Must-have adds for my MBP?

Got a brand new Macbook Pro 15" in the mail and I can't wait to open that slender black box and get my hands on an aluminum notebook for the first time.
I'm wondering what must-have accessories are recommended. I've been using a bluetooth mouse with my Dell for a while, and it's great when I'll be in the same place for a few hours, despite the amazingness of the multitouch. A friend of mine works for Apple, so I can get a wireless Mighty Mouse for cheap(er), so I'd rather like to stick with matching brands on that. Other than that I need to get a DVI-video adapter to hook it to my 42" plasma for watching MLB.tv.
Any suggestions for things I would want but don't know about? Thanks!

Stephen

 

No need to get matching brands, I'd recommend a Logitech over Apple's Mighty Mouse. Its not bad, but it has its annoyances, and I prefer the VX Revolution.

There's no real "must haves" for the MBP, most everything is there already . Congrats, and make sure to check out these links!

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

 

Though not a 'must have', but a good idea, is always a cooling tray, rack, ect. ect.

 

First things I picked up for mine was a notebook cooler and the Marware protection pack.

 

I immediately wanted to free up my USB ports, so I got the Razer Pro|Click Bluetooth mouse, which I must say, is a great mouse!

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TQ332LL/A
(maybe you can get it cheaper somewhere else?)

 

A cooling pad would definitely be helpful. I use the Thermaltake iXoft with my MBP. It's pretty effective for a passive design, and you need not worry about potential fan failure or using up a USB port as you would with a cooler that uses fans.

I would also recommend an Invisible Shield skin. It's protected my system quite well. If you are to order one, do not order directly from the Shield Zone store, as their customer service is dreadful. Find an authorized retailer and order from them. I also have an iSkin keyboard protector, which has done a very nice job of keeping out dust and other grime. Some folks will say that the keyboard is an air vent and that you shouldn't cover it. But I've never had any problems in the 6 months that I've used the iSkin.

 

marware protection back, along with trackpad/button protector. Wonderful stuff.

I may look at the moshi protection stuff, looks better than the MW. the marware is nice, but it shows wear, and its starting to peel on my computer (my fault)

i also bought a vertical notebook sleeve from marware.

 

Marware or Moshi palm guard is a must in my opinion, since it keeps the palmrest much cooler.

 

i was impressed with the Marware, until i decided to cut little slits for the bumps on the MBP screen. I seem to have seperated the pad from its sticky-ness. Itll do for now, but next ill try the moshi for sure. I actually like the color contrast of the Marware pad. It matches perfectly with the rubber on the display hinge.

 

Does anyone else have input on the bluetooth mouse? I can get it for about the same price as most off the shelf brands ($50), so I was going to get a branded one to match (and keep compatibility to a max, despite OS X's ease of comp.). I'm pretty careful with my machines, so I think I'll skip the skin stuff, adds bulk and doesn't look good IMHO. I'll definitely consider a coolpad of some sort, as the 17" MBP I used for a while last year was pretty toasty when running for a while, so thanks!

 

My personal opinion: I hate the feel of the mighty mouse. Plus, I prefer being able to go back and forward thru web pages with the mouse. Thats why I went with the Logitech S530 keyboard/mouse combo for my iMac. I actually love the trackpad and keyboard on my MBP, so I dont use any exterior devices.

 

I also have to suggest against the mighty mouse. Apple is forgoing usability to keep with a style that screams Mac. Any Logitech mouse will out perform the MM with greater ergonomics and usually at a lower price.

 

I just ordered a bundle containing the Apple BT wireless keyboard and wireless mighty mouse ($109 total) and I'll be getting them this week.

I have heard mixed reviews of the wireless mighty mouse and mostly positive reviews of apple's wireless keyboard (most of the negatives on that were because the keyboard does not have a dedicated number pad).

I'll write a mini review here the day I get them.

 

That's a good point, Diggy. It's just second-nature for me to navigate between web pages with the buttons on the side of my Iogear mouse on my desktop. I think I'll use the trackpad for a few days to see how much I want an external and go from there. It may not end up being as big of a deal, given the MBP's larger wrist-rest compared to my Dell Vostro.
Thanks for the point.

