Apple MacBook User Review Discussion

by Perry Longinotti

We are in a post-PC era. Our computers are lifestyle devices and many folks want them to express something other than just their ability to browse the web or create documents. The question is, How do we measure the non-technical appeal of a notebook? In a lot of ways the traditional methods of determining value are obsolete because today's desirable computers are more than the sum of their parts. This "non-technical appeal" may be vital to some people, and superfluous to others. Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum are folks who think computers should be nicely designed with solid features while still representing good value. This brings us to the latest update to the Apple MacBook.

Read the full content of this Article: Apple MacBook User Review

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macs are always expensive nice review

 

Very nice review!so your only problem with it is the price?

 

Tried out the touchpad at the store. Personally, I like normal tapping better, but I guess I've used the touchpad way too much (all the time, except for gaming). Felt solid, but the aluminum didn't feel very aluminum-y. Perhaps it's because it was on all the time.

Anyways, nice review.

 

Awesome review.

 

maybe you should have pointed out the macbook's mediocre port selection...

other than that i do agree with your review... played with one for a brief moment and i was quite impressed with the construction

 

Personally, I think that Apple probably does better (on average) on build quality. Apple has done well in the last few years when Vista came out. Especially with the initial "vista capable" machines. Allot of those folks went running to apple. Not so much for better hardware but for a different OS solution. Apple will still do pretty good in the future since they have a loyal following. But the migration from MS to Apple is going to stop once seven comes out IMO. Seven is going to rock and IMO will be the best OS ever. Seven will put pressure on Apple to lower price.. they will have to if they expect to have any growth at all. That's my 2009 predictions anyway.

But I have never considered Apple products for the age old problems.. Locked down proprietary hardware/software/accessories and inflated prices for everything. I have never understood why people defend Apple with vigor being they are taken to the cleaners for everything they buy from apple.

 

nice review

would like to see more photo though. of the screen is preferable.

i personally prefer they pack the notebook in a big box

 

Great review and I would agree with many things you have said except "That is a $400 premium over similarly spec’ed rivals made of plastic and hobbled by Vista and bloat ware."

Comparing to similarly spec'ed rivals like Lenovo Ideapad U330 (low end) it is only 100$ more expensive......with HP dv3500t it is 200-300$ more......and with the Sony Z series, the new macbook is cheaper.....I just want to know it is 400$ more expensive compared to which laptop you are looking at?

 

Almost everything that you said in 1st paragraph is "IMO".you can't until win 7 comes out ...and,if I am not mistaken,all were saying that Vista will be great and best OS ever...and don't forget that MacOS Leopard will be replace with Snow Leopard,which also should bring some improvements and new features.

And I never understood why are people bashing apple...

 

Sure...BTW minidisplayport->HDMI adapter is on the way

 

Good job with quoting!

And no.... no you haven't been staying on topic. Your first post was comparing a $2000 PC with a Macbook Pro... Could you look at the information in the first post in this thread? That's the review... for the $1,300 Macbook....

 

True. But Z series is 500 grams lighter than the macbook. Vaio SR series is the competitor of the Macbook, and it's cheaper.

At an additional $50

 

Well,MacOS is one of few things that makes apple special,and lots of people are paying especially for it. but ok.

From what I have read on different sources,DisplayPort is the future of MM ports.

do you know other companies that offer 1440x900 screen on 13" for a price less then 2k?only thing comes to mind is Sony Z...but I have been told in our forum that it is just too much.can't comment that

lol,you have to see my HDX,it is even more glossy...and I am fine with it,colors are awesome!

And about firewire...we had a poll in apple forum and turn out that majority of our users don't use firewire!

 

have to agree with Sony Z...you know that I love that notebook!

And there is simple solution to buy adapters and notebooks much cheaper-ebay:macbook pro costs ~1650$ and adapters are ~10$

 

I agree, 4.5 lbs is a bit heavy for a 13.3" notebook. The Dell XPS m1330 and Sony SZ's are about 4 lbs with similar battery sizes. The older Macbook was even more of a clunker!

 

I will admit, I have a good amount of hate for Apple. Not that their products are bad, but for the fact that they tend to create some elitish snobs who think they're better than you for buying a Mac. Oh please.

But for those who do purchase a Mac with actual knowledge as to why they are, they do it for integration. The hardware/software integration of a Mac is unbeatable. The entire Mac OS is designed around around the computer, not the other way around as it is with Windows. The result is small but cool quirks like 2 finger scrolling and stuff like that.

I personally do not intend to buy a new Mac anymore however. They still aren't unique enough from normal Windows PCs. I would have considered them back in the PowerPC days however (which, back then, I was quite fond of them). Nowadays, I can just get something along the line of the HP EliteBook and use Linux for a similar experience to a Mac. The amount and ease of procurement of software is simply amazing.

Either way, we can all stop arguing about Apple vs. MS. In the end, it doesn't matter who has a better computer. They're just highly advanced calculators, and having a better one does not mean you're better or smarter in any way, shape or form.

 

QFT, I completely agree. I'm not sure why any mention of Mac or PC causes an attack from the other group...

 

Do you understand what a big number is that 10%(well,it is ~10%,not 8)when it is achieved by just 1 company?

no problem,I ll wait

And I was just telling you results

 

true,but I never meat people like that...even on our forum!

also,if snobs own Ferrari,it doesn't make you hate Ferrari...

 

isn't funny how you keep insulting me but yet I never insult you. Yet I am the snob. hahahaha

 

How many companies make Windows PCs? Too many to count. Theres HP and Dell and Apple (well, if people dual boot), Acer, Asus, a bunch of other companies. And then there's thousands of people like me who build their own PCs.

