According to the Apple Store's Web site the white 13-inch MacBook can be purchased for $999. But the internal specs have been given a small, but important, makeover to make the laptop more attractive. The white MacBook now boasts a new 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor with a 1,066MHz front-side bus. An Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card has been added, along with a 120-GB hard drive.

The unibody 13-inch MacBook in aluminum boasts pretty similar specs: an Intel Core 2 Duo and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card. The hard drive on the unibody MacBook is a little more robust, clocking in at 160 GB.

The main difference between the two notebooks comes from the DDR memory. The older version of the MacBook has 2 GB of DDR2 memory; the aluminum version has 2 GB of DDR3 Memory. That means the unibody MacBook computes more quickly, but at the cost of an additional $300.

The 13-inch unibody MacBook in aluminum is retailing on the Apple Web site for $1,299.

The question then becomes more one of style than computing power. Is the extra $300 for an aluminum body and slightly faster DDR3 memory worth it? The other option, of course, is getting a slightly slower, last-generation version of an Apple MacBook that will perform just as admirably at a lower price.

A Mini-DVI video out port is also listed among the specs on the white MacBook as standard equipment. It seems likely that the MiniDisplay port that is a part of newer MacBook models probably isn't included.