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Entered CNET Catalog: 10/15/2008
SKU: 0885909223411
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Manufacturer description
Instead of assembling a notebook from many minor parts, the MacBook was reinvented from just one: the solid-aluminum unibody enclosure. It gets full credit for making MacBook thinner, lighter, and even more stunning. But it's not all beauty. Because of the unibody, this MacBook is also durable. It was designed to take on your world. So slip it into your backpack or briefcase and pull it out wherever you go - it's impressive in any setting. The MacBook uses a graphics processor that economizes space in a whole new way. A traditional computer logic board contains multiple components: the CPU, two chips that control communication throughout the computer, and the graphics processor. The logic board in the MacBook contains only two components: The CPU and a graphics processor with all of the core logic built into a single chip. The beautifully seamless, remarkably thin design isn't the only gleaming quality of the LED-backlit display. Open your MacBook and you're instantly greeted by glorious full screen brightness. The aluminum enclosure is perfectly integrated with a glass overlay that stretches to the edge of the notebook, providing a completely unobstructed picture. Anything you view, including the glossy widescreen display itself, is a spectacular experience. The LED-backlit display is more power efficient. And it's mercury- and arsenic-free, so it's greener than ever.Product summary
The good: New aluminum construction looks good, feels solid; giant touch pad; attractive edge-to-edge glass on display; improved integrated graphics; backlit keyboard on some models; thinner than previous version.
The bad: Still no ExpressCard or SD-card slot; loses FireWire port; all-clicking touch pad is a bit awkward, at least initially; $1,299 now gets you a slower CPU than it did before; no matte-screen option.
The bottom line: Apple's redesigned 13-inch MacBook is essentially a shrunken version of the more expensive 15-inch Pro line. With its new aluminum body, new trackpad, and Nvidia graphics, it's an even more attractive choice for mainstream laptop buyers than was the plastic model it replaces.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 10/16/2008
Editors' note: As of June 2009, the product reviewed here has been replaced by these updated models.
There are two ways to look at Apple's newly reimagined MacBook laptops. They can be seen as more advanced, and in some ways more expensive, versions of the classic 13-inch MacBook, but we prefer to think of them as slightly stripped down, and less expensive, versions of the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro line. Some Internet commentators have even referred to the new models as the "MacBook Pro Mini."
Internally, the big news is an Nvidia chipset with improved integrated graphics, while the "unibody" aluminum chassis, the buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) touch pad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED-backlit display are the major physical changes on the outside.
While the base model keeps the same $1,299 price (our review unit was the upgraded $1,599 version with a faster processor, a bigger hard drive, and backlit keyboard), you lose the FireWire port in the transition. And the $1,299 model gets you a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, rather than the 2.4GHz CPU. The higher-end model keeps the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, but also costs $100 more. Both new MacBook models operate on a faster front-side bus, (from 800MHz to 1066MHz) and move from DDR2 memory to DDR3.
Even with the slower base model CPU and missing FireWire, the new MacBook represents both an impressive value and an impressive feat of engineering--although it's hard to expect anything else from Apple's flagship computer product, which has been a consistent favorite for several years.
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $1,599 / $1,299 |
| Processor | 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
| Memory | 2GB, 1066MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 250GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Nvidia GeForce 9400M |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 9400M (integrated) |
| Operating system | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.8 x 8.94 inches |
| Height | .95 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 4.5/5.2 pounds |
| Category | Thin and light |
The most obvious changes are physical. The familiar white-and-black bodies have been replaced with an aluminum chassis that looks nearly identical to the new MacBook Pro, only smaller. The actual construction for both the new MacBook and MacBook Pro now follows the MacBook Air model, with a solid block of aluminum carved down, rather than a thin outer shell that has had support struts added to it. The result is a lighter and thinner, yet stronger, chassis that feels more solid and substantial--a notable feat, as the previous MacBook models were already extremely sturdy.
Another notable new feature is a radically redesigned touch pad. This larger touch pad uses multitouch gestures similar to those found on the iPhone, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, and offers a much larger surface area than previous 13-inch MacBooks--thanks to the elimination of a separate mouse button. In fact, the entire touch pad depresses like a button, although a simple tapping (as on a PC laptop) will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu.
The all-button touch pad concept is actually a bit difficult to get used to, and feels slightly clunky at first compared with a traditional fixed-position touch pad. On the other hand, there are some useful new gestures: you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner of the touch pad as a "right-click" zone. Most useful, perhaps, is sweeping four fingers left or right, which brings up the application switcher. Once you get used to that, going back to a regular touch pad would be difficult.
The 13.3-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280x800 native resolution, which is standard for screens between 13 and 15 inches in size. It provides for text and icons that are highly readable, but we'd love to see Apple move into the 16:9 display universe, as in the case with new systems from Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and others.
Apple has also added LED-backlit displays (previously available on the Pro models), which means a thinner lid and some battery life benefits, plus the edge-to-edge glass we're seeing more often on multimedia systems, such as the HP HDX18. The glass, however, also grabs stray light rays with ease, making the glossy screen seem that much glossier--a problem if you prefer matte screen finishes.
| Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, Nvidia GeForce 9400M) | Average for category [thin-and-light] | |
| Video | Mini DisplayPort | VGA-out, S-Video |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 2.0 | 3 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
With only two USB 2.0 ports and no more FireWire, the new MacBook isn't exactly brimming with connections. Our two fondest MacBook wishes--an ExpressCard slot and an SD-card reader--have yet to come true, so photographers (especially those who use equipment with FireWire connections) may be disappointed--or encouraged to spring for a MacBook Pro. Apple is making a firm move to the DisplayPort camp by including a mini DisplayPort connection instead of mini-DVI or VGA, but a variety of external dongles (sold separately) will give you any video output you need.
In our benchmark tests, the new MacBook and its 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU performed comparably to its predecessor, which is to say that basic multitasking and productivity are a breeze, as is streaming and viewing HD-video content--much as we'd expect from any current Intel Core 2 Duo laptop. While the hardware is largely similar, MacBooks score better on our Multitasking test than similarly configured Windows laptops (such as the Dell Studio 15), thanks in part to the efficiency of the Mac operating system.
With no new CPU options, the big development in terms of performance is the new Nvidia chipset, called the GeForce 9400M, which also includes improved integrated graphics. Of course, one would not have to go far to improve on the Intel integrated graphics found in most laptops--we've long ago given up on trying to find a 3D-game test that gives playable frame rates from Intel's integrated graphics.
The GeForce 9400 graphics were impressive, giving us 58.7 frames per second in Quake IV (admittedly not the most hardware-intensive game) at 1,024x768 resolution. There may be some hope for integrated graphics yet--long the bane of any semi-serious PC gamer. The new MacBook Pro takes it one step further, including a separate discrete GeForce 9600 GPU and letting you switch between integrated and discrete graphics to save battery life or give better performance.
There's no doubt that Apple laptops are known for having above-average battery life. On CNET's video playback battery drain test, we got 4 hours and 3 minutes, which is shy of the "up to 5 hours of wireless productivity," promised by Apple. But as Web surfing can be less intensive than video playback, we could see getting close to that 5-hour mark in casual use. Notably, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro gets almost the same score with its dedicated GPU turned off (using only the integrated Nvidia 9400 chip, the same as in the 13-inch MacBook), and about 3 hours with the Nvidia GeForce 9600 card turned on.
Apple continues to both frustrate and impress with its service and support. MacBooks still have a standard 1-year parts-and-labor warranty, but only 90 days of toll-free telephone support. This, along with the proprietary nature of Apple's products, makes purchasing an extended Apple Care warranty almost a necessity, at $249 for a total of three years of coverage.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Find out more about how we test laptops.
Apple MacBook Core 2 Duo 13.3inch - 2.4GHz (Nvidia GeForce 9400M) OS X 10.5.5 Leopard; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz; 2048MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 9400M; 250GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 15.4 inch - 2.53GHz (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT) OS X 10.5.5 Leopard; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz; 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 9400M / 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo - 2.5GHz / 15.4 inch OS X 10.5.1 Leopard; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5GHz; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT; 250GB Hitachi 5,400rpm
Apple MacBook Core 2 Duo - 2.2GHz / 13.3 inch OS X 10.5.1 Leopard; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 144MB Intel GMA X3100; 160GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm
Lenovo Thinkpad X301 Windows Vista Business Edition SP1; 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9400; 2048MB DDR3 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB Mobile Intel 4500MHD; 64GB Samsung Solid State Drive
Dell Studio 15 Windows Vista Home Premium Edition SP1; 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD3400; 250GB Western Digital 5,400rpm
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 User Rating: 
3/10
Overpriced
Pros: Snow Leopard
Cons: Underachieving and unimpressive hardware
User Rating: 
10/10
Defiantly would recommend this product.
Pros: I have not had any problem's with this product yet. Great display. Trackpad is best of any laptop I have ever used.
Cons: The aluminum will dent if it is hit very hard, so just be careful.
User Rating: 
8/10
Great for everything!
Pros: Great Screen, Never crashed yet i do alot of video editing! fast and efficient, beautiful design, Rock solid.
Cons: Battery could be much better but cant complain, mini hdmi does not support audio :( YET? Runs HOT
User Rating: 8/10
Once Mac, never back
Pros: Good keyboard
Excellent screen
Solid build
Battery life
Reliable
Cons: No expandability
Not enough USB
Case scratches
Bluetooth drops out
The Apple operating system is just EASIER. That's it, that's all. I occasionally miss being able to "open up the hood" and tweak things like I could with my PCs, but I just go to the garage and work on my 1968 Plymouth if I have that need.
I can't comment on changes between the older Macbook and this one. I love the aluminum, the screen (the lack of matte doesn't bother me at all), the keyboard. I think the trackpad is awesome, though it does take a few days to get used to.
An important thing for me is wireless connectivity. The Macbook picks up signals flawlessly. 3 PCs in the home (2 Dell, 1 Toshiba) are all picky about that.
The bluetooth, however, will cut out for no reason. I connect to my phone, apple mouse, and apple keyboard, and on occasion, for undetermined reasons, all three will drop at once. Browsing for device immediately reconnects them.
The new display connection is a little hassle to hook up to my older monitors, but the OS handled them just fine. However, the integrated display is so nice, I usually just use it, even when in desktop mode.
The keyboard is extremely comfortable. Battery life is longer than any other laptop I have used.
Storage is adequate, though I like to connect external drives and having only 2 USB ports is a bit of a hassle. I would rate that as my major complaint, even above the bluetooth problem.
Overall, the USB is the only design flaw that bugs me, and the bluetooth is the only thing that hasn't worked exactly as it should.
User Rating: 8/10
Every product has good and bad, this has more good.
Pros: Great design, speed, and excellent operating system.
Cons: Limited functionality, expandability, and few features you can add on before purchasing. Not to mention the steep price tag.
However, many people will complain about the FireWire, lack of ports, and minimal expandability. Depending on how you use the computer, you should be aware of these things, and be aware you are paying a lot for this. Another feature I didn't like about my baseline mac was that the keys don't light up in the dark. Very easy and cheap to add to all computers, however you need to upgrade to get this. It's minor but still a drawback.
If you are looking for a computer that will not crash on you, will work all the time, has great battery life, and is not for the computer freak, this is a great computer. If you are looking for that super expandable, multi-tasking crazy computer, seriously, build your own. I have done this before, and seen some friends build some crazy machines. It's not that hard and you can find guides online. I simply bought this for the speed, ease of use, and minimal amount of computer crashes and freezes.
User Rating: 8/10
New mac owner as of one week! Pros and cons
Pros: It's beautiful, no doubt
usability is amazing, it's not as hard to get used to macs as people think
the applications are quite nice in comparison to my pc's that i've been using for years and years
speed and processing ability is nice!
light weight
Cons: if i sit in the sunlight the glare can be annoying
screen smudges easily
word processing is not as easy as on a pc
only 2 usb slots - this is probably the worst con
if i could change anything, it would definitely be to add an usb slot. if i want to use a smart card reading usb (which is an easy solution to the no smart card slot problem), it is too wide to fit another and i can only really use one usb at a time. however, this isn't really too much of a problem since all my work is done in the student, web surfing, layout design, and photo/dvd, movies field. i don't really have to do ten things at once. however, if this is something that might bother you, you should think twice before buying this computer.
i would also change the screen. it's tracks fingerprints really easily and has a bad glare in the sunlight, but then most computers do. if this bothers you i suggest a sticker that you can buy from apple or any other provider that pretty much fixes both problems. it would've been nice if apple had made this computer with matte screen in the first place, though, because i don't want to spend 30 dollars on a sticker.
i have iwork and it is not as nice as microsoft word because most computers today recognize the word format. i am getting microsoft for the mac soon and this shouldn't really be a problem.
in addition, i got a free ipod touch (8 gb) when I ordered from apple because my parents work for a hospital and that falls under their limited offer's qualifications. so basically it subtracted $229 from the sticker price of the whole laptop, which was nice and probably a nice selling point for me.
i do believe this computer has some amazing functions and for me, it is perfectly usable in daily situations. although there are its cons, most of them can be fixed through either adjustments or added purchases.
User Rating: 10/10
Great Computer ZERO problems
Pros: everything about it.
Cons: Cons dont exist on a Mac
User Rating: 8/10
Mac vs PC not a big deal - it's just a good computer
Pros: Size, weight, speed, illuminated key board, less worry about viruses
Cons: New to Apple OS, but can't blame the machine for that
Updated on Jun 3, 2009Ok, I've added memory and video cards to a couple desktops, but I've never updated a laptop, and I doubt most average users have either.
User Rating: 10/10
Should have gotten this sooner
Pros: Everything from the aluminum casing, illuminated keyboard, touchpad, and speed.
Cons: Nothing yet
I made my purchase yesterday, and as a grown woman I have to admit I did drool when I opened the box, what a beautiful machine. Set up was a breeze once I got used to the track pad which wasn't a big deal since I already own the IPhone and Ipod Touch (just remember to depress the touchpad). I installed IWorks and transfered all my files via a USB cable. I sent emails out with attachments from Pages, Keynote and Numbers wth no problems, everyone could open them. I was also able to open all my Word file effortlessly, which was a huge concern. With that done I spent most of the night exploring my new MAC BOOK, and I'm IN LOVE!!!! I have only just begun to explore it possibilities and am eager to see all that it has to offer!
If you're on the fence about making the change, JUST DO IT!!!!!!! I wish I had sooner.
User Rating: 
1/10
No Firewire, no kidding
Pros: ultra cool slick design
Cons: No firewire, expensive adapters needed for everything else
User Rating: 1/10
Mac can't sync to a smartphone
Pros: Neat interface
Cons: If you need your smartphone to sync with a Mac get ready for issue after issue. The only smartphone that can sync with a Mac is an iPhone. Sad that sync technology has been mainstream for 10 years and Mac can't handle it.
User Rating: 8/10
My first Mac... Okay so far
Pros: looks, speed, and bootcamp
Cons: iLife 09 was not pre-installed, (for OS X): unable to "maximize" windows.
Updated on Jun 1, 2009Although iLife was not preinstalled, it was on one of the restore discs. still doing great nevertheless. Only one minor gripe, forgot to include this in the "cons", only two USB ports.
User Rating: 10/10
It's amazing. I own one and am very pleased.
Pros: Its beautiful internally as well as externally.
Cons: NOTHING!!!
User Rating: 
5/10
If you want a Mac, it will do.
Pros: Aluminum case is pretty cool. Screen is good if there isn't a lot of external light to create glare.
Cons: You have to upgrade to the 2.4 model, to get barely adequate specs, such as a lit keyboard and a decent processor. Some people like Mac software; I slightly prefer Vista and think the upcoming Vista replacement will be much better than either.
Vista is actually pretty good, if you run it natively on a machine with the drivers preloaded, but it's a resource hog. All indications are that Windows 7 later this year will top Vista in useability, and do it with about the same resource utilization as OS X. I think for most people the best choice is Vista now, then upgrade later this year. You'll have a Vista capable machine, but won't need it with 7, which should make it really fast in most configurations.
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent notebook, but needs better connectivity.
Pros: Reliability, battery life, portability, aluminum unibody, trackpad, sound quality, included software, and recyclability.
Cons: Lack of connectivity and screen glare.
It has never failed on me, it gets about 4-5 hours of use on a single charge, and it's extremely portable. The trackpad is HUGE, but it takes a couple of days to get accustomed to the whole-trackpad clicking. The sound quality is very nice, and the bundled software is actually useful. Plus, the MacBook is highly recyclable and very "green."
On the negative side, there aren't very many connectivity options. I would have liked to see another USB port and a Firewire port. Leaving out the Firewire port was an epic blunder for Apple. Other than connectivity issues, screen glare could be a problem for some people. Apple should add a matte option for the screen next time around.
All things considered, the new 13" MacBook is an excellent value if you can deal with the lack of connectivity.
User Rating: 8/10
Outstanding performance
Pros: User-friendly and no hiccups with setup or regular use!
Cons: Importing your iTunes library in tact (play count, playlists,etc) is near impossible, especially when migrating from Windows. I've tried for nearly 24 hours and I finally give up. Also, the screen is beautiful but the glare can be annoying.
User Rating: 10/10
The BEST laptop out there.
Pros: Everything. No FireWire, no matter. You are getting the best OS that exists.
Cons: No firewire.
User Rating: 1/10
Junk for Geniuses
Pros: Pretty Looking
Cons: Useless. Bought one for my mom for mother's day. Generally a paperweight. Failures 1. Entire LCD Screen, got fixed. 2. Genius said, "no antivirus software needed". Alas, it was not immune.
User Rating: 
7/10
Great Laptop with some annoyances.
Pros: +Sturdy construction
+Clean design
+Bright and colorful screen
+Nice keyboard
+Good set of components
Cons: -Runs really hot when using intensive applications
-Glossy screen
-Multitouch trackpad does not always work under Windows
-Expensive
-iSight does not shoot 30fps
However, this laptop still has some issues. Since the screen is glossy, it can become difficult to see what is displayed under bright sun. Apple should have provided an anti-glare option because I always see my reflection on the screen (even at the highest level of brightness). The multitouch trackpad is far from perfect in the Windows operating system. The right-click does not work well under some applications such as Office 2007 and the two-finger scroll scrolls too fast in Windows Media Player. Apple and/or Microsoft, fix this because it really is annoying. The laptop can run hot after prolonged use, even hotter when using resource intensive applications. I was expecting the iSight to be a good camera considering how much I paid for the laptop, only to realize that it does not shoot 30fps (unless I'm really missing something here).
Overall, the laptop is great with some issues, but I still think it is expensive. If you don't mind having a slower processor, a non-illuminated keyboard, and a smaller hard drive, then you are better off buying the lower end MacBook because I don't think these extra features are worth $300.
User Rating: 10/10
Fast, classy, high quality notebook.
Pros: Performance. Size. Weight. Fit, finish, and overall quality. Screen quality and LED back lighting. Track pad.
Cons: No card slot for expansion. (Though I'm not sure where they would put it in this small, light weight notebook.)
The MacBook just looks and feels classy. Fit and finish are top notch. One reviewer below said he was worried about traveling with an aluminum MacBook. Really? You think plastic is stronger than aluminum? Have you ever held one of these? No creaks, no moans, no flex like I've seen in many plastic notebooks.
The thing is a feather compared to my old HP notebook. And I really appreciate the nice touches, the back light for the keyboard and the big, smooth, glass track pad. Other track pads feel like 3rd rate junk to me now. Apple packs more gestures into their track pad than anyone else I've seen, and the notebook is a joy to use because of it.
I'm impressed with everything about this MacBook. This is one lean, mean machine. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a small notebook.
User Rating: 
9/10
Great Design and Value
Pros: Solid, sturdy case. Elegant design, Flawless Operation
Cons: Apple Support isn't the best
User Rating: 
2/10
Never Again
Pros: Not a whole lot, uh, it looks good?
Cons: High price for little gain
Unreliable
Major hardware issues
User Rating: 1/10
people gone crazy?
Pros: No pros. Buying this comp makes no sense
Cons: Why spend so much money on Mac?
User Rating: 10/10
Great Laptop!
Pros: its not PC
>light weight
>solid
>well designed
>has a welcome feel to it
>enviromently friendly
Cons: >glossy display
>no firewire ( it doesnt matter much to me )
User Rating: 10/10
Best notebook I've ever owned. Also, my first Mac. I
Pros: - Great battery life. About 3:30 hours.
- Great OS
- Nice size and weight. Cuts down on my back. Kind of like having a MacBook Air with more ports, faster speed, and more hard drive space.
