Apple has updated its MacBook under the radar with a new graphics chip without changing the laptop’s $999 price tag.
Until now, the MacBook has been offered in a white polycarbonate shell with an older graphics processor. With the change, the white MacBook has a Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor that makes it operate more like the aluminum MacBooks that cost $1,300, according to the Apple Store.
Nvidia’s 9400M G motherboard processing units combine the GPU, system memory controller, and system into a single chip for powerful computing, according to Nvidia. The chip includes a high-definition processor that off-loads all video coding from the CPU, which is supposed to provide users with crisp, high-definition video, accurate color, and image scaling while using less power.
Apple is touting the new MacBook as the “does-everything-you-want MacBook” with updated features.
Under the Hood
According to Apple, there’s a lot of power under the hood of the updated MacBook, including an Intel Core Duo processor. For the mobile MacBook user, there’s a built-in 802.11n wireless feature that finds Wi-Fi networks and places them on the desktop, enabling the user to click and connect to the network.
Another feature is iDVD software, which allows users to burn their own CDs or DVDs, back up data, and create music mixes.
Additional upgrades include a jump from 1GB of RAM to a standard 2GB of RAM, an option for a 320GB hard-disk drive, and an upgrade from Bluetooth version 2.0 to 2.1.
Recognizing the Recession
Putting additional features in the white MacBook without changing the price is a move in the right direction for Apple, according to Paul Jackson, a Forrester analyst.
“It is recognition from Apple, as we are starting to see from our own data and the independent research companies, that people are delaying the purchase of PCs,” Jackson said.
Forrester recently…