Aluminum MacBook Review- Part 2 (Replacing HDD/Battery/RAM; Graphics/Battery Life; Final Thoughts)

[Digitalizedx]

Is there anyway to remove the integrated intel graphics card

[celtics1104]

WHich macbook model is this?

[therobanata]

str8 macdaddy.

[ToqyloTolojily]

You are unable to afford macbook? There is giveaway at macbook7 . com Take your chance NOW

Liked it

[monteacution]

very useful thanks.

[bluesensationist]

im guessing its different for the 13 inch pros

[jeamps]

why does mi macbook batt only last 2 hours not 8 hours can i upgrade?

[MISSIN9NO]

@jeamps same here; as far as i know you can't really upgrade. i went out and bought a new battery today and they only sell 4-hour ones for this model. whats weird is my roommate's laptop seems absolutely identical to mine yet it holds a charge for 8 hours. i don't get it...

[tombofrog]

neeerdddd

[dan325013]

Thank you for this video. I just replaced 2GB of DDR3 with 4 while watching it. Thanks so much.

[thamer2k]

thank you.

[rickytrix]

i have a question, i have both macbook white 2008, and macbook unibody aluminum, can i use the hard drive from white and put it on unibody aluminum ?

[PsychoFur]

Can I upgrade the graphics card?

[lizardmannnn]

it would be best to upgrade to an SSD drive like 10X faster than a 5400rpm drive and its completely silent

[bizzyfingers]

be very careful of what you touch without an esd strap! (earthing)

[tsitsosdmn]

how stupid video is this. the first think that you do when you open every mac laptop is to remove the battery.

[brijp75]

great ..........tell me how to Replaced sreen

[georgewig]

can't people just use the manual

[drummerkid1993]

Yeah, I read the document included with the macbook but watching a video really shows you well.

[mzahran]

Sorry guys noob question....Does changing the RAM myself void the warranty? I have one of the new macbook pros that you have to unscrew to open up. I dont want to upgrade it myself if its gonna void the warranty.

[hoopdie]

Is the video card on Macbooks good enough for Basic 3d and 3d rendering work?

[XhighOnLyfX]

im beginning to get so confused why dont i see the latch for the battery the bottom of my macbook is completely smooth i dont see any of that :(

[73cartoon]

If you have the macbook launched after WWDC june 09, you will have the macbook with the new type of battery. The 13,15 and 17 inch macbook pro has a "smooth". You will have to remove the screw's to get to the hdd, ram and battery. By the way the battery on the new macbooks cannot be removed due to its design.

[XhighOnLyfX]

thanks alot i had called apple customer care nd i told the guy that I could not remove the battery and I had no latch> I though I was seeing things he even sent me to look throug the Everything Mac book=( Now I know better. Thankyou again

[Evaxlacrymosa]

You probably have a fairly newer model that doesn't have the feature to remove the bottom.

[CheeseLoverBob]

Easy to understand and informative.

[hallbe]

I'd like to upgrade my HDD to a 500gb. Is there a particular brand you'd recommend? Thanks!

[callmejosiah]

I've had a great experience with Seagate hard drives, been using them for over 7 years and I've never once had a problem with one of their drives going bad.

[H4L0K1LL4]

sexy computer, thats what i have. i love it!

[doublebombers808]

i really love ur review! im planning on buying a macbook but idk which one 2 get! im only using it for internet,music,pictures so i was thinking 2.0 ghz one but sum1 said 2.0 outdates easily? which one wud u suggest

[jackpfree]

2.0 is fine for that kind of stuff, heck my laptop i use has a 1.6 ghz and i game on it, so yeah if you dont game or do major photo editing its fine

[kichathedelver]

Best review...thanks for that.you have any suggestion running 3d application like autodesk maya and other products..hwz MBP respond to it..

Regards

krishnan srinivasan

[madmaddymanu]

can i but the ram chips from any store in austrailla because i cant buy it online plzz helpp!!!!

[callmejosiah]

you can buy RAM from stores other than online, just make sure that the memory you buy is 1066MHz DDR3 to ensure compatibility with your MacBook...

[nabatron21]

hey bro does the 1066 mhz ddr3 and 1067 mhrz ddr3 on my aluminum macbook are any different cuz im lookin to upgrade my ram and cant find any that r 1067 i only found 1066 so just wanted to know if there is any difference!

[callmejosiah]

there is no difference between the two, it just so happens that OS X lists 1066MHz RAM as being "1067 MHz"...

