That's what I thought. Apart from losing the cracking wrist pad, this seems like a step backwards aesthetically from the previous model.
Really? I think this new MacBook is nearly a step forward in every way in terms of design and build quality. Performance wise, the biggest downside is the lack of FireWire, although I personally have never used a FireWire device and thus have no need for that port.
I tried out the new MacBook today in the Apple Store and was really quite impressed with the unibody polycarbonate. It's still a massive scratch- and fingerprint-magnet, but there's absolutely no flex, creaking or anything like that. It's extremely durable. (Durability has nothing to do with how scratch-happy the material might be.)
Q.I. I learned about from a Brit I met while traveling in Asia. The Wikipedia page has good detail if you scratch your head trying to recall some of the facts.
I have been told to check that out by one of the posters here. But I just haven?t gotten around to it. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.
Oh yeah, I forget Little Britain and Da Ali G Show, but they went to HBO so it?s not uncommon for Americans to have heard of those at this point.
Yeah, I know there are a lot of Americans who follow Brit comedy - one of our few remaining exports!
One other show that I heartily recommend is "Extras" with Ricky Gervais.
Apologies to the board users who wish to talk about Apple by the way!
Also, I'd recommend the MacBook over the entry-level 13'' MacBook Pro. I really would. If you're going to get a Pro, might as well just aim for the 15'' model. The 13'' MacBook and MacBook Pro are actually very similar in terms of hardware. The only things really missing on the MacBook are minor things, like a backlit keyboard.
Yeah, I know there are a lot of Americans who follow Brit comedy - one of our few remaining exports!
One other show that I heartily recommend is "Extras" with Ricky Gervais.
Apologies to the board users who wish to talk about Apple by the way!
Seen it. I wish British comedy would do more than 6 episodes a series and do more than a couple series. US shows usually have 22 for network and 16 for cable. The US Office was identical to the UK version first season, but has really come into it?s own in their second season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quillz
Also, I'd recommend the MacBook over the entry-level 13'' MacBook Pro. I really would. If you're going to get a Pro, might as well just aim for the 15'' model. The 13'' MacBook and MacBook Pro are actually very similar in terms of hardware. The only things really missing on the MacBook are minor things, like a backlit keyboard.
The display tech is better and you can?t argue with a thinner, lighter aluminium chassis. I prefer the 13? size so the MBP is best for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Springbok
What alternatives / workarounds are there for Target Mode now that Firewire has been dropped?
I think TDM over Ethernet is active, but I prefer just to plug in a USB HDD with OS X installed on a partition for repairs. This means no 2nd Mac and 1394a-to-1394a FireWire cable to lug around. Just hold down the Option key and BOOM.
My guess is that this product will fall in price to, say, $799 at some point within the next six months. It smacks to me of aggressive cost-reduction, and I bet their current margins on it at its current price are very high, even for Apple.
I'm disappointed with Apple's strategy for the MB. The new model is £799 - for an extra £100 you can buy a MBP. That does not make any sense unless you assume that Apple is trying to encourage eveyone to go for the MBP. Why not make it £699 to properly differentiate it from the MBP and compete with the proliferation of low cost PC laptops? Also why is it still only available in white? I hate white - it looks dirty after a few months use! Why not introduce a range of colours along the lines of the iPod Nano. If they did I think it would fly off the shelves especially to PC switchers who are discouraged from moving to Mac by the extra cost involved.
Please mention in your review that for 200$ less than a 13in Macbook Pro you loose all those:
- Backlit Keyboard
- Display with 60% more color gamut
- SD Card Slot
- Firewire Port
- IR receiver
- Battery indicator
- Aluminium Body
- 8GB Max on memory (I suspect the Macbook has a max of 4GB RAM)
- 4 Finger Gestures on the Trackpad
Hi,
having purchased one, there are two wrong assumptions in your post:
1) the display is the same now as the 13'' MBP. 1:1 identical for what I can see and test (if parts are different, the on-screen results are exactly the same)
2) it does have the same trackpad as MBP now. So you get 4 fingers gesture.
