MacBook Pro 2.4 15" Purchase Report/Comments

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Like many on here I did quite a bit of research before I plunked down 2.5k for my new MBP. I have had it three weeks now and here are my thoughts both good and bad. As background: I have owned Macs going back to the Lisa and transferred from a 1k TiBook when it started to fall apart on me after many years of abuse.



Packaging

-Over the top as usual

=No Complaints



Fit & Finish

-Came out of box in Apple perfection. Nothing bent, no yellow screen, no bad pixels.

=No complaints.



Trackpad

-I LOVE the new trackpad. I must admit though that I wish it was a two button pad. With Intel around Apple even has an excuse to give in and should have gone there.

=Wish it had two buttons (please excuse the picking of nits.)



Keyboard

-The keyboard itself is great, but the backlight has been a disappointment. It has an ambient light sensor that makes it turn on and off and is far too sensitive. Sadly, I have not been able to find a way to simply turn the backlight on or off manually to bypass the sensor. So as I type, the keyboard brightness adjusts up and down and drives me batty.

=Keyboard backlight is disappointing and annoying. I also wish it were red.



Screen

-I went with the glossy (my first) and if I had it to do over I think I would get the mat. While the glossy is bright and beautiful and is especially nice when watching a video, it seems to be just slightly unfocused at all times and this doesn't appear to be adjustable. I should note that I have very good eyesight so this may be a personal thing. Prior to purchase I had been concerned with reflections on the glossy surface of the screen but this has not been an issue.



-The screen has an automatic brightening/dimming feature that changes the brightness level along with the level of ambient light. It sounds great but drove me insane so I dissabled it. As my hands would move across the keyboard it would trigger the light sensor and the screen would brighten and dim. I have a lot of light in my work environment and suspect this exacerbates the problem but the reality of the situation is that the sensor triggers too quickly in my opinion.



-I was seriously debating between the 15 and the 17; I was lured to the 17 by the high-res screen but pushed away by its bulk. I also liked the idea of the LED backlight on the 15. I am glad I did the 15, the 15 is quite a bit larger than my TiBook was due to the widescreen and was more than enough of a boost. The 17 would have been too much for me.

=I wish I bought the mat screen and the automatic brightness level is too sensitive.



LED backlight.

I don't have any issues with it, works fine and brightness is very even.

=No complaints.



Software

-Loaded with the usual goodies as you would expect. I won't evaluate those here, but I did feel a need for a software category as I have some missing software! It was supposed to come with Front Row but it is not installed. There is an installer on the drive but it doesn't work and comes back with some kind of parity error. I tried to reinstall off the CD but the copy from there does the same thing. I will need to call tech support on this I think.

=Front Row is defective.



Speed

-It fly's compared to my TiBook

=No complaints.



iCam

-Awesome! Although having it sitting there somehow gives me flashbacks of 2001 A Space Oddysey and the feeling that HAL is watching... Or is that Cheney?

=No Complaints.



Bluetooth/WiFi

-Both are fast and w/o issue. I have not tested 802.11n yet.

=No Complaints.



CD/DVD

-These things always seem slow booting up to me, this one is no different.

-No issues with its operation, but I have not burned anything yet.

=No Complaints.



Sound

-I wish the speakers were even louder, but they are FAR better than my TiBook or my Dell.

=No Complaints.



Ports

-I hadn't really considered this much beforehand, but my TiBook had the ports in the back and this one has them on both sides which as it turns out really SUX! In particular, I now have a firewire cable sticking out the right side of my laptop right where my right hand and mouse want to be. It is a HUGE design flaw that I hadn't given much thought to.

-It did however provide me with an excuse to buy the new Airport so I can hook the drive in question into the airport rather than the laptop.

=Miss having ports on back of laptop.



Battery

=No Complaints.



Noise

=No Complaints.



Heat

-When I first got it I noticed it seemed to be running very hot to the touch. I downloaded software to monitor the computer and I noticed it was running 178 degrees and about 45% processor power when I was just surfing the web. Further investigation proved that Dashboard was being a pig (In all fairness I did load it up) and so I downloaded software to dissable Dashboard when I wasn't activly using it. This got my idle down to 3-4% processor time and my temperature down to 124 degrees.

-That said, this puppy is obviously going to heat up bad once I start ripping my DVD's onto a home video server.

=Verdict still out.



Summary

-The port location issue is VERY annoying but I have a work around, albeit an expensive one.

-The monitor brightness issue is VERY annoying but I have it dissabed so I have a work around.

-The keyboard brightness issue is VERY annoying and I haven't found a fix yet.

-The glossy screen is buyers remorse. Too bad it took me more than 15 days to determine.

-The heat problem may or may not actually be a problem.

-The Front Row problem is likely to be purely a quality control issue, I'll know soon. Regardless it is annoying and not something I expect from Apple.