Cons: Can be slow when starting up virtual machine. That's about my only problem. That can be solved by purchasing more RAM or waiting til Snow Leopard comes out.
User Rating: 9/10
Great, fast and reliable
Pros: -Fast start-up and shutdown time
-Stable operating system
-Easy to get up to speed
-Sexy look
- Love the way the keyboard feels, and how it lights up
Cons: -Pretty expensive
-I had some issues with Firefox crashing
User Rating: 9/10
Nice but expensive
Pros: Excellent design, fit and finish.
Great hardware configuration.
Great battery life and does not run hot.
Apple integrates well into a Windows (HP) world.
Cons: Trackpad has no right mouse button.
OSX takes time to understand.
Mini display port is nice and small but the cables are expensive and at the moment, there is no Apple support for HDMI (there is a 3rd party cable).
I won?t focus on the OSX vs Vista vs Ubuntu wars because any person that?s used all three (or more) operating systems knows that on good hardware, they?re all great and each has certain strengths and weaknesses.
I bought the computer primarily because there is no other notebook as well designed, built, and backed by its manufacturer. I also bought it because I wanted my wife to have something that was good quality and something she would be happy with for a long time.
User Rating: 9/10
Mac OS X along with portability seal's the deal
Pros: Mac OS X runs smoothly
Able to run Windows XP
Fast performance
Multimedia
Less than an inch thick
Good battery Life
Good speakers for an ultraportable
Very portable
Sturdy Construction
Cons: Trackpad is awkward
No Firewire
Slightly heats up during gaming on Windows XP
Screen is too glossy, hence viewing angle is limited
User Rating: 10/10
A Great Product
Pros: Extremely light compared to my old HP; the 1.5kg is noticeable.
Small form factor; the 13" screen is small on paper but large on your lap.
9400M, comparable to the ATI 3450 that I had on my last desktop.
The edge to edge glass and the trackpad.
Cons: The display is slightly glossy, but I do enjoy it actually. The blacks are a bit washed out as well. Despite these drawbacks, the screen is superior to my last HP laptop.
User Rating: 2/10
A very average laptop that costs a lot for some reason
Pros: I don't really know... Given that there're hundreds of laptops on the market right now, that can do all the things that the macbook can do... I don't know of any real pros to put here
Cons: Too expensive. Too expensive. TOO EXPENSIVE!
User Rating: 2/10
Generally speaking it sucks.
Pros: - Light, good quality aluminum casing
- Large trackpad
Cons: - Hardware is barely adequate
- Can't run XP64
- Very expensive
User Rating: 1/10
a real user story
Pros: i bought it kinda for looks. not to switch or convert, just wanted to be different
Cons: it broke 3 months after i bought it. never knew wat it was, geuss it had something to do with the memory. they sent me a replacement which i sold on ebay. the end
User Rating: 8/10
Good feel, beautiful build, a little glare from screen
Pros: Easily copied my profile data from my iMac24 with Mac utility.
Love the 256GB solid state drive, no noise and little heat
Video and camera very good, Skype works great
Very solid feel, and beautiful cosmetically
Cons: No SC/CF drive requiring external USB drive
No HDMI to port to LCD TV
Very expensive with the solid state drive!
User Rating: 10/10
A truly elegant machine, easily worth its price
Pros: Trackpad is phenomenal. Keyboard is beautiful. Extremely fast. Runs Windows XP and Win 7 faster than my ThinkPad T43. Every item I have used with it has been flawless: Bluetooth phone, cannon camera, ext hdd's, etc.
Cons: The screen is slightly reflective if there is bright light behind you, like most screens. Once in a while it can be tricky to stick a cd/dvd in the slot drive mechanism, gets caught up, just takes a few tries.
People complaining about this laptop either have not used it, or do not know how to use it. I will admit that the lack of firewire is clearly a marketing ploy, but I don't have a firewire device, therefore I don't care. First off, let me say I have been using computers for about 2 decades. I have gone back and forth, from Mac 6300 Performas to Dell Dimension xpsb1000 r desktops, Dell Inspiron 8000 notebooks, and most recently an iMac G5 and a Thinkpad T43/p. I always buy the best available products that I can afford at the time. This was no exception, except it was a bargain at 1600 bucks. My T43/p by comparison was a $3700 laptop 4 years ago and it died last month. Let me explain some basic things I can do on this laptop in clear terms.
1. I have VM Ware Fusion meaning: I can run Mac OS X, Linux Ubuntu, Windows 7, and Windows XP, simultaneously on this machine without a hiccup in either one of them. Each OS can be blown up to full screen, and supports any and all extensions or abilities they would on a standalone PC. I can virtualize XP and rip movies/songs faster than I can on my friends brand new Gateway laptop. He hates me.
2. The new Mini DisplayPort was a bit of a pain until www.monoprice.com released a new adapter for it. I simply plug the adapter ($14.95) into the port on my laptop, run an HDMI cable ($2) to my Sony Bravia television, and I instantly have my entire laptop screen mirrored on my 40 inch television.
3. Remote control/InsomiaX: by downloading a program called insomniaX, (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30315) and using an Apple Remote control, I can close the lid of my laptop, place it on my cable box, sit across the room, and flip through 150 movies and over 100 tv shows I have through Front Row. Or my entire music collection. Then I can even use the visualization software and have a dance party. I had 25 people in Awe last weekend at a party, with my laptop being all of an inch thin, and holding an insane amount of music and video files, controlled by a 2 inch remote control in my pocket, displaying everything on a 40 inch LCD. I cannot explain how beautiful it was.
4. Using Firefox beta 3.1b3 web browsing could not be more insanely simple, intuitive, and fun. Let me elaborate. I can open my browser, go to www.cnet.com, then navigate to the reviews page. From there lets say I want to look at an iPod on Apples site. I can hit cmd T and open a new tab. this is all simple, I know. Here?s where the fun starts. From here, if I take two fingers, and twist them on my trackpad, I can switch between tabs. If I swipe three fingers left, it goes Back, if I swipe three fingers right, it goes Forward. (These motions work in the Finder as well.) Twist two fingers again to switch between tabs. Move three fingers down to go to the bottom of the page, or three fingers up to go to the top. I can navigate in a firefox browser session with multiple tabs faster than anyone could possibly imagine, and it is effortless.
5. Using Quicksilver (http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Utilities/Quicksilver.shtml) I can launch applications, send email attachments, control iTunes, etc all without leaving my keyboard. Quicksilver is invoked by simply hitting cmd and the space bar at the same time, at any time. Lets say iTunes is playing a song and it?s minimized in your dock. I simply hit cmd and the right arrow on my keyboard to go to the next song. iTunes isn?t even visible. If I want to email a file in my documents to my friend, I simply type start to type the name of the document, its found immediately, hit tab, then type "em" to email, then "xx" to whoever I want to send it to, then hit enter and Mail opens up with the document attached and ready to send to whoever I specified. QS is similar to Launchy for windows but far more powerful.
This really is just the beginning of what I've been doing on this laptop. I cannot explain how superior this is to using a Vista powered machine. I think that when Windows 7 comes out, the playing field will be leveled a bit, however there will still be the main problem of implementing the best features across different brands of OEM computer manufacturers. Apple being Apple, has the entire corner on usability/features/beauty/integration laid out pretty well.
I could not be a more satisfied owner/user of this MacBook, and although I still love my T43/p, I could never go back to a Windows machine after using this product.
Some cons/areas of improvement
The screen could use some improving, but a simple <$20 anti glare kit fixes it up.
Also, the lack of a firewire port is somewhat of a bother to me, not because I own any firewire devices, but because I feel for those who do. Including firewire on the $999 Macbooks and not on this machine is an insult to Apples user base.
These concerns however, are far outweighed by the pros.
I could not recommend this laptop any more.
User Rating: 9/10
Switched from Windows and not looking back
Pros: The laptop is very powerful for its size. I really like the battery life, OSX, the graphics for being ultra portable and always working.
Cons: The overly glossy screen can be a little annoying at times, but a mere change in the angle usually remedies the issue. Coming from windows and being an engineer i have to use VMware because i can't find mac programs, but it is worth the reliability
User Rating: 2/10
Amazing to look at but ... buy value, not the label
Pros: Trendy-looking, brand
Cons: Better laptops are available for much less
User Rating: 1/10
Stay away at all costs
Pros: looks good, slim profile
Cons: a lot of nagging problems that will make your life miserable
User Rating: 10/10
First time Mac buyer!
Pros: 1. 250 gb hard drive
2. 5 hour battery life
3. large touch pad
4. only weighs 4 pounds
5. has pretty good speakers
6. I sight camera is better than any other web cam in other laptops
7. 2gb ddr 3 memory upgradable to 6gb
8. 256mb nvidia 9400m
Cons: 1. top case is easily dented without a protective case
2. battery and hard drive are only removable with a flimsy plastic tab
3. glass touch pad is unresponsive at times
4. Imovie 08 sucks
5. glossy screen in any light
6. only 2 usb ports
User Rating: 10/10
previous generation much better, can still buy it
Pros: - looks cooler; i guess its "greener" (according to commercial; graphics are supposed to be better, but it doesn't look any different than my previous gen macbook; macs get no virus's, quick, rarely freezes
Cons: - no firewire???!!! what the heck is apple thinking???; i'm thankful i bought my prev gen one before this poo came out; overly expensive, (booted price from prev gen), prev gen is definitely worth price though
User Rating: 8/10
Great buy...amazing product!
Pros: Light weight, long battery life, beautiful design, perfect screen size, fast performance, convenient touch pad.
Cons: This product is perfect. I only wish the charger wasn't so damn large.
User Rating: 7/10
happy with my new macbook
Pros: Performs much better than my iMac with the same CPU. Solid and light, doesn't overheat. Excellent response in the gestural trackpad that's also a button. The macBook is the perfect (smaller) size, yet performs well enough to do serious work.
Cons: The screen's viewing angle and color rendering could be better. This is one area where you see a little downgrade from the macBook Pro. But it's only slightly less, so not enough to outweigh the advantages of going smaller and cheaper than the Pro.
User Rating: 1/10
WORST MONEY I EVER SPENT!!!!!
Pros: Good looks
Cons: Nothing wver works properly, falls apart easily, went through two chargers in 6 months.
User Rating: 9/10
Excellet Size, Beautiful design
Pros: Excellent battery life, Powerful DDR3 memory, Option for solid state drive, LED display, Aluminum inclosure Unibody
Cons: The Glossy display can be a bit too glossy, No firewire,
The Macbook posse many features such as isight camera, illuminated keyboard which is only included with the 2.4ghz model. The macbook also comes with a ambient sensor that detects the ambient lighting and automatically adjusts the screens brightness to match the lighting conditions. It also has two USB 2.0 connections, standard ethernet port, audio in/out and their new standard mini port connection. This mini port connect is designed to simplify the user experience. The mini port connection can be converted into any of the standard connections, such as HDMI, DVI, VGA.
The new design is a thing of beauty, it now has a full glass screen. The screen can be a bit too glossy in really lighted conditions. Apple should have added a anti glossy edition. But regardless, this minor misstep can easily be adjusted, there's a third party company that makes films for iphone, ipod etc. Which now make anti glossy film for the new notebooks.
In conclusion this notebook is an excellent buy for college students who want a complete notebook that has many features that are convenient. The price may be a bit overwhelming for a college student on a budget. But when taking into account all the features you acquire when purchasing this computer, you'll understand its price.
User Rating: 
4/10
MacBook Core 2
Pros: Ease of use, nice graphics, sufficient memory, speedy operation, broad compatibility.
Cons: It is a hellish machine set to destroy the entire human race while documenting it in a vivid keynote presentation.
With such distance between us and god it was inevitable that the devil will try to take our souls, and it has begun doing so through its minion corporation Apple. The Mac book trys to seduce our youth to the ways of the glamorous & the elite. From the beginning it has had quite an affair with colors and rainbows, thoroughly indoctrinating the youth to its homosexual ways.
The coded browsers of Apple Inc. constantly monitor our browsing and develop an accurate estimate over time on the best way to convert even the most cunning amongst us.
The terror reeked by this devil's typewriter can only be undone if we revert back to the path of god and abolish the evil ways of technology for more theologically correct ways of ascetic living.
That being said I found that we can use this technology for good and spreading the good word after a proper exorcism . So .... there might still be hope for humanity.
User Rating: 9/10
Amazing laptop computer with the best OS avaliable.
Pros: Beautiful, Glossy LED Screen
Spaced, full sized keyboard
802.11n Wireless
Very large trackpad
Built in iSight camera
Mac OS X
iLife Applications
Cons: No Firewire
Fairly small screen, could be much bigger.
User Rating: 3/10
Good for Mac. HORRIBLE for Windows ! Bootcamp Crashes !
Pros: Design
Power
Design ?
Trackpad
Design
Cons: No Blu-Ray !!!!!!!!!
Pricetag is 400$+ more expensive than equivalent laptops
For BootCamp users: It crashes. Crashes. Crashes...
First, I would like to say that there is NO Blu-Ray drive. It's a imbecility from Apple, since you can add these for 50$ in other laptops. Another thing is the Firewire 400. There is none either.
Now, I was going to use Windows on it, no doubt (please don't judge this review by that), so I installed Vista x64 on it.
First week, perfect. Second week, it started crashing. Just open ANY web browser and in ~10 minutes it will crash. (You'll have to do a hard-reset).
So, I have it for ~4 months now. It crashes until today. I was at school the other day, 10/30 min of my test were gone. It crashed right in the middle of the test and made me lose my work and therefore could not finish my Test and got a 0.
Many - and I mean, Many- users are having the same problem as I am. Just google "Macbook pro Late 2008 Crashes Vista". Tried installing XP, Vista x32, Windows 7. It crashed with EVERYTHING.
I guess this is a strategy from Apple to get people to turn to Os X. Well guess what Apple ? You just lost a customer.
Markus
User Rating: 2/10
Quality of components disappoints
Pros: Thin, well-built case
Cons: Quality of components is terrible
User Rating: 10/10
I'm sick of reading all these Apple bashing reviews!!!
Pros: Light, tough, fast, and sexy!!!
Cons: No firewire...wah wah wah!!! Quit crying and living in the past!!! Maybe Apple had the foresight to know that USB 3.0's almost here?!
User Rating: 8/10
Good Start for a beginner
Pros: Ease of use. Nice screen. Built in camera. Built in microphone. Plenty of Ram to start with. Excellent graphics chip. Bluetooth and 802.1N wireless. Battery life is good. Easy to transport.
Cons: Screen is a bit too glossy. Too few USB ports. No Firewire. Limited Support.
Overall, if you can look past the price tag of the 2.4 GHz model, I think you would be pleased with this machine, especially if it is your first laptop. The keyboard is not cramped, it packs light, it has strong wireless capabilities, so far. It is Bluetooth capable out of the box, and I plan to get more bluetooth toys so that I don't crush my limited USB connectivity. The apps are easy to work with once you learn how to manipulate your appendages/digits and to unlearn some Windows maneuvers.
I like this machine and think that it will serve me for at least the next five years very well.
Updated on Apr 11, 2009Still going strong after being in the desert, and off to the island of Curacao. I thought that a lot of dirt might get into it especially in the desert, but the tech who installed the memory upgrade for me said it came out pretty clean. I still think it could use some little tweaks here and there, but if you are looking for a good laptop to start with..MY First ever.. then this is not a bad one to work with. A little pricey at 1500, but it should last for several years with no problems (Hopefully). I don't do too much with it in the way of games, and if you want to play games, then this is definitely NOT!! your machine, but for work and an occasional movie, then it fits the bill nicely
User Rating: 10/10
If your thing of switching from a PC just do it!!!!!
Pros: Mac OS X Leopard
Cons: ummmmm i don't know?
Updated on May 5, 2009If your thinking of switching from a PC just do it!!!!!
User Rating: 8/10
The world's GREATEST Laptop ever made. Well done Apple!
Pros: It has a super sexy design and sturdy unibody structure. Mega performance thanks to the combination of the 13.3 inch LED display and the intergrated 256MB Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics card . Love the option to upgrade to a 256GB SSD or a 320GB HDD .
Cons: Here's where the fanboyness ends. APPLE !!! YOUR LAPTOPS ARE ALWAYS OVERPRICED !! Where's the FireWire 400 for FireWire Target Disk Mode ? Think about the Macheads who aren't millionaires living in Monaco !!! And what if there was an Apple netbook !
User Rating: 9/10
The macbook is a sick piece of tech
Pros: 1. The size factor its not to small like the stupid net books and its just big enough to edit movies and photos.
2. Its major fast it does pretty much anything you throw at it with no problem.
3. The track pad is awesome and easy to use.
Cons: 1. I/O not to happy with the skimpy connections.
2. the speakers aren't to great either they get loud but im not to happy with the quality.
User Rating: 1/10
crap. expensive one
Pros: none coming to mind. Flashiness if it's even a word?
Cons: $1600 for this one? Gotta be kidding me...
User Rating: 3/10
Its a decent product but more out there that are better
Pros: Its a mac.
its got a thin profile
its shiny
backlit keyboard.
Cons: The price,
The service
The OS limits me ( dual boot is nice but why bother if I need to buy additional OS)
And I actually priced things out all the way through. Sony's (the pricier of laptop vendors) SR is a better deal. Lighter, better specs on everything if priced out. only thing it lacks in is backlit keyboard. Everything else (including 64 bit OS), HD size/speed, GPU, battery life, CPU was a better deal if priced out compared with exact speced priced out MAC.
This wasn't rocket science, this would actually entail someone going through the apple site and adding everything up and adding to basket, then printing out.
User Rating: 10/10
a fabulous device period
Pros: aluminum chassis feels sturdy. I am a first time mac user and I realizing how simple it is to use a mac. Every thing just makes sense...I love the multi touch features of the touch pad and garage band...now I am learning a new instrument too...
Cons: None that I know of...
User Rating: 10/10
From someone who ACTUALLY OWNS this computer.
Pros: Everything.
Cons: The touch pad takes a bit of getting used to. Losing firewire to me isn't a huge deal. If you swear by it it might be for you. However, most of my previous computers never had it. No big deal.
I haven't personally checked the battery life. The glossy screen is also no big deal unless has been said, you have a window behind you. I use it mainly in front of a regular wall that contains pictures, I get NO glare. I like it a lot. I like that if you press the screen you don't get that liquid look that will ruin it if for some reason you're rough with it. It's really fast but like many would suggest it's always good to bring it up to it's full potential and I plan on purchasing more memory to bring it up to it's 4G.
Over all it's a great computer, especially for the average user, if you're a HUGE computer enthusiast you might be in need of more USB ports and feel you'll be pained without firewire and a glossy screen.
User Rating: 8/10
Beauty...but no Bang?
Pros: Beautiful new design, Mac OS X, iLife 09
Cons: Lack of Firewire, overall expandability is a little lame, bang for buck, PRICE PRICE PRICE!
I am confused with Apple, though, at least in its laptop segment. The Macbook has essentially become a mini Macbook Pro. It doesn't have enough expandability, though. Although firewire isn't an issue for me, why not just put it on the machine and not be so controversial? No express card slot? What about all those business men who need a smaller laptop, but can't go with Apple, because they save their business oriented features for the 15 inch Macbook. I would like to see this laptop morph into the Macbook Pro line, no price bumps, and give it more expandability, and stop making decisions so difficult, and frustrating. That way, a Macbook Pro 13 and 15 inch gives many choices, and opens market expandability.
Where does this leave the Macbook line? Where it should be. Back to its durable, plastic ancestors. That was the point of having regular and pro lines, one less expensive aimed at everyday people, and one aimed at pro users. Of course, an updated plastic version. It would have the new touch pad, LED backlighting, graphics, but at a lower price. I would be happy to see the starting price around $799 or $899. Also, the black and white colors would be available on every model.
This laptop is fabulous, so it still gets a great score, just as the editors gave it. I think they should have given you more bang for the buck, though. If you are just an average user looking into a Macbook, the white macbook is probably the best value at the moment. The unibody Macbooks are beautiful, for sure, but they are very pricy for a consumer product.
Updated on Mar 1, 2009UPDATE: Don't get me wrong, I love these new Macbooks, but the lineup seems off. If not the idea I had, at least drop the prices to make theses machines more accessible for the average consumer.
User Rating: 8/10
$1200 that keeps on giving.
Pros: Sleek sturdy design with elegance and sophistication , power performance and sheer reliability.
Cons: Lack of expandability and a "slightly" higher price are honestly the only cons of this laptop.
User Rating: 9/10
Transitioned from PC, with this fantastic notebook
Pros: Excellent design and quality.
