Apple MacBook 13-inch 1.83GHz

Reviews: Hardware

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Anthony Fiti
Kurtis
N/A
Aug. 1, 2006

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Testing - Hardware

I should first note that my MacBook 13-inch 1.83GHz notebook was upgraded from the standard 512MB configuration to a 1GB configuration (two 512MB SODIMMs). Based on what I had heard about the memory requirements of OS X, as well as the GMA950 using up to 80MB of system memory for the graphics, it seemed quite obvious that 512MB of RAM would not be enough to keep the system running smoothly. For a little while I had contemplated upgrading to 2GB of RAM, however my budget provided good reason not to go that route (BTO and do-it-yourself options were both more expensive than I had wanted to pursue).

Another technical note is that the RAM must be installed in pairs for optimum performance. This is because the GMA950 graphics processor will use system memory. Integrated graphics have a long and storied history of not only poor performance, but bringing the performance of the rest of the computer down as well. This was because the bandwidth between the MCH (memory controller hub, also commonly referred to as the northbridge) and the RAM was the same as the bandwidth between the MCH and the processor itself. So if the processor was engaged in an intensive application (like playing games for example), it would be using much of its bandwidth sending data to and from RAM, and likewise much if not all of the bandwidth between the MCH and the RAM. When you throw in a graphics chip siphoning off system RAM, it has to share the bandwidth between the MCH and the RAM with the processor, bringing down system performance.

However, with the Intel 945MCH this problem has been, for the most part, resolved. The amount of bandwidth between the processor and the MCH is 5.3GB/s (667MHz FSB), and the bandwidth between the MCH and RAM is two 5.3GB/s channels, for a total of 10.6GB/s. This extra bandwidth between the RAM and the MCH can accommodate the GMA950's use of the memory bus as well as DMA (direct memory access) by other components of the system.

This is a hop, skip, and a jump from such techie hardware talk, but the Scrolling Trackpad is a neat feature! Many of you might not know that the MacBook (like all Apple computers) does not have a right click button. However this is replaced with either a Command-click or the new two-finger-click-thing (place two fingers on the track pad and click the button). The mouse-gestures feature is a nice addition to the MacBook as well. Basically it allows you to scroll up and down or left and right by putting two fingers on the track pad and moving them in the direction you want to scroll. These features keep your fingers on the trackpad instead of splitting your hands between it and the keyboard. This is a very welcome feature indeed, because sometimes fingers get lonely.

An innovative feature that I liked but haven't seen on many laptops is the ability to turn off the display on demand. You just use the keys above the numbers (the F-keys on the windows keyboard) to turn the brightness of the display all the way down to zero, and the display will turn off. You can just use the increase brightness key to turn it back on and bring it back up to where it was before. So instead of having to wait for the display to turn itself off via a power management scheme, the display can go dark on demand and can help save battery life.

There are some other interesting features that are included with the MacBook. One such features is a built-in iSight webcam at the top of the lid near the magnetic latch. The camera's resolution is VGA (640x480) which is fine for a webcam, but of course it's nowhere near the quality of the cheapest digital still cameras (don't get Kurtis started on lenses!). The video-out from the MacBook is the mini-DVI port, and Apple sells adapters (for $20 each) which convert mini-DVI to DVI, VGA or S-Video and composite (sold separately). The MacBook also supports a combined analog and optical digital input and outputs. This means that the same jack you plug your headphones into will also accept an optical out mini-jack. Likewise for the input - however the documentation for the MacBook (as well as other Mac models) show that you will need an amplified microphone if you use the external input (or just use a USB-based microphone).

Finally, the LCD is high resolution, cramming a full 1280x800 of pixelly goodness into only 13.1" (which equates to 114DPI). While the display has an excellent horizontal viewing angle, the vertical viewing angle of this monitor is quite odd - it's asymmetric. However, given the typical use of a laptop LCD display it works out just fine. If you look at the display at a negative horizontal angle, it will discolor quickly, however on the positive side, it has a much larger viewing angle. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the glossy screen vs. matte screen issue. I'd have to say it is a mixed bag - while the glossy screen does look nicer and brighter than a matte screen, there have been several occasions where it was annoying. The most common instance is when I'm watching a movie, and the screen goes dark and I see my reflection in the screen. A less common but equally annoying occurrence was when I was on a flight, and I could see the reflection of an open window with the sun shining through it a few rows behind me.

However, the hardware was not all peachy. Just as the review was winding down, my MacBook started rebooting randomly. Then, the MacBook would have a hard time turning back on. Often I would get frustrated and give up before I was able to get back up and running again. This would occur when running on battery power, AC in charging mode, and AC with the battery removed form the unit.

On the Tech Support Experience II page in this article I will discuss this issue more, and what I did to try and solve it myself before finally deciding to take it in and have it looked at by an Apple Genius.

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Page 6 of 14

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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

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