Members
Categories
Most recent posts
- The Road Warrior Review - UNIEA Haptique Hard Shell Case For Unibody MacBook
- The Road Warrior Mailbag - June 8, 2009
- Why Pre?
- The Road Warrior Review - MacCase Premium Leather Flight Jacket For Apple Notebooks
- The Real Revolution of iPhone OS 3.0
- iFixIt Revamps Apple Laptop Teardown Guides; Disassembles 17” MacBook Pro
- Lenovo S10 Beats Out Used PowerBook G4 For Value And HP Launches Stylish Designer “Clutch” Netbook
- $999 2.0 GHz White MacBook With Nvidia Graphics: Most Notebook For The Money From Apple Ever?
- The Road Warrior MailBag - December 15, 2008
- Why Can’t Apple Build A Laptop Like This? - Perhaps They Will
- The Road Warrior Mailbag, December 1, 2008
- The Road Warrior Mailbag - November 17, 2008
- New MacBook Pro A Performer In Spite Of “Questionable” Apple Choices
- Is The End Of Matte Notebook Displays A Problem For You?
- The Road Warrior Mailbag - October 27, 2008
Search
A Compleat Buyer’s And User’s Guide To High-End Macintosh Laptops, 2007 Edition
It's May again, which is traditionally the month I've updated the annual Compleat Guides." I let it run a bit late last year, what with the extraordinary number of new product announcements to digest in 2006.
In contrast with last year's complete turnover in all model categories, 2007 has been pretty quiet in terms of Apple portable product upgrades, which is to say there haven't been any. Nothing since the Core 2 Duo MacBook's were announced last November.
However, the lack of new product rollouts doesn't seem to be hurting sales, with notebook sales remaining very strong in Apple's last reported quarter.
The MacIntel revolution continues to exert downward pressure on the price of used 'Books. For example, all Titanium G4 PowerBooks and some aluminum G4s, even the 1 GHz 17-incher, now in the sub-$1,000 low-end category, along with all used or refurbished iBook models, so our threshold high-end models this year are the brand new 1.83 GHz MacBook along with the 1.33 GHz 15" PowerBook and the last revision 12" PowerBook. However, interestingly, some PowerBooks, notably the 12" model, are buoyantly hodling their value, with Apple Certified Refurbished 1.5 GHz 12-inchers selling for hundreds of dollars more than refurb. Intel MacBooks.
So let's get to this year's high-end roundup.
In April, 2004, the mid-size 15" aluminum PowerBook that had been introduced the previous September got its first upgrade and speed bump, with the new models clocked at 1.33 GHz and 1.5 GHz.
Other changes were 512 MB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive standard on the 1.5 GHz model, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics controller operating on the AGP4x bus with 64 MB of video RAM, with 128 MB of video RAM optional on the 1.5 GHz configuration. The 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme was now standard in both models.
PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1.33 GHz (April 2004)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
256 MB SDRAM, expandable to 2GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 4.5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1,000 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
60GB 4200 RPM hard drive standard, with 80 GB 5400 RPM optional
One FireWire 400 Port
One FireWire 800 Port
Two USB 2.0 ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 2 GB (256 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 1.33 GHz
167 MHz System Bus
512 K on-chip cache
An ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics controller operates on the AGP4x bus with 64 MB of video RAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
54 Mbps AirPort Extreme standard in both models
Weight: 5.7 pounds
PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" /1.5 GHz (April 2004)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
512 MB SDRAM, expandable to 2GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 4.5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1,000 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
80 GB 4200 RPM hard drive standard, with 80 GB 5400 RPM optional
One FireWire 400 Port
One FireWire 800 Port
Two USB 2.0 ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 2 GB (512 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 1.5 GHz
167 MHz System Bus
512 K on-chip cache
An ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics controller operates on the AGP4x bus with 64 MB of video RAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
54 Mbps AirPort Extreme standard in both models
Weight: 5.7 pounds
Reasonable prices for 1.5 GHz 15" aluminum units would now be $1,000 or less, and 1.33 GHz models should sell for around $900.00 (or less), which makes these models straddle the high-end/low-end threshold. At this price point, you should also consider an Apple Certified Refurbished MacBook.
In October of 2005, the 12" PowerBook got its last, very minor enhancements. The SuperDrive was made standard, selling at the former Combo drive price of $1,499.
PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1.5 GHz SuperDrive ( October 2005)
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.
Apple Certified Refurbished examples of these last-revision 12" PowerBooks are still fetching prices above $1,000 at The Apple Store, largely because, as with the PowerBook 2400 back in 1998, Apple has once again vacated the subnotebook market. Consequently, used PowerBook 2400s retained extraordinarily high resale values for several years, and I expect the same may apply to 12" G4 PowerBooks, since the MacBook is nearly as large and heavy as a Titanium PowerBook, and indeed only three-tenths of a pound lighter than a 15" MacBook Pro.
The 12" G4 PowerBook turned out to be the last Apple machine sold bearing the illustrious PowerBook name. It's fitting that the last PowerBook would be one of the best and best-loved PowerBooks ever, but I anticipate this will be its last year in the high-end category.
In September, 2003, the 17" PowerBook got a 1.33 gigahertz Motorola 7457 processor but elimination of the 1 GHz machine's level 3 cache. However, the 512 MB level 2 cache configuration doubled the BigAl's former 256 MB level 2 cache capacity.
Other changes included bumping the standard hard drive capacity to 80 GB, replacing the Nvidia GeForce video accelerator with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 video card and 64 MB DDR SDRAM, and upgrading the USB ports to USB 2.0,
The price of entry into the widebody PowerBook club was reduced by $300 to $2,999, and that was pretty much it for changes from the original 17" 'Book described above.
PowerBook G4 17" Aluminum 1.33 GHz (September, 2003)
Active-matrix 17" color display (1440-by-900)
512 MB PC2700 DDR SRAM expandable to 2 GB
tappable trackpad
built-in speakers and microphone
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring (S-video-out requires included adapter)
16-bit stereo sound input/output
slot-loading SuperDrive
80GB hard drive standard
One FireWire Port
FireWire 800 port
Two USB 2.0 ports
PC Card slot
built-in Bluetooth
PowerPC 7457 (G4) 1.33 GHz
166 MHz System Bus
512 MB Level 2 cache
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 video card with 64 MB DDR SDRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Fiber-optic backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor activation
"Lithium Prismatic" battery
AirPort Extreme based on the 802.11g standard
Weight: 6.4 pounds
Used or refurbished 1.33 MHz 17" PowerBooks should be selling in the $1,050 range. I bought one of these, Apple Certified Refurbished, in February, 2006. It hasn't mossed a beat in more than a year as my number one production machine, and I love it.
The 15" PowerBook got another fairly major revision at the end of January, 2005. The hard drive spec. was bumped to 5400 RPM, and SuperDrives to 8x, plus a couple of completely new features - a scrolling TrackPad and a Sudden Motion Sensor. Unfortunately, there were initially widespread problems reported with these new trackpads, which were partly dealt with in OS 10.3.9. Also enhanced was the backlit keyboard which was up to 10 times brighter than previously. Processor speeds were bumped to 1.5 GHz and 1.67 GHz with ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processors and 64MB or 128MB of VRAM
PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1.5 GHz (January 2005)
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open memory slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1.67 GHz (January 2005)
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual Link DVI functionality;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
With Apple selling refurb. 2.0 Ghz MacBook Pros for $1,349 at this writing, and new Core 2 Duo MacBooks going for $1,099 - $1,499, it's hard to make a compelling case for paying more than $1,050 - $1,200 for these versions of the 1.5 GHz - 1.67 GHz 15" PowerBook.
The 15" PowerBook got its final revision in October, 2005, with the model range simplified to a single, 1.67 GHz unit, and the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processors and 64MB or 128MB of VRAM carried over.
The major enhancement was a new higher-resolution 1440-by-960 pixel display (26 percent more than the previous generation and matching the original 17" PowerBook's screen resolution), plus one hour more battery life, and an 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support.
The 1.67 GHz G4 15" PowerBook ceased production in March, and has been superceded by the MacBook Pro,
PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1.67 GHz (October 2005)
• 512MB of PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM running at 333 MHz, expandable up to 2GB
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual Link DVI functionality;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• analog and optical digital audio input and output;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
As noted above, with Apple selling refurb. 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros for $1,349 at press time, and new 2.0 GHz MacBooks for $1,099 - $1,499, it;s hard to make a case for paying more than $1,250 - $1,300 for a last-revision, high-res screen 1.67 Ghz 15" PowerBook.
