Apple MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) vs Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) | AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2008 | October 2008 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 13.3″ | 15.4″ |
| Resolution | 1280 × 800 | 1440 × 900 (better) |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Glossy LED-backlit widescreen display with millions of colours; exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished by Apple. | Glossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 or Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2008), Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2008) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3) | NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT (256 MB GDDR3) + GeForce 9400M or NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT (512 MB GDDR3) + GeForce 9400M |
| Memory | 2 GB or 4 GB | 2 GB or 4 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB to 320 GB | 128 GB to 320 GB |
| CPU | 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. | Dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz with 3 MB shared L2 cache or 2.53 GHz with 6 MB; 2.8 GHz with 6 MB is configurable only from the upper base, as confirmed by Ars Technica and SlashGear. 1066 MHz frontside bus; clock records avoid unverified Intel SKU assumptions. |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3) | NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT (256 MB GDDR3) + GeForce 9400M; NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT (512 MB GDDR3) + GeForce 9400M. GPU memory varies with processor configuration. The integrated GeForce 9400M and discrete GeForce 9600M GT are selectable alternatives; changing GPU requires logout, as confirmed by Ars Technica and SlashGear. |
| Memory type | Two SO-DIMM slots for 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500); 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB. | 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots, up to 4 GB. Lower base starts with 2 GB; higher has 4 GB. |
| Storage type | 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. | Lower base has a 250 GB and higher a 320 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA drive. Maker configurable options include 250 GB or 320 GB 7200-rpm drives, or a 128 GB SSD. All 128 GB rows are SSD configurations; higher-base 250 GB rows represent the faster configurable hard drive. 8× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery capacity | 45 Wh | – |
| Weight | 2.04 kg (better) | 2.49 kg |
| Thickness | 24.1 mm | – |
| Width × depth | 325 × 227 mm | – |
| Battery life detail | 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. | Removable lithium-polymer battery; capacity and battery-life hours omitted because the surviving maker sources read do not publish them. Apple lists 5.5 lb; the main 2.49 kg reference weight is explicitly published by Ars Technica. Ars lists enclosure dimensions 14.35 × 9.82 × 0.95 inches; metric dimensions omitted. |
| Charger | 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter |
| Materials | Aluminium unibody enclosure | Aluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpad |
| Colours | Aluminium | Silver |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort Extreme draft 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g | AirPort Extreme 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 2.1 + EDR |
| Webcam | iSight camera | Built-in iSight camera |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 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. | 2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, Mini DisplayPort, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output, and Kensington lock slot. Display adapters sold separately. |
| External displays | One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen; Mini DisplayPort adapters sold separately. | Mini DisplayPort supports an external display up to 30 inches; separate DVI, VGA or dual-link DVI adapters required. A numeric external resolution is omitted because it is not stated in the surviving maker sources read. |
| Keyboard | 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 | Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys |
| Trackpad | Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with integrated button; supports scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe and four-finger swipe. | Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with integrated button; scrolling, pinch, rotate and three-finger/four-finger swipes. |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Built-in omnidirectional microphone | Built-in microphone above the Escape key |
| In the box | 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. | MacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 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; Apple Remote and display adapters sold separately. The former SP499 specification URL is no longer available; maker launch notice and exact user guide supply core facts. |
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