The good: Upgraded CPU for the same price; same great design; Leopard operating system.

The bad: Still no ExpressCard or SD card slots; only more expensive models are available in black.

The bottom line: Apple has been content to issue minor periodic hardware updates to the 13-inch MacBook, but the modest performance gains and new Leopard OS keep it in our top tier of laptop recommendations.

Read full review of the Apple MacBook-Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz »

By Dan Ackerman, CNET.com
Jan 31, 2008

Introduced in 2006, the current version of Apple's 13-inch MacBook laptop was a revolutionary product, combining Intel's Core 2 Duo CPUs with Apple's much-lauded operating system. Add in Apple extras such as the iSight camera, Front Row remote, iLife software, and MagSafe power adapter, and you have what is arguably one of the best-loved laptops on the planet.

Since then, Apple has been content to issue minor periodic hardware upgrades, which, while not all that exciting, continue to add CPU horsepower while keeping prices steady. The latest update, from November 2007, bumped up the top available CPU to a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, and added Intel's Santa Rosa platform and slightly better integrated graphics, resulting in a modest boost in performance. But you'll probably be much more interested in Apple's new Leopard version of its OS X operating system, which comes preinstalled on new MacBooks. It adds a handful of useful new features, keeping the MacBook in our top tier of laptop recommendations, even if we're secretly itching for something new.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design

While the S$1,788 (US$1,287.07) entry-level MacBook is available only in white, we're much more used to seeing the black version (starting at S$2,488 (US$1,790.96)) in the wild. The matte black look still isn't quite as sharp as the metallic MacBook Pro, but we still like it better than the plastic-looking white finish.

Inside, you'll find Apple's typically minimalist setup, including a power button, a full-size keyboard, a sizable touchpad with a single mouse button, and a built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. If you miss the scroll bar found on almost every Windows laptops, the two-finger scroll option works well (run two fingers down the touchpad, and it scrolls like a mouse wheel). We remain fans of Apple's flat-key keyboard, although Windows users will have to get used to a Delete key that functions like a PC Backspace key, and no standalone equivalent key for what PCs call Delete. Compared with previous MacBooks, the main visual difference is that a few of the alternate functions on the F keys have been juggled around.

Features

The biggest new feature is the inclusion of Apple's latest version of OS X, commonly known as Leopard. The look and feel are largely unchanged, but several useful new features have been added, including Time Machine, an easy-to-use backup utility; Spaces, which allows you to set up multiple desktops (one with all your media apps open or one for Web pages) and swap between them on-the-fly; and Quick Look, which lets you open a fast preview version of any document or file without waiting for their associated applications to open.

The MacBook still includes the Front Row remote control (sadly, available only in white), and the extremely handy MagSafe power adapter, which handily (and safely) detaches itself from a magnetic plug on the laptop's side when you invariably trip over the power cord.

The 13.3-inch widescreen LCD display offers a clear and easy to read 1,280 x 800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size, as well as most 14- and 15-inch laptops (although Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro offers a higher 1,440 x 900 resolution).

Apple's previous revision added support for 802.11n Wi-Fi technology, but the lack of an SD card reader remains one of the MacBook's few weak spots. Adding mobile broadband--not offered by Apple--will also be difficult without an Express card slot.

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