New MacBook?

[LightRanger]

Who has one?

Like/Dislikes?

Any known first generation, "new model" issues?

I may be buying one this afternoon.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Played with it in the store. Pretty damn neat looking thing. The fit and finish look amazing. Lighted keyboard seems like a nice feature. That being said, I am a pc guy. But this thing has me leaning more and more towards apple.

[Skidog]

Cant say really anything about the Macbook, but I love my Pro....slick machine. Pricey but SLICK!

Im a sys admin guy...Microsoft all the way and have found NO issues with doing remote administration of windows networks with my Mac.


Good luck I think if you drop the coin youll love it.

[Dromond]

Cant say really anything about the Macbook, but I love my Pro....slick machine. Pricey but SLICK!

Im a sys admin guy...Microsoft all the way and have found NO issues with doing remote administration of windows networks with my Mac.


Good luck I think if you drop the coin youll love it.

Yesterday I started using a Mac Pro after a solid decade of pc use. I'm not dogmatic, and freely admit that while the OSX experience is quite a bit smoother than windows, it has it's own frustrating, stupid points.

The machine itself is the bomb. With 8 cores I can render and work at he same time. Amazing!!

If I was going to get a laptop for work it would be a Macbook Pro no question. Fortunately I get to spend that $3,000 on skiing instead. Phew.

[Skidog]

Yesterday I started using a Mac Pro after a solid decade of pc use. I'm not dogmatic, and freely admit that while the OSX experience is quite a bit smoother than windows, it has it's own frustrating, stupid points.

The machine itself is the bomb. With 8 cores I can render and work at he same time. Amazing!!

If I was going to get a laptop for work it would be a Macbook Pro no question. Fortunately I get to spend that $3,000 on skiing instead. Phew.

IMHO it is a much more user friendly and intuitive OS. It doesnt ask you to confirm EVERYTHING you do....when it comes to video and pic editing, its nearly idiot proof.

Case in point. I plugged my video camera into the Mac, it found it, opened the appropriate program, rewound the video, uploaded it to the machine, and rewound the tape again. Then it was like so easy to edit the vid and add titles, etc. and burn to DVD....

All in all...a great user experience.

[Tye 1on]

IMHO it is a much more user friendly and intuitive OS. It doesnt ask you to confirm EVERYTHING you do....when it comes to video and pic editing, its nearly idiot proof.

Case in point. I plugged my video camera into the Mac, it found it, opened the appropriate program, rewound the video, uploaded it to the machine, and rewound the tape again. Then it was like so easy to edit the vid and add titles, etc. and burn to DVD....

All in all...a great user experience.

I'm no expert, and am sure the new Macbook is the shizzle, but let's not get too carried away skipup. Mac has ALWAYS been awesome at film/photo/music editing. I've worked dozens of film shoots, still/video/film/digital/TV/etc, have never seen one laptop that wasn't a Mac being used. And the 'confirming everything' just about drove me insane on my new Vista equipped Dell Studio 15, but you can turn that function off for the most part.

Anyway, yeah, go for the Macbook! :D

[PeachesN'Cream]

I don't personally own one. My buddy got one a few days after they released and is very stoked on it. More than anything the fit and finish is amazing. Just feels solid in your hands.

The only glitch I've seen noted on one of the Apple nerd boards was some issues with the new trackpads handling clicks. Apple released a software update to resolve this on Monday.

I think it's a pretty safe purchase. If you have an apple store near you, then you get great support as well. If you have problems they are pretty good about taking care of you.

[wi3dzmin]

fwiw comes with "easter egg" in form of HDCP so that's nice.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/19/apple-to-mac-owners.html

[Skidog]

And the 'confirming everything' just about drove me insane on my new Vista equipped Dell Studio 15, but you can turn that function off for the most part.

Anyway, yeah, go for the Macbook! :D

I dont even mean just vista, just everything is more intuitive...if I wanna make a display change i make it..it doesnt ask me to confirm it or apply it..it just DOES IT...

No doubt the user interface is far superior to Windows. I mean shit...Vista is just OSX graphically and MAC's have had it for YEARS.....

I hope Windows 7 can remake Microsoft. Only time will tell.

[LightRanger]

Cool. Yeah, I read about the trackpad issue. They fixed it with a firmware upgrade.

Anything else?

Just so y'all know, I already have a 1st gen MacBook. Switched from PC 2.5 years ago and really haven't looked back. It's just time for an upgrade. I'd love to get a Pro, but there's the money issue and the fact that I'm not doing any serious video stuff (it'd be a no-brainer though if I was doing video).

Thanks for the input guys.

[Tye 1on]

Cool. Yeah, I read about the trackpad issue. They fixed it with a firmware upgrade.

Anything else?

Just so y'all know, I already have a 1st gen MacBook. Switched from PC 2.5 years ago and really haven't looked back. It's just time for an upgrade. I'd love to get a Pro, but there's the money issue and the fact that I'm not doing any serious video stuff (it'd be a no-brainer though if I was doing video).

Thanks for the input guys.

How 'bout a Tech TR when you get some time with the new one! :)


I dont even mean just vista, just everything is more intuitive...if I wanna make a display change i make it..it doesnt ask me to confirm it or apply it..it just DOES IT...

No doubt the user interface is far superior to Windows. I mean shit...Vista is just OSX graphically and MAC's have had it for YEARS.....

I hope Windows 7 can remake Microsoft. Only time will tell.

Good points. Just for clarity, your knowledge of computers compared to mine is like Sage's ski ability vs a 4 year old's :rolleyes2

[LightRanger]

fwiw comes with "easter egg" in form of HDCP so that's nice.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/19/apple-to-mac-owners.html

Goddamnit!

My Dell 2005FPW doesn't support HDCP and I have 12 iTunes movies on my HD.

They just fucked themselves out of my money until a monitor upgrade happens. :cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::fuckyou::fuck you::fuckyou::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing:

[Crystal_Mt_Dreamin]

I've got a 1st gen Intel macbook. Love the OS and the design, but the durability is substantially less than Dells I've owned in the past. The top is falling apart (literally, cracks and missing pieces around the edges), and the fit/finish isn't what it was when new - heat caused parts to expand I guess? In the first month of ownership I went thru THREE different macbooks as they had a bug that would cause the thing to turn off and never turn on again, but that's been fixed. Still, I'd buy a mac again just for the OS and pre-installed software, but I'd buy the Applecare this time around.

[LightRanger]

And by "my money" I mean anything I might have spent on video at the iTunes Movie store.

[LightRanger]

I've got a 1st gen Intel macbook. Love the OS and the design, but the durability is substantially less than Dells I've owned in the past. The top is falling apart (literally, cracks and missing pieces around the edges), and the fit/finish isn't what it was when new - heat caused parts to expand I guess? In the first month of ownership I went thru THREE different macbooks as they had a bug that would cause the thing to turn off and never turn on again, but that's been fixed. Still, I'd buy a mac again just for the OS and pre-installed software, but I'd buy the Applecare this time around.

Durability issue is why I'm replacing this one. Mine's still under Applecare, but the "genius" in the store didn't think they'd warranty the slightly bent hinge on the casing that I'm pretty sure is causing my issues. I'm still going to send it in. The new aluminum one is supposed to be bulletproof (maybe literally).

Always buy the extended warranty on any laptop. The extended warranty I've owned has been worth its weight in commercial paper during October 2007 (/financial crisis joke) for the two laptops I've owned (Toshiba, Apple). Too many little parts, too expensive to fix, etc.

Tye, I'll put up a review for sure.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Does Mac offer the equivalent of Dell's complete care package (im sure they do, just confirming). Only reason I ask is because that is one of the neatest features of my pc. Or it was at least. No questions asked warrenty replacement. Spill something, drop it, smash it, throw it at somebody. as long as the plan is current, they replace it free of charge.