[nabatron21]

hey thanks alot man! yur the only person who actually helped me out really appreciate it! keep up the good work!

[pdxskeptic]

Thanks for the video. I just upgraded my macbook to 4 gb just following your video.

[yankees112495]

does a 2.0 ghz have backlight keys?

[madmaddymanu]

no it doest but can you help me with my question::

can i buy the ram chips from any store in austrailla because i cant buy it online plzz helpp!!!!

[fu5eresakd]

GOOD! VIDEO. .

[DK83pwns]

wouldnt a 7200rpm make it a lot hotter and louder?

[callmejosiah]

by a small amount, yes... though something to keep in mind is that the MacBook's aluminum casing/cooling system dissipates heat very well, even under heavy processor load, and I doubt that the slight addition of heat from the faster HDD would make much difference.

[DK83pwns]

thanks for the advice :)

[DK83pwns]

apple makes things so simple :)

[qert079]

extremely good tutorial video i say. great job!

[Orhaug]

Great instructional video man!

Is it possble to replace the original harddrive by any 2.5" s-ata harddrive or does it need to be a specific brand etc. for the MBP unibody model?

[callmejosiah]

yes, any standard height (9.5mm) 2.5" SATA drive will be compatible with the MacBook/MacBook Pro... once you've swapped the new drive into your notebook, it's simply a matter of formatting and installing OS X to it, and you should be good to go.

thanks for the comment, by the way, glad you liked the video!

[newrev9er]

This was extremely informative, you answered all my questions.  Thanks a lot.

[callmejosiah]

no problem, glad it was helpful!

[5h4unp001]

mmm i'm thinking of upgrading mine from 2gb to 4gb alsi mabye upgrade the hardrive.

just wondering where everything is located.

thanks

[callmejosiah]

sounds like a good move, the MacBook is already a very capable machine with just a stock configuration, and with the upgrade you mentioned you should be set for quite some time... you're welcome, btw! :)

[oxygentmr]

Great Job Man, Love It. :)

Keep Up the Good work

[callmejosiah]

thanks for the comment and for subscribing, glad you liked the video!

[loldotalol379]

But I want to be realistical: Macbook, okay, great laptop.

What DON'T you like about it? Be picky ;)

[callmejosiah]

couldn't tell if this comment was referring to something someone said a few weeks back (asking for pros/cons), but in case it wasn't- I really can't fault the MacBook, and to be honest it's not worth my time to go looking for things I don't like about it when it suits me perfectly already... though if I come across something I don't like about it I'll be sure to bring it up in a future update.

[HackRsX]

thank you so much for this review

you just helped me install my 4gb ram upgrade (saving me $230 as well :D)

THIS VIDEO ROCKS!!!!

[callmejosiah]

thanks for the comment, glad you found this video helpful!

[green2882]

Is the MacBook in its second generation now or still as it came out?

[callmejosiah]

as of today, this is still the current revision...

[green2882]

ok then thanks.

[Spiceman333]

sorry again but just another question.

In Australia, these new ones are $2009 and $2549.

The cheaper being the 2.0 GHz model.

Do you think an illuminated keyboard and bigger HDD can justify me getting the 2.4 instead as it's a steep price jump?

[callmejosiah]

honestly, that is a bit more of a price jump than we have to pay in the U.S. (calculated yours out to ~27% more vs. ~23% more here), it really just depends on your own personal needs... for me at least, these other features were worth the additional money, but if you don't need the added performance, then the 2.0GHz version should suit you fine (and if you need additional space, it's just a matter of a simple hard drive upgrade).

good luck to you, keep me posted!

[Spiceman333]

what, if any of this voids your warranty?

[saranghanmida]

awesome review. by far one of the best.

is the macbook user friendly?... as i have not use a macbook before it's pretty costly over here compare to the States :/

greetings from Singapore. =)

[callmejosiah]

any of Apple's computers are user-friendly, particularly their notebooks... as you could probably tell from the review, I would highly suggest the MacBook to anyone in the market for a notebook.

thanks for the comment, by the way!

[YouGoogleOnline]

Hehehe... thx for the answer... but u really think that is going to make the difference for example in the internet conection ? or multi-task application..? im going to use it for gaming... i know that today anygame need like 10gb in the installation... so.. my question : what part exactly work better with the 2.4 Ghz and in what application the 2.0 Ghz doesnt works pretty well... ? thx for the answer..