Aluminum PowerBook G4 17" 1.5 GHz (April 2004)
In April, 2004, the 17" PowerBook was speed bumped again, to 1.5 GHz.
Other changes included a build to order option of an 80 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics controller operating on the AGP-4x bus along with 64 MB of DDR video SDRAM. An ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB memory was available as a build to order option, and the computer had a built-in 4x SuperDrive. Other specifications were carried over from the previous model.
PowerBook G4 17" Aluminum 1.5 GHz (April 2004)
• Active-matrix 17" color display (1440-by-900)
• a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive;
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM;
• AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T);
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• a Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor; and
• a 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive standard, build to order option is an 80 GB 5400 rpm hard drive
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• One FireWire 400 Port
• FireWire 800 port
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• PC Card slot
• "Lithium Prismatic" battery
• Weight: 6.9 pounds
Used or refurbished 1.5 MHz 17" PowerBooks should be selling in the $1,200.00 range.
MacBook 13" 1.83 and 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo (November, 2006)
The current Apple MacBook notebook computers were released on November 8, 2006 - featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors offering performance up to 25 percent faster than the previous Core Duo based Macbooks. With prices starting at $1,099, the MacBook lineup includes three models: a base white 1.83 GHz unit with a Combo drive, and two 2.0 GHz models: one in white and a black 2.0 GHz MacBook model topping the line. The Revision B MacBook release added plenty of value besides the faster processors. While the feature set of the base model remained pretty much as it had been, the two SuperDrive-equipped models were kicked up to double-layer 6x drives, 1 GB of standard RAM, their level 2 processor caches doubled to 4MB, and larger capacity hard drives (80GB for the white model and 120 GB for the blackie). That put more distance between the base (1.83 GHz combo drive) model and the intermediate 2.0 GHz SuperDrive MacBook, and I would say tips the value scale decidedly toward the middle machine for $200 extra (you're gonna want at least 1 GB of RAM anyway for decent performance), although whether a black case and a 50 percent bigger hard drive is worth another two hundred bucks more than that is debatable, especially on a notebook whose hard drive can be easily upgraded.
The middle, $1,299 MacBook has a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with twice the amount (4 MB) of level 2 cache as the base MacBook, a gigabyte of RAM, an 80 gigabyte hard drive, and a 6x dual-layer SuperDrive, thus putting more distance between itself and the entry-level model. Well worth the extra $200 I think. If you're smitten with the black livery of the top-end MacBook, it will still cost you another extra 200 dollars for the Darth Vader look, but you do get a 120 gigabyte hard drive as well. In my books, so to speak, the middle MacBook is definitely the value-leader.
Aside from the above-mentioned specification changes, the second-generation Macbooks carry on with the very solid and comprehensive package that was unveiled with the origtinal MacBook, with returning good stuff including a slightly unconventional keyboard that most users seem to like, a 13.3" 1280 x 800 glossy display that also gets rave reviews from most for brightness and clarity, Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor and Scrolling TrackPad technologies, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, a built-in iSight video camera, Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter (a new MagSafe Airline Adapter is also available), combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output port to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
Apple's "consumer" (or perhaps in this case 'prosumer') notebook is still the newest hardware platform in the Macintosh portable lineup, and indeed the only entirely fresh design and form factor of the MacIntel Era so far.
This is partly making a virtue of necessity; the preceding dual USB iBook was conversely the oldest platform in the lineup, in production for just over five years, and overdue for replacement even had the transition to Intel CPUs not been a factor.
As with the iBook/PowerBook dichotomy in Apple's former PPC laptops, the MacBook isn't quite a MacBook Pro, but it comes pretty close in a lot of important respects, and in a few outshines its more expensive stablemate, thanks, one presumes to its newer design.
The MacBook offers only one display option - a 1280 x 800 glossy surface widescreen (MacBook Pros are available with either matte or glossy displays). Inside there are AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) connectivity support, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. There are no hardware expansion options (ie: like the MacBook Pro's ExpressCard 34 slot), and no internal modem. If you're on dialup, you'll have to pop another 50 bucks for Apple's USB modem dongle. The MacBook includes an a built-in iSight video camera and Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to the MacBook and safely disconnects under strain, preventing the notebook from falling off its work surface.
