Very Impressive

I'm not a gamer so this review may not be helpful to those who want a computer to play games.



I have worked as a professional software developer/architect for 17 years. I started with MSDOS 2.0 and have ridden the Microsoft wave all the way through Vista 64 and I had a few years with UNIX. I have personally owned or worked with computers from Dell HP Compaq IBM. I have heard of Apple products but for the most part dismissed them as more toy than tool. (I was not alone in this perspective.) I like Microsoft but after working with it for the better part of 20 year I decided to look at something different.



I never thought I would purchase an Apple yet here it is. I am impressed to say the least and I see Apple as a serious tool that also makes a cool toy.



Pros:

Lightweight - Probably the lightest laptop I've ever worked with or owned



Solid - Normally when you get laptops at 15.4 or larger chassis flex becomes evident as you can see them bend and they creak. Yet because of its single piece construction and light weight aluminum the MacBook feels good when you need to move it. I doesn't creak and there is no noticeable bend when lifted.



Battery Life - It just keeps going and going and going... Actually I am seeing up to 4 hours life on the fully charged battery. My previous computer never surpassed 1.75 hours.



Size - It is very thin and carrying it around is very comfortable. I had a 17" and while I like the large display its uncomfortable to carry like a book.



Magnetic Clasp - When closing the lid the owner is rewarded with a very solid thump instead of a "creak" "clack" that you hear from so many other laptops that use a plastic display and mechanical clasp. Opening the monitor is equally a pleasing. You place you thumb under the lip and lift. The laptop may slide a little on smooth surfaces but the lid comes up smooth and controlled.



Keyboard - This is a great piece of work. Does it have "Home" "Page Up" "Page Down" the legendary "Any" key? No. Doesn't need it. A little research and practice and you will find that these "missing" keys are functions of the keyboard and I don't miss them at all. Secondly the keyboard "key-float" (that rattle you hear when you lightly stroke your finger back and forth over a laptop keyboard) is almost completely non-existent. So when you're typing it doesn't sound like your wadding up crinkly plastic and you don't annoy your neighbors. The key throw is short but very pleasant. Another thing I like about the keyboard is that you don't feel like you will break the keyboard if your touch is a little heavy.



Display - The display is a work of art. No only does it look good but flex has been reduced to almost nothing. It feels very solid and you don't feel you need to worry about tilting the screen from the corner. The glass cover over the LED lit LCD display is awesome. You can actually clean the screen without LCD screen colors distorting. Not to mention that is automatically dims in low light and the key board lights up in the same low light conditions. that's a nice touch. The display brightness is every bit as bright as my desktop LCD display in strong light.



Touch Pad - Any who has tried to use the touch pads on other computers (I hate them generally) will love this touch pad. It works like the iPhone (except scrolling is reversed for obvious reasons - you're not actually touching the screen). The touch is light and very smooth. Making the entire touch pad the button is brilliant it took me almost no time to get use to it and now I nearly push a hole through the Dell touch pad before I realize I have to click the buttons. I have no trouble with inadvertent touch that moves my cursor away from where I'm typing.



Quiet - I have yet to hear the fans. It makes me wonder if they ever work.



DVD Superdrive - Finally! No cup holder comes sliding out of the side of my laptop. Just simply slide the disc in and your done. It operates like the CD player in a car. It is easy to eject from the screen or a key on the keyboard.



Fit and Finish - The best I've ever seen. The only thing I've seen is a very slight misalignment of the Express Card/34 slot door. But you really have to look close to see it.



Operating System - WOW. Fast no anti-virus stable: it just works. I won't get too much into the OS but I will say that once I understood how Apple likes things done OS X is very appealing. Not to mention that it sleeps and wakes up faster than anything I have ever worked with. Open the monitor and it's sitting there saying "come on I'm tired of waiting for you".



Built-in Accelerometers - Not sure what they're good for but they're cool. Like the iPhone the MacBook Pro has three accelerometers. There is an Stanford Laptop Orchestra uses MacBook Pros to make music using these accelerometers.



No Fresh Air Openings - I really dislike fresh air ports on the bottom of laptops. They are easily plugged and they suck fuzz and dust into the heat sinks. With my previous computers the fresh air ports were placed underneath the computer right where it sets on your legs. The result was you ran a big risk overheating the computer. The MacBook Pro pulls the cooling air through the keyboard and therefore has a smooth bottom making it far better to place on you lap.



CONS:

Chassis - While it is a brilliant piece of engineering there are a couple very minor issues.



One: Always pick the computer up with both hands. While this is true of all laptops you want to last it's a little more important with this one. The metal around the ethernet port has been machined very thin which was necessary to fit the large jack in the rather narrow side of the laptop. So if you have the monitor open and grab the laptop with you left hand and your thumb over that jack you could dent the metal around it. It doesn't warp or twist the whole chassis it's too strong but you could see a small indention in a otherwise straight piece of metal.



Two: The metal in the Battery/Hard Drive Cover is very thin and sometime appears to hang below lip of the chassis. You really have to look to see it and it isn't all the time. I don't think is is warped or bent but just the natural flexibility of aluminum.



Touch Pad Click - While I absolutely love the touch pad (in fact I only use a mouse anymore when I am programming on it because of the nature of the software). If you try to click at the top of the pad (nearest the screen) the force required to click goes up quite a bit.



Price? - Not really a Con. Some have complained about the price. Three and half years ago I paid $5700 for a Dell 9100 laptop (All the bells and whistles Window XP Pro Office Pro the works). It has been a great computer that has been put to pasture and my family uses it. I've only had two problems with it. The dreaded mexican jumping keys (a key flies off the keyboard after you press it down while typing; AKA broken key) Dell replaced the keyboard without any trouble and the hard drive crashed and needed to be replaced. The Dell computer when new cost more than twice the MacBook Pro does today and the only thing it has over the Mac (old age and technology not withstanding) is it's 1920 x 1200 pixel display compared to the Mac's 1440 x 900 display. If I were to order the most power 15.4 laptop Apple sells today I would still pay half the price of the Dell and the Apple does much more and has better quality overall.



To summarize this is an accomplishment that the engineers designers and developers should feel proud. There is some room for improvement but these improvements are at a level that other laptops have to improve a great deal just to achieve Apple's shortcomings.



I could go on further but I think this is enough. Apple has truly developed a great product in both hardware and software and I recommend it highly.More detail ...

Full Review of the New MacBook... by a former Windows PC User

My review... take it for what it is... mine. (I provide my story so that you can see why I purchased this computer. If you don't care don't read the review).



To me Mac always seemed like it would take a leap of faith. Having had very little interaction with Macs and even less knowledge about them I was set to be a Windows boy for life. However recently I found out that I will be going on a ship that is gone all of the time (I'm in the Navy). Needing to have my kids see me reading books to them and me needing to see my kids I planned on leaving my current laptop with my wife and getting a new one for me (she doesn't care about electronics). This way we could create DVDs and send them to each other for our kids and myself. I went into a store looking to spend not too much and was attracted by the HP entertainment laptops. However... when looking at a $[...] laptop I knew I would have to add an anti-virus ($[...]-$[...]) and a movie making program ($[...]-$[...]). The guy at the store told me that for what I was looking at in price I should check out the Macs.



Low and behold... there were the Macs. Each sitting there looking different and pricey. I was then told about iLife and how I would be able to use iMovie to make my movies iChat to chat with my family on webcam iPhoto to import and fix up pictures and other stuff. WoW! My previous experience with the Windows based programs of this nature was that you'd be better off buying these types of software than using what was included by the computer. However the sales guy who was not on commission swore by them. Also Macs don't need anti-virus software to boot! I was sold when he told me the difference in the customer satisfaction index when comparing Macs and all of the other computer makers.



I took the plunge.



As you can see from my stars... I'm glad I did. I will NEVER go back to a windows based PC. EVER. While this computer has a few cons which I will list later it is much better than what you can get for the same price as far as a PC. Here is what I liked:



The Exterior:



This computer is small. Its compact it feels really sturdy and its stylish. There is an apple on the back that lights up from the light of the LCD screen pretty neat. Also the keys have just the right punch for those of us that know how to type. The F keys also double for the bright level of the screen the feature expose (which is outstanding!) and movie stop go vol etc. There is an eject button next to the F12 which works well with this type of drive.



