MacInteltosh book is like expensive Stinqpad

APPLE'S NEW Macbooks, which will replace the iBook, were unveiled this morning, and we took a first look.

All versions of the notebooks have Intel Core Duo processors, integrated graphics and 13in (1,280 x 800) widescreen displays, scribbles Ben Tudor.

These displays are now glossy, which is much better for watching films but does mean more reflections.

Apple's head of marketing for portables, Todd Benjamin, said that the Macbook range is aimed at consumers as well as education and professional users.

This doesn't exactly narrow it down, but Todd makes the point that the higher spec Macbooks are intended to replace the Powerbook G4 12in, which was a pro spec machine but much smaller.

The new Macbook is pretty slim, at 3cm, and the ports are well laid out.

There's no right-hand USB port for those who like to use an external mouse, but we can live with that.

The trackpad is postbox shaped, just like the widescreen display, and offers the same scrolling ability as the posher Macbook Pro models. As with the Mac Mini, graphics are integrated which, Apple says, is cheaper, and the company claims the programmable nature of the GMA950 chip suits OSX well.

The white version of the Macbook costs £899. The black version sells at £1,029, for which you get an extra 20GB of hard disk space and a black casing.

Apple is very keen to point out that the more expensive black version has a velvety matte finish, and that even the inside of the ports are matte black, but you do end up paying £130 more for pretty much the same model.

Should you opt for the black version, you'll also have to cope with using white accessories such as the remote control.

There's no denying the black finish is absolutely gorgeous and very tactile, but we're still not convinced that business buyers (and it must be aimed at business buyers) will prefer to drop £130 on making their Mac look like a Stinqpad, rather than spending the money on extra accessories.

A couple of Apple people have muttered 'wait and see' about the pricing of the black Macbook, which either means that they expect it to sell well, or that there will be a price drop of some sort.

The keyboard looks a bit odd - a bit of a mix between a Fisher-Price toy and an old-school Tandy, but it's very pleasant to use. We expect to lose a few crumbs down the individually mounted keys soon.

What else? Well, you can buy external adapters for VGA, DVI and Composite S-video out, you can run the Macbook dual-headed up to a 23in Apple Cinema display (which makes it worthy of consideration for those portability obsessed pro users) and it comes with the Apple Remote and a copy of Ilife 06. ?

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