How can that be??? And contrary to what slopsism says, the original MacBook never had this marshmallow, unibody look.
The new Macbook recalls some of the iBook's styling, not all. The MSI wind similarity is merely coincidental. The MSI Wind in turn looks like a lot of other netbooks and notebooks.
What do competing PCs cost? Since the answer is usually, "Nothing competes with a Mac," lets define competing:
1) Similar hardware: Processor, RAM (quantity and speed), Graphics Card, Screen size, Screen res, Screen quality (contrast, color accuracy)
2) 64-bit Win 7
Yes, I know they differ but the differing features can be mentioned. Then consumers can make an informed decision on whether to pay the price difference for the additional features instead of a solely religious decision. Be sure to include MSRP and street pricing, just as you do with Apple and MacMall pricing.
Include all that in an unbiased fashion in your review and you may gain some credibility.
What do competing PCs cost? Since the answer is usually, "Nothing competes with a Mac," lets define competing:
1) Similar hardware: Processor, RAM (quantity and speed), Graphics Card, Screen size, Screen res, Screen quality (contrast, color accuracy)
2) 64-bit Win 7
Yes, I know they differ but the differing features can be mentioned. Then consumers can make an informed decision on whether to pay the price difference for the additional features instead of a solely religious decision. Be sure to include MSRP and street pricing, just as you do with Apple and MacMall pricing.
Include all that in an unbiased fashion in your review and you may gain some credibility.
Except that competing PCs don't run OS X. No sale.
Except that competing PCs don't run OS X. No sale.
The gap is a lot smaller. Windows is (now) a worthy competitor.
New Macbooks look very nice, I just wish they were more durable and functional (or if not functional, a bit cheaper). Will have to check them out next week at the Apple store.
The gap is a lot smaller. Windows is (now) a worthy competitor.
New Macbooks look very nice, I just wish they were more durable and functional (or if not functional, a bit cheaper). Will have to check them out next week at the Apple store.
It?s much better than Vista?s release, but Vista has been pretty good since SP1. Win7 is really just some tweaking and dropping of overly performance killing processes and a very timid cosmetic change.
It?s a good version of Windows, but there are a lot of things that Windows just can?t with Apple on, and won?t be able to so long as their business models are different. The pros that make Apples integrated HW and OS so good are just undeniable. From my iPhone to MobileMe to OS X on my MBP, there is just so much simplicity that MS can?t touch. Then you have a UNIX-like foundation for your OS.
One big thing for us notebook users, which seems to be the majority of users, is that OS X has exceptionally better power management for doing the same tasks. If you install Windows on a Mac you test both OSes and see that OS X gives you more usable time.
It?s much better than Vista?s release, but Vista has been pretty good since SP1. Win7 is really just some tweaking and dropping of overly performance killing processes and a very timid cosmetic change.
It?s a good version of Windows, but there are a lot of things that Windows just can?t with Apple on, and won?t be able to so long as their business models are different. The pros that make Apples integrated HW and OS so good are just undeniable. From my iPhone to MobileMe to OS X on my MBP, there is just so much simplicity that MS can?t touch. Then you have a UNIX-like foundation for your OS.
One big thing for us notebook users, which seems to be the majority of users, is that OS X has exceptionally better power management for doing the same tasks. If you install Windows on a Mac you test both OSes and see that OS X gives you more usable time.
I find Windows UI positively awful to use on my 13" screen. It's simply far too cluttered, although they've made it easier to get things done on 7. The key to OS X is synergy across platforms, Apple are getting the 3 screens approach right quicker than Microsoft ever did. Next stage is to improve Apple TV and let it play nice with other content providers, and it's done. I'm not sure about what the future holds for Windows, but Apple laid the groundwork with Snow Leopard... I'm expecting great things.