The MacBook also comes with iLife '06 featuring iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, as well as the latest Mac OS X version.
A big MacBook improvement over the iBook and indeed the erstwhile 12" PowerBook is that there are two RAM expansion slots easily accessible through the battery bay on the bottom of the computer.
The MacBook Pro uses dual-channel memory as well, so also benefits from paired RAM modules, but it's not nearly as critical for the MacBook. The reason? Because instead of a conventional graphics processor unit (GPU) with its own dedicated video RAM, the MacBook uses Intel's integrated GMA 950 Graphics chipset, which was introduced to the Mac platform in the Intel Mac mini in January, '06. The downside of this is that the GMA-950 expropriates 64 MB of system memory for its graphics buffer plus 16 MB more for general startup (total 80), which means 80 MB less for running programs and tasks, which is why some folks call it "vampire video.". Not the most elegant solution. In many instances, you may not notice, especially if you load the MacBook up with a decent amount of RAM (at least 1 GB). however, if you want to run Apple's Final Cut Studio, you may find performance a bit sluggish with a MacBook: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303782
On the other hand, the MacBook incorporates one whopping big improvement that could tip the scales back in its favor for some users: easy access to the hard drive, which we haven't seen in Apple laptops since the 2000 Pismo PowerBook. Indeed, getting access to the hard drive in all iBooks could be fairly described as nightmarish, and G4 PowerBooks and MacBook Pros are only a slightly better prospect. By contrast, in the MacBook, the hard drive lives behind a door beside the RAM slots in the battery bay, making it the easiest to access and change in any Apple laptop ever. Bravo!
MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Specs. and Prices
The 1.83 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099.00, includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299.00, includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499.00, includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 80GB, 120GB or 160GB (5400 rpm) or a 200GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include: pre-installed copies of iWork '06, Logic Express 7, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 and Aperture 1.5.
Along with the rest of the PowerBook range, the 17" PowerBook got a substantial refreshment at the end of January, 2005.
The form factor remained unaltered, but the hard drive spec. was bumped to 5400 RPM, and SuperDrives to 8x, plus a couple of completely new features - both Apple patent-pending technologies - a scrolling TrackPad and a Sudden Motion Sensor.
The scrolling TrackPad works with every application and document. To implement the feature, you touch the trackpad with two fingers instead of one to scroll or pan within the active window. The Sudden Motion Sensor technology integrates what Apple calls "a tri-axis accelerometer" to help protect your spinning hard drive if the PowerBook is accidentally dropped.
Also enhanced was the backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors for working in low-light conditions, up to 10 times brighter than previously.
The 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 processor became standard on the 17-inch PowerBook, as did an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor with 128MB of VRAM, and Dual Link support to drive Apple's 30-inch Cinema HD Display as an external monitor.
PowerBook 17-inch 1.67 GHz (January 2005)
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• a 100GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;
• DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• optical digital audio input and output;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor
This model should be selling used/refurb. for around $1,250.00.
In October, 2005, the G4 17" PowerBook received it's final makeover, with a higher-resolution 1680-by-1050 pixel display (36 percent more than the previous generation), a a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support, up to one hour more battery life, and a 120 GB hard drive.
The 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 processor remained standard on the 17-inch PowerBook, as did an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor with 128MB of VRAM, and Dual Link support to drive Apple's 30-inch Cinema HD Display as an external monitor.
PowerBook 17-inch 1.67 GHz (October, 2005)
• 512MB of PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM running at 333 MHz, expandable up to 2GB;
• a 120GB Ultra ATA/100 (5400 rpm) hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;
• High resolution 1680-by-1050 pixel widescreen display
• DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch Cinema HD Display support), VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• analog and optical digital audio input and output;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
Used/refurb. prices should be in the $1,300 - $1,400 range for this high-res display, last-revision 17" PowerBook model.
MacBook Pro 15" Core Duo (February, 2006)
On St. Valentine's Day, 2006, Apple began shipping the new Intel Core Duo powered MacBook Pro, which had been a surprise announcement at Macworld Expo San Francisco in January.
The base MacBook Pro has a 1.83 GHz at $1,999, with a 2.0 Ghz $2,499 model and a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor as $300 a build-to-order option.
