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Apple MacBook 13-inch 1.83GHz
Taking a Closer Look
The left side of the MacBook is where all the ports are. From left to right there is the MagSafe power adapter, 10/100/1000 Ethernet adaptor, Mini-DVI output (requires a separate adapter for each DVI, VGA and S-Video/Composite outputs, priced at $20 each), Firewire 400, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio-In and Audio-Out (headphones). There is also a security lock slot to secure the laptop to something so it doesn't just "walk away." I open the MacBook and my eyes are drawn to the keyboard. It looks very different compared to other laptop keyboards I have used over the years. However, as I type on it, I can say with confidence that I really don't care that it looks different since it functions just as well as the other laptop keyboards I have used. While the keyboard is radically different in appearance, it is also different when it comes to how it is integrated with the rest of the laptop. Unlike most other laptop keyboards which are somewhat easy to remove, this keyboard is actually integrated into the MacBook chassis. Unfortunately, this means that any time the keyboard needs replacing, it will be a much more trying ordeal when compared to other laptops. The caps lock and num lock keys are quite interesting, as they have the indicator LEDs built into them so that there is a green light emanating from that key when the corresponding mode is activated.    Next is the display. Apple decided to use a glossy display panel for the MacBook as opposed to the more matte-finish one that is found on their stand-alone displays, iMac and MacBook Pro (though the glossy option is now available as a BTO option on the MacBook Pro). Apple touts the glossy display as having a more color-rich, saturated picture, whereas the matte finish display is more appropriate for professions in the graphics/print industry where color accuracy is important. The display resolution is 1280x800, which is an aspect ratio of 16:10. This is slightly taller than traditional wide-screen displays, where the aspect ratio is 16:9. The screen's resolution is great for playing back 720p high-definition footage (720p has a resolution of 1280x720). To test this, I went to Apple's trailer site and played the trailer for X-Men 3: The Last Stand at 720p, encoded in H.264. It played back perfectly with no hiccups, and it looked outstanding. I also tried the 1080p movie and it played back well, but since it is so large (1920x1080 pixels) part of the movie was off my screen. Powering the display is Intel's GMA950 graphics chipset. Many folks have complained about integrated graphics and their poor performance. However, the GMA950 performs very well in OS X - the window transitions when using the Expose feature, even when running full-motion video, are smooth and flawless. With that said, later in the review I'll discuss performance in one of the more popular games that run on a Mac (or PC for that matter), World of Warcraft.
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Ordering the MacBook Page 3: First Looks Page 4: Taking a Closer Look Page 5: Setup & Packaged Software Page 6: Testing - Hardware Page 7: Testing - Software Page 8: Testing - Interfacing with and Running Windows Page 9: Testing - Temperature Page 10: Testing - Performance Page 11: Testing - Battery Life & MagSafe Adapter Page 12: Tech Support Experience #1 Page 13: Tech Support Experience #2 Page 14: Conclusion 
Related Reviews Add Comment
1 User Comment 1 - Posted by
mygreenbucks
on January 4, 2009 - 3:59 am Very nice review and i learned a lot from your wonderful thought and genius analysis of the macbook which i just recently purchased.:-)
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