Customer Rating: 
Summary: Better value than new unibody MacBook Pro
Comment: Background:
I wanted to buy the new unibody MacBook Pro.
Tried it at the Apple store and here are my findings and opinions,
and comparisons with the March 2008 model (MB134LL/A - the one I bought and am reviewing).
Display on unibody model is super glossy and very reflective - and has no option for matte finish.
Keyboard on unibody model did not feel as nice as the March 2008 model.
Unibody model is slightly larger - bezel width is more than the March 2008 Model.
Also, the March 2008 model is a lot cheaper (about $700),
and there is an additional $150 rebate from Amazon.
Meaningful specs difference:
2.5 GHz versus 2.53 GHz CPU in the new high end one,
2 Gigs of RAM versus 4 Gigs of faster RAM in the new high end (I upgraded to 4GB myself for $60),
8600M GT 512MB versus 9600M GT 512MB in the new high end (20-30% faster),
250GB 5400RPM versus 320GB 5400RPM in the new one (more on this below),
The new one also has dual graphics (use the lower power one for more battery),
but I'd always use the higher one, which would lead to less battery life
than the March model.
Display:
Like I said, I prefer matte finish (or a glossy that is not like a mirror).
The default colors were a little dull, so I went to System Preferences/Display/Color/Calibrate and
tweaked around and saved a new color profile. It is MUCH improved now - much better saturation
and has the contrast of glossy without the reflections.
Usage:
In less than 5 minutes, I upgraded to 4 Gigs RAM - bought that for about $60 from Amazon.
I am keeping my two original 1 Gig sticks in case I need them in the future.
I have VMWare Fusion running Windows XP Professional for some of my
must-have Windows apps. I have given the VM 1 Gig of RAM and 40 Gigs of disk.
Performance of Mac apps and Windows apps is superb.
I am using a WD Passport 320GB USB drive for backups with Time Machine.
Battery:
Last about 2.5-3 hours with almost constant usage. The best thing is when I close the lid,
it goes to sleep instantly, and wakes up instantly when I need it again, with no loss of
battery regardless of how long it sleeps. That is VERY DIFFERENT from my experience with
Windows laptops that lose battery even when sleeping. No idea why.
Storage:
It came with a 5400RPM 250GB HD. I bought a WD 7200RPM 320GB with a big buffer from
Newegg - I plan to swap out the HD - that requires "minor surgery" so I am doing my research
before I do it this weekend. The new disk will be a lot faster, although the it comes with
seems to be pretty fast already. I am swapping as I like doing stuff like that.
UPDATE: I swapped the hard drive and did a full restore from Time Machine - it now is exactly
the same as my las back-up with all apps and settings, except with a bigger and faster hard drive.
This "surgery" is t for the faint of heart. :-) And is probably totally unnecessary for most folks.
Mac OS X:
So simple. After using Windows PCs and laptops for over 15 years, I am amazed how easy
and intuitive it was to use a new OS. I know Mac OS X is very powerful and I am just beginning
to learn the advanced features to play with. Being able to run Windows XP in a VM with such a small
load on the system is very nice. I use software apps that are either not available on the Mac yet,
or have much older versions on the Mac. This is not specifically about the MacBook Pro but the
fact that the MacBook Pro has enough juice to do this is what is worth noting.
Boot Times:
When I shutdown and restart, it comes up in 30 seconds or so. Much faster than my experience
with Windows laptops. Here's the best part - if I put the Windows VM to sleep in my Mac,
it comes back up in seconds! Much faster than Windows used to wake up on a Windows laptop!
So for a portable laptop, the MacBook Pro is quite powerful and fast.
Overall:
I am glad I bought this model instead of the new Unibody model. This is by far the best portable computer
I have ever owned. I've always felt that the MacBook Pro carries a price premium over "equivalent" or
more feature rich Windows laptops, but now I know why. They are better.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great laptop.. but there is one huge issue I wish I had known about before buying.
Comment: I love my new macbook pro.. but I wish I had known that the nvidia 8600m GT gpu is faulty, and has a very high chance of failing. Apple has added an extra year to the standard warranty to cover faulty gpu issues, but I probably would have gone for the new glossy macbook if I had known.
For what it's worth, nvidia are at fault, not apple.
Google the gpu. Every laptop from every manufacturer (dell, hp, and others) with that series is affected.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mac is way better than windows
Comment: switching to mac is the best thing that could happen to any person in the world of technology. Its pretty, reliable, user friendly and I love it. Seriously do people love their computer or its a source of pain to them but they have to cope with it? you have the choice to enter the mac world and explore the most fun experience in your whole life.
Another thing, mac dont crash. I own it for more than a year and I cant remember it crashes on me. Plus, you dont have to worry about viruses, malware, spywares, worms, trujans... etc. Many mac owner says this sentence and I say it all the time "I cant imagine life without mac"
Customer Rating:
Summary: Elegant Portable Desktop
Comment: Ok I would like to keep reviews short because most people will not read more than 1/2 of a pages.