Given the fact that Apple makes a very limited selection of more expensive computers, the fact that they own nearly 1/10th of an entire market is amazing.

 

Yeah and they all use software from one company. do you know the reason apple does not let other pc's have their os on it? I'll educate you a bit. It is because they will never sell their computers!!!!! That is how much their computers lack compared to other pc's.

 

em,well no-HP,SONY,ASUS,DELL,ACER,GATEWAY,CLEVO and others + custom made desktops all drive Windows!and you must use apple hardware to run macos! If people had the ability to run Mac OS on any PC,I bet that MacOS share would be much higher!

 

Apple has let others use their OS before. Mac OS7 to be specific.

Like I said, Apple's products are about integration. That's why they don't want to let other people use their OS. Do I think they're being extreme with it? Sure. Mac OSX is a fancy flavor of UNIX, which, along with Linux, has been running on PCs forever. But it's Apple's choice.

 

Please refrain from any insults

Having owned a macbook for a short period of time and talking to Phil Schiller (Apple's senior VP), people must realize that apple invests more capital than most OEM companies, specifically in the software sector. Although their products may not appeal to the "bang for buck" type of person, apple has been maintaining the aesthetic advantage over the competition. Obviously, there's a value associated withe OSX, but for many new apple buyers who's never used OSX before, it's the sleek, modern design that pulls them in (I for one, fall into that category). If you're not a person who prefers OSX or someone who wouldn't cares less about aesthetic appeal, I can understand how you would think the macbook is a complete rip-off. However, keep in mind that everyone's needs and preferences are different; just because you're fully satisfied with ordering meat loaf, doesn't make people ordering prime rib snobs.

 

Couldn't have said it better.

 

Just my $0.02, Snow Leopard, to quote Apple itself, is more of under the hood improvements and NOT new features.

http://www.apple.com/ca/macosx/snowleopard/

 

Even if that is true, why get an adapter when you could just do away with it completely had i come with HDMI? And if you are at a presentation which requires HDMI and lose that adapter ...

 

Great review. Arch was being a little unruly, but so were you guys. You all just attacked him and citizen just kept insulting him. If someone says something you don't agree with, just say what you think, don't start calling each other idiots or asking for proof. You don't need proof for an opinion. Fighting on the internet is retarded - even if you win you're still a retard.

 

Well,I said "Improvements and new features ".I think OpenCL can be considered as an improvement

 

Well-said. Also, Apple's Vista ads are quite misleading and manipulative ... After I read some reviews and expert comments on Project Mojave.

 

1)lots of his post were edited by him/mods
2)I never insulted him
3)well,when you are saying "macs are overpriced",it looks like fact statement,and facts must be proven,or they are just opinions.

 

Actually it is possible to run OS X Leopard on Windows machines. It's a slightly complicated process but a university student can do it in 1 night during exams. However, that discussion might be outside forum rules.

 

Well said, David! +1 Rep

Its a great review of the new MacBook. +1 Rep

 

Do you know why it is not allowed to discuss here?cos it is illegal and that is why apple sued couple of companies...


p.s. and that "so called hackintoshes" don't run mac os even remotely as good as apple notebooks.

 

Well I don't believe breaking a TOS has proved illegal. But they are in the process of suing Psystar.

 

Hey, I'm all for expressing opinions, just do it in a decent way... Arch came in proving his point (rudely, and most of his posts were either edited by him or a mod), a point he was making about a different laptop, xirurg asked him to prove it, and the mud-slinging began.

Yeah I can be a little rude too, but only towards someone just asking for it

And yes, I did insult him, multiple times.

 

Very nice review thank you!

On a side note, I wonder why is always that when someone reviews Apple products, trollers come out of their closets ruining the threads?

 

yes, DisplayPort is the future of MM ports... but the macbook uses Mini-DisplayPort, which i'm sure everybody knows already is apple's version of a VESA-standardized connector...

sure you can argue that you can easily use hdmi on the macbook, but you would require the hdmi cable along with an audio cable. kinda defeats the entire purpose of hdmi eh? you know the whole thing about audio and video all in one cable... problem with mini-displayport currently is that it doesn't offer audio (dunno right now if it's actually supported and can be changed through a firmware upgrade later on or something, but until then) where as in the specifications of the regular DisplayPort states that audio is supported.

i'm sure apple could have easily used the normal-spec DP connector, but instead they opted for their own smaller, proprietary version.

 

Great review. But it's lacking one important determining factor and that's the screen. It's...horrible. I know, I know. It's not the worst but I have to wear glasses and using the mac with the wrong lighting is unbearable. Otherwise, the new mac is an awesome notebook. Very user friendly and easy to carry around (I just place in my backpack between books for the few days I had it).

 

I assume you mean the glass over top of it being too glossy?

 

very nice

off topic, how did you create those graphs?

 

It can transfer audio...And apple created midi DP ,so they don't have to pay anyone and it is license-free,anyone can use it,so in future we will se more products with it!

 

Nice review though it's a little biased IMO.
The new Macbook is a big improvement over the older model, still not as good as my expectation however.

Have fun guys, I don't have time for another argument

 

biased?lol,he was the guy that made last epic Mac VS PC

 

If you have nothing productive to say about the review, then do not post. Posts have been deleted as well.

 

i question your claim that OSX is superior.

why do you need Windows on your machine if OSX is superior?

probably because all Macbook reviews now go into depth about Windows performance, and all criticize Windows.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've read that the mini display port on the Macbook does not transfer audio.

 

Good review.....sounded a tad bit biased, but good review nonetheless