Aluminum unibody model
Aluminum unibody model
On October 14, 2008, Apple announced a MacBook featuring a new Nvidia chipset at a Cupertino, California press conference entitled "The Spotlight Turns To Notebooks".
The chipset brought a 1066 MHz system bus, use of DDR3 system memory, and integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics up to five times faster than the original MacBooks' Intel chipset.[25] Other changes include an LED backlit display, a new Mini DisplayPort (replacing the polycarbonate MacBook's mini-DVIport), a multi-touch glass trackpad which also acts as the mouse button, removal of toxins such as mercury, and the removal of the FireWire 400 port (thus it doesn't support Target Disk Mode, used for data transfers or operating system repairs without booting the system).[26] An updated line of the unibody MacBooks were rebranded as the 13-inch MacBook Pro on June 8, 2009 at Apple's WWDC 2009[3] and FireWire was restored in the form of a FireWire 800port.
[edit]Design
The design had stylistic traits of the MacBook Air which were also implemented into the design of the MacBook Pro. This model was thinner than the original polycarbonate MacBooks, and it made use of a unibody aluminum case with tapered edges. The keyboard of the higher-end model was offered with a backlight.
[edit]Reception
Although Gizmodo concluded it to be "our favorite MacBook to date," they did claim that, at the time, its display was inferior to that found on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, alleging a smaller viewing angle, washed-out colors, and dimmer backlighting.[27] Similarly, AppleInsider and Engadget concluded that it "may well be Apple's best MacBook to date" and "these are terrific choices—not only from an industrial design standpoint, but in specs as well" respectively, while also drawing attention to a lower quality display as compared with the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.[28][29] Charlie Sorrel of Wired News reached an identical conclusion about the MacBook display, citing its poor contrast and lack of vertical angle in comparison with the MacBook Pro and even the older white MacBook.[30] Peter Cohen wrote an article discussing the loss of the FireWire port for Macworld, saying "The absence of FireWire ports is certainly an inconvenience for some users. But it shouldn’t be considered a deal-breaker for most of us, anyway."[31]