The MacBook Pro strongly resembles the 15" G4 PowerBook it soon displaced, and is one inch thick, weighs 5.6 pounds, includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, the Apple Remote and Front Row software.
The 1.83 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro (February, 2006)
• 15.4-inch widescreen 1440 x 900 LCD display with 300 cd/m2 brightness;
• 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme WiFi wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
• the infrared Apple Remote;
• 60 Watt hour lithium polymer battery; and
• 85W AC power adapter with MagSafe magnetic power connector.
The 2.0 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro (February, 2006)
• 15.4-inch widescreen 1440 x 900 LCD display with 300 cd/m2 brightness;
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 100GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in Airport Extreme WiFi wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
• the infrared Apple Remote;
• 60 Watt hour lithium polymer battery; and
• 85W AC power adapter with MagSafe magnetic power connector.
A 2.16 GHz Core Duo processor was optional on the high-end model for $300 extra.
Used/refurb. prices for Revision A Core Duo 15" MacBook Pros at 1.83 GHz, 2.0 GHz, and 2.16 Ghz should run in the neighborhood of $1,200.00, $1,350.00, and $1,400.00 respectively.
MacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo (October, 2006)
On October, 24, 2006, Apple announced “revision B” of the MacBook Pro, which is still the current specification. The biggest change in the newest MacBook Pros is that they are all powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processors with 4MB (double the previous spec.) of shared L2 cache -running 2.16 GHz and 2.33 GHz clockspeeds in the 15-incher, and 2.33 GHz only for the big ‘un. While those represent only a modest speed bump form the former 2.0 GHz and 2.16 GHz specs. of the preceding Core Duo models, Core 2 Duo GHz are huskier than Core Duo GHz, and Apple claims performance up to 39 percent faster than the revision A 2.16 GHz MacBook Pros, and more than seven times faster than the ultimate 1.67 GHz PowerBook G4 models.
Along with the new more powerful processors, both standard memory configuration and RAM upgrade capacity were substantially enhanced with these new ‘Books, which come with 1GB of 667 MHz of DDR2 SDRAM standard in the 2.16 GHz unit, and 2GB standard in both 2.33 GHz machine, all expandable up to an unprecedented in Apple portables 3GB (note that you will need either a 1 GB or 2 GB upgrade module to achieve the maximum and at 3 GB pairing is not supported). Rounding out the internal power is a PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor unit with up to 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory.
Also new with the 15" Core 2 Duo models is a FireWire 800 port, which was already included with the revision A 17-incher. While the lack of FireWire 800 support was not a significant hardship for many users, it was an inconvenience for folks who had FireWire 800 peripherals All models now come with a a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (which is an upgrade from 4x single layer for the 15" models).
Price points remain the same, at $1,999 for the “base” 2.0 GHz 15-incher, $2,499 for the 2.33 GHz 15” model. As with the original Core Duo models, my take is that the $1,999 15” model is a bit of a bargain.
A bunch of Build To Order options are available including upgrades to 200GB (4200 rpm) or 160GB (5400 rpm) hard drives, more RAM of course, a new $59 Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter that can connect to in-seat power ports aboard aircraft (but which doesn't work in automobiles), the Apple USB Modem (which should be standard equipment with expensive machines like these, IMHO), glossy widescreen displays, and AppleCare. YOu can also knock the 17” MacBook Pro’s price down to $2,699 by “downgrading” to a100 GB 7200 RPM hard drive.
Good stuff carried over from the revision A models includes 15.4-inch 1440 x 900 widescreen displays with 300 cd/m2 brightness, 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a FireWire 400 port to go with the FireWire 800 port, either two (15") or three (17") USB 2.0 ports combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports, an ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot, a built-in iSight video camera, the infrared Apple Remote, a backlit keyboard, Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor and Scrolling TrackPad, and a DVI video output to connect up to a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, video mirroring with full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors, and Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter.
As for bundled software, the MacBook Pros come with Apple’s iLife ‘06 suite of “digital lifestyle” iApps including iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, and the current Mac OS X version 10.4.8 Tiger with Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, all of which run natively on the Intel-based notebook.
