Apple MacBook/2.4GHz (Mid 2010)

MacBook/2.4GHz (Mid 2010)

Earlier this month, Apple quietly updated its entry-level laptop, the MacBook. Available in just one standard configuration, the new MacBook now sports a faster running processor and improved graphics that provide a modest speed improvement over its predecessor.

New to the MacBook is a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, which takes the place of the 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo used in the previous model (). An Nvidia GeForce 320m integrated graphics subsystem replaces the Nvidia GeForce 9400m integrated graphics.

The only other differences of note are the addition of inertial scrolling and the Mini DisplayPort now supports both audio and video out when using a compatible third-party adapter. These new features were added to the MacBook Pro models released in April.

The new MacBook’s appearance is identical to the mid-2009 model it replaces, using the same 13-inch glossy screen and white plastic unibody design. Also unchanged are the ports, with a Mini DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports, and a Gigabit Ethernet port—FireWire continues to be missing (and missed by me).

Like the older system, the new MacBook ships standard with 2GB of RAM, and Apple says that 4GB is the recommended maximum RAM configuration. In case you are wondering, the entire MacBook Pro line ships with 4GB of RAM standard, with a maximum configuration of 8GB. It’s possible to install 8GB of RAM in a MacBook and it would probably work just fine, but if something goes wrong, you’d be on your own. The included warranty and AppleCare won’t cover a MacBook with 8GB of RAM.
New 2.4GHz MacBook: Speedmark scores


Longer bars are better. Blue bars in italics represent reference systems. Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, Chris Holt, Chris Holt, Lynn La, and Meghann Myers.

To find out how much these enhancements affect performance, we ran the new MacBook through our Speedmark 6 suite of overall system tests. We found that the new MacBook, with a Speedmark 6 score of 118, was seven percent faster than the 2.26GHz MacBook it replaces.

By far, the biggest gain was in our 3D game tests, in which the new MacBook, with its Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, was able to display 66 percent more frames per second than the older model with its Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics. The new MacBook’s faster processor also helped it post a 10 percent faster Cinebench CPU score.

The new system was also faster in our Photoshop and iTunes tests, but only by a few seconds. Interestingly, some of the hard drive tests (file duplication and unzipping a 2GB file) were a couple of seconds faster on the older model.

Comparing the new $999 MacBook to the entry-level $1199 13-inch 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (), we see identical Speedmark scores. With the same hard drives, processors, and integrated graphics, this should come as little surprise. And though the $1199 MacBook Pro, with 4GB of RAM, includes twice the memory of the MacBook, our Speedmark tests (run one at a time) show very little benefit from the additional RAM. I ran Speedmark on the 2.26GHz MacBook with 4GB of RAM for our recent review of the 13-inch MacBook Pros and found only a 2-point increase in Speedmark scores with the additional memory. So why go Pro? There are a couple of advantages to the MacBook Pro, namely FireWire 800 and an SD card slot.

Looking at the performance differences between the MacBook and the low-end 15-inch MacBook Pro (), a $1799 model with 4GB of RAM, both integrated and discreet graphics, and a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, we see a much bigger gap—24 percent overall, according to Speedmark 6 results. The Core i5 MacBook Pro, with its Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies, was 32 percent faster than the MacBook in the Cinebench CPU test, 45 percent faster in MathematicaMark and 34 percent faster in our Aperture test. The 15-inch MacBook Pro’s discreet graphics was able to display nearly twice the number of frames per second as the new MacBook with only integrated graphics.
2.4GHz MacBook Pro Speedmark scores
Speedmark
6 Adobe
Photoshop
CS4 Cinebench
R10 Mathemetica-
Mark 7 Compressor
3.0.4 Aperture
2.1.4 iMovie
’09 iMovie
’09 iTunes
9 Call of
Duty 4 Finder Finder Finder Parallels
WorldBench 6 Handbrake
0.9.3 iPhoto
’09 Pages
’09 Battery
Life
OVERALL
SCORE SUITE RENDER SCORE MPEG
ENCODE IMPORT IMPORT
ARCHIVE EXPORT MP3
ENCODE FRAME
RATE DUPLICATE
1GB
FOLDER ZIP
ARCHIVE UNZIP
ARCHIVE MULTI-TASK
TEST RIP
DVD
CHAPTER IMPORT OPEN
WORD
DOCUMENT VIDEO
PLAYBACK
MacBook
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo 118 0:48 2:58 3.39 10:20 3:38 1:47 1:58 1:37 35.6 0:35 4:07 1:18 6:21 3:15 0:55 2:05 4:55
MacBook
2.26GHz Core 2 Duo (Late 2009) 110 0:50 3:05 3.13 10:39 3:49 2:09 2:07 1:39 21.5 0:32 4:11 1:14 6:30 3:12 1:00 2:26 3:58
13-inch MacBook Pro
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo 118 0:48 2:57 3.41 11:11 3:41 1:46 2:00 1:41 38.9 0:32 4:03 1:14 6:23 3:14 0:48 2:02 4:19
15-inch MacBook Pro
2.4GHz Core i5 146 0:43 2:02 4.93 8:35 2:22 1:28 1:35 1:20 68.4 0:32 3:37 1:12 5:56 2:39 0:43 1:35 4:33

