backward compatibility and will run almost as fast as the current unibody Macbook.
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