Wasn't the Macbook the best selling Apple computer... ever? I'll miss that IR port and the lack of an SD card port, but that's product differentiation for ya! My gf's dad just purchased the new iMac (21.5")... can't wait to check it out! My next computer will likely be the 27" iMac.
Comments
That's what I thought. Apart from losing the cracking wrist pad, this seems like a step backwards aesthetically from the previous model.
Really? I think this new MacBook is nearly a step forward in every way in terms of design and build quality. Performance wise, the biggest downside is the lack of FireWire, although I personally have never used a FireWire device and thus have no need for that port.
I tried out the new MacBook today in the Apple Store and was really quite impressed with the unibody polycarbonate. It's still a massive scratch- and fingerprint-magnet, but there's absolutely no flex, creaking or anything like that. It's extremely durable. (Durability has nothing to do with how scratch-happy the material might be.)
Q.I. I learned about from a Brit I met while traveling in Asia. The Wikipedia page has good detail if you scratch your head trying to recall some of the facts.
I have been told to check that out by one of the posters here. But I just haven?t gotten around to it. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.
Oh yeah, I forget Little Britain and Da Ali G Show, but they went to HBO so it?s not uncommon for Americans to have heard of those at this point.
Yeah, I know there are a lot of Americans who follow Brit comedy - one of our few remaining exports!
One other show that I heartily recommend is "Extras" with Ricky Gervais.
Apologies to the board users who wish to talk about Apple by the way!
Yeah, I know there are a lot of Americans who follow Brit comedy - one of our few remaining exports!
One other show that I heartily recommend is "Extras" with Ricky Gervais.
Apologies to the board users who wish to talk about Apple by the way!
Seen it.
Also, I'd recommend the MacBook over the entry-level 13'' MacBook Pro. I really would. If you're going to get a Pro, might as well just aim for the 15'' model. The 13'' MacBook and MacBook Pro are actually very similar in terms of hardware. The only things really missing on the MacBook are minor things, like a backlit keyboard.
The display tech is better and you can?t argue with a thinner, lighter aluminium chassis. I prefer the 13? size so the MBP is best for me.
What alternatives / workarounds are there for Target Mode now that Firewire has been dropped?
I think TDM over Ethernet is active, but I prefer just to plug in a USB HDD with OS X installed on a partition for repairs. This means no 2nd Mac and 1394a-to-1394a FireWire cable to lug around. Just hold down the Option key and BOOM.
Stop dissing the iBook - it was a great laptop.
I guess Apple wanted to kill the plastic Macbook, but didn't dare.
Now the demand will be significantly drifting towards the MBP 13.
6 months from now they will bury the MB silently – and nobody cares...
make it 899 or 849 with student discount and call me back.
Please mention in your review that for 200$ less than a 13in Macbook Pro you loose all those:
- Backlit Keyboard
- Display with 60% more color gamut
- SD Card Slot
- Firewire Port
- IR receiver
- Battery indicator
- Aluminium Body
- 8GB Max on memory (I suspect the Macbook has a max of 4GB RAM)
- 4 Finger Gestures on the Trackpad
Hi,
having purchased one, there are two wrong assumptions in your post:
1) the display is the same now as the 13'' MBP. 1:1 identical for what I can see and test (if parts are different, the on-screen results are exactly the same)
2) it does have the same trackpad as MBP now. So you get 4 fingers gesture.
Hope this helps!
Separated at Birth or an Apple copy job?
http://www.msimobile.com/level2_productlist.aspx?id=3
How can that be??? And contrary to what slopsism says, the original MacBook never had this marshmallow, unibody look.
The new Macbook recalls some of the iBook's styling, not all. The MSI wind similarity is merely coincidental. The MSI Wind in turn looks like a lot of other netbooks and notebooks.
