Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Saddened when I went to the Soho Apple Store today...

K

kmarketing

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 26, 2004
416
0
Hi,

I was pretty excited going into the apple store today with the intention of picking up a macbook even though I really enjoy using my recently acquired 12" powerbook. I was pretty disappointed when I left...

The white macbooks just didn't look as good as my 12" powerbook that I brought with me (I guess it resembled too much of an ibook), but I must say the screen is very nice. What I didn't like was that the bottom of it was much hotter than I'm used to with the powerbook, and there were no unusual applications running. It was actually uncomfortable to put my hand underneath, especially the left side. I can understand why many people say they wouldn't use it on their knees. Then trying to start Word, well people are right about it being slow for now.

Then moving onto the black ones which brought me back to my days with my pismo. For some reason, it felt not as hot as the white one, but still relatively warm and still not running any special programs. I could not believe the shininess of the trackpad and on some of the keys. Some of the keys even seemed to have part of the coating on the key chipping off (it looked like some type of clear coat coming off). but the wear on the keys and trackpad just really took away from the way the macbook looked.

My experience was not with just one black macbook and one white one, it was with several of each. Sad to say, I did not get one. I was enticed with the imacs, and am definitely leaning towards one of those to compliment my powerbook instead of getting the macbook. I'm just waiting to see what they do with the powermac line.

Hopefully, some of these issues will be addressed and I'll be joining the macbook owners family soon.
 
I had exactly the opposite experience than you did kmark. I thought the Macbook's looked great, and have been nothing but impressed with their speed. To each their own I suppose.
 
kmarketing said:
Hi, I was enticed with the imacs, and am definitely leaning towards one of those to compliment my powerbook instead of getting the macbook. I'm just waiting to see what they do with the powermac line.
Click to expand...

Yeah, have to agree that the 12" pb is a great looking machine. I'm thinking of doing what you are doing -- iMac plus 12" pb. Seems like a good combination for now.

The macbooks screen is too wide for me. It actually makes you have to scroll more if you are writing something because the verticals seem even less than those of a 12" PB. I recall back in the day -- the early 90's -- some dude I knew had a full length monitor on which you could view the whole length of the page with his Mac, whatever it was. I really liked that feature. The 13.3 seems too slim and wide. nice for movies, I guess, sucks for getting actual WORK done.
 
Hi,

I'm glad that you had a different experience.
I saw about 10 black macbooks (that was the one I was hoping to get) in the store and they all looked the same with the worn trackpads and keys. The white ones seemed to have the dirt stains that I was used to when using an ibook g4. But the heat issues concerned me the most about them. I tried 4 of them.

Maybe it was just that they were so used, but along with some of the things that I have read here, I just couldn't go ahead with the purchase.
 
The screen was the one thing that I really liked. The higher resolutions is definitely a plus so I felt the widescreen to be a major benefit with multiple windows open, and of course watching movies would be great. But the rest of the issues, I just couldn't look past.
 
Word ran slow because it was running under Rosetta as Office isn't a Univeral Binary yet. And ummm....... why did you expect the Macbook to look as good as the Powerbook? haha I mean plastic vs Aluminum, there is no contest which one looks better. :p
 
If you wash your hands before you use a white macbook then you won't get the dirty trackpad. Some people are just grubby and dirty.These people put all kinds of stuff on there hands then touch the mbooks in the apple store near my house. I hate kids with sticky fingers.
 
You know they have not replace those computers since they came out. So they have over a year of rough use on them. Probably more like 2 now.

Go to Compusa to check out their Macbooks. Since no free internet there you can see the macbooks look brand new
 
Acehigh said:
You know they have not replace those computers since they came out. So they have over a year of rough use on them. Probably more like 2 now.

Go to Compusa to check out their Macbooks. Since no free internet there you can see the macbooks look brand new
Click to expand...
The Macbooks have only been out a little over 1 month. They are all basically brand new.
 
Acehigh said:
You know they have not replace those computers since they came out. So they have over a year of rough use on them. Probably more like 2 now.

Go to Compusa to check out their Macbooks. Since no free internet there you can see the macbooks look brand new
Click to expand...
My compusa as well as one that I used to go to has free internet for their computers. It's not that you can surf with your own machine, but it's there for theirs. Fry's, that's another story.
 
kmarketing said:
The screen was the one thing that I really liked. The higher resolutions is definitely a plus so I felt the widescreen to be a major benefit with multiple windows open, and of course watching movies would be great. But the rest of the issues, I just couldn't look past.
Click to expand...


Not sure if you plan run your computer 24 hours a day and have random people come and beat on it.. Maybe that is the reason they are hot. I have a black one I leave it on close to 12 hours a day sometimes longer when i am downloading.

With the Temp senor it sometimes gets to 184F for about 4-5 mins then it will go back to 133F. But I have alot of things open. So it does get hot. If you happy with your g4 Pb keep it.
 
EricNau said:
The Macbooks have only been out a little over 1 month. They are all basically brand new.
Click to expand...

Apple store on 5th ave is open 24 hours.... Soho is about 12 hour. The Computers have not been switched out yet. In that short time they probably over a year of normal use. Since people are always using them. Most people abused them, look at how people poke at the screen. 90% of the people wont treat there own laptops this way.