Light and thin
Great battery life
Operating system is fast, simple and no glitches yet
Cons: Price is a bit steep but there is a lot of value in the product
Many of the comments written here are from folks that do not own this product. I own it and have an actual basis of comparison. I would endorse this product 100%
User Rating: 10/10
Once you go Mac, you never go back.
Pros: This is a beautiful laptop. The aluminum body and giant trackpad are extremely comfortable. I took me all of two days to get into the swing of this operating system since being a windows user since 1995. Takes seconds to start/ shut down.
Cons: The glossy screen is very reflective but is not the problem that many reviewers made it out to be. If your in a bright environment, just turn the brightness up and it takes care of any glare. It was expensive, but you get what you pay for.
User Rating: 7/10
Nice engineering. Awful step back in connectivity!
Pros: Beautifully machined one piece aluminium enclosure which is a work of art.
They know the colours that go...
Cons: 1) They removed Firewire 400.
2) Only 2 USB ports.
3) Brand new proprietary display adapter to connect it to a projector or display. Great until u forget it at a keynote presentation.
4) No Core 4 Duo?
5) No SD or other camera card ports.
Why ruin it???
Does Steve Jobs suggest we just throw away our workhorse Firewire devices?
Thousands spent on professional video and audio equipment.
Even the brilliant Apogee audio devices revered by the recording industry and advertised on the Apple website are Firewire.
Steve's response to an outcry was that Firewire was becoming obsolete and USB2 and the new SATA ports were becoming more relevant.
If so then where is the SATA or USB port to replace the Firewire 400 on a Macbook/Macbook Pro??
Do Apple intend to produce a portless Macbook next season? Totally inert to the real world and PC market?
This Apple trend is a dead end. To compete with a PC they have to at least be able to cover the ground an average PC can. Connectivity is a major issue. Yes I can run Windows XP, No I cant connect my machine to anything.
Windows = Life without Walls..?**
Apple = Life without connectivity...
What happens when a Keynote speaker at a congress forgets to bring their proprietary display adapter with their Macbook and expect it to work on the big screen? Answer: It doesn't work!
It is embarrassing for all involved. The technicians don't have a special Apple adapter and they just hope the presentation will translate to the PC everyone else is using via a memory stick 5 minute before the show.
Does everyone take the Mac person seriously? Not their fault. A Mac is just supposed to work. So they are led to believe...
One solution which is cheaper than buying a new Apple laptop and replacing all our Firewire equipment is to buy a PC. You may have to take a course in computer maintenance and stop walking the dog at weekends because you are fiddling your PC but you will not have forked out for new pro video camera and studio audio equipment.
I don't particularly like Windows but when forced into a corner...
** Oxymoron. I find it hard to believe you can have as much of a life outside of Windows. Like legendary George Formby's "When I'm cleaning Windows" it can be a full time occupation.
Yes a life without wall's and the roof collapses on your head. Nice one. Good advert in principal.
User Rating: 10/10
very good laptop
Pros: keypad display and everything
Cons: lack of windows applications
User Rating: 7/10
Design and functionality vs. price and shortcomings
Pros: Great looking
Multi-touch trackpad
Keyboard feels great
Mac OS X and iLife '09 pre-installed
Portability
Integrated graphics
Cons: Lack of Firewire port
Lack of other types of connectivity
High price tag
User Rating: 10/10
Best Laptop EVER
Pros: I love this computer I bought it from Apple a few months ago and I am never going back to a PC. OSX is beautiful and efficient and the hardware inside of the new MacBook compliments the os perfectly. This laptop meets my every need and then some.
Cons: A Con people should consider are...
Lack of firewire port
No dedicated V-ram (Although I have not been affected)
The body does scratch because of its aluminum design and I have seen a few nicks even.
User Rating: 8/10
Sleek and powerful, doubles as a Windows notebook.
Pros: 2 computers in 1: runs Windows XP and Vista natively. Advanced and powerful graphics chipset from Nvidia. Bright widescreen. Large trackpad with intuitive hand gestures. Built in wireless and bluetooth, environmentally friendly.
Cons: No firewire port. No internal faxmodem. No backlit keyboard on the 2GHZ model.
User Rating: 10/10
HELP MEEEEEEEE ALL MAC AND HP USERS HELP
Pros: IDK HELP ME PLEASE READ THE SUMMARRY
Cons: IDK I NED TO KNOW
User Rating: 7/10
Pricey but an overall good buy.
Pros: Very nice look, touchpad, fast response time from sleep mode
Cons: The Price!
User Rating: 8/10
TRUE review based on comparisons
Pros: Sturdily made with aluminum. Light. Graphics, power, etc. LED screen, Quality. Lighted keyboard. Multi gestures.
Cons: Since I have pretty small hands I'm going to say that the keyboard is a little too far spaced. But it's just really me.
User Rating: 9/10
CPU not necessarily slower than before...
Pros: New GPU/Chipset combo gives the macbook a much needed graphics update
Faster FSB and DDR3 memory
Cons: No firewire. Not an issue for some, but it does outperform USB 2
There is currently only one monitor on the market with the display port connector.
Though having to use an adapter for the display port connector is annoying, the connector is much smaller than DVI, has 2-way communication (which has some amazing possibilities when you think about it), has more bandwidth capacity than HDMI, and it's royalty free.
User Rating: 5/10
More so a budget computer
Pros: Solid, design, bright, crisp LED display, light weight
Cons: No firewire, lack of DVI/HDMI port. (The mini display port is NOT standard, as steve jobs thinks it is) slot loading drive doesn't eject discs 90% of the time. Mouse button is a bit awkward, takes time getting used to (a month + ) and only 2 USB port
User Rating: 1/10
Words cannot explain how this thing is pure junk.
Pros: Nothing really.
Cons: Everything especially the WI-FI!!!!!
I have another computer connected through Wi-Fi, and it never has any problems, and that computer is made from plastic. Mac is SLOW. I have another Mac, and it is slow too! I don't know what made me want this junk. I go use YouTube, it plays the video, then a few seconds later, it decides to load. The charger, don't get me started. I hate these Macbooks, and I hate Mac! I am switching back to Windows, and I will sell both of these Macs that I have.
User Rating: 2/10
Very bad heat emissions & bad Customer service- Beware
Pros: The look and feel is good- Going back to my old PC made me look like iam going back to 80's laptop
Cons: Very bad heat emissions-Bad Customer service
And if you like to run the VMWare on-get ready to have some batter as you can cook you break fast.
Bad Customer service-You cant get hold of them after 7.When you call the store they say we have to wait 2-3days.
Dont buy these laptops else other than apple as Apple mentioned that i have to get the laptop repaired by reseller.
Warranty- Frys is a lot cheaper for 3rys around 150$ and at apple around 350.Apple does not provide a loaner Fry's provide- but please check with Fry's.
IBM- service- is a lot better- They come home and do the service for around $250 for 3 yrs- Next business day.
User Rating: 10/10
i think its brilliant... looks great fast and small!!
Pros: fast
sexy
light
very cool
Cons: pit pricy .
good to show off
but battery is not brilliant
User Rating: 8/10
beautiful and fast notebook
Pros: great backlight keyboard, impressive multitouch track pad, very good performance, nice screen
Cons: no firewire (butt no big ishue for me), i used to have a 12 inch powerbook, and i don´t miss the firewire
Updated on Feb 21, 2009no, crap it´s what you are saying, i been editing a full HD video 1920 x 1080 and obviously it is not a mac pro but the mac book does it perfect. also i made some 3D animation on blender and it is fast enough, i mainly do web design and it´s a perfect computer for that. also it´s an absolute beauty in terms of industrial design and OS, please stop saying crap about something you don´t know.
User Rating: 
6/10
Have to be realist
Pros: New integrated video chipset
Cons: less ports
1 star is something that is broken down not something you dislike caus the option you want is not there. same thing for the 5 stares anyway that's about it
be realist people
User Rating: 10/10
The new macbook is a big improvement over the old one.
Pros: -new mouse is AMAZING, but takes a bit of time to get used to
-New aluminum construction is stronger, thinner, and light weight
-NVIDIA chip adds noticeable speed to an already fast computer
-Mac OSX Leopard is much faster than vista, using less RAM
Cons: -Very expensive at $1600 but if bought from http://macconnection.com, you can save 100 bucks through a rebate
-If you have never owned a mac, make sure that it is what you want, there are fever games but you can run windows on a mac
Updated on Jan 17, 2009i have noticed that most people gave this computer a low rating. The major complaint is the lack of firewire port. This means 1 of 2 things.
1. they didn't do their research and blindly bought a macbook with the assumption that it would have a firewire. DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY A $1600 COMPUTER!!!!
2. They don't own this computer and are protesting the loss of the firewire port.
Either way, you shouldn't listen to people who are giving this computer a low rating because of a lack of firewire port. A macbook is a computer that is VERY different than the usual laptop, make sure it is what you want before you buy it. I, personally find no flaws in the computer other than price. I owned the white macbook for 5 years and the computer retained it's value (I was able to sell it for $350 from an initial price of $800). I think that a computer shouldn't be judged until you own it. If a person doesn't own this computer, they shouldn't rate it at all.
User Rating: 10/10
apples best yet
Pros: VEry light, very portable, sturdy, trackpad is great, keyboard is great, grafx are gr8, screen is AMAZING, wifi is adequate, very fast, reliabal, everything you could want from aportaball computer (with the exeption of firewire and xpress card)
Cons: no fire wire of xpress card
User Rating: 2/10
Dear Apple:
Pros: has the potential to become a good laptop
Cons: - no connections
- high gloss display
- too expensive
please make the following changes in your product.
- matte screen
- DVI and VGA outs
- slash $300 off the price.
Do this and yours will be an excellent light-and-thin laptop. Otherwise ... I don't think that the 3/5 rating is alright with you.
User Rating: 6/10
Sleek design, light weighted, but still not enough
Pros: - Sleek Design
- Fun Touchpad
- Easy carry
Cons: - Light reflecting screen, big pain for eyes
- Not fast enough, for running applications (2.4 GH, 4GB RAM)
- NO FIREWIRE !!!!
- The usual font smoothing problem of Apple
- Hard edge keys
- No Vent system
- Where are the speakers
Given that I ordered the 2.4 GH, with 4GB RAM, the application do not seem to run fast enough, as it would with the same specs on a PC.
AND yeah, there is no firewire. Can you imagine?
You can also feel your fingers bumping on the edges of the keys on keyboard while typing. Apple, re-think your design.
There are no ventilation system, as its usual for Macbooks - but at times you think its necessary.
User Rating: 1/10
expensive toy indeed.
Pros: THE laptop to show off.
Cons: you can get a laptop that will do EXACTLY the same things at around $500
User Rating: 10/10
Great Computer although some drawbacks
Pros: Unibody design, glass + multitouch trackpad, Nvidia 9400M, Backlit keyboard, awesome speed, all wifi compatible (802.11 a b g n), cool design, fairly light and very thin, can now drive up to an 30 inch display, and in my opinion the glossy display
Cons: no firewire, only 2 usb ports, all ports on left side
I think that the macbook has improved a lot, I love the new graphic card and the glass trackpad and also in my opinion the glossy display(it does make the colours is everyday use look a bit better) So my take is if your looking for a laptop that has a lot of expandability then the macbook is not for you however if your looking for a laptop that has ok expandability and something that is fairly small and compact the macbook could be great for you.
User Rating: 9/10
Simply put you will love it
Pros: Endless amounts if hardware and software improvements, convenience, well designed and logical. Works flawless so far I run 25+ meg raw files through it like here is no tomorrow and have watched more then 10 movies with HD and have been amazed.
Cons: Not because I can't do with out it but would be nice to have an additional firewire connection to the two usb
Only thing a PC is being used for still is microsoft access but that is it. Funny thing is I have used PCs right from the get go probably 25 years now and the last 2 or 3 have refreshed the whole concept thanks to the macs.
I know there are tons of PC users dedicated to fighting the macs but if you open your mind you will see the vast improvements on this system.
User Rating: 2/10
3 laptops in 6 weeks
Pros: a technologically advanced laptop
Cons: serious quality problems with the updated (aluminum) version
User Rating: 10/10
Very good Laptop!
Pros: Great look
Very fast
The touchpad is a little weird but useful
Very good keyboard
Quiet
Mag safe adapter is useful and small
So thin
Cons: Only 2 USB ports!!!! Not enough
No firewire (I am not directly impacted by this luckily
That's it!
Would recommend to anyone needing a great little computer ( unless they need firewire then the older macbook or the MBP are great)
User Rating: 7/10
Nice little system
Pros: Thin runs well... very solid.
Cons: More ports and pixels, please.
User Rating: 9/10
Great Notebook
Pros: Solid Build quality. Size,Weight,Speed are all great. Better battery life than I expected. OSX vs Windows is not much of a contest. When ever the 5TB solid state HD is out and under $200.00 (DREAMING) the upgrade will be simple with the new design.
Cons: Firewire would be nice but not a deal breaker. A third USB port or at least a little more space between them would be a suggestion. Not all USB plugs have a slim profile.
User Rating: 2/10
True, it looks nice and that's just about it
Pros: One cool-looking little laptop
Cons: Display is awful, connection options crippled, the Finder (Mac OS X) is the worst desktop environment I've seen in a long time
User Rating: 9/10
The MacBook is the perfect laptop an average user.
Pros: OS X is user friendly, lightweight and sturdy aluminum construction, the trackpad works well after getting used to having no buttons, good battery life, Apple's attention to detail (MagSafe charger with extension, everything comes preloaded, etc.)
Cons: The glossy screen is a bit distracting, especially outside but it really isn't a big deal.
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent, Fast, Backlit Keyboard, Very Stable OS!
Pros: Fast, Backlit Keyboard, Very Stable OS
Cons: None yet, reliable system
User Rating: 1/10
overpriced pieceofs...
Pros: cool but I can get much more for the money if i buy a pc laptop
Cons: costs a lot. realy a lot
User Rating: 10/10
Excellent with capital E
Pros: Stylish, Fast, Running Mac
Cons: Its 2400 dollars with studant discount
User Rating: 10/10
GREAT NOTEBOOK FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT
Pros: Great laptop for the individuals who like the reliability of Apple as-well as the design factor. This thing runs and looks better than my XPS I have the solid state, 4gb ram on the 2.4. I can turn this thing on and then off before my xps even starts.
Cons: The screen is a little to glossy but I purchased a protector that also took care fo that. I wish they redisign the charger. Apple needs to due something about the xpress slot.
I have found flaws in this computer too (see my cons), but i think its nothing major to get in your way.
I dont say this stuff because i'm a apple addict. I like how their stuff always works. That alone says a lot........YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR..... IF YOU CANT AFFORD IT AND LIKE IT then Save up because its a good investment.
User Rating: 4/10
The Aluminum MacBook cuts into my hand.
Pros: Real quiet. Keeps cool all the time. Not overpriced (see explanation below.)
Cons: Very serious design/ergonomic mistakes. Lower edge of the laptop cuts into the hand. The screen will not open past 120 degrees, which makes one stoop to see the screen if viewing on the couch, easy chair, floor, etc.
Another built-in, unalterable problem is that the screen will not open more than about 120 degrees. The booklet even goes out of its way to tell you this, so you won't force it. When using a laptop from a couch, with the computer on my lap, I always need to open the screen more than that. Very, very bad design mistake. And pointless.
So I want to return this MacBook.
A note about cost: to the end of getting a different laptop for my needs (which is a portable computer for running Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and other such design-y programs, along with some music recording programs) I went to the HP website to see what they had.
An HP with the SAME CPU, the SAME GPU, SAME hard disc, same ram, same resolution, same disc drive, etc, etc, costs about $300 less than this Mac. I'm comparing two reduced prices with each other, since I got this MacBook at a good after-Thanksgiving promo price from MacConnection.
That said, the HP comes with Vista, and it DOESN'T' come with very specific pre-installed Mac programs that I will use, like the video, music, and website designing suite "iLife."
The HP would have been the same size, probably just as cool and clean, etc, but to get similar programs on it would have cost probably about the $300 difference. So actually this computer is not terribly overpriced.
A lot of complaints surround what this machine is for, and target the silliness of paying more for brand only, but actually it is a fair priced machine for those who want a portable design-ready computer. (Note that I have the 2.4 GHz line.) Should I return this one, it'll be for the hand-slicing thing, not for price. Looking at software costs and the TIME costs, it's a savings to just get this Mac and use it for some design applications right out of the box. Time is money and I don't want to spend two weeks getting an HP, for example, up to usefulness. Also some system crashes when running Dreamweaver from a similar PC cost me a lot of time. Crashes are less frequent with Macs, which again, saves money and productivity.
Note how this review is well written. It's a shame how most people who submit reviews don't take the trouble to write well.
It matters. I noticed.
User Rating: 1/10
No FireWire cheapens it, cheaper PC notebooks have more
Pros: Another great looking product. Thats it, just looks great. Well, the case is a vast improvement as well.
Cons: No FireWire is a killer. Not only does it cripples its usefulness, but makes you lose Target DM for fast and easy data transfer, need to transfer data in an emergency, forget using Ethernet. One can buy a Notebook PC for $800 WITH FireWire. Wake up!
Why is FW so important?
With Apple dropping FW on 2 notebooks and iPod, it sends message that FW is NOT important to Apple (despite creating it), so vendors will stop supporting FW for Mac, and soon you cannot get any FW products for a fair price.
USB2 is really a horrible protocol compared to others. Sure it is everywhere, but that does not mean it should be used for everything. FireWire is not just faster, but far more reliable, versatile, easier to use, does not slow down the computer, and is a standard for A/V industry.
Use the Ethernet? Cannot use for emergency disk access and 1000 Ethernet (GigaNet) isSLOWER then USB2, which is 50% slower then FW 400.
That one little 'feature", FireWire, is more important to Apples and Mac users future then the MacBook.
User Rating: 9/10
Written by an actual owner and user
Pros: Much quieter than the previous model
The trackpad is a joy to use (It did take some time to adopt)
The design is stunning
The case doesn't mark as easily as the previous model
My old macbook died (1 year 2 months old) I was given the new one for free
Cons: I wish apple made both models with the backlit keyboard.
I don't think I've come across other cons....
The OS makes tasks simpler, quicker, sleeker and better. It is a joy to work on. i've never experienced a million windows popping up at once or any form of internet virus. The system doesn't seem to slow despite heavy use. For my job I work with older macs we use very high intense media and they're still worth there weight in gold.
I'm not really bothered if my computer is green or not, that doesn't effect me in the slightest. All i know is this computer will last me for years, I will treasure it as much then as I do now. I find it very strange and slightly concerning that feel a sense of pride for something that I own, but this is what the macbook does.
If you own this laptop you will love it and you'll treasure it fair better than any other. Hence the lifespan will increase and you'll never want to part ways.
This could wreck your marriage......... too far... I just went way to far there!
like I'm married, look how i just spoke about a laptop!
User Rating: 1/10
Decent looking. But it sux
Pros: I like the Macbook's new looks. black keyboard is a plus. the buttonless pad is awesome
Cons: i hate mac (rly). its VERY pricey for its kind
User Rating: 1/10
Good computer. BAD! BAD! BAD! SCREEN
Pros: Good general computer
Cons: Unusable screen
User Rating: 10/10
Amazing Laptop!!!
Pros: Nice, sleek design, fast and powerful, great graphics, trackpad is great, battery, illuminated keyboard, comes with garage band
Cons: no firewire, glossy screen:just me, not a lot of games
User Rating: 9/10
A Great Computer, at a Great Price...
Pros: Basically as powerful as the Macbook Pro now, very compact, multi-touch trackpad greatly improves speed of typical tasks, a beautiful design that you will be grateful to own every time you see it.
Cons: Less connectivity than previous models. Expensive when compared to windows laptops, but you really do get what you pay for here.
User Rating: 10/10
Great Computer for students
Pros: Build quality is awesome, feels great, great for someone who wants an all around good computer. The magsafe charger, large track pad with multitouch, and the operating system just compliment every other feature.
Cons: Can't think of anything wrong.
User Rating: 8/10
WHO HERE ACTUALLY OWNS A MACBOOK TO REVIEW? I DO!
Pros: LED Backlit Screen. Illuminated keyboard. OS X. Mag-safe power cable. lightweight. Lack of heat emminating from the bottom. New multi touch mousepad! FIREWIRE??? who cares! it's a dying breed for mass consumers!
Cons: People who don't own one and comment about it, only 2 USB connectors, no SD card reader, integrated video card (not really a con) but for $1600 dedicated would be nicer!