I always thought about doing something obsurd the week before it expired, like doing something so rediculous that the dell tech would just be like, "How the fuck did this happen". That being said, it expired, and I'm about ready to make the jump to the Mac. I love this little dell I have, its like an old car. pull a lever, tap the screen, press the key and the right time, bam it works like a gem. But to anyothers who use it, they go crazy.

I think when I was more about computers and into their performance and into micromanaging every part of my computer, I was all about PCs. Now that I'm coming up on needing a new one, I think I want one that I can just use very passively, just take care of music, internet, movies etc without much user input. Aka a mac.

sorry thats my little pc vs mac thought. Both are good, just for different types of use

SCUT, i think you'll love this thing, again only experience from is from the store, but to use a ski term, its bomber quality, fit and finish. did I mention the lighted keyboard, cool as shit.

[Snow Dog]

The new MacBooks don't have FireWire any more and there's a new "DisplayPort" for external monitors. The MacBook Pro still has FireWire. It's not literally bulletproof since any modern hunting cartridge will go through 1/2" steel plate.

[Flexon Phil]

I have a 12" G4 and have been hinting at one of these for either birthday or Christmas present. I got my wife the Wii she wanted for her birthday, I hope that returns the favor.

[shredgnar]

I had my macbook for 3 years and it worked great. It got stolen a few weeks ago and now I'm using a shitty old HP. I hate windows. Too much shit popping up all the time and the pad sucks balls.

I really miss my Mac.

[3eyedsmiley]

I'm typing on a new one right now, it's really nice. It looks real fresh and the multitouch trackpad is really nice. I use expose a ton with the 4 fingers down movement where all the windows zoom out. That feature in and of itself makes it so much easier for me to multitask, it's great. Everything's worked pretty well overall, I really like it a lot.

[LightRanger]

I'm typing on a new one right now, it's really nice.

Me too. :fmicon:


It looks real fresh and the multitouch trackpad is really nice.

Word. :cool:



I use expose a ton with the 4 fingers down movement where all the windows zoom out. That feature in and of itself makes it so much easier for me to multitask, it's great. Everything's worked pretty well overall, I really like it a lot.

I use Expose a ton too. I'll put some effort into learn this new trackpad. It's sweet.



Review forthcoming in a while.

[gaijin]

I'm on a new mbp. By far the most brilliant notebook I have ever experienced. (Gateway, HP, Sony, Dell) I've been a Windows user of various pcs since '94.

Aside from the beauty of a billet laptop, the LED backlit screen puts my 3yo dell to shame (both glossy.) The 512 graphics also help wonders, fwiw. The trackpad is phenomenal. I want a separate trackpad to replace my iMac mouse. (maybe they'll design that someday. It would surely be a waste to limit this pad to only notebooks.)

All my windows apps run great: Adobe CS3 Web Premium, Trivantis Lectora (super heavy authoring software not applicable to OSX) I use bootcamp and vmware.

Time Machine is the shizz. Not that I have needed it yet.

The keyboard looks and feels cheap at first use. A few weeks into it, and I absolutely prefer it to any other. So simple and clean.

In the end: this trackpad + spaces + expose + VMWare + Windows apps = insanely fast switching between tasks and workloads. Couple that with the aluminum feel and the experience is nutters. I fricking love it.

[crackboy]

i hae hear issues with the new case having condensation issues when going between temp areas

[flip]

I've only had my MB for about two weeks, but so far very impressed and no regrets not getting a Lenovo t400 which I was also considering. Fit and finish is phenomenal, startup is insanely fast, networking just worked (have an AIO printer wired to my router), it doesn't get fucked up everytime I physically close it. It just works.

I've been through 7 (count 'em 7) HP laptops in the past 2 years, and while I think Lenovos are still a quality product, I haven't seen anything from a PC mfg that is this well thought out, reliable, stable, and easy. Spec for spec, it lines up very closely so for me it was a no brainer.

I would say with the newest integrated graphics and aluminum caseI don't see any need to go with the MBP unless you absolutely need more screen real-estate.

edit:One thing, the 4-finger multitouch is not that intuitive. You have to start 4 finger and then switch to 1 finger. Like completely opposite of a woman. Only complaint so far.

