Aluminum vs White

Sorry in advance for this question as it probably has been asked already. So if you have a link to a thread just post it thanks.
Is there any AMAZING differences between the $999 White Macbook and the $1299 Aluminum Macbook?
Thanks again for your help guys.

JE13 wrote:
whats with the backlighting effect anyways? is it really worth that 300 dollars extra coupled with a few extras? Or are both pictures about the same or noticeably different?
As said, that's not the only difference. But a lot of MacBooks are used by students and/or business men and a lot of the time they're in classrooms or conferences where the lights are dimmed for a showing of some lesson or pie chart. A backlit keyboard is very useful in such circumstances, especially if it's a black keyboard. And yes, I'm a touch typist, and yes, I still feel it useful as touch typing doesn't always help if you're trying to hit the delete key, or brightness key or sound key. Touch typing was created for typewriters which didn't have such extra high keys to reach and remember where they are.
As for the rest of that $300, the body of the AL is, well, significantly different to my thinking. You can really feel the different. It feels less likely to break, certainly less likely to scratch or smudge. It's a little lighter than the white as well.
In the end, however, Mac laptops are really well made and either one will do right by you.
$300 more doesn't get the lit keyboard. That would require the $1599 MacBook, which would come with the higher capacity drive and faster processor.
It's just a matter of price points. For $999 Apple hasn't reduced practical functionality like they have in the past. That $999 gets a full SuperDrive when previous entry-level MacBooks had DVD-ROM/CD-R combo drives. It's a good machine even if it doesn't have all the latest features.

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Turn aluminum into white

Anyone Know of an inexpensive way to make the new aluminum imacs white like the 3rd gen iMacs. Have seen a couple of sites who can make them 24K gold, platinum and others virtually any color but the option is around $400. There's a plastic snap on solution for $50 which would be nice and do the trick, but they only make black,red,aqua and pink. Seen some skin decals on Ebay, but they don't offer white either besides it looks like bit of a chinsy solution anyway.
Seem to have run out of options for now and was looking for some fresh ideas. A bit squemish about buying a refurb online and would prefer factory fresh but dissapointed in the then new design and liked the white ones much better.

If you buy a refurb from Apple, it should look new and it has the same warranty. I think they are actually more reliable, because any problems have been fixed and it has been fully retested. I don't think the "new" ones fresh off the assembly line get a full test before they are boxed up and shipped.
I recently bought a refurb 17-inch while iMac (2006 model) from the Apple Store, and it's been perfect. Looked new with no operational issues. I like the smaller size, which is no longer available, yet for $849 I got a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo machine with decent dedicated video.
The only minor downside was that it came with iLife 2006, because that's the version on the original disks (check description to see what's included). It also had Tiger, but included the "drop-in" upgrade to Leopard on a separate disk, which I like because I have a choice of running Tiger or Leopard. You also get brown-colored packaging with "certified Refurbished Product" label, but who cares about that...

White? Or Aluminum?

I'll be needing to get a new 'book soon - the one I have now - an iBook G4 PPC 1.33 Ghz (Mid 2005 model) though already past the 3 year mark - works well - but I know it's only a matter of time before it croaks. I've been noticing slower performance overall. My boyfriend has suggested getting more memory for it to increase the performance in the interim (before buying a new 'book).
Recently while inquiring about a replacement battery - someone mentioned to me the Aluminum Macbooks have been having some problems - with the body. What kinds of structural/body issues have occurred? Is this an issue happening with most MacBooks? I don't mind getting either Aluminum OR White - both will be good and even the white one will be a vast improvement to the machine I have now. I WANT to wait until Snow Leopard comes out, but I guess it's still no definite date yet as to when it will be released (although I've heard sometime this year). I don't see the point of getting a new one now if SL is going to be released in the near future. I also know that the Fire Wire will be phased out completely because USB 3.0 will be added (which is also compatible with 2.0). So I'm not sure if the machines (structurally) will change once Snow Leopard is released (with regards to the USB thing) or if they'll remain the same for a while.
So I guess what I'm trying to ask is - if I wanted to get the aluminum one, will it start falling apart on me? Would I be better off getting the white one? Does it really make any difference (aside from performance) - I'm JUST talking about durability, battery and so forth.

