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MacBook

Overview

The MacBook was a brand

Brand

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...

of Macintosh

Macintosh

The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...

notebook computer

Laptop

A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...

s built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook

IBook

The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers....

and 12-inch PowerBook

PowerBook

The PowerBook was a line of Macintosh laptop computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being the first to incorporate features that would later become...

series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family

MacBook family

The MacBook family is a range of Macintosh notebook computers by Apple Inc. that merged the PowerBook and iBook lines during Apple's transition to Intel processors. The first model released under this family was the MacBook Pro, which was announced on 10 January 2006 at the Macworld Expo...

, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the consumer and education markets. It was the best-selling Macintosh in history, and according to the sales-research organization NPD Group

NPD Group

The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading North American market research company. The NPD Group consistently ranks among the top 25 market research companies in the independent Honomichl Top 50 report, which the media and the research industry acknowledge as a credible source of information on the market...

in October 2008, the mid-range model of the MacBook was the single best-selling laptop of any brand in U.S. retail stores for the preceding five months.

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The amount of RAM

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Encyclopedia

The MacBook was a brand

Brand

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...

of Macintosh

Macintosh

notebook computer

Laptop

s built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook

IBook

and 12-inch PowerBook

PowerBook

series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family

MacBook family

, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the consumer and education markets. It was the best-selling Macintosh in history, and according to the sales-research organization NPD Group

NPD Group

in October 2008, the mid-range model of the MacBook was the single best-selling laptop of any brand in U.S. retail stores for the preceding five months.

There have been three separate designs of the MacBook: the original model used a combination of polycarbonate

Polycarbonate

PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...

and fiberglass

Fiberglass

Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...

casing that was modeled after the iBook G4. The second type, introduced in October 2008 alongside the 15-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...

, used a similar unibody aluminum

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

casing to the 15-inch Pro, and was updated and rebranded as the 13-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

at the 2009 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2009. A third design, introduced in October 2009, used a unibody polycarbonate shell as aluminium is now reserved for the higher-end MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

. On July 20, 2011, the MacBook was quietly discontinued for consumer purchase in favor of the new MacBook Air

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...

. However, Apple continues to sell the MacBook to educational institutions.

Original polycarbonate model

The original MacBook, available in black or white cases, was released on May 16 2006, and used the Intel Core Duo processor and 945GM chipset

Chipset

A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...

, with Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics on a 667 MHz front side bus

Front side bus

A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge....

. Later revisions of the MacBook moved to the Core 2 Duo

Intel Core 2

Core 2 is a brand encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit x86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessors based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a...

processor and the GM965 chipset, with Intel's GMA X3100 integrated graphics on an 800 MHz system bus. Sale of the black polycarbonate MacBook ceased in October 2008 after the introduction of the aluminium MacBook.

While thinner than the iBook G4 that it replaced, the MacBook is wider than the 12-inch model due to its widescreen display. In addition, the MacBook was one of the first (the first being the MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

) to adopt Apple's MagSafe

MagSafe

MagSafe is a proprietary magnetically-attached power connector introduced by Apple Inc. on January 10, 2006 in conjunction with the MacBook Pro at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco...

power connector and it replaced the iBook's mini-VGA

Mini-VGA

Mini-VGA connectors are used on some laptops and other systems in place of the standard VGA connector, although most laptops use a standard VGA connector. Apple and HP have separate implementations using the same name...

display port with a mini-DVI

Mini-DVI

The Mini-Dvi connector is used on certain Apple computers as a digital alternative to the Mini-VGA connector. Its size is between the full-sized DVI and the tiny Micro-DVI...

display port. The iBook's discrete graphics chip was initially replaced by an integrated Intel GMA

Intel GMA

The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, or GMA, is a series of Intel integrated graphics processors built into various motherboard chipsets....

solution, though the latest revisions of the MacBook were upgraded with the more powerful Nvidia

NVIDIA

Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...

GeForce

GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market...

320M.

While the MacBook Pro largely followed the industrial design standard set by the PowerBook G4

PowerBook G4

The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor...

, the MacBook was Apple's first notebook to use features now standard in its notebooks: the glossy display, the sunken keyboard design, and the non-mechanical magnetic latch. With the late 2007 revision, the keyboard received several changes to closely mirror the one that shipped with the iMac

IMac

The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....

