It is easier to build a computer out of various different parts, than out of a single part. This view of computer manufacturing has been challenged by Apple in its new Macbook series. The earlier method, followed for years now, would make the laptop more bulky than it really needs to be and would also increase the chances of glitches and failures. To create the new MacBook, Apple’s design and engineering teams came up with an innovative way to do this: the unibody, which is a seamless enclosure carved from a single piece of aluminum.
However, such a design has its own set problems. When many different parts are used, then there is more room for imperfections. However, when one single unit has to take on the job of various parts, then there can be no room for error. Apple seems to have realized this, using Computer Numerical Control machines, which are also used to build spaceship parts. The end result is that the new Macbook range is lighter than its predecessor, while being sturdier.
The new 13” and 15” screens have also witnessed a few changes in the quest to make the Macbook lighter and slimmer. The previous LCD displays used cold cathode fluorescent lamps which took up room, making it impossible to make the screen slimmer than the bulbs would allow. Apple engineers have introduced the LED backlight technology, which has a couple of advantages over the LCD screen. LEDs require less room, so can allow the whole product to be slimmer. They also reach maximum brightness instantly, unlike LCD screens take a while to heat up and reach maximum intensity.
There is one more design feature of note: the new track pad. As the Apple website puts it, ‘The new MacBook track pad has no button because it is the button.’ In other words, any form of clicking, scrolling or navigating is done though the touch pad, which is 39 per cent larger to accommodate the new features. There are new commands that Apple has introduced, adding to the pre-existing pinching and enlarging with two fingers. A user can switch between applications with a simple four-fingered swipe to the right or left. Swiping upwards with four fingers will trigger the Expose application, while swiping four fingers downwards will bring up the dashboard. Finally, applying three fingers will let you swipe through photos in the iPhoto application.
The feature set, however, leaves more to be desired. Apple has failed to put in a media card reader even though every one is carrying around a digital camera these days. That means you'll have to attach a USB one in order to read photos off your SD, memory stick, xD, or MMC cards. The features that it does have are basically the same as the original MacBook, with some minor tweaks. There are the two USB ports, an Ethernet port, optical out, and a headphone port, the basic features of any laptop across the board. Rather than continue its use of a Firewire 400 port and a mini-DVI port, Apple decided to favor a mini-DisplayPort. DisplayPort is an up-and-coming video-out technology, competing against HDMI. It is usually found in business laptops and business displays, making it an oddity in consumer Macbooks. Still, DisplayPort has its own advantages. It carries both audio and digital video, as opposed to DVI, which carries video only. And it can drive resolutions as high as 2,560-by-1,600 to an external display, like the new Apple Cinema 24-inch display, which also incorporates DisplayPort technology. Other upgrades include an increase in hard disk capacity to 250 GB.
With such design and style changes, Apple has met expectations. The price tag of $1599 may be a setback, however, especially with the global financial crisis. Added to this is the fact that consumers can avail of many more features with Windows systems at the same price, or less. However, design has been one of the main driving forces of Apple’s product sales, and this is not likely to change in the near future.
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