Apple MacBook Review (Late 2008 Model)

People who review notebooks on this forum have this habit of posting external temps and not bothering to check actual hardware temps. They then take this information alone and write thoughts on thermal design and performance. Personally I don't see how anyone can review thermal design based on that. At least the case isn't going to scald you but that's not what's most important.. I'll be interested to see what the real temps are at some point. I like the new design and the LED screen but the price increase makes it no longer worth it, imho.

 

I've owned one. Reflection was never a problem because the backlight is very bright. I even took it out side, no problem.

I did not like the contrast of the screen though. I had the C89 panel. Contrast is around 1:150.

 

I'm sorry but I find your statement a bit absurd. A strong backlight is not going to counteract an ultra-reflective cover like the Macbook's screen totes. Sure you can read what's on the screen, but not without also having to look "past" your reflection and that of the room around you. In an office setting (overhead light + ambient light through windows) it was reflective to the point that I couldn't imagine using it. Unless the Macbook is to stay in one place where the lighting always came from behind the screen rather than from over your shoulder, you're screwed. And that sort of lighting isn't good for your eyes, either. You want over-the-shoulder light to create an ambient light space to keep eye strain down.

 

Well that's up to you. I'm just giving you my personal experience. I've worked with several glossy notebooks outside and as long as the backlight is bright enough the reflection does not bother me.

The reflection on the Macbook did not bother me the the tiniest bit. Also while working outside. What did bother me, inside & outside, was the subpar contrast ratio. That's why I returned it.

We actually had a whole thread about this subject, I'll try to find it.

Edit: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=271139&page=2&highlight=sunlight
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3559583#post3559583

 

I saw the new MB in a local store today, and it indeed offers a huge improvement over the outgoing model

The aesthetics (IMO) are superior though my GF still feels that the white MB (which I soldoff last week) looks better

The build quality is certainly better and the screen back lighting a lot more even than the older one.
The touchpad on the older MB was excellent to start with and the new one betters it

The color inversion problem stays and I didn't find the contrast ratio to be any better or worse than the old MB (I am guessing the MB uses TN panels vs the S-IPS panels on the Air and Pro, but then so do most other notebooks except a few uber pricey ones)

I don't care for the 9400 GPU though, and I hope that doesnt cause a hit on the battery life

Ugh, Now I just can't wait for my package to arrive.. (Another week to go )

 

This review is nice. My friend has just bought the old Macbook (about 2 weeks before Apple launch this new one) and he's just gone mad at me because I didn't tell him that Apple will launch the new one (hey, I didn't even know he was going to buy a Macbook! -__-).

Anyway, do you mind if I put the review in my blog?
I'll link back to this thread, put your name as a reviewer, and if you have a website I'll put the link too.

I just love reading notebook reviews.
Especially the one that I like, such as Macbooks! ^^

 

The touchpad is nice and large and features a durable and responsive surface. The multi-touch functionality gives the touchpad some extra usefulness when editing photos or manipulating other files. The touchpad buttons are hidden beneath the bottom edge of the touchpad and the bottom of the touchpad actually presses down when you press the bottom left or bottom right of the touchpad. The touchpad buttons (or button) has extremely shallow feedback with a quiet, cushioned click. That being said, we generally prefer to have a bit deeper feedback in touchpad buttons. In general, the liberal size of the touchpad makes for a genuinely enjoyable experience.

 

Here's some more information about the panels Apple uses for the Macbook.

The one in this review is the AU Optronics, which is measured to have a 1:190 contrast rate.

The other, more common panel, is the LG Philips which was measured to have a contrast rate of 1:150.

More information: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=596201

 

The screens are identical. The comparison was based on manufacturer specs, not real empirical testing, so I'd say they are really no different from each other otherwise you would have seen very significant differences. For the record, I find my screen which is supposed to be an "inferior" 9C89 to be pretty good (not as awesome as the MBA, but comparable to any other screens at this price point). Posts like these will just fuel the obsession over screen types when there really isn't that much of a difference, if any at all.

The guy who made that post on MacRumors basically felt insecure and believed that by making such a post would made him feel that he has a "superior" Macbook over others. It's the typical example of the superiority complex that is so common.

 

No, they are not identical. The measurements are done by Notebookcheck.net.

9C8C:
Maximum brightness 318 cd/m²
Average 283.7 cd/m²
Black 1.67 cd/m²
Contrast 190:1
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Aluminium-Unibody-13-9400M.11984.0.html

9C89:
Maximum brightness 298 cd/m²
Average 246.1 cd/m²
Black 1.92 cd/m²
Contrast 155:1
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Update-Apple-MacBook-Aluminium-Unibody-13-9400M.12533.0.html

I can see the differences too, especially in the grey tab bar from Safari.