, by adding the same keyboard short-cut to control multimedia, and removing the embedded numeric keypad and the Apple logo from the command key

Command key

The Command key, also historically known as the Apple key, open-Apple key or meta key is a modifier key present on Apple Keyboards. The Command key's purpose is to allow the user to enter keyboard shortcut commands to GUI applications...

s.

Also offered in a more expensive black model until the introduction of the later unibody aluminium MacBook, the polycarbonate MacBook was the only Macintosh notebook to be offered in more than one color since the iBook G3 (Clamshell).

Ports

The ports are all on the left edge; on early models, from front to back, they are: Kensington Security Slot

Kensington Security Slot

A Kensington Security Slot is part of an anti-theft system designed by Kensington Computer Products Group,Ltd....

, audio in/out, two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, mini-DVI

Mini-DVI

The Mini-Dvi connector is used on certain Apple computers as a digital alternative to the Mini-VGA connector. Its size is between the full-sized DVI and the tiny Micro-DVI...

, Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...

, MagSafe

MagSafe

MagSafe is a proprietary magnetically-attached power connector introduced by Apple Inc. on January 10, 2006 in conjunction with the MacBook Pro at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco...

power connector.

The front edge features a pill-shaped power light and a round black infrared receiver, for Apple Remote

Apple Remote

The Apple Remote is a remote control made for use with Apple products with infrared capabilities released after October 2005. The device was announced by Steve Jobs on October 12, 2005. The remote is largely based on the interface of the first generation iPod Shuffle and has only six buttons...

; the right edge features only the disc slot.

User serviceability

The polycarbonate Intel MacBook is easier for users to fix or upgrade

Serviceability (computer)

In software engineering and hardware engineering, serviceability is one of the -ilities or aspects...

than its predecessor. Where the iBook required substantial disassembly to access most internal components, including removal of the keyboard

Keyboard (computing)

In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...

and RAM

Ram

-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...

, users need only to remove the polycarbonate MacBook's outer shell to access almost any interior component. Replacing the hard drive and memory requires merely the removal of the battery, and Apple provides do-it-yourself manuals for these tasks.

Quality problems

Some early polycarbonate MacBook models suffered from random shutdowns; Apple released a firmware update to resolve these random shutdowns.

There were also cases reported of discolored or chipping palmrests. There were many instances of the edges of the palm rest and screen bezel splitting and thin strips peeling off. In such cases, Apple asked affected owners to contact AppleCare

AppleCare

AppleCare is a service and support plan offered by Apple Inc. that extends the standard Apple warranty and phone support for its products to two years for iPods, iPads, and iPhones or three years for Macs.-AppleCare Protection Plan:...

.

There were problems with batteries on some models from 2007 not being read by the MacBook. This is caused by a logicboard fault and not a fault with the battery.

In February 2010, Apple announced a warranty extension and recall for MacBooks bought between 2006–2007 for hard drive issues. This is caused by heat and other problems.

