Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) vs Apple MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) | AppleMacBook (13-inch, Early 2009) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2017 | January 2009 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 12″ | 13.3″ |
| Resolution | 2304 × 1440 (better) | 1280 × 800 |
| Panel | IPS LCD | – |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; 16:10 aspect ratio; millions of colours | Glossy TFT widescreen display with millions of colours; exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished by Apple. |
| Pixel density | 226 ppi | – |
| Display features | Supported scaled resolutions of 1440 × 900, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640 | – |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core m3-7Y32, Intel Core i5-7Y54 or Intel Core i7-7Y75 | Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 |
| CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| CPU threads | 4 | – |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 615 | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR2) |
| Memory | 8 GB or 16 GB (better) | 2 GB or 4 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 512 GB (better) | 120 GB to 320 GB |
| CPU | Dual-core seventh-generation Intel Core m3 at Apple's specified 1.2 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.0 GHz, Core i5 at 1.3 GHz with up to 3.2 GHz, or Core i7 at 1.4 GHz with up to 3.6 GHz; all with 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact m3-7Y32, i5-7Y54 and i7-7Y75 identifiers confirmed by TechRadar. Apple's configured clocks differ from Intel's nominal base frequencies of 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 GHz respectively. | 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 with 3 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz front-side bus. Notebookcheck’s aluminium MacBook review identifies the P7350 and explicitly notes that this white MacBook uses the same processor and graphics combination. |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 615 | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR2) |
| Memory type | 8 GB of 1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory; configurable to 16 GB | Two SO-DIMM slots for 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB. |
| Storage type | PCIe-based onboard SSD; 256 GB with the 1.2 GHz Core m3 base or 512 GB with the 1.3 GHz Core i5 base. The 256 GB base can be configured with Core i5 or i7; the 512 GB base can be configured with Core i7. | 120 GB 5400 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 160 GB, 250 GB or 320 GB; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive. |
| Cooling | Fanless design (TechRadar) | – |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 12 hours | – |
| Battery capacity | 41.4 Wh | 55 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 0.92 kg (better) | 2.27 kg |
| Thickness | 13.1 mm (better) | 27.5 mm |
| Width × depth | 280.5 × 196.5 mm | 325 × 227 mm |
| Battery life detail | Lithium-polymer battery; up to 10 hours wireless web, 12 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby. Apple's tests used the 1.3 GHz Core i5, 8 GB memory and 512 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3.5 to 13.1 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Removable 55 Wh lithium-polymer battery. Maker reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. Battery-life hours omitted because the archived maker specification does not publish them. |
| Charger | 30 W USB-C Power Adapter, as listed in Apple's current technical specifications | 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Polycarbonate enclosure |
| Colours | Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold | White |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | USB-C, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | AirPort Extreme draft 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 2.1 + EDR |
| Webcam | 480p FaceTime | iSight camera |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | One USB-C port supporting charging, USB 3.1 Gen 1 up to 5 Gb/s and native DisplayPort 1.2; VGA and HDMI through separate USB-C multiport adaptors. 3.5 mm headphone jack. | Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, Mini-DVI, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output. Display adapters sold separately. |
| External displays | One external display up to 4096 × 2304 at 60 Hz alongside the built-in screen, at millions of colours | One external display up to 1920 × 1200 alongside the built-in screen; Mini-DVI adapters support DVI and VGA. |
| Keyboard | Second-generation butterfly switches (TechRadar); full-size keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, individual LED backlighting, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor | Full-size keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function/media keys and four arrow keys |
| Trackpad | Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures | Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; supports two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag. |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Dual microphones | Built-in omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | MacBook; 30 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m), as listed in Apple's current technical specifications | MacBook, display cleaning cloth, removable battery, 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Archived specification lists Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and iLife ’09; this describes the archived bundle rather than confirming software shipped on the first sale day. January 2009 availability is confirmed by contemporary Macworld and The Register reviews; an exact maker first-sale date was not found.. |
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