Nice product

I am a software engineer with twenty years experience developing system services for MS Windows and generic UNIX platforms. For the last ten years, my experience has been with MS based servers and workstations. The last time I used an Apple personal computer was in 1980 when I owned an Apple II+.

On a whim I purchased a MacBook running OS X 10.5.2 for my wife who has virtually no computer experience and avoids all things computer. She was not happy with my home MS Windows systems and she was not happy with the available portable computers running windows.

She has taken to the MacBook like a duck takes to water. She likes the package design, the display, and the desktop layout. She does not have the experience to appreciate the thoughtful interfaces and bundled applications that come with OS X. She just knows the entire package is enjoyable and not intimidating.

Me - I like the UNIX foundation to OS-X. Knowing the internals of both operating systems, UNIX is the clear winner when it comes to reliability, durability, predictability, consistency, and security. Additionally, UNIX (with its open source variants) does not suffer from conflict of interest between operating systems and applications. One always wonders if some MS Windows quirk exists to solve a development problem in some MS application. I quickly put the terminal icon on the MacBook desktop so I could indulge myself with the UNIX shell command line any time I want ;-).

I installed a third party wireless router and configured internet services on the MacBook in a few minutes. I also added a third party optical bluetooth mouse in about thirty seconds. It took longer to install the mouse batteries than configure the MacBook bluetooth capability.

Apple has a very solid package with the current MacBook. There is little that one needs to add to the MacBook. It comes with just about every hardware interface available today. It has ample processor, RAM, and hard disk storage for average users. It comes with dual layer DVD RW. The bundled suite of applications is adequate for the full spectrum of casual computing (e.g., web browsing, email, chat, word processing, photo/video/audio processing). Apple stuff is a bit pricy but you receive the value you pay for.

If you want a good comprehensive companion book for your MacBook, I recommend David Pogue's "Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual". This book is large and contains much technical detail but is very well written. It is not for the casual computing novice that finds reading and comprehension tedious.

I have used Apple support one time and found the wait to be acceptable and support engineer to be competent, efficient and attentive. I have used MS support many times over the years and found them to be equally capable.

I have not found anything I dislike about the MacBook after thirty days of usage. My wife, however, would like the Apple logo on the lid to glow red instead of white when the MacBook is powered up.
By Curmudgeon

There is no good reason *not* to switch

The pros: So many! Lightweight, good battery life, lovely Mac operating system, great software you can buy like iLife and iWork, and virtualization software like VMWare that takes any last doubt away about needing Windows for something. Easy wifi/bluetooth. Cost for it all.

The cons: This configuration chokes on motion graphics/ intensive video rendering in pro apps, even with 4 GIGs ram. Still need a Mac Pro desktop to do that. The screen is NOT okay to use for graphics editing, as it has fewer colors, and a bad aspect ratio that changes the colors when in different positions. You can still plug it into a real monitor with fine results, but being a laptop, one would like to be able to see accurately the colors of things when editing photos, etc. So that is a decided con on this model. Also, a little less durable and fake feeling than the higher end laptop.

Overall great model for most users, very flexible for work and for play, but pro design users should consider other (read: more expensive) mac models first.
By yogagirl

Hits the sweet spot of price, portability and performance

Like some others I looked at a lot of different laptops. I considered the MacBook Pro but since I don't do any heavy video editing, 3D or gaming there is little practical advantage to the Pro model. This is a fast little machine that hits a sweet spot of price, portability and performance. Build quality is nice, too. I think the black model looks a little bit better looking but I'm not paying a $140 premium for the color.(after hard drive upgrade price factored in)

I also looked at Sony and Toshiba. (Don't tell my Mac friends) because I thought I might be able to save a few hundred bucks. I could, but not for a comparable notebook. It's true that you get what you pay for. Figuring in comparable specs, weight, AV/spyware software, and sound card quality there is really no Windows based laptop for less.

