Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

by Apple

Product Details

• Item Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002C7489S
• Item model number: MC516LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 18, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Meet the fastest, most powerful MacBook yet. It now features next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 2 GB of memory. That means MacBook can handle everything from surfing the web to the most graphically intense 3D games with ease. It also features up to 10 hours of battery life and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad that supports inertial scrolling, right-clicking, and Multi-Touch gestures. All in a streamlined, durable unibody enclosure.

The 13-inch MacBook with LED-backlit screen, durable unibody enclosure, and built-in 10-hour battery.

The MacBook's seamless, durable polycarbonate unibody enclosure has rounded contours to it easy to pick up and slide into and out of your bag. And the sleek MacBook cuts a slim profile on any desk, measuring just 1.08 inches thin and weighing 4.7 pounds. It also offers a 13.3-inch glass display with LED backlighting that delivers stunning colors and instant full-screen brightness the moment you open the lid. And its 1280 x 800 pixel resolution offers an outstanding balance of luminous color and easy readability in a perfectly portable size.

This version of the MacBook features a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, 250 GB hard drive, and 2 GB of installed RAM. Other features include integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth connectivity, and two USB 2.0 ports (see full specifications below). It also comes with the Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system as well as the iLife software suite, which includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

Free Upgrade to OS X Lion This Mac comes pre-installed with OS X Snow Leopard, but you can order a free upgrade to OS X Lion via Apple's OS X Lion Up-To-Date program for a limited time (depending on the date of your purchase). Purchased Between June 6 and July 20, 2011 If you purchased a new Mac with OS X Snow Leopard from Amazon between these dates, you must enter your order from the Apple Online Store by August 19, 2011. Purchased After July 21, 2011 If you purchased a new Mac with OS X Snow Leopard from Amazon after the official OS X Lion release date (on or after July 21, 2011), you must enter your order within 30 days of the date of your purchase. Learn more about the OS X Lion Up-To-Date Program and enter your order at Apple.com.

The backlit keyboard--great for typing in low-light settings
(see larger image).

Key Features

Intel Core 2 Duo Processing

Combining fast processing speeds with power-saving features, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor provides greater multitasking performance by combining two independent processor cores while also reducing power requirements and saving on battery life. This Intel Core 2 Duo processor has a 2.4 GHz processor speed, speedy 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

High Performance Graphics

Powered by the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card, the MacBook allows you to view flawless video in full screen HD and play the latest games with fast frame rate. It's a great match to editing video masterpieces with iMovie and managing your photos in iPhoto, and it comes with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM that's shared with main memory.

Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad

With no button on the glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. And it also now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites.

Key Specifications

• Up to 10 hours of continuous use with 63.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.
• 13.3-inch LED-backlit, glossy widescreen display with a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels to give you plenty of room to multitask. And the display is greener than ever: power efficient, free of harmful toxins such as mercury, and made of arsenic-free glass.
• Fast 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor helps you breeze through everyday tasks such as emailing, web browsing, and working with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in iWork or Microsoft Office for Mac (both sold separately).

   

  

  The left (above) and right (below) sides of the MacBook Pro (see larger image).

   

  
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience.
• 250 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
• 2 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 4 GB)
• 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Built-in iSight camera for video chatting
• Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
• Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones.
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI and VGA output.
• Built-in stereo speakers and omnidirectional microphone
• Combined optical digital output/headphone output (also includes line-in/microphone jack)
• Dimensions: 13 x 9.12 x 1.08 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 8.4 pounds

What's in the Box

MacBook; 60W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord; install/restore DVDs; printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service

The MacBook comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a 1-year limited warranty, which can be extended to 3 years with the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Installed software

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the world's most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of today's advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.

• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools, and more)

iLife helps you do more with photos, movies, and music than you ever thought possible. In iPhoto, you can browse, edit, and share your photos in stunning new full-screen views. Create epic Hollywood-style movie trailers from your home video in iMovie. And GarageBand gives you everything you need to make a great-sounding song--including tools for keeping your song in perfect rhythm and guitar and piano lessons.

• iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD)

AppleCare Protection Plan

Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. And only the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call. Extend the complimentary service and support on your Mac to 3 years from the original Mac purchase date with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct telephone access to Apple experts for technical questions, and you get global repair coverage--including both parts and labor--for your Mac and select Apple peripherals.