Model specifications

Table of models
Component	Intel Core Duo Intel Core Yonah was the code name for Intel's first generation of 65 nm process mobile microprocessors, based on the Banias/Dothan-core Pentium M microarchitecture. SIMD performance has been improved through the addition of SSE3 instructions and improvements to SSE and SSE2 implementations, while integer...	Intel Core 2 Duo Intel Core 2 Core 2 is a brand encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit x86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessors based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a...
Model	Early 2006	Late 2006	Mid 2007	Late 2007	Early 2008	Late 2008 (White)	Early 2009 (White)	Mid 2009
Release date	May 16, 2006	November 8, 2006	May 15, 2007	November 1, 2007	February 26, 2008	October 14, 2008	January 21, 2009	May 27, 2009
Model numbers	MA254/A MA255/A MA472*/A	MA699/A MA700/A MA701*/A	MB061/A MB062/A MB063*/A	MB061/B MB062/B MB063*/B	MB402/A MB403/A MB404*/A	MB402*/B	MB881*/A	MC240*/A
Model identifier	MacBook1,1	MacBook2,1		MacBook3,1	MacBook4,1	MacBook4,2	MacBook5,2	MacBook5,2
Display Display device A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...	13.3-inch glossy widescreen LCD, 1280 × 800 pixel resolution (WXGA, 16:10 = 8:5 aspect ratio)
Front side bus Front side bus A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge....	667 MHz			800 MHz			1066 MHz
Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...	1.83 GHz or 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo (T2400/T2500)	1.83 GHz or 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (T5600/T7200)	2.0 GHz or 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (T7200/T7400)	2.0 GHz or 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (T7300/T7500)	2.1 GHz or 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (T8100/T8300)	2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (T8100)	2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (P7350)	2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (P7450)
Memory Random-access memory Random access memory is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order with a worst case performance of constant time. Strictly speaking, modern types of DRAM are therefore not random access, as data is read in... Two slots for DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM is a double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory interface. It supersedes the original DDR SDRAM specification and has itself been superseded by DDR3 SDRAM...	512 MB (two 256 MB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 2 GB	512 MB (two 256 MB) or 1 GB (two 512 MB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 3 GB⁵	1 GB (two 512 MB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 3 GB⁵	1 GB (two 512 MB) or 2 GB (two 1 GB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 4 GB		1 GB (two 512 MB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 4 GB	2 GB (two 1 GB) 667 MHz PC2-5300 Expandable to 4 GB 800 Mhz PC2-6400	2 GB (two 1 GB) 800 MHz PC2-6400 Expandable to 4 GB
Graphics Computer graphics Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware.... Shared with system memory	Intel GMA Intel GMA The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, or GMA, is a series of Intel integrated graphics processors built into various motherboard chipsets.... 950 using 64 MB RAM (up to 224 MB in Windows through Boot Camp).			Intel GMA X3100 using 144 MB RAM			Nvidia NVIDIA Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... GeForce GeForce GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market... 9400M using 256 MB RAM
Hard drive² 5400-rpm unless specified	60 GB or 80 GB Optional 100 GB or 120 GB	60 GB, 80 GB or 120 GB Optional 160 GB or 200 GB, 4200-rpm	80 GB, 120 GB or 160 GB Optional 200 GB, 4200-rpm	80 GB, 120 GB or 160 GB Optional 250 GB	120 GB, 160 GB or 250 GB	120 GB Optional 160 GB or 250 GB	120 GB Optional 160 GB, 250 GB, or 320 GB	160 GB Optional 250 GB, 320 GB, or 500 GB
AirPort Extreme	Integrated 802.11a/b/g IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...	Integrated 802.11a/b/g IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... and draft-n (n disabled by default)¹	Integrated 802.11a/b/g IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... and draft-n (n enabled)
Combo drive Combo Drive A Combo drive is a type of optical drive that combines CD-R/CD-RW recording capability with the ability to read DVD media. The term is used almost exclusively by Apple Inc. as a name for the low-end substitute for their high-end SuperDrive, which was designed to both read and write DVD and DVD... ³ Base model only	8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 10× CD-RW recording	8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW recording				colspan=3
Internal slot-loading SuperDrive SuperDrive SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer.... ³	8× double-layer discs reads. 4× DVD±R & RW recording. 24× CD-R and 10× CD-RW recording	2.4× DVD+R DL writes, 6× DVD±R read, 4× DVD±RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10× CD-RW recording	4× DVD+R DL writes, 8× DVD±R read, 4× DVD±RW writes, 24× CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording
Included operating system	Mac OS X 10.4.6	Mac OS X 10.4.8	Mac OS X 10.4.9 or 10.4.10	Mac OS X 10.5	Mac OS X 10.5.2 or 10.5.4	Mac OS X 10.5.4	Mac OS X 10.5.6
Maximum Operating System	Mac OS X 10.6.8	Mac OS X 10.7.2 Mac OS X Lion Mac OS X Lion is the eighth and current major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers....
Battery	55-watt-hour removable lithium-polymer
Weight	5.2 lb (2.4 kg)		5.1 lb (2.3 kg)	5 lb (2.3 kg)
Dimensions	1.08 × 12.78 × 8.92 in/27.5 × 325 × 227 mm

Notes:

¹ Requires the purchase of a wireless-N enabler software from Apple in order to enable the functionality.

² Hard drives noted are options available from Apple. As the hard drive is a user-replaceable part, there are custom configurations available, including use of 7200-rpm drives.

