The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
-
"Why Does CNET hate Macs?" on by ElementalMac
Pros: This laptop has everything a power user wants. Fast, good looking, and reliable.
Cons: For some reason CNET doesn't like it.
Summary: I don't know why CNET doesn't compare this laptop directly to othr laptops. It runs Window XP faster than any Dell I've ever seen. And that bit about it getting a 7.4 because it doesn't have a media card reader. Gosh, then give every Dell or Toshiba a 6.3 because they don't have Firewire 800, or a Magsafe power connector. This is by far the best laptop on the market today. And to give it a 7.4 shows that CNET is biased against Apple. And now that Macs can natively run Windows XP there is no reason to not give Apple computers a fair review.
Updated
http://www.time.com/time/2006/goty/index2.html
Just goes to prove how biased CNET is towards Mac. And since you can now order new Macs with Windows XP pre-installed from Macmall.com, they should give it a fair review comparing its performance and specs with other laptops in the same price range. -
"It's what we've wanted since the first rev." on by BetterthanurX
Pros: Faster chip, more memory, bigger hard drive, better DVD burner & runs cooler without sacrificing performance
Cons: Somewhat uneven brightness on screen, no 7200RPM option on 15" model, display opening angle could be larger
Summary: Got mine (2.33GHz model) on the noon of 30th and was very skeptical due issues that plagued the last rev. Well i'm happy to report that most if not all have been resolved
The notebook runs ALOT cooler, no more noise issues and its just great.
You get double the memory now, intel's latest CPU, better DVD burner, brighter screen (more on this later) all at the same price point....although still a premium price point.
The machine runs faster coming from a G4 this just screams. Battery life is decent at 3:30 for me. DVD burner is less noiser. Also i can put this on my lap without scare of burns.
Now for the bad parts, i noticed that at low brightness levels there is a degree of unevenness in illumination of screen, you have to be at maximum to get uniform illumination which can be tiring after a while as the screen is a little too bright at maximum. Its nothing major but its there
Would have love to see a 7200RPM drive option but you only get 5400RPM which i guess is due to thermal issues in which case you're better off getting the 160GB offering as its performance is on par with the 7200RPM drives due to perpendicular recording technology.
Opening angle is still a little small and makes typing while standing, or viewing a little uncomfortable for tall people.
Overall, this is a solid update and its what we've wanted since January but better late than never. Apple seems to have listened and set themselves straight which is a good thing.
I'd be bold enough to recommend one now. -
"I'm Confused" on by metalhead11
Pros: Great laptop, os x
Cons: no media card reader?
Summary: I am just a bit confused at cnet's reasoning here. They say there are many pros and only 2 cons, but for some reason, they give it a 7.4? The guy in the vid doesnt even talk about a media card reader. I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL A MEDIA CARD READER IS! Why is that their main con (besides the support issue)? Actually, the guy in the video is pretty much praising the MBP's greatness, and not saying anything that the review is saying. Although a 7.4 is not a bad review, it just seems to me like cnet is looking for what is missing rather than talking about what is there. Are they trying to say that PC laptops have that many features? I don't know of any, and if you do, please enlighten me.
Peace -
"CNET Reviews from the Twilight Zone?..." on by NoSpamMan
Pros: Rock Solid, Beautiful Design, Runs XP and Mac OS, Fastest Laptop on the Market, 2 GB RAM, 802.11n ready, Virus & Malware Free (on the Mac side), built-in video conferencing out of the box, and more..
Cons: None significant (with the exception that CNET refuses remove their PC-centric beige colored glasses), Oh, and it doesn't weigh 10oz, have a holographic display, or help me lose weight.
Summary: Like one of the earlier reviewers, I too and am getting kind of tired of CNET's mediocre reviews of Apple Computing hardware. I'm not a rah-rah, "everything-Apple-is-perfect kind of person," and yet calling a top of the line laptop "very good" is just silly. I look to CNET and PC World and other sources like that to review Apple in light of all of the other products in the market. I like the fact that they are not purple KoolAide drinking MacHeads who can't see anything wrong with Apple. I'm a MacHead who likes a balanced report AND still loves the vast majority of the products an acknowledged innovator like Apple is bringing to market. We all know that computing today would be (quite frankly) a dismal place without the efforts of Apple for PC vendors to copy. Same goes for that OS most folks run on their PeeCees.
