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March 11th, 2006 by Foxopoly The best laptop ever? Possibly.
Let me start by saying that my G4 1ghz was my baby and has been for over 3 years. Yes, it’s already been that long since I made the switch back to Apple. I didn’t even really need a new computer, but I’m an innovator/early adopter. It’s in my make-up. My programming. My logic. Yes, I am a tech geek. Just like everyone else I was bit nervous when news of an Apple/Intel partnership leaked. No! Apple is not planning to cater to Windows, dammit! They want their computers to be the fastest, most efficient, rock-solid systems money can buy. I ordered my Macbook Pro on launch day with all the bells and whistles. Before any new machines even departed Shanghai, Apple announced an upgrade. “They’re too big. They’re old, obsolete.” Yes, we all know Steve Jobs is always changing it up and if you think you’ve got the best- just wait a couple weeks, sucker. My 1.83ghz turned into a 2.16! With this upgrade also came a delay that upset many people eager to receive their new portables. I myself always kept in mind that Apple has really never let me down with shipping and in most cases I receive new gear before I even really expect it. Even the nerds at the CO. Apple store didn’t seem to believe that I was the proud owner of the latest and greatest (I didn’t even bother tell them that I took shipment in Nikiski, Alaska). All before the end of February. Let me start off by reinforcing what you all can imagine. This Mac is fucking fast!!! My main reason to upgrade in the first place was speed. After maxing out my HD so many times my old G4 was slow as molasses. Opening massive file folders or 3300+ iPhoto libraries was never a quick task. With the added horsepower and HD space (100 gigs @ 7200rpm) I’m hoping not to encounter this problem anymore. Migrating the data from the old to the new was a snap, but did take close to two hours. I’d essentially created a carbon copy of my powerbook or so things appeared on the surface. With the Intel chips and the non-native applications I run (Adobe Photoshop 7 and MS Office Suite) I was worried that these programs might fail to run. My worries were laid to rest as Rosetta took over and ran these programs without problem although not any faster than older systems. I’m betting on the native program updates being available by the end of March. Other Pros of the Mac Book Whoa include the imbedded camera which actually takes a decent quality shot. Use Photobooth to be super vain and take pictures of yourself all day. OSX Tiger is all the same that all you mac addicts know and love. Whereas spotlight was quick before, it screams now! I still don’t know what the hell that little Automater robot does. It’s also nice to have the latest version of iLife since my version of iPhoto was on the tired side. The screen is very bright. Many people feel it’s substantially brighter however, in side by side viewing didn’t seem to be all that much brighter than my 15″ PB. Personally my favorite new feature of the MPB happens to be the magnetic AC adapter plug. What an improvement over the terribly designed “light ring” power adapter. Now for the So-So’s. The overall styling of the MBP is really not too much different from the latest PB’s. The new machines support the same hitch design. I actually preferred when I could open my PB flat whereas this one only opens about part of the way. The wireless antenna is built into the hinge also rather than the side. Battery life is about the same, but that’s good news considering how hard this laptop can run. With airport off and the screen dimmed a bit an average of about 2.5 hours seems about the average (based on normal use). Yes, the hard drive is fast and bigger than what I had, but whereas you think you’re getting 100 gigabytes it’s only a hair over 80 g’s out of the box. As far as Lows I guess no piece of technology is flawless and the MBP doesn’t break this fact. My only gripes are small. First off, I understand that most people have the capability to use wireless or a cat 5 cable as do I, but not all the time. Half the time (at my job on the metal island) dial-up is my only option. I still would have liked to at least have the option of a phone jack install, but I’ll live without. Apple offers the USB phone modem for $50. Secondly, there is a Firewire 400 standard as opposed to an 800. I cannot really understand why they made this call, but I’m betting in two years there won’t be any computers running FW. Apple’s even going more and more to USB2 when the FW is their own invention. Oh well, I guess a universal standard in data transfer is not the worst thing in the world and at least they left us with at least the 400 for us with FW only external HD’s. After a week of use the MBP is proving to be a fantastic and I’ve had no real problems with mine. Yes, the price is steep, especially for the top of the line, but absolutely worth it to me considering how much time I spend with it every single day. The best laptop ever? Probably. REVIEW BASED ON MACBOOK PRO WITH THE FOLLOWING SPECS: |