I also know that the Fire Wire will be phased out completely
Most new computers, never mind Mac, have Firewire.
All good analog to digital video converters use Firewire. Firewire converters give much higher quality and better results. Look at the Canopus ADVC300. Audio and Video go in, ONLY FireWire comes out.
Note also, that there is no tape based video camera (DV, HDV, or DVCPRO) which can transfer video over USB 2: the asynchronous nature of it's bus mastering will cause dropouts.
Thousands of computer peripherals use Firewire, with more coming out all the time.
Firewire is continuing to improve and gain in popularity. (Firewire 3200 will be out soon.) Firewire is more relevant than it ever has been.
Firewire is "isochronous", basically meaning that you can pump "clocked" data though it in real time. USB works more like TCPIP, with the data chopped up into packets and later reassembled. (Thus, at a minimum, you have latency, that is, the wait for the data to be "put back together".) Second, the Firewire protocol allows more direct address to memory (including mass storage) with minimal intervention of the CPU.
http://www.1394ta.org/products/ComputerProducts.html
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/it-pros-find-la.html
The NEW (early 2009) white Macbook has Firewire. (and the new NVIDIA graphics.)
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/

Does the Aluminum Mid-2007 Intel-based iMac include a USB extension cable?

Hello everyone,
I live in Canada, and my Aluminum (Mid-2007) 20" iMac did not include a USB extension cable for the keyboard. I have read on the forums that other members' Aluminum iMacs did not come with it either. I also read someone from Japan who said his iMac came with the cable, but I am not sure if he had an Aluminum or White iMac. I know that the standalone new keyboards do come with the USB extension cable. I would like to know if your Aluminum (Mid-2007) iMacs came with this accessory. Please let me know if it did or did not. Thank you for your help, and I await your reply.
Cya!
\m/ Mage \m/
P.S. I bought my iMac the same day Leopard launched, and then I received it in the first half of November.

Hi Bob and mrtotes,
Thank you very much for your helpful replies. I apologize that I have been away for a couple of days--I have been very busy with final assignments, so I did not get to reply to you until now.
I do find the cable a little short after I slide my keyboard tray under, but all I have to do is turn Mighty Mouse around before then. Other than that, Mighty Mouse's built-in cable is long enough when I am interacting with my iMac.
It makes sense that only the Mac Pro would need the USB extension cable more than the portables and iMacs would. I don't know why I did not think of that before--I guess that's why we we're here when we're not sure! And of course the Mac Mini does not come with input devices unless you ask because the whole point of the Mac Mini is BYODKM (bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse).
Thanks again for your help with answering my questions--I really appreciate it.
Cya!
\m/ Mage \m/

Latest Cinema 30": Is the casing all aluminum?

On the latest 30" Cinema Display, are the sides of the monitor aluminum like the front and back or white plastic?
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The 30" Cinema Display sides have been all plastic for a long time. Perhaps you meant to write that the sides were changed from all aluminum to white plastic in 2005?
I myself brought a new 30" Cinema Display from an Apple store two days ago. I am using it as I write this post. The display has white and plastic sides. The factory box has a FedEx shipping label with a Ship Date of "03/13/2009", so this is obviously not old stock.

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I was wondering how big of a HDD I can put in my iMac Early 2006 4,1?

Logic Pro,
You don't say specifically which 24" iMac you have Aluminum or White. Here are instructions for the Aluminum:
http://www.amfiteatar.org/content/view/155/78/lang,en/
If your iMac is still under warranty please remember doing this will probably void any warranty you have left.
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And when I go in to the App Store, it is giving me this notification below. Please Help, what do I do?

The Aluminum or white model?
iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Xserve (Early 2009)