My point is not to rant. My point is that CNET's ratings of Apple's products are consistently low to the point where I just wonder what they heck Apple could come up with to get the 8.5 - 10 rating some of their computers deserve. These new MacBook Pros are amazing and I cannot wait until I get mine in hand. They're not perfect, but they're better than anything else out there.
My other problem with this review is that it is poorly researched. The wireless card in the new MBP supports the 802.11n standard, as well as being backwards compatible with the b and the g. Are the larger hard drives truly slower, the same, or faster? What does it mean that Apple chose not to offer a 7200 RPM HD? Why not report on that? Didn't include a media card? Oi-Vey! They're like 20 bucks. Go buy one if you need it. The slot it right there and Apple assumes that its Pro consumers already have one or would not be happy with the one they bundled. And the "price premium?" It's time to really compare similar systems if you can find them. For a top of the line laptop, this is priced competitively and when was the last time you heard Lexus or BMW owners talk about the price of their cars? If you want to crunch price, compare the MacBook, the consumer laptops, and compare them to similarly configured systems from Dell and HP. They might be slightly higher, but certainly not enough to factor into deciding which one is going to last longer.
90 days of free Telephone support is not a long time, I agree. I would like to see Apple extend that to a year too. However, most smart consumers will buy the extended Apple warranty ("AppleCare") on their laptop which gives them unlimited telephone support for 3 years along with an unbeatable warranty covering parts and labor.
I hope CNET can become a place that gives us some really juicy, balanced, unbiased reviews of Apple's hardware. MacHeads need a place to go to get a second opinion when one is warranted. This review just never explained why the product was rated so poorly on the basis of an unnecessary accessory (try to say that 3 times fast!) and 90 days of free tech support. Just kind of smacks as an agenda of some kind and that the review was written by someone unfamiliar with BOTH Macs and PCs.
I look forward to better reviews in the future that can be "groovy" and helpful in purchase process.
Peace,
Mick -
"Among the best laptops available, bar none" on by mrhappyct
Pros: Speedy performance, loaded with options, still a killer design
Cons: You could find a few nits to pick, but fewer than other laptops
Summary: It's easy to write off the enthusiasm of Apple's fans as just too much hype and loyalty, but the truth is that Apple's products are usually solid with features and design that lead the industry. As a guy who uses both Windows and Mac laptops every single day, I can tell you that this MacBook Pro is the equal of anything else you would want to compare it to. Before you get sidetracked into the argument of the "Apple Premium Pricing" myth, remember we are talking about a machine that ships stock with a 2.33 Core2Duo processor, 2 Gigs of Ram, a 120GB hard disk and a dual-layer DVD burner. Spec that out on any laptop and see how fast you get to the $2K mark on the pricetag.
Having had this model for about a week now, I continue to be impressed by its performance over the 15 inch Powerbook G4 that it replaced in my bag. The machine is a little lighter that the G4, and the Core 2 Duo makes Mac OSX just fly. Windows XP via Parallels performs just fine for the occasional need to run something that doesn't exist on the Mac platform.
I know there are folks who won't consider Macs because they aren't Windows machines, and that really is a shame. When compared to the equivalents from HP, Dell and Lenovo, and the biggest things to critique in this review are the length of phone support and lack of a media reader, it does seem like CNet was looking for things to fault in this review to appease somebody.
That said, a quick check of their list of laptop reviews finds the highest of their currents in the low 8s, so a 7.4 isn't horrible--but it just seems a bit artificially deflated on the major merits of this machine. On that curve, I think that this machine certainly could warrant a review score of between 8 and 8.5 without it seeming like a sop to anyone. And we haven't scratched the surface of why the Mac OS is equal to and in many aspects superior to Windows, at least before the arrival of Vista.
If you are a Mac user, this is the flagship laptop that you have been waiting for, and its why Apple's move to Intel processors really was the right thing to do. If you are considering making the move to Mac, this machine is best considered in a light similar to my friend who just bought his first BMW when he said--"yeah I know its pricey and maybe a little pretentious, but when I get behind the wheel and experience the performance and style--I only wish I had not waited so long to have the best."
Write a Review
Compare to other laptops
Compare Selected
%20-%20Laptops%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macbook-pro-15/4852-3121_7-32126842.html&x_breadcrumb=3000:3121&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}