I just drank OS X Koolaid

After sitting on the fence forever, I finally bit the bullet and got me the Penryn MBP matte thanks to Best Buy and 18 months no interest! Take that, economy!!!

Staring at the MacMirror Pros just made the decision all that much easier. Anyone who says the gloss ain't that bad is either legally blind or on total crack. It's SO glaringly obvious! Matte cuts down those stupid reflections by like 90%+!!! Sure, in direct sunlight, both screens are screwed, but I'd prefer my screen not to be screwed in just a room that has the light source 45º behind me affecting my color during photo editing.

Anyway, I just ordered a WD Scorpio 7200RPM drive and 6GB of G.Skill memory along with an eSATA express card. After I bootcamp this thing with Vista 64 Ultimate, it's gonna totally rock. Too bad it doesn't have a 1920x1200 resolution. Ah well, gotta pick and choose your battles.

Having used Macs for awhile when I was in school, picking up Leopard was pretty easy. I'd like to say "it just works", but it only "just works" because I know how to work it already. lol Vista just works for me as well. Although I must say...multi-touch pad > 2 button pad. Although I did like the massive pad on the new MBP and the 4 finger gesture support, I don't think I'm missing much. This thing was a hell of a lot cheaper and it sure beats my Inspiron 8600 from 2004.

I now know the feeling that every Apple fanboy feels, but I also love my Windows just the same. The two operating systems will live in harmony in my life Viruses, spam, spyware, etc will affect neither systems. It is not the computer, it is the user.

I love my very first and brand new Mac Totally diggin' the OS X experience. Exposé is awesome.

Oh yeah, I also wanna add: Flip4Mac sucks because it has to do some import garbage for every freakin' WMV file I wanna view? VLC doesn't have to do that. I might need a clue if there's a way to not do the import crap on Flip4Mac. VLC suits me just fine, anyway.


PS: The sales dude at Best Buy was trying way too hard to get me to buy lots of extra crap. "For 39.99, we can set up your system for you including calibrate your monitor!!!". "Did you also need to pick up the Airport Extreme router?? It's like the only router that can do 5ghz!!!" "iWork rox0rs!!! You really need that!!!"

Um yeah, no thanks.

MS Office > iWork
xRite i1 Display 2 > Best Buy calibration
D-Link DGL-4500 > Airport Extreme N

I'm just not fanboy enough to need everything Apple! Just the laptop, plz. Thx!

 

I think its funny that its ok to pay for an overpriced MAC and then use bootcamp and run windows on it.

However its not ok to buy a cheaper PC with the same or better specs and then install OSX on it.

If you take any other 2 entities in life and do the same its called prejudice and its illegal and immoral.

So I say buy the PC, buy a legal version of OSX and consult DR Google, and have at it for nearly half the cost. Thats the ultimate solution.

P.S. Hope you read the fine print on the 18months no interest, there is always a catch.

 

I'm neither legally blind nor on crack. But glad you have a mac and are happy.

 

Agreed. And the glossy is actually easily viewable outside in the bright sunlight, but the matte isn't. Just an FYI.

 

When did they start making 3GB RAM sticks? Don't all MBP have only 2 slots?

 

There are differences between one glossy screen and the next.

My old C90S had a glossy screen but it was considered a hybrid. It was glossy enough to boost contrast and make colors look nicer but in any sort of light you can still see the screen easy.

My new G50V has a freakin mirror for a screen and it seems like any kind of light results in me seeing half of myself and half of the screen. I really do not like the screen much for that reason.

If you made me choose I would always choose matte over glossy unless I know its a really good glossy screen like the C90S had.

 

Well, I guess if you work outside the glossy screen might be a problem. But working inside all the time I can't see my own reflection unless I put the brightness to the lowest setting.

 

A 4GB and 2GB stick.

 

@chickensoda. Liked what you said. Most people keep there systems for about 3 years and then upgrade. You will be happy with what you have. I am not sure you can put 6 gigs in that Penryn MBP. You could put 8 gigs if you can find 4 gig sticks.

 

But they don't make 4GB sticks yet? Or do they?

EDIT: according to mac rumors mac ram guide all macbooks (pros) do not support 4GB sticks? someone confirm?

 

They've had 4GB sticks for a while.

 

Can you elaborate? The screen is the ONLY reason I'm thinking of a sony z or macbook air.

 

Sorry my bad I was thinking of DDR3 sticks. Anyways some people are saying 4GB sticks are not compatible with MBPs. (Max is 4GB)

 

My Powerbook had a matte screen and I couldn't see anything on it outside.

