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White Unibody MacBook Q&A - Published October 22, 2009
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What are the differences between the White "Polycarbonate Unibody/Late 2009" MacBook and the "Mid-2009" 13-Inch MacBook Pro models?
Please note that all models mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The "Late 2009" MacBook was replaced by the "Mid-2010" MacBook and the "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro by the "Mid-2010" MacBook Pro.
There is no mistaking the "Late 2009" MacBook -- the MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.26 13" (White Polycarbonate Unibody/Late 2009), which has a white polycarbonate case -- from the 13-Inch "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro -- the MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" 2.26 13" (SD/FW) and "Core 2 Duo" 2.53 13" (SD/FW), which have aluminum cases.
At first glance, one might think that the "Late 2009" MacBook looks like a "cheaper version" of the 13-Inch "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro and this initial assumption isn't too far from reality. However, there are a number of details that warrant further evaluation.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (MacBook - Left, 13" MacBook Pro - Right)
Apple refers to both models as using a "Unibody" design, but given the material differences the "Late 2009" MacBook is molded as a single piece of white polycarbonate -- with a removable aluminum bottom panel coated in a "non-skid" rubber surface -- and the aluminum 13-Inch MacBook Pro models are milled from a single block of aluminum that provides greater strength. The white MacBook weighs 4.7 pounds, and the aluminum MacBook Pro weighs 4.5 pounds. Dimensions are similar, but the MacBook Pro is slightly smaller in each direction.
Both models have 13.3" widescreen, LED-backlit displays with a 1280x800 native resolution. Apple notes that the "Late 2009" MacBook has the same "wide angle viewing technology" as the MacBook Pro line, but the MacBook reportedly does not have the same color gamut.
Both models also essentially have the same "flush against the bed" keyboard design, integrated "iSight" video camera, "catchless" magnetic latch, "MagSafe" power connector, and glass "multi-touch" trackpad that supports a variety of "four finger" gestures. The MacBook Pro keyboard, however, is backlit, whereas the MacBook keyboard is not.
The battery design for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro models basically are the same as well. Both are integrated with their respective systems and are not designed to be "swapped" -- or even replaced -- by end users. Each provides an Apple-estimated 7 hours of runtime, although the MacBook has a 60 W/Hr battery and the MacBook Pro has a 58 W/Hr battery.
Connectivity is a major point of product differentiation. Both models have AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort that supports an external display at 2560x1600, and the same "combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in)" port used by the iPhone. The 13-Inch MacBook Pro models, however, also have a Firewire "800" port, an SD card slot, and an IR receiver to support an Apple remote.
Internally, there are a number of similarities between the MacBook and MacBook Pro too. Both have the same 1066 MHz frontside bus, support for the same type of memory (1066 MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM), and the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256 MB of RAM shared with main memory. Official memory capacity is different -- with a 4 GB maximum for the MacBook and 8 GB for the 13-Inch MacBook Pro models -- but site sponsor OWC has discovered that both models actually support 8 GB. The high-end MacBook Pro has a faster processor as well, but oddly, the lower-end MacBook Pro has a smaller hard drive.
These differences, as well as configuration differences, are summarized below:
| MacBook | 2.26 (Late 09/White) | Pro 2.26/2.53 (Mid-09/Al) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor: | 2.26 GHz "Core 2 Duo" | 2.26, 2.53 GHz "Core 2 Duo" |
| System Bus: | 1066 MHz | 1066 MHz |
| L2 Cache: | 3 MB | 3 MB |
| Standard RAM: | 2 GB | 2 GB, 4 GB |
| Maximum RAM: | 8 GB* | 8 GB |
| RAM Type: | PC3-8500 DDR3 | PC3-8500 DDR3 |
| Int. Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M |
| Shared VRAM: | 256 MB† | 256 MB† |
| Display Size: | 13.3" | 13.3"† |
| Native Resolution: | 1280x800 | 1280x800 |
| LED Backlit: | Yes | Yes†† |
| Ext. Display: | 2560x1600 | 2560x1600 |
| Hard Drive: | 250 GB | 160 GB, 250 GB |
| Optical Drive: | 8X DL Write "SuperDrive" | 8X DL Write "SuperDrive" |
| USB 2.0: | Yes (2) | Yes (2) |
| Firewire 800: | No | Yes |
| Display Port: | Mini DisplayPort | Mini DisplayPort |
| SD Card Slot: | No | Yes |
| Remote Support: | No | Yes |
| Backlit KB: | No | Yes |
| Trackpad: | Multitouch | Multitouch |
| Battery Life: | 7 Hours§ | 7 Hours§ |
| Battery W/Hr: | 60 W/Hr | 58 W/Hr |
| Dimensions (In): | 1.08 x 13.00 x 9.12 | 0.95 x 12.78 x 8.94 |
| Weight: | 4.7 lbs (2.13 kg) | 4.5 lbs (2.04 kg) |
| Apple Part No: | MC207LL/A | MB990LL/A, MB991LL/A |
| Original Price: | US$999 | US$1199, US$1499 |
* Officially, the White "Polycarbonate Unibody/Late 2009" model supports 4 GB of RAM, but third-parties have confirmed that it actually is capable of supporting 8 GB.
† All of these systems have a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M "graphics processor with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory".
†† The display in the "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro models is higher-quality.
§ Battery life as estimated by Apple in a "wireless productivity" test.
Ultimately, most users will have to decide if the superior aluminum case material, additional connectivity, and officially supported higher memory capacity are worth the price premium of the MacBook Pro. To some, the US$200 minimum difference is money well spent, even given a smaller hard drive, whereas others on a tight budget may find that the white polycarbonate MacBook model is quite adequate for their needs.
Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any MacBook or MacBook Pro model to any other G3 or later Mac.
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