Everyone knows the MacBook Pro throws off a lot of heat so I wasn’t sure what to expect with the new MacBook. I dropped into the Manhattan Beach Apple Store and was surprised to find the new MacBook cool to the touch.

On top anyway.

The unit I experimented with had been running all day. The new “chicklet” keyboard isn’t so bad and the question of lap-scorching heat didn’t enter my mind because the laptop wasn’t even warm. Not until I jumped over to a MacBook Pro and placed my palm near the trackpad did I realize just how freaking hot these things are. Every MBP in the place had a hot case and I suspect my normally moist hands (genetics plays cruel games) would create a river of sweat if I typed for more then a few minutes.

Circling back to the MacBook I felt underneath. It was considerably warmer than the top but bearable. I decided against feeling the underside of the MBP for fear of burning the nerve endings off my fingers.

The MacBook’s video card isn’t the screaming ATI Radeon X1600 found in the MBP and may explain why the MacBook runs cooler to the touch. So take your pick: video performance or scarred thighs.

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