The Interior: iLife is a great program. All of the stuff that comes with it will ensure that unless you need something very very professional you won't have to buy any software. Home videos are awesome with this thing. I can't really compare Leopard to the previous operating systems... since this is my first mac... but I can tell you that it kicks vista's butt. An example; I wanted to hook up my printer which has only been used on Windows PCs before and I plugged it in. That's it. I plugged it in and it worked. No drivers no software nothing. As soon as I plugged it in and click to make it my default printer it was printing. HOLY COW! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING! Since I've started using my Mac I have had ZERO "trying to find a solution to the problem" pop ups ZERO "this program has stopped working" ZERO freezes ZERO compatibility issues with current hardware (external drive of music and wireless network) and ZERO defects found.



Now the cons:



1) 120 GB hard drive... Yes its easy to hook up the "time machine" or to keep all of your photos or movies on an external hard drive but for a company that has a 120 GB MP3 player that's just over $[...]... come on!



2) The mouse pad doesn't let you double click for actions to occur. You have to push the button. As a lifetime Windows user this took some getting used to. However... you can scroll up and down easily by using two fingers. I've enjoyed this so much that I'm going to call it a draw :)



3) No multimedia slot for media card etc. Apple! What are you doing?!?! Its a simple thing to install and it make it much easier for me so that I don't have to always remember where that stupid USB cord that hooks my camera to my computer is. I'd much rather take the card out and insert it.



That's all of my cons.



Once again... I LOVE THIS MAC. On the 2 GB of RAM that it has it works just as well as a windows PC with 4 or more GB. That's because the OS is designed better and the processes don't bog it down. The processor is fast enough to where this seems faster than my wifes 2.4 gHZ laptop (of course that is in conjunction with other aspects of the computer). The colors are great and the system is great. You WILL have the "Mac Learning Curve" as I was told... it takes about 4-5 hours to get used to and 10-15 to really get to know but its worth it. Plus Apple puts videos on each function so that when you open it it explains how to use it.



I took the leap of faith and now I'm a believer. So long windows!!! Never again! Spend the extra [...]-[...] bucks... you'll save it anyway by not having to get the anti-virus and having all the stuff you need on it. Oh and go to [...] after you get your Mac. Its a non-profit site that I've started using to help me learn the system and it's great.



FIVE STARS!



***UPDATE***



Still using this MacBook and still loving it. I've gotten really good with what it has to offer and am still amazed at how easy it is to use compared to Windows based PCs. The iLife 09 software (incl) has proven itself very useful and works well with other software. An example Photoshop works well with iPhoto. I haven't run into any wall and still recommend it with 5 stars.More detail ...

Possibly the best "Apple" investment I've made

I don't think I'll go back to regular "full-size" laptops again. I didn't think that the weight difference between my 15.4" 2008 MacBook-Pro and the "AIR" would be so substantial but it is. My back is thanking me. Even with the power supply and my average bring-to-work payload I often forget that I'm wearing a bag.



As far as general computing goes it has been -- by far -- the most pleasing computing experience I've had in over 17yrs working with computers... no doubt because of the SSD.



--Average applications load in one or two "bounces" tops.

--Web pages load faster

--No stuttering when displaying the contents of a a folder scrolling through image galleries etc.

--Startup/Shutdown times.



Other PROS:



--Screen is perfect. I was worried that the glossy screen may be a little bothersome though I've yet to come across a situation where it was a problem and I've taken it everywhere with me.



--Its build seems "solid". Maybe it's a trait of the new unibodies but when the lid is closed; it feels like a solid piece of metal that would be very difficult to damage. Maybe im naive but I no longer feel the need to wrap my laptop in 4 layers of protection to keep it from damage in my bag.



CONS:



--Today's laptops support up to 8GB typically in 2x 4GB configurations. It would be nice to see support for a 4GB module in the future.



--Typical complaints: no firewire or eSATA only 1x USB.



--Runs a little hot and I'm not fond of the location of the exhaust vents.





OTHER:



Don't call it a netbook or a laptop. It's the best of both worlds. It deserves its own category.More detail ...

Real improvement

Coming from a troubled Nvidia 8600M GT MacBook Pro - let me say that I was very skeptical buying another Apple Laptop with nVidia chip in it.



