Apple Laptops

The Bottom Line: Apple's latest version of the popular $999 white MacBook gets an upscale makeover, while keeping the price the same. It's a strong alternative to the more expensive Pro line, if you can live without extras such as an SD card slot.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.26 GHz), 2048 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard, 4.7 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix

The Bottom Line: Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro makes only minor tweaks to the previous version, but cutting prices and swapping the ExpressCard slot for an SD card slot are enough to make it a solid improvement over its predecessor.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.53 GHz), 4096 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.6, 5.5 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold

The Bottom Line: For $999, it's hard to beat this MacBook's nearly MacBook-Pro-level specs if you're in the market for a budget Apple laptop.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 2048 MB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 5.1 lbs, 13 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold

The Bottom Line: A little late to the party, Apple's redesigned 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the 15-inch model with a redesigned aluminum body, new trackpad with expanded functionality, and a dual-graphics setup for either longer battery life or better performance.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 6.6 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold

The Bottom Line: Apple's redesigned 13-inch MacBook is essentially a shrunken version of the more expensive 15-inch Pro line. With its new aluminum body, new trackpad, and Nvidia graphics, it's an even more attractive choice for mainstream laptop buyers than was the plastic model it replaces.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.4 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, 4.4 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Gold, EPA Energy Star

The Bottom Line: Apple's MacBook ditches its plastic shell and Intel chipset for a solid aluminum chassis with an Nvidia chipset, and serves up a multitouch glass trackpad, LED-backlit display, and mini DisplayPort.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 160 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 4.4 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Gold, EPA Energy Star

The Bottom Line: The MacBook Air introduced the unibody chassis design and multitouch gestures last year, and, thus, it doesn't receive much of an upgrade this time around.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 120 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 3 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Gold, EPA Energy Star

The Bottom Line: A solid, if predictable, upgrade to the MacBook Pro line, but noteworthy for stealing the MacBook Air's best feature--expanded gesture controls for the touch pad.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.5 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 6.8 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Silver, EPA Energy Star

The Bottom Line: A solid, if predictable, upgrade to the MacBook Pro line, but noteworthy for stealing the MacBook Air's best feature--expanded gesture controls for the touch pad.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.5 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 5.5 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver

The Bottom Line: The design is revolutionary, but Apple's MacBook Air will appeal to a smaller, more specialized audience than the standard MacBook, thanks to a stripped-down set of connections and features.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 80 GB, Apple MacOS X 10.5, 3 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver