Filed under: Portables, Retail, Apple, MacBook
MacBook Update
While it's great that Apple finally matched the rest of the competition with the updated integrated graphics, MacBook owners who have the May '07 revision should not be too dismayed. The updated graphics is nice, but let's not kid ourselves, it's still not good enough for playing games that require a non-integrated card. Likewise, the update in FSB is going to be largely unnoticeable in anything but acute benchmark tests, because the RAM is still running at the same speed. I do like that Apple has finally set the EFI to accept 4 GB of RAM, I just hope that they include an update to existing MacBook (and MacBook Pro) owners so that we can do the same, seeing as the previous motherboard had this capability. Then, in a perfect world, Apple would let me change the amount of dedicated graphics memory in OS X to what it can be in Windows XP or Vista.
What will be interesting will be if these new MacBooks will be upgradable once the Penryn mobile chips are released. To me, the most beneficial aspect of having Santa Rosa branding is that the socket-type on the motherboard is Socket P, which is what Penryn will use.
Make no mistake, this is a great update and anyone who was putting off getting a MacBook before should definitely go for it - this just isn't as major as some of the rumors were predicting.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
What will be interesting will be if these new MacBooks will be upgradable once the Penryn mobile chips are released. To me, the most beneficial aspect of having Santa Rosa branding is that the socket-type on the motherboard is Socket P, which is what Penryn will use.
Make no mistake, this is a great update and anyone who was putting off getting a MacBook before should definitely go for it - this just isn't as major as some of the rumors were predicting.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Bobby W said 1:18PM on 11-01-2007
You guys better get up earlier, Engadget had this 3 hours ago! You'd think they'd at least give you a call...
Good additional information though. Worth the wait.
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Jason said 9:07AM on 11-01-2007
Thanks for clarifying. I just bought a MacBook 5 weeks ago (6 days too late for the 30-day no-questions asked return policy at BestBuy). I was a little pissed that this update came out so soon after I bought but after reading your article, looks like I'm not missing too much. I'm assuming the next MBP refresh will be much more significant if I do look to upgrade.
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Beau said 8:57AM on 11-01-2007
I too hope they let us May '07 MacBook owners use 4GB Ram :-)
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Rob said 9:07AM on 11-01-2007
It is interesting to note that the NEW MacBooks are considerably more expensive in Canada then the US even though the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar. In addition, when you order a Macbook from the Canadian online Apple Store, the Macbook often get shipped directly from Calif.
What a ripoff!!
I guess more Canadian are just going to go to the US to buy their next Mac. I know I will.
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ryan said 9:06AM on 11-01-2007
What are the odds of Nov. 2006 Macbook owners getting 4GB of RAM? I think it's the same chipset as the May '07 Macbooks. So if they get bumped, I should get bumped too, right?
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mungler said 9:08AM on 11-01-2007
"The MacBook's can now be..."
"...though the new MacBook's have the capacity..."
The plural of MacBook is MacBooks. No apostrophe needed!
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shifuimam said 9:09AM on 11-01-2007
It's STILL not the Santa Rosa platform.
The Santa Rosa platform requires THREE Intel components - the chipset, the processor, AND THE WIRELESS CARD.
Apple upgraded their laptops to the Crestline chipset. It's not Santa Rosa if it doesn't have an Intel-branded wireless card in it. Apple's Airport Extreme cards are NOT Intel, and therefore these are NOT Santa Rosa.
I so, so wish that at least one tech news site would get this right for once.
Ref link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino#Santa_Rosa_platform_.282007.29
This is why with, for instance, Dell laptops, which put the little stickers for Windows and Intel on the palm rest, models ordered with Dell's TrueMobile wireless cards just have the Intel Core 2 Duo logo on them, NOT the Centrino logo on them. You can't call it Centrino (or any of the names referring to each revision of Centrino) if it doesn't have an Intel card in it.
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Mike said 9:14AM on 11-01-2007
Woo hoo! New Macbook here I come! I'd been holding out waiting for these suckers to be announced.
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Ontario native said 10:06AM on 11-01-2007
Canadian notebooks are significantly more expensive because of the consumer
protections and they are shown as VAT instead of pretax.
You'd think a Canadian who frequently compared prices would know this.
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Iain said 9:30AM on 11-01-2007
What the hell Apple? The Canadian dollar is above par with the US currency so why are we paying $150 more? Talk about being down right pathetic Apple.
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Buckingham said 9:38AM on 11-01-2007
Rob, that's exactly what I'm thinking. Is it possible to order from the U.S. Apple store and ship to Canada?
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Eric said 9:40AM on 11-01-2007
I think it is a more important upgrade in the macbook pros. They now offer a 2.6GHz processor and finally a 200Gb 7200 rpm HDD.
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Cycomachead said 9:43AM on 11-01-2007
I've got a 15 mo old 1st gen MB, 2GHz CD, and this still isnt enough to really make me upgrade- well I'm 15 and don't have the cash anyways. I do wish Apple would allow 4GB of ram in the older MBs- but I really doubt its gonna happen. But I think the X3100 is not bad - 144mb standard is pretty nice, and I think Apple is finally letting the number float upward. I think my MB has always been stuck at 64.
Oh and you guys missed one of the best parts: The MacBook is lighter at only 5lbs, down from 5.1, from 5.2 at 1st gen. But when you lug something or your back/shoulder all day - every bit counts!
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Joshua Ochs said 9:58AM on 11-01-2007
"What will be interesting will be if these new MacBooks will be upgradable once the Penryn mobile chips are released."
Answer: No. All laptops use soldered processors. All desktops use socketed processors.
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John said 10:02AM on 11-01-2007
Gah... No updates in the international stores? At least not in Finland. Why Steve, why....
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artifex said 10:07AM on 11-01-2007
yay, 800 FSB!
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Rob said 10:08AM on 11-01-2007
#10 - No. I don't think you can order from the US Apple store from Canada. But if you visit the US or live near the US, I would recommend you just buy the Mac from an Apple Store.
There MAY be one drawback. If you have problems with the Mac in Canada, Apple Canada may not honour your warranty. You may have to go back to the US to return your defective Mac.
I find these tactics disgraceful. When you call Apple Tech Support, you almost always get connnected to a US call centre. I really do not know what Apple Canada does to demand such a high markup. (Apple Canada is not the only one that does this. Sony used to do this as well but at least I don't remember Sony Canada ever marking up the goods as much as Apple does).
But if you live near the US like most Canadians do, why not just take a trip to the US and buy your Mac. More and more Canadian are doing this for goods where the Canadian retailer is asking for an unreasonable markup. IMHO, it is really going to hurt the sales of Macs in Canada and foster ill will towards Apple in the long run.
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Josh said 10:11AM on 11-01-2007
What is the major difference between the low end MacBook Pro and the updated Black MacBook? Is the $2000 MacBook Pro really worth $500 more the than recently refreshed MacBook?
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JohnPQ said 11:47AM on 11-01-2007
@8. Be prepared for one of the crappiest cases in laptop history. I've had three crack up on me and stain. I would wait until they go aluminum.
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rafalski said 10:24AM on 11-01-2007
Cannot Canadians order from other US resellers? Apple never offers the best deal on their products.
My macbook came from Amazon US with a $100 rebate.
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