Cheap Mac Laptops - How To Save On These Proven Performers
Cheap Mac laptops can offer you solid performance without costing you a fortune. While they are more expensive than their Windows-based counterparts, Apple Mac Laptops make up for their extra cost in superior performance, ease of use and exceptional stability.
Clearly you are looking for something affordable, but with enough processing power, hard drive space and features to help you get your work done quickly and efficiently. Even cheap Mac laptops can offer you an impressive level of performance, so your choice to go Mac is a good one.
We are going to review a few of the cheapest Mac laptops around, and show you not only which model will give you the best bang for your buck, but also where to get the best deals.
So, let's get started and see what your options are.
Cheap Mac Laptops - Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Featuring a powerful 2.4Ghz Intel Core2 Duo processor & NVidia 3D graphics capability, this is one of the best cheap Mac laptops you can buy, especially since it is possible to find it for less than $1,000 quite often. Let's see how it shapes up.
Despite the fact that Intel has released newer CPU lines (the i3 and i5), the Core 2 Duo is still a strong performer that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. So, the fact that you don' t have the latest technology here should be a minor concern performance wise.
The NVidia 320M graphics processor is a solid step up from the previous model. It doesn't mean this is a gaming powerhouse, but considering that these are really cheap Mac laptops, it's still an impressive addition to the laptop's versatility and performance.
The incredibly intuitive multitouch track pad still beats anything that the PC makers have been able to come up with to rival it and is a joy to work with.
A 250GB hard drive provides an ample amount of onboard space, which can easily be expanded with the addition of a small external hard drive if required.
This laptop also features 2GB of fast DDR3 SDRAM, which is adequate for most applications, although excessive multi-tasking may challenge this setup. Keep in mind that 256MB of this is shared with the Nvidia graphics processor, so you may think about upgrading to 4GB right away, or considering the merits of getting the MacBook Pro instead, which we talk about a little lower down.
The 13.3 inch display supports a decent resolution of 1280x800 pixels, while also being power efficient and made of arsenic-free glass. It won't hurt if Apple decided to switch these displays to a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of persisting with the 16:10, especially with HD videos becoming the rule rather than the exception.
Other highlights on this cheap mac laptop include an 8x double-layer compatible DVD recorder/drive, built-in web camera, two USB ports, Bluetooth 2.1 and built-in speakers. The MagSafe power adapter is simply fantastic, and prevents the laptop being pulled off wherever it's perched if the cable is yanked.
As far as cheap Mac laptops go, the Apple MacBook MC516LL makes a pretty strong case for itself. Consider the differences between this and the slightly more expensive MacBook Pro discussed a little lower down before making a decision though.
Pros:
- Great, feature rich touchpad
- Quick startup
- Compact and light, yet outstanding build quality
- Great backup program in Time Machine
- Solid performance for the price
Cons:
- Battery life a bit overrated at 10 hours unless you're doing absolutely nothing - expect closer to 6, which is still decent
- 2GB RAM may be on the small side for some users, so consider upgrading to 4GB
- No SD Card slot
Consumer Ratings:
This cheap Mac laptop has received 22 5-star reviews out of a total of 33 user reviews on Amazon.com as of this writing, with only 2 1-star reviews.
It received a 4-star "Excellent" CNET Editor's rating on mega-technology site CNET.com.
It averages 4 and a half stars on Epinions.com user reviews.
Cheap Mac Laptop - Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-Inch Laptop
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The Macbook Pro is the slightly bigger brother of the MacBook MC516. The main differences are the following:
- 4GB RAM Standard on the Pro compared to 2GB for the MacBook
- Pro can be upgraded to 8GB RAM vs 4GB for the Macbook
- The Pro has a SD Card slot
- The Mini DisplayPort video output supports HDMI on the Pro
- Pro features an aluminum body vs polycarbonate for the MacBook
Expect to pay about $200 more for the MacBook Pro. If you need more RAM, this is worth the extra cost as adding another 2GB RAM to the MacBook MC516 will cost you about $100, so you only pay another $100 for all the other extras that the Pro offers.
Consumer Ratings:
The MacBook Pro 13.3" has received 151 reviews at Amazon.com as of this writing, with 119 of them 5-star reviews, and only 6 1-star reviews. That's a stellar record.
It scores an 8.1 out of 10 "Excellent" rating at mega-technology site CNet Asia.
Always check out Amazon.com if you want to buy cheap Mac laptops below the manufacturer's recommended retail price.