Optional Accessories and Related Products

	Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter lets you connect an advanced digital monitor, such as the Apple Cinema Display, to your MacBook Air.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter Use the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter to connect your MacBook Air to a 30-inch display that includes a DVI connector, such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter lets you connect a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable to your MacBook Air.
	60W MagSafe Power Adapter Need an extra adapter for home or work? The MagSafe Power Adapter is held in place magnetically, so if someone trips over it, the cord disconnects harmlessly while your MacBook Pro stays put on your desk.
	MagSafe Airline Adapter With the MagSafe Airline Adapter, your MacBook Pro can go the distance no matter how long your flight. Just plug it into your airline seat power port to watch movies and stay productive from takeoff to landing.
	Apple World Travel Adapter Kit Essential for any traveler, this World Travel Adapter Kit includes the Apple USB Power Adapter, USB Cable, and six interchangeable AC adapter plugs that let you plug your Apple MagSafe Power Adapter, Portable Power Adapters, and AirPort Express into most electrical outlets around the world.
	Time Capsule Back up a lifetime's worth of memories with Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support. Choose from 1 TB and 2 TB models.
	AirPort Extreme Base Station Speed, range, and easy setup make AirPort Extreme the perfect wireless solution for home, school, and small business. It offers simultaneous dual-band support and lets up to 50 people share Internet access, a wireless network, a hard drive, and a printer.
	27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display The stunning 2560-by-1440 resolution, built-in camera and speakers, and easy connectivity of the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display add up to a viewing experience unlike any other.
	Apple Magic Mouse Magic Mouse is unlike any other mouse you've ever used. The Multi-Touch surface lets you use gestures to swipe through photos and scroll down web pages. And the entire mouse is the button, so you can click anywhere.
	Apple Magic Trackpad Magic Trackpad is the first Multi-Touch trackpad designed to work with your Mac desktop computer, and it supports a full set of gestures. Click, scroll, swipe, and rotate to control what's onscreen. Use it along with your mouse or as an alternative to one.

Product Description

Meet the fastest, most powerful MacBook yet. It now features next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 2GB of memory. That means MacBook can handle everything from surfing the web to the most graphically intense 3D games with ease. It also features up to 10 hours of battery life and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad that supports inertial scrolling, right-clicking, and Multi-Touch gestures. All in a streamlined, durable unibody enclosure.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

406 of 430 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars MB OK, May 24, 2010

By 

KSBAY - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) (Personal Computers)

The white Macbook was updated on May 18 2010. There are minor differences between the 2010 Macbook and 2009's model, detailed below.

The UPGRADES are

1) Geforce Nvidia 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores. This is better than the Geforce 9400M in last years model. Useful for content creation.

2)Mini display port now supports video AND audio with a compatible Mini-DP to HDMI adapter. (Last years model only supported video)

Thats it.

STANDARD FEATURES - from last years model (minor changes noted in brackets)

Polycarbonate unibody
Core 2 Duo processor (2.4ghz - up from 2.26 ghz)
1280 x 800 resolution Glossy LED backlit screen,
iSight camera,

2 GB Ram - 1gb ram sticks x 2
250gb hard drive
8x slot-loading SuperDrive dvd burner

Large multi-touch trackpad ( Intertial scrolling is now enabled ),
2 USB 2.0 ports ,
Wi-Fi - 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible, Bluetooth 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet -10/100/1000.

Inbuilt battery - (which Apple advertises as capable of lasting between 9 to 10 hours.) Not true. Real world battery life is between 3 to 6 hours depending on what tasks you use your computer for.

Software included is OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and the iLife 09 suite of content creation tools. A 1 year warranty on parts and 90 day telephone technical support is standard.

The Macbook as it is - is good for basic computing activities - such as browsing the web, typing articles or watching movies. However, if you're planning to buy a Macbook for multimedia work, such as editing high resolution photos or HD videos and plan to use multiple applications at the same time, please ensure that you upgrade the ram from 2gb to 4gb.

Why?

Because using a macbook with 2 gb of ram (such as this one) to multitask is a GREAT way to drive yourself crazy as the computer struggles to keep up. Try editing 10 megapixel RAW images while playing music in iTunes with Safari open. 2gb of ram is not at all adequate for multitasking / using processor intensive applications on a Macbook. I understand that Apple has to differentiate between the Macbook and MBPro to justify the price differences but skimping on the ram and putting 2gb inside a $999 product and thus, affecting the user experience is not the way to do it.

Upgrading the ram yourself from 2gb to 4gb is a great idea. Currently, Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) costs $39.99. So that brings your total to $1010 ($969 MB + $39.99 Ram) if you upgrade your Macbook's ram

So for only $160 more than your Macbook, (if you take into account the cost of the ram upgrade) a viable alternative is the standard Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop which costs approximately $1160 on Amazon. The MBP 13 comes with the added benefits of a more durable aluminum unibody, a backlit keyboard, an SDXC card slot, a firewire 800 port, a thunderbolt port and most importantly, 4gb of ram. Which allows you to multitask effortlessly.

If you're going to use the Macbook for any computationally demanding activities such as content creation, editing large RAW images or HD videos you should upgrade the ram to 4gb or just buy the standard MBPro 13 inch. The significantly faster i5 processor and 4gb ram in the MBPro 13 make a big difference in the daily usage experience.

