There's now a little less difference between a new Apple unibody MacBook and the older white MacBook. Within the past week it seems that Apple has updated the specs on the older version of the MacBook to make it more appealing to potential buyers who don't have pockets deep enough to purchase a new model.
According to the Apple Store's Web site the white 13-inch MacBook can be purchased for $999. But the internal specs have been given a small, but important, makeover to make the laptop more attractive. The white MacBook now boasts a new 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor with a 1,066MHz front-side bus. An Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card has been added, along with a 120-GB hard drive.
The unibody 13-inch MacBook in aluminum boasts pretty similar specs: an Intel Core 2 Duo and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card. The hard drive on the unibody MacBook is a little more robust, clocking in at 160 GB.
The main difference between the two notebooks comes from the DDR memory. The older version of the MacBook has 2 GB of DDR2 memory; the aluminum version has 2 GB of DDR3 Memory. That means the unibody MacBook computes more quickly, but at the cost of an additional $300.
The 13-inch unibody MacBook in aluminum is retailing on the Apple Web site for $1,299.
The question then becomes more one of style than computing power. Is the extra $300 for an aluminum body and slightly faster DDR3 memory worth it? The other option, of course, is getting a slightly slower, last-generation version of an Apple MacBook that will perform just as admirably at a lower price.
A Mini-DVI video out port is also listed among the specs on the white MacBook as standard equipment. It seems likely that the MiniDisplay port that is a part of newer MacBook models probably isn't included.
