The Apple MacBook is the most talked about laptop this year, but does it live up to its hype? The Apple MacBook is a follow up from the Apple MacBook Pro giving a more consumer-friendly price with a new design. Around a thousand dollars cheaper the Macbook pro, the Macbook still has a lot of the same cool features:



? Has an updated Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU

? A built in Webcam with remote control

? Is able to run Windows XP

? Two USB 2.0 Ports

? FireWire 400

The MacBook definitely lives up to its expectations starting at only 1,099 dollars. These 13.3 inch laptops can almost do everything their predecessor MacBook Pro can, costing a thousand dollars less. It has many of the same features as the pro including iSight Camera and a great distinctive look. The Macbook is great for anyone looking to update their older Macbook.

The MacBook has a very nice screen with a resolution of 1200x800 pixels and is 13.3 inches wide making everything clear and easy to read. The Pro offers 1,440x900, but the difference is almost nothing to the naked eye. One of the greatest changes Apple has incorporated into the MacBook is the keyboard. It has totally flat keys like the Sony VAIO C150P/B other than the concave keys they use to have. The MacBook also has a two finger scroll making the laptop much easier to use without a mouse. Apple is known for their innovation, and the MacBook's AC adaptor shows that. The AC adaptor is attached magnetically, so if you trip over the wire it will simply detach instead of sending your whole laptop crashing down. Genius right?

Performance and Upgrades

Several battery tests have been given to the Macbook with impressive results. The average length of battery time was 3 hours and 30 minutes which was 30 minutes more than the MacBook Pro.

There are many upgrades and accessories available for the Macbook. One of the most popular is $59 dollars for an airline power adaptor called the MagSafe Airline Adaptor. With it, you could easily watch a movie or two during your flight. The basic MacBook Pro comes with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive. You can double all of that for $175, or you can spoof up your hard drive to 160 GB for 100 dollars or 200 GB for 200 dollars. Apple also sells a number of external accessories including a USB modern jack for 49 dollars or a mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter for 19 dollars.

Although the MacBook and MacBook Pro share a lot of similarities there are some major differences including the price, screen size, and design. One of the major changes is that The MacBook Pro is equipped with ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, while the MacBooks are stuck with Intel GMA 950 graphics. If you're a gamer you should consider getting the Pro.

The new MacBook is definitely a hit giving consumers a chance to own a business-like laptop for a very reasonable price. Although there are some differences, the MacBook still has a lot of the great features of the MacBook Pro.