Now for all these people who complain about all the lack of features, they have not truly played with a new macbook. who cares about firewire? not me I'm not a A/V professional and only those types would need it and they'd want to get the macbook pro with the dedicated video card not the integrated one which comes in the macbook! it's a dying breed not many mass consumer devices use firewire. No buttons for the track pad? come on that is the lamest excuse of a bad thing. The new multitouch mousepad eliminates the need for a button and like the iphone after a couple of days it's like 2nd nature to you. I can use just 2 fingers with an upward or downward swipe anywhere on the pad to scroll this screen up or down. with my other laptops I would have to click a button then scroll my mouse over to the scroll area then find the far right edge of my mousepad. I have on occasion tried to scroll up or down with the hand-rest area on my old laptops. The mousepad is so large on the macbook it's hard not to miss it. there are down sides to the multi touch pad but that's with inexperience which I will soon have mastered. expandibility? what laptop isn't limited? weight? it's only 4.5 lbs! some commenters are just ______ you fill in the blank!
Updated on Dec 21, 2008a negative that I have run into is information and ability to network the computers in the house. I have not yet been able to get OS X and Vista to link up.
User Rating: 10/10
Busting oooh5615...
Pros: Display, Trackpad, Stability
Cons: oooh5615 and his hate
http://www.cnet.com/profile/oooh5615/
and check out all the reviews that this guys has made. Out of 65... at least 60 are pure hate against the new MacBook... he himself has taken down the star rating!!!
AND HE TALKS ABOUT FANBOYS !!!! VERY SAD HATEBOY oooh5615 .... creating the false ratings that you criticize... very sad man... get a life!!!!!
(To all the rest of serious users, I will write a review later on. Finally got the MacBook a week ago after 20 years as a PC user. What a good product)
User Rating: 5/10
An OK laptop, for Apple
Pros: Beautiful design, very sturdy case, strong performace
Cons: Poor display and keyboard, very few connectivity opions
Pros: the laptop's design is very elegant and simple. The body felt sturdy and robust enough to withstand all kinds of shocks while in travel (none of manufacturers except the tough but ugly Toughbook by Panasonic offers anything like that). The processor power was more than adequate for everyday use tasks: word processing, the internet, videos, etc.
Cons: The display on tis laptop seems to be of poor quality (highly contrast, unimpressive colors) and the glossy screen over it makes things only worse. The glare may not be as bad as some say it is, but overall the display was no match for comparably priced Sony VAIOs. The keyboard is another disappointment (I type a lot). It felt cheap, with flat keys and unpleasant tactile feedback. Comparably priced Lenovo ultraportables offer way better keyboards.
Conclusion: I wasn't as excited as the CNET reviewers were. For an Apple computer, this Macbook was just OK unfortunately.
User Rating: 10/10
CNET needs to fix or moderate these reviews.
Pros: Some people actually review the products
Cons: Tons of morons just come to express their opinions without even owning the product, spoil the star rating accuracy and make the job of weeding through the fake reviews to find the actual reviews tedious.
User Rating: 4/10
Numerous bugs and quality problems
Pros: Well designed and the price is reasonable
Cons: Too many problems with hardware and I guess software, too
Random freezes: About 10 minutes ago I was using Safari and Mail.app, mainly just browsing the web and checking my email, and then everything went crazy. The icons on my desktop were somehow hidden from view, Safari tried to mount a Disk-Image and then crashed when trying to display a license-agreement. Mail.app just plain-old crashed, and I was forced to restart. I have had almost every application I generally use crash or freeze at some point- maybe I should have taken a hint...
Mouse-freeze: Okay, I know I did not exactly choose the best name for this problem, but this is a problem to be noted. The BT mouse attached my MacBook keeps freezing up- the computer still runs normally, yes; but I really cannot be seriously working on something and have the mouse freeze up every now and then.
Battery life: The battery gets completely drained after less than 4 hours of use.
Keyboard: The keyboard is nice but the space key feels loose.
Power adapter: It generates a spark every time I plug it in.
As I finish typing this, I hope that I will be able to return this MacBook without having to pay a restocking fee.
User Rating: 1/10
I Will Not Buy Any Mac Computers
Pros: for as long as Apple restricts Mac OS X from running on any hardware platform
Cons: There should be no hardware restrictions, same as there are none with Windows or Linux
User Rating: 2/10
glossy display = no play!
Pros: could've been a good laptop if it were not for the display misfire
Cons: display is dismal, trackpad ... is just weird and uncomfortable
i wonder how many enraged designers out there are needed to have apple reconsider their all glossy decision, or is it that apple simply no longer gives a damn about the market that once helped define the mac as a household name? these macbooks i figure are made for the 'gimme da goodies' masses - apple isn't targetting the design professionals anymore, even with the macbook pros - and i assume it will completely transform into a mass pc-oriented manufacturer as time goes by.
User Rating: 9/10
outstanding!! Reviews should be limited to OWNERS!!
Pros: screaming fast, beautiful design, light weight, innovative touchpad.
Cons: no firewire, no express slot. expensive
User Rating: 1/10
won't be upgrading until major changes arrive
Pros: for the price - nothing
Cons: underspec'd and too expensive
Updated on Nov 30, 2008P.S. If Apple wants to be competitive with anyone but fanboys with rich parents and "convenient" bricking of the past model (tsup Nolan) they need to pin their prices to other notebooks (be it 1.2x the price of an equivalent Dell, or whatever).
User Rating: 9/10
This is my first mac, I could not be happier.
Pros: Mac OSX, beautiful display, 4 finger trackpad gestures, backlit keyboard feels great and is much more usable, aluminum body feels durable and sturdy, Most of all the size and weight are fantastic and unmatched in its category!
Cons: Lack of SD slot and firewire, new touchpad has a learning curve
For carrying around, the computer itself is one of the most thin and light computers I have ever seen in this class. As a student, I have no trouble carrying it to classes, work, study sessions, because it is no bigger than taking a textbook with me. And a nice traveling feature is by closing the notebook, you can take it in a case without the computer overheating, and then when you open the lid, your right where you left it, basically a much easier hibernate!
The trackpad and keyboard take some adjustment time but after some getting used to, going back is extremely difficult! Because of the unibody, the computer is extremely sturdy, especially in the palm rest area where many computers feel weak or bendable.
However, the most important thing to me about this computer is its operating system. OSX truly is the most full featured, robust, and easy to use operating system on the market. I have trouble imagining using anything else now. First the dock, finder, and overall interface is extremely thought out and simple to use. Within the finder, options like quick look make finding your files really easy. And included programs like the entire iLife sweet and iChat, mail and ical, are all simple and fun!
I just wanted to give everyone perspective from someone that has used the notebook and allowed some time to adjust before getting on review sites and giving it a 1 star because it doesn't have a firewire port. I think any consumer needs to look at Apple and the aluminum macbook if in the market for a new PC. After a few weeks, I cannot imagine going back! Windows will have to fix its large shortcomings for me to get rid of my macbook!
User Rating: 3/10
Form-over-function, again.
Pros: Design, casing hewn out of a single block of aluminium.
Cons: Completely unergonomic display and keyboard.
When I saw the new MacBook, I had deja vu. The same captivating appearance... This time, however, I'd got more smarts.
I've got a few notes, but the main headline for me is the unergonomic engineering of the display and the keyboard.
The high contrast glossy screen is no longer new for Apple; it has been a feature of MacBook laptops, although a matte version's also been available, for sometime. However under the bright halogen lights of the Apple store the, the glare was really annoying. The Apple sales girl kept setting the MacBook to show a photo gallery of highly optimised photos (which looked wonderful on the screen). But whilst trying to type in a high contrast black-text-on-white-background environment like the TextEdit, the glare became mightily annoying.
The MacBook sports a black keyboard consisting of flat, square, widely spaced keys. They look beautiful and minimalistic. But as soon as I got down to typing on them... eeek! In order to reach the keys it felt like I had to splay my fingers out really widely. Try holding your hands in front of you and splay your fingers so that they are as wide apart from each other. That's how it feels to type on this keyboard. I don't have particularly small fingers either.I was still able to type, but my speed and accuracy was reduced drastically. Aside from the wide spacing, the flat keys offer no tactile confirmation of your finger being on the centre of the key - a really important thing if you're a touch-type like me. Most keyboards, including my Thinkpad, have ridged keys that dip in the middle so you know where the centre lies. I wonder whether it's going to become an issue, especially for those who have ordered online without even trying the new machine out first.
So I don't think I'll be buying a MacBook. I just am put off by the glossy display and can't get on with the keyboard, and in many regards it's form-over-function taken too far. It's also given me a reality check as to why I don't like Apple hardware.
User Rating: 10/10
Can't get any better!!
Pros: Strong and sturdy case, love the new track pad, and the screen is beautiful
Cons: Doesn't have a firewire port, but that ain't nothing to cry about
User Rating: 8/10
Looks? TICK Performance? TICK? Firewire? Bumbow!
Pros: 1. New trackpad. Multifinger gestures.
2. Aluminium unibody. Rock solid.
3. Compact size.
4. Awesome performance and integration of various software components. Not buggy. (so far!)
5. Backlit keyboard (adjustable lighting).
6. Enjoyable experience
Cons: 1. Screen is sensitive to viewing angle. But fine if you are static and adjust it right.
2. Lack of firewire and express card! Apple messed up here big time...they have upset a lot of people with this omission (firewire especially.)
I originally started looking at HP notebooks (which I could get very cheap!) and some Sony ones. They were all very nice machines. I also had a look at the Apple counter and started having a play with their laptops. I was trying to keep an open mind as I had never used a Mac before, with the thought in my mind that a big change is not what I needed right now.
In the process of playing, a salesperson showed me how the new track pad gestures worked, and I found them to be extremely intuitive and SOOOOOO much easier to use than traditional track pads. Just two weeks, on, I now find it frustrating to use my windows machines at work which have the traditional track pad. For starters, the Macbook trackpad is huge compared to any pc notebook. About 4x larger. That means you use less strokes to move across the screen. I seem to arrive at a point more accurately too...I really don't know why! The right click gesture I use is to put 2 fingers on the trackpad, and depress the right finger. It just seems so normal now. Left clicking is very intuitive too. You just depress wherever you are on the pad. You have to press a lot harder near the top of the pad though as that's where it is hinged. Honestly, I don't even like using a mouse anymore, it feels so wrong compared to using gestures. Scrolling up and down or across a document is very easy -no click and drag. Just 2 fingers on the trackpad and move up, down, left or right. Previous page?- 3 finger swipe left. Next page- swipe right. I wish I could do this on my windows machines.
Then I had a look at Keynote as I have to do presentations regularly...and the interface and quality of the slides was , well, impressive. Especially how easy it is to integrate graphics from the iphoto library. To me it was already a lot more intuitive than powerpoint, which I had been using for years.
It was lots of little things that made me decide to make the change and buy a more expensive machine. For example, the magsafe power adaptor - no more worries about damaging the power outlet when tripping on the cord. Backlit keyboard.Great feel to the keys. Rock solid aluminium body. - No more stressing about cracking the plastic shell if I'm less than careful. More little things.....the aluminium body doesn't get covered in fingerprints. The inbuilt mic works very nicely.The noise reduction works well - is not overly sensitive or tinny.
I find the screen is a mixed bag. Photos look rich and the colour is beautiful. But you need to get the screen sitting just right. It is pretty sensitive to changes in viewing angle. I think it will take awhile for me to get used to doing photo processing on this screen, but I'll definately get there.
Watching DVDs looks awesome. I have not been bothered by reflections at all yet. I must be the odd man out. Both when our house is lit by daylight or overhead lights, I've not been bothered by reflections.
Like most people, I think the omission of firewire was a big mistake. It doesn't really affect me much, but I can see how it would be a deal breaker for many people....especially when all the competition offer it...at a lower price!
The sound from the Macbook is actually very good.Well, it's loud and clear. Of course,not full and bassy. Hooked up to my home amp, and also my PA gear, it sounds great. The line-in/mic port is clean when I recorded some music through it. My headphones sounded clear and full through the headphone jack.
In the end, the overall package won me over. I voted with my hard earned dollars. No regrets so far.
I rationalized the purchase like this: although the initial purchase price is substantially higher than a PC equivalent, the Macbook comes with a lot more useful (valuable) software already installed. And it's not buggy crappy software that you have to fight with. It is well integrated, intuitive (to me) and someone else has already ironed out the bugs. The iLife suite is just amazing. Once you factor in the software, the purchase price is actually comparable again. The user interface is so much better than anything I have used before. From the backlit keys to the solid aluminium body, which has never gotten hot on my lap, even when processing video. I think because the entire body shell is aluminium,it disperses the heat very evenly, without the normal hot spots other notebooks get. Also,the Macbook is very very quiet. I hardly ever hear it. Others I've heard can be intrusive.
That's it. (sorry to waffle...)
Now, back to my life......
User Rating: 2/10
Steve Jobs is officially nuts
Pros: Good exterior design, sturdy chassis
Cons: Numerous ergonomic failures, pricey, quality of components is average at best
The new line of Apple MacBooks are gorgeous looking pieces, but their faults are a-plenty and their high prices are making me wonder if Mr Jobs ever reads newspapers or watches the TV anymore. The absence of FireWire and the glossy screens are part of the problem (for a large part of users at least). There are also flagrant ergonomic failures, like the button touchpad, the weird, inconvenient keyboard, or the need to close and restart a session on the MacBook to change one graphics setting for another (the new Sony VAIO Z does it on the fly). The performance of the battery life isn?t very impressive, given that it?s less than that of the previous series. Lastly, let?s not talk about Apple?s stinginess, since it is operating these machines on the same processor as it does for the iPods. Then there?s the empty box of accessories (apart from the power adapter, luckily). That?s the last straw, all for a price that?s definitely amongst the highest in the class.
When economies are collapsing all over the world, the last thing your average consumers will need are these 'all in the name of appearance' laptops. The admiration of cheering fans aside (those are going to worship anything Apple puts forth), readers here do not seem to be cheering to Apple having sacrificed useful features and component quality for the looks and perceptions. And, again, the pricing delivers the finishing blow.
User Rating: 10/10
A computer that looks good and works better, it's a Mac
Pros: Appearance, usability, size and weight, software, large convenient track pad, speed (especially the graphics)
Cons: no firewire
User Rating: 9/10
First Mac... Won't Go Back
Pros: Touch pad, keyboard, screen, OS, great sleep mode
Cons: Expensive, VERY difficult to convert your music files if they are in wma format!!
The touch pad is amazing. You can do everything with it. Too much to explain here. Keyboard feels great, screen is very impressive, so is the operating system. Fun and easy to use.
The sleep mode is one of my favorite things about this computer. Mac recommends that if you are going to use your computer within a day or so, there is no need to turn it off. You simply close the computer and it goes into sleep mode. When you want to use it, you just open it and you'll be computing within seconds. The sleep mode is probably not the most sustainable method, but it is awesome to not have to wait for your computer to boot up.
Cost is obvious, but worth it so far.
Warning to anyone who has mass files of wma music!!! I ripped all my cd's on my old PC (400+ cd's!). PC's will default to rip the music in wma format that Mac iTunes will not support. Each file has to be converted separately and takes ~10 seconds per song. Doesn't seem like much, but if you have a lot of music, it's almost impossible to convert the music without ripping your hair out. Luckily I had an IT friend who converted the files for me. It would have taken me months!
Overall, I recommend this computer!!
User Rating: 3/10
4 Reasons Why MacBook Sucks
Pros: Very attractive design
Cons: Not any faster than the older gen (white) MacBook, the trackpad and keyboard are crappy
1. It's not fast
My older 2.0 GHz white MacBook is as fast if not faster than the MacBook. It doesn't seem possible given the new chips, DDR3 memory, etc. but there is no question. I even added 1GB of RAM and it made minimal difference
2. The trackpad looked filthy after 15 minutes of use
I am germaphobic enough. Looking at the trackpad was leading to OCD thinking my hands weren't clean.
3. The keyboard is weird and stupid
Everyone keeps saying "you?ll get used to it" but I don?t want to. It's not ergonomically better, the keys are mushy and weak, and it feels cheap. Oh how I miss the good old Thinkpad keyboards.
4. Apple Stores have become a playground for internet junkies
Seriously, an Apple store is about the worst shopping experience you can have if you actually want to buy a computer. People sit there throughout the day (I asked a few sales guys) and just use the internet and play games. And the machines are jacked up because of it. You can't really tell how well something runs cause you don't really want to touch anything.
Despite the fact that Apple remains one of (if not the most) innovative companies it doesn't matter if the product that utilizes the innovation is crap. This is the same as the so-called open source efforts companies undertake when they throw mediocre products over the transom as open source.
User Rating: 10/10
All around computer, great flexibility around programs
Pros: It's a simple to use computer, I don't know why people say it's hard to use (I use both windows and mac). reasonable battery life for a computer in its class, still fast when multiple programs are in use, transitions between programs is very easy.
Cons: as a student, what sucks is the price... Especially during a time like this, apple should bring the price down a bit, the student discount and workers discount is still not enough!!!
I totally love this product as a student because of the ease of use and less clutter. When working in programs like adobe illustrator/ photoshop the gui is a lot nicer than on windows, you have your work space plus you can actually see your desk top. If you need to get something from your desktop simply click away from your work space and your gui hides away (pretty fun by the way). Plus, I love the idea of having all your apps in the doc rather on your desktop, it's a little bit more cleaner I would say. Another thing is that all the "built in apps" are very well organized and easy to use, make a movie of anything, import a garageband song with it or any song what have you, burn and enjoy! Switching from mac to windows via boot camp is very cool, if you are planning to play games on the machine or use other window products, for some reason windows is way faster on the mac machine.
The machine is very light weight and very sturdy. Putting the i-mac screen to the laptops was also somewhat a great idea for boosting colors, but what about the anti- glare, where did it go??? Back lit keys are as bright as the macbook air's backlight keys. And the new touch pad takes a lot of getting use to (I keep pressing the bottom of the pad thinking that there is a button forgetting that the whole pad is a button)
The only major down fall is the price is just uber jack high, especially when the economy is down! The damn workers and student discount isn't enough! Only If Apple was nice enough to bring the price down, now that would be nice, and or everyone write reasonable letters to apple to bring the price down,that would be a miracle.
But bottom line, it is a "toy" but a super toy! FIVE stars and TWO thumbs up.
All built in programs are very useful, boot camp to windows for games, and flexibility around programs makes the macbook and the pro easy to use.
User Rating: 8/10
Solid, lightweight, stable
Pros: This is my first Mac laptop. I installed Parallels and Vista and love running Windows and Mac OS X together. The performance of this system is great but I think my favorite thing is the build quality. Nothing flexes or moves at all.
Cons: The touch pad doesn't perform well when running windows directly (using bootcamp) but when running under parallels it is fine. Also, if you have a beloved Firewire device, step up and get a Mac Book Pro.
User Rating: 8/10
Great, it is an Apple after all!
Pros: Steady construction, awesome display, comfortable keyboard, great performance!
Cons: No Fire Wire, change on the video output jack, learning curve with the mouse pad.
User Rating: 2/10
Apple peddles gadgets. I want a COMPUTER
Pros: no useless firewire
Cons: ugly and overpriced
Secondly -- who cares about firewire? It's going the way of the dinosaurs. USB 3.0 is due out soon and will blow even FW800 away for about 1/3 the price.
Apple continues to push out overpriced, vertically integrated gadgets. What I need is a decent looking computer. A C-O-M-P-U-T-E-R! Anybody listening?
User Rating: 1/10
Offset the fanbois
Pros: Ughm... can browse the internet with it
Cons: All looks, no substance
User Rating: 10/10
Offset the Mac haters
Pros: Eco friendly, awesome specs. Who the F cares about lack of firwire, size
Cons: nothing, this notebooks very nice
User Rating: 2/10
Apple has become the New Bully !
Pros: Slick chassis, fast CPU/graphics
Cons: No Firewire, no connectivity, expensive !
User Rating: 10/10
The Best of times!
Pros: I think is the best laptop of all times!
Cons: it seems that every thing is perfect!
User Rating: 1/10
Design is Fanstastic but the rest is Sucktastic!
Pros: Top class industrial design
Cons: Display is [expletive], wifi is [expletive], battery is [expletive]
> the display sucks royally. It's too reflective and I can't see [expletive]
> wifi reception is somewhat sucky. I'm sitting 10 ft away from the base station and one bar is already gone. My blackbook 2.4 gives me the full set of bars from the backyard
> the battery is half of my blackbook
What's up apple? ***???
