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White & Black MacBook Q&A - Revised November 11, 2006
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How does the original MacBook compare to a similar Windows notebook?
Please note that all systems mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The original MacBook series was replaced by the "Late 2006" MacBook Core 2 Duo series.
There are a variety of notebooks that are directly equivalent to the MacBook Pro. The MacBook, on the other hand -- at least on June 9, 2006, when this Q&A was written -- had far fewer.
There are several Windows notebooks with Core Duo processors and 12.1" displays, like the Dell XPS M1210 and Lenovo ThinkPad X60s, and some with 14.1" displays, like the HP Compaq nc6400, among others. However, there was only one Windows notebook with an Intel Core Duo processor and a 13.3" widescreen display with a 1280x800 native resolution like the MacBook -- the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ240.
Photo Credit: Sony (Left) & Apple Computer (Right)
The VAIO could be configured with several processor options, but for the sake of comparison, both the entry-level MacBook "Core Duo" 1.83 13-Inch and the VAIO, as configured, have 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo (T2400) processors with a 2 MB shared "on chip" level 2 cache, and similar motherboard designs with a 667 MHz frontside bus and two slots for 667 MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM. Each can be configured with the MacBook base of 512 MB of RAM, 60 GB Serial ATA 5400 RPM hard drives with anti-shock technology ("Sudden Motion Sensor" for the MacBook and "G-Sensor Shock Protection" for the VAIO), DVD/CD-RW "combo" drives, and integrated cameras.
Ports are similar, but not identical. The MacBook and VAIO both have 802.11a/g (dubbed "AirPort Extreme" for the MacBook), a FireWire "400" port (dubbed i.Link on the VAIO), and two USB 2.0 ports. The MacBook also has Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, optical digital audio in/out, mini-DVI out, and the "MagSafe" power connector. The VAIO has inferior 10/100Base-T Ethernet, Bluetooth 1.1 (2.0+EDR was not specified, so one can assume that it's the earlier specification), analog mic and sound out jacks, and VGA out. However, the VAIO does have an internal modem, a Memory Stick DUO slot, an ExpressCard/34 slot and a PCMCIA Type II/Type I PC card slot. As is increasingly common among Windows notebooks, the VAIO additionally could be configured with an integrated biometric fingerprint scanner for an extra US$30, which unfortunately, was not an option with the MacBook.
The MacBook uses the Intel GMA 950 "integrated" graphics processor with "64 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory", and the VAIO does as well, albeit with 128 MB of SDRAM "borrowed" from main memory. The VAIO, however, impressively has a "hybrid graphics system" that allows the user to switch between using the integrated graphics to conserve battery life, providing approximately an hour of additional run time, or using the "dedicated" 128 MB "NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 with TurboCache" video system for improved performance. One selects graphics systems with a physical switch above the keyboard and the notebook requires a restart after switching. Those whom have lamented the "integrated graphics" probably would be thrilled if a "hybrid" option was available for the MacBook.
Unlike most Windows notebooks, which tend to be larger and heavier than Apple systems, the VAIO weighs a pound less than the MacBook due to a carbon fiber casing (4.07 pounds compared to 5.2 pounds), although it is nearly a half inch thicker towards the display (1.0 inch towards the palm rest and 1.5 inches under the display).
The VAIO was US$451 more than the base level MacBook (US$1099 for the MacBook and US$1550 for the VAIO as configured, or US$1629 if you want to include Sony Music Plus, Photo Plus, and Video Plus software in an effort to balance the iLife suite provided with the Apple notebook). Given the superior graphics system and lighter weight of the VAIO, the additional cost is to be expected.
Of course, graphics systems and weight notwithstanding, the MacBook is the only one of the two that Apple supports running MacOS X, and the value of the operating system should not be discounted.
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