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White & Black MacBook Q&A - Published March 17, 2008
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What are the differences between the "Early 2008 Penryn" MacBook and MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models?
Please note that all models mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. On October 14, 2008, Apple discontinued all but one reconfigured "Early 2008" MacBook and this model quietly was replaced by an "Early 2009/NVIDIA" model on January 20, 2009. The "Early 2008" MacBook Pro models were replaced by the "Late 2008/Unibody" MacBook Pro line.
There are a number of substantial differences between the "Early 2008 Penryn" MacBook and MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc (MacBook)
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (MacBook Pro)
Please note that these images are not to scale, but they make it obvious that at first glance there are a number of differences, as the "Early 2008" MacBook models use white or black polycarbonate cases with 13.3-inch glossy CCFL-backlit widescreen displays with a 1280x800 native resolution, and weigh 5 pounds. The MacBook Pro models, on the other hand, use silver-colored aluminum cases with either an antiglare LED-backlit 15.4" widescreen 1440x900 active-matrix display (a glossy display is available via build-to-order) or an antiglare CCFL-backlit 17" widescreen 1680x1050 active-matrix display (again, a glossy display is available via build-to-order at no extra cost, and a higher resolution LED-backlit 1920x1200 display also is available for an extra US$100). The 15.4-inch MacBook Pro models weigh 5.4 pounds and the 17.0-inch model weighs 6.8 pounds.
The trackpads used by the "Early 2008" MacBook and MacBook Pro are different. The MacBook models have a has a "scrolling Trackpad" with "two-finger click" capability, but the MacBook Pro models have a more advanced trackpad "borrowed" from the MacBook Air -- which adds support for "multi-touch gesturing" (two finger scroll, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag). The MacBook models also lack the fiber-optic-based "ambient light sensors" that automatically "measure ambient light and work with integrated software to adjust keyboard illumination and screen brightness based on user preferences" of the MacBook Pro models, and have a lower-quality "flush against the bed" keyboard design. Both lines offer the "MagSafe" power connector, integrated iSight video cameras, and lack the previously bundled Apple Remote (available for an extra US$19).
Connectivity is similar, as both the "Early 2008" MacBook and MacBook Pro models have AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire "400" port, and optical digital audio in/out. The MacBook, however, substitutes a mini-DVI out port for the DVI out provided by the MacBook Pro, and lacks the ExpressCard/34 expansion slot and the Firewire "800" port provided by the MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" models. The 17" MacBook Pro models have a third USB 2.0 port as well. Additionally, the Pro systems support Bluetooth 2.1+EDR rather than the earlier 2.0+EDR standard.
MacBook systems support an external display up to 1920x1200 pixels, and the MacBook Pro models have dual-link DVI and consequently can support an external display up to 2560x1600 pixels. No Intel-based Macs have an internal modem.
The most substantial internal difference between the "Early 2008 Penryn" MacBook and MacBook Pro models are the internal graphics. The MacBook systems use Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics that share 144 MB of main memory, whereas the MacBook Pro models have vastly superior NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video processors with 256 MB or 512 MB of dedicated video memory. Both lines have 45 nm "Penryn" Core 2 Duo processors (2.1 and 2.4 GHz for the MacBook, and 2.4 and 2.5 GHz for the MacBook Pro), 800 MHz frontside system buses, and support for 4 GB of of 667 MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (SO-DIMM) memory.
Otherwise, configuration is similar between the lines, but some MacBook Pro models are equipped with more RAM and larger hard drives (Serial ATA for the MacBook and Serial ATA/100 for the MacBook Pro). All are capable of writing dual-layer DVD media, with the exception of the entry-level MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.1 13" (White), which is only capable of reading DVD and writing CD-R(W).
Ultimately, the most notable differences between the "Early 2008 Penryn" MacBook and MacBook Pro models are that the consumer-targeted MacBook models are smaller and lighter with 13" displays, come in white and black cases instead of silver aluminum ones, have slower processors, substantially slower "dedicated graphics" with inferior external display support, inferior keyboards and trackpads, and lack ExpressCard/34 and Firewire "800", but cost less.