1. Portability - 5.4 lbs. Coming from a guy that had a 2.7 lbs laptop, this is not much of a burden.
2. Power - 2.5Ghz Peryn 45nm 6MB caches. O did I mentioned that it is FAST? (Window & Mac).
Boot up time:
Mac: 35 seconds w/ bloated software.
Windows XP: 1:45 seconds w/ bloated software.
3. Graphics - 8600M GT 512MB GDDR3. I game on window and everything runs immaculately with medium settings on new games and max settings on older ones.
4. Battery life: I haven't needed to plug in the power supply when I am out on a day's work. ~4.5 Hours w/ normal use.
5. Software: Mac OSX is the way to go! Plus I get Xcode developer kit for free! Good for programmers.
6. LED Backlit LCD: Excellent. Can't say it is much improvement because my old laptop was also LED. Also 15.4 inches is refreshing. I use to have a 11.1 inches laptop and that was really arduous on my eyes at times.
7. Backlit Keyboard: Most people say this is for eye-candy. I would contest this. I work mornings and nights and I don't like to wake up other people in the house. Moreover, it is profligate to turn on lights when you are the only one using it. With the backlit keyboard, I am able to work effectively in the dark.
8. iSight: This is one of the features I was aghast at. My old webcam as the Logitech Notebook 2MP autofocus. That quality on that is perspicuous. The iSight is not far off.
9. Price: I got this when the new macbook pro came out. ~1650 (AR) for a high end macbook pro is unheard of.
10. Performance Comparison: After looking at numerous sites on the performance comparisons between this macbook pro and the new one, I found out that there are not much differences to justify for the $1000 increase in price for the new one. Plus for the new one, in order to use the 9600M GT, you need to restart the laptop which defeats the purpose of gaming on mac.
11. TouchPad: Very responsive, though secondary click in Windows can be toilsome at times. Gotta love the Multi-touch!
12. Sound: Mediocre on Window XP but preeminent on Mac OSX.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best laptop in existance.
Comment: This is the greatest laptop ever created, second to none it out performes everything on the market and runs Vista better than a PC. OS X is amazing and this laptop has no limits and can run every OS at the same time with ease using dual boot camp or Parallels software. Flawless, durable, reliable, fast, and just down right amazing. 10/10
Summary: Better value than new unibody MacBook Pro
Comment: Background:
I wanted to buy the new unibody MacBook Pro.
Tried it at the Apple store and here are my findings and opinions,
and comparisons with the March 2008 model (MB134LL/A - the one I bought and am reviewing).
Display on unibody model is super glossy and very reflective - and has no option for matte finish.
Keyboard on unibody model did not feel as nice as the March 2008 model.
Unibody model is slightly larger - bezel width is more than the March 2008 Model.
Also, the March 2008 model is a lot cheaper (about $700),
and there is an additional $150 rebate from Amazon.
Meaningful specs difference:
2.5 GHz versus 2.53 GHz CPU in the new high end one,
2 Gigs of RAM versus 4 Gigs of faster RAM in the new high end (I upgraded to 4GB myself for $60),
8600M GT 512MB versus 9600M GT 512MB in the new high end (20-30% faster),
250GB 5400RPM versus 320GB 5400RPM in the new one (more on this below),
The new one also has dual graphics (use the lower power one for more battery),
but I'd always use the higher one, which would lead to less battery life
than the March model.
Display:
Like I said, I prefer matte finish (or a glossy that is not like a mirror).
The default colors were a little dull, so I went to System Preferences/Display/Color/Calibrate and
tweaked around and saved a new color profile. It is MUCH improved now - much better saturation
and has the contrast of glossy without the reflections.
Usage:
In less than 5 minutes, I upgraded to 4 Gigs RAM - bought that for about $60 from Amazon.
I am keeping my two original 1 Gig sticks in case I need them in the future.
I have VMWare Fusion running Windows XP Professional for some of my
must-have Windows apps. I have given the VM 1 Gig of RAM and 40 Gigs of disk.
Performance of Mac apps and Windows apps is superb.
I am using a WD Passport 320GB USB drive for backups with Time Machine.
Battery:
Last about 2.5-3 hours with almost constant usage. The best thing is when I close the lid,
it goes to sleep instantly, and wakes up instantly when I need it again, with no loss of
battery regardless of how long it sleeps. That is VERY DIFFERENT from my experience with
Windows laptops that lose battery even when sleeping. No idea why.
Storage:
It came with a 5400RPM 250GB HD. I bought a WD 7200RPM 320GB with a big buffer from
Newegg - I plan to swap out the HD - that requires "minor surgery" so I am doing my research
before I do it this weekend. The new disk will be a lot faster, although the it comes with
seems to be pretty fast already. I am swapping as I like doing stuff like that.
