Owner's of Apple's previous laptop line, iBook, may be considering making the upgrade to the MacBook. For the potential upgrader, here's a full rundown of the changes and other vital aspects of Apple's latest portable.

The iBook

• 14-inch iBook G4
• 1.33GHz G4 processor
• 512MB RAM (two 256MB sticks)
• Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" installed
• 1024x768 resolution; 4:3 aspect ratio

The MacBook

• 13-inch MacBook
• 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor
• 512MB RAM (two 256MB sticks)
• Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" installed
• 1280x800 resolution; 16:10 aspect ratio

Instead of going the route of single-core processors with its MacBook (like the entry-level Mac Mini), Apple is offering a dual-core processor with every model of its consumer laptop. The result is a portable machine that's just as fast as its big brother, the MacBook Pro, in non-graphics-intensive tasks -- and a massive speed increase for any iBook owner.

Yes, the MacBook is faster, much faster, in fact, than my year-and-a-half-old G4 iBook. Apple's claims of "5X" faster may be a tad far-fetched, but to say there's a noticeable speed increase is an understatement. Start-up -- which takes my aging iBook well over a minute -- felt damn near instant with the MacBook. Sure, it's a new computer and all, but my iBook never loaded this fast -- and the less time spent looking at a floating beach-ball, the better.

iLife 06 applications also benifit incredibly from the upgrade. GarageBand in particular loaded in seconds rather than freezing the system completely for a good 30 seconds on the iBook. GarageBand musicians take note -- the MacBook allows a far greater number of software instruments to run smoothly than the iBook. iPhoto scrolls more smoothly and full-screen editing benifits from the increased resolution and photo-friendly glossy screen; and iMovie and iDVD render effects exponentially faster than the iBook. I tested Automator as well, using some custom workflows to resize images. While it was acceptably speedy on both machines, it was even moreso on the MacBook. Safari, Mail, iChat and iTunes are as fast as they possibly could be.

As far as gaming goes, the onboard intel chip in the MacBook isn't a huge jump from the Radeon 9200 that's housed in the iBook -- that is, to say, that neither platform is well-suited for gaming. The onboard graphics, however, are more than enough to push the beautiful 1280x800 display, run 720p High-Def videos, and power an external monitor at high resolution. It should be noted that the MacBook has a Mini-DVI port, whereas the iBook uses Mini-VGA. This means your old adaptor will not work to connect it to an external monitor. Bummer.

MacBook glossy display

While the 13-inch widescreen is smaller than the 14-inch screen it's replacing, the MacBook's is much higher quality. It is much, much brighter than the iBook screen, and the enhanced resolution (1280x800 versus 1024x768) makes a world of difference: the OS looks so much more crisp, and there's simply more room to work with. The glossy screen makes pictures and video look gorgeous; although under direct lighting it can cause some serious reflection. Worth it, I say.

The MacBook keyboard and trackpad

One of the biggest cosmetic changes is the redesigned keyboard (see below: iBook on left, MacBook on right) on the MacBook. The new keyboard is actually integrated into the bottom half of the notebook, and is not removable like the iBook. Personally, I think it looks nicer, but takes a little getting used to because of the spacing in between the keys. After just a few minutes of use, however, you'll appreciate the keyboard -- it gives an adequate, firm feeling and is pretty quiet. The trackpad recieved an update as well. It now supports right-clicking by holding two fingers on the trackpad and pressing the button, which works as advertised. The trackpad is a bit "textured" now, and is much wider than the one on the iBook. The button is also wider, but less tall, than the iBook counterpart.

Magnets everywhere

MacBook takes the "MagSafe" power adaptor from its bigger brother, and it works great. The magnetic power bar takes an adequate amount of force to removed, but is designed so an accidental removal won't send your MacBook flying. Best of all -- it's impossible to put the adaptor in the wrong way, as it's completely symmetrical. The latch on the MacBook -- or lack of one, actually -- is completely magnetic too. Besides providing aesthetic value, it just works better than a physical latch. You won't accidentally open it, and it's strong enough that it won't fly open in your bag.

iSight and Front Row

Like all of the new Macs (except the Mini), the MacBook has a built-in VGA (640x480) iSight camera. It includes a fun little application called PhotoBooth that is exactly that-- a nifty, strangely entertaining app that lets you muck up your mug with tons of effects and take quick snapshots. This application is pretty flawless, allowing you to set a snapshot as your iChat buddy icon, email it to a friend, or add it to your photo library with the touch of a button. The iSight also enables you to video chat with friends over iChat, which worked extremely well in my tests. Additionally, the iSight camera can be used in iMovie to aid the creation of your home movies.

Front Row is a glorious addition -- with the included IR remote, you have immediate access to movie trailers and your entire media database: music, movies, DVDs, and pictures. The iPod-style menus are a cinch to navigate with the iPod-style remote; and the whole interface is just smothered in signature Apple aesthetics that it's a joy to open Front Row even if you have no intention of using it.

Obviously, upgrading to the MacBook also gives you the benefit of an intel processor, and thus the ability to run Boot Camp (Windows on a Mac). However, since some applications aren't yet optimized for intel chips, they might run slower on your MacBook than they did on your older Mac (Microsoft Office, Photoshop). However, these programs, doubtlessly, will make the leap to intel sooner or later. Check out some comparison pictures in the gallery below, and happy Mac shopping!