MacBook Update

It looks like the rumors were right. Well, sort of right. The MacBook line has been updated. Before you get too excited, please note that this is a pretty minor update. The MacBooks can now be properly branded as utilizing the Santa Rosa platform (note: platform, not chipset - Santa Rosa is a branding term, like "Centrino"). The processor choice is now either the Core 2 Duo 2.0 or 2.2 GHz, with an updated 800 Mhz front side bus and the new integrated graphics use the updated GMA X3100 (the successor to the GMA 950 that has been used for far, far too long) with 144 MB of shared memory. Stock RAM, hard drive and SuperDrive options remain the same - though the new MacBooks have the capacity to be upgraded to 4 GB of RAM. Prices remain unchanged from the previous revision, so $1499 gets you a 2.2 // 1 GB // 160 // 8x SuperDrive instead of a 2.16 // 1 GB // 160 // 8x SuperDrive.

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!

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Source: http://www.apple.com/macbook/macbook.html

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Portables Retail Apple MacBook

It looks like the rumors were right. Well, sort of right. The MacBook line has been updated. Before you get too excited, please note that...

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Dave

Can anyone tell me how well ie games run on the new macbook - ie colin mcrae rally demo and what about google earth nice and smooth or what ? We are paying Â£230 more btw for the black macbook than the US which is around $500 US so don't complain too much !!

November 05 2007 at 9:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Maverick

These are NOT the new Macbooks morons! Apple has not moved Macbooks to the top of their 'new to the store' section of their site. They haven't updated the main Mabook page at all except for chaning 2.0 to 2.2 or whatever. I mean, come on...OBVIOUSLY they are about a week away from a real redo. ANd they got the new chips in a few weeks early, so they're starting to put them in the old Books before the real newbies come out, sometime before Nov. 12th.

November 03 2007 at 11:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Anonymous Coward

Any idea if these upgrades will trickle down to the Mini? I really have no need for a notebook, but would still like these changes.

November 02 2007 at 3:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Urbz

LOL Ontario native, you're a retard...
VAT?!? IN CANADA?!?!
God...
It's called the GST: Goods & Service Tax, and if you didn't know that it isn't hidden in the price of anything, then honestly, you aren't an Ontario native

November 02 2007 at 3:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gilbert

The hard drive options are not the same. Gone is the 200GB 4200RPM drive and in is the same 250GB 5400 RPM drive I just upgraded to on my own. Really, really upset about the 4GB RAM that I CANNOT have on my current system. Could have had 4GB from Crucial at $140. Damn.

Still, nothing on the Macbook is worse than the GMA950.

November 02 2007 at 12:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rickumus

@39. Steve Jobs doesn't care about the Mac mini or sub $1000 machines. He is rich!

November 02 2007 at 1:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ozbone

So if I remember correctly the mini uses the same graphics as the earlier MacBooks, right ? If so, then you have to wonder what this change might say about the mini's future .... update or _______

November 01 2007 at 6:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

The 10.5.0 graphics drivers are still far from perfect. Hopefully Apple isn't going to forget about the GMA950 users as Leopard evolves. But after the ATI Rage non-acceleration fiasco, I wouldn't be surprised.

November 01 2007 at 4:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kaizen

Im so glad they finnally upgraded the macbooks and the bigger HDD is nice too.

November 01 2007 at 4:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Martin

Unfortunately, I won't be upgrading past my PowerBook G4 until the MacBook offers a 15 inch model. The price difference to get a 15 inch laptop from Apple right now is just ridiculous.

November 01 2007 at 3:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply