My MacBook shuts crashes intermittently

Question

just got my new mac book 2ghz intel core 2 duo with 1gb ram
love it. but. the system keeps crashing and requires me to hold the power button down to restart and when i try to submit the crash information to apple. does not seem to do anything to enable me to tell them more about the problem.
this seems to happen once every day. god. it feels like working with windows.
i did (MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1)
this claims to update the SMC Version will be: 1.4f12. however. when i try to install this ... it tells me i do not need this update.
any ideas ? thank you for your help. i am leaving for the missions field next week and need this resolved sooner then later. as getting help internationally i am sure will be difficult in a developing country.
ardware Overview:
Machine Name: Mac
Machine Model: MacBook2,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB21.00A5.B00
SMC Version: 1.13f3
Serial Number: 4H647S78WGL
Sudden Motion Sensor:
macbook   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

Answer 1

Hello!
Hopefully I, and some others here, can help you with your issue.
What you're experiencing is called a kernel panic.
"You need to restart your computer" message appears, with a gray box in the center of the screen, along with a darkened background:
This message indicates that an error occurred in the core of the operating system, which is referred to as a kernel panic. A kernel panic can be caused by damaged or incompatible software or, in rare cases, by damaged or incompatible hardware. The most likely cause of the problem is that a system file or folder has been moved, replaced, or damaged.
If you know that you have moved or renamed a Mac OS X system file or folder, then you must reinstall Mac OS X. (It won't work to just replace the specific item.) If you are not aware of any changes to Mac OS X system files or folders, try the following procedures:
To reselect your Mac OS X startup volume:
Restart your computer. Most often the panic is an isolated event that requires no further action.
Restart your computer while holding down the X key. This may force the computer to start up using your Mac OS X system. If it does, release the X key, then open System Preferences and click Startup Disk. Make sure your Mac OS X system is selected.
If you are unable to start up using the X key, restart your computer and immediately press and hold the Option key. Release the Option key when icons start to appear in the center of the screen. Select the Mac OS X system disk, then click the forward arrow to continue starting up.
If the above attempts to reselect your Mac OS X startup volume are unsuccessful, try resetting PRAM. Shut down your computer, then turn on the computer and immediately press and hold Command-Option-P-R until you hear the startup sound for the second time. Open System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and select your Mac OS X volume.
Note: Resetting PRAM may change some system settings and preferences. Use System Preferences to restore your settings.
Lastly, if you recently installed software, you could try to isolate the problem by uninstalling that software, or getting an updated version of the software.