³ Given optical drive speed is its maximum.

⁴ Beginning with the early 2008 revision, the Apple Remote

Apple Remote

became an optional add-on.

⁵ Expandable to 4 GB, with 3.3 GB usable

3 GB barrier

In computing, the 3 GB barrier is a limitation of some 32-bit operating systems running on x86 microprocessors. It prevents the operating systems from using more than about 3 GB of main memory...

Aluminum unibody model

On October 14, 2008, Apple announced a MacBook featuring a new Nvidia

NVIDIA

chipset at a Cupertino, California

Cupertino, California

Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...

press conference entitled "The Spotlight Turns To Notebooks".

The chipset brought a 1066 MHz system bus, use of DDR3

DDR3 SDRAM

In computing, DDR3 SDRAM, an abbreviation for double data rate type three synchronous dynamic random access memory, is a modern kind of dynamic random access memory with a high bandwidth interface. It is one of several variants of DRAM and associated interface techniques used since the early 1970s...

system memory, and integrated Nvidia

NVIDIA

GeForce

9400M graphics up to five times faster than the original MacBooks' Intel chipset. Other changes include a display which uses LED

Light-emitting diode

A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...

backlights (which replace the fluorescent tube backlights used in the previous model which contain mercury) and arsenic-free glass, a new Mini DisplayPort

Mini DisplayPort

The Mini DisplayPort is a miniaturized version of the DisplayPort digital audio-visual interface. Apple, Inc. announced the development in the fourth quarter of 2008, and now applies it in the LED Cinema Display and in all new Macintosh computers: MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini,...

(replacing the polycarbonate MacBook's mini-DVI

Mini-DVI

The Mini-Dvi connector is used on certain Apple computers as a digital alternative to the Mini-VGA connector. Its size is between the full-sized DVI and the tiny Micro-DVI...

port), a multi-touch

Multi-touch

In computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...

glass trackpad

Touchpad

A touchpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on screen. Touch pads are a common feature of laptop computers, and they are also used as a substitute for a mouse where desk...

which also acts as the mouse button, and the removal of the FireWire 400

IEEE 1394 interface

The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications. The interface is also known by the brand...

port (thus it doesn't support Target Disk Mode

Target Disk Mode

Target Disk Mode is a boot mode unique to Macintosh computers.When a Mac that supports Target Disk Mode is started with the 'T' key held down, its operating system does not boot...

, used for data transfers or operating system repairs without booting

Booting

In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...

the system). An updated line of the unibody MacBooks were rebranded as the 13-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

on June 8, 2009 at Apple's WWDC 2009 and FireWire was restored in the form of a FireWire 800

IEEE 1394 interface

port.

Design

The design had stylistic traits of the MacBook Air which were also implemented into the design of the MacBook Pro. This model is thinner than the original polycarbonate MacBooks, and it made use of a unibody aluminum case with tapered edges. The keyboard of the higher-end model included a backlight.

Reception

Although Gizmodo

Gizmodo

Gizmodo is a technology weblog about consumer electronics. It is part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton and is known for its up-to-date coverage of the technology industry, along with topics as broad as design; architecture; space and science....

concluded it to be "our favorite MacBook to date," they did claim that, at the time, its display was inferior to that found on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, alleging a smaller viewing angle, washed-out colors, and dimmer backlighting. Similarly, AppleInsider

AppleInsider

AppleInsider is a news and rumor website that includes a forum for discussion of news stories and other community news.-Legal issues:In the late 1990s Apple successfully sued a John Doe from AppleInsider's boards with the username "Worker Bee" for revealing information on what would eventually...

and Engadget

Engadget

Engadget is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. Though on appearance Engadget functions much like a blog and may be defined as such, much of its editorial content takes the form of an online magazine...

concluded that it "may well be Apple's best MacBook to date" and "these are terrific choices—not only from an industrial design standpoint, but in specs as well" respectively, while also drawing attention to a lower quality display as compared with the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Charlie Sorrel of Wired News

Wired News

Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...

reached an identical conclusion about the MacBook display, citing its poor contrast and lack of vertical angle in comparison with the MacBook Pro and even the older white MacBook. Peter Cohen wrote an article discussing the loss of the FireWire port for Macworld

Macworld

Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...