People are always on them. I was just at the 5th ave store at 130am. Just to see if anybody would be there. it was Full!!!
 
ferretboy said:
If you wash your hands before you use a white macbook then you won't get the dirty trackpad. Some people are just grubby and dirty.These people put all kinds of stuff on there hands then touch the mbooks in the apple store near my house. I hate kids with sticky fingers.
Click to expand...


That is VERY not true.

My ex is as clean as I am (very), and she still got palm marks on her 14" iBook. I can't even imagine what would happen with a white MacBook, especially with all the new complaints of staining.

Your skin secretes oil, period. If you wash your hands before you use your computer, they will still sweat and secrete oil. Of course the MacBooks being at a mall or a local Apple store will get much more traffic from a much wider range of cleanliness, but there are still user reports of staining on the white MacBooks.
 
jessica. said:
My compusa as well as one that I used to go to has free internet for their computers. It's not that you can surf with your own machine, but it's there for theirs. Fry's, that's another story.
Click to expand...

In NY when the guy with the Apple shirt is at Compusa it has internet but he watches you use it. He turns it off when he leaves.

So they do not get as much abuse as in the Apple Store. Also it isnt known as free internet cafe like Apple is.




Also Compusa is honest! (WOW first time!) their machines have 512MB RAM , Apple store put 1GB in the macbooks..

Maybe they are just to cheap to upgrade.
 
Acehigh said:
...Also Compusa is honest! (WOW first time!) their machines have 512MB RAM , Apple store put 1GB in the macbooks..

Maybe they are just to cheap to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Apple has a wide variety of MacBook configurations at my local Apple Store (i.e. some have 512 RAM, some have 1 GB, some have 2.0 GHz, some have 1.83... etc. etc.).
 
EricNau said:
Apple has a wide variety of MacBook configurations at my local Apple Store (i.e. some have 512 RAM, some have 1 GB, some have 2.0 GHz, some have 1.83... etc. etc.).
Click to expand...

I didnt check all the ones at SOHO or 5th Ave, but both stores on long island the machines all had 1GB. The ones I check at soho and 5th ave had 1gb never saw one with 512mb except the one i brought. (i brought from macconnection so i wont be in the lawsuit lol)


Also when you buy a macbook they do not mention the display has 1gb. It might be illegal to do this. It should have a sign saying price as shown....



Funny thing is 2.0 MBP has 512 .
 
EricNau said:
The Macbooks have only been out a little over 1 month. They are all basically brand new.
Click to expand...

Except for the 5000 different people playing with them at the Apple store 12 hours per day... :rolleyes:
 
Flowbee said:
Except for the 5000 different people playing with them at the Apple store 12 hours per day... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I never said the use at an Apple Store for 1 month would be similar to 1 month of home use. The MacBooks have not been sitting on display at an Apple Store for 1 year as Acehigh's post stated:
Acehigh said:
they have over a year of rough use on them.
Click to expand...
More correctly, the MacBooks have 1 month of rough use, or the equivelent of 1 year of normal use - not 1 year of rough use. There is a big difference.
 
Man, those 12" PowerBooks, which were essentially iBooks with some tweaks, really have their fans. They must be good little machines.

I love my MacBook, but it is really interesting to a recent switcher to see how many are dedicated to those 12" machines.
 
I went into the Apple store in Dallas to look at purchasing a MacbookPro. However, the enticing design of the black Macbook was more important to me than the upgraded Graphics Card. The MPB feels very bulky, and the Macbook is just so damn sexy.

Also, a comment on Apple stores away from the major stores (i.e 5th Ave, Union Square, ect.).

The service and friendliness of the employees is much lower than at the larger Apple stores. Probably because they just don't care as much, but I feel like I know a lot more than them. Just my Opinion.
 
California said:
The macbooks screen is too wide for me. It actually makes you have to scroll more if you are writing something because the verticals seem even less than those of a 12" PB. I recall back in the day -- the early 90's -- some dude I knew had a full length monitor on which you could view the whole length of the page with his Mac, whatever it was. I really liked that feature. The 13.3 seems too slim and wide. nice for movies, I guess, sucks for getting actual WORK done.
Click to expand...

Your 12" Powerbook is 1024 x 768 resolution. So imagine that you add 25% more screen space to the side, and your looking at a Macbook screen... except for the additional 32 pixels you get in height. ;)

It's a much bigger screen, both wider and taller. So I wouldn't worry about not getting any work done on a Macbook if you are used to a 12" Powerbook screen.
 
quagmire said:
Word ran slow because it was running under Rosetta as Office isn't a Univeral Binary yet. And ummm....... why did you expect the Macbook to look as good as the Powerbook? haha I mean plastic vs Aluminum, there is no contest which one looks better. :p
Click to expand...

For me its definitely the MacBook. My mum just got a basic 1.83 MacBook and it is hands down the sexiest computer I have ever seen - and I'm not generally one to get excited over computer aesthetics... Compared to my old 12" PB it is just beautiful. Its so small and well designed it makes the 12" look like a bit of a giant. I know, technically its bigger area wise, but the thinness of it goes a long way to making it look smaller. It definitely looks a lot sleeker to me.

Also, after using the MB for a few hours on my lap, I didn't ever find it really uncomfortable at all. That said I often use my flatmate's Dell Inspiron (with a Celeron I think) when I need Windows apps and it COOKS my lap - compared to that its like a cool spring breeze :D

Not to rag on the 12", but I'd take the MacBook any day of the week... different floats for different boats I suppose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back