13” MacBook vs. 13” MacBook Pro - Which Is The Better Value?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
by Charles W. Moore 13” MacBook vs. 13” MacBook Pro - Which Is The Better Value?
The old plastic $999 MacBook had been getting awfully long in the tooth by last fall, with it’s sometimes troublesome (cracks, discoloration) polycarbonate enclosure design dating way back to the May, 1, 2001 release of the original dual-USB iBook. Apple finally rectified that last October, with the release of a completely new MacBook, still clad in polycarbonate, but with an entirely new case design incorporating enough of Apple’s “unibody” engineering borrowed from the aluminum MacBooks to be able to get away with calling it a “unibody” too, even though strictly speaking, it’s not, since the case is strengthened by an aluminum stamping bottom panel.
However, the new MacBook is in most respects a quantum improvement over the old one, and a much more attractive value at its $999 price tag, with a couple of exceptions. Among the unalloyed improvements are a faster 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (up from 2.13 GHz) with 3 MB shared Level 2 cache on a 1066 MHz frontside bus, the same as used in the base MacBook Pro, a larger capacity 250 GB hard dri\ve, an LED backlit, 13.3in glass-covered display that supports both mirroring and extension an an external monitor up to 2560 by 1600 resolution at millions of colors, and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad similar to the ones used in the unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and a very decent keyboard. Carried over are good stuff like the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and 2 GB of standard RAM. Unlike the outgoing model, it also has a high-capacity built-in battery that is non-swappable, which is a feature I’m personally ambivalent about but some folks like.
Unfortunately, Apple also opted to drop the previous model’s FireWire port and didn’t include a SD card reader either, limiting connectivity/expandability to a chintzy two USB ports, Wireless-N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a Gigabit Ethernet port, plus single iPod-type audio jack sharing both input and output duty, with a mini-DisplayPort for video out. The most probable explanation for these omissions is that Apple likely wanted to stake out some distance between the base MacBook and the $200 more expensive 13” MacBook Pro, which is understandable from a marketing strategy standpoint, but frustrating in a computer that still costs a thousand bucks, which is this netbook world makes it a relatively expensive laptop, notwithstanding that it’s the cheapest machine in the MacBook family and the second-cheapest Mac overall.
Nevertheless, it is a Mac, powerful, cool-running and quiet, will likely last a long time and even with the annoying connectivity shortcomings, would look like a rip-roaring great value in a historical context were it not for that 20 percent more expensive but much better equipped 13” MacBook Pro.
The Pro model includes pretty much everything the base MacBook does, comes in a sublimely beautiful, precision-machined aluminum true unibody enclosure and includes a backlit keyboard, double the memory ceiling at 8 GB rather than 4 GB, a FireWire 800 port, and a SD card reader making the MacBook look stingy by comparison. The only spec. where the MacBook has the edge is in hard drive capacity — the base 13” MacBook Pro comes with a 160 GB drive. On the other hand, the Pro model offers an available BTO SSD option while the MacBook doesn’t
In terms of appearance, it partly depends on what you like. Both machines are attractive, but the aluminum pro model IMHO is gorgeous (I have an aluminum unibody MacBook which is identical to the 13” MAcBook Pro in appearance save for port differences). The plastic MacBook is actually slightly wider, deeper, thicker, and heavier than the 13” MacBook Pro. My unibody feels feather-light to carry around. You almost have to pinch yourself to cognate that Apple has packed so much power into such a wisp of a package.
Personally, I’m of a mind that the 13” MacBook Pro may well be the best value in a laptop computer that Apple has ever offered. If you really can’t scrape up that extra 200 bucks, then the MacBook offers pretty much identical computing performance so log as you can struggle along with no more than 4 GB of RAM. Internally, the two machines are pretty similar as the features comparo below conforms.
However that aluminum true unibody enclosure, structurally much more rigid, and presumably more durable and rugged than polycarbonate, the greater connectivity and expandability support, what will certainly be better resale value retention, and the sheer pleasure of the 13” MacBook Pro’s drop-dead gorgeous looks and jewelry finish feel add up to more than $200 greater perceived value to me.
MacBook and 13” MacBook Pros Specifications And Features Compared
Processor
MacBook
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo
13” MacBook Pro
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo
Processor Cache
MacBook
3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
13” MacBook Pro
3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
System Bus
MacBook
1066MHz frontside bus
13” MacBook Pro
1066MHz frontside bus
Memory Config and Support
MacBook
2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up toÊ4GB
13” MacBook Pro
2 GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 memory; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 8GB
Hard Drives
MacBook
250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 320GB or 500GB 5400-rpm drive
13” MacBook Pro
160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 250 GB, 320GB or 500GB 5400-rpm hard drive, or 128GB or 256GB solid-state drive
Optical Drives
MacBook
8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/ CD-RW)
13” MacBook Pro
8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Display
MacBook
13.3-inch (diagonal) 1280 by 800 LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 768, 1024 by 640, 800 by 600, 800 by 500, 720 by 480, and 640 by 480 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio
13” MacBook Pro
13.3-inch (diagonal) 1280 by 800 LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions ofÊcolors
Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched
Graphics Support
MacBook
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3
Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Built-in iSight camera
Mini DisplayPort
Ê
13” MacBook Pro
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Built-in iSight camera
Mini DisplayPort
I/O Ports
MacBook
Gigabit Ethernet port
Mini DisplayPort
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Audio in/out
13” MacBook Pro
Gigabit Ethernet port
One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
Mini DisplayPort
wo USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
SD card slot
Audio in/out
Video Out Support
MacBook
DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVIÊAdapter
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGAÊAdapter
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter supports 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display (optional)
13” MacBook Pro
DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (optional)
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (optional)
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter supports 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display (optional)
Audio
MacBook
• Built-in stereo speakers • Built-in omnidirectional microphone • Combined optical digital output/headphoneÊout (user-selectable analog audio line in) • Supports Apple Stereo Headset with microphone13” MacBook Pro
• Built-in stereo speakers • Built-in omnidirectional microphone • Combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in) • Supports Apple Stereo Headset with microphoneBattery And Power
MacBook
Built-in 60-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
MagSafe power port
13” MacBook Pro
Built-in 60-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
MagSafe power port
Size and Weight
13” MacBook
Height: 1.08 inches (2.74 cm)
Width: 13.00 inches (33.03 cm)
Depth: 9.12 inches (23.17 cm)
Weight:] 4.7 pounds (2.13 kg)1
13” MacBook Pro
Height: 0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 4.5 pounds (2.04 kg)
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