Feature

What PC Users Should Know Before Switching to a New Mac Notebook

Considering the goodies Apple promises in its just-announced revamped MacBook line, it's tempting to consider a switch. We offer some guidance for PC loyalists.

By Darren Gladstone

October 15, 2008 — PC World —

With today's announcements about refreshes to the entire Apple MacBook family of laptops, no doubt, half the members of the Apple cult have already run out to the nearest Apple store.

Apple Debuts New MacBook Air

But should the average PC user/gamer jump, too? Here are five big things Joe PC needs to know before deciding.

1. Die Integrated Graphics, Die!

Intel's integrated GPU, which most Windows-based laptops use, is about as elegant as a moose in a tutu. With today's Apple announcement, a reasonably powerful integrated graphics system is available for laptop motherboards: nVidia's new GeForce 9400M. And the Apple MacBooks have it.

2. On the SLI

The new 9400M nVidia graphics chip set is like cake frosting for the new high-end MacBooks. Apple now pairs the motherboard GPU with an additional GeForce 9600M GT graphics-intensive application. This means games!

3. It's in the Air

Someone at Apple must have said, "Hey, I love the MacBook Air's keyboard. Let's put it on everything else and use a similar slim design." Done. For green techies, that also means fewer parts, less waste, and an all-around thumbs up from Mother Earth.

4. Show Apple the Money!

Most of the refreshed notebooks feature updated designs, slightly beefed-up hard drives, and roughly the same price as before. Run the specs before you buy.

5. Is It Time for PC Users to Go to the Mac Side? The decision about whether to jump ship depends on how badly you want to play games (or use Photoshop) on a MacBook.

Already, nVidia has deals inked with five of the top 10 Windows notebook manufacturers. And as soon as next week, we expect to hear news of a Windows-based notebook flaunting the same 9400M.

Let's dig a little deeper into all of this.

A NEW GRAPHICS GAME

Matt Peckham, PC World's Game On columnist, got it half right the other day when he pondered whether the new MacBook Pros would prove to be decent gaming machines. He was railing about how the GeForce 9600M GT is just the step-up model from the 8600M that currently resides in MacBooks.

But he didn't factor in the new integrated GPU on the motherboard--the GeForce 9400M--which is stuffed into the new MacBook Pros as well. nVidia had planned to announce the release of notebooks with Hybrid SLI (short for "scalable link interface") performance on October 15, and Apple was a day early.

What Exactly Does Hybrid SLI Performance Mean?

Hybrid SLI means that the on-board graphics power is sufficient to handle high-definition video. And when you want to run a more graphics-intensive app, such as DirectX 10 games, the technology flips the switch into a turbo mode where the two GPUs piggyback--conceivably boosting performance by 80 percent, according to nVidia spokespeople. Take that, Intel!