However one weekend I decided to visit the nearest Apple Retail Store and check out the newly released models. My decision was mostly influenced by the reduced prices and increased battery life.



After some debating over buying the older model for same price or getting the latest one we settled on the newest mid end $1999 model with 2 GPUs. As is common I got a very nice resale price for my older MacBook Pro as it had AppleCare.



This generation is an all around improvement over the past generation unless you happen to be using ExpressCard on 15" model that is. In our case we never used the ExpressCard after attempting to use a eSATA card that did not work really well. And we have a few SD Cards that we figure we can easily use.



So on to the specific improvements over its predecessor -

1) Battery Life - I was very doubtful that the battery would last any longer than 4 hours at the maximum but was pleasantly surprised to find that for surfing/email type and the occasional CNN/Youtube flash videos getting 6+ hours was quite easy.



2) Prices - No doubt prices are the most reasonable Apple laptops have ever had. If you have no need for the dual GPU you can get the $1699 model which comes with a respectable 2.53Ghz Processor 4GB RAM and a very capable 9400M GPU.



3) Operating Temperature - I have owned my share of laptops (Apple and non-Apple) and I have to say this one is the coolest - it never gets too warm and I can use it on my lap all the times - even encoding videos using the HandBrake application did not make it uncomfortably hot. However if I switch it to use the 9600M GPU it gets warmer even on regular use. It also runs very quiet - the fans may be coming on but I never notice.



Initially there was a lot of furor over Apple's downgrade of the Serial-ATA interface speed (used to transfer data to and from the hard disk) to 1.5Gbps but Apple quickly restored the speeds to 3Gbps - I do not however notice any difference with the 5400RPM hard disk.



About the display - it is gorgeous and colors are vibrant. I had the opportunity to use a calibrated color profile to make it look even better. However I find the display to be a little too much reflective but I am coming from almost always using matte display so I figure it's a matter of getting used to it.



Apple's use of Mini DisplayPort is ahead of its time - not many displays support it and so I had to buy a $30 DVI adapter - not a big problem but Apple should at the very least re-start bundling the adapter with the Pro machines. Also another USB port in lieu of the SD Card Reader would be quite welcome - people can use the SD Card Reader for only SD Cards but a USB port can be used for SD Cards as well as other peripherals.



That said this generation is overall a very nice improvement - the great battery life itself is enough to convince one to upgrade.



[ Edited to add some findings after extensive use ]



After using it for a few months I find a handful of things moderately annoying about this laptop -



1) The positioning of USB ports - both USB ports are on one side of the laptop and they are far too closely positioned to use both at once. For example I found I could not attach my Sandisk USB thumb drive and anything else at a time. And I don't have any irregular/unusual devices. They should really go back to having the ports on two sides or at least position them a bit more apart.



2) The Lid of the laptop is loose - this was known to me before but I never thought it would become annoying. I don't routinely use the laptop in bed but whenever I do it's annoying.



3) The amount of RAM Apple advertises (4GB) is not actually entirely usable - only 3.75GB is. So you lose 256Mb of RAM for the dual GPU. More detail ...

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few months ago I purchased an iMac from Amazon my first Mac by the way. I could have not been more pleased. I am a student learning computational science and I wanted to become familiar with all the major systems: windows Mac and Linux. I have been a frustrated Windows user for many years and was pleased with the Mac. Recently I just purchased this Macbook for mobile computing. I spend most my time away from my apartment and wanted a Mac to work on when I am on the go. This computer is perfect the size and weight is just right for carrying around everywhere. Compared to my Windows based laptops I get over three hours of battery life which is perfect for me.



The power of the Macbook is perfect for daily computing and basic development. The addition of the Nividia graphics cards adds a lot to photo video and light gaming. I am also very pleased that Apple did not increase the price when they added the faster 2.13GHz chip and expanded the hard drive space. Originally I was going to purchase one of the new aluminum Macbooks just for the better performance but the recent addition of this computer changed all that. I am going to keep this review short because I wrote a longer one for the iMac I purchased. If you need a mobile computer that is not being used for extreme gaming and extensive video editing then this computer would be perfect for you. As I mentioned it compliments my studies in programming and also allows me to work with the Adobe Web Premium bundle without a problem. Furthermore you can increase the RAM to 4 GB for about $60 from Crucial.com; they have videos to show you how and it is not that difficult. Even though I love Amazon and usually make all my major purchases through them I will say that if you are a student you can buy this Macbook for less through Apple and receive a free ipod Touch until September just something to keep in mind. However if you do not need an iPod avoid paying tax and purchase through Amazon.



