Build Quality

A couple questions before I buy my laptop:

1. I have a iBook G4 with a 12 inch screen. How does a MacBook's build quality compare to it?

2. How does a MacBook Pro's build quality compare to the iBook?

3. How does the MacBook Pro's build quality compare to that of the MacBook?

4. How do the MacBook Pro's and the Macbook's build quality compare to that of the Lenovo/IBM Thinkpad Line?

Thanks,
Leon

 

1) The Macbook feels more solid to me than the iBooks did. At least the black one does, the white one is more similar to the iBook but I would still rate it a notch up.

2+3) The Macbook Pro is a professional product as opposed to the consumer lines of iBook and Macbook, and it is in general a solidly built notebook - the aluminium feels very sturdy. It's certainly better than both the iBook and the Macbook qualitywise.

4) The Thinkpads that I've seen are very sturdy, can't quite place them though - too little experience handling them. Sorry.

 

1) The MacBook is slightly better than the iBook G4, in my opinion.

2-3) The MacBook Pro is more sturdily built than the MacBook & iBook. Its very nice , but too expensive for me.

4) Thinkpads are famous for build quality. From my personal experience and awareness, almost all Thinkpads are equally great in terms of build quality and keyboard, while not all MacBook Pros are equally top-notch. I wouldn't worry about having a "bad-quality" MacBook Pro, but no doubt the Thinkpads are better than MBPs in terms of build quality. Only slightly better, though.

And as I said before, don't worry about quality concerns for the MB & MBP. They're really good already. But if you must get the top-quality product, go with the Thinkpad.

 

to answer all your questions in one statement:
Macbooks and macbook pros are among the best build quality in their respective genres(consumer, and professional). I've used several notebooks, and almost all of them reek of cheap plastic and feel like they want to break under my hands. The exceptions being the MB/MBP and the Thinkpad series. I would place the MBP as the best overall quality with the Thinkpad coming in second and the MB rounding up third. The Thinkpad may be able to handle a fall better than the MBP, but it can't compare in general fit and finish.

 

Outside of a bag, I think the MBP would be beat by both the MB and thinkpads. The Thinkpads are very rugged machines. Not the prettiest, or even nicest ones to use (their keyboards and trackpads are terrible) but they have long been known to be THE business notebook due to being able to handle a lot of damage.

I think the MB actually would handle damage better than the MBP, because the MB is build into a very hard plastic shell. Granted, it may be more fragile than it feels, but the MBP dents pretty easily, and if it were to land on something screen side down, then I'm sure it would be toast.

But they really are 3 machines meant for 3 different uses. IBM is targeted toward business users, the MBP toward gamers and AV editors, while the MB is targeted toward the general population.

As far as general build quality, IBM seems to be pretty top of the line. My MBP and a few other CD ones have fairly bad build quality. Lots of little problems in them, however, the C2D version seem much better.

 

I think youre the first one I know to say that Thinkpad keyboards are not so great.

 

Probably the first one ever.

 

Thinkpad keyboards are the cats meow.

 

I'd have to agree with hollownail on the keyboard thing. It may have been that the computer in question was showing its age, but supposedly Thinkpads don't wear, and that would mean it should have been like new.

Of course, I'm very picky about my keyboards.

 

I felt that the MB keyboard built quality pales in comparison to MBP's, or for that matter, most other laptops. I don't know why, but it felt really plasticy and I just wasn't comfortable typing on it (didn't have a problem with the layout though, just the feel).