Apple more or less refresh their hardware design around once a year, and they normally do so with their line of iPods and Macs getting most of the attention and love. This time round is no different, where the extremely popular MacBook line has just been updated to feature a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design that bosats a brilliant LED-backlit display that looks stunning even under extremely bright light, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad as well as Apple’s innovative built-in battery which is touted to offer up to seven hours of battery life. This would definitely increase the market value of MacBooks by taking technology and design cues from the higher end MacBook Pro line, despite it being the ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users.

The use of a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure results in it being much more lighter and durable, and a special non-skid bottom surface lets you work wherever you are. Tipping the scales at a mere 4.7 pounds, the new MacBook is a snap to tote around. As for its innovative built-in notebook battery, it supposedly lasts up to 1,000 recharges, resulting in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. That’s approximately 3 years of charging for each day of use, which by that time most people would have moved on to another notebook. Should your battery deplete faster due to extreme use, fret not as you can always pick up replacements that are going for $129 each inclusive of installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.

Features of the new basic MacBook are as follows :-

• 13.3″ widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
• 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
• 1066 MHz front-side bus
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
• 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• Slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
• Mini DisplayPort
• Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• Built-in iSight video camera
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• One audio line in/out port
• Glass Multi-Touch trackpad
• Built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

Of course, depending on the configuration of your choice, the price will move from the $999 price point to a much higher level.

Press Release