[advres]

I bought the last generation 2.4Ghz MPB the day the new ones came out. You can get them for $1299 right now. They shot themselves in the foot on the pro with not offering a matte screen. Do you know how many PROs think that is a major CON? weaksauce Apple.... fucking weaksauce!

Maybe Apple should have looked at the rumor sites when producing the book and saw how many people would refuse to buy the new generation if it had a glossy screen?

[Particle]

derail question: I got into a Mac from years and years of PC's and love it. But a couple things annoy me, one in particular:

The Mac delete key actually acts as a Backspace key. There is no pc-style delete key that deletes letters to the right of the cursor. I have to put the cursor on the right of anything I want to delete now. It really annoys me. Any workaround I'm missing?

[advres]

derail question: I got into a Mac from years and years of PC's and love it. But a couple things annoy me, one in particular:

The Mac delete key actually acts as a Backspace key. There is no pc-style delete key that deletes letters to the right of the cursor. I have to put the cursor on the right of anything I want to delete now. It really annoys me. Any workaround I'm missing?

fn+delete will do this.

[Particle]

fn+delete will do this.

Rock.



thx

[LightRanger]

Maybe Apple should have looked at the rumor sites when producing the book and saw how many people would refuse to buy the new generation if it had a glossy screen?

advres, my old MB and the new one have glossy screens. They're pretty to look at, but on balance the glare from other light sources definitely annoys me more than it's worth.

[advres]

advres, my old MB and the new one have glossy screens. They're pretty to look at, but on balance the glare from other light sources definitely annoys me more than it's worth.

Yeah, but you had the option on the old ones. On the new versions you do not. Glossy is the only 'option' they offer. I agree that in a darkened room with no light sources the glossy can look good. Try to use it in the sun though.

[stapes]

fn+delete will do this.

kick-ass. good to know. I, like Particle, found this unusual after switching to a Mac after nothing but PCs. Now I know. Thanks

[wrinkledpants]

Twas a longtime windows user until last year when I just got fed up with reformatting every six months because shit would go wrong. I absolutely love my macbook. Mine goes with me everywhere (I'm not gentle) and it's held up well. I run Windows side by side with OSX with VMWare Fusion and it's so seamless that I really don't even know I'm going from Mac screens to Windows screens. I've got a great multi button mouse so right clicking feels just like it did on the windows side.

I can't think of anyone that has owned an OSX Mac and said "this sucks, I'm going back to windows."

[advres]

I can't think of anyone that has owned an OSX Mac and said "this sucks, I'm going back to windows."

It wasn't always so. Early OSX and OS9 and under weren't always a great experience.

cvXZVJXIyqM

[Dromond]

It wasn't always so. Early OSX and OS9 and under weren't always a great experience.

cvXZVJXIyqM

That sums up my earlier (~2001) OSX experience. It was slow, frustrating and scared me away from macs for the next seven years. Nowadays it seems to be working very nicely.

[advres]

That sums up my earlier (~2001) OSX experience. It was slow, frustrating and scared me away from macs for the next seven years. Nowadays it seems to be working very nicely.

Yeah, one of my old 533G4 towers came with OS9.2 and a copy of OSX that I think was really just a beta that they thought they would torment the public with. I was an early adopter of OSX as I saw its potential but good god did I want to bang my head against the desk every 5 minutes or so.

[LightRanger]

Migrated all my data and settings from the old comp to the new one. Finished a couple hours ago. Once I got the old comp running long enough without crashing to complete the migration, it was seamless. Awesome.

Just did a backup with Time Machine (was running Tiger on the old MB). Also awesome. So stoked.

Fit and finish is great. Much quicker than my old comp.

Tye, what else do you want to know?

[critical-motion]

Replaced my white Macbook 2.16ghz macbook with a new aluminum 2ghz Macbook. The new MB's screen, durability, construction, and graphics are miles ahead of the older model's. Best laptop I have used and I see little reason to go with a MBP unless the larger screen and faster speeds are needed.

