Apple announced Tuesday the release of a new MacBook. The portable features a LED-backlit display, Apple's glass multi-touch trackpad, a built-in, seven hour battery, and a new polycarbonate unibody enclosure. Defying the rest of the industry, Apple is maintaining its entry-level price for the device at US$999.

The unit houses a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. The unit weighs 4.7 lbs. and has a non-skid bottom surface.

"The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery," Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a statement. "With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there's never been a better time to switch to a Mac."

The battery for the new MacBook is built into the unit, just as is the case with the MacBook Pro line. According to Apple, it has a lifespan of up to 1,000 charges, and can last up to seven hours on one charge. Replacing the battery will cost $129 through Apple.

Apple said its new MacBook received a Gold status rating from environmental rating group EPEAT, and that the device meets EnergyStar 5.0 requirements. The displays are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Apple also touted the fact that its notebook line contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Features of the new MacBook, for $999:

• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
• 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
• 250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
• Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
• built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in iSight® video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out;
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad;
• built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, or 320GB 5400 rpm, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Apple's new Unibody MacBook