Which Apple notebook should I buy?
From Mac Guides
Recently, Apple has increased the number of models that it sells. While this offers more options, it can make it harder to decide which Apple product is right for you, especially for newcomers to the Apple platform.
Contents |
Release Cycle
Before considering a certain model, checking MacRumor's buyer's guide is highly recommended. The buyer's guide estimates when a model will be updated by using past release cycle data, therefore letting you know when is the best time to buy.
Overview
| MacBook | The notebook of choice for many students. With an aluminium design extremely similar to the MacBook Pro and new faster graphics, the new MacBook is an excellent balance of style and power. |
| MacBook Air | Apple's latest addition to its MacBook family is a light, all aluminium laptop designed for those who frequently travel. The world's thinnest laptop has a comparatively slow processor speeds when compared to the MacBook, but still offers more than enough power for the tasks it is designed for. It lacks an optical drive, has very few ports, has internals that cannot be upgraded and lacks a swappable battery. In addition to this, while great value for an ultraportable, it is still expensive compared to the rest of the MacBook family. |
| MacBook Pro | Apple's portable powerhouse features a fast processor and an additional dedicated graphics card as well as a high-resolution screen, making this a great choice for demanding users. |
Comparison - Price
| MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Low-end Aluminium | High-end Aluminium | Low-end | High-end | Low-end 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | |
| USD | $999 | $1,299 | $1,599 | $1,799 | $2,499 | $1,999 | $2,499 | $2,799 |
| GBP | £704 | £929 | £1,125 | £1,271 | £1,761 | £1,369 | £1,712 | £1,949 |
| EUR | €949 | €1,199 | €1,499 | €1,699 | €2,299 | €1,799 | €2,249 | €2,499 |
| AUD | $1,649 | $2,099 | $2,549 | $2,899 | $3,999 | $3,199 | $3,999 | $4,499 |
| CND | $1,149 | $1,399 | $1,749 | $1,999 | $2,749 | $2,149 | $2,699 | $2,999 |
For many, the most important factor is price. Remember to leave some extra money spare for BTO options such as extra RAM and bigger HDDs, and accessories such as cases, an Apple remote and external HDDs.
Comparison - Power
| MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Low-end Aluminium | High-end Aluminium | Low-end | High-end | Low-end 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | |
| Processor | 2.1 GHz | 2 GHz | 2.4 GHz | 1.6 GHz | 1.86 GHz | 2.4 GHz | 2.53 GHz (2.8 GHz BTO) | 2.66 GHz (2.93 GHz BTO) |
| 3 MB L2 cache | 6 MB L2 cache | 3 MB L2 cache | 6 MB L2 cache | |||||
| 800 MHz FSB | 1066 MHz FSB | |||||||
| Standard RAM | 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM | 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM | 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM | |||||
| Max RAM | 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM | 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM | 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM | 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM | 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM | |||
| Graphics | Intel GMA X3100 | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT | |||||
| 144 MB shared memory | 256 MB shared memory | 256 MB GDDR3 | 512 MB GDDR3 | |||||
A faster processor will show improvements in almost all applications. However, even the 1.6 GHz MacBook Air has enough power to run light applications such as web browsers, word processors and presentation software almost as quickly as a MacBook Pro. Differences will only be discernible when running multiple applications or more demanding applications. All of the MacBook family use the NVIDIA chipsets which have the same benefits as Intel's Montevina platform, mainly the 1066 MHz FSB. Even though the 2 GHz aluminium MacBook has a slower clock speed than the 2.1 GHz polycarbonate MacBook, the aluminium MacBook will be noticeably faster thanks to its speedier FSB, RAM and faster integrated graphics.
More RAM also improves speed when multitasking or running heavy apps. Not enough RAM can cause your system to slow down and "hang". It is recommended that you get as much RAM as you can afford. Only the low-end MacBook comes with 1 GB of RAM while all other models come with 2 GBs of standard RAM. 2 GBs is enough for almost all users, but those with more demanding needs are recommended to get as much as they can afford.
Finally, both the polycarbonate MacBook uses Intel integrated graphics which shares RAM. For those who only occasionally play older games and don't mind playing on lower settings, the GMA X3100 should suffice. The aluminium MacBook and MacBook Pro still use integrated graphics, but they're one of the most powerful integrated graphics chipsets on the market today. The 9400M also shares RAM, but can still handle games such as Call of Duty 4 and Quake 4, which the Intel GMA X3100 struggles with. It should be noted that the MacBook Air's 9400M GT is clocked slightly slower because of heat constraints. The MacBook Pro also boasts the 9400M GT but can switch to the dedicated 9600M GT graphics card when power takes priority over battery life. This card can handle almost any game, including Crysis with at least medium settings.
Comparison - Features
| MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Low-end Aluminium | High-end Aluminium | Low-end | High-end | Low-end 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | |
| Display | 13.3" LED widescreen at 1280x800 | 15.4" widescreen at 1440x900 | 17" widescreen at 1920x1200 (HD) | |||||
| Storage | 120 GB | 160 GB | 250 GB | 120 GB HDD | 128 GB SSD | 250 GB | 320 GB | |
| Optical Drive | 8x DL SuperDrive | No optical drive | 8x DL SuperDrive | |||||
| Ports | 2x USB 2.0, 1x FW 400 | 2x USB 2.0 | 1x USB 2.0 | 2x USB 2.0, 1x FW 800, 1x ExpressCard/34 | 3x USB 2.0, 1x FW 800, 1x ExpressCard/34 | |||
| Keyboard | Full-size keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard | ||||||
Higher resolution means more effective workspace. All MacBooks include glossy screens, but the 17" MBP includes a matte option.
