Filed under: MacBook
File under "This won't last": new white MacBook benchmarks faster than unibody model
In a thorough review of the new speed-bumped white MacBook, Macworld notes an intriguing fact: the 2.13GHz model of the $999 entry-level laptop actually outperforms the base unibody model. The magazine's benchmarks show a 4 percent advantage for the new white MacBook over the $1299 2GHz aluminum laptop; the white model even outlasts the next-generation machine on battery life by more than 30 minutes.
Unless you absolutely have to have the new industrial design on your laptop and you're willing to pay an extra $300 for the privilege, it does seem that the new white model is the better buy... for now. A performance gap like this is a strong hint that the unibody models are due for a processor bump sometime soon, if only to restore the proper order of things: faster should equal more expensive. Right?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Martin said 12:47AM on 6-06-2009
That's a great deal. I also like the aesthetic of the white macbook (which I own) over the aluminum model.
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mabhatter said 12:59AM on 6-07-2009
Even the January version is only 5% slower than the aluminum ones... and it has FIREWIRE!!! It's good that Apple has beefed up their line, but this is just an internals update because Intel probably stopped selling the other chip and Apple had to bump up.
As far as too little, it still lets Apple keep their markup on the pretty, shiny models during the recession knowing students and such will go for the "cheap" white model that's more than good enough for all of Apple's software now.
Grant Robertson said 9:39PM on 6-07-2009
Whitebooks forever! I still love mine, cracks and all. There's no way this would be half as cool on a unibody:
http://grantrobertson.com/2009/03/20/macbook-stickerfight-the-final-blow/
http://grantrobertson.com/2009/05/22/the-covered-and-sliced-ports-of-my-macbook/
Nicole said 12:48AM on 6-06-2009
Any idea when new MB might come out? My brother is getting his first mac for graduation, he's already waiting till WWDC just in case. I have a feeling the free ipod and printer are probably worth buying now instead of waiting for a small stats bump he won't notice.
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Jared said 12:52AM on 6-06-2009
The trackpad and gestures are a good boon though.
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Chris said 1:08AM on 6-06-2009
File this under,
A little to late.
This has been posted else where for days. I am mean come on i am on tuaw multiple times a day and this site is one of the slowest compared to the rest for apple news.
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Nick K. said 1:34AM on 6-06-2009
What's more annoying is how you have to mention this to us. There's always someone that posts this for every article. If you don't like TUAW's journalism, don't comment on the site, you're actually just wasting more of your valuable time that you could be using reading Engadget or MacRumors.
Zews said 3:57AM on 6-06-2009
So why do you bother coming back here?
robogobo said 5:06PM on 6-06-2009
Chris, you're right, but this is typical of TUAW. I find it useful in case I missed the news from 3 days ago.
Toby12188 said 7:55PM on 6-06-2009
File you under:
unnecessary
Duncan said 1:04AM on 6-06-2009
also the aluminum one has DDR3 1066mhz ram
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Brendan said 8:53AM on 6-06-2009
From what I have read and heard DDR3 ram offers so little in performance advantage over DD2, that it doesn't matter
NoAndThen said 6:27PM on 6-06-2009
@brendan: For my final architecture presentation I had 7 macs each rendering pieces of a 15 minute 3d walkthrough. The two unibody models I had (MBP 2.66GHz and MB 2.0GHz) were both SIGNIFICANTLY faster at rendering when compared to my previous santa-rosa MBP @ 2.4 GHz.
The front side bus and ram speeds definitely make a difference, but at this point, the hardware most people run on is (in most respects) just as fast for things like opening programs and web browsing.
I'm seriously debating selling my unibody MB 2.0GHz for either the new white macbook, or a mac mini and an HP mini hackintosh. One of my friends would also be willing to trade my unibody MB for his MBP 8600M, but his case is kinda messed up, so I'm unsure. I wouldn't care, except I just got a new audio interface that requires firewire. DAMN YOU APPLE!
thoughts?
Joachim Bean said 1:27AM on 6-06-2009
Since the white model is what they mostly sell to their education customers, getting the white one updated was their first priority. Also, they probably wanted the white model out first in time for the free iPod touch deal for college buyers. I would imagine that the Aluminum model will be updated soon, possibly at WWDC or later this month.
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lok cheung said 1:37AM on 6-06-2009
I'm one of the "absolutely have to have the new industrial design on your laptop" guy, when I need to buy one.
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Stan said 2:01AM on 6-06-2009
Apple has a good selection of the first gen Macbook Air's for sale under refurbished. I picked one up with a 64GB SSD drive for $1300. I was debating between this and the white Macbook. I've had the Air for a week and love it.
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Scotty down_under said 2:05AM on 6-06-2009
1) the white ones also have bonus of Firewire port too!
2) hopefully, the plastic used in the casing is better than the rubbish I got in my MacBook (2007). Piece of junk is cracked right along front, down 1 corner, & now around the IR sensor!!! Unbelievabley crap quality from supposed premium product/company.
At the 11 month, took to local Apple shop (no 'real' apple store in Brisbane, despite city of almost 2 million), and they laughed at me. Said, "sorry, Apple wont cover that, and we wont even send it off to try your luch.".
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
= buy a white macBook @ your peril !
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Dave said 4:49AM on 6-06-2009
It would have been covered, it's a known problem. I had my whole MacBook case replaced after 6 months
Scotty down_under said 5:04AM on 6-06-2009
nope. not covered.
i checked online, forums, podcasts; all said "not covered" as Apple considered this a user wear & tear! -bloody hopeless.
they might do it now(?), and in America, but they weren't doing it July last year. :-(
ps- I should've kept my 4yr old PowerBook, 12". Now that was a high quality machine.
Joel said 5:22AM on 6-06-2009
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/04/08/apple_addressing_cracks_on_white_macbooks_casings.html
Is an article of apple fixing the issue. You could try the Apple store in Robina.