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Aluminum Unibody MacBook Q&A - Published October 25, 2008
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What are the differences between the "Unibody" MacBook models?
Please note that the "Late 2008/Unibody" MacBook models have been discontinued. The "Unibody" MacBook was replaced by the "Mid-2009" 13-Inch MacBook Pro on June 8, 2009.
The "Late 2008/Unibody" MacBook Core 2 Duo systems -- the MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.0 13" (Unibody) and MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 13" (Unibody) -- are quite similar to one another, but are completely different from the earlier "White & Black" plastic MacBook models that they replaced.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.
Both "Unibody" MacBook Core 2 Duo (Late 2008/Aluminum) models have an all new Aluminum iMac-esq black and silver case design milled from a single block of aluminum providing greater strength, reduced weight, and a superior finish than previous systems.
Both models also unveil a new "no button" glass "multi-touch" trackpad with support for new "four finger" gestures and programmable "zones" and have 13.3" widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" displays that are LED-backlit, a first for the MacBook line. The higher-end model -- the MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 13" (Unibody) -- also has a backlit keyboard.
Connectivity of each includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, optical digital/analog audio in/out, and a new "Mini DisplayPort" that supports an external display at 2560x1600. Neither includes a Firewire "400" port.
Internally, the models are quite similar as well, with the same logic board design and 45 nm "Penryn" Intel "Core 2 Duo" processors of different speeds with two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip, a 3 MB shared "on chip" level 2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus, 2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) installed in pairs (two 1 GB modules), support for Serial ATA hard drives, an 8X DL "SuperDrive", and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M "graphics processor with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory".
The modest differences between the "Late 2008/Unibody" models -- configuration, capabilities, and price -- are summarized in this handy chart:
| MacBook "Unibody" | 2.0 | 2.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Processor: | P7350 | P8600 |
| Processor Speed: | 2.0 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Hard Drive Size: | 160 GB | 250 GB |
| Standard RAM: | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Optical Capabilities: | 8X DL "SuperDrive" | 8X DL "SuperDrive" |
| Backlit Keyboard: | No | Yes |
| Apple Part No: | MB466LL/A | MB467LL/A |
| Price: | US$1299 | US$1599 |
Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any MacBook model to any other G3 or later Mac.
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