My very unique issue

here is one for the powers that be. I have no one else to share this with so I thought I would share this here and hopefully some one will hear me. I knot it's long but please read this
I bought a new mac mini (mid 2010) replacing an early 2009 mac mini. i put the new one in the exact same place as the old which didn't have any problems and didn't change where any of my other equipment was placed. For a while I had no issues with the new mini but soon after (i can't remember when exactly) the computer would sporadically stop responding to my apple remote (both the aluminum and white remote) For a while it would only happen late at night usually around midnight and wouldn't start working until morning (wether the remote was paired or not) it would get progressively worse and it respond unless i paired the remote again even if it was already paired. (yes it would still pair even if was already paired and not responding. It eventually got so bad I called apple care multiple times after trying different solutions to try and find the problem. I eventually took the computer to the genius bar where they tested it for several days and ended up replacing the ir board and cable. I happily brought my repaired mini back home to play and only a few hours later i was still experiencing the same issue. I gave the weekend to see if this was just a one time issue but it continued getting worse. Took it back to the apple store this time they kept it for 2 weeks and no matter what operating system they used (local or network) they did not see any issue with it. They called me and we talking about it possibly being a software issue and seeing that I could handle that I opted for picking the computer up and trying it myself. Under their suggestion while i was experiencing the non responsive remote issue I switched to a different user and no response. next step was re-installing the operating system. Once i finally got everything updated and no 3rd party software installed i still had the same problem. So I did a clean install wiping the hard drive and installing again after to many problems getting it back up and working i still had the same problem and it was not software. I took the mini back to the apple store where they had already agreed to replacing it with a new computer if I still had the same problem. So yesterday I brought home a new mac mini set it up and I still experience the unresponsive to the remote issue. today i removed the mac mini to the kitchen where it is currently and for several hours no i have had no issues. AND WHY IS THAT
My findings
since i went through my laundry list of equipment that was in the vicinity of the computer while in my room it was deemed that they were not the culprits is this bizarre issue. The only other piece of equipment near my room is the PG&E smart meter mounted to the outside of my bedroom.
So in conclusion i guess i'm asking is there anyone in this universe that has experienced anything remotely similar to this issue and should i call up PG&E and have them remove their so called smart meter from my property.
any help is much appreciated and i thank you in advance

this isn't the most consistent of issues but I can give you more details.
The mini is sitting on a shelf below my tv, the cabinet doesn't wrap around the mini there are simply 4 columns holding the shelf the tv is on above the mini, and a set top box is sitting next to the tv. I don't have curtains in my room just shades and they are open most of the time day or night and the light in the room doesn't seem to affect the mini. Also the mini is sitting to the right of the set top box where as before i had it to the left and it didn't make any difference. I have even tried using different electrical plugs in the room and still experience the problem. Last night I tried to use the remote and nothing after several minutes, hoping that the computer just needed to wake up and still nothing. I was able to pair the remote even though it was already paired and it worked for about 30 seconds. I did more a few steps between pairing it to where it stopped working but i put the remote directly in front of the port maybe a foot away and it still didn't respond for the rest of the night. This morning i tried it about 30 min ago and it worked and is still working even though nothing had changed in the room(the shades are closed at the moment but they were also closed last night and turning the lights on and off and moving around the room had no effect) the remote isn't any more than 8 feet away from the mini and not more than 45 degrees of center.
The only other remotes in the room are for the tv and set top box but they are not used at the same time.

Aluminum Macbook compared to white Macbook

Ive been looking to buy a 2.0 Aluminum macbook but the white macbook now has a little bit faster processor and its 300 dollars cheaper. So could anyone tell me what makes the aluminum macbook worth that extra 300 dollars if there is any reason at all? Thank you very much for your answers.

Hi there Oscar,
In addition to what has been said above, the Aluminum Macbook now has DDR3 memory, whereas the white one has DDR2. This theoretically means the Aluminum one should handle having many windows open at a time better, etc.
To tell you the truth, you won't see much of a difference. If you are on a budget the white Macbook would make lots more sense. However, I recently upgraded from my old black Macbook to the Aluminum one, and the Aluminum one seems much sturdier. I was constantly having to take my old polycarbonate Macbook in for repairs and other things. It may be that the white Macbook has been improved, but it may not. I had to get my whole front casing replaced for my old Macbook ($400). It may be that though the Aluminum one's initial cost is much more, the cost of maintaining it for several years will be less.
Hope this helped,
Sasha

IPhone 5 getting white spots on the aluminum back what can I do?

my iphone 5 is getting white spots of decoloration on the aluminum back
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have this happened to you?
why is this happening to my iphone?

COntact apple and ask them.

Aluminum vs. White Macbook

I'm looking to purchase a Mac for my wife and am wondering on your thoughts of an Aluminum unibody or White Macbook. I have the 13 inch aluminum unibody, but the white one is not as expensive.
Is there a real difference? Your thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks

Under the hood, the machines are identical in terms of non-upgradeables like CPU and GPU. Both support up to 8GB of RAM although Apple only officially supports 4GB of the MacBook. The FireWire can be a huge deal breaker, especially if you have multiple Macs, FireWire peripherals or you're a fan of Target Disk Mode. While Apple has offered increased support for other means of replicating some of the functionality of FireWire in the form of Ethernet you still cannot beat the handiness of Target Disk Mode in the event of troubleshooting or transferring data.
I'll ask give the nod to the SD card slot, while I personally don't use it as it was originally intended (rapid access to SD cards from cameras) I've actually found myself using my SD cards for external storage and even installing custom images of OS X for troubleshooting. It's proven to be pretty handy and has basically become like a third USB port for me.
I personally like the fit and finish of the brushed aluminum unibody design, but I will say the unibody adoption on the MacBook (although it's still plastic) is a significant improvement over the previous design which was prone to structural fatigue over the years.
Honestly, you can't go wrong with either decision. If you do end up with the MacBook, I would encourage you to make the 4GB of RAM upgrade one of your first purchases.