, saying "The absence of FireWire ports is certainly an inconvenience for some users. But it shouldn’t be considered a deal-breaker for most of us, anyway."

Model specifications

|Display
Display device
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...

>

Table of models
Model	Late 2008
Release date	October 14, 2008
Model numbers	MB466/A; MB467/A
Machine model	MacBook5,1
13.3-inch LED backlit glossy widescreen LCD, 1280 × 800 pixel resolution
Front side bus Front side bus A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge....	1066 MHz
Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...	2.0 GHz or 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (P7350/P8600)
Memory Two slots for PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM SDRAM Synchronous dynamic random access memory is dynamic random access memory that is synchronized with the system bus. Classic DRAM has an asynchronous interface, which means that it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs... (1066 MHz)	2 GB (two 1 GB) Expandable to 8 GB (4 GB supported by Apple)
Graphics Computer graphics Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....	Integrated Nvidia NVIDIA Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... GeForce GeForce GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market... 9400M with 256 MB shared with main memory (up to 512 MB available in Windows through Boot Camp)
Hard drive¹ Serial ATA Serial ATA Serial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives... 5400-rpm	160 GB or 250 GB 5400-rpm Optional 320 GB HDD; 128 GB or 256 GB Solid-state drive (SSD Solid-state drive A solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive... )
AirPort Extreme	Integrated 802.11a/b/g/draft-n IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... (BCM4322 chipset)
Internal slot-loading SuperDrive SuperDrive SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer.... ²	Maximum write: 8× DVD±R, 4× DVD±R DL, 4× DVD±RW, 24× CD-R, 10× CD-RW Maximum read: 8× DVD±R, DVD-ROM, 6× DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD±R DL, DVD±RW, 24× CD
Included operating system Operating system An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...	Mac OS X v10.5.5 Mac OS X v10.5 Mac OS X Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007 as the successor of Tiger , and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a...
Battery	45-watt-hour removable lithium polymer
Weight	4.5 lb (2 kg)
Dimensions	0.95 × 12.78 × 8.94 in/24.1 × 325 × 227 mm

Notes:

¹ Hard drives noted are options available from Apple. As the hard drive is a user-replaceable part, there are custom configurations available, including use of 7200-rpm drives and SSDs

Solid-state drive

A solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...

.

² Given optical drive speed is its maximum.

Unibody polycarbonate model

On October 20, 2009, Apple released a MacBook that introduced a new polycarbonate (plastic) unibody design, faster DDR3 memory, a multi-touch trackpad, an LED-backlit display, and a built-in seven hour battery. The polycarbonate unibody MacBook, like its aluminum predecessor, lacks FireWire and, like the 13-inch MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

, has a combined audio in/out port

Line (electrical engineering)

In electrical engineering, a line is, more generally, any circuit of an electrical system. This electric circuit loop , consists of electrical elements connected directly by conductor terminals to other devices in series....

. On May 18, 2010, the MacBook was refreshed with an updated processor, a faster graphics card, improved battery life, and the ability to pass audio through the Mini Displayport connector. On July 20, 2011, the MacBook was discontinued.

Design

Like the MacBook Pro, the MacBook follows the same tapered design first seen in the MacBook Air

MacBook Air

; however, it is rounder on the edges than previous laptops in the MacBook line. This model has an all-white fingerprint-resistant glossy palm rest, unlike the grayish surface of its predecessor, and uses a multi-touch

Multi-touch

In computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...

glass trackpad like the one found on the MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

. The video-out port is Mini Displayport. The bottom of the MacBook features a rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

ized non-slip finish. The built-in battery of the late 2009 revision, a feature introduced earlier in the year with the MacBook Pro, is claimed by Apple to last seven hours compared with five hours in the older models. However, in tests conducted by Macworld

Macworld

Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...

, the battery was found to last only about four hours while playing video at full brightness with AirPort turned off. However, Apple's battery life was calculated with the brightness at the middle setting and while browsing websites and editing word documents, not with video and at full brightness. Gizmodo

Gizmodo

also reached about the same conclusion in their tests, but with AirPort turned on. The battery included in the mid 2010 model holds an additional five watt-hours over the previous model's and is claimed to last up to ten hours.