In appearance, there are no changes. Dimensions-wise, here are the specs:
15-inch MacBook Pro
• Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
• Width: 14.1 inches (35.7 cm)
• Depth: 9.6 inches (24.3 cm)
• Weight: 5.6 pounds (2.54 kg) with battery and optical drive installed
17" MacBook Pro (April 2006)
On April 24, 2006, Apple unveiled the new Mac portable king of the hill - a 17" MacBook Pro, which replaced the 1.67 GHz 17" PowerBook G4. The MacIntel 17-incher was more than just a bigger-screen version of the 15" model. It substantially enhanced the feature set introduced with the earlier machine, and sold for a surprisingly reasonable $2,799.00.
Like its smaller stablemate, the 17" MacBook Pro's styling is an evolutionary development of its PowerBook G4 predecessor, and the most significant distinguishing cue is the deeper screen bezel dimension at the top to accommodate the built-in Apple iSight videocam, which in turn makes the new 17-incher slightly deeper in chord overall than the 17" PowerBook. at 10.4" rather than 10.2".
Dimensions compared:
15-inch MacBook Pro
• Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
• Width: 14.1 inches (35.7 cm)
• Depth: 9.6 inches (24.3 cm)
• Weight: 5.6 pounds (2.54 kg) with battery and optical drive installed
17-inch PowerBook G4
• Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
• Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
• Depth: 10.2 inches (25.9 cm)
• Weight: 6.9 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed
17-inch MacBook Pro
• Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
• Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
• Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm)
• Weight: 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installer
Compared with the previous PowerBook model, the new 17-incher is .1 of a pound lighter, .2 of an inch deeper, and otherwise identical, in dimensions.
Under the hood, the Revision A 17-inch MacBook Pro is powered by the 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2MB on chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed. Apple claimed performance up to five times faster than the 17-inch PowerBook G4, "running industry standard benchmarks."
The 667MHz frontside bus supports high bandwidth - up to 5.4 GBps - between the Core Duo processor and the rest of the system, allowing large numbers of tasks to run concurrently. Fast 667MHz DDR2 main memory feeds the processor is constantly without wasting clock cycles.
The Revision A 17-inch MacBook Pro came standard with a single SO-DIMM containing 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) that is twice as fast as the PowerBook G4's RAM, leaving one slot open for future memory upgrades to 2GB. If both slots are loaded with an equal amount of RAM, you can take advantage of the system's dual-channel memory architecture for an additional performance boost. With a dual-channel memory interface, both banks of SDRAM can be addressed at the same time, achieving memory throughput of up to 10.7 GBps.
The 16-lane PCI Express graphics bus in the 17-inch MacBook Pro is capable of a 4-GBps data rate in each direction, for a total bandwidth of 8 GBps -eight times the bandwidth of the AGP 4X graphics implementation in the PowerBook G4.
Carried over from the 15-inch MacBook Pro were the iSight camera, Apple's Photo Booth, application that lets users take quick snapshots with the iSight camera, add visual effects and share pictures with the touch of a button, Apple's Front Row media software that allows you to control digital lifestyle content including music, photos and videos from across the room using the Apple Remote.
The big MacBook Pro has a FireWire 800 port, which had gone missing with the Revision A 15" model. There is also a FireWire 400 port, three USB 2.0 ports, optical and digital audio input and output, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and integrated AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking.
An ExpressCard/34 card slot provides expansion flexibility and high bandwidth. The selection of ExpressCard/34 cards is not that flush yet, but it is the future, with flash memory, high definition TV tuners, security devices, 3G wireless cards, and suchlike either now available or expected to be soon. With data transfer rates of up to 256 MBps in each direction, the ExpressCard interface transfers data four times faster than the PowerBook G4's PC Card interface.
Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor that is designed to protect the hard drive in case of a fall or impact is carried over from the last two generation PowerBooks, and the strandard hard drive is a 120 GB, 5400 RPM unit, and the 17" MacBook Pro came with an 8x dual-layer SuperDrive, as did the October, 2005 revisions of the 15" and 17" G4 PowerBooks (the 15" MacBook Pro had only a 4x, single-layer SuperDrive.
Apple claims that the 17-inch MacBook Pro's 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution display is 36 brighter than that of the model it replaces, and You can see onscreen work without having the computer directly in front of you, thanks to wide viewing angles of 130 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical. Video output is supported by an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory supporting both dual display and video mirroring with full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors.