 

I def see the difference

 

Well, I've seen both of these screens in real life and I can't see significant differences to render one superior over the other. I have seen different screen models with other brands and there are times when you can really tell them apart, but this isn't the case here. It's really splitting the hairs.

You can either claim they're crappy screens or just fine, but clearly there is no benefit to having one screen over the other.

 

Well each will come to his own conclusions after seeing the screens. I can see the difference in contrast. It's very obvious is the tab bar of Safari for example.

 

I checked them out at the Apple store. MBP is breathtaking in the display area. MB also looks good. We tried all the angles on the thread and it wasn't deal breaking; it was nice enough.

 

I'm new to Apple Products and have always owned Sony notebooks, but tonight, I spontaneously decided to buy the 'new macbook' and the 4th gen iPod nano. I got the $1599 MB model. What I really wanted was the Sony Vaio Z570, but at $2199, it was too expensive, so I decided to take the leap of faith on the new MB.

But after reading 12 pages of posts, it seems many of you don't like the new macbook. Keep in mind, this is my first macbook p.c. so I don't know what to expect and I wouldn't know how to review it unless I compared it to a p.c. like the Sony Vaio SZ or the Z550 which I was able to play around with for 4 weeks.

I've already played a movie on the MB, and the glossy screen was not an annoyance at all. The black keyboard isn't so bad. In fact, I like the spacing of the keys on the MB compared to that of the Z. And the Black and Silver Contrast was actually nice.

The price was certainly more affordable than the Vaio Z. And I noticed NO bloatware. The bootup time on OSX is far quicker than on Vista. My only complaint is the weight. You can feel the weight compared to the Sony SZ I use to own and the Z I once had. A really big difference.

Now, I just need to learn how to navigate around this new O.S.

I think someone mentioned in an earlier post that the $1299 MB does not have backlit keys. Again, I have the $1599 model and I've never experienced this feature and I am very impressed. No wonder, at the Vaio Z thread, ppl are wishing for backlit keys on the Z refresh.

Question: Is there any other difference between the $1299 v/s $1599 models. besides CPU, Hardrive, backlit key feature, and Graphics Card. Thanks!

 

Geeee, no those are the only diffferences.

 

Why do people even bother comparing the Macbook to the Sony Z? Can the Sony Z run OSX perfectly? It can't, so there's no point unless you want to run Windows, in which case the Macbook is the wrong device to buy as Windows support isn't perfect on it either. Apple's notebooks are clearly in a class of its own because they are the only ones running OSX perfectly so if you want OSX, there's no reason to compare it with other notebooks as you'd be compromising on one over the other. That's the reason I've always thought the other thread about Apple's Mehbook is silly.

 

Because for some people, like me for example, OS isn't a primary concern. I can do everything I want with XP, Vista or OS X. Windows runs just as stable for me as OS X. I just want a good, portable 13" with an excellent screen and good battery life. I'll consider Sony just as well as Apple or Dell.

 

Well, I do have to admit, so far as my experience with this MB is concerned, it has been good. I like the ease of this OSX versus Vista. For example, I just launched the "mail" application on the OSX and it was very easy and mindless. However, with Vista and XP, you have to navigate through Outlook and it takes a while to set up. In fact, I recall having to call DSL support to run me through the steps.

As far as comparing the Z to the MB. I realize they are two totally different p.c.'s. catered to different groups, but in terms of mobilty and OS-friendliness, I think, it's alright to compare and contrast the two since both are mobile notebooks. I've always been told how great OSX is to use and I can clearly see now.

The screen colors do look washed out. Not as crisp as the Z. Now, I understand the dislike for that black border around the screen panel. Also, this clicker on the trackpad is loud.

Question: Is it true that OSX only requires 1GB of Ram to perform optimally. I know with Vista, the requirement is 3GB Ram? The guy who sold me this MB told me that 2GB with DDR3 is far more than what this MB needs.

And where is the print screen key (screenshot) on this thing?

 

Vista does not require 3GB of RAM to run optimally, usually it's 2GB. Of course, the more the better.

 

I agree. OS X, like XP, does not really benefit from more than 2GB unless you use applications that need it.

Vista does benefit from 3GB.

 

With 2GB of ram and just using general applications in Leopard and Tiger i sometimes would get the spinning ball coming up. When i upgraded to 4GB this happened less often.

 

hahahaa

pros: its a mac
cons: its a mac

 

Maybe things were different with the Intel chipsets. I used the Macbook 2.4Ghz 2GB with Nvidia chipset for a week, I have not seen a spinning ball once.

 

As for that spinning ball, I've yet to see it. I don't even know what it looks like. I have the new MacBook 2.4 and it performs quite well.

Does this spinning ball appear when your sending email, especially with large files? Is that what your referring too?