I've had no issues with the trackpad or glossy screen. However, I hate the sharp edge on the palmrest which cuts into the heel of my palm. The edge is sharp enough to shave a fingernail! A complete failure of ergonomic design.

[LightRanger]

Hmm... running my fingernail over that area and the must have dulled it or something. Definitely not sharp enough to shave my fingernail. About to do a ton of typing on mine (outlining a semester's worth [37 classes?] of State and Local Government Law), so I'll report back on how it feels.

[jla415]

Yeah, but you had the option on the old ones. On the new versions you do not. Glossy is the only 'option' they offer. I agree that in a darkened room with no light sources the glossy can look good. Try to use it in the sun though.

I had a matte screen on my previous macbook pro, and the glossy on my current one and I've got to say I pretty much hate the glossy screen whenever I take it anywhere outside of my office. I haven't kept up with the current model but it saddens me to hear that it only comes in glossy...

[Tye 1on]

Migrated all my data and settings from the old comp to the new one. Finished a couple hours ago. Once I got the old comp running long enough without crashing to complete the migration, it was seamless. Awesome.

Just did a backup with Time Machine (was running Tiger on the old MB). Also awesome. So stoked.

Fit and finish is great. Much quicker than my old comp.

Tye, what else do you want to know?

Schweet! Since i'm on the first week with the new Dell, to avoid further buyer's remorse, i'm not going to check this thread any more! :D

[Deadmonton]

I bought the first generation MacBook when it came out, and mine was a serious lemon. I'm thinking it may have just been the particular unit (guy on the assembly line had a hangover?) but critical hardware part after critical hardware part failed (logic board, inverter, screen, battery, case fell apart).
Applecare saved my ass, and I strongly encourage considering it as part of the overall cost when you get a new mac. They finally hooked me up with the latest gen. last February on warranty and it has been running smoothly since.
I will never buy a first generation mac product again, however.
I'm not sure how much they have changed on this latest metal-case generation, haven't seen one yet, but if it is just cosmetic then maybe they continue to improve.

[crackboy]

question for those running fusion.. you install windows first right? how much space did you allocate to teh windows partition?

[XtrPickels]

Twas a longtime windows user until last year when I just got fed up with reformatting every six months because shit would go wrong. I absolutely love my macbook. Mine goes with me everywhere (I'm not gentle) and it's held up well. I run Windows side by side with OSX with VMWare Fusion and it's so seamless that I really don't even know I'm going from Mac screens to Windows screens. I've got a great multi button mouse so right clicking feels just like it did on the windows side.

I can't think of anyone that has owned an OSX Mac and said "this sucks, I'm going back to windows."

Apple care is your friend.
I'm not gentle either. My case has been replaced once already. This one has cracks in it and I've had 3 harddrives in my computer now. One day, it will break.

But it'll be sweet until it does.

[gaijin]

question for those running fusion.. you install windows first right? how much space did you allocate to teh windows partition?

I split my 300 into 160 OSX and 140 Vista. Don't forget the recent driver (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=619062) for the trackpad.

[RaccoonFace]

I confess I haven't read the thread, but I have one and I love it. I started with the first iMac, then an iBook, now I am on a MacBook and it is the sickness. I haven't had problems, and most everything runs on it well. I run SolidWorks 2008 using parallels and it's great! One thing you will notice is adding and removing programs is much easier. To install, you just drag the file to your HD. To remove you grab that entire file and drag it to the trash... No program manager and uber-complex routines to perform or hoops to jump through to get a program off your computer. That alone to me is worth getting Apples.

OH! And, as of yet, as far as I know, there aren't any viruses for Macs so porn surf away!

okbye

[advres]

One thing you will notice is adding and removing programs is much easier. To install, you just drag the file to your HD. To remove you grab that entire file and drag it to the trash...

Small programs don't run installers but big ones Adobe CS, Apple, FCS, etc do. And no, just trashing the app folder itself does not delete everything the program uses. That is just entirely not true.