Macbook Aluminum vs. New White Macbook?

I just bought a brand new Aluminum Macbook, which is no longer in stores. I spent $1300. I believe I got ripped off. Do you suggest I keep this Macbook or return it and buy the new white Macbook? I do like the aluminum design more then the white though. lol. Suggestions or Recommendations are appreciated =]
Here are the specs:
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR3 memory
250GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive

You can get a NEW Macbook PRO for $1149. It has a FireWire port too.
Do you suggest I keep this Macbook or return it and buy the new white Macbook?
No. Return it and buy the new Macbook Pro.
The white Macbook has no FireWire port.

New white Macbook vs last years aluminum Macbook

Hey all,
I currently have last year's standard aluminum macbook. My mom just won a standard macbook (the new white one) in a sales competition. She offered to give it to me and take mine. Besides this new one having snow leopard vs min only having leopard, what are some of the advantages of taking the new one? I kind of like my aluminum frame makes it feel sturdy, this new one however is VERY clean looking and I'm digging the interface a little more. Spec wise what would be the better decision?
Sorry if this is in the wrong place..
Thanks

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Aluminum has been shown to have more interference with WiFi, although not as bad as some other substances. Aluminum notebooks can receive WiFi generally as well as most other notebooks, though some people have noted more issues.
Your mileage may vary.
Polycarbonate has had a tendency to get more dirt, but that's also partly due to the fact it is white. Dark dirt attracts itself to white surfaces as much as a light dirt attacts itself to dark surfaces. Nothing you can do about that except keep your work area clean of food, drink, and anything else that might impact your machine in its color.
Don't underestimate the strength of the polycarbonate body. It is the same material, albeit not as thick as bullet proof vests. So I wouldn't trust it to a bullet, but then again, if you have bullets near it, you have greater problems!
You still need to be careful of how you plug in cables regardless of the body*:
http://www.macmaps.com/frayguide.html
Furthermore, in willing the machine, I hope the seller made sure to include everything that came with the machine new. See my FAQ* on buying used and refurbished Macs:
http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
Message was edited by: a brody

Is the Aluminum MacBook worth the extra $$$ over the new White MacBook

Hello,
This is going to be my first Mac purchase and am leaning towards the White MacBook over the Aluminum model but I've read a few postings on issues with the White MacBook display...
Thanks

Having a polycarbonate body, the white may look more fragile than the one piece aluminum but fragile is not a word I'd use to describe it. In the past year I've seen a MacBook that's fallen from a moving motorcycle - the case scuffed up but not broken and diagnostics showed the computer unharmed. Another owner brought in her MacBook that had been run over by a car - the top case cracked but the LCD unbroken and the computer passed diagnostics. I watched a student drop his MacBook as he carried it under his arm, it came to rest opened on the floor and I was certain the top had come loose but no. It was fine. And my own MacBook fell from the desk to a wooden floor and survived unscathed. Obviously others can recount examples where their MacBook was damaged by a fall but these examples indicate that the MacBook might be breakable but it isn't fragile. Not like the Dell notebook I saw fall from a desk this spring and shatter.

MacBook (white) to MacBook (aluminum)

I bought the white, plastic version of the MacBook in July. Now that they've come out with a much better model - at least concerning the 3D rendering that I do for school - what is the best way to seek an upgrade?
I was hoping Apple would offer some sort of deal like with the iPhone (original) when the 3G was announced so the iPhone consumers would not be slated to lose money and the satisfaction of a newer model phone.
Anyway, I don't really want to shell out for an entirely new computer having only bought the plastic model in July. I don't suppose the white model will fetch the price I paid because the price was lowered on the Apple Online Store.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately you can never keep up with technology. I felt the same way when I bought my MacBook Pro and got the free iPod nano around August 2007, then a month later they come out with a way better video iPod nano. That's just the way it is, it does suck, I agree, but when you buy new technology, it only stays "current" for so long before something newer and better replaces it.

Aluminum vs White

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