If you think the latest changes to Apple’s MacBook line aren’t exciting, you’re not paying close enough attention. The 13-inch model is now part of the MacBook Pro line, and, like its larger-screened siblings (like the 15-inch model), now has a more colorful display, and—at long last—an SD Card slot. Moreover, this 13-inch stunner lasts more than 6 hours on a charge. The price for the entry-level Mac is now just $1,199, a $100 price drop from the 13-inch unibody MacBook. We wish Apple included more hard drive space for the money (160GB is netbook territory) but overall our Editors’ Choice–winning thin-and-light just got sweeter.
Design
At first glance, the 13-inch MacBook Pro looks identical to last season’s revamped MacBook line. And that’s mostly true: the aluminum chassis, black island keyboard, large multitouch trackpad, and thin, rounded lid will all look familiar. Even its weight (4.4 pounds) and dimensions (12.8 x 8.9 x 1.0 inches) remain the same, making this notebook easy to carry.
Like its predecessor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is made from a single, seamless piece of aluminum, which means it’s more durable than most other notebooks in this price range. The only difference is that the battery is now non-removable (more on that later).
Keyboard and Touchpad
As always, the island keyboard has a soft finish, and makes little sound when you type. While the keyboard on, say, the 17-inch MacBook Pro might be too large (and too recessed) for some hands, the 13-inch’s keyboard is comfortably placed. It’s also backlit with an ambient light sensor, which comes in handy for low-light environments.
The touchpad remains one giant button that doubles as the touchpad and the touch button. It’s not the smoothest we’ve ever tested, but the friction is still slight enough that it shouldn’t be a problem. In the past, we’ve found the button to be a bit stiff, with a slight learning curve to match. By now, Apple’s gotten the design right: we were able to effortlessly press down on the button without thinking about the fact that there’s no dedicated touch button (nevermind two).
The multitouch gestures work smoothly. By pushing four fingers toward the top of the touchpad, we were able to fling windows up toward the top of the screen, exposing a clean desktop. When we used two fingers to zoom in and out of pages in Safari 4 (fresh out of beta, and a new, Cover Flow-tastic addition to the Leopard OS), the onscreen response was very quick, and only slightly jerky.
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