 

I think it is 6GB

http://macs.about.com/b/2008/10/31/new-macbook-and-macbook-pro-seem-to-have-6-gb-ram-limit.htm

 

Overpriced is a tired old argument. Just my experience alone has convinced me, you get what you pay for. First of all, I haven't handled a lot of laptops, but so far, my white macbook (prev gen no less!) has far superior build quality to any laptop I've held before.
Secondly, apple's customer service is rated as one of the best, and I got to experience that personally, they really are top notch!
Third, do I need to mention OSX? (Although if you look at my sig, you see the one and only gripe I have with OSX, but that's even fading away).
You get what you pay for....

Welcome to the family chickensoda! Want some more koolaid?



Sorry couldn't resist, just trying to inject some humor into this thread.

 

Yeah but I mean, wouldn't you have a harder time with the new mbp screen? Like the op said, it's hard to believe all your problems would go away by just cranking up the brightness... on my older macbook that worked fine, but the screen is nowhere near as reflective I don't think...

 

Isn't the guy talking about the new MBPs (alum') cause it article is dated Oct 31 2008?

 

It's actually 8GB limit as verified by a Microsoft guy

http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs...ing-my-apple-macbook-pro-with-8gb-of-ram.aspx

 

Oh heh I guess you're right. Oh I found this 10 page thread on macrumors about 6-8GB RAM in penryn MBPs. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=573906&page=8

Ohh lol at the steve jobs koolaid pic hehehe!

 

If I need a pro, I would also have gone with the older one as the newer one is just too expensive for my budget. AND I am not legally blind or on crack....having been using glossy screen for 4 years now.

 

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RThoZy30BpM&feature=related

Better Humor

and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8TzUXwwLcU&feature=related

 

Yeah, I did some heavy researching whether Penryn MBP could go above 4GB, and 6GB seems to be the consensus. Granted...Vista 64 would eat up all 8GB, I just didn't like hearing that 8GB caused OS X to hang, so to be safe, I kept it at 6. I'd do 7, if they made a 3GB stick, but that's not the case.

About Price:
At $1,599 + upgrades, yes, I realize I CAN get a Dell and install Hackintosh on it. I've already done that. But, it's like putting a Ferrari engine inside a Honda Civic. There's a reason Ferrari put the engine inside a Ferrari body. IT JUST LOOKS A HELL OF A LOT COOLER!!! I happen to be willing to pay the premium for the nice sleek looking Apple body

For those of you who find glare doesn't bother you, I'm glad. It certainly bothered me. At Best Buy, the laptops were all sitting in front of a gigantic lit up Apple logo. On EVERY single glossy screen, that logo was 100% reflected off the screen. If you were trying to read the screen where that logo was, you couldn't. No matter how bright the screen was set to. Even if it did show up, it affected color accuracy BIG TIME. In the matte screen, I couldn't even see the logo's reflection. I can tell that there was something lighter there, but in no way was I able to make out a shape or any detail of what was being reflected. It was night/day difference. Plus, one thing that can never be solved in glossy displays: color saturation and contrast. It's always going to be more saturated than it should be compared to a matte display. When I print, it is critical for me to get what I see. This is just not possible with a glossy display due to the nature of a glossy display. So, it's an issue greater than just glare for me. I apologize if I came off harsh on the legally blind statement.

If pro level photo editing wasn't part of what I did, the glossy screen wouldn't be a big deal at all. I would prefer them over mattes. Not saying they completely suck or anything, they're just not suited for my purpose.

 

I thought even the Matte displays were not very accurate (although more than the glossy of course)? Aren't you suppose to do print work on IPS screens or whatever anyways?

 

You are correct. The MBP's matte screen is indeed a super crappy TN panel totally not suitable for photo editing. That being said, so are most of the glossy displays.

However, IPS panels aren't always available for me all the time. When I'm on the road and need to do something quick, I'll have to suck it up and use the TN panel. Even the new Lenovo W700 uses a TN panel, but it's a higher grade one with a higher color gamut. Still suffers the same negative effect when viewing it at an angle.

In the end, photo editing on a laptop display boils down to the lesser of two evils. Crappy TN glossy vs Crappy TN matte. Again:

Glossy: exaggerated contrast/saturation
Matte: truer to print contrast/saturation

Colors will still be off, but saturation and contrast are a little closer to perceptively accurate with the matte, IMHO.

 

Yea, if I I really do like the previous gen, compared to the new one.

