Like some others I looked at a lot of different laptops. I considered
the MacBook Pro but since I don’t do any heavy video editing, 3D or
gaming there is little practical advantage to the Pro model. This is a
fast little machine that hits a sweet spot of price, portability and
performance. Build quality is nice, too. I think the black model looks
a little bit better looking.
I also looked at Sony and Toshiba.(Don’t tell my Mac friends)
because I thought I might be able to save a few hundred bucks. I could,
but not for a comparable notebook. It’s true that you get what you pay
for. Figuring in comparable specs, weight, AV/spyware software, and
sound card quality there is really no Windows based laptop for less.
At 5 pounds this is a nice and light computer. iBooks, and now I
suppose, MacBooks have a good reputation for being tough enough to
stand up to school kids so I don’t have a problem with the plastic
case. I was waiting until Apple announced an update and am glad I did.
The faster processor is nice and finally Apple added a reasonable
amount of RAM(2GB). The 160 GB hard drive is adequate for my needs and
noticeably quicker than the 4200 RPM drive in my old laptop.
Wi-Fi reception is pretty good, as is battery life. Both are a
above average but not tops for laptops. The magnetic power connector is
a great touch. I’ve tripped over power cords before. This should simply
detach without tripping me or sending the MacBook crashing to the
floor.
The keyboard takes some getting used to. At first I didn’t think
I’d like the button like keys, but within a couple of days I found that
I didn’t notice. They do seem less likely to get crumbs under them than
normal keys. I had a similar reaction to the glass screen. At first I
was bothered by its reflectiveness, and quickly didn’t see it anymore.
It’s there if I pay look for it but, usually just don’t see it. And I
like the punchier colors it displays compared to matte screens, as well
as its ease of cleaning. There’s no need for expensive specialty screen
cleaners that the soft matte screens require.
I do have a couple of small quibbles that didn’t go away. I wish
the trackpad had two buttons instead of one. It took Apple 15 years to
finally decide to make a right clickable mouse and they should get on
the ball and add a second button to their laptops. There is some two
finger tap thing you can do with the trackpad but that isn’t obvious or
natural for me.
My old iBook came with a RGB connector. The new MacBook doesn’t, or
any other video out connector. That’s an add on that I had to spring
for.
I’m really liking the Leopard OS. I run OS X(Tiger), Windows XP
and Gentoo Linux on other computers so am used to switching between
operating systems. Each has strengths and weak spots but I find the new
Leopard is the one that comes closest to just getting out of my way and
letting me be productive.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking the less expensive MacBook is
less worthy for general computing tasks than the more sophisticated
pro. It’s very elegant looking and very powerful. If you don’t need the
power and size of the pro, I think you’ll be happy and the money you
save can be put toward other things. Maybe a new digital camera?