This is an update to my earlier review of this Macbook. I was unaware at the time I purchased this that a new less expensive Macbook Pro 13" was being released. I really wanted one of the unibody Macbooks but because of the cost I went with this computer. However with the release of the new Macbook Pro 13" I was able to return this computer and upgrade to the unibody. My review of this Macbook still stands and I was very happy with it but with the lower price on the new Macbook Pro coupled with the student discount that deal could not be beat! If you can afford the additional cost roughly $100 for student and $200 for non-student I would recommend the Macbook Pro 13" you will get more bang for your buck. The white Macbook is still a good investment if you need to keep your cost below $1000.

More detail ...

Macbook Pro 17-inch (Mid 2009)...fantastic desktop replacement

Simply put the best laptop I've ever owned. I configured it through Apple with the 128GB SSD and apps install incredibly fast and launch instantly. The screen is a marvel 1920 X 1200 with LCD backlight. I opted to go with the glossy so there are some reflections but only when using directly in front of a bright window otherwise its not a problem (for me anyway).



Bear in mind this is a BIG laptop...its a tray table...but very sturdy and NO flex in the chassis. The trackpad is also very useable although I still opted for a mouse (Logitech M555b Bluetooth highly recommended also).



It doesn't heat up much and has incredible battery life...if I switch to the 9400M integrated graphics (which is fine for most uses) I can get 6 hours on a charge no problem with WiFi Bluetooth brightness at about 60% and the SSD as the primary HD. With a different config YMMV but I'd bet 5-6 hours is the norm for this machine.



All-in-all a great laptop. I'll have this 2-3 years no problems. More detail ...

Real improvement

Coming from a troubled Nvidia 8600M GT MacBook Pro - let me say that I was very skeptical buying another Apple Laptop with nVidia chip in it.



However one weekend I decided to visit the nearest Apple Retail Store and check out the newly released models. My decision was mostly influenced by the reduced prices and increased battery life.



After some debating over buying the older model for same price or getting the latest one we settled on the newest mid end $1999 model with 2 GPUs. As is common I got a very nice resale price for my older MacBook Pro as it had AppleCare.



This generation is an all around improvement over the past generation unless you happen to be using ExpressCard on 15" model that is. In our case we never used the ExpressCard after attempting to use a eSATA card that did not work really well. And we have a few SD Cards that we figure we can easily use.



So on to the specific improvements over its predecessor -

1) Battery Life - I was very doubtful that the battery would last any longer than 4 hours at the maximum but was pleasantly surprised to find that for surfing/email type and the occasional CNN/Youtube flash videos getting 6+ hours was quite easy.



2) Prices - No doubt prices are the most reasonable Apple laptops have ever had. If you have no need for the dual GPU you can get the $1699 model which comes with a respectable 2.53Ghz Processor 4GB RAM and a very capable 9400M GPU.



3) Operating Temperature - I have owned my share of laptops (Apple and non-Apple) and I have to say this one is the coolest - it never gets too warm and I can use it on my lap all the times - even encoding videos using the HandBrake application did not make it uncomfortably hot. However if I switch it to use the 9600M GPU it gets warmer even on regular use. It also runs very quiet - the fans may be coming on but I never notice.



Initially there was a lot of furor over Apple's downgrade of the Serial-ATA interface speed (used to transfer data to and from the hard disk) to 1.5Gbps but Apple quickly restored the speeds to 3Gbps - I do not however notice any difference with the 5400RPM hard disk.



About the display - it is gorgeous and colors are vibrant. I had the opportunity to use a calibrated color profile to make it look even better. However I find the display to be a little too much reflective but I am coming from almost always using matte display so I figure it's a matter of getting used to it.



Apple's use of Mini DisplayPort is ahead of its time - not many displays support it and so I had to buy a $30 DVI adapter - not a big problem but Apple should at the very least re-start bundling the adapter with the Pro machines. Also another USB port in lieu of the SD Card Reader would be quite welcome - people can use the SD Card Reader for only SD Cards but a USB port can be used for SD Cards as well as other peripherals.



