Oh, plastic MacBook, how we've missed you...

Apple has made a bunch of changes to their base workhorse, including:

• A polycarbonate unibody upper case
• An LED backlit display with the same 1280x800 resolution as previous models
• A glass multi-touch trackpad
• An integrated lithium-polymer battery
• Non-slip coating covering the bottom panel.

The case revision also allowed Apple to update the aesthetics on the new Macbook. Its contoured edges fit right in with the rest of the unibody lineup.

Top: New MacBook, Middle: MacBook Pro, Bottom: Old MacBook

FireWire is gone! If you need FireWire, now only a MacBook Pro will do.

Also gone is an IR port for a remote. As far as we know, that makes the MacBook the only currently shipping Apple laptop that doesn't support a remote.

There's also no external battery indicator, a feature borrowed from the MacBook Air.

Apple has also replaced Mini-DVI with Mini DisplayPort, and replaced the two audio jacks with a single audio in/out port.

After more than three years, the MacBook finally gets a new model number! A1342.

Unfortunately, Apple only allows those with 20/20 vision to find out their model and serial number. That text is incredibly tiny and difficult to read.

This new MacBook weighs in at 4.7 lbs. That's .3 lbs less than the old plastic MacBook, but .2 lbs more than the 13" Unibody MacBook Pro.

Removing the lower case...

There are no more rubber feet to tear off!

Eight Phillips #00 screws hold the lower case in place, two less than the 13" Pro.

The lower case is surprisingly heavy, weighing in at 266 grams. The lower case is actually a sheet of aluminum with rubberized coating injection-molded onto one side.

In contrast, the lower case on the 13" Pro weighs only 142 grams, so the rubber coating nearly doubles the part's weight.

Apple boasts an impressive seven hour battery life from the new MacBook, matching that of the 13" and 15" MacBook Pros.

The battery is held in with both tri-wing and Phillips screws, an indication that Apple doesn't want you replacing the battery yourself.

One of the three tri-wing screws is beneath a warning label in the top left corner of the battery.

For most repairs, removing the battery is not necessary, you just need to disconnect it from the logic board. You can use a spudger or your fingernails to lift battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

The battery is 60 watt-hours, the same capacity as the 13" MacBook Pro.

The previous plastic MacBooks featured a 55 watt-hour battery and claimed a 5-hour run time. Apple has added 5 watt-hours of battery capacity and two hours of run time. Either this machine is substantially more efficient than its predecessor (thanks to the LED backlight?), or Apple's new battery life claims are overly optimistic.

Despite its higher capacity, this new battery is actually lighter than the previous MacBook's battery. This battery boasts a power to weight ratio that's 23.5% better than its predecessor.

The MacBook now uses PC3-8500 RAM. Conveniently, all Apple portables with RAM slots as well as the iMacs currently use the same RAM type.

Like the Pro models, the RAM chips are stacked vertically, one directly above the other.

Our machine came with two 1 GB chips. Apple says the machine will support 4 GB maximum. There are 4 GB PC3-8500 chips available, and users have reported successful installations of 8 GB chips in this model.