These differences are summarized in this handy chart for your convenience:
| "Early 2008" | MacBook | MacBook Pro 15" | MacBook Pro 17" |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Speeds: | 2.1-2.4 GHz | 2.4-2.5 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| L2 Cache: | 3 MB | 3 MB, 6 MB | 6 MB |
| Video System: | Intel GMA X3100 | GeForce 8600M GT* | GeForce 8600M GT* |
| Video Type: | Integrated | Dedicated (GDDR3) | Dedicated (GDDR3) |
| Video Memory: | 144 MB† | 256 MB, 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Display Size: | 13.3" | 15.4" | 17.0" |
| Backlighting: | CCFL | LED | CCFL** |
| Native Resolution: | 1280x800 | 1440x900 | 1680x1050** |
| Ext. Display: | 1920x1200 | 2560x1600 | 2560x1600 |
| Hard Drive Size: | 120, 160, 250 GB | 200, 250 GB | 250 GB |
| Hard Drive Type: | Serial ATA | Serial ATA/100 | Serial ATA/100 |
| Optical Drive: | Combo, Super | Super | Super |
| Default Memory: | 1, 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Max Memory: | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| ExpressCard/34: | No | Yes (1) | Yes (1) |
| Firewire 800: | No | Yes (1) | Yes (1) |
| USB 2.0: | Yes (2) | Yes (2) | Yes (3) |
| Ambient KB: | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multitouch: | No | Yes | Yes |
| Case Color: | White or Black | Silver | Silver |
| Size (Inches): | 1.08 x 12.78 x 8.92 | 1.0 x 14.1 x 9.6 | 1.0 x 15.4 x 10.4 |
| Weight: | 5.0 lbs (2.27 kg) | 5.4 lbs. (2.45 kg) | 6.8 lbs. (3.08 kg) |
| Battery Life: | 4.5 Hours§ | 5 Hours§ | 4.5 Hours§ |
| Price Range: | US$1099-US$1499 | US$1999-US$2499 | US$2799** |
You might also be interested in a side-by-side comparison between the "high end" MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 13" (Black) and "low end" MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 15" (2008). The difference between these models has narrowed quite a bit compared to previous releases:
| Early 2008/Penryn | MacBook 2.4 13" Black | MacBook Pro 2.4 15" |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Processor: | T8300 | T8300 |
| Processor Speed: | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| L2 Cache: | 3 MB | 3 MB |
| Video System: | Intel GMA X3100 | NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT |
| Video Type: | Integrated | Dedicated (GDDR3) |
| Video Memory: | 144 MB† | 256 MB |
| Display Size: | 13.3" Widescreen | 15.4" Widescreen |
| Backlighting: | CCFL | LED |
| Native Resolution: | 1280x800 | 1440x900 |
| Ext. Display Support: | 1920x1200 | 2560x1600 |
| Hard Drive Size: | 250 GB | 200 GB |
| Hard Drive Type: | Serial ATA | Serial ATA/100 |
| Default Memory: | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Max Memory: | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| ExpressCard/34: | No | Yes (1) |
| Firewire 800: | No | Yes (1) |
| Ambient Keyboard: | No | Yes |
| Multitouch: | No | Yes |
| Case Color: | Black | Silver |
| Size (In Inches): | 1.08 x 12.78 x 8.92 | 1.0 x 14.1 x 9.6 |
| Weight: | 5.0 lbs (2.27 kg) | 5.4 lbs. (2.45 kg) |
| Battery Life: | 4.5 Hours§ | 5 Hours§ |
| Apple Part No: | MB404LL/A | MB133LL/A |
| Price: | US$1499 | US$1999 |
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video processor with either 256 MB or 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 SDRAM.
** An LED-backlit 1920x1200 display also available by custom configuration for an extral US$100.
† 144 MB of "video memory" is "borrowed" from system memory.
§ Battery life as provided by Apple. This number is for "wireless productivity", which the company defines as "wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%".
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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