[kakakakax]

sorry-- outstanding video , just need to know if replacing the hdd voids the warranty?? thanks

[callmejosiah]

thanks for the comment- about your question, swapping the HDD and/or RAM will *not* void the warranty... only with old-generation MacBook Pro's do you run into any warranty issues, because replacing the hard drive requires a lot more disassembly and creates much more room for potential damage to your machine.

[YouGoogleOnline]

im going to buy the 2.0 aluminium model but i was thinking that sometimes im going to use the macbook with internet a lot, and sometimes play games for like 3 hours... so.. does the 2.4 is better for me ? or its ok with the 2.0 ?

[callmejosiah]

you won't notice a difference between either version as far as internet use is concerned... on the other hand, if you're going to be doing any extensive gaming, I would advise going with the 2.4GHz version (that way you don't limit yourself if you end up needing the extra processing power later).

[aparmley]

Excellent video review. Thanks for all the detail.

[callmejosiah]

no problem, glad it was helpful!

[mikecool258]

do you think that it is worth buying the 2.4 ghz model. what are the pros and cons of it???

[callmejosiah]

unless you need the backlit keyboard, faster processor, and extra hard drive space, the 2.0Ghz version should suit you just fine... and as far as pros/cons, I can't fault the 2.4GHz version (it's easily the most solid laptop I've ever used), and you can't go wrong with either version.

[alexosh1234]

Great vid, i bought my ram for 70 bucks 2 thing of 2 gigs of ddr3 ram!! Im going to install it now!! Thanks again! You know a lot!

[callmejosiah]

thanks man, I'm amazed at how much the price of DDR3 notebook RAM has dropped in even the last couple months... I'm curious, what brand did you end up going with?

[cordoser]

I just brought my Macbook 2 days ago... I brought the 2.4GHz Alu. Macbook... and I love it... I handle it with care all the time...LOL... I'm very2 satisfied... I just bootcamp Windows XP and installed GTA SA... I put all the setting to very high.. even the screen res... and it played smooth like silk.. LOL...

[gl0gg]

u shuld do all that wit the battery removed

[dpxmidisplaylol]

Very helpful. Jon sent me by the way :P.!

Thanks for the full well explained review

[wiihaward94]

lol I read the twitter as well xD

[ElectronicsCritics]

how much was the macbook cause im gettin 1 next week

[VisualTutorials]

1000, 1300, and 1600

[callmejosiah]

like VisualTutorials mentioned, the prices are:

$999- 2.1GHz White MacBook

$1299- 2.0GHz Aluminum MacBook

$1599- 2.4Ghz Aluminum MacBook (this is the model I bought, and it cost me $1499 once I applied my student discount)... great choice with the MacBook, you really can't go wrong!

[LockoHappyday]

nice vid man Im buying the 2.4 macbook later this week, and I agree with you on waiting for DDR3 to be cheaper I mean 2gb is still pretty fast isn't it?

[callmejosiah]

it is, and to be honest, there have been only one or two times that I felt like I could use a little extra RAM (particularly while compressing a video and using several other apps at the same time), but for now I'm more than happy with 2GB RAM.

good luck with your purchase, I'm sure you'll enjoy your MacBook!

[DXm8]

and also it uses DDR3, this is faster than ram in mac pro and other laptops in the market so it really is darn fast at 100mhz lobo

[ewap8]

very helpful review (both parts), thanks!

[kylesonfire]

hey i have a question. the only difference that you can't upgrade between the 2ghz and the 2,4ghz is the backlit keyboard on the 2.4ghz. do you think such little problem would be crucial? i'm a college student and it would be helpful to have the backlit keyboard since they tend to dim the classroom sometimes. but for 300 bucks difference do you think its worth it? btw thanks for the review. very helpful

[callmejosiah]

to me, the added performance, backlit keyboard, and larger hard drive are worth the extra $300 (I'd rather leave a little room for overkill than not have enough performance if I need it, same goes for the backlit keyboard), but it's really up to you... my $0.02?- go with the 2.4GHz version, you really can't go wrong.

glad the review was helpful, btw.

[ibpointless2]

I wish my macbook pro was this easy. great review!

[deejayclear]

Dude, you rock! I'm looking to get the new macbook since my ibook is on it's last leg.  Seeing that there's about a $300 price difference between the 160 hd mac vs the 250 hd one, I was hoping to just upgrade myself. You definitely helped me make my decision. I had my ibook's hard drive upgraded twice. Had to have apple service it at $200 for labor each time because too many things need to be removed to upgrade. this is so much easier. Thanks again for posting!

