The MacBook, which came out five months after the MacBook Pro, is slightly smaller than the MacBook Pro, and the critic at MacWorld.com, Jason Snell, writes that the black MacBook has a matte finish and is "clearly preferred" over the classic white version. The MacBook that Snell reviewed has an "incredibly reflective" screen; is the reflective screen an improvement over the old style "anti-glare" screen? "Some people will love it, and others will hate it," Snell explains. When seen in the right conditions, Snell continues, the glossy screen "looks absolutely gorgeous"; however, it can also be distracting when you can constantly see your own face reflected back at you from your laptop's screen, Snell points out.
The keyboard, with its keys that are perfect squares, is appealing to MacWorld. But what is not appealing is the mouse button, which left Snell wanting "more tactile feedback" when he clicked the mouse. He figures to get used to it, and does see the utility in the MacBooks' trackpad, which "becomes a control-click/right-click button" which you can turn off or on.
The MacWorld reviewer appreciated the built-in iSight camera, and the standard AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth technologies always built in to MacBook models.
One thing missing from the MacBook that Snell would like to see in there is the ExpressCard slot, which is available on the MacBook Pro. The battery in the MacBook is "long and narrow" like the original iBook battery, and under the battery are two SO-DIMM slots which allow the user to add up to 2GB of RAM beyond what the computer comes with from the factory.
Another minor criticism of the MacBook comes from former Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who spoke in Sydney, Australia at the Broadband and Beyond Conference (Moses, 2008) on March 3. Wozniak, considered one of the geniuses at Apple - and he created the Apple 1 and Apple II computers in the mid-1970s - but is only a part time employee now, told his audience that he was disappointed the MacBook had no DVD drive. He also misses having an Ethernet networking port, and he regrets that on the MacBook there is no way to swap batteries. He said he likes...
"...But there's a pureness about it and really I like it," he added (Moses 2008).
Meanwhile, what does the reviewer for PCMag.com think of the MacBook? "Among budget laptops, the Apple MacBook 13-inch white (Core 2 Duo) is one of the best," writes Cisco Cheng. He writes that it is "ideal for novice users, students, people who travel and those who want a computer that "...looks absolutely fabulous." He says the Windows-based laptops that have been trying to catch up to Apple's technology and innovations have "a real big run for their money" now that the MacBook is out and selling like hotcakes.
Conclusion: What demographic is the MacBook targeted towards? Clearly this is Apple's least expensive laptop computer, and yet it has many of the bells and whistles (minus a standard DVD player and Ethernet port) that the more tech-savvy users want. So it would be safe to say Apple has designed this machine for the average creative person, the student who downloads iTunes, and the professional who wants a sleek, thin, lightweight laptop for travel and work.
Works Cited
Amazon.com. "Apple MacBook." http://www.amazon.com.
Best Buy. "Apple MacBook." http://www.bestbuy.com.
Cheng, Cisco. "Apple MacBook 13-inch White (Core 2 Duo)." PC Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2008 at http://www.pcmag.com.(2006).
Jaffe, Justin, & Thatcher, Michelle. "Apple MacBook (13-inch, 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo)."
CNet. Retrieved March 3, 2008, at http://reviews.cnet.com.
MacMall. "Apple MacBook." http://www.macmall.com.
Moses, Asher. "Woz finds flaws in Apple's latest offerings." The Sydney Morning Herald.
Retrieved March 2, 2008, at http://www.smh.com.(2008).
Snell, Jason. "First Look: Apple's new MacBook: First impressions after a day with Apple's new
MacBook." MacWorld. Retrieved March 3, 2008, at http://www.macworld.com.(2006).