That said this generation is overall a very nice improvement - the great battery life itself is enough to convince one to upgrade.



[ Edited to add some findings after extensive use ]



After using it for a few months I find a handful of things moderately annoying about this laptop -



1) The positioning of USB ports - both USB ports are on one side of the laptop and they are far too closely positioned to use both at once. For example I found I could not attach my Sandisk USB thumb drive and anything else at a time. And I don't have any irregular/unusual devices. They should really go back to having the ports on two sides or at least position them a bit more apart.



2) The Lid of the laptop is loose - this was known to me before but I never thought it would become annoying. I don't routinely use the laptop in bed but whenever I do it's annoying.



3) The amount of RAM Apple advertises (4GB) is not actually entirely usable - only 3.75GB is. So you lose 256Mb of RAM for the dual GPU. More detail ...

Switched from Windows: More good than bad. Great hardware

This is my first Mac computer. My first four computers ran Win 3.1 Windows 95 XP and Vista (from about 1995-present). I have quite a lot of time spent on each of them. Switching from Windows to Mac is not difficult but it can be a bit frustrating for a week or so. There are Windows features that you will miss but they are mostly overcome by overall advantages in my opinion.



I've spent two weeks with this machine now. If I had written this review after one day I would have probably stated that I regretted the switch to Mac. After getting more proficient with the machine and realizing how well it works I would definitely recommend it to a friend.



This review is going to be a mix of my impressions of both the hardware and the Mac operating system from a new Mac user perspective.



The only difference between my machine and the one on this product page is that I ordered directly from Apple and upgraded the hard drive to 250GB (from the 160GB base option). I am using 2gb of ram and the lower-end processor.



My Mac OS impressions:



The biggest thing I missed from Windows at first was the task bar. Mac uses the "dock" to replace the task bar. The dock is kind of like the quick launch toolbar in Windows spread out across the entire bar with large icons. Having used windows with a task bar for the past 13 years I missed the ability to see all open programs and switch between them with the task bar. The dock has a tiny dot below the icon on running-programs but nothing else to separate it from other program and folder icons. The dock is not nearly as useful for multitasking as the task bar.



The saving grace that rescues the Mac from awkward app-switching while multitasking is called expose. Expose is activated by either pressing a key or using a multitouch gesture (four-finger swipe). Expose uses the entire screen to display all open windows and allow you to switch between them. It's like alt+tab on steroids. Having used the machine for a couple weeks I miss using expose when I use my Windows machine. As much as I hated the dock at first I have to give the advantage to the Mac for managing multiple windows while multitasking.



The controls for open-windows are quite different than in MS-Windows. In Mac there is a resize hide and minimize button instead of maximize minimize restore and close. To close an app on the mac you need to use a menu command or keyboard shortcut. The Mac resize button kind of works like restore/maximize only it's a bit more awkward. A commenter here pointed out that it resizes the window for ideal viewing without using the entire screen. I find myself resizing windows by dragging corners more than I ever did on a Windows machine. I really miss the ability to maximize if for no other reason but to avoid distractions. The green resize button may be better on an enormous monitor but not on a 13" notebook. When you minimize or hide an app on the Mac it is only available from the dock and is hidden from expose. I'll give the window size-management advantage to Windows in this contest. The windows system is just easier and more logical in my opinion. It isn't a deal-breaker but I do miss the Windows "window controls." If you are a frequent user of the F11 key while web browsing in Windows you'll have to kiss that feature goodbye. Neither Firefox nor Safari will go full-screen.



Windows Explorer is "replaced" with an app called Finder. Finder is kind of like the start menu and an explorer window all rolled up into one. Compared with older versions of Windows finder is adequate but Vista's explorer is quite a bit easier and more logical to use. I prefer Vista's preview pane to Mac's coverflow. I miss the "up folder" button. I have found myself mostly using the view that puts files folders and apps into a column view for easiest computer browsing and it just isn't as elegant as Windows Vista. The lack of a maximize button has caused frustration especially in the finder because the finder likes to stay in a very small window unless you drag the corners.