 

I had Bluetooth Mighty mouse for a while and gave it to somebody because found it unusable. Because it doesn't have clear left and right button separation the wrong button was pressed by accident. I had to be very focused to press the correct button. Sometimes I wanted to throw it agains the wall when it made left instead of right click. Also the small scroll ball got dirty and I didn't really find a way to clean it. The dirt was kind of inside the mouse and showing around the ball. The side buttons got broken during the first month of use, after that I had to train my hand with weights to be able to press them. But it is the pretties mouse for Mac, so it was hard for me to give it away

 

One thing the MM appeals to me with is the ability to launch expose with the squeeze buttons. Is there a way to do this if I have assignable buttons on my mouse (for instance the forward navigate button, as I rarely do that).

 

i had the apple BT keyboard. It was nice, but it seemed to "scrunch" my hands too close together while typing. The wired one doesnt do this, and is perfect length.

Not to mention that BT is a huge pain in the butt. It always goes to sleep, and takes quite a while to come back to life with my MBP

 

I've been wondering this myself, and I decided to do a little more research into this. ControllerMate does the job nicely. My wireless(via usb) logitech mouse now has Expose mapped to forward nav and Desktop to backward nav(I never use the mouse for page navigation). Definitely worth a try for you.

 

Cool- thanks system! I'll give that a look when my machine gets here tomorrow. Can't wait!

 

Hello everyone,
This is my first post in the MBP thread, and as a new owner of one, i can finally partake in conversations with pride
In regards to the question about add-ons, my recommendation is the note book cooler that was mentioned earlier (i saw a really good one, i'll post the address later), however, as far as the mouse is concerned...hold off getting it until you try out the new multi-touch mouse pad...it's awesome
If you're thinking about portability, then a slim bag, and possibly a secondary battery.

 

Well I just got my MBP, and I gotta say, I'm thrilled!!! I'm practically speechless I'm so excited! I ended up going with a 'refurb' and I swear it's never been opened, much less used by a consumer. This kind of current-gen refurb is a ploy to sell more machines to people like me, because this thing is spankin' new. Anyway, yay!!

 

Congrats, sdurda!

Be sure to check out these links!

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

 

Well, I do not have much idea of what must-have it for the macbook pro. I just bought it and started using it. One thing that I bought later is the apple wired mouse and I like it. It feels great in my hand, well, the feeling depends on individual.

 

I just got my MBP on Monday, and the new multi touch pad is awesome.
Now, i just look at my old PC Laptop with disgust 'cause it doesn't have it
And with the CandyBar application, the customization possibilities are endless.

 

I ran the windows performance index tool and my new Mac ran a 4.8! Pretty impressive as the that was by far the lowest score (graphics, processor and memory speeds were all above 5.6). That was the hard disk access, which makes sense, given its a 5400RPM drive, but i can certainly live with that. The only complaint I have is that this thing is truly a 5.4 pound heat sink. Man, it gets toasty!! Otherwise I can't imagine using anything else!

 

Out of topic question.....

MBP keyboard keys getting discolor within few months?I know case have no problem due to aluminum build,but keys?

 

For anyone interested; I just received my Apple wireless Keyboard and wireless Might Mouse ($109 for the bundle) and been using them both all day. Here's some thoughts:

Keyboard:

Very small, a lot smaller than I had originally thought, and light. But surprisingly usable. The key spacing and travel feel right and comfortable. The build quality is fantastic. The BT response appears to be very good. I wish the keys were backlit but apart from that, it's awesome.

Wireless Mighty Mouse:

The first few hours using it were awkward. There's no buttons per se, as it seems like the whole top clicks but it senses if your pressure is on the left or right side. The little scroll ball also felt awkward at first.

After 6 hours of use, I feel right at home now using this mouse. I haven't noticed any errors between right and left clicks; consistently getting the correct output. The mouse seems ergonomic enough that I haven't felt any discomfort with extended use. The response and accuracy are excellent. The scroll ball is easy to use and although quite small is very usable.

The only negative I can think of is the squeeze buttons on the side seem a little on the stiff side. My hand aches every time I use them. Apple could have made them a little softer.

All in all, this was a great purchase and a highly recommended add-on to the macbook or mbp, especially if you want to use your notebook as a desktop with an external display.

 

forgot all of these hardware add ons, spend time learning what you can do with the machine, get busy with the tutorials on Apple.com, that is the best advice I can give anyone.

wait and see what you really like to do with the machine, and you easily learn what accessories will really benefit you.

 

the side buttons on the mighty mouse will definitely loosen up a little more over time, I happen to really like the mighty mouse design as well, having squeeze triggers that you can easily activate with your hand anywhere on the mouse is incredibly useful.

 

I've had my Macbook Pro for, eh, almost a year now, and the keys look exactly the same as they did the first day I bought the thing.

So no discoloration with the keys.