[callmejosiah]

thanks, glad it was helpful... keep me posted on how the upgrade goes!

[duskboy]

Great review, better than most 'pro' ones.

Greets from Stockholm, Sweden.

[ccubsfan94]

love the review 5 stars. not to be a spammer but go to macsales(dot)com to get a 4 gig ram upgrade kit for only $85. also some great prices on hard drives. i will be buying a 500gb for my new macbook that i will be getting for only $119 trying not to be spammer but just telling you if you want to upgrade that is a good cheap place to go

[callmejosiah]

appreciate the tip, I've always heard great things about Macsales, so no worries... thanks!

[KingFatimagu]

Thanks for a great review

[Billyrocker33]

Best review!!! Keep it up!

[adryanv]

Best review I have seen so far on the Macbook.

[callmejosiah]

thanks, always nice to get comments like these!

[PreppyLifestyle]

Nice Review :)

By the way do you know when the 3rd Generation ipod touch comes out?

Thank YOu

[callmejosiah]

thanks... btw- I'd assume the next iPod revision will occur sometime in Q3 2009 (very likely August or September).

[PreppyLifestyle]

Oh thank you :D

[GazahSCD]

A great tutorial, alot of information about the macbook, just in all a great video, keep it going Josh, Thanks Gazah.

[callmejosiah]

thanks Gazah, good to hear from you...

[Zeek318]

love all of your vids

[DewGuy1999]

Great second part. You make AWESOME tech videos!

[callmejosiah]

thanks! did you find enough info in here as far as comparing the iMac and MacBook is concerned?

[DewGuy1999]

I think you covered just about everything. If I happen to think of anything else I'll be sure to let you know.

[callmejosiah]

good deal, keep me posted...

[Drifter2080]

yyup he does

[empouse]

hey, i read that a lot of people have been having problems with their RAM that they upgraded themselves from a seller other than apple. I also read that people that bought their RAM from apple haven't had any problems with their RAM. I wonder why that is?

[callmejosiah]

I'm not sure what the cause of their issues is, but I do know that DDR3 is still relatively new to the notebook market, and it's possible that there are only certain brands that are compatible with the MacBooks (I don't know, though)... I just tend to stick with brands that I've had good experience with, and so far my experience with Samsung, Crucial and Kingston RAM has been nothing short of excellent.

[empouse]

yeah, that's what i was thinking. i was thinking the DDR3 thing was the problem. =]

[Argcz]

Thanks for the 2nd part of review, i love how organized and clean are its insides ;]

[callmejosiah]

I know, Apple's designers really did a top-notch job, both in designing the unibody enclosure, and in making sure that every bit of space was used for something... except a Firewire port :).

[getfunny92]

good, informative review! i have a 2.4 GHz model and its blazing fast. cant imagine what your iMac can do.

[merlucco]

great review man. I bought a MacBook Aluminium Unibody 2.0ghz 2gb ram 160gb hard disk 3 days ago. terrific. It's th best computer i've ever used. very fast and ergonomic (in hardware and software). I owned 2 macs in the 90s, a performa 630, a performa 5260. This MacBook is awesome. good job Apple.

[callmejosiah]

agreed, I honestly don't think you can buy a better notebook than the aluminum MacBook/MacBook Pro... thanks for the comment!

[htcjunkie16]

awesome review! Best review of the aluminum MacBook on YouTube!

[callmejosiah]

thanks, glad it was helpful!

[JordanLolss]

great 2nd part! Cant wait till i get mine :P

[TFDgohan]

when u change the HDD how do u reinstall OS X do u just use the install cds that come with the macbook?

[callmejosiah]

yes, the MacBook will come with 2 DVD's- the first installs just OS X, and the second installs all the additional apps including iLife '08... the install process is just a matter of inserting the first DVD at bootup, formatting the drive with Disk Utility, and then following the instructions.

[TFDgohan]

ok cool so just use the 1st cd to install OS X then after that use the 2nd to install the apps like ilife 08 just needed to know for when i get my first macbook in march cant wait :D

[callmejosiah]

very cool, I'm sure you'll enjoy it *at least* as much as I've enjoyed using mine so far :)

[TFDgohan]

ya ive been waiting to go mac and now i can lol thanks for your help and kep up the good videos :D