Best results in bold. Reference systems in italics.

How we tested. Call of Duty score is in frames per second (higher is better). Speedmark and MathematicaMark are performance scores (higher scores are better). All others are in minutes:seconds (lower is better, except for Battery Life, where higher is better). All systems were tested with 10.6.3 and 4GB RAM. The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50MB file. Photoshop’s memory was set to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum. We recorded how long it took to render a scene with mulitprocessors in CinemaBench. We used Compressor to encode a MOV file to the application’s H.264 for video podcast setting.We timed the import and thumbnail/preview creation time for 150 photos. In iMovie, we imported a camera archive and exported it to iTunes for Mobile Devices setting. We converted 90 minutes of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes’ High Quality setting. We Unzipped a 2GB archive in the Finder. We ran WorldBench 6 multitasking test on a Parallels VM. We imported 150 JPEGs into iPhoto. We used HandBrake to rip a DVD chapter to the hard drive. We opened a 500-page Word document in Pages ’09.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, Chris Holt, Lynn La, and Meghann Myers
Battery life

With the new graphics and some minor changes to the battery, the new MacBook can last longer between charging cycles. In our tests, where we loop a movie from the hard drive at full screen, full brightness with AirPort connected to our local network and the volume on (but low), the MacBook was able to run for nearly 5 hours, or 58 minutes longer than the MacBook it replaces. It lasted 35 minutes longer than the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 22 minutes longer than the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Note that our battery tests (and therefore, the results) differ significantly from those cited in Apple’s marketing materials.
Limited options

Apple offers a very limited number of optional upgrades for the MacBook. Upping the RAM to 4GB from 2GB will cost $100, and swapping the 250GB, 5400-rpm hard drive for a 320GB drive of the same speed will cost $50; a 500GB drive adds $150 to the price. Faster hard drives, SSDs, or an anti-glare screen are not offered through the Apple Store.
Macworld buying advice

With its faster processor, improved graphics and longer battery life, the MacBook makes an attractive option for budget conscious laptop shoppers. Performance-wise, the MacBook isn’t different from the 13-inch 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro—the extra $200 for the MacBook Pro buys more RAM, a FireWire 800 port, an SD card slot, an an aluminum case.

20.50 by TRIMBIL · 0

Acer Crams a Core i7 Into its New TimelineX Ultraportable

It's only been a few short months since Acer revealed its sleek, ultraportable Aspire TimelineX series, but the series is already getting an update. Acer just announced that it has updated the series, with a couple of new models and configurations.

A new model shines in the 1830T line--the 1830T-68U118, which features an Intel Core i7 680UM processor (1.46GHz with Turbo Boost technology), and 11.6-inch display, and a (supposed) 8 hours of battery life. The new model also lives up to its ultraportable classification, weighing in at just 3.09 lbs. This new ultra-light notebook has a suggested price of $899.

Acer updated the other TimelineX models as well: New features include HDMI output ports, Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, full-sized keyboards (including the 11.6-incher), and Windows Home Premium. A couple of the 14-inch notebooks even have discrete graphics.

If you're looking for something a little closer to notebook instead of netbook, Acer is updating its 3820T line--13.3-inch screens, 3.97 pounds, and just over an inch (1.14 inches) thick. The 3820T line features Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), and up to a 320GB hard drive.

