A Review of the Apple MacBook MB402LLA 13.3" Notebook

Apple's Idea of a "budget" Notebook

In this review I address the Apple MacBook MB402LLA 13.3" Laptop. This is part of my mobile Apple review series and this is the most inexpensive entry in the series. In this review I'm going to let you know what you can expect from your Apple notebook when Apple goes "budget". I'll also let you know who is going to get the most benefit from ownership and if it's worth your hard earned money. Let me start with the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Storage: 120GB Hard Drive (serial ATA)

Ram: 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM (expandable)

Optical Drive: CD R/RW with integrated DVD +/- R RW

Imaging: Integrated webcam

Dimensions: 12.78" x 8.92" x 1.08"

Weight: 5 lbs

This notebook has a great size and weight. It is truly a mobile offering; it weighs just under 5 lbs and is only about 1" thick when it's closed. It is the standard apple eggshell white and has its distinctive apple insignia in the exterior bezel. It is made of plastic and feels less durable than the MacBook Pros, but that is okay, most comparible laptops are also made of plastic.

The screen is an average laptop screen, this one is glossy and runs at 1280x800, giving you a 720p experience. Don't expect to be "wow'd" like you have by previous Apple screens.

This notebook is very quiet and runs relatively cool so you really can just toss it in your bag and go. Beware of the low RAM. 1 GB is unfortunate but you can easily upgrade it. I'd recommend using a 3^rd party and not Apple, they're notorious for overcharging, it is a simple job. There has been a lot of interest in running a dual boot between vista and leopard. You'll definitely need to upgrade the ram if you want to do this.

Connectivity:

1 VGA out (via a Mini-DVI port and mini-DVI to VGA adapter which is included, oddly enough the mini-DVI to DVI adapter can be acquired at an additional cost.)

1 audio out / mic in

2 2.0 USB

1 Ethernet port

Integrated WiFi

1 FireWire port (you can use this to connect to your digital camcorder and transfer your digital video quickly)