Corey

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Funny, I love my ports on the side as that makes them easy to get to. YMMV.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    jgbxjgbx Posts: 33member
    Hi Corey



    Do you think that the 2.4 version is worth the extra $$ over the 2.2 since you have first hand experience? It's an ongoing issue in a few forums I've looked through and the consensus doesn't seem to think so.



    The main reason I ask is that I've been trying to find a 2.2 around town with frustratingly little luck. Everyone, however, has the 2.4 in stock. I'd like to wait around until they get the base models in, but I always seem to miss them by an hour or so. I'm thinking about just throwing my hands in the air and just getting the 2.4.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    I bought the 17"er, and I wish I had bought the 15"er instead.



    I thought the weight would be a problem, bit in hindsight, the weight of the 17"er has been fine so far.



    What annoys me, is the poor quality of the screen. On every 17"er I've seen so far, the backlight has been extremely cloudy. There's also a bluish band near the bottom of the screen, and a bright white bar running along the bottom edge of the screen.



    In my opinion, the only reason to buy a 17"er is for the screen ? the 15"er is an otherwise identitical machine. So if I'm paying a premium for the 17"er, then I expect the screen to be spot-on.



    Also, the keys on the keyboard are all higglety-pigelty. The return key in particular stands proud of the other keys, to the point where it will start to permanently mark the screen.



    The machine's covered by a 30-day money back guarantee, so I might be returning it for a 15"er (if they EVER get them in stock). Likewise, if they ever get a current or new iMac in stock I might go for that instead.



    The one thing I woud like to say about the current MacBook Pro is that the 4GB RAM capacity is fantastic! With 4GB of RAM, this machine absolutely flies!
  • Reply 4 of 17
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jgbx View Post


    The main reason I ask is that I've been trying to find a 2.2 around town with frustratingly little luck. .



    Why not order on line? The entry level MBP is the best value IMO. A barefeats link posted on another thread bears this out IMO.



    Just realized you posted the link. Damn I'm stupid sometimes.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    jgbxjgbx Posts: 33member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Why not order on line? The entry level MBP is the best value IMO. A barefeats link posted on another thread bears this out IMO.



    Just realized you posted the link. Damn I'm stupid sometimes.



    It's cool



    The wait online is almost two weeks and I'd really like to get everything set up this weekend. I'm sure all the Apple stores around are getting tired of me calling but it would just me easier to pick it up locally. I agree that the entry level is probably the best value, but if the 2.4 is sufficiently faster (photoshop, aperture, final cut), AND I can actually find one, then it might be worth the extra bones to pick it up.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    J,



    Didn't realize the wait was that long. Have you checked the Comp USA stores? You probably have but if not I'd go and see if they have any.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    coreycorey Posts: 165member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jgbx View Post


    Hi Corey



    Do you think that the 2.4 version is worth the extra $$ over the 2.2 since you have first hand experience? It's an ongoing issue in a few forums I've looked through and the consensus doesn't seem to think so.



    The main reason I ask is that I've been trying to find a 2.2 around town with frustratingly little luck. Everyone, however, has the 2.4 in stock. I'd like to wait around until they get the base models in, but I always seem to miss them by an hour or so. I'm thinking about just throwing my hands in the air and just getting the 2.4.



    I can't honestly say if it is worth the money or not. I got the 2.4 more for the 256 of vram than for the processor speed bump. Compared to my TiBook I'm sure either machine would seem fast to me! That said, I think the consensus at the moment is that it really doesn't make much of a difference.



    But once the new OSX is out, I'm sure it can only help to have it. Besides, if you're going to get that close to laptop eden, you might as well go there... Memory is like money, you can never have too much.
  • Reply 8 of 17
    jgbxjgbx Posts: 33member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    J,



    Didn't realize the wait was that long. Have you checked the Comp USA stores? You probably have but if not I'd go and see if they have any.



    Yeah, but I'm eligible for the student discount at the apple store. I actually ended up picking up a 2.4 machine this afternoon. I'm debating whether to open it or wait until they get in a batch of 2.2s in and trade it in.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jgbx View Post


    Yeah, but I'm eligible for the student discount at the apple store. I actually ended up picking up a 2.4 machine this afternoon. I'm debating whether to open it or wait until they get in a batch of 2.2s in and trade it in.



    Dang you have good self-control. I would have ripped it open as soon as I paid for it.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    jgbxjgbx Posts: 33member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bobmarksdale View Post


    Dang you have good self-control. I would have ripped it open as soon as I paid for it.