At 5 pounds this is a nice and light computer. iBooks, and now I suppose, MacBooks have a good reputation for being tough enough to stand up to school kids so I don't have a problem with the plastic case. I was waiting until Apple announced an update and am glad I did. The faster processor is nice and finally Apple added a reasonable amount of RAM (2GB). The 160 GB hard drive is adequate for my needs and noticeably quicker than the 4200 RPM drive in my old laptop.

Wi-Fi reception is pretty good, as is battery life. Both are a above average but not tops for laptops. The magnetic power connector is a great touch. I've tripped over power cords before. This should simply detach without tripping me or sending the MacBook crashing to the floor.

The keyboard takes some getting used to. At first I didn't think I'd like the button like keys, but within a couple of days I found that I didn't notice. They do seem less likely to get crumbs under them than normal keys. I had a similar reaction to the glass screen. At first I was bothered by its reflectiveness, and quickly didn't see it anymore. It's there if I pay look for it but, usually just don't see it. And I like the punchier colors it displays compared to matte screens, as well as its ease of cleaning. There's no need for expensive specialty screen cleaners that the soft matte screens require.

I do have a couple of small quibbles that didn't go away. I wish the trackpad had two buttons instead of one. It took Apple 15 years to finally decide to make a right clickable mouse and they should get on the ball and add a second button to their laptops. There is some two finger tap thing you can do with the trackpad but that isn't obvious or natural for me.

My old iBook came with a RGB connector. The new MacBook doesn't, or any other video out connector. That's an add on that I had to spring for.

I'm really liking the Leopard OS. I run OS X (Tiger), Windows XP and Gentoo Linux on other computers so am used to switching between operating systems. Each has strengths and weak spots but I find the new Leopard is the one that comes closest to just getting out of my way and letting me be productive.
By Michael McKee

Fast & Cool with Outstanding Battery Life

I have been a PC user for many years and have had no complaints, particularly since Windows XP was rolled out. My current HP is five years old and it was time to consider a replacement. The availability of a $1000 (with rebate) Penryn based entry level MacBook from Amazon proved irresistible to me and am glad I gave Apple a try. I understand it is not a good choice for gaming due to its lack of a dedicated graphics card.

I have been using it for two weeks now and have the following observations:

* Very snappy performance including boot up and shut down time
* Smaller screen than I am accustomed to but not a problem due to the excellent fonts
* Small size and light weight is a plus.
* Excellent wireless performance.
* Amazing battery life (never less than 4 hours at 90% screen brightness).
* Very little heat generation.
* Fan and hard drive noise is very low.
* Setting up a dual boot to Windows XP is well documented and easy to do.
* Running Windows creates much more heat and consequent lower battery life.
* 4 MEG of RAM can be purchased for under $100 but it runs very nicely with 1 MEG
* I miss the two button trackpad.
* It has a relatively sharp edge where one's palm usually rests when using trackpad
* Free software is available to allow reading Windows .wmv sound files.
* Built in automatic backup capability (Time Machine) is a plus.
* Nothing is perfect but this is pretty close given the price and current technology.

For those considering a switch and willing to learn a new operating system, I highly recommend it!
By J.Gray

MacBook, Perfect Size & Power

I went back and forth between the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Which one? Will it be powerful enough? Big enough...?

Maybe a Sony Vaio would be better?

I'm a Windows software developer but I'm going back to school for my MBA and I wanted a smaller, simple notebook for papers and internet communication for classwork. It needs to be durable and I need it to work without a lot of fussing around with system bits.

After much research I chose the MacBook over the pro because of the smaller size and the fact that the aluminum on the pro although cool, can dent easily. The matte black finish on the MacBook is elegant, tough, and the build quality it top notch. Does the the black eventually get smears on it from your hands and fingers? Yes it does but just wipe them off every so often. It's not a big deal.