Reception

Despite being hailed by Slashgear

SlashGear

SlashGear is a weblog devoted to consumer electronics and technology published by R3 Media LLC. The site was launched in December 2005 and grew quickly in popularity reaching Technorati Top 100 blog ....

as "one of the best entry-level notebooks Apple have produced," the unibody MacBook has received criticism for its lack of a FireWire

IEEE 1394 interface

port and SD card

Secure Digital

Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...

slot. Nilay Patel of Engadget

Engadget

added that the USB ports were easily dented and the bottom of the laptop became worn and discolored after a few days. He also drew particular attention to the fact that the price was not lowered, stating that the small price difference between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro makes it a "wasted pricing opportunity." However, most critics agree that the unibody MacBook's display is significantly better than its predecessor's. AppleInsider

AppleInsider

states that the new display "delivers significantly better color and viewing angle performance" than the previous MacBook, but still "not as vivid and wide-angle viewable as the MacBook Pro screens."

Model specifications

|Display
Display device
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...

>

Table of models
Model	Late 2009	Mid 2010
Release date	October 20, 2009	May 18, 2010
Model Numbers	MC207*/A	MC516*/A
Machine Model	MacBook6,1	MacBook7,1
13.3-inch LED backlit glossy widescreen LCD, 1280 × 800 pixel resolution
Front side bus Front side bus A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge....	1066 MHz
Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...	2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (P7550)	2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (P8600)
Memory¹ Two slots for PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM SDRAM Synchronous dynamic random access memory is dynamic random access memory that is synchronized with the system bus. Classic DRAM has an asynchronous interface, which means that it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs... (1066 MHz)	2 GB (two 1 GB) Expandable to 8 GB
Graphics Computer graphics Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....	Integrated Nvidia NVIDIA Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... GeForce GeForce GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market... 9400M with 256 MB shared with main memory (up to 512 MB available in Windows through Boot Camp)	Integrated Nvidia NVIDIA Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... GeForce GeForce GeForce is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Nvidia. , there have been eleven iterations of the design. The first GeForce products were discrete GPUs designed for use on add-on graphics boards, intended for the high-margin PC gaming market... 320M with 256 MB shared with main memory
Hard drive² Serial ATA Serial ATA Serial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives... 5400-rpm	250 GB 5400-rpm Optional 320 GB or 500 GB HDD
AirPort Extreme	Integrated 802.11a/b/g/n IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... (BCM43224 chipset)
Internal Slot-Loading SuperDrive SuperDrive SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer.... ³	Maximum write: 8× DVD±R, 4× DVD±R DL, 4× DVD±RW, 24× CD-R, 10× CD-RW Maximum read: 8× DVD±R, DVD-ROM, 6× DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD±R DL, DVD±RW, 24× CD
Included Operating System Operating system An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...	Mac OS X v10.6.1	Mac OS X v10.6.3
Battery	60-watt-hour non-removable lithium-polymer	63.5-watt-hour non-removable lithium-polymer
Weight	4.7 lb (2.1 kg)
Dimensions	1.09 × 13.00 × 9.12 in/27.4 × 330.3 × 231.7 mm

Notes:

¹ Memory noted are the options available from Apple. As memory is a user-replaceable part, there are custom configurations available, including use of two 2 GB RAM modules, for 4 GB of RAM.

² Hard drives noted are options available from Apple. As the hard drive is a user-replaceable part, there are custom configurations available, including use of 7200-rpm drives and SSDs

Solid-state drive

.

³ Given optical drive speed is its maximum.

Criticisms and defects

There had been a variety of reports of the newer AC adapter with an L shaped connector not working with older MagSafe-powered MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Apple released a firmware update in October 2010 that it claims resolves this issue. However the installer for the firmware update will not run on certain older MacBooks, which means that the firmware can not be updated. This in turn means that it is not possible to use the new MagSafe power adapter with these MacBooks. Currently it is not possible to buy new replacement MagSafe AC adapters (either from Apple or third-party suppliers) that work with these MacBooks, forcing owners to look for used original adapters with a T shaped connector.

MacBook

Original polycarbonate model

Ports

User serviceability

Quality problems

Model specifications

Aluminum unibody model

Design

Reception

Model specifications

Unibody polycarbonate model

Design

Reception

Model specifications

Criticisms and defects

See also

External links