Magic Mouse: It’s a bit too expensive for stocking stuffer territory, but we’ve called the nipple-less design the best mouse Apple has ever made. And if you can’t appreciate touch-sensitive scrolling, you have no soul (or, at least not one that we can see). $99 [Apple]

Buffy Gelaskins: Loving Apple will only half-fill one’s necessary geek quotient. Your loved one will do well filling the other half with Buffy, now that Dark Horse comics has teamed up with Gelaskins re-stickable case skins for the iPhone and MacBooks. $US15 iPhone, $US30 MacBook. [Dark Horse]

iMac (27-inch i7): You simply won’t find a more striking desktop on the market, but maybe more importantly, benchmarks on Apple latest top-tier iMac are currently challenging far more expensive Mac Pros. Plus, the line has just seen a refresh, so it’s a good time to buy. $2599+

AU: The i7 version isn’t available on the AU store yet… -NB

[Apple]

BookArc Stand: No, it’s not the gift for everyone. But if you know a guy who just docks his MacBook anyway, the BookArc Stand is a far more elegant solution than sitting a laptop on a desk (especially since the laptop should run cooler given the increased surface area for airflow). [BookArc]

Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree (T-Shirt): Who says the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? This t-shirt, that’s who. $US18. [Go Ape Shirts]

Apple Table IOU: Apple fanboys love Apple’s products. But true Apple fanboys—those who take commitment and fanaticism to the next level—could never be pleased with what Apple currently has on the table. They need the Next Big Thing. We’re about 1000% certain that Apple will release a tablet some time in 2010. Promise your loved ones that you’ll camp overnight and drop the cash so they get the Apple Tablet first. Of course, they’ll still bitch about it, anticipating version 2.0. Price Unknown, Costs Some Dignity

DON’T BUY MacBook Pro: There has simply never been a worse time to buy a new MacBook Pro. With Core i5/i7 tech inevitably waiting to make its way into Apple’s premium laptops, your hard-earned cash will almost certainly buy a vastly more powerful, more future-proof machine less than a month after Christmas. The same can probably be said about Mac Pros, too. Oh, and that 27-inch iMac we keep raving about? What a glorious alternative to the aging, 30-inch Apple Cinema Display! [Apple]

Wall of Sound iPod Dock: There are iPod docks, and there are iPod docks. This is most definitely the latter, a handcrafted, 3×4-foot, 100kg, 125W beast. And one day, when Apple inevitably tweaks the iPod port, this behemoth will be useless—feeding into the general regret and dissatisfaction critical to Apple fandom. [Wall of Sound]

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favourite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We’ll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

This 2.2-inch clamshell aberration – technically the Apple Q300 Ultra – costs around $US70, which is $US70 too much. [Shanzai]

Even though this free app doesn’t really do anything except display exactly what your trackpad is sensing, it’s still spectacular. Even with all my fingers I can’t max this thing out, and inputs seem to be monitored just as precisely as when you’re just using your point finger. I have no idea how you’re supposed to map 10-finger inputs into anything useful, but man, the pointless toy potential here is massive. Update: As is, evidently, the dick joke potential. 11 bravos, to be shared amongst you [Lericsson via Reddit]

It’s Basically a White Macbook Pro

To illustrate just how good the internals are on the MacBook, just compare them to the current base 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both have a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo with a 3MB L2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus and a 2GB default RAM. They also have a really similar LED backlit display, which eliminates the problem of narrowed viewing angles that we docked the first generation unibody MacBooks for, and both now have the same contrast ratio. The only difference is that the Pro has a 60 per cent greater colour gamut.

The new body

The rounded edges and a reduced number of seams make the new MacBook appear to be a flattened marshmallow. A glossy, rubber-bottomed marshmallow. It’s an immediately more appealing shape than the previous generation of white MacBooks, marking the end of the transition of Apple laptops to unibody construction. That rubber bottom is also pretty satisfying, both in the fact that it grips surfaces better to not slide around, and because it’s a more thigh-friendly material when the machine heats up.

Otherwise, there are many other small design changes you’ll appreciate. The trackpad is now the standard glass multitouch type found on the Pros, the screen has a more prominent bezel and the iSight is circular instead of square. Keyboard layout is the same, but on-key shortcuts have been updated to the latest standards. It also comes with Apple’s new 60-watt power adaptor, which has a tip that looks more like the MacBook Air than any of the previous chargers.

In general, the build quality is more solid and more “Pro” than ever before, despite the material being polycarbonate instead of aluminium. It’s like trading up from a Toyota Yaris to a Camry — not luxury, but it’s a noticeable difference.

Benchmarks and Battery Life

Comparing the 13-inch aluminium unibody MacBook of 2008 to the 13-inch aluminium unibody MacBook Pro to the 13-inch MacBook now shows that there really isn’t a big difference between the three models. The small discrepancies fall inside the margin of error, and some change can probably be attributed to the fact that the first two machines were running Leopard, whereas the machine we have now is running Snow Leopard.

Point is, this MacBook isn’t really that much faster or slower than the one last year.

Just as the transition to non-replaceable batteries increased MacBook Pro runtime, so too has the transition benefited the Macbook.

The new MacBook ran four hours and 12 minutes, longer than the two most recent MacBook Pros, using the same metrics as we did before: Wi-Fi on, keyboard backlight on low, non-stop H.264 movie playback. In real-world circumstances, that battery life can only get better. Our testing is processor-intensive.