The Aspire 5820T (15.6-inch screens, 5.5 lbs) and 4820T (14-inch screens, 4.65 lbs) have been updated to include Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, up to 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), and hard drives up to 500GB in capacity. Both lines will set you back $700+.

Also--for gamers--a couple of the 14-inch (4820TG) models now have discrete switchable graphics in an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card. These models, which feature an Intel Core i5-460M processor, have a suggested retail price starting at $799.

While we're a bit skeptical about the "8-hour battery life" claim on all of these models, an 11.6-incher with a full-size keyboard and an i7 processor is certainly tempting.

20.12 by TRIMBIL · 0

Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118: The Power You Crave in an Ultraportable Package

we mentioned that Acer was planning to update its TimelineX series by cramming an Intel Core i7 processor into an 11.6-inch ultraportable laptop. Well, the company succeeded. The Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118 packs a ton of processing power into a netbook-size package, and still manages to include a full-size keyboard.

Our review model ($899 as of November 11, 2010) came with a powerful Core i7 processor--a 1.47GHz, ultra-low-voltage variant of the 680UM processor--as well as 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium. Connectivity features included an ethernet port, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth--but no mobile broadband. You do get an embedded 1.3-megapixel Webcam.

Though not quite as sexy as the new 11-inch Macbook Air, the TimelineX is very sleek. It measures 11.2 inches wide by 8 inches long by just over 1 inch thick, and it weighs 3 pounds; the power brick is so light you'll barely notice it. In our battery life tests, the TimelineX lasted for 6.5 hours on one charge.

The textured, matte-black cover of the TimelineX has a shiny, mirrored Acer logo in the center. The interior features a matte black keyboard, a dark-gray brushed aluminum wristpad, and a glossy black bezel around the screen, but there are no dedicated buttons (save for the circular power button) and few indicator lights.

The TimelineX provides a reasonable number of ports for an ultraportable laptop. On the right side, it offers an ethernet port, a Kensington lock port, two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, and a five-in-one card reader slot. A vent occupies part of the left side of the laptop, but the designers still found room for a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI-out port, and a VGA-out port.

The TimelineX's floating Chiclet-style keyboard is full-size, but it's very flat, and the keys are basically flush with the palm rest. The keys are also smooth and closely spaced, and they offer weak feedback, which makes touch-typing pretty frustrating.

The multitouch trackpad is even worse. The palm rest is a tad too narrow to be comfortable, and the trackpad is only as deep as the palm rest is. In practical terms the trackpad and the palm rest are one entity, with the touchpad distinguished only by two slightly raised strips on either side of it. Two small, discrete buttons sit beneath it, right on the edge of the laptop. Often as I tried to move the mouse pointer, I would discover that I was futilely moving my finger around on the nontrackpad part of the palm rest; at other times, I would attempt to press one of the buttons and end up poking myself in the lap.

The glossy, 11.6-inch screen has a native resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels, typical for its class. The display quality is pretty good, but it's not bright enough for comfortable use outside (especially in direct sunlight), colors tend to look a little washed out, and the picture degrades rapidly when you view the screen off-axis. The glossiness tends to throw back a lot of reflections, too.

Video playback on the TimelineX is reasonably good, but the absence of a discrete graphics card means that graphics-intensive video games are unplayable. The integrated graphics system handles high-definition fairly well, however; so if you're just planning on streaming a few Hulu episodes or playing back clips shot with an HD camcorder, this laptop will do the trick.

The Acer's audio is much louder and deeper than the sound you'd get from a typical netbook. Because the stereo speakers are situated on the bottom of the computer, just under the wrist rest, perching the ultraportable on your lap significantly muffles the sound. The speakers, though good for a laptop of this size, could use more bass. Still, they're loud enough to let you watch a film or participate in a video chat without feeling aggrieved.

The TimelineX runs Windows 7 Home Premium, and comes with Microsoft and McAfee trialware, CyberLink Power DVD 9 (despite the absence of an optical drive), and a suite of Acer software (including Crystal Eye Webcam, eRecovery Management, and Backup Manager).

If you're looking for a netbook that has the power of a laptop (or a laptop the size of a netbook), look no further. The Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118 combines power and portability in an appealing package that costs $100 less than the new Macbook Air. The keyboard and trackpad are flawed--but for an i7 processor and an 11.6-inch screen, you have to make some sacrifices.

20.04 by TRIMBIL · 0