    I'm glad I did though. I got a call this morning from one of the Apple Stores that they got the 2.2ghz model in. I'm going to go in this afternoon and exchange the 2.4 for it. The xtra cash can get me a few items that I couldn't afford when I bought the faster machine
  • Reply 11 of 17
    The F8,F9,and F10 keys at the top control the keyboard backlight. That should solve your problem. If they changed the keyboard layout from my powerbook model it should look like a horizontal bar with dots in an arch above it.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    aryayusharyayush Posts: 191member
    Exactly. I do agree that the keyboard backlight is a bit of a disappointment. Apart from the issues you have mentioned, it is also very annoying when the backlight gets activated sometimes but only lights up slightly. At this state, the letters on the keys turn silver and are difficult to differentiate from the colour of the keyboard, thus making the situation worse than it was. This happens far too often.



    And for the heat issue, download and install Fan Control or smcFanControl. I prefer the former.



    I, however, do not agree with you on some points. The trackpad should have only one button because it looks elegant and is easier to get to. For right clicking, nothing beats tapping the trackpad with two fingers. This is the best trackpad in the business. Also, the placement of the ports on the MBP is better than having them on the back of the notebook because, as backtomac rightly said, you have easier access to them this way.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    flounderflounder Posts: 2,674member
    I got a 2.2 last week. I shut the lid last night and it went to sleep like always. I got up this morning, still grogy, and opened it up. I discovered it was off and the whole case was hot. It somehow seems to have woken itself up during the night and overheated itself. I left half an hour later and it still would not turn on when I left. I hope it is OK when I get home
  • Reply 14 of 17
    chayachaya Posts: 2member
    Thanks for the write up. I'm still in the position you were in 2 weeks ago - a rapidly aging TiBook. My main issue though is the size of the 15" MBP. The MB is out because I need the graphics card + memory. The 15" MBP is so large I'm thinking maybe I should just buy an iMac - I'm not sure I can travel around with the 15" pro being height-challenged at 5' .75"!



    For $500 less, the lower level 24" iMac has some better specs, but I never thought I'd buy a desktop again. Why oh why didn't they announce a smaller MBP today - then I wouldn't have to think at all ...
  • Reply 15 of 17
    jcoopjcoop Posts: 3member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chaya View Post


    Thanks for the write up. I'm still in the position you were in 2 weeks ago - a rapidly aging TiBook. My main issue though is the size of the 15" MBP. The MB is out because I need the graphics card + memory. The 15" MBP is so large I'm thinking maybe I should just buy an iMac - I'm not sure I can travel around with the 15" pro being height-challenged at 5' .75"!



    For $500 less, the lower level 24" iMac has some better specs, but I never thought I'd buy a desktop again. Why oh why didn't they announce a smaller MBP today - then I wouldn't have to think at all ...



    I'm a little puzzled by the references, in the above post and in the original post, to the MBP being big compared to the TiBook. The TiBook was the first widescreen; while the MBP has a substantially higher resolution, the physical size of the screens is nearly identical (15.2" vs. 15.4"). The two are close in size and weight, too: 9.5" x 13.5" x 1" and 5.3 pounds for the TiBook, 9.6" x 14.1" x 1" and 5.4 pounds for the MBP. The only remotely significant size difference is the extra half-inch or so of width on the MBP. Does that really make such a difference?
  • Reply 16 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flounder View Post


    I got a 2.2 last week. I shut the lid last night and it went to sleep like always. I got up this morning, still grogy, and opened it up. I discovered it was off and the whole case was hot. It somehow seems to have woken itself up during the night and overheated itself. I left half an hour later and it still would not turn on when I left. I hope it is OK when I get home



    This also happened to me. Do you have anything bluetooth related hooked up to your MBP? I have a bluetooth mouse hooked up to my MBP and the bluetooth settings were set to enable bluetooth items to wake up the computer. You want to shut this off or it will keep waking up the computer over and over. When I opened up the screen, the computer was really hot and it wouldn't wake up so I had to pop off the battery and start over. After a few times I figured out what was going on. Hope this helps. If this doesn't sound like what's going on then I don't know what it could be.
  • Reply 17 of 17
    coreycorey Posts: 165member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aryayush View Post


    Exactly. I do agree that the keyboard backlight is a bit of a disappointment. Apart from the issues you have mentioned, it is also very annoying when the backlight gets activated sometimes but only lights up slightly. At this state, the letters on the keys turn silver and are difficult to differentiate from the colour of the keyboard, thus making the situation worse than it was. This happens far too often.



    And for the heat issue, download and install Fan Control or smcFanControl. I prefer the former.



    I, however, do not agree with you on some points. The trackpad should have only one button because it looks elegant and is easier to get to. For right clicking, nothing beats tapping the trackpad with two fingers. This is the best trackpad in the business. Also, the placement of the ports on the MBP is better than having them on the back of the notebook because, as backtomac rightly said, you have easier access to them this way.



    Thanks for the Fan tip.



    I solved the backlight problem with this:

    http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22151



    Both are moot as of Friday though...
Sign In or Register to comment.