IMO, aside from a few points in processor speed the major technical thing the Pro gets your over the MacBook is a dedicated video card. The card in the MacBook uses part of your system memory and that's not a big deal if you aren't doing complex things like 3D Rendering or gaming. Even most photo editing tasks on the little MacBook will work well *if* you have enough RAM. I recommend 2GB or more.

My MacBook arrived and I couldn't be happier. I personally think the black is nicer looking than the aluminum model. And this thing is fast! It makes my dual Intel Windows tower at work seem pokey. The glossy screen probably has more glare than a matte screen but the trade off in weight and size is well worth it.

Also the built in wireless Airport is great and reception is wonderful. Just turn it on and available networks show up in your menu. It's really so much nicer than Windows. The bonus is that I can dual boot with BootCamp and run all my Windows stuff when I need to. I installed Neo Office (open source office suite) and now I can open and create all the documents for my coursework.

Don't fool yourself into thinking the less expensive MacBook is less worthy for general computing tasks than the more sophisticated pro. It's very elegant looking and very powerful. If you don't need the power and size of the pro, I think you'll be happy and the money you save can be put toward other things. Maybe a new digital camera?
By Enzo

An absolutely wonderful machine

Disclaimer: I am not an "Apple Worshipper" There are many things that Apple does that I find annoying or worse.

The previous Apple I worked with was a Powerbook G4 15", which had served fairly well for the past four years. I've always thought that the quality of the Apple Powerbook was superior to what I could get (as a primarily PC user).

Fast forward, and the user in our company needs a new computer to be able to run the latest Adobe design products. So let me go over the noticeable differences:

1 - Fast. Even compared to other modern dual core notebooks. This computer rockets along.

2 - Smaller. This new machine is thinner and lighter compared to the old Powerbook G4's. It wasn't something we were expecting and the end user was quite thrilled.

3 - Better power cord. The magsafe connector is a WONDERFUL upgrade from those G4 power cords that had a lifespan of about 6 months. While some people have reported problems with them, the power cord that ships with this model is "version 2" and after a couple of month's use has shown zero issues.

Once again, I believe that the Macbook Pro has shown itself to be a well engineered, solid machine. Amazon has amazing next-day-air shipping rates on this model, and it does everything that we need it to. I believe that Apple has stayed ahead of the pack when it comes to quality construction in their notebooks. Even better, our user was instantly comfortable with the new version and up and running in next to no time.
By Michael Rimov

Excellent Machine - Not going back to a PC anytime soon

I purchased the Apple MacBook Pro MB134LL/A 15.4" Laptop (2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) from Amazon last month. I love it. I've been using PC based laptops for work and play for 15 years, and while I have dabbled on MacBooks (of various types) with friends over the years, this is my first Mac purchase and the first time I am using a Mac for work purposes. In short, I could not be more satisfied with the machine itself.

Externally, the 15.4 model is a sight to see. It has an elegant, polished look about it. More importantly, it has a sturdy feel to it. So many PC laptops, including name brands (Dell, Compaq, etc.) have such a cheap, plastic feel about them, as if you could twist a little bit and something cheap would come flying off. Not the MacBook Pro. The aluminum shell and the solid body give it a confident feel, like it could take a little abuse if necessary. The keyboard is just right: large keys, rightly placed, with a good feel--not to soft, not to much of a click. That the FN function keys come set to serve as hardware options by default and Fn keys (F1, F2, etc.) only while holding down the Fn key seems backwards ... but its a simple switch in Preferences. The ports on the sides seem sturdy and well place. At first, I thought I would miss having all the ports tucked away on the back of the machine (as in the case of many PC laptops), but in the real world this has not turned out to be so bad after all. Given the $2500 investment, I purchased a Speck clear cover and some ApplePeelz stick-on wrist guards, just to the keep the dings and sweat/grease stains to a minimum. After all, I'm planning to take this machine for the long-haul.