The computer industry is beginning a slow transition to flash storage (similar to the storage technology in today's iPod shuffle, nano and touch). SSDs offer performance improvements in some areas, may reduce battery usage and as they feature no moving parts, are much more durable than Hard Disk Drives. The Hard Disk Drives offered in the MacBook and MacBook Pro operate at 5,400rpm but the MacBook Pro can be upgraded to include a 7,200rpm HDD and all of the MacBook family have the option of a 128 GB SSD, while the 17" MBP gains an option for a 256 GB SSD. The MacBook and MacBook Pro now also feature user-accessible Hard Drives. The low-end MacBook Air's default storage is a 4,200 rpm "iPod-grade" Hard Disk Drive, which is slightly slower. A typical text file is under 100 KB, a 4 minute iTunes song (128 kbps) is around 4 MB while a 4 minute iTunes Plus song (256 kbps) is 8 MB and a 3D game can require several GBs of storage.
An external SuperDrive designed for the MacBook Air is an optional extra for those who require it.
All MacBooks come with at least one USB 2.0 port. This incredibly popular port provides a connection between peripherals and add-ons such as external mice, external hard drives and printers. The MacBook Pro also includes a FireWire 800 port which is backward compatible with FireWire 400 while the MacBook just has no FireWire 400 port. While USB 2.0 is in theory faster than FW 400 (480 Mbit/s vs. 400 Mbit/s), in practice FireWire 400 is significantly faster than USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 is double the speed of FireWire 400. MacBook Pros also come with ExpressCard/34 slots for further expansion.
Backlit keyboards allow you to clearly see all the keys during dark conditions. It is automatically controlled by an ambient light sensor. A multi-touch trackpad allows users to use gestures as shortcuts.
Comparison - Portability
| MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Low-end Aluminium | High-end Aluminium | Low-end | High-end | Low-end 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | |
| Battery Life | 4.5 hours | 5 hours | 4.5 hours | 5 hours (4 hours w/ 9600M GT) | 8 hours (7 hours w/ 9600M GT) | |||
| Weight | 5 lbs/ 2.27 kg | 4.5 lbs/ 2.04 kg | 3 lbs/ 1.36 kg | 5.5 lbs/ 2.49 kg | 6.6 lbs/ 2.99 kg | |||
| Length | 12.8"/ 32.5cm | 14.35"/ 36.4cm | 15.47"/ 39.3cm | |||||
| Width | 8.92"/ 22.7cm | 8.94"/ 22.7cm | 9.6"/ 24.3cm | 10.51"/ 26.7cm | ||||
| Height | 1.08"/ 2.75cm | 0.95"/ 2.41cm | 0.16 - 0.76"/ 0.4 to 1.94cm | 0.95"/ 2.41cm | 0.98"/ 2.5cm | |||
For those who travel often, portability will be a factor. A MacBook Air is the best choice for a frequent traveler but the MacBook and even the MacBook Pro are still very portable machines. It should be noted that the MacBook Air and 17" MBP lack a swappable battery, which means that unlike the MacBook and 15" MacBook Pro, you can't carry a secondary battery to potentially double its battery life.
Comparison - Buying an external Apple Cinema Display
| MacBook | MacBook Air | 15" MacBook Pro | 17" MacBook Pro | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | Low-end Alum | High-end Alum | Low-end | High-end | Low-end 15" | High-end 15" | 17" | ||
| 1280x800 | 1440x900 | 1920x1200 | |||||||
| No ACD | Cost (USD) | $999 | $1,299 | $1,599 | $1,799 | $2,499 | $1,999 | $2,499 | $2,799 |
| Combined Total Pixels | 1,024,000 pixels | 1,296,000 pixels | 2,304,000 pixels | ||||||
| 20" | Total Cost (USD) | $1,598 | $1,898 | $2,198 | $2,398 | $3,098 | $2,598 | $3,098 | $3,398 |
| Combined Total Pixels | 2,788,000 pixels | 3,060,000 pixels | 4,068,000 pixels | ||||||
| 24" LED | Total Cost (USD) | $1,898 | $2,198 | $2,498 | $2,698 | $3,398 | $2,898 | $3,398 | $3,698 |
| Combined Total Pixels | 3,328,000 pixels | 3,600,000 pixels | 4,608,000 pixels | ||||||
| 30" | Total Cost (USD) | $2,798 | $3,098 | $3,398 | $3,598 | $4,298 | $3,798 | $4,298 | $4,598 |
| Combined Total Pixels | 5,120,000 pixels | 5,392,000 pixels | 6,400,000 pixels | ||||||
- 20" ACD at 1680x1050
- 24" ACD at 1920x1200
- 30" ACD at 2560x1600
Buying a notebook with an Apple Cinema Display is a good idea when you rely heavily on extra resolution, regularly use your notebook on a desk and have the spare cash. Extra resolution is highly important for some users, especially those who do photo/ video editing, page layout and other screen real estate dependant tasks.
How to Make An Informed Decision
Obviously technical details cannot be enough to help buyers arrive at the right decision for them. As such, it is advisable that you consider your needs carefully. It is perhaps best to start with a list of features you believe you must have in order to do what you need/want to do with your Mac. If, for example, you want a particular screen size, you can eliminate certain models.
