Back into the Fold with a MacBook Pro
- 2007.10.17
Bookmark in del.icio.usLow End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: Mercury Elite FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA up to 2.0TB TOP-RATED Solutions offer High Performance, Reliable storage for all your data storage needs. 500GB $159.99, 750GB $199.99, 1.0TB from $299.99
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
MacBook/MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO DDR2 667Mhz 4GB Kit $80, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40, 1GB $20 - Click to Maximize your Macs...
It's been a while since my last column, but I'm back now - without an iPhone I'm afraid. But with a MacBook Pro.
My absence has been due mainly to school (as I enter my fourth year in university, the work has been getting progressively heavier and more time-consuming), and work, which I thoroughly enjoy, but devote a good portion of my time to when I'm not studying.
I bought a MacBook Pro simply because it's one of the best laptops from any manufacturer. It has proven reliability, the specs on even the "cheap" 2.2 GHz model (which is what I purchased) are very respectable, and, of course, it's stylish and elegant.
I'd been using an Acer Aspire 5610 for the past five months, and while being a perfectly decent computer, I ultimately was less than comfortable with it. While Windows Vista's significantly improved over XP, it doesn't have the familiarity of the Mac OS, and the hardware itself, being a midrange laptop, did not have the capabilities or expandability of a better machine
I wanted something that was "built to last" technology-wise, for more than a year or two, and my choices were basically between a higher-end IBM T-series and a MacBook Pro. Since there was a waiting list months long for the new Santa Rosa based T61, I gave up on that, walked into an Apple Store, and walked out with a Santa Rosa MacBook Pro in a matter of minutes.
Plus I have the added satisfaction of it being a Mac.
I'd had a very positive experience with my 12" PowerBook G4, which was in my opinion probably one of the best laptops that Apple has made both in terms of form factor (it fit inside a binder) and reliability (no major issues with displays, logic boards, etc.).
Since the MacBook Pro had received mainly positive reviews since it was first released, I had my eye on one for a while. The jumping point was when they updated the screens to be backlit with LEDs instead of a mercury-based lamp. Not only is an LED backlight more environmentally friendly, it also improves battery life, since LEDs use far less power. At half brightness, I get usually about 4.5 hours of battery life - which is incredible compared to 2.5 hours on the Acer. Plus the screen has a higher resolution than most PC notebooks, which is something I would've had to pay extra for on the IBM (er, Lenovo or whatever they call them these days).
The biggest drawback of the MacBook Pro is it's lack of a SD card slot, which the Acer had, and most other PC notebooks also have. The issue was solved by buying a Belkin SD reader for the ExpressCard slot, but it's not the most elegant solution. I find that it sometimes needs to be removed and reinserted in order for the SD card to be recognized, and sometimes it doesn't like reading my 1 GB card without a restart. For MacBook users without that slot, they must connect an external adapter - a bit clumsy at best, especially given that most consumer digicams use SD cards.
I'm also not thrilled with the MagSafe power adapter. Firstly, it's on the "wrong" side, always the opposite side to where it's being plugged in, and it keeps coming unplugged if I just move the computer a little bit. I much preferred the older style power adapter - I've certainly never had a problem with knocking the computer over. Plus, the light that would change from orange to green when it was charged was much brighter and easier to see on the older version of Apple's power adapter. On this one, it's tiny, and you have to look closely to see what color it is.
The operating system is, of course, Mac OS X, which there's very little to say about at this point. It's reliable, runs what I need, and is easy to work with. Although the hardware itself is excellent, Mac OS X is probably the single best reason to want to buy a Mac. Unlike Windows, which seems to slow down progressively after various updates and service packs, Mac OS X is much more consistent. I'm looking forward to Leopard's release in the coming weeks, and I can't wait to see how the MacBook Pro runs it.
One of my other purchases in the accessories department has been a Marware sleeve. I had one of these for my 12" PowerBook, and I highly recommend them. Its purpose is to cushion the computer when placed in a backpack or other carrying case, and I find that they do the job remarkably well. Definitely worth the $25 just for the peace of mind that your $2,000 machine will be safe and secure.
In general, the MacBook Pro has done everything I want it to do and
more. Plus, since I purchased it, I've noticed that more and more
people are buying Macs at school. Entering a dark lecture hall this
year, I notice roughly one-third more illuminated Apple logos than I
did in my first year here. Apple must be doing something right!
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line.
- List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone.
- August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Looking for a Content Management System That's as Easy as Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.29. Low End Mac needs to move to a content management system, but the few we've tried just don't cut it for people used to the simple elegance of the Mac.
- First 3 Million Mac Quarter, Skinny on Mac mini Pricing, Mac-like gOS, and More, Mac News Review, 08.29. More plan to buy Apple products than ever before, complete reset can fix MobileMac synch problems, Apple boosting computer and smartphone share, and more.
- New 'Books Likely in September, 17" PowerBook Display Fault Site, SSD Security, and More, The 'Book Review, 08.29. Also 6 ways to speed up your MacBook, next generation MacBook Air CPU, MacBook Air Update, LapStrap carrying solution, rise and fall of ultraportables, bargains from $220 to $2,699, and more.
- iPhone 3G Reception 'Completely Normal', AT&T International Data Plans for iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 08.29. Also longer life for iPod earbuds, an alternative to MobileMe, new cases and apps for iPhone, AppStoreGems website launched, and more.
- Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400.
- Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179.
- 10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28. A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
- Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28. Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
- Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
- Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
- Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
- CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27. Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
- MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.27. The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
- Resurrecting a Dead Pismo, Spotlight Search Tip, and EasyFind a Good File Finder, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.27. Lots of tips on bringing a comatose Pismo back to life, a Spotlight file name search tip, and EasyFind as an alternative to Spotlight.
- Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. 500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
- More links in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