In terms of performance, the elegance on the outside is matched by the gears on the inside. It really moves along. I ponied up for some more RAM, making it a 4 gig machine, because I figured if I was paying $2500 for a machine, I may as well trick it out. I run a typical suite of office programs - email, web, Microsoft Office, iTunes, syncing to a smartphone, scholarly research software, etc. - and the MacBook does great. 8 to 10 programs open at a time and not hesitation whatsoever. And unlike Windows after 6 months, the overall system performance has not lagged. I can put the Mac to sleep 6 times a day, and it always wakes up ready to go, full speed ahead.

Sure, $2500 is (these days) a real investment in a laptop. So if you just want to drop a little coin for a simple, what-you-pay-for is what-you-get machine, don't get this one. But if you are looking for a machine that looks and runs great, with an operating system that is simple (but not simplistic) and has a polish and flair that Windows has never even approached, then consider this model. I love it.
By ralphie boy

Ideal desktop replacement

I purchased this computer to upgrade an older MacBook Pro (MBP). It is indeed a very significant upgrade to my 1st Generation MBP. I won't get into nitty gritty tech specs, as most people I know buy Macs because they want to use their computer, not the other way around.

The screen is a lot crisper. My understanding is that it's an LED-based screen, which results in increased battery life. On the topic of battery life, out of the box I'm getting 4.5-5.0 hours worth of battery life--dramatically better than the 3 hours max I got out of my 1st gen MBP.

The processing power is dramatically increased, as well. I never had trouble running anything on the old MBP until I got Parallels--I had to upgrade the old machine to 2 GB of RAM to get performance to an acceptable level and even then it was sluggish. Not the case with the 2.4 Ghz MBP with 2 GB of RAM.

Boot up time is significantly increased with this machine and the wireless seems to have extended range versus the prior version. I attribute part of this to using an 802.11n base station, but I also notice that I pick up more WiFi access points near me, as well and some of them are Belkin 802.11g.

The one thing that I do find annoying is that Apple changed the assignments for the function keys. Having used Mac laptops for ~5 years, I found this to be very annoying. I was able to work around this by changing the key assignments back to what I know.

In all, a phenomenal upgrade in terms of what you get out of the box, raw processing power, boot time, and increased battery life. I recommend this laptop without hesitation
By DC Machead

Finally, the perfect desktop replacement

Short and Quick Review

This model is worth the 500 difference between the entry level. The screen is beautiful, the new LED Displays are great, better color depth, more color, the laptop doesn't get as hot as previous versions. Everything works, it is very fast, and this laptop replaced 2 high end workstations + 2 high end laptops (A dell with workstation class graphics card, and 17 inch macbook pro). I can edit 1080p high def video in real time with no slow down, edit my 12mp raw files in real time with no slow down. I can play the latest games like Call of Duty 4 maxed out on windows vista at native resolution with no slow down online.

With the beefy 250gb HD, ability to upgrade to 4gb of ram, the 512 graphics card, and 6mb cache, this machine is a complete replacement for me, and revolutionizes my life, work style, and workflow.

It is worth buying, and definitely better than the 2k version, by leaps, read my longer review for more.



Longer Fuller Review.

The new macbook pros are fantastic! I had a 17 inch core 2 duo before, it was nice, but it didn't do everything I wanted or needed. I was forced to keep my mac pro, and my custom built windows PC for running the applications I need, and the ability to play games (I do some freelance game design, as well as photography and animation work)

I grew tired of having so many workstations, but what can you do when you need the power? Apples new macbook pro has answered my needs. I have wanted a laptop with a 512mb graphics card for years, it has never happened until now.

Previous to this laptop, my laptops have been "toys" the only close workstation I had was a dell that cost close to 3k, and would break your back to carry it (but it had a 512 workstation class graphics card!)

With this laptop, I have sold my other machines, it is all I need, or want. If it meets my needs and expectations, it should be able to meet yours easily.