The Safari web browser is nice and quick and has a decent security reputation. I have been switching back and forth between Safari and Firefox. Firefox has crashed a couple of times and I really like being able to use multitouch gestures with Safari so I'm leaning toward making Safari my main web tool. Reading RSS feeds and the bookmark toolbar are really well done in Safari. Browsers are so personal that it's difficult to recommend one over the other but as a Firefox user in Windows I think I have high standard and Safari has met or exceeded them.



I absolutely hate the iPhoto app. Iphoto does not allow you to organize and browse your photos in folders. It imports your pictures and sorts them itself based on time/date stamps on the photos. This works fine for personal vacation snapshots but it completely mixed up the rest of my images. Folders that were neatly organized for work projects and fun web clippings and adult stuff were all shuffled into one big mess after I imported my image collection. I ended up just deleting all of them and not using iphoto at all. Right now I'm just using Finder to browse my photos and the preview app to view them. Light editing work isn't possible in the preview app and I still haven't decided what to use for a basic photo editor yet. Vista's photo app is junk but it's still superior to iPhoto if you like to keep your photos organized using your own folder system. I know people who love iphoto. It comes down to whether you want the ability to organize your collection yourself. If you have a big mess of photos you'll love iphoto's ability to organize them via event and face recognition.

Edited to add: you can organize your photos into "albums" after you import them into iPhoto but be prepared to spend a lot of time reorganizing everything. Even after you organize into albums the main library screen gives you views of your entire collection (perhaps things you don't want everyone to see).



I have not used Garage Band or iMovie yet. I'll update later when I get a chance.

Edited to add: I played with garage band a bit and it's pretty powerful. It allows you to import and export AAC and MP3 tracks and record sound in multiple tracks. Very easy to use. The only other audio app i've ever used is audacity and I much prefer Garage Band. I haven't used any of the music lessons it offers yet but plan to soon.

I played with iMovie for a few minutes and it seems pretty nice and very intuitive. I actually don't mind Windows Movie Maker which is included with Vista. I would not consider it a big step up from Win Movie Maker but it's a nice app.



The mail calendar and address book apps are basic but work very very well. The address app will import common file types easily. It will sync with yahoo out of the box. Address book will only sync with Google contacts if you own an iPhone or iPod Touch.



Everyone has an opinion about iTunes. I'm a big fan of it. It's exactly like the windows version only it runs a bit faster without the bugs. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch the Windows-iTunes bug with time/date being wrong after the computer sleeps is not an issue on the Mac.



Time machine is the Mac's backup app. It is amazing and very simple. I'm using an external drive plugged into my Apple Airport wireless router as a backup disk. My wireless disk showed up on my desktop instantly once I plugged it into the router. Time machine noticed the external drive right away and went to work backing up my files (after asking permission of course). Now my machine automatically backs up any changes every hour as long as I'm in range of my wireless access point. Time machine is a big load off my mind. If I ever have a drive failure or my computer is destroyed I have an exact backup of everything without remembering to backup my files. Vista will backup according to a set schedule but it lacks the ability to easily look through backups for specific files. Time machine is wonderful and make wireless backup effortless.



The Mac disk utility is almost as good as the one in Vista and it's easier to use. It's far superior to the one in XP. I used it to format my external wireless drive because the Mac router couldn't read NTFS formating (although the computer can read NTFS drives via USB for some reason).



The graphics control software is a joy to use. When I plug in my external monitor it immediately extends my desktop to the new monitor. Adjusting everything from resolution to rotation couldn't be any easier.



Boot camp is a utility that allows you to create a partition and install Windows as a secondary boot system (you need to own or buy a legal single-disk 32bit copy of either Windows XP or Windows Vista). When you start up the boot camp utility it gives you a choice between using either 5 or 32 GB of space for the Windows partition. I learned the hard way that Windows XP SP3 won't fit into 5GB. You need to give it at least the 32 GB (which left me with almost exactly 200GB on my "250" GB drive). Installing Windows using the Boot Camp utility is very very easy. Once you get Windows loaded your OSX install disk makes quick work of installing drivers for all of your laptop's hardware. It's too bad that Nvidia and HP aren't as good at putting together easy Windows driver packages as Apple. In order to boot into Windows you simply press the "option" key during bootup and it allows you to choose which OS to run. Windows XP absolutely screams on this hardware.



