Elegant Technology

Summary

Apple has refined its entry level laptop, the MacBook, over and above the iBook G4.

Apple’s latest laptop, the MacBook, is a triumph of design. This laptop incorporates all the necessary design features needed to support today’s home and professional users. The technical abilities of this machine are a given and are discussed elsewhere. As ever I will focus on the device design aspects.

Everything on this laptop is considered. By that I mean that each design element has been considered as part of the whole.

The exterior case is of a glossy white finish and the interior [with the lid lifted] is a combination of matt white and pale grey. Finger prints on the exterior are easier to remove than the interior due to the type of finish [they also show up less on a glossy surface]. The 13 inch screen sits behind a glossy finisher which is very clear in use. There is a small camera and microphone included in the lid. At the back of the machine sit two speakers which bounce sound towards the user off the bottom of the screen surround.

A DVD drive sits along the right hand edge and all connection ports along the left. These allow other devices like printers and camcorders to be connected. On the underside there is a battery compartment and four wide low-profile rubber feet.

Apple have refined the design to the point where all latches, seams, and fixing points have been either removed or reduced to the minimum; even the lid remains shut after closing via two hidden magnetic points. No adhesive labels exist on the casing [not something seen on the bulk of computers] and the serial number is etched onto the underside of the case in a light grey typeface.

The keyboard, in my opinion, shows the design [and engineering] maturity level that Apple as reached. The keys fit precisely into matching apertures when pressed which almost eliminates any issue of internal dirt collection.

The MacBook is designed as a near sealed device. Cleverly, all upgrades [memory, HD] can be performed from inside the battery compartment. Again this eliminates the need for additional doors, slots, and compartments on the underside of the case.

Apple has again produced a beautiful piece of technology.

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