UPDATE: I swapped the hard drive and did a full restore from Time Machine - it now is exactly
the same as my las back-up with all apps and settings, except with a bigger and faster hard drive.
This "surgery" is t for the faint of heart. :-) And is probably totally unnecessary for most folks.
Mac OS X:
So simple. After using Windows PCs and laptops for over 15 years, I am amazed how easy
and intuitive it was to use a new OS. I know Mac OS X is very powerful and I am just beginning
to learn the advanced features to play with. Being able to run Windows XP in a VM with such a small
load on the system is very nice. I use software apps that are either not available on the Mac yet,
or have much older versions on the Mac. This is not specifically about the MacBook Pro but the
fact that the MacBook Pro has enough juice to do this is what is worth noting.
Boot Times:
When I shutdown and restart, it comes up in 30 seconds or so. Much faster than my experience
with Windows laptops. Here's the best part - if I put the Windows VM to sleep in my Mac,
it comes back up in seconds! Much faster than Windows used to wake up on a Windows laptop!
So for a portable laptop, the MacBook Pro is quite powerful and fast.
Overall:
I am glad I bought this model instead of the new Unibody model. This is by far the best portable computer
I have ever owned. I've always felt that the MacBook Pro carries a price premium over "equivalent" or
more feature rich Windows laptops, but now I know why. They are better.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great laptop.. but there is one huge issue I wish I had known about before buying.
Comment: I love my new macbook pro.. but I wish I had known that the nvidia 8600m GT gpu is faulty, and has a very high chance of failing. Apple has added an extra year to the standard warranty to cover faulty gpu issues, but I probably would have gone for the new glossy macbook if I had known.
For what it's worth, nvidia are at fault, not apple.
Google the gpu. Every laptop from every manufacturer (dell, hp, and others) with that series is affected.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mac is way better than windows
Comment: switching to mac is the best thing that could happen to any person in the world of technology. Its pretty, reliable, user friendly and I love it. Seriously do people love their computer or its a source of pain to them but they have to cope with it? you have the choice to enter the mac world and explore the most fun experience in your whole life.
Another thing, mac dont crash. I own it for more than a year and I cant remember it crashes on me. Plus, you dont have to worry about viruses, malware, spywares, worms, trujans... etc. Many mac owner says this sentence and I say it all the time "I cant imagine life without mac"
Customer Rating:
Summary: Elegant Portable Desktop
Comment: Ok I would like to keep reviews short because most people will not read more than 1/2 of a pages.
1. Portability - 5.4 lbs. Coming from a guy that had a 2.7 lbs laptop, this is not much of a burden.
2. Power - 2.5Ghz Peryn 45nm 6MB caches. O did I mentioned that it is FAST? (Window & Mac).
Boot up time:
Mac: 35 seconds w/ bloated software.
Windows XP: 1:45 seconds w/ bloated software.
3. Graphics - 8600M GT 512MB GDDR3. I game on window and everything runs immaculately with medium settings on new games and max settings on older ones.
4. Battery life: I haven't needed to plug in the power supply when I am out on a day's work. ~4.5 Hours w/ normal use.
5. Software: Mac OSX is the way to go! Plus I get Xcode developer kit for free! Good for programmers.
6. LED Backlit LCD: Excellent. Can't say it is much improvement because my old laptop was also LED. Also 15.4 inches is refreshing. I use to have a 11.1 inches laptop and that was really arduous on my eyes at times.
7. Backlit Keyboard: Most people say this is for eye-candy. I would contest this. I work mornings and nights and I don't like to wake up other people in the house. Moreover, it is profligate to turn on lights when you are the only one using it. With the backlit keyboard, I am able to work effectively in the dark.
8. iSight: This is one of the features I was aghast at. My old webcam as the Logitech Notebook 2MP autofocus. That quality on that is perspicuous. The iSight is not far off.
9. Price: I got this when the new macbook pro came out. ~1650 (AR) for a high end macbook pro is unheard of.
10. Performance Comparison: After looking at numerous sites on the performance comparisons between this macbook pro and the new one, I found out that there are not much differences to justify for the $1000 increase in price for the new one. Plus for the new one, in order to use the 9600M GT, you need to restart the laptop which defeats the purpose of gaming on mac.
11. TouchPad: Very responsive, though secondary click in Windows can be toilsome at times. Gotta love the Multi-touch!
12. Sound: Mediocre on Window XP but preeminent on Mac OSX.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best laptop in existance.
Comment: This is the greatest laptop ever created, second to none it out performes everything on the market and runs Vista better than a PC. OS X is amazing and this laptop has no limits and can run every OS at the same time with ease using dual boot camp or Parallels software. Flawless, durable, reliable, fast, and just down right amazing. 10/10
Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A 15.4-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) Reviews: Page 6 of 26
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