User Rating: 2/10
I'd recommend to stay away from the new Macbook
Pros: It impresses at first glance
Cons: It disappoints a lot after you spend some quality time with it
Macbook Pro and Air have a better screen. The vertical viewing angles on the new Macbook are not that great and the black levels are worse. The new Macbook screens definitely have lower quality than the old white Macbooks. I fiddled with color calibration for quite a while and think that you couldn't get good colors by calibrating the Macbook screen.
The brightness control is almost useless. It has to be at full or one step down for the screen to remain readable. Maybe it works better in a really dark environment, I don't know.The black screen borders don't look all that great, neither do they help make the screen easier to read compared to the white borders on the older MB.
The new trackpad is a slick trick but it's not that useful. It can a lot of things I do with a mouse using mouse gestures. But do I like those awkward attempts on finger acrobatics on a trackpad?
Lack of FireWire is a bummer indeed. For me this might not be that big a deal since I'm not sure if my audio interface can have two computers connected (Echo AudioFire4, my main desktop is a PC running Vista 64-bit) and I hate switching cables. It's bollocks that you need to buy Displayport -> DVI/VGA/video etc adapters separately to use an external screen of any kind. They could've at least supplied the DVI/VGA adapter since that's what most people will be using.
User Rating: 10/10
its great video, speed, etc
Pros: Battery, screen, graphics, etc
Cons: none ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The style is another thing great power incorporating the looks
User Rating: 10/10
Great performance, reliable and not too heavy
Pros: Design, performance, comfort, reliability
Cons: Some minor issues with wifi connection that should be solved soon (downloaded some updates but haven't checked yet)
Anyway... so in more details:
The laptop is gorgeous: sober, simple design, it looks very well finished and I like the colors (aluminum, black and some white) very classy... the screen is very nice but you let your finger print very easily
The performance is very good, but I haven't used it to play or do image processing yet so it would have to be very good
I really like couple of things that you cannot find on PC:
- The track pad is huge and is really convenient you can quickly learned how to use it with one, two, three or four fingers! This was truly amazing... before I couldn't work w/o a mouse... now it goes much faster with the pad
- The illuminated keyboard; great when you are in the dark
- The OS: I am still in the learning phase but here again some of the function specific to mac are great; The F3 function that show all the applications running (faster than the alt tab I used), the spaces that enables you to create and switches several screens at the same time
maybe all this is familiar for you... but for me it was new and a great discovery...
a good purchase!
User Rating: 4/10
Issues with Display Undermine Value of MacBook
Pros: - Better videoprocessor
- Stronger aluminum unibody
- Silky-smooth trackpad
Cons: - Crippling issues with the display
The issues with the new MacBook:
1. The whole screen has an icky blue cast, and nothing in the display calibration settings will fix this. My old MacBook has a much more pure and natural looking white. I think Apple needs to work more on the LED back-lighting (or maybe they cheaped out on the MacBook LEDs).
2. The blacks on the new display are washed out. This is obvious on the start-up animation (with the multilingual "welcome" animations against the Leopard nebulae in space). It's not just an issue with black images, however, this propagates to everything looking less crisp. And it's not an issue of adjusting brightness or screen angle. In fact, if you try to adjust the screen angle to get some reasonably good blacks, you get parts of the screen where you have a metallic or posterized effect. I saw this in the store displays as well, but I didn't realize that it would occur under normal viewing angles vs. extreme situations.
3. Colors are not vibrant (nothing compared to my 1st generation MacBook). By not vibrant, I mean that different hues of blue, for example, are not distinct from one another. When I open Word, the splash screen has four different blue colors in the "feather" shape at the top right. On the old MacBook the blues are distinctly different and colorful, on the new MacBook they are much closer in hue and more dull. I think this is a result primarily of issues one and two above, but it may also have to do with other aspects of the inferior LCD on the Aluminum MacBook.
4. The new MacBook screen should be called "mirror-like" not "glossy". My 1st generation MacBook has a glossy screen. It's good. I rarely have an issue with visible reflections from it. The new MacBook is a constant battle. One major problem is that the screen needs to be pushed farther back to get reasonable contrast, but this angle directly reflects ceiling lights at the user. It's also so significantly more reflective than the previous glossy screen that it picks up windows and floor lamps and everything else a lot more easily. It's a mess.
I hope this helps other folks avoid my mistake in seeking to upgrade from an existing MacBook. The new one is not any faster in day to day use (3D rendering excepted), and it has crippling issues with the display.
User Rating: 2/10
I'd pass on this one
Pros: basic, good for browsing
Cons: video is crap
User Rating: 3/10
Not very reliable
Pros: Good specs, looks
Cons: Something is wrong with the camera on my brand new laptop
User Rating: 10/10
Simply the best!
Pros: To many to list
Cons: Being without it.
User Rating: 8/10
This laptop closes the gap between the pricier mac pro
Pros: aluminum uni-body construction, faster graphics subsystem than previous mac book; gesture control is highly functional when used properly; LED screen has great brightness with minimal battery drain; battery can last 4.5 hours during web surfing
Cons: Not a glossy screen fan; as mentioned - no firewire port, only 2 USB; no HDMI output; still pay to play to own apple mac
User Rating: 8/10
One of the best yet
Pros: Track pad, usability and portabilty
Cons: Lack of firewire,
As for usability, the sharp plastic edges of the past Macbooks are gone in favor of smoother edges. Overall, the largest improvement in this area is the new trackpad - it's larger, made up of glass, and uses finger gestures, like iPhone does. Also gone is the click button, as now the entire trackpad is a click button in. The bottom right corner of the trackpad can be configured as a right click button. One of the other nice improvements comes from the nVidia 9400M chip pushing the graphics power up to 5x greater than past generation Macbooks. The new Macbook uses the faster DDR3 over the DDR2 of the past, and benefits form a faster system bus as well.
The true down side is the lack of firewire, now if you are new to Mac this wont be that big of a deal, on the other hand if you have invested money in firewire equipment than this is a true blow to the pocket book.
I had originally purchased a late 08 MacBook 2.4Ghz that was not long for this world, as some part of the hardware went bad shortly after I had gotten it. When I took it in to the Apple store 2 weeks past the 30 day return policy the kind and very helpful people at the Genius Bar promptly upgraded me to this wonderful mac book as I did not abuse the one I just took in.
User Rating: 4/10
New shell, same stuff
Pros: New aluminum frame!
Cons: Costs a lot, very few actual updates vs Macbook 2008
Incidentally, wonder what Apples does with the remaining two pounds of aluminum? Wonder what Greenpeace will think about that and how it will downgrade Apple's green rating? The only news here is that Mac computers are still overpriced and double what a comparable PC would cost.
User Rating: 9/10
a nice laptop
Pros: Overall the performance and the size of the laptop is just nice for me.
Cons: It is a little pricey.
User Rating: 2/10
Kinda ok but very slouw
Pros: nice metall case
Cons: very slouw and cost much money
User Rating: 10/10
Perfect laptop. Fast, sleek and stays cool in my lap.
Pros: Very sturdy. Super fast. Bright screen. Awesome battery life. But best of all, it will go and go and go with out a reboot.
Cons: Pretty expensive, but a perfect description of "you get what you pay for".
User Rating: 9/10
Solid, fast, reliable computer
Pros: Durable, unibody design with great features; 1066MHz memory and powerful NVIDIA graphics, killer software bundle includes OS X, iLife, and Boot Camp
Cons: Apple decided to stray away from Centrino 2 technology, no firewire, ho-hum display
This is the most beautiful, sturdy laptop I've ever used. The machine feels so solid, yet it's so thin and light (.95", 4.5 lbs). The chicklet keyboard feels a bit odd at first, but I've decided I like it. The keyboard's backlight is appreciated, as well. The integrated iSight camera is a lot of fun to use. In combination with iChat and Photobooth (included in OS X), one can have an infinite amount of fun with all the included effects.
Apple included new faster 1066MHz memory (versus 667MHz on the previous models) in their new Macbooks; this means even faster sharing of data throughout the machine's parts. The processor is very powerful as well, packing a robust 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. This makes the computer even faster, especially paired with the faster RAM. I do have a little gripe with the processor, though, but I'll get into that later. The new integrated graphics set is well-appreciated. Effects in iPhoto apply quickly, and making movies in iMovie is a smooth experience. Casual games (and even some heavy ones like Call of Duty 4) run well, too.
The software bundled with this machine is spectacular. Mac OS X is the best thing created since sliced cheese, and iLife is a very feature-rich package. The ability to run Windows is a dream come true, considering there are still applications that need Windows to work.
There are some downsides, though. Apple skipped over Intel Centrino 2 technology and are therefore not keeping up with the latest and greatest tech out there. The lack of firewire is a very minor annoyance, as there are tons of work-arounds. The display an annoyance, too, but not for the typical reasons. The glossiness of the display doesn't bother me one bit; I find it very attractive, actually. The size is just perfect, and LED-backlighting is a welcome, eco-friendly upgrade. It's the quality of the display, though, that is disappointing. Blacks are uneven and generally on the light-gray side, and the colors seem a little off. I hope these problems aren't caused by the LEDs; I'd hate to think this new technology is harming the quality of color reproduction.
Regardless of the few annoyances, this is an excellent machine. It's feature rich inside and out, and and a very capable computer overall.
User Rating: 4/10
Apple kept dragging its feet when a leap was due
Pros: Better graphics, stronger body
Cons: Nothing exciting to turn it into a head turner
There is hardly anything revolutionary about it. Some different price points, loads of aluminum, a more powerful graphics subsystem, an optional solid state hard drive and some gimmickry in the name of touch gestures and the glass trackpad. These kinds of features and specs have been offered in laptops from other manufacturers for quite some time now. I not quite sure how much the glass trackpad and enhanced gestures add to the value of the new Macbook. So what is there in this laptop that would make it a compelling proposition for a new buyer? The short answer is nothing.
Spec wise the new laptop springs no surprises. The standard Intel Core 2 Duo processors feature in speeds ranging from 2.0GHz to 2.4GHz. The max RAM is limited to 4GB. Apple still does not offer a 64-bit version of the Mac OS on the laptops though both Microsoft and the various Linux distros do so. The graphics subsystem only helps to keep it abreast of the competition, not ahead of it.
So what's so different about this laptop? Practically nothing. In fact this new one does not look excitingly good, either. The serious coolness that used to be the USP of Apple's laptops is missing in total in it. The metallic, roundish exterior brings up the memories of the fake flying saucers from the 50s' silly sci-fi flicks. Other than this it looks like a big and ugly relative of the iPhone's. Come on.
Apple has failed to live up to its own high standards of design with their new consumer laptop. The specs have improved from the previous lineup but not to the extent to really turn heads. Sorry to say but Apple just kept dragging its feet when a leap was due.
User Rating: 2/10
There are bad things to say
Pros: a moderate improvement over the previous Macbook model
Cons: display, connectivity, unreasonably high price
(a) The display is not of good quality; the glass edge-to-edge cover and some tweaks to the level of contrast (shame on Apple for resorting to such tricks) cannot camouflage that.
(b) The new DisplayPort is a joke. If this one is not a production machine, why does it use this extremely rare and also proprietary connector instead of VGA and/or HDMI?
(c) Weight. The Macbook is quite heavy for the type of laptop it claims to be.
(c) Price. To get a feel of where it stands on price, read CNET's take on 18" laptops (published yesterday) and look specifically at the Sony model. This is what $1800 will buy you. Now take a look at the specs of this Macbook to see what you will get for $1600. The conclusion: the Macbook 2008, rev.2, is ovepriced by some $500.
User Rating: 10/10
This is a joke right?
Pros: Ummmmm.. The best operating system in the whole world? Ease of use- nearly bullet proof stabilization and absolute user friendliness!
Cons: more bang for the buck would be nice.
User Rating: 10/10
a winner in all respects; complaints are sour grapes
Pros: design, light weight, display; thought I'd hate the gloss screen, but it's a winner... the LED backlight makes all the difference;
Cons: the all-trackpad button takes a little getting used to, but then anything new does;
User Rating: 1/10
the truth is ...
Pros: i cant leave it blank m'kay
Cons: i dont like the product
User Rating: 9/10
By far the best apple computer I've ever owned.
Pros: Bright Screen, Good keyboard feedback, awesome speakers, great wifi reception, glass trackpad is a nice addition, Powerful graphics, great expandability, very portable, best customer service available.
Cons: The glossy screen is a little annoying. I'm getting used to it though. My only other complaint is that the battery cover gives a little "clink" noise when I set it down. It's minor and I don't really care.
User Rating: 9/10
Read the reviews of the people who actually have one
Pros: Multi touch track pad
Unibody design
ddr3 1066 ram
and graphics
Cons: no firewire can live without but wont die
The unibody design is awsome instead of using 800 parts they got it down to around 200 and just feels much more solid and strong. I love the look and really wanted a 13 inch aluminum notebook.
Performance is insanely good. Its a great cross between the pro and the white macbook and yet a great performance upgrade from the white macbook. Sure the processor maybe less, but the graphics chip more then makes up for it and adds much greater performance.
I know you can get notebooks out there for cheaper but look at the design and engineering that goes into a product like this also with a great OS and awsome support. You pay more but you do get it back if you use it for its capability. If your going to facebook and look at pretty pictures of Sarah Palin then its not an ideal computer for you but still a great computer.
Dont listen to the nay says, go into an apple store and get your hands on one of these.
User Rating: 10/10
Impressive build, gfx performance, design, aesthetics
Pros: Build
Graphics performance
Design (functional and aesthetics)
OS X
Cons: Lack of Firewire
Not enough USB ports
Would it hurt to cut $100-200 off the prices?
User Rating: 2/10
It's an overpriced POS, but it looks nice.
Pros: Looks nice
Cons: Everything else
User Rating: 5/10
Poor LCD killed it for us
Pros: I love the cut aluminum. It seems so much more solid than the HP's and Toshiba's and Sony's that have lots of pieces and parts. It is the best looking laptop I have seen. Plus it runs OS X and that seems to be the best OS for a lot of people
Cons: Unfortunately, the cheap LCD Apple put on the new Macbook has very poor contrast and brightness. Check the forums at the various apple sites.
User Rating: 8/10
Best laptop I've had yet!
Pros: Out of four laptops, Two DELLs and one other MacBook, this machine inpresses me the most. One review stated Zero expandability... I say that is why these things have both Bluetooth and WiFi.
Cons: Docking port?
My daughter uses this machine with it's Bluetooth keyboard and mouse while utilizing her 20 inch LCD, but when she goes portable... pluging in her monitor and speakers (magnetic power connection shouldn't even be mentiomed) is a pain.
User Rating: 3/10
A loud buzz, followed by a muffled ****
Pros: a few improvements but
Cons: a great deal of disappointment
The colors on the glossy displays are way oversaturated and will cause more of a headache than it?s worth to color correct. The monitor resolution is just as crappy as before. One of the big talking points of the new Macbooks was the "leap" from the intergrated Intel chipset to an Nvidia 9400 version. Instead what we got was a babystep, just another integrated graphics chipset. Years are passing by and Apple is still not offering credible graphics performance in their mobiles? When people wonder why there are so few Mac games out there, point your finger at Apple and its hardware choices.
Then, every major laptop manufacturer on the planet offers a Blu-Ray option on their laptops, so the "bag of hurt" is only in Steve Jobs' head. Why anyone would want to watch a Blu-Ray movie on such a small screen, they ask. If that?s the case, then why would I want to watch hatchet-job quality, DRM-laced, iTunes HD movies on my laptop, either?
The standard DVI port is gone, and the mini-DisplayPort is the new Apple standard. Those of you who spent 30$ on mini-DVI cables for your last generation Macbook can just throw that crap in the trash because it's useless now. Apple?s new, magical display port can now power two external monitors once you empty your wallet for new, magical cables. It doesn?t handle the not-so magical HDMI, though. Also, the reasoning behind the axing of the FireWire port is more than apparent: by removing the FireWire port on the Macbook it almost forces you to spend the extra 500$ for a Macbook Pro.
And now here comes the all new, all-button trackpad. This is an invention truly worth the legacy of the puck mouse. Had they actually had it tried by anyone other than Jonathan Ive before it was adopted? The cursor easily slides off the link when you want to hit the stiff button underneath the trackpad with the index finger you're tracking with. Unlike a physical button, you cannot press it down with your thumb whenever you're tracking at around the bottom edge of the trackpad. Am I supposed to use my pinkie, instead, and try and hit on the upper edge? It may be a good idea to grab one of those Apple wireless mice while you're about it.
To be more positive, I like seeing the totally useless remote go.
User Rating: 10/10
Amazing product, superior design, great functionality
Pros: Solid aluminum casing, 1066 Mhz FSB and DDR3 memory at same speed, backlit LED display is amazing, much better graphics wiht nvidia, glass trackpad is very useful with new gestures, and of course Mac OS X 10.5
Cons: No firewire, but I never use it, new display out port is not compatible with old mini DVI cables, and you still have to pay for iWork if you want a word processor.
User Rating: 2/10
Bluetooth PROBLEMS
Pros: The colputer is nice, but
Cons: bluetooth is terrible!
(a) No matter what buttons I click, my Apple Mighty Mouse won't sync immediately after I wake the laptop up from sleep. It will sync eventually, after a minute or so.
(b) My Logitech diNovo mini b/t keyboard won't sync after sleep at all and will need to be re-paired.
(c) I tried using my b/t headset (Blueant Z9) with Skype. First, the fans went crazy, then the rainbow wheel appeared, and then macOS told me it had to shut itself down.
I now have 3 pieces of equipment worth in excess of $300 that are not fully functional. Apple specialists keep telling me that the mouse is alright because it re-connects after all and that I should contact Logitech and Blueant about the problems with their products. I think it's pretty fishy that 3 devices from unrelated manufacturers don't work well with the new macbook (all of them worked perfectly with the older one). I think this stinks!
User Rating: 9/10
New MacBook for use in College
Pros: Glass Trackpad w/ Multi Touch, Magsafe Adapter, Speed, Memory, Greatly Improved Graphics, Backlit Keyboard, Wireless N, Long Battery Life, Unibody Construction, and Mac OSX
Cons: Very limited ports, No Firewire (although I have only used it once or twice), Lack of Express Card or PCI Slot, No Memory Card Reader (card readers are cheap though), More expensive that other laptops although it isn't by much.
User Rating: 1/10
Crappy kind
Pros: don't see any real pros
Cons: nothing special ... a soso laptop priced like it's made of gold
User Rating: 9/10
turn on fast!!!! track pad awsome!!!!
Pros: super light, strong sturdy, really bright screen, long battery life
Cons: 1600 dollars.
Mac laptop have good resell value, Macbook is industry standard for Djs . SOlid product. The trackpad is so cool!!!!!
Also mac never get virus !!!
User Rating: 10/10
Impressive Inside-Out
Pros: Solid size/performance ratio
Silent, no fans needed, still runs cool, ambient light sensor, great-sounding speakers, slot-loading SuperDrive, native dual-booting capabilities, great battery life and connectivity, great keyboard, fast operating system
Cons: Pricey, lack of FireWire for camcorder, only two USB ports, no VGA/DVI/SVID, only a MiniDisplay port that requires a $30 adapter, a little on the heavy side. Productivity software must be purchased, though iLife is inlcuded.
- The touchpad gestures may seem useless at first, but once you use them you will never want to go back to a PC notebook. You will be clawing all over the PC touchpad and it won't listen to you like the MacBook does.
- Boot time and sleep wake-up time are virtually non-existent, they're literally as fast as turning on/unlocking your iPod Touch.
- Incredibly solid build, nothing bends and the screen never flops around. The thin aluminum body makes it feel like you're holding a solid slab of aluminum, almost alien/futuristic. The aluminum casing is also quite scratch-proof.
- Fast. Apps launch in a flash, many under a second.
- Clean yet also feature-packed OS. As we all know, no need for antivirus suites or any of that jazz. Leopard does everything we want it to, and does it fast.
- Speakers sounded freakishly good for a notebook (though they do of course lack bass), and they are hidden behind the keyboard surface so the sound can bounce off the monitor into your face. No visible speaker grills, so don't worry bout spilling water into your speakers. Though the Dell XPS M2010's speakers overall beat these out.
- Audiophiles behold: onboard audio sounds gorgeous with absolutely zero noise when nothing is playing, and the highs/lows are very well balanced on any good speakers/headphones. I myself am a total audiophile - own a Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer premium sound card, and I truly cannot tell the difference through my tunes. The audio is worth taking note of, they're the best notebook sound I've ever heard (Note: I'm talking about audio, not the built-in speakers)
- Graphics are buttery. The 9400m's performance within Leopard's Core Animation simply dominates the performance offered by the Intel X3100 they've been using in their older MacBooks. Cover flow flips at +60 frames per second, buttery smooth, and the genie effect no longer hitches. 3D games run modestly on the MacBook, though don't be the happy-go-lucky guy who buys Crysis for his Mac.
