The growing giant that is Apple has launched a new line of laptops. I own a Macbook myself and I must say that although I’m quite happy with it, the new version looks pretty enticing. Let’s stack them up against each other and Dell’s counterpart of the same specs.

My Macbook (bought January 2007 for USD999 w/ student discount)
Mac OSX 10.4 Tiger
1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (bought separately for USD89)
60GB HDD
Graphics: Intel GM 950 64MB VRAM
13.3″ screen

The New Macbook (launched 10/14/2008 priced at USD1299 w/o discount)
Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 Memory
160GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
13.3″ screen

Dell Inspiron 13 (currently priced at USD649)
Windows Vista Home Premium
1.86Mhz Pentium Dual Core
1GB DDR2 RAM
160GB HDD
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
13.3″ screen

To summarize the specs, Dell’s Inspiron 13 easily beats Apple in the price combat; add $100 to it and you get even better specs.

As for my Macbook, it is only lacking in a good graphics card and HDD space. What about the operating system? To tell you the truth, I really like OSX. If Leopard has not been made available yet, I’m completely satisfied and content with Tiger.

So what is exactly that you are paying for if you buy the new Macbook? Aside from Leopard, which is currently the undisputed champion in the OS world (in terms of functionality), you have an array of new features.

An Aluminum body enclosure
LED Backlit display
Advanced NVIDIA graphics
New glass trackpad
Environmentally friendly aspects
And lets not forget: an awesome design

Perhaps I have missed out some other brand new features, but these are the highlights. It seems to me that you are forking out cash for bells and whistles that you can certainly live without. As for putting up with the bloated Windows Vista if you buy a Dell, there is a remedy.

So what is my final verdict? If you currently own a Macbook, don’t by the new one unless yours is really old (think OSX 10.2 or 10.3). If you live in a shoebox and don’t have a laptop yet, get the Dell. If you light cigars with dollar bills, then you’ll be fine with the latest lowest-end Macbook Pro for USD1999 as your only computer.

Additional note: I don’t care who you are, I recommend you try a Mac. Its operating system alone is enough to turn the other cheek. The learning curve is not as steep as many would think. Don’t take my word for it, Google reviews of Vista and Leopard.