The hardware:



The hardware is where this computer really shines.



The biggest advantage is stability. My last computer purchase was a vista machine. To say that I had stability and hardware compatibility issues with my HP Vista desktop is an understatement. The main reason I turned to mac for this purchase was the fact that the hardware drivers and software are made for each other. This machine has ran flawlessly for the past two weeks. I did have two crashes of the Firefox browser while watching Flash video but only the browser went down rather than the entire system.



I have connected an external monitor camera ipod USB drive and router to this machine. All of the drivers were already installed and everything has "just worked." The hardware is a joy to use when it just works. It is difficult to put into words how happy I am with the lack of effort in using this machine.



The speed isn't blazing-fast but it runs very well even with many many apps and windows running. My Vista desktop has similar specs but my new Mac feels slightly faster.



One outstanding productivity feature of this machine is the touch pad. I honestly prefer it to using a mouse for office and browsing tasks. I can't say enough good things about the multitouch gestures. Two finger scrolling two finger right-click three finger forward and back in Safari and four finger expose make this machine feel like like it is part of you. Having the entire surface of the touchpad as the button is brilliant especially for drag and drop operations. The large size of the touchpad makes it very precise.



The keyboard is really nice. At first I thought the keys were a bit soft and the travel was too shallow but I quickly got used to it and now prefer it to my more "clicky" desktop keyboard. I don't know how I lived this long without a backlit keyboard. The backlight is more useful than I thought it would be.



The display is beautiful. It has good color a wide viewing angle and is plenty bright for indoor environments. I would prefer that the screen wasn't glass but the reflections aren't as bad as I feared. If there is a bright light source behind you you'll need to angle the screen to reduce the glare but it's workable.



The DVD drive is a DVD drive. It feels slow and makes a lot of noise. I've never owned an optical drive that I considered fast and quiet and this one isn't any exception. It works well but isn't anything special.



The battery life is incredible. The seven hour battery life is not an exaggeration if you are using the computer for light browsing and office apps. Expect about 4-5 hours if you're using it for heavy web browsing and a bit of media. Listening to music with the display off would easily last over the advertised 7 hours. Streaming high definition video on netflix using wireless will knock it down to at or below three hours. I haven't watched DVD movies on battery power but I expect it to barely get you through a single two hour film with a bit left over.



The size and weight are ideal for portability. 4.5lbs doesn't exactly feel light until you compare it to similarly spec'd machines that weigh a full pound (20%) more. I wouldn't want a larger machine if I had to lug it around much.



The speakers are quite good for a small light machine. Don't expect much bass but the sound is very clear with good mids and highs. The speakers are plenty loud for listening to podcasts or music in a semi-quiet medium sized room or office. I won't need to pack external speakers for use in my hotel room when I travel like my last laptop.



The "magsafe" power adapter is more than just a gimmick and more than just a way to avoid tripping and breaking your machine. The "power brick" itself is a lot smaller than my last dell laptop. It's exactly the same size as the USB wall adapters that used to be included with ipods. The cord is 6ft long and the brick includes fold-out wings to wrap the cord around. It is very well thought-out for travel. With the cord wrapped up and the plug folded into the body the power brick only takes up about 2.5" x 3" x 1" in your bag. When you are using it at home or at the office there is an included 6ft extension cord for the power brick so you aren't as tethered to your desk.



The computer runs very cool compared to most laptops. Also there are no vents where super-heated air blows out. While I'm sure it uses a fan I've never audibly actually heard it run or felt a stream of warm air from it. I think it may vent through ports and the keyboard but it runs cool enough that you don't notice it. Edited to add: it does get rather warm when watching high resolution video but stays quite cool when web browsing or using normal office apps. Even when very warm the fan is still quiet (the only way to actually hear the fan is to hold it near your ear).



The only drawback to the hardware compared to Windows machines is the fact that there is no option to hibernate when closing the lid. It sleeps when you close the lid but it still is using a small amount of power. If you're only going to be away for a couple hours this isn't an issue but you must completely shut down when on battery power if you're going to be away much longer.



This machine is a lot more expensive than similarly spec'd Windows machines but I feel that it's worth the money. I'm a very satisfied Mac switcher.More detail ...