Thoughts on the new MacBooks

The big topic in mobile tech has certainly been the new MacBooks announced by Apple.  One thing is certain there are probably equal number of folks who are excited by the refresh as there are those who wanted more.  We’ve soaked up everything we could find out about the new Macs and analyzed every hands-on account of them all and have some definite thoughts to share about them.

The MacBook White is basically the same white MacBook today as it was before the announcement.  The big change is the new lower price of $999 for the entry level configuration.  This is a good thing as finally there is a notebook from Apple that breaks under the $1000 barrier although barely.  It has a slower processor and bus speed than the new Pros but is overall a sufficient configuration for many.  The big question is how competitive is it going to be with the much cheaper offerings on the Windows notebook side and how consumers will choose.  Budget-minded folks can get much cheaper Windows notebooks with better configurations so only time will tell.

Overviewgallery320081014The biggest news for us in this refresh is the new 13-inch MacBook, which is basically a new smaller MacBook Pro.  It has everything the bigger Pros have with the exception of the new dual graphics chips but for those who have wished Apple would make a MacBook Pro smaller than 15 inches this is for you.  I admit I’m a bit confused why Apple didn’t go ahead and call this a Pro model but they seem to so what they want.  The thought of a 13-inch MacBook Pro is very nice for those of us who like mobility and even though it’s still heavy (4.5 lbs.) compared to netbooks it’s the most portable Mac yet (with optical drive and full port set).  The entry level price of $1299 does make it pretty compelling for those who have been wanting a Pro and that configuration is not shabby.  I suspect this will be the new model that Apple finds selling much faster than the others.

The other MacBook Pros will sell as well as previous 15-inch Pros have been selling which is pretty good.  They are still pricey making them high-end laptops by anyone’s standards but that’s Apple’s plan.  I have read that Apple is planning to phase out the 17-inch Pro since they have left it largely unchanged but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t surprise everyone with some sort of refresh later.  I see a lot of people using these and don’t think sales are so bad that Apple would just chunk the big Pro totally.  Time will tell.

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