Black MacBook may have problems with its matte finish

There is at least one report out there that states the finish on the matte black MacBook can flake off when scratched. If true, it is reminiscent of the famous paint chip problem of previous G4 Titanium PowerBooks.

Let's hope this is not a widespread problem, but if you're at all worried, you might want to buy the white version instead.

MacBook disassembled

Those crazy Japanese over at Kodawarisan have already disassembled a MacBook, and have lots of pictures to show.

As has been reported, the hard drive looks relatively easy to remove, even for an end user. This is in contrast to the previous iBooks, where removal of the hard drive was quite the endeavour.

The pricing for an Apple-supplied 80 GB hard drive for the MacBook is attractive, so it still makes sense to get that drive from Apple. However, a user who wishes to use a larger drive or faster 7200 rpm drive can purchase it separately and install it his/herself. I'm not sure how this affects the warranty however.

13" MacBook released, and it runs Aperture

Today, Apple released the long awaited 13" MacBook. To the surprise of many, the model debuted with a 1.83 GHz Core Duo CPU at the low end, and a 2.0 GHz Core Duo at the high end. That means that this little laptop will be roughly twice as fast in CPU performance as my G5 iMac 2.0 GHz, which is only 1 year old.

Besides the usual white plastic enclosure, the faster MacBook model also comes in black, although you have to pay extra for that privilege. (I chose instead to order a white MacBook Core Duo 2.0, configured similarly to the black model, for less money.)

Unfortunately, as many of us expected, this machine utilizes integrated graphics, Intel GMA 950, a less than stellar performing graphics chipset. However to our surprise, the MacBook runs Aperture. According to Joseph Schorr, the Senior Project Manager for Aperture at Apple, Aperture 1.1 will install and run on the new MacBook, although it is unsupported:

Yes, Aperture does run on the new MacBooks, but it is NOT officially supported, due to limitations with the graphics card. You're not disallowed from using it (no hacks needed) but you'll essentially be using it at your own risk. Your mileage will vary with the MacBook, depending on your workflow.

Aperture is, of course, fully supported on all MacBook PRO models.

Joe Schorr
Sr. Product Manager, Aperture
Apple

I applaud Apple for giving us this choice.

Speaking of choice, it's unfortunate that Apple has chosen to make us switch from matte LCD screens to the new glossy screen in the new MacBook. While purchasers of the new MacBook Pros can now choose from either matte or glossy screens, all MacBooks ship only with glossy screens. Users of the new MacBook already have noted that glare can be a problem with this new laptop in certain lighting. On the other hand, knowing that the previous 12" screen was average quality at best, perhaps this new screen offers better image quality, glare notwithstanding.

Overall, this new MacBook release was an excellent one, and I look forward to receiving my new MacBook soon.

The MacBook is imminent

Premature release?


As you can see from the picture above (larger version), for some reason navigating to Apple's iPod page takes us to an empty "MacBook" (not "MacBook Pro") page.

[Update 2006-05-05]

Apple has now fixed the iPod page.

Aperture 1.1 removes G4 iBook support

Aperture 1.0.1 ran just fine on the G4 iBook with Radeon 9550. However, the latest Aperture 1.1 update kills this support for the iBook.


This was expected, as the Aperture Compatibility Checker program also specifies that there is an absolute requirement for a minimum screen size of 1280x780. This is of course completely arbitrary, considering that if one applies the Screen Spanning Doctor to the iBook and attaches an external screen, Aperture 1.1 will launch just fine, with a minimum size of 1000x685, well within the resolution limits of the iBook's built-in screen. Furthermore, if one unplugs the external screen, Aperture 1.1 continues to work fine. Curiously, when I ran this experiment, the external screen I attached was 1360x768, which just like the iBook's 1024x768, doesn't meet the minimum 780 vertical resolution.



Even more curious is the fact that if one uses a resolution of just 640x480 on the external screen, Aperture will still load normally. Perhaps that makes sense though, as 1024x768 + 640x480 = 1093632 which is greater than 1280x780 = 998400.

Hopefully, somebody will be able to patch Aperture 1.1 to remove this arbitrary limitation. Or, perhaps Apple will finally release that 13" 1280x800 widescreen Core Duo MacBook Pro with Blu-ray drive. ;)

Aperture 1.1 to be released April 13, 2006: $299

Apple is set to release Aperture 1.1 tomorrow, April 13, 2006:

Aperture 1.1, a significant update to the revolutionary all-in-one post production tool for photographers, runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs. The update features dramatically improved RAW image rendering and a new set of advanced RAW adjustment controls. Likewise, it delivers impressive speed gains on any Mac. At a new lower price of $299, Aperture is within reach of anyone shooting with a digital SLR camera.

[Update 2006-04-13]

Aperture 1.1 has now been released, at US$299 in the US and CAD$349 in Canada. Along with the price drop, Apple has provided a rebate coupon for those who purchased Aperture previously. Those who bought the US retail version can get a US$200 rebate, and those who bought the US academic version can get a US$100 rebate. I have not been able to find corresponding coupons for Canada or elsewhere however.