But yea, currently the 'limit' in osx is around 6gb, atleast for the MBP's (old and new) Seems like apple has to release a patch or something inorder for it to get 8gb working, because osx can do it on the mac pro's. (info coming from macrumors, and some other places, feel free to argue)

But yea, I just needa get a new hdd and a 4gb stick, and my SR mbp will be set for a while. Kinda sucks though that I didn't get the 2.4, but I didnt figure I'd need it at the time, but a 256 8600 really would be nice right about now ;p

 

Is the gigantic Apple logo optional? Just curious because as I look around I don't see it reflected in my display?

 

you have to realize that most lighting conditions wont be as extreme as at best buy. in my experience, you shouldnt buy laptops for the screen, but for the whole package. While I do wish the screen wouldn't be as glossy as it is, it works well for me in bright conditions, plus i love the unibody construction and the relatively recent chipset/processor. to each his own.

 

I would have loved to have the 1066mhz FSB and the unibody construction and all that stuff. But for $1,000 cheaper, I got more bang for my buck + less gloss. It's a fairly economically sound purchase. I don't think I'll notice the 200mhz FSB difference TOO much. Coming from a Dell that's only 133mhz FSB, 800mhz is freakin' lightening.

They asked if they wanted to purchase a shiny Apple logo lighting up behind me everywhere I go, but I politely declined and bought me a bag of Gordetto's instead with my left over change.

 

I will send you my Ferrari XPS1530 with Vista Ultimate and Office2007 if you send me your MBP

 

lol, I kinda like my new purchase I do want an XPS, but I'm waiting till they release a 1920x1200 RGB LED XPS with the new Montevina chipset. I was gonna get a Studio, but they don't support Dell docks. XPS is the only consumer line that does that. I'll have the XPS as my PC powerhouse and the MBP as my...umm...picking up chicks at a coffeeshop powerhouse?

 

Congrats, and as usual my two links for switchers!

www.apple.com/support/switch101
www.apple.com/support/mac101

 

I like your method of "preventative medicine" Sam. Put out the links in the beginning, so the forums don't get clogged by a plethora of questions that are already answered.

 

Hehe, "catch the problem before it becomes an issue, and everyone feels better" . But really, many switcher questions can be answered by the guides, and they definitely help in getting used to the different controls and stuff so I link to it all the time!

 

Thanks for the links, Sam. Good thing I parsed through countless Apple threads already so I know how to translate all the common tasks from Windows over to OS X. I immediately noticed the lack of home/end keys, but ctrl +left or right fixed that. Intuitively, I tried cmd + M to minimize a window...and it worked! So, I think if you're wondering if something would work, you just gotta take a second and think..."would it make sense to do this?" and give it a shot. Almost 99% of the time, it's exactly the way you'd think it should be done. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a seasoned computer user or if OS X is just so brilliant it just knows that's what people would do Either way, learning OS X thus far is incredibly easy.

 

Im running OSX with XP in Fusion. Unity is just great, I can use both OS at the same time. The screen reflection is not that bad actually, I am typing this in a well lit lecture hall. I find it easier to read on it than on my Dell XT which has a LED matte screen. The main downside of the new MacBooks is the crappy blacks, color shift is horrid. For a $1300 notebook this kind of screen just isnt acceptable. Im going to try to get an exchange.

 

Congrats on the purchase

 

It's actually the opposite. Matte screens work well outside under direct sunlight which is why all bussiness laptop have matte screens. Plus my I use the matte screen on my desktop to watch moves and surf and when I made the switch to the glossy LCD and notice a huge difference. I couldn't see anything with the windows open and it had nothing but glare. I returned the glossy LCD the very next day.

 

How many business people do you see sitting outside with their laptops? When I had my Powerbook with a matte screen I couldn't see anything on it outside.

 

Omg @ the windows symbol rofl

 

Its funny, isn't it? I laughed out loud the first time I saw it .

 

Got my 6GB of RAM and installed it without a hitch! OS X picked it right up. Sweet!

Now I gotta run to Sears and grab a TORX screwdriver! ugh! I can certainly appreciate the convenience of the new MBP's ability to replace the HDD without dissecting the entire freakin' machine! Hopefully the 7,200RPM drive makes the machine feel a little snappier and is worth the hassle aside from the space increase.

 

Funny. Other notebook manufacturers had this hard drive "innovation" long before Apple "invented" it.

 

Oh, get over it already.

Trolling, trolling, trolling, keep those wintel's trolling....