- Battery life is 3-4 hours on average with high display brightness and 802.11n Wi-Fi.
- Generous hard drive size, 160 GB minimum.
- Beautiful display, although the gloss may be a downside for many people. Personally I love the gloss as it really brings out the vivid colors.
- Built-in webcam is very sharp and smooth, and the built-in microphone is very sensitive
- Everything works. It feels invincible yet sleek at the same time.
- Before I owned this, I was a die-hard Mac hater.
*** Oh, and to all the MacBook dumpers out there on CNET: if you don't have one, don't review it. This is a review board, not a comment dump. If you don't have a MacBook you wouldn't know why Mac owners love their computers more than any others. The "Apple Tax" doesn't go for nothing - I challenge you to find a laptop with better engineering, speed, and seamlessness as the MacBook at $1300.
User Rating: 10/10
Best laptop I have ever owned...
Pros: DESIGN inside and out
MAC OS
Glass Trackpad is great
lighted keyboard
Cons: Nothing so far~
My wife has always used a Mac since college and she always raved about how her Mac is so much more user friendly and intuitive than my PC.
I used her G4 once in awhile and fell in love with it.
When the new 2.4 Ghz Macbook came out I decided to take the plunge and I have no regrets. Actually I regret not converting over sooner...it would have made life so much easier. If you are contemplating whether to change or not, I can explain it in very simple terms. It is easier to use and learn.
Updated on Nov 6, 2008Why are there so many people complaining about how expensive it is. If you cant afford it then just say so and move on~~~. Don't hate a product because you cant appreciate good design and a great OS. Why are people that do not even own the product rating it in the first place. Just like anything else in this world...if you cant afford it then it is not for you...
User Rating: 1/10
abysmal low value
Pros: good laptop as it is but
Cons: extremely high price => abysmally low value
User Rating: 10/10
PC to Mac,Best build, Best quality, good specs
Pros: -DDR3 SD RAM!!! 1066 FSB processor and RAM that is incredibly fast.
-great operating system, so less problems to fix usually.
-less than a inch thick, feels like your holding an aluminum block
-Track pad is mad sick once your use to it
Cons: -screen can be glossy
- since I don't use firewire I don't care for it
-this is an A grade quality laptop
-Easy to learn
-has boot-camp if you still need windows
User Rating: 9/10
Great Apple laptop!!!
Pros: -new aluminum casing
-Nvidia graphics chip makes gaming somewhat possible
-backlit keyboard available
-LED screen
-touch gestures
Cons: -Not sure how I like the new "no button" approach
-glossy display can be annoying in high light or outdoor use
User Rating: 1/10
Steve Jobs wants your annual membership $$$
Pros: you get a laptop
Cons: you can figure those out by reading the title
User Rating: 9/10
Improves on the old MacBook in nearly every category.
Pros: Outstanding build quality; very fast graphics for the class; much better screen than the old MacBook; new trackpad is wonderfully clever. Good battery life and Wi-Fi reception. Thinner and lighter than the old model despite the new speed.
Cons: Expensive, though the money goes somewhere. CPU options took a small step back. Screen still isn't as good as in the MacBook Air and could have the gloss toned down. FireWire would be nice, but isn't crucial.
It's as though Apple really did have a list of complaints to fix and crossed them all off. The unibody aluminum is absolutely sturdy and much more scratchproof, while the LED backlight definitely helps with color performance. And more importantly, the GeForce 9400M really does make all the difference for performance: I've played games, 1080p videos, and other intensive video tasks with much greater ease than on the old MacBook.
No doubt, Apple still has room to improve the system. The screen should really be transplanted from the MacBook Air; it's clear Apple dropped the quality a bit in the name of better profit margins. Also, while I may never need FireWire, what I've seen of the case internals suggests Apple could have shuffled the Kensington lock slot to fit a FireWire port. We'll see if the first revision can address that. As always, I'd love it if Apple returned to matte finish screens, though this doesn't matter as much as some people think. The LED is very bright and can help overcome strong reflections.
In the 2.4GHz trim, you're also paying quite a lot for a 13.3-inch system, but don't think of this as an entry-level portable. Think of it as a superior competitor to small-but-fast notebooks like the Sony VAIO SR: it may have the same screen size and specs, but it's thinner, faster, and has special features you probably won't ever get with rivals.
User Rating: 4/10
Loses firewire?
Pros: Very attractive
Cons: No firewire
User Rating: 7/10
Better, yet slightly worse than its predecessor
Pros: The aluminum body basically brings all of the best qualities of the Air without the Air's glaring limitations. Volume is way improved. The extra goodies, both inside and out pretty much make this system a quasi rebirth of the lovely 12" Powerbook.
Cons: The lack of a firewire port seriously limits its capabilities, such as using extra devices to daisy-chain, and using a speedy external boot volume. Slower processor than the $99 unit, though faster FSB and discrete graphics help to mitigate this.
The faster system bus and discrete graphics basically makes this machine a better system to dual boot into Windows if you intend to do some light gaming. Some of the little graphic lag that I've encountered on Leopard with previous Macbooks no longer seems to crop up. The volume of the Macbook is significantly better. That was one of the other disappointments of the Macbook line that I was very happy to see done away with.
On the down side, there are some serious weak points that can potentially make this more powerful machine a serious downgrade from the previous Core 2 Duo run. One such omission that I find particularly disappointing is the lack of firewire. As one who likes to boot off of an external when doing OS tests, and doing large data backup transfers, having no firewire would drive me to look elsewhere, as USB is too much of a bottle neck for some purposes. On top of having no firewire, there is also no other port to sit in its place, so now instead of combo between three connection ports, you only have two. This may not be much of an issue for most people however, as firewire peripherals are generally more expensive and less common than USB, and may not find themselves doing tests on their system that would require it.
The display is gorgeous, and a great deal better than my current system as well, however is a tad inferior to the new 15" Macbook Pro. That said, the viewing angle is still decent and serviceable for more than one person to watch the display, and being improved over the previous line, I'd say that this should not be much of an issue.
Overall, these are awesome systems, but unfortunately, if you have rather high end work to do on these things, just make sure it won't require firewire. You may have no choice but to go with a Pro.
User Rating: 2/10
Quality problems
Pros: Macs are nice looking and user-friendly computers
Cons: Very unreliable due to poor quality (getting poor quality from Apple really upsets me)
User Rating: 10/10
Powerful integrated GPU
Pros: New aluminum construction looks good, feels solid; giant touch pad; attractive edge-to-edge glass on display; improved integrated graphics; backlit keyboard on some models; thinner than previous version.
Cons: Really, not much to say in this section. See bottom line.
No Firewire may have some people having a cow, but frankly, there's a nice cheap white 999 Macbook on sale on the official Apple site and I'm more than positive you can find even lower prices elsewhere. Or, if you want the latest and greatest, you can just get the new Macbook Pro.
User Rating: 1/10
Disappointment
Pros: Good screen
Cons: Average performance, cheap components, ridiculous price
User Rating: 10/10
Amazing!!!
Pros: Everything is amazing. First, of all, I have a Macbook and Vista desktop. Being new to Leopard, I was amazed by the ease of use and amazing features. The Macbook is thin and light and the backlit keyboard is my favorite. OSX kicks Windows OSX Wins
Cons: Only 2 USB ports. A lot of $$$ That's it!!!!
User Rating: 10/10
i actually own this laptop
Pros: solid, fast, lightweight, mac OS, the perfect laptop period
Cons: no firewire
User Rating: 1/10
Mac crappola
Pros: nothing comes to mind
Cons: unreliable, problems with Mac OS, software hard to come by
We have at least 20-30 issues a day with the Macs and about 2-5 with the PCs. The problem is also that the issues we have with the Macs are often illogical and take huge amounts of time to solve. Another aspect is that the Mac-users never learn from their mistakes and what we tell them. I know it's prejudice to say but it sure feels like the PC-users are more self-going and interested in managing their computers themselves.
This new Mac is nothing different from the plastic one. The plastic Macbook has always been a pain in the butt. It crashes a lot. It is almost always impossible to trace the source of the crash. It frequently crashes because of the bluetooth fault of Mac OS or the video-plugin Quicktime. The Macbook is also about 40-60% more expensive than technologically equal products.
User Rating: 8/10
A very solid laptop.
Pros: The new unibody is a great improvement. The screen is sharp and responsive. Back lit keyboard is surprisingly useful.
Cons: The lack of firewire. Trackpad is a bit too slick.
User Rating: 4/10
Not a good deal
Pros: Solid performance, design
Cons: Overpriced and overrated, not a good ultraportable
User Rating: 1/10
your paying for the name unfortunately.
Pros: it looks good, thats about it really.
Cons: first off its way too expensive, not worth the money, you can get a way more powerful pc, apples becoming more of a fashion show.
User Rating: 5/10
Please don't turn this into a forum!
Pros: This is not a review of this product
Cons: This is not a review of this product
User Rating: 9/10
Love this MacBook
Pros: This computer is much much FASTER, the NVIDIA works well beyond expectation and the screen is gorgeous. Also, I moved from 2.0GHz to 2.4GHz, and it is quite a serious difference in performance.
Cons: The usual, firewire is missing, the screen IS too glossy, I feel they could have toned it down a little, but overall, I don't find it too annoying, as some people definitely might.
User Rating: 9/10
Amazing Notebook!
Pros: Unibody construction, powerful graphics chip, revolutionary track pad, backlit keyboard, beautiful and bright display, sleek, EXTREMELY quiet operation.
Cons: No FireWire or Blu-ray drive
User Rating: 2/10
Best product out there ... yeah right
Pros: Hardware's is decent
Cons: Comes with mac os
User Rating: 10/10
Best Product Out There
Pros: Sleek, Sexy, Smooth...The Macbook looks good and performs well. In terms of performance, it is better than any computer I have ever had before...especially my current Dell computer!
Cons: No complaints whatsoever...
User Rating: 9/10
Spectacular computer, will not disappoint
Pros: Gorgeous design, slim, LED Backlight screen is a pleasure to look at. Fast performance, no virus, no crashing, lots of cool software, track pack softer than a baby's buttocks, it is just like a friend.
Cons: Perhaps too few USB ports (2).
Lack of FireWire is meaningless since USB 3.0 is coming soon and the former is mainly used by video makers. The lights underneath the keyboard in the MacBook are elegant and really useful in dark situation.
I have used this laptop outdoors at uni during sunny days and believe me, the glare is not a problem, you might to change the angle from where you are sitting but that's it no dramas. Many complain but only a few know. If you are thinking about getting a Mac, do it, I just switched from XP and encourage everyone to consider it, don't fear the unknown. Today I went to the store to get a bluetooth mouse for my new macbook and saw a lady arguing with customer service complaining about Vista and how poor her new laptop was performing without mentioning the massive buil-up of useless and almost impossible to find and erase nonsense files.
Regards.
User Rating: 4/10
CNET Award somewhat undeserved
Pros: A few techical improvements over the previous model
Cons: Serious connectivity and display quality issues. The new touchpad
Let me say that I just don't think that most of the design decisions Apple made while working on this product are steps in the right direction. There is the screen issue. There is the connectivity issue. I would especially stress the fact of Apple's deliberate omission of any kind of a regular video connector on this notebook. This is flat-out extortion, it is infuriating and simply petty. Another gripe of mine is that my palms (and my fingers, too) sweat a little bit. This does not normally create any problem for me, but any precise tracking on the touchpad of this particular notebook was next to impossible for me.
On a separate note, I'd daresay that the CNET Editor's Choice award was given to this new Macbook with somewhat undue haste. The notobook was honoured with the award literally days after its release. As of the time of writing this post, it has garnered only 2.5 stars out of a hefty number of reviews, which is no reason for celebration. Most of the latter are junk, of course, being either mud-slinging or childish bragging. Yet those infrequently moderate reviewers do not see to be jumping of joy. I believe therefore that CNET reviewers ought to be a little more deliberative in their award decision.
User Rating: 9/10
Amazing Product!!!
Pros: Design
Performance
Trackpad
Keyboard/Backlit
Display
Operating System
Cons: Price slightly higher than the competition.
My config:
Macbook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1067 MHz DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
I recommend this product to anyone looking for a solid notebook.
Updated on Oct 29, 2008First time Macbook owner.
User Rating: 10/10
Why would you buy anything else.
Pros: speed, feel,track pad,bright screen
Cons: i wish it was even lighter
User Rating: 2/10
Waste of money, really
Pros: Don't see any; it's got a keyboard and a screen, I guess
Cons: Average, not worth the money
For the cost of a 'new' macbook, I can buy 1 good Asus or Acer notebook and an Eee pc as a spare..and keep the change.....both excellent machines...I don't like windows...but I will dual boot with Ubuntu.
Apple have shot themself in the foot bigtime on this pricing...especially given the current economic climate.....
User Rating: 10/10
PC to Mac and Wow I Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pros: Fast, from what I hear reliable and Gorgeous!
Cons: A little expensive...ehh bite the bullet man THIS THING IS AS LEGIT AS IT GETSS
But for as of right now! I do not regret buying a Mac one bit. Even if it cost more than comparable PCs. For all those who are complaining about the price, go find a better job and stop complaining you pansies!
User Rating: 8/10
First time Mac, Very Good product
Pros: Stylish design from the Mac Air, performance boost from the Pro. Very speedy compared to other laptops I have used from Sony, HP, and Toshiba with similair hardware. Accessable undercarriage with quick panel and 8 screws for the rest of the bottom.
Cons: Glass get messy after my wife and daughter use it. 2GB of RAM for the price is strange as the shelves are lined with Window products that carry 3 or 4.
User Rating: 2/10
Super low specs, at an Apple dressed up high price!
Pros: a dedicated graphics card bout time.
Cons: The new trackpad is ridiculously annoying to use, no matte display, no firewire, OVER PRICED!!
User Rating: 2/10
Apple is jerking around with hardware too much
Pros: made by Apple
Cons: constant changes in hardware
User Rating: 10/10
CNET should delete reviews by people who don't own it.
Pros: design, speed, apple, pretty much everything?
Cons: firewire. but is it really THAT important?
there are so many 1-star reviews written by people who probably haven't even seen this computer in person. they just see that it lacks firewire so it's obviously a failed piece of technology.
WHO F'KING CARES?
seriously, what do you NEED firewire for? DV camcorders, that's about it. and if you need it for music recording or video editing, get the macbook PRO because youre a PROFESSIONAL.
duh.
this laptop has a 2.5 star rating because of all these reviews, and i think cnet should delete these reviews because the review section is for people who own the laptop.
and glossy screens? who... cares? i personally prefer glossy screens and always get them when i can. they're more vibrant and there's only a ton of glare when the screen is really dark.
in fact, THIS review that i'm writing should be deleted also, but only when the others are deleted as well.
click the yes button or whatever if you agree that a good laptop doesn't deserve one star because it's missing a soon-to-be-obsolete port.
User Rating: 4/10
Buy if you must but better hold off
Pros: very decent laptop
Cons: price is totally crazy at the moment
(i) the price is totally crazy right now because Apple expects that McNuts will start scooping up their new laptops like crazy. As the demand will begin to die off in several months and Apple gets all the low-lying fruit, they will lower the prices. Remember what happened to the prices of the Macbook Air
(ii) they will fix some bugs and glitches along the way
(iii) if forecasts are correct, it will hit the fan in by the spring 2009, I mean the recession will hit the real sector big time by then. You can bet Margie's sweet ***s that lots of tech, expensive tech first, will be selling dirt cheap. Remember how Apple's stock tumbled after the first wave of the recession hit. On the other hand, chances are pretty slim but still are that Apple may belly up in the near future because of the crisis or because Steve Jobs dies or because of both. You woldn't want to end up having a product of a defunct company.
My advice: hold off for awhile and then buy it cheap.
User Rating: 1/10
Bad screen. Bad Apple
Pros: Agile, runs Mac OS
Cons: Hate the new screen! It kills a nice computer!
User Rating: 8/10
Brilliant product.
Pros: Unibody is very stable. The screen is amazingly sharp and colors are very accurate. DVD authoring and burning is quite fast and very stable. Backlit keyboard is more useful than I imagined.
Cons: Lack of Firewire
User Rating: 2/10
if you have pearl 8130 and want to use it with Apple
Pros: great design, backlit keyboard, LED screen, thin (but still 4.5 pounds)
Cons: new touchpad is awkward, never was able to get 5 hours from battery, cannot connect Blackberry Pearl 8130, even with third party software (believe me, I tried everything - I'm not a PC beginner), no SD card reader
It didn't work for me. Microsoft Word for MAC is terrible, I was not able to sync my Pearl 8130 with Apple, I found on the Internet instruction show to use tethering function, and I was able to connect my Apple with Pearl, however, the connection was VERY, VERY slow and l was many times disconnected. There is no VZ Access available for MAC and Pearl. I guess if you have IPhone you can sync it with Apple, however, even with IPhone there is no tethering service!
I was able to get special exception, and I'm returning Apple, of course they want 10% restocking fee.
User Rating: 8/10
Apple finally changed a die hard PC user into a Mac.
Pros: Look, LED screen, bluetooth and wireless N, great operating system.
Cons: Only 2 USB ports, No media card reader, no expansion slot, $1599 for the higher end model is a lot for only a slightly fast processor, bigger HD, and lighted keyboard.
I really love that this computer has a LED screen which not only makes the computer lighter and thinner but it also saves on battery life. The solid aluminum body looks great and feel strong. New to this model is a removable Hard Drive and battery. The one piece track pad/button is fun and great once you get use to it.
Only time will tell if I will miss windows but for now this is the way to go.
User Rating: 1/10
Stupid thing
Pros: Decent specs. looks sexy, or does it?
Cons: price is ludicrous
User Rating: 9/10
Phenomenal Laptop
Pros: - GREAT OS
- Lightning fast
- Light-weight, sturdy unibody design
- Attractive design
- Dashboard
- Incredible screen
- Great trackpad
- Good battery life
- Keyboard is excellent
- Magsafe adapter
- Excellent iSight Camera
- Boot camp available
Cons: - Glossy screen quite reflective
- Screen is fingerprint prone
- No FireWire
- Small amount of game functionality
- Battery not as good as advertised
- Distant longing for physical trackpad button
- Multi-touch gestures not entirely spot-on
Physical Specs
The product physically is very sturdy, thanks to the unibody construction. Normally the chassis would normally consist of various small parts. So instead of taking a small piece of aluminum and adding more aluminum, Apple has taking a big piece of aluminum and subtracted from it. Thus creating a sturdy, yet light laptop. I have heard that the aluminum interferes with internet connectivity issues. I do have to say, unfortunately, it is true. I put the Macbook and my old PC laptop side by side, and the PC was able to pick up better frequency and more networks.
Now for the multi-touch trackpad. It is made from glass, but it feels like there is a covering on it that doesn't nearly have the friction of glass. Clicking and moving the cursor is very easy and enjoyable, with the very large surface. Right-clicking can be done with by clicking with two fingers or by clicking one of the bottom corners after being manually set. It should also be noted that only the bottom 3/4 of the trackpad is clickable.
The multi-touch gestures are fun to use, but are truly unneeded gimmicks that could be done easier with a click.
I'll just go through the gestures now.
There are 2 finger gestures:
The first is scrolling with using two fingers by swiping your fingers vertically or horizontally depending on the page.
Secondly you can rotate a picture using two fingers apart and rotating.
The third gesture is holding the control button and scrolling vertically to zoom in on a page.
And there is one 3-finger gesture:
Swipe with three fingers to navigate. You can do this to go forward or back on a page, or changing a picture.
Lastly there are 4-finger gestures:
Swiping vertically upwards allows you to clear everything off your desktop.
Swiping vertically down launches Expose.
Swiping horizontally in any direction lets you change and view your running applications, which can also be done with command+tab.
On the bottom of the MacBook there is a panel that allows for easy access to your battery and hard drive. This will be handy to many people.
The keyboard is just like the Air, with the spaces between the keys. This creates a very nice typing experience, and are backlit if you purchase the 2.4GHz model.
A major letdown by Apple is the omission of a FireWire port. This is very disappointing to many people, but doesn't affect me at all. Nowadays the average users don't use FireWire too much. Although I do see this as a major problem for professional applications.
There is also a battery life indicator on the side of the base that glows green to show the rounded percentage of your battery.
Software and Performance
Of course the MacBook has the great Mac OS X Leopard software.
It is very fast, and has good security.
