Apple MacBook Goes Core 2 Duo

Apple extended its popular line of Mac computers today with a new set of MacBook laptop computers that run the powerful Intel  Core 2 Duo processor.

According to Apple, the Core 2 Duo makes the new MacBooks up to 25 percent faster than the previous models, which used an earlier incarnation the Intel chip known as the Core 2.

According to Philip Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide product marketing, the new MacBook notebook  computers out-perform their iBook predecessors by a factor of six, thanks primarily to the new Intel processors.

Remember the idea of widening the performance gap between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook laptops to distinguish them from one another? Well, that idea just got thrown out the window. Barely a week after the Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo announcement, Apple is releasing the Core 2 Duo updates to the Macbook 13-inch.

As with the previous models, the MacBook 13-inch White will have two processor flavors: The 1.83GHz T5600 and the 2GHz T5600 Core 2 Duos. The high-end black edition will get the Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 as well. The memory configuration remains roughly the same as before, and standard hard drive configurations will start at 120GB for the black MacBook 13-inch. Hard drive options go up to 200GB for those who need even more storage. Apple's Superdrive in the MacBook gets dual-layer support just like in the MacBook Pro. The rest of the features remain intact.

The MackBook 13-inch White 1.83GHz T5600 and 2GHz T5600 CPU configurations will start at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively. The MacBook 13-inch Black will start at $1,499.