1) Similar hardware: Processor, RAM (quantity and speed), Graphics Card, Screen size, Screen res, Screen quality (contrast, color accuracy)
2) 64-bit Win 7
Yes, I know they differ but the differing features can be mentioned. Then consumers can make an informed decision on whether to pay the price difference for the additional features instead of a solely religious decision. Be sure to include MSRP and street pricing, just as you do with Apple and MacMall pricing.
Include all that in an unbiased fashion in your review and you may gain some credibility.
What do competing PCs cost? Since the answer is usually, "Nothing competes with a Mac," lets define competing:
1) Similar hardware: Processor, RAM (quantity and speed), Graphics Card, Screen size, Screen res, Screen quality (contrast, color accuracy)
2) 64-bit Win 7
Yes, I know they differ but the differing features can be mentioned. Then consumers can make an informed decision on whether to pay the price difference for the additional features instead of a solely religious decision. Be sure to include MSRP and street pricing, just as you do with Apple and MacMall pricing.
Include all that in an unbiased fashion in your review and you may gain some credibility.
Except that competing PCs don't run OS X. No sale.
Except that competing PCs don't run OS X. No sale.
The gap is a lot smaller. Windows is (now) a worthy competitor.
New Macbooks look very nice, I just wish they were more durable and functional (or if not functional, a bit cheaper). Will have to check them out next week at the Apple store.
The gap is a lot smaller. Windows is (now) a worthy competitor.
New Macbooks look very nice, I just wish they were more durable and functional (or if not functional, a bit cheaper). Will have to check them out next week at the Apple store.
It?s much better than Vista?s release, but Vista has been pretty good since SP1. Win7 is really just some tweaking and dropping of overly performance killing processes and a very timid cosmetic change.
It?s a good version of Windows, but there are a lot of things that Windows just can?t with Apple on, and won?t be able to so long as their business models are different. The pros that make Apples integrated HW and OS so good are just undeniable. From my iPhone to MobileMe to OS X on my MBP, there is just so much simplicity that MS can?t touch. Then you have a UNIX-like foundation for your OS.
One big thing for us notebook users, which seems to be the majority of users, is that OS X has exceptionally better power management for doing the same tasks. If you install Windows on a Mac you test both OSes and see that OS X gives you more usable time.
It?s much better than Vista?s release, but Vista has been pretty good since SP1. Win7 is really just some tweaking and dropping of overly performance killing processes and a very timid cosmetic change.
It?s a good version of Windows, but there are a lot of things that Windows just can?t with Apple on, and won?t be able to so long as their business models are different. The pros that make Apples integrated HW and OS so good are just undeniable. From my iPhone to MobileMe to OS X on my MBP, there is just so much simplicity that MS can?t touch. Then you have a UNIX-like foundation for your OS.
One big thing for us notebook users, which seems to be the majority of users, is that OS X has exceptionally better power management for doing the same tasks. If you install Windows on a Mac you test both OSes and see that OS X gives you more usable time.
I find Windows UI positively awful to use on my 13" screen. It's simply far too cluttered, although they've made it easier to get things done on 7. The key to OS X is synergy across platforms, Apple are getting the 3 screens approach right quicker than Microsoft ever did. Next stage is to improve Apple TV and let it play nice with other content providers, and it's done. I'm not sure about what the future holds for Windows, but Apple laid the groundwork with Snow Leopard... I'm expecting great things.
Wasn't the Macbook the best selling Apple computer... ever? I'll miss that IR port and the lack of an SD card port, but that's product differentiation for ya! My gf's dad just purchased the new iMac (21.5")... can't wait to check it out! My next computer will likely be the 27" iMac.
What do competing PCs cost?
One VERY important COST that people seem to forget, is that ALL apple products have INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY.
I was on another country, my macbook failed, and the apple service center replaced the failing part without any cost for me.
Try to get that with the el-cheapo-pcs.
For example, my sister's screen broke. The HP was about 500, and the replacement was 300.