The reason you buy this model, is because of the graphics card, and the increase in l2 cache on the processor. The 2k model has less cache than last years santa rosa model (3mb compared to last years 4mb) this model and the 17 inch has 6mb, as well as the 512mb graphics card, dual core processor, and the ability to use 4gb of ram.

After getting the laptop, I use bootcamp to repartition the harddrive (did not need to reinstall OS X, was able to do this on the fly to install windows) I split it up to give me 165gb for OS X, and the rest for windows.

I need to use specialized software that requires windows, and these programs also require very high end workstations. The life of someone in 3d is not easy. This workstation takes care of all my needs. I'm running the 32 bit version of vista ultimate (the 64 bit is horrible, do not run it) I use windows to run the programs I need (mainly zbrush, unreal engine, and 3ds max) I can and do have maya, and can use it on this partition as well as os x thanks to the dongle, but I cannot use my creative suite software on windows, because of adobes licensees. (though oddly enough, I can run Lightroom on both platforms)

On my OS X side, I run maya, photoshop, after effects, and final cut studio (with shake 4.1, yes I need 2 compositing programs) I have no problems running these programs on this system. I can render out quickly, everything is snappy. With the 8600 geforce (opposed to ATI) maya is very responsive, and I get very few render errors. Dynamics are able to be rendered on this machine, and I can run simulations with ease. Render times are quite quick, and this system is very responsive.

I do photo editing, and this machine is fast as well (I upgraded to 4gb of ram myself for 95 dollars) my camera is a nikon d300, which is 12mp, I use lightroom and photoshop extensively, and at the same time with no problems at all.

I also run maya and photoshop cs3 together all the time (with itunes in the background).

With leopard, I find using this machine even better. I can use spaces, and have maya on one screen, then I can swtich to another screen with photoshop to paint textures, or reference something, and go to another screen for safari or itunes.

The touchpad is cool. Even in windows, I can right click by using both fingers on the touch pad, and clicking with the bar, very smart apple! it works in OS X as well (but you have to enable it)


I bought the apple keyboard (not the wireless, as I need a full size keyboard) and that keyboard is fantastic, the best I have ever owned. I love it. I also bought the logitech g9 mouse to use as my mouse (I cannot stand Mighty Mouse) this mouse is perfect, and similar price. With the wired keyboard you get use ports on the side, so you can attach the mouse to the keyboard with no problems. And it saves on clutter.


For those who enjoy playing video games (I do help make them) you will be happy to know you can play the latest games on PC here with great ease. I can play call of duty 4, at native res of 1440x900 (on vista) with little to no slowdown. Same for Unreal 3 (and all games that use this engine). I can play Half Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 maxed out all the way, at the native screen res, with no problems at all. I can play crysis, and bioschock (not maxed out, but pretty close).


I have not been so excited about a laptop in ages. I had the original powerbook and used it all over, but it was slow, it was something to use when on the road, and at school. When the first macbook pro came out, I was all over it, the software was buggy, it only allowed 2gb of ram, and it was not practical as my only system, nor was it applicable for heavy use by me. I got the 17 inch when the core 2 duo's came out, it was great, very snappy, and with the 256 card it was close to everything I need (but only 3gb of ram) I skipped the santa rose, as It did not really address anything. This model addresses everything. With 4gb of ram, 2 cores, 6mb of l2 cache, and a 512mb graphics card, there is nothing I cant do.

I edit HD video (1920x1080p) in final cut with no problems. I composite this video in shake with 3d made in maya with NO PROBLEMS. I play high end PC games maxed out with no problems! (Call of Duty 4 is a hard game to run, this runs it and I can play it maxed at native res, online, with no slowdown at all).

I work on my raw images from my nikon with no problems at all. This machine is just perfect. Everything works the way it should, and the way it needs to.

The only complaint I have is they did not include remotes in this revision. You can still access Front Row by using Command ESC and use that to view videos (which look very good on my HDTV).


