Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) compared with MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)

	AppleMacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)	AppleMacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2015	October 2008
Display
Screen size
Screen size	12″	13.3″
Resolution
Resolution	2304 × 1440 (better)	1280 × 800
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	–
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; 16:10 aspect ratio; millions of colours	Glossy LED-backlit widescreen display with millions of colours; exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished by Apple.
Pixel density
Pixel density	226 ppi	–
Display features
Display features	Supported scaled resolutions of 1440 × 900, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core M-5Y31, Intel Core M-5Y51 or Intel Core M-5Y71	Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 or Intel Core 2 Duo P8600
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5300	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3)
Memory
Memory	8 GB (better)	2 GB or 4 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 512 GB (better)	128 GB to 320 GB
CPU
CPU	Dual-core Intel Core M at Apple's specified 1.1 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.4 GHz, 1.2 GHz with up to 2.6 GHz, or 1.3 GHz with up to 2.9 GHz; all with 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact M-5Y31, M-5Y51 and M-5Y71 identifiers confirmed by Macworld. Apple's configured clocks differ from Intel's nominal base frequencies; the M-5Y31 supports a configurable TDP-up frequency of 1.1 GHz.	2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 or 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo P8600, with 3 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz front-side bus. Exact chip identities are confirmed by Geekbench’s contemporary tested-machine configurations and Notebookcheck.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 5300	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3)
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	Two SO-DIMM slots for 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500); 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB.
Storage type
Storage type	PCIe-based onboard flash storage; 256 GB with the 1.1 GHz base or 512 GB with the 1.2 GHz base; either can be ordered with the 1.3 GHz processor	5400 rpm Serial ATA hard drive: 160 GB standard at 2.0 GHz or 250 GB at 2.4 GHz, with 250 GB or 320 GB hard drives and a 128 GB solid-state drive available to order. 8x SuperDrive; the 160 GB base drive is not included for the higher-clocked model.
Cooling
Cooling	Fanless design with no moving parts or vents	–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 10 hours	–
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	39.7 Wh	45 Wh (better)
Weight
Weight	0.92 kg (better)	2.04 kg
Thickness
Thickness	13.1 mm (better)	24.1 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	280.5 × 196.5 mm	325 × 227 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Terraced lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web, 10 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby. Apple's web and video tests used the 1.2 GHz Core M, 8 GB memory and 512 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3.5 to 13.1 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.	Removable 45 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
Charger	29 W USB-C Power Adapter	60 W MagSafe Power Adapter
Materials
Materials	Precision-milled aluminium unibody; polished stainless steel Apple logo	Aluminium unibody enclosure
Colours
Colours	Silver, Gold, Space Grey	Aluminium
Connections
Ports
Ports	USB-C, headphone jack	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	AirPort Extreme draft 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	2.1 + EDR
Webcam
Webcam	480p FaceTime	iSight camera
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
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 supports iPhone headsets with remote and microphone. USB-C does not support Thunderbolt (Macworld).	Two USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, Mini DisplayPort, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output. No FireWire; display adapters sold separately.
External displays
External displays	One external display up to 3840 × 2160 alongside the built-in screen, at millions of colours	One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen; Mini DisplayPort adapters sold separately.
Keyboard
Keyboard	First-generation butterfly mechanism; 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; backlit at 2.4 GHz, unlit at 2.0 GHz
Trackpad
Trackpad	Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures	Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with integrated button; supports scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe and four-finger swipe.
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Built-in omnidirectional microphone
In the box
In the box	MacBook; 29 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	MacBook, display cleaning cloth, removable battery, 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and iLife ’08 at launch.