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15 out of 16 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"When will I learn? PC's just can't compare to a MAC"
Pros: Quality build; scary fast; great screen; compact form factor; awesome keyboard
Cons: No Express Card 34 slot; no PCMCIA slot; no dedicated video
Summary: This is my 8th Mac and I must admit, it is a beauty. As I write this review using my MBP CD2 2.16, my Blackbook (Santa Rosa) is loading VM Ware's Fusion (so I can use XP and Ubuntu). I do not consider myself a power user but have very discriminating tastes when it comes to my ladies (laptops). They must not only be great looking on the outside, they must also have stellar innards. That said, my Blackbook almost strikes the elusive "perfect balance" of form versus function.
I initially set out to purchase an HP TX1320 (specs: AMD TL-60; 2 gig Ram; 250 hard drive; tablet; 12.1" screen; great speakers; dedicated video, er 64 native, 128 can be allocated if I recall correctly) but visited CompUSA and tried it out first. It had an excellent keyboard, quality look and feel to it, but I could not focus on the screen without squinting. I was very disappointed.
My alternate object of affection was the beautiful Sony TZ 150. Wow, she was gorgeous. Had a sleek, quality design. Though only 2.7 pounds, she had a built-in DVD writer, wicked long life battery, great keyboard (similar to the Blackbook, albeit a bit cramped), and a screen to die for. So why didn't I get it? I could not see myself typing out my whitepapers hunched over such a small screen. My eyes were strained too much during grad school and I really needed a machine that was travel-wise yet provided much needed ergonomic comfort (I still have a soft spot for my old iBook 14" ... she was hot). But alas, I digress...
Now convincing myself to buy another Mac wasn't difficult, I just wanted to sample my options. Sure I looked at the Toshiba Tecra M8, Satellite U305-S5127 (she wasn't bad in the eyes), but the build quality just didn't stack up. I suppose I've been a bit brainwashed by Steve Jobs, but after owning a Mac SE 30, iMac, 2 iBooks, 2 Powerbooks, and a MacBook Pro, I really like the Mac platform. Having said all this, I am still equally drawn to Windows machines. I've owned 2 Thinkpads, 2 Sony Vaios (SZ and T series), one wild night with a cheap Acer (she won't let me forget it...suppose I drank too much), and countless short term relationships with nondescript Win-Tel laptops, but haven't found the COOL factor in any Windows machine to date. There I said it -- the COOL factor. I know I can be a bit shallow when it comes to aesthetics, but I appreciate a good looking lady, er laptop!
OK, let me get back on track. The Blackbook is a well executed design. My only drawbacks are the lack of a PC card slot, and dedicated video card. I am not a hard core gamer, but I like options. Verizon Broadband should be happy because I had to purchase a USB 720 exterior card to stay connected on the road, and will not be using my Express Card 34 Broadband card, thus extending my contract (don't get me started on that oligopoly arrangement Sprint, Verizon, AT&T -- really a 2-year commitment just to but new technology!!)
In closing, if you are even considering a purchase of a MacBook, I'd say go for it. Even as an owner of the MacBook Pro, I find the MacBook black edition, more attractive and it has a superior keyboard feel (I like the tactile feel; MBP is too mushy). Finally, the battery lasts a whopping 5+ hours versus 3 hours for my MBP (your results may vary).
Peace,
blackmanrising
- 4 replies to this review
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Comparing it to a cheap Acer is something that mactard would do.
Macs cannot use SLI video cards.
Macs have highest markup of any vendor on hardware ( PROVEN)
Macs cannot be VMed ( without hacking)
Macs cannot run most 64 bit graphics programs because they screwed software vendors. Now only Vista 64 can run things like photoshop, maya, autodesk and other programs in 64 bit.
When will mactards learn - YOU CANT BEAT A PC !!! -
Hee! Engaging, humorous review. I'm a database programmer, working extensively with SQL Server 2005. I am afraid of issues running that on a Mac, even with using VMWare. That's my current holdout on getting a MacBook Pro. Have you heard of anyone using this database software successfully on Mac using vm?
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Thank you for the entertaining "user Opinion". I have stayed away from the new MacBook for all the reasons you mentioned-no dedicated video memory and card. I have finally gotten all our family phones off any two year phone
plan and so it pains me to sign on he dotted line again, but
I have had I Macs since 2000 that my teenagers have taken over and I want a notebook for myself. I managed to keep a
I Mac running (before CD burners were added) with 8 dedicated gigs of video ram and 20 harddrive and it is still on os9.?. This is a true testimony to what you can accomplish with a Mac. I had no idea what I was doing, but I just kept it up and running with three people using it. It is almost like Steve Jobs has been looking over me or
the MAC. Anyhow , thanks for the info, it was one more
opinion that has really helped me to decide. -
this is all completely right. my family has went through so many dell pc's. last year we just bought a 3000$ xps and it just crashed.
last summer i bought a toshiba satellite with vista. vista sucks. my computer is slow and i hardly have anything on here.
i agree with you completely!!!
