As a refugee from the Photokina thread, with RSI developing from constantly hitting command-r, I finally threw in the towel and ordered a MacBook on Sep. 28.
Well, yesterday my BlackBook, 2GB RAM, 120 GB HD etc. arrived. In addition I got the Crumpler Base Toucher as a laptop bag (crummy site, wonderful product).
What can I say - I'm stunned. This is, bar none, the nicest laptop I have ever owned (and I've had a few), and once again the 'It just works' well, er, ...works.
Boot up in target mode with the firewire cable attached. Make some coffee, walk the dog and, presto, an hour and twenty minutes later everything is transferred.
OK, there are a few apps I have that are not universal, so I still have a little cleaning up to do, but other than that - nothing else needed doing.
So, how does it feel? Well:
Keyboard: Love it. I'm a programmer and touch typer, and cannot relate to the 'sharp edges' debate. The spacing/feel of the keys is excellent and pleasant to type on. Just to test it, I speed-typed a chapter from a book I'm reading, approx 2,200 words. No strain, no mistakes. Yup, I really like this keyboard.
Screen: Well, since I'm upgrading from an iBook, I really love the brightness, crispness, and contrast. I couldn't go back. I don't get the glare problem. I work in a corner office with hip-to-ceiling windows on two walls, and have no problem whatsoever. So, I like the screen too.
Temperature: Huh? It's cooler than my iBook. I haven't run CoreDuoTemp yet, but it really isn't very warm. I sat with it on my lap for a couple of hours yesterday and sure, it got warm, but none of the scorching heat I was led to believe. The fan has only come on once while I was transferring from the iBook.
Build quality. Perfect. Not a single thing to mention. No burrs, misalignments, duff keys, dead pixels, scratches. The machine doesn't creak when you twist it, DVD's/CD's of all types are read without problem.
Power: I wasn't sure about the magnetic charger coupler, but it works fine. Since I don't use the laptop in bed, I doubt I will have the minor problems that others have had, with it popping out when diagonal stress is placed on the cable.
OS X 10.4.8: Well it is running all the latest and greatest at the moment. Software update can't think of anything to update, and no probs.
Other stuff:
Camera: I tested out iChat while at a restaurant lit only by candles - dark but definitely usable. Can't wait to test it out a bit more.
Weight: Heh, you definitely know it is there. It is small, but heavy. A backpack is a good idea.
Finish: You know, when I first held it I didn't think it was plastic. It just doesn't feel like it - not at all like the iBook.
Speakers: Meh, they aren't great. They're OK, but that's all. Patch it to the speakers or headphones if you need it.
And the kicker:
Parallels. The first thing I did was to get Parallels. I'm a developer, and need to test my stuff on Mac, Win, and *NIX. I can't comment on games, since I don't do much of it, but both Win and *NIX screams!
Summary
This is the nicest machine it has ever been the pleasure of owning. Really. If you absolutely, positively need the graphics, go with the MBP. Otherwise go with the MB, and cram as much RAM in it as you can afford. It's worth it.
Highly Recommended
Well, yesterday my BlackBook, 2GB RAM, 120 GB HD etc. arrived. In addition I got the Crumpler Base Toucher as a laptop bag (crummy site, wonderful product).
What can I say - I'm stunned. This is, bar none, the nicest laptop I have ever owned (and I've had a few), and once again the 'It just works' well, er, ...works.
Boot up in target mode with the firewire cable attached. Make some coffee, walk the dog and, presto, an hour and twenty minutes later everything is transferred.
OK, there are a few apps I have that are not universal, so I still have a little cleaning up to do, but other than that - nothing else needed doing.
So, how does it feel? Well:
Keyboard: Love it. I'm a programmer and touch typer, and cannot relate to the 'sharp edges' debate. The spacing/feel of the keys is excellent and pleasant to type on. Just to test it, I speed-typed a chapter from a book I'm reading, approx 2,200 words. No strain, no mistakes. Yup, I really like this keyboard.
Screen: Well, since I'm upgrading from an iBook, I really love the brightness, crispness, and contrast. I couldn't go back. I don't get the glare problem. I work in a corner office with hip-to-ceiling windows on two walls, and have no problem whatsoever. So, I like the screen too.
Temperature: Huh? It's cooler than my iBook. I haven't run CoreDuoTemp yet, but it really isn't very warm. I sat with it on my lap for a couple of hours yesterday and sure, it got warm, but none of the scorching heat I was led to believe. The fan has only come on once while I was transferring from the iBook.
Build quality. Perfect. Not a single thing to mention. No burrs, misalignments, duff keys, dead pixels, scratches. The machine doesn't creak when you twist it, DVD's/CD's of all types are read without problem.
Power: I wasn't sure about the magnetic charger coupler, but it works fine. Since I don't use the laptop in bed, I doubt I will have the minor problems that others have had, with it popping out when diagonal stress is placed on the cable.
OS X 10.4.8: Well it is running all the latest and greatest at the moment. Software update can't think of anything to update, and no probs.
Other stuff:
Camera: I tested out iChat while at a restaurant lit only by candles - dark but definitely usable. Can't wait to test it out a bit more.
Weight: Heh, you definitely know it is there. It is small, but heavy. A backpack is a good idea.
Finish: You know, when I first held it I didn't think it was plastic. It just doesn't feel like it - not at all like the iBook.
Speakers: Meh, they aren't great. They're OK, but that's all. Patch it to the speakers or headphones if you need it.
And the kicker:
Parallels. The first thing I did was to get Parallels. I'm a developer, and need to test my stuff on Mac, Win, and *NIX. I can't comment on games, since I don't do much of it, but both Win and *NIX screams!
Summary
This is the nicest machine it has ever been the pleasure of owning. Really. If you absolutely, positively need the graphics, go with the MBP. Otherwise go with the MB, and cram as much RAM in it as you can afford. It's worth it.
Highly Recommended