The battery life is advertised to have 5 hours of battery life, but Apple obviously means not being connected to the Internet, and having no applications running. You'll probably get about 4 and a half hours with Safari and other apps running. Unless you have a lot of apps on like me, then you'll maybe have 3 and a half to 4 hours.
With the NVidia graphics card, the screen looks pretty good, as do games. I do have to admit, though, the new MacBook Pro screen looks better, especially with blacks. Still, games really pop on the gorgeous glossy screen, unless you are in a bright area. The glossy screen of course attracts bad glares and many noticeable fingerprints. Still, if you are indoors or someplace with low light, the glossy screen is perfect. I mostly use it inside, so I wouldn't trade the beautiful glossy screen. Although for those coffee-shop typing folks, this could be a deal-breaker.
Other than these things, Mac OS X is the same, really.
Conclusion
If you have purchased a MacBook anytime soon, then I would not suggest you purchase this one. Most of the differences are the physical attributes, and the software is pretty much the same.
If you are new to Macs like me, then I would DEFINITELY suggest this phenomenal notebook computer. Of course it does have it's faults, truly I have never used such a simple, enjoyable computer.
Updated on Oct 24, 2008I honestly made this review myself, but I spent a lot of time adding detail to try to allow people to get a detailed, non-biased review. I had to put away my habit of repressing the faults of my items to create a helpful review.
User Rating: 2/10
cheapo in disguise
Pros: new nvidia video
Cons: $999 model beats it in almost every respect
User Rating: 3/10
Nice Container, Poor Content
Pros: Nice and robust shell.
Cons: Nothing new and exciting specs-wise. No blu-ray. VERY VERY poor connectivity (no e-sata, hdmi, firewire, ONLY two USB ports). Glossy screen. Expensive.
And true to Apple standard: it's expensive.
User Rating: 5/10
OK, but NO FIREWIRE, come on Apple.
Pros: Almost Everything
Cons: NO FIREWIRE
User Rating: 4/10
Very Disappointing.
Pros: Skin deep beauty it is. Sexy beast from the outside. New graphics card is good news.
Cons: The no button pad(really one giant button)is not that great and solves a problem that didn't exist. It has a dead spot in the middle where it is hard to press. No firewire kills this big time. The glossy screen is good only for doing your makeup.
User Rating: 3/10
No FireWire - no deal
Pros: Aluminum, nice looks, ergonomics
Cons: NO FIREWIRE!, weird display adapter
User Rating: 8/10
Apple sucks? Really?
Pros: LED Screen, less than an inch thick, faster processor, backlit keyboard, touchpad is awesome after getting used to it, magsafe adapter, easily upgradable hard-drive and ram, decent battery life.
Cons: It was expensive... but worth it
I love the blasted thing. I've had it for almost a week and I damn well love it. It's perfect for what I do (law school student) and unless you're a gamer or someone who's GOTTA have the best of the best, than this is a good choice for you.
Remember, this is the entry level MacBook. I got the faster processor but nothing else. I can upgrade the drives and the ram when I need to on my own. So if you're the video guy or the Photoshop guy than you probably know to move on to the Pro.
To be honest, I'm not sure what all the brouhaha is about. If you hate Macs then don't get one. But all this chest thumping is stupid. FanBoys make a the hubbub and they have a right to; you know they're going to get one eventually. But all this anti-mac sentiment is just based on the fact that a person just can't understand why someone would choose something pretty and innovative in it's quirks over something cheap and functional. It's the same thing as not understanding a pair of Seven Jeans (which I like but can't afford) or a pair of jeans from the Gap (Which I wish I didn't have to afford). We're a consumerist society and, face it - from specks to shoes and cars to coffee to computers - in the end, pretty things get people laid.
"There was a point in life where I thought WoW was better than sex. Granted, That was before I was having sex." - Anonymous
User Rating: 1/10
I didn't want to write a bad review -- Dan inspired me
Pros: I don't really know -- I have never seen this laptop in my life
Cons: No FireWire and glossy screen -- at least these are the things people seem to be ******** about the most
In fact, the exclusion of FireWire and the glass-covered screen both make a lot of sense to me. First, I haven't seen a FireWire device in years. Of course, there are some FireWire external hard drives and video capture devices out there, but their numbers are trifling, which makes FireWire on a consumer-oriented laptop as needful a thing as a supercharger on a city bus. Second, a glass-covered screen is easy to clean and more scratch-resistant. I remember 7-8 years ago most desktop computers had CRT monitors and most laptops had matte sceens. This was the order of things back then and I don't remember so many people complaining about glare on their CRT monitors. I have a laptop with a glossy screen myself. I'd say that, unless there's somebody standing right behind you with a lit flashlight, the glossy screen makes absolutely no difference in terms of the image quality. It is just way easiler to keep neat and clean.
What do I hate about this laptop? I don't know. Give me some better reasons to hate it than the glossy screen and no FireWire.
User Rating: 9/10
Faster gaming, solid construction, better screen
Pros: get 70 fps in world of warcraft, better than my new imac.
Cons: black keys are hard to see lettering, price is to steep,
User Rating: 9/10
Nearly Perfect
Pros: The new video is wonderful and the trackpad, while odd to get used to, makes for a great interface with the OS. Glossy screen is crisp and the auto on black light keys are a must have.
Cons: network and USB ports are to close together to use a memory stick and my verizon wireless card at the same time. Odd choice from Apple considering they allowed extra space by the Mic and headset ports.
User Rating: 8/10
Bunch of cry babies
Pros: I use a P C for all my work, yet I wanted a small laptop to show my clients the work product. This computer fills that need quite well. Small, light, and powerful, but what I find most appealing is the overall elegance of it's design.
Cons: As far as I can see you get a great machine. No complaints.
User Rating: 1/10
It cannot run XP 64bit
Pros: i like its tuff aluminium case
Cons: it cant run xp 64bit. i cant remove mac-os completely too
User Rating: 1/10
No firewire .............. not happy!
Pros: Kind of funny. Girls will like it
Cons: Glossy screen, ugly black keyboard, very expensive
User Rating: 2/10
I AM LOVING IT is for MacDonalds
Pros: It's a Mac
Cons: Price versus value. And it's a Mac
Pros. It is a Mac. It is a kind of product people buy to make a statement. Seriously, you will not buy a Dell if your statement is that you are different. Other than this, I would be really pressed hard to find any more pros for this particular Mac laptop. Of course, it has a processor and a keyboard and all of the things a laptop has. I believe a feature should count as a pro, if it feature is (a) of considerable use and (b) only found on a particular gadget or a small group of such. I do not see anything on this laptop that would really put it above the competition. The all-aluminum body, maybe. But it remains to be seen if it actually helps the laptop survive more beating. It has been on the market for just a week.
Cons. It competes in the thin and light category. Feature-wise, I would put it slightly below the average, thanks to Apple's decision to limit the connectivity to two USB ports only. Price-wise, it is rather expensive. And I would have to say that the build quality of Mac went down some time ago. The result is that this MacBook just does not give the user enough bang for the buck.
And it is a Mac. Living with a Mac may turn out to be not as good as some believe. While most major software packages have their Mac versions, many smaller, more specialized ones are Windows (or Linux) exclusive. Mac OS X ports of some software is outright lousy. For example, Windows version of Skype will soon become ver.4.0 (2nd beta right now) while its Mac OS version has been 2.7 for at least a year. And please do not tell me that these two are alike. It's a Windows world, even though Mac OS X is by far and large the best OS for a personal computer. Most Mac users I know (and I know a lot of them) run Windows off a boot camp partition. This saves them some trouble of getting Mac software but this also adds the price of a copy of Windows to your purchase. Also, you will have to partition the hard drive and duplicate some of the software. There are translators that will allow you to run Windows programs from within Mac OS, but those, again, cost money and the performance will not be good enough. To sum things up: living with a Mac is not a big problem - it is a lot of minor annoyances.
My advice is: leave all of that I"M LOVING IT!!! to MacDonald's. Be rational. This one is due its 1 star for being a statement product. But, dust to dust, it is not special enough in any way to justify the asking price.
User Rating: 2/10
I am Disappointed
Pros: Somewhat thinner than the previous version, black keys will be less visibly soiled.
Cons: Ambivalent about the aluminum body, the new glassy screen is a glare nightmare, only 2 usb ports and nothing else.
The keyboard is an improvement. Keys are now black (not so easy to get soiled) and more responsive. Still, this keyboard falls short of the one on those old G3 Pismo Macs. The body itself ... I don't know, the plastic one was good enough for me.
Finally, only two usb ports are available. This is, IMHO, one of the two stupid traditions Apple has: only two usb ports on their notebooks (the other stupid tradition is the one button on the trackpad instead of two). This is something I don't understand: was it so difficult to squeeze in another usb port now that the firewire one is gone?
Sorry, but this new MacBook is a misstep. Only one star from me.
User Rating: 10/10
This is a cheap MacBook Pro.
Pros: There are usb/fw adapters for those who need it. I have tried this one out and it a big improvement over my MacBook 2.0 Core Duo. The multi-touch pad works perfectly and the LED display is super-bright.
Cons: Nothing I can think of.
User Rating: 10/10
I love peeps giving it a 1 star
Pros: LED rules, better batt. life, graphics, all alum. sweet jeckyl! I love it
Cons: No firewire. Only 2 USB ports
User Rating: 1/10
No Firewire... No Sale...
Pros: Great to look at... Nice casing.
Cons: NO FIREWIRE!!! Base model higher priced... No Matte screen option...
User Rating: 9/10
First time mac user. I'm in love.
Pros: Graphics speed; touchpad is very intuitive (for me at least); battery life so far is better than expected.
Cons: Price. Minimal ports.
User Rating: 8/10
More thought into engineering/aesthetics than usability
Pros: Aluminum casing, LED back-lit screen, Back-lit keyboard, Multi-touch trackpad, NVIDIA 9400M and the whole laptop is ridiculously strong.
Cons: My main concern is glossy screen. I never use firewire so I can live without it. Inclusion of SD card slot would have been nice. MacBook pricing seems not well organized. They will surely make some changes in the pricing soon!
User Rating: 4/10
After havingt tried it für 2 days
Pros: Sturdy and beautifully designed. The new trackpad as a joy to use after getting used to it. Fells like a "Pro" model. The A/C adapter is smaller and lighter than the previous ones. iPhone headsets can be used für VoIP.
Cons: Display shows flat colours and has bad viewing angles. Due to the glass reflections it has to be at maximum brightness all the time to over-power the glare. Very tiring for one's eyes of you use it in lower-light situations.
All in all a nicely designed notebook that come's with some neck-breaking limitations for lots of things you should be able to do with a premium-priced "entry level" model. To me it's a step back compared to it's predeccesor.
User Rating: 9/10
The Notebook you've always Wanted
Pros: The MacBook has finally adopted the Aluminum casing from the MacBook Pro. It also has adopted the multi-touch trackpad, and made it larger and made it the button. It has great battery life, great gaming machine with the powerful new NVIDIA graphics.
Cons: The Trackpad felt a bit awkward, the graphics were a bit choppy at times and the new aluminum design can pose a threat for dents. It would be nice if This MacBook sunk below the $1000 mark
Updated on Oct 21, 2008The lack of Firewire is also disappointing.
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent machine -- sold my Macbook Air to get it!
Pros: Incredibly solid build. More than enough power for 90% of the world. Running Photoshop and Aperture with no hitches.
Unless you need Firewire or crave the 15" screen, I would think this is enough for most creatives and certainly the home user.
Cons: Firewire would be great, but to save significant money and not have to tote around the 15" Macbook Pro, for me it's worth the tradeoff.
Have had iMac, Powerbooks (x2), Macbook (this one and BlackBook), Macbook Air, and this is by far the best in terms of overall performance and value and form.
User Rating: 10/10
I'm switching from a PC Laptop to this
Pros: It's quicker and more stable than windows. LED screen, clean design, nice to type on keyboard.
Cons: Given economic times, really should have kept the price the same - I don't think they will grow market share with this pricing strategy.
User Rating: 4/10
A more radical design overhaul was needed
Pros: Still quite competitive and appealing
Cons: but the design is getting a little stale
I am giving this one two stars out of five not because the laptop is bad but because it could have been much better, at least design-wise.
User Rating: 10/10
Best notebook computer on the market. Period.
Pros: Aluminum everything, precision unibody enclosure, lighter and thinner than old one, more powerful, multi-touch glass trackpad, solid backlit keyboard w/ ambient light sensor, gorgeous LED-backlit glass display, Mac OS X (of course!)
Cons: No firewire (not a big deal, but would still like to have it), would appreciate a little bit lower price.
Updated on Oct 20, 2008By the way, I do own this notebook.
User Rating: 8/10
One Person Voice
Pros: I think there is someone out there writing under aliases - please stop we use this site to help decide if this is good enough to buy
Cons: everything has its pros and cons
User Rating: 1/10
This section is overrun by Mac haters!
Pros: This macbook is perfect. It is just the absolutely and unconditionally best laptop humankind ever come up with.
Cons: This macbook is perfect. It is just the absolutely and unconditionally best laptop humankind ever come up with. Since it is perfect, it is by definition from from any flaws or drawbacks.
Rule No 1: People that don't own this macbook and/or don't like it should be banned from posting here.
Rule No 2: This macbook is the best. Period. For proof, refer to such unbiased sources as Apple.com, macworld.com, macrumors.com, etc.
Rule No 3: All reviews of Apple products should be certified by Apple Inc. as duly compliant with their specifications prior to being posted.
Updated on Dec 6, 2008Now, switching gears, Tost-on - there's still something fishy about your identity.
You said (your post of Nov 28), "I'm Tost-On, a 29 year old Production Engineer working and living in Scotland..."
You said (your post of Nov 18), "I have been a PC user the last 20 years..."
Question #1: your PC experience supposedly began when you were 9, right?
Question #2: since you're Scottish, how are you using American spelling and idiomatics, eg 'criticize', "get a life"?
User Rating: 1/10
Great Notebook but terrible power adapter
Pros: Everything (OS, design, remote control)
Cons: Power adapter that overheats and melts
Apple products are not particularly cheap. By choosing this brand (and its price), customers look for good design and quality. In my opinion the power adapter does not have this characteristics.
Apple should find a way to avoid creating frustration in its customers, specially if they are aware that a new adapter can cost up to US$80.
User Rating: 1/10
Notice the recent ratings are either 0.5/5 or 5/5?
Pros: Does what a laptop does
Cons: Apple addiction is bad for you (your family and your pocket)
There is a company ASUS sitting on my desk:
* It is sturdy as a brick and looks modern and good
* It has a 15" LED-backlit screen
* It has the coveted Penryn processor
* It has a discrete NVIDIA card, which will beat any integrated graphics
* It has 4 usb ports + firewire + card slot + cardr eader
* It weighs about the same as MB and is just 0.2" thicker
* It works under Ubuntu Linux and oh boy Ubuntu works miracles. It loads in no time, is much faster than XP or Leopard, comes with an office suite and is ABSOLUTELY FREE
Now, a grand was paid for this ASUS. That is 300 bucks less than MB. Since the Linux OS is free and will always be free, we won't have to shell out another hundred next year when OSX 10.6 becomes available.
Mac addiction is bad for you!
User Rating: 10/10
Amazing new design... Love it!
Pros: - Aluminum case is sturdy and very lightweight. Lighter than the plastic models
- Integrated Nvidia graphics card... big improvement
- LED screen is beautiful
- Backlit keyboard is fantastic
Cons: - Battery life is short... but it is on all laptops. This is just a general annoyance with all laptops that I have
I had the previous generation Macbook (the white one), but this is a huge step up for basically the same price.
User Rating: 9/10
Solid inside and out...a worthwhile investment.
Pros: Handsome machine overall. Solid, well-engineered & well-considered case design. Nice graphics upgrade.
Cons: $1300 seems a bit high as a starting price (and so does $999 for the old model). Wish they could have fit a firewire port, but it's not a deal breaker.
I've been working on 15" MBP over the last couple of years (and the 12" PB before that) and the MB blows it away on build quality. There are some really nice touches that are big improvements. The screen is very slightly recessed into the lid...no more bending in the lid in the middle due to the rubber feet on the ends. Also, the the screen will no longer make contact with the keys leaving marks as the MBP does.
The larger track pad does what it should...if the new functionality doesn't work for you, you can actually use it just like the old with the button without even noticing a difference. (I just jumped on and started to using it, forgetting that it was the new buttonless model and didn't even notice that it was different until I reminded myself.)
Re the keyboard, I'm actually a big fan of the 'chicklet' design. Aesthetics aside, the key travel just seems more solid and controlled. The MBP keyboard is pretty solid, but in comparison there is still a tiny bit of flex that is noticeable and I think compromises the feel of a clearly registered key press.
I'm also a big fan of the glossy screen (and I'm a architect/designer). I use the machine for more than just work and richer colors and the blacker blacks are a win for me. My only observation was that the colors (or light source) seemed to run a little bluer than I'm used to, but that may be just a settings issue.
No FW...that is actually an annoyance for me. I've invested in FW enternal drives for years because I feel that it's more reliable with better performance. Plus the option to daisy chain (along with FW 800 drives) for me reduces cable clutter. BUT, I don't fault Apple for making this choice. From a consumer market perspective, I can see that logic. Not a lot of uptake of FW in my observations and I don;t think that it'll make much of an impact in an apple-to-apples comparison (so to speak) with Windows machines. If adding FW were to add bulk, weight and cost, I'd say that I'd make the same choice of leaving it out. Ultimately, it wouldn't keep me from buying the MB.
The $1300 question...the price. Would it have been nice if it were lower? Yes. Do I think it a rip off? Definitely not. Considering that it now matches the MBP in build quality and design, it could almost be viewed as a bargain at $500 less. The question of value varies from person to person. Some people just won't pay for build quality and design (both hardware and OS). For some it's more about the spec's...processor speed, number of ports, etc. and it doesn't matter that it's in a bulky, plasticky case with a sub-par screen (or that it comes with Vista...no comment). If you're that person this machine isn't for you. But I'm the kind of person where design is a factor in addition to spec's (the MB is no slouch in that area either). So even though I think it's a little on the expensive side, I believe that it's solid inside and out. It's got enough speed to last for more than a couple of years and it looks like survive a pretty serious drop to the floor....and it beautiful to boot. So in my eyes it's worth the investment.
User Rating: 1/10
Had it for 4 hours, now returning it
Pros: Looks, performance, black kbd is welcome
Cons: The glass thing on the screen - IT IS ALREADY CHIPPED!
User Rating: 10/10
The near perfect consumer notebook.
Pros: Sturdy build, bright screen, fast graphics, OSX
Cons: pricey, glossy screen w/ sometimes annoying glare, buttonless trackpad takes a bit to get use to and it is minimally customizable
On the other side, the buttonless trackpad is a bit weird. I appreciate the larger track area but there seems to be a bit more missed commands. Clicking doesn't always perform a "click" (96% success rate). But I'll give it a bit more time before I make a final verdict. The thing that I'm hoping for in the next point update to OSX is a more customizable gesture list. I already have a dedicated button for Expose, why not let me change the four finger swipe to get to "spaces"?
Overall, a wonderful update in both build and chipset. For me it was money well spent.
User Rating: 1/10
yeah right it is a toy
Pros: looks good
Cons: everything else especially the price
User Rating: 6/10
It's 2008 Election Already! Apple vs Microsoft!
Pros: Beautiful Industrial Design. Apple Inovation.
Cons: Costlier per Performance Dollar than Old MacBook(aluminun Case, LED Screen).
Basic Performance(Less Base CPU, Still Integrated Graphics).
What no FireWire, How do do you Target Disc Transfer Info from old Mac to
Customers New Mac? Flash Drive, DVD Burn, WiFi?
MacBooks Went Upscale?
User Rating: 8/10
What i been waiting for since the Penryn update
Pros: First the casing its pretty solid The chipset, ram, and Nvidia card are a nice touch really like the Centrino 2 P7350 (intel Processor) The track pad is weird at first, but you get use it. The 5 hour battery to the full potential
Cons: Glossy screen. No firewire (to me i dont use it that much, but to some i can understand the reasoning). Hard Drive only 160 gb but 5400rpm i wanted atleast 7200 rpm Wish it came with a remote too.
What i notice was the heat displacement on this machine it's alot cooler compared to the Macbook and the Macbook Pro I had. I usually do a lot of school work while running itunes and chat for about a good 7 hours one day on my leather ottoman and it was prety cool to the touch. I remember before it would burn your hand.
The Glossy screen seem so reflective in the pictures but in person after a week of use it isn't so bad. As long as you dont have a bright light behind you. but I do miss my matte screen on the MBP though.