Dual-link DVI functionality effectively doubles the bandwidth of the video signal from your laptop to an external display, increasing both speed and signal quality. Increased transmission power combined with 256MB of dedicated graphics memory lets you connect higher-resolution displays - such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display directly to MacBook Pro. Both extended desktop and video mirroring viewing modes are supported.
There is a Scrolling TrackPad and Apple's signature backlit illuminated keyboard with a built-in ambient light sensor. This sensor monitors surrounding light levels and adjusts the brightness of the screen backlight and keyboard illumination accordingly. THe Revision A Core Duo 17" MacBook Pro should sell used or refurb. in the $1,800 - $2,000 range
17" MacBook Pro (November 2006)
The biggest change in the Revision B 17" MacBook Pros is that they are powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processors with 4MB (double the previous spec.) of shared L2 cache -running at 2.33 GHz While those represent only a modest speed bump form the former 2.16 GHz spec of the preceding Core Duo model, Core 2 Duo GHz are huskier than Core Duo GHz, and Apple claims performance up to 39 percent faster than the revision A 2.16 GHz MacBook Pros, and more than seven times faster than the ultimate 1.67 GHz PowerBook G4 models.
Along with the new more powerful processor, both standard memory configuration and RAM upgrade capacity have been substantially enhanced with these new ‘Books, which come with 2GB standard, all expandable up to an unprecedented in Apple portables 3GB. Rounding out the internal power is a PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor unit with up to 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory.
All models now come with a a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (which is an upgrade from 4x single layer for the 15" models).
Price point remains the same at $2,799 for the 17” king of the hill.
A bunch of Build To Order options are available including upgrades to 200GB (4200 rpm) or 160GB (5400 rpm) hard drives, more RAM of course, a new $59 Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter that can connect to in-seat power ports aboard aircraft (but which doesn't work in automobiles), the Apple USB Modem (which should be standard equipment with expensive machines like these, IMHO), glossy widescreen displays, and AppleCare. YOu can also knock the 17” MacBook Pro’s price down to $2,699 by “downgrading” to a100 GB 7200 RPM hard drive.
Good stuff carried over from the revision A models includes a 17-inch 1680 x 1050 widescreen display with 300 cd/m2 brightness,10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a FireWire 400 port to go with the FireWire 800 port, either two (15") or three (17") USB 2.0 ports combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports, an ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot, a built-in iSight video camera, the infrared Apple Remote, a backlit keyboard, Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor and Scrolling TrackPad, and a DVI video output to connect up to a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, video mirroring with full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors, and Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter.
As for bundled software, the MacBook Pros come with Apple’s iLife ‘06 suite of “digital lifestyle” iApps including iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, and the current Mac OS X version 10.4.8 Tiger with Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, all of which run natively on the Intel-based notebook.
In appearance, there are no changes. Dimensions-wise, here are the specs:
17-inch MacBook Pro
• Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
• Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
• Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm)
• Weight: 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed
The 2.16 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799,00 includes:
* 17-inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 LCD display with 300 cd/m2 brightness;
* 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
* 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
* 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor;
* the infrared Apple Remote;
* 68 watt hour lithium polymer battery; and
* 85 watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
Additional build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include 100GB (7200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
The 17" MacBook Pro also now offers the new glossy widescreen display as a CTO option on both the 15-and 17-inch models at no additional cost.
Apple Certified Refurbished MacBook Pro, 17-inch, 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duos are currently priced at $2,299.00 when available.
That's it for this year's Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To High-End Macintosh Laptops. We'll follow up with the Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition here soon.
Note on spelling and usage:
Since the first edition of this feature was posted in 1999, I have occasionally received emails politely "correcting" the spelling of the title . Actually, "Compleat" is not a misspelling (check your Webster's or OED), but rather a classical English spelling - viz. "The Compleat Angler" -- a book on fishing by Izaak Walton (1653). Road & Track Magazine also used to use the "compleat" spelling in similar contexts back in the '60s when the late John Bond was still editor/publisher. According to a reader, There was also a Beatles anthology called The Compleat Beatles, and I've seen it used fairly frequently around the Mac Web.
CM
Provisionally, you can access The Road Warrior Archive to Jan. 16, 2006 by clicking here.
Note: Letters to The Road Warrior may or may not be published in The Road Warrior Mailbag at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context.
If you would prefer that your message not appear in The Road Warrior Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published.
CM