New MacBook owner and thoughts

[Foxglove9]

So I finally purchased a MacBook, midgrade 2.16 model. I was amazed that in the short time I was at the Apple store (around 30 minutes) they sold 3 Macbooks. I can only imagine how many of these machines Apple must sell.

I never owned a laptop before so some of this is kinda new.

The screen isn't that great (contrast shifts too much, and blurs a little) but very crisp and vibrant looking. I was worried about the glossy screen but I can't even notice it and I have low ceilings in my apartment. I couldn't find a contrast setting or some way to change monitor settings like on my LCD. Does that not exist on a laptop?

As others have said the speakers are just weak and terrible. The trackpad jumps around a little but I think I'm just not used to it. It's nice though and I like the double-click and scrolling features.

The case is so shiny and nice. It already has light marks on it even though I didn't do anything other than take it out of the box. So yeah it scratches pretty easily.

The computer is much faster once I put 2 gb ram in it. Safari 3.0 opens up instantly. The machine boots in under 20 seconds. I was worried about the 5400rpm HD but I don't notice any difference yet compared to my desktop. Front Row is pretty slick, the isight is awesome, and even the integrated graphics are better than my old G5. Wireless worked fine too.

One question I have is, in the manual is says not to move the macbook while it is on because you can damage the hard disk. So does that mean every time I want to transport it I have to power it down? So I can't rest it on my lap, use it in on a bus, or move it to another part of my apartment?

Also I bought the Applecare but didn't open it yet. Is it really with the $200 price? I never had a problem with any of my macs in the last 10 years, and I could use the money to buy a case and accessories.

Very happy with it so far. Anything I should be aware of?

 

[blackstone]

Congrats on the purchase!

I couldn't find a contrast setting or some way to change monitor settings like on my LCD. Does that not exist on a laptop?

You can adjust brightness by hitting F1 and F2. There is a way to adjust contrast through some kind of special debugging key combo, but the MBs come set with the contrast pretty high already and should just need brightness adjustments.

One question I have is, in the manual is says not to move the macbook while it is on because you can damage the hard disk. So does that mean every time I want to transport it I have to power it down? So I can't rest it on my lap, use it in on a bus, or move it to another part of my apartment?

It sounds like the manual instructions are just CYA by Apple. The hard disk is able to compensate for slow movement, but can be damaged by rapid shaking or sudden impacts. So, feel free to move it while turned on, as long as you don't jar it or drop it.

Also I bought the Applecare but didn't open it yet. Is it really with the $200 price? I never had a problem with any of my macs in the last 10 years, and I could use the money to buy a case and accessories.

Depends on how much you plan on carrying it around. If it'll mostly live at home, with occasional trips out, then you can probably go without the Applecare. But if you plan on carrying it around most of the time, then it's put under a lot more stress than any desktop. In that situation, Applecare is probably a good idea.