14 DAY TRIAL // We’re guessing it won’t be long before Apple completely phases out the last remnant of the MacBook line - the polycarbonate White MacBook. If you want one, it's high time you looked into the latest offer from Apple.
It boasts close to Pro-level hardware, but it doesn’t quite fit in the MacBook family anymore.
Every Mac now comes with a unibody aluminum enclosure; the Airs have completely switched to SSD; the Pros have new ports, graphics, Sandy Bridge quad-core CPUs; the iMac also boasts Intel’s newest processors and Thunderbolt I/O.
In the past couple of years, pretty much every Mac has moved forward except for the White MacBook, once the most popular Mac to go around.
The last retouches it got was when Apple decided to keep it aboard by beefing it up inside a tad, while also giving it the unibody-designation, though plastic is not as exciting as metal.
Still, the MacBook is still officially an Apple product that sells. Evidence of that can be found in the multiple marketing materials over at Apple’s website, where the computer is priced at $999.
For that price, Apple offers the following specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU; 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; 2GB memory; 250GB hard drive; NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics; built-in 7-hour battery; built-in iSight camera.
Not too shabby for a sub-$1,000 Apple notebook, but you can get one for almost $200 less.
A refurbished unit priced at $759 has popped up on the Special Deals section of Apple’s online store. It ships in 3-5 business days for whoever wants it in the US.
Almost two-year old now, this MacBook is still higher specced than Apple’s MacBook Air, also priced at $999 but featuring slower CPUs.
Also lackluster on the MacBook Airs is storage. Granted SSD beats HDD by quite a margin on pretty much every aspect, but not pricing.
In fact, pricing is a key differentiator here. That’s (pretty much) why an Air with 64GB of flash storage costs the same as a brand new White MacBook which comes with a 250GB hard drive, but also a higher clocked CPU, and an optical unit.
So if you’re not the bleeding edge type but need a decently specced Mac to carry around for work and fun, this is probably the best deal you’ll find before the system gets officially discontinued.
About Apple refurbished products
Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process, prior to being offered for sale. They are returned under Apple's Return and Refund Policies.
While only some units are brought back because of technical issues, all of them undergo the company's rigorous quality-refurbishment process.
Service and support include 90 days of telephone support and a one-year warranty. You have the option of purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan for your refurb, while shipping is free in the US.