Apple Quietly Refreshes Its $999 MacBook With a 2.4-GHz Processor, 10-Hour Battery

On the heels of infusing its MacBook Pro line with updated processors and graphics cards, Apple gave some love to its entry-level $999 MacBook, its one remaining polycarbonate laptop. It now runs a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (up from 2.26-GHz) and integrated Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics (you’ll find the same graphics card in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro). The system also features a longer-lasting battery, promising up to 10 hours (the previous generation claimed 7).

Otherwise, the specs (2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive to start) remain the same, as does the unibody design with a multi-touch trackpad. Students and other people who can barely afford the cache of an Apple product will appreciate that the starting price– $999– remains unchanged.

According to Apple, the new MacBooks should ship within 24 hours.