We also had no problem multitasking we were able to navigate among seven tabs in Firefox 3, all the while reading and writing e-mails, working in Google Docs, and downloading World of Warcraft. It also launched applications quickly: 1 second for Safari 2 for iChat and iPhoto and 4 for iTunes and Firefox 3. Answering this question-how will you use your Mac?-will tell you whether the MacBook or MacBook Pro is better for you.Ĭlick to enlargeThe MacBook also showed zippy performance on our hands-on tests, booting up in just 42 seconds (the Pro took 39). But for intense multitasking, the Pro is the clear winner. For everyday tasks, such as word processing and Web surfing, the two machines are fairly well matched. The difference between the new MacBook and MacBook Pro is much more subtle as far as single-CPU performance, but the Pro's multi-CPU performance is superior. An older MacBook Black (running a 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo T8300 and 2GB of RAM) scored 3,578 on Geekbench, and 2,743 and 5,198 in Cinebench in the single and multi-CPU tests, respectively. In CineBench, the MacBook scored 2,570 for single CPU performance and 4,064 for multi-CPU performance (the MacBook Pro scored 2,640 and 5,536 on the same tests).

On Geekbench, which measures CPU performance, it scored 3,512, just shy of the MacBook Pro's score of 3,672. Under the hood, the MacBook has a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 CPU and 2GB of RAM. And as always, Photo Booth's package of special effects is robust and fun to use. The good news is that it was quick to autofocus as we moved around in front of the camera. Although our video, too, was bright with lifelike colors, we noticed some motion blur. As with the MacBook Pro, it captured a good amount of detail, such as the shine in our hair. Moreover, the screen's quality doesn't quite measure up to that of its big brother, the 15-inch Pro.Ĭlick to enlargeLike other MacBooks, this one has a VGA iSight camera embedded in the bezel. The downside is that the bezel picks up fingerprints easily. The 13.3-inch, 1280 x 800-pixel screen is gorgeous, in no small part because of the seamless, edge-to-edge bezel. Mac users have always been able to 'right-click' by tapping with two fingers, but now, users can designate the lower right section of the touchpad for right-clicking.Īnother welcome design change is the MacBook Pro's LED-backlit display with a flat, black bezel. For instance, we were able to zoom in on a Safari page by spreading two fingers apart we could not replicate this in Firefox 3. Unfortunately, you can still use multi-touch only in Apple applications. Mastering the art of multi-touch took a few minutes, but once we did, it became addictive.

The touchpad has just the right amount of resistance. Once you realize that you'll get better results by pressing down on the lower end of the pad, using it feels intuitive. Rather, the entire pad doubles as a button. Aside from its size, the other notable feature of the touchpad is its lack of buttons.

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