I should also note, if you buy another keyboard (such as the apple external which I highly recommend (the wired, not wireless) You need to go into system preferences and turn off the optiion for F Keys, as this keyboad has an FN button, like the one on the laptop, and renders using your f keys impossible without pressing fn, turning on that option, makes your keyboard normal, and you can use fn to adjust the volume of your laptop.


Right now I have this laptop hooked up to my HDTV using the supplied DVI to VGA cable, and a line out form the laptop. I have sound on my tv (which I could pipe to a sound system if needed, or (what I do) have it piped to my wireless head phones). This laptop is where it is at.

Please, do not think the 500 dollars for this model over the other is not worth it, as it is very much worth it. The difference between this model, and the 2k model is night and day for me. It goes from a toy, I can use when on the plane, to my only computer! And that is HUGE if you are anything like me.

Now the difference between this and the 17 inch does matter. If you get the 17 inch, you will likly not be playing the latest games at native resolution, and I plan on using this hooked up to my TV, so I do not need 2 extra inches. If you will only be using the laptop, and have no plans on games, the 17 inch may be better for you. After reading many reviews, the 15 inch has better response times, and everything is slightly snappier than the 17 inch, which is why I went with the 15. There is not much a difference in size between the 2, the 17 is not much bigger than the 15, but for me, you could not get me to part with my 15 inch for anything.

This laptop is perfect, get it, and enjoy it. The design will likely change by the next revision (rumored in june / july) this could be the last time you can get such a beautiful laptop, that works perfectly, and is everything you can want.


5 out of 5, no problems at all.
by Jason

This is a "Pro" in every sense

In March 2008, I decided it was time to upgrade from a G4-based laptop to one of the new Intel models. I deliberated back and forth whether the lower priced MacBook would be sufficient or whether to pay the premium for the "Pro" model. Ultimately, I decided upon the MacBook Pro for these reasons.

Construction quality
The aluminum case of the MacBook Pro reminds me of a product made by the Swiss. The build quality is outstanding for a mass-produced device. It feels very substantial, and all the pieces fit together nearly seamlessly. The MacBook's case, however, is made from a high-grade plastic rather than metal. It's nice ... but I found the front edge of the MacBook's case a bit sharp on my wrists as I typed.

Ports
Compared with the MacBook, the MacBook Pro provides an additional USB port plus Firewire 800. The latter is desirable for people who work with video and external drives that have Firewire 800 connectors. The ExpressCard slot is useful for future expansion and services such as wireless broadband (EVDO).

Keyboard
Keyboard experiences are subjective; but I find the keyboard on the MacBook Pro the most comfortable of any laptop I've ever used. It feels solid and responsive. Plus, its backlighting is helpful when typing in dark environments.

Dedicated video
Unlike the MacBook that shares system memory for video (integrated graphics), the MacBook Pro has a dedicated video processor. This is beneficial for driving large external displays and running graphics-intensive applications.

Is the MacBook Pro worth the $700 price differential over a MacBook? That depends on whether you are a general home computer user (i.e., e-mail, web browsing, iTunes, word processing) or someone who uses their laptop for more advanced purposes. My user profile is more in the second category. Also, since I intend to keep this computer for three years, I figure that the premium breaks down to about $233 each year. This seems reasonable to me for something I use every day.

In view of the additional quality and benefits that the MacBook Pro offers, I think its higher price brings with it commensurate value. It's hard to imagine even finicky laptop users being disappointed with the MacBook Pro.

P.S. -- There are two 15-inch MacBook Pro models. I bought the 2.4 gHz "entry level" model. It is the better value. I do not feel the 2.5 gHz MacBook Pro is worth the extra $500.

Also, people who care to add system memory (beyond the stock 2 gigabytes supplied by Apple) ought to purchase it from a third-party vendor and install it themselves. It is a simple process.

By J.Shea