 

Me neither I've never seen it.

But I presume it's the same as the hourglass in Vista, indicating you need to wait for something.

 

This explains a bit about the spinning ball it is not that uncommon.
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=503156&highlight=spinning+ball
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7903840�
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=576102&highlight=spinning+ball
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8408459�

It did happen to me just web browsing and using some apps. The spinning ball would just go round for seemed like forever and you could not obviously do what you wanted to. It is a bit like when something freezes on Windows. Sometimes it is best just to restart. Like i said when i upgraded to 4GB of ram i hardly ever saw the spinning ball after that.

You know most people with Macs actually do recommend more than the standard ram.

 

OS X will run faster with 4GB if you use applications that actually need more than 2GB.

As one can see by the fact that Geee and I never saw the spinning ball we did not need more than 2GB. Rachuk appears to needed more than 2GB, as she benefited from 4GB.

So it depends on what applications one uses.

I've seen some benchmarks that confirm this, can't find the link right now.

Edit: found more info on 2GB vs. 4GB that explains it well
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=310543
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8417042&tstart=0
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=546000

 

I'm not a Mac user. In fact I just bought a Thinkpad T400 for pretty close to the same money as an upper range configuration of this notebook. I think this looks like Macs best notebook to date. It's a very slick design. However, for a 13 inch screen its just about a half pound too heavy. I think the T400 with the 6 cell installed is comparable in weight. Also, I'm not sure that I'd call 100 degrees running cool if you compare this to the T400 for instance. It does seem to run cooler than many earlier Macs many of which ran hot at the wrist rest (very annoying). I think this little notebook is pretty much the best Mac has. Personally I'm not sure I want to be staring at a 13 inch display. The real plus is the aluminum case. So much superior to plastic. I think this notebook is a viable option if you can deal with the limitations of the OSX platform. There's some great programs out there for Mac no doubt about it, but its still too limiting. We'll see where they're at in 5 years and maybe I'll consider looking at one if they manage to capture a more dominant place in the market. I think its still a niche market.

 

My friend just bought this laptop, and she hates it because it does not have the firewall port on it.

 

No laptops have a hardware firewall port. I presume you mean firewire?

 

Then why did she buy it?

 

lolll

it's possible a few people out there purchased the new MBP and just assumed apple would keep the old firewire technology.

 

i have the new macbook and got the spinning ball when VLC player crashed on me

 

If applications crash that can happen, no matter how much RAM you have.

 

Seems like another very nice laptop. I'm actually planning on getting a Mac, but the price is(still) what keeps me away from them, even if it seems more affordable than it used to be.

 

I recently purchased the new MB (13.3), my first apple pc, I noticed that during the 2 weeks I had it (it has since been returned), there was not one single pop-up nor did it have an update alert unlike XP/VISTA, which has these constant pop-ups and alerts that you always have to close (x). Why is that?

 

When you buy a brand new model that has only been released for a few weeks, the software on the notebook is the latest, and there's no need to update.

Last time when I bought an older model MBA I had about 500MB updates on the first run.

The constant popus and alerts is something very dominant in Vista. It's possible to switch it off though and bring it back to the level of XP.

 

Trust me. The updates will come. Ask my 1st-Gen MBP.

 

firewall port? must be a new apple standard.

 

I have the old MacBook Air. Ah, buyer's remorse.

 

Keep in mind though that the Air comes with a higher quality display than the Macbook. In this case it's 'you get what you pay for'.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of HP's line of business notebooks having owned a couple myself. However, I think the aluminium unibody Macbook is a compelling option for students, compared to the HP 2530p.

Firstly, UK students benefit from 14% education discount at Apple, meaning students only pay £799 pounds for the 2.0GHz aluminium unibody Macbook ($1117). To add, in the UK, higher education students also get free 3 years parts and labour support with a mac purchased on the online education store - no need to pay for AppleCare.

Secondly, the macbook's Nvidia 9400M graphics is superior to the HP 2530p's measly Intel GMA 4500MHD.

Thirdly, while the Macbook may not be as rugged as the HP 2530p, it's unibody design certainly makes it a solid notebook indeed; one that is easy to service due to it's internally minimalistic design that is well thought out.

Another issue (which perhaps is more of a personal one) is the noise of the fan in the HP 2530p, and the frequency at which it turns itself on and off. Furthermore, like most of HP's business notebooks, the fan is programmed to constantly spin at an annoyingly audible rate each time it's plugged up to the mains, idle or not.

I do however agree that the glossy screen is a turn off for many consumers, particularly business users and possibly students (such as myself). Surely it isn't difficult to equip a Macbook with a matte screen - TechRestore offers a service to replace the glossy screen with a matte screen. Still, despite the glossy screen, I think it's a worthwhile sacrifice for students.