The Processor, Ram, Video Card is a nice setup compared to the old setup. I put XP on it and it seems to read everything just fine. And playing WarRock seemed to be okay too. I wish i had my BF2 DVD to see how it would really perform or even like a game like rainbow six: vegas 2. But i guess that for some other reviewer.
User Rating: 1/10
As green as Mr Jobs' mustache
Pros: Snazzy look
Cons: Fake green tech
(b) I can replace almost anything on a regular HP or Dell. With an Apple, it's 20% max. A Mac is a repairsman's worst nightmare. Lots of custom-made parts, accessing some parts is next to impossible. Add the monolith unibody. Any damage to it is likely to be fatal. Put otherwise, the notebook will go to the dumpster because one cannot mend it. Fool's green it is.
User Rating: 1/10
That's a toy
Pros: All of your gadget-loving friends will envy you
Cons: $1,300 to go down the drain in the name of vanity
The reason I'm telling you this is not to brag or advocate the MSI Wind. There are other machines like it. These are tools. This MacBook is a toy. Yeas: an everyday use laptop which has very limited connectivity, a 13.3" screen, and which goes for $1,300 is an elitist's toy. It looks like the entire line of Apple's laptops is a parade of expensive toys. Funny, these days people, i.e. the masses, aren't particularly crazy to part with their money. The reviewer who said this MacBook is a laptop for the masses was wrong. It is not for the masses. It is for the elite and those who'd die to be perceived as the elite. And I'm just wondering: why is Apple so hell-bent on becoming elitist? It never did the company any good. In fact, it almost killed it some 10 years ago. It's most successful products have always been affordable: the original Apple Macintosh, the original iMac, the iPod. Do they really aim to become a Bang & Olufsen of the household computer industry? And they are working toward a larger market share and better acceptance. Go, figure.
User Rating: 2/10
Apple is turning into Sony.
Pros: The new design is quite attractive.
Cons: like sony is going insane releasing a new version to the ps3 every couple weeks, apple is beginning to change up their macbook like. Updating it last year, then early this year, and now releasing a new one? whats next apple? calm down if you ask me.
User Rating: 10/10
BEST MACBOOK EVER
Pros: Excellent design, Excellent touch pad mouse, Really fast graphics with the new Nvidia card
Cons: No firewire( not a big deal for me)
User Rating: 10/10
If some non-owners are giving 0-1s
Pros: Apple is the best. I switched from windows 1.5 years ago.. never going back
Long live apple!
Cons: None.. its not a PC that crashes all the time!
User Rating: 2/10
Very Disaponted In The New Macbooks
Pros: There Cool Looking and run faster at 2.4ghz with better graphics card
Cons: Was really hoping for a cheaper macbook because i cant afford a $1500 laptop.
Hard To find software to work with Mac OS
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent Addition to the thin/light laptop category!
Pros: Excellent build and structural integrity, small form-factor, high-end mobile graphics card, competitive processor, competitive battery life, large track pad, improved LCD monitor. 5.2 Vista Performance Code, stable windows gaming platform
Cons: Reflective screen, no firewire (is that such a big loss?), only 2 USB, no expansion slot (again, such a big loss?), No back lit keyboard with base 2.0Ghz model
The reflective screen is a problem for those who enjoy sitting out in the middle of the lawn at noon watching a movie; otherwise it brings out the crisp colors that the new LCD has to offer. The loss of firewire is a very insignificant detail that will effect a small subset of users, as will the expansion slot. Converting to USB for most cameras and camcorders is very easily accomplished.
The addition of the nVidia graphics card is probably the most significant improvement in the line besides the incorporated unibody design. It allows for seemless gaming and Vista use. Using the 2.4 Ghz model with 2GB ram, one can get a 5.2 Vista Performance code, which is very impressive for a thin-and-light laptop. Vista is unfortunately a must for most of us engineers out there, but bootcamping it is a very easy task.
Over all, the improved macbook is one of the best laptop computers on the market today in its respective price range. You will be pressed to find a laptop in its price range with its graphics, processor, memory, and storage capabilities in the same size factor and structural integrity.
Updated on Oct 20, 2008Your MSI wind probably has a single-core 1.6 GHz atom processor, 1GB ram, and a weak graphics card. It certainly fulfills the functions you have listed, but would make a very poor engineer's laptop. (as an example)
Your MSI wind would not be able to run many of the graphics-intensive simulation programs that I use on a daily basis. It would also make a very poor gaming and multimedia laptop. Coding on the small screen would also be a pain for those CS and Computer Engineering majors out there that need that >12" of screen real estate.
The MSI wind has its own niche as a netbook, a computer that excels at internet applications and low-power cloud computing applications. It does not, however, have the power necessary to run photoshop at a useable pace, as well as many games out there. The macbook, with its small form-factor, competitive graphics card and processor, will have its own niche for those that need considerably more power in a smaller package.
User Rating: 10/10
Nice upgrade
Pros: It just works. Simple.
Cons: Windows users will despise you.
Look on eBay and you will see MacBooks retain their value like no other laptop. Buy a Windows Laptop ... and it will devaluate 1/2 its price in 1 year.
As far as quality, I still use my MacCube 450Mhz and it runs like a charm with Tiger. Try running Windows XP on a 450Mhz PC ... not to mention Vista.
Updated on Oct 19, 2008Firewire for what? USB is cheaper and just as fast. New HD camcorders are USB also.
USB hard-drives are cheaper than Firewire and more widely available.
Time to move on !!!
User Rating: 9/10
A very nice Upgrade !
Pros: Backlit keybord !
Glass trackpad
Outstanding perceived quality
Cons: A bit pricey.
No firewire.
Very sleek design, nice and solid build !
Love the speed bump !
User Rating: 1/10
A marvel of modern rechnology of upselling
Pros: You plug it in and it just works
Cons: You shell out $1300 before you can plug it in and then
Updated on Oct 22, 2008If you want to remove MacOS completely - buy a PC!
User Rating: 9/10
Amazing Mac notebook for the masses!
Pros: Beautiful all around (of course), keyboard feels nice, nice bright screen, the wonderful OSX operating system, screen dims when in low light situations, new graphics card allows me to play Spore on the go.
Cons: Battery life
User Rating: 9/10
White Macbook 2.4 GHZ "VS" Aluminum Macbook 2.4 GHZ
Pros: LED Backlit, Touch Pad - Glass/Gestures, NVIDIA, DDR3 RAM, Aluminum, Lighter Weight, Longer Battery Life
Cons: Overpriced
First of all the display issue. I notice is looks alot better than the old Macbook, like so much brighter. I don't know why people are complaining about the screen so much because I can see just fine on my Macbook everything, no glares whatsoever. I just put my desktop background as the big Earth and all black and I don't see any bad in this. I mean it looks just great. I would think that maybe if you go on the Macbook outdoors alot it may be an issue but I'm a student and I do most of my work indoors (classrooms, library, home). Go ahead to the Apple store and you'll see display is much brighter and also the screen looks just so great that you want it even more. I have no problems with the display but if your eyes don't like it, well, myns do and many others who purchase it too.
Next the Macbook is almost like a Macbook Pro but smaller and not as powerful. The Macbook now has backlit keyboards, it has a much better stronger graphic card (5x better wow), and also the front but has gone up from the 600s to 1000s (DDR3). Also the battery life has increased and weight decreased. These feature you'll find on a Macbook Pro which the cheapest before were around the $2k range. Now you can get one for less (student discount for me =]).
Graphic card I can notice is actually much better. I played some FPS and RPG games and I notice its so much better than my old Macbook. The FSB is noticeably better and my multitasking skills in the Macbook is alot faster now. The battery life I can notice lasts that extra half an hour longer than my old one, and the half pound weight is just great. Even the thinner Macbook fits even better in my backpack.
I put this Macbook inside my Brenthaven case (great case by the way) and the old Macbook took up a big space of compartment but now because I have a thinner one its much roomier inside there now so I don't have to worry about all my books squashing the Macbook.
Also the big deal probably, the aluminum. The aluminum is much more powerful and because its a big deal about the Uni-Body closure. They were right. I think this aluminum feels better than the Macbook Air. I don't know but carrying this thing you feel more secured about it getting scratches or squashed by a heavy book. This is like a Superman armor compared to the old plastic one.
I carry my Macbook everyday to school and I have to walk up this gigantic hill to class everyday. Knowing that the Macbook is made of aluminum and won't get hurt in my backpack makes me feel alot more confident (I don't throw my Macbook in the backpack by the way, there's a special compartment they made that fits the Macbook exactly perfect fit and padded =D )
The touchpad glass is so great. I mean the button pushing thing is hard at first but its been two days and I love it so much. Also the new Multi-Touch gestures on MACBOOKS are so awesome now. I mean I can do so much things now without having to reach for the keyboard or moving the trackpad as much. The expose with the four fingers trackpad is so great. I mean this is going to change my notebook experience, Apple is so great to design these gestures it makes it easier to use the computer.
Overall, the screen isn't an issue, but the price is =[. But I can notice it being much faster, and also I can see that the Aluminum is great on the Macbook. This Macbook is exactly like a Macbook Mini, if your a student or someone who doesn't need all that powerful graphics but wants to be almost on par with it. This is the Macbook for you. I don't regret my decision in buying this Macbook at all.
User Rating: 10/10
Switched from PC and I am never going back!
Pros: The most prevalent feature is that when I turn it on, it's on. There is no lag time. The design is sleek, the hard drive huge, and I can multi-task like never before.
Cons: My girlfriend has a Mac that I always borrowed and it had a sharp edge at the bottom of the hand rests. I would have liked to see that edge softened but it wasn't in the new design. The touchpad hard at first, but awesome once I adapted.
I love the fact that when I turn on the computer it does not take Mac OSX ten minutes to open and run pointless periferral programs that I am not using. The system is fast and efficient and allows me to multi-task all of my programs. When I was uploading my information to the new Mac I added my music to iTunes (+4,000 songs) synced my pictures (+3,000) was on the internet watching tutorial videos, and uploading calendar and contact information. It was amazing! This wouldn't have been possible on my old PC.
The design is beautiful and light. The only problem I have is the sharp edge at the bottom of the touchpad but it encourages proper typing posture (I suppose)
Either way it is an incredible piece of equipment and I couldn't be happier.
User Rating: 10/10
Beautiful in every way!
Pros: Stunning quality and innovative features
Cons: Price and ports
My first thought was that I would dislike the full glass screen because of glare. First of all, the screen is so vibrant that it counters any amount of glare. Even in the direct sunlight, you still have full usability. Secondly, if its that big of a deal to you, pick up a screen protector/anti-glare for $10 online. It can change the screen to a matte-like look.
Ok...the new Macbook is what I ended up going with because of the price-point. I when with the upgraded model and got it for $1499 with the student discount. I upgraded the Ram to 4 GB. All in all, it was more expensive than a similar dell. I have used Dell XPS systems my entire life and I will never go back. Its almost like trying to explain to someone what its like ride a motorcycle, fly a helicopter, or parachute out of an airplane. You can describe it, but people don't understand and can't relate until they've made the jump! (No pun intended) Mac vs. PC is night and day.
Now, just FYI I have a BA in Information Systems with an emphasis in Network Security. I'm not an average user, but having switched over to Mac, I'd never return. I'm also a bit of a gamer and have the ability to install windows, so if I really wanted to play some of my old games, I could. Its just not worth the hassle...plus, Blizzard releases all their games for Mac at the same time as for windows, so many of the games I really like, I can play on there anyway!
Ok...last bit...the ports. Yes, I do wish there was an SD card option on there. I really could care less about Firewire cause everything that uses Firewire can also use USB, so I could care less. If Firewire is THAT big of deal, they still offer it on the Macbook Pro for $300 more. Plus, if you go with the top-of-the-line Macbook Pro, you get a $200 student dicount. (It was tempting!)
Needless to say, Apple fulfills the phrase, "You get what you pay for." If you want a cheap computer that constantly crashes, bogs down, and frustrates you, stay with a PC. If you want to actually enjoy your computing experience without fear of viruses or security breaches, make the switch. I betcha you'll be glad that you did.
User Rating: 4/10
Looks nice, zero expandability
Pros: As with most Apple products, premium emphasis on looks. GeForce 9400M integrated graphics is an improvement than crappy Intel GMA.
Cons: No firewire, no pcmcia or expresscard. Glass + aluminum components == concern for heavy travel. Glossy screen detrimental to image quality. Usual Apple flash over substance. Way overpriced compared to others laptops in this class.
Since I do pro travel photography work on the side, I prefer using CompactFlash via pcmcia (or expresscard) and this would not be an option either. Instead I'd have to carry an external USB CF reader -- as if my camera isn't full already.
The glossy screen is a concern for photography as well. Lastly the glass LCD is going to be a concern while traveling. I don't know if the Aluminum casing could flex enough to absorb shocks, or if it would be transmitted to the glass or other sensitive components like the hard drive.
User Rating: 10/10
awesome laptop
Pros: LED Screen - Fast Processor - GPU - OSX - Backlit keyboard
Cons: Nothing - its priced accordingly to feature set
User Rating: 9/10
Best MacBook Ever
Pros: Spent a half-hour at the Apple Store. Stronger, lighter, faster and smaller version of the MBP at a terrific price point. Graphic capabilities will shine under Snow Leopard. At 4 GB of RAM, perfect to run Vista/Windows 7 if needed.
Cons: None. Cons? Firewire. Over - all new camcorders are USB. Buttons? History - all computers will be using a version of multi-touch within three years. Express card? Most 3G cards are available w/USB. Display Port? Kicks HDMI @ss!
User Rating: 2/10
No Firewire - No Thanks
Pros: faster overall, best price/performance slot for most users, but...
Cons: the "hub for our digital lifestyle"? The one "for the rest of us" which doesn't connect to any but a small handful of camcorders? (listed as USB on Amazon doesn't mean they actually work with OSX) - and for audio/music people - forget about it.
Oh but wait! Isn't that why the Macbook Air is available. Without FW (or a express card slot) the new Macbook is less a "Macbook Pro Lite" than a Macbook Air Fat.
User Rating: 2/10
Wayt too expensive for what it is
Pros: Still comparaively fast and compact
Cons: Price tag incommensurate with specs, ugly exterior design, poor connectivity
Updated on Oct 19, 2008Answering to all the angry MP people:
1. Re: Made of an aluminum brick. Unless reinforced, how sturdy a layer of aluminum (aluminum alloy, actually) is will depend, before all, on how thick it is. They may as well carve the whole thing out of a slab of fossilized ***** --- that would also be a peculiarity, but not an advantage yet. If something is an actual advantage from a consumer perspective, it should be a no-brainer to explain in simple terms why. If, on the other hand, consumers are supposed to perceive the new aluminum thing is being 'more stronger', then, yes --- it's hard to explain.
2. Re: DisplayPort as the next industry standard. DVD Forum also claimed that HD DVD would become the next industry hi-def format. I hope I needn't remind you where the format is now.
3. Re: Design. The previous (plastic) design was probably inspired by IKEA mugs. From this perspective, the current design which is reminiscent of some four years old Fujitsu is an improvement.
Updated on Oct 22, 2008A bunch of insults I have received from the creme de la creme of the Mac crowd still fail to convince me that:
1. MB's aluminum body becomes miraculously stronger if made from an aluminum brick
2. DisplayPort has a future
3. The design is an improvement on the IKEA mug.
User Rating: 10/10
Wow, this is an immediate purchase.
Pros: Aluminum enclosure looks great, and very compact still. Display is beautiful.
Cons: Where is the blu-ray?
User Rating: 10/10
Awesome, just awesome!!
Pros: Small size and weight, sexy exterior
Cons: Price, lack of express card slot
I think the new macbook is awesome. Yes, it is more expensive that other machines. But unless you're planning to exclusively run Windows on the macbook, then you're comparing apples and oranges . . . or rather apples and bruised, rotting oranges (Microsoft products SUCK, and I own almost all of them). This macbook is simply awesome. Sexy, small, light, powerful. I love it.
User Rating: 4/10
no firewire ....no deal
Pros: better graphics... faster cpu ...lighter
Cons: lacks FIREWIRE, that awful glossy screen... expensive (but it is an Apple!) lack of SD ore other expansion port.
If a $500 Dell has Firewire why does $1300 Apple miss out ..it is not technical reasons at all just marketing. Apple is clearly pushing users to the (much) more expensive MacBook Pro.
If you don't think you need Firewire.... go for it.... but for many users of Apple products this is a serious deal killing failing in this MacBook.
User Rating: 6/10
Absolutely beautiful. Price alittle sketchy?
Pros: Track pad, full glass screen, design, battery indcator
Cons: nVidia card not worth $200 price jack. If Apple had kept the price the same as the old macbooks this would be a major hit. Unfortunately Apple decided not to and their mistake is showing in their point drop in the markets.
User Rating: 4/10
Good design flawed in features
Pros: Nice looking and quality build. Dedicated graphics.
Cons: No Matte screen option, no touchpad button, No Firewire and only 2 USB. No SD card reader slot (even cheap PC's have this)
User Rating: 10/10
Masterful design and quality!
Pros: The aluminum casing, the Nvidia GeForce 9400M, the trackpad, the glass screen!
Cons: No Firewire or SD card slots!
User Rating: 9/10
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!
Pros: Apple = Quality. They new trackpad and the new keyboard are beautiful. I can't stop typing on the keyboard because the keys feel so good on your fingers! The LED backlit display is a must have upgrade.
Cons: Fire Wire port is missing....
User Rating: 6/10
Good, but no great.
Pros: Great design. Love the screen. New enclosure looks great and is thin and light.
Cons: Too expensive. Not enough to justify the cost.
Overall, I wait to see how the MacBook does. With the current economy, I would not be surprised to see Mac pull an iphone...and lower the costs.
User Rating: 4/10
Bad timing
Pros: Very study construction, OS X, gestures on touch pad, backlit keyboard on high-end model
Cons: Price increase in bad economic times, cannot drive composite video or SVIDEO, no FIrewire, even glossier display than before
Updated on Jun 9, 2009New version out now has improved performance, lower price, and FIreWire is back. Not in the local store yet, but it's a very good chance I'll buy.
User Rating: 1/10
NO FIREWAIRE!!!!
Pros: Looks good, but they've taken away a very important part of a Mac.
Cons: NO FIREWIRE!!! Are you serious?!! Do you know how many external back-up drives run off of firewire? It looks like I would need to buy a new back-up drive if I were to use Time Machine with one of these new Macs.
User Rating: 1/10
No Firewire and No Express Card Slot, Junk!
Pros: Awesome design, ease of use, not viruses no spyware
Cons: No Firewire, No Express Card, No Camera Card Slots
User Rating: 10/10
A marvelous piece of engineering
Pros: Mac OS X (if you use it there is no way back to Win world)
Design
Performance above par
Cons: Price when compared with a win-based PC...but if you add antivirus subscriptions, plus your time dealing with win-errors etc I think price will not longer be a problem (unless of course you run Ubunu on your PC)
User Rating: 9/10
I like it ..... i didn't use to
Pros: Looks Amazing, better performance, Really cool track pad, Glass Display, glass track pad, aluminum uni-body, battery indicator on side.
Cons: the new design is hard to get use to, the new track pad is hard to get use to, i kinda miss the old design.
User Rating: 5/10
Like Everything except lack of firewire & glossy screen
Pros: Better graphic, better case design than the old one.
Cons: No firewire and glossy screen. If I want firewire I have to spend $700 more for MacBook Pro which is ridiculous for a poor guy like me. I wish they offer the option for people who want firewire and matte screen, let say add $100 more and I get that.
I wish Apple release OS X for PC. So, I can have more choice of hardware ;-)
User Rating: 1/10
Abysmal...
Pros: Not really much, the graphics is OK, but not NEARLY as good as Mr. Jobs Makes you think.
Cons: OSX, looks better, perfoms not so good.
User Rating: 5/10
I Love Mac's But The New MBP What Were They Thinking
Pros: Looks good, it is what the average consumer would want.
Cons: Mac Book Pro's are the industry standard for design and audio work. I am an audio production student and all of our products and peripherals all run off of fire wire. Why strip the computer down to all usb.
User Rating: 10/10
A Must Have Upgrade
Pros: Glossy Screen, Mac OS X, Attractive Design, Performance, Keyboard, Glass Trackpad, MagSafe Connector, Environmentally Friendly, Aluminum Enclosure, Manufacturing Process, Impressive Battery Life, Incredible Value
Cons: Lack of Firewire, Backlit Keyboard on selected models
User Rating: 1/10
It's an Apple
Pros: Seriously, pros? It's a mac.
Cons: Umm, Steve jobs makes it, etc.
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