However, if you only want to use the Macbook for general tasks like writing articles, browsing websites or watching movies, it will handle those duties adequately. At the same time, also keep in mind that if you only need a laptop for basic duties, many other manufacturers offer less expensive laptops which are just as (if not more) capable.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Update - Feb 15 2011 - At present, the Macbook is extremely out of date compared to other computer makers current products. C2D processor, 250 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, 2 gb ram, 2 USB ports. In 2011, these are totally unlike a $999 notebook's specs and more like a netbook's specs (excluding the C2D processor)

I'd recommend waiting for a Macbook update by Apple. Another good option would be to buy a notebook by HP,Sony or Toshiba (for $999 you'll get a much more powerful machine with regards to hardware) or buy the updated 2011 Macbook Pro 13 base model.

87 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Form and Function, June 19, 2010

By 

T. Brown (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) (Personal Computers)

As a student, I've been trying to find a well-built computer for under $1000. For me, the MacBook is a perfect fit.

Pros:
-The touchpad is incredible for web browsing. I have been using PCs notebooks for years, and I have never liked touchpads, but this has proved to be an exception. I can easily do two-button clicking, scrolling with two fingers, and going back and forth through pages with three fingers. I find I no longer do I have to lug around a USB mouse (except if I want to some gaming).
-The computer starts up in 20 seconds without having to wait for background processes to load up (unlike windows).
-The build quality of the MacBook is unmatched for its price. The unibody does not creak at all when handling it.
-Multi-tasking is surprisingly good for only 2GB RAM. The only hiccups I have had were at the first couple of seconds of playing movies on iTunes with a lot of other programs running.

Cons:
-No HDMI port
-Battery does not last 10 hours (about 4-6 for me with iTunes and Wi-Fi running). Still, it is much longer than the competitors for the price range and size.

Even though the build is solid, you may want to get one of these covers if you worry about scratching:
Speck Products See Thru Satin, Soft Touch Hard Shell Case, for 13-inch MacBook Aluminum Unibody/Black Keyboard (Black) - DOES NOT FIT WHITE MACBOOK
They snap on in seconds and look great.

If you are a student who is not looking to do any graphic design I highly recommend getting the MacBook instead of the MacBook Pro if you want to save money. Sure it only has 2 GB RAM, but you can easily upgrade it now for $100 Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) or wait a year and do it for about $50.

96 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Word: Perfect, July 27, 2010

By 

E. Kellum "Teck_guy" (Fremont, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) (Personal Computers)

As a student, I was pretty hesitant to get the MacBook, but after MONTHS of exhaustive research looking for the right laptop (I'm a networking student, and also I am working on my A+ PC Repair certification, so I know a thing or two about PC's and Windows), I decided that I needed a change in my life. I've had an IBM ThinkPad T60 last me four years through school, but after 4 re-install's of XP, I've had enough of the constant attacks of viruses, spyware, etc...and I decided to go with the MacBook.


PROS:

Perfect for web browsing, e-mail, and document creation.
Comes with great features right out of the box: iLife simply rocks; it comes with PhotoBooth, Garageband (where you can create your own music or learn to how play an instrument), Preview, and iMovie (it's basically an easier version of Windows Movie Maker)
Time Machine for backing up documents and pictures, which is FAR SUPERIOR than using the Backup Feature in Windows.
Wi-Fi is SO EASY to set-up using what Apple calls "Airport", just go to the wi-fi antenna at the top of the right-hand corner and set-up right there.
Printing: Coming from a Windows world, and living in a household with a wireless network, setting up a printer was a pain in the butt with Windows, with Mac, it's SO EASY to set-up and begin printing.
BlueTooth: BlueTooth is common in all laptops nowadays, and again, like setting up a printer, it basically connects with the BlueTooth device automatically.
MagSafe Adapter: Apple introduced this idea called MagSafe. If someone got caught on your power cord, it would take the cord and not the computer. I can't tell you how many times my dogs got caught on my IBM power cord and basically almost took the computer with it.
Battery Life: Wow, what a difference. I was coming from a half-hour battery life on my IBM, although Apple says that the battery can last on a 10 hours on a single charge, in the real world, it's falls under 6 hours, but still this is pretty incredible.

CONS:

2GB of RAM. Now coming from a Windows world, Windows is a memory hogger, so the more RAM you have in a Windows system, you are good to go, but with a Mac, it's different. Now if you are compressing 1080p video on a MacBook, the system starts to hick-up trying to catch-up. My advice? Upgrade to 4GB or get the MacBook Pro.
EXPENSIVE: Like all Apple products, it's pretty expensive. I was pretty hesitant to buy a MacBook because it was pretty pricey and being a student i.e. poor, I needed to save up a good chunk of money to buy one of these machines.

So if you are in the market for a new laptop, only need to do some document creating, and web-browsing this Mac is for you. If you want to do some high-end video compression, go with the MacBook Pro since the Pro lines are more aimed at high-end video production. This is definitely a perfect system if all you want is just web-browsing and document creation.

Happy Shopping!