Some new problems

• A consequence of having an improved, unibody construction is that you can no longer replace the battery yourself. It also means that native battery life will be longer, as demonstrated in the testing above. In fact, unlike Pro machines where people really do want to swap batteries for extended field use, an improved internal battery will serve regular users much better.

• For some reason, Apple decided to make the entire area surrounding the keyboard as glossy as the outer shell, meaning that your wrists have a more sticky feel when you’re typing. It’s not a huge deal, but it is less usable when compared to previous generations or the MacBook Pro line.

• Again, like the Magic Mouse, the white polycarbonate (plastic) will get scratched easily, and will show scratches if you look at it from a certain angle. It doesn’t diminish performance, but it is annoying if you’re anal about your stuff.

Where does that leave us? Right now is the brief window in time when MacBooks just got bumped up in specs to match the low-end MacBook Pros, in order for the MacBook Pros to have room to grow without leaving the entry-level machines too far behind. If you’re in the market for a MacBook, this could be the best time for you to buy and feel good about your purchase, knowing that you’ll get the same performance as a machine that costs $US200 more.

But keep in mind, this development basically implies that the MacBook Pros will be getting the Core i5 and i7 processors some time in the next year.

MacBook Gallery

The unibody construction was an inevitable upgrade to the MacBook line, and one that brings many more benefits than it does faults. There shouldn’t be a drastic change in the MacBook design any time soon, so now is probably the furthest away from the next generation as you’re going to get. [Apple]

Polycarbonate unibody construction looks, feels great

Has just about the same specs as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so you’re getting a good deal

Finally get Pro stuff like the multitouch glass trackpad

Glossy wrist area is slightly too sticky

Can’t swap out batteries, but you do get longer life in return

Firewire port is gone

The entry level 13-inch MacBook Pro, which started at $1899 before the price shift, now sells for $1599. Similarly, the 2.4GHz 13-incher now starts at $1999; the 15 inchers sell for $2299 (was $2699), $2699 and $2999 respectively and the 17-inch is $3299. Meanwhile, the Macbook Air has been cut to a starting price of $1999 (from $2399).

Add to that the fact the newly refreshed Macbook’s starting cost is just $1299, and you honestly have to think to yourself that the MacBook lineup has become pretty damned competitive price-wise.

[Apple – Thanks Benji!]

1. iMacs Get Next-Gen Processors
The most important upgrade to iMacs is that they’ll now support Intel Core i5 and i7 processors for prices starting at $US1500. You can buy a Core 2 Duo for less, but…I mean…really?

2. The iMac Is a Cheap Monitor, By Apple’s Standards
A 30-inch Cinema Display will still run you $US1800 while a new 27-inch iMac starts at $US1700. Oh, and the iMac can work simply work as a monitor now through mini DisplayPort, too.

3. Apple Sees the Mac Mini as a Server, Not an HTPC
Apple may have given the Mac Mini a slight spec boost and the option to load Leopard Server, but it still missing the critical feature it needs to be a competitive home theatre PC—the HDMI port.

4. New Metal Remote Looks Like an iPod Design Reject
For those who couldn’t stand the humiliation of using a white, plastic remote with their black-and-silver iMac, there’s a remote for that.

5. Replaceable Batteries Are Dead in Apple’s Entire Laptop Line
The trusty old white MacBook was holding out, battling designers’ attempts to replace its swappable battery with a longer-life non-swappable version you see in every other modern Apple laptop. Today, it lost that battle.

6. Apple Still Hates Buttons, Nubs, Etc
The multitouch Magic Mouse has risen over the Mighty Mouse’s corpse, and as Jesus points out, the whole no-button design is déjà vu.

7. Jobs’ Polycarbonate MacBook Must Have Slipped Off His Lap
Not only is Apple keeping the white MacBook around, they’ve added a non-slip rubber bottom in what may be the most aggressive design change since May 16, 2006, when the model original launched.

8. Time Capsules Should Be 60 Per Cent Less Frustrating
Anyone who’s grown tired of the ridiculously slow experience of interfacing with the Time Capsule, know that Time Capsules have seen a tacit spec boost promising to make systems “60 percent faster than before”.

9. Jonathan Ive Could Still Sell a Ketchup Popsicle to a Fanboy in White Gloves
Also of note, sales on Hanes midnight blue tees are going through the roof, and big muscles don’t make you look dumb so long as you speak with an Essex-region English accent.

10. No, the Nook Is Not an Apple Product
But it’s about a bajillion times closer than the Kindle.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac® users, and is available for $US999. “The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac.”

The new MacBook features a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure that makes it lighter and more durable. The new design includes a unique non-skid bottom surface and at just 4.7 pounds, the sleek MacBook slides easily into a backpack or briefcase. MacBook comes standard with a bright, LED-backlit display with the same wide-angle viewing technology used in the MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.

The new MacBook includes Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge, and up to 1,000 recharges.* At nearly three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries, Apple’s built-in battery results in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $US129, which includes installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.

The energy-efficient MacBook joins the industry’s greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold** status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilisation and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple authorised Resellers.

The new MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $US999 (US), includes:
13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD+ / -R DL/DVD+ / -RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight® video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analogue in/out;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad;
built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe® Power adaptor.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, or 320GB 5400 rpm, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI adaptor, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adaptor (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA adaptor, Apple MagSafe Airline adaptor and the AppleCare Protection Plan.