UltimaKilo
Gold Member
Right now is not the best time to jump in for a Macbook if you can wait until Nahalem in early 2009. Nehalem is going to be one of the most impressive upgrades in architecture in quite a while.
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Getting the new Macbook tomrrow, any recomendations
- Thread starter marwan
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Mobile versions of Nehalem won't arrive until late 2009:UltimaKilo said:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=23217
it's a good time to get a new one now, even though a bit of hesitation for ver.1 Apple hardware isn't a bad idea either.
DjangoReinhardt
Thinks he should have been the one to kill Batman's parents.
I'd take this even further: Wait for the first revision to the new MacBook. This is a big overhaul.Phoenix said:
OnkelC said:
I bought 3 Day 1 White MacBooks and after essentially having all three gutted at least twice each, I swore "never again!" to new Apple hardware.
But something about the sturdy/refinement factor and the amount of pride they're marketing the assembly process assuaged my fears and better judgment into getting a new MBP in the first few days anyway.
polyh3dron
Banned
Suggested programs for watching videos (get from versiontracker.com):
Perian Codec Pack
NicePlayer
This combo will play EVERYTHING, including MKVs with soft subs.
And hell the fuck yes get Applecare.
And yes I would at least wait a few weeks and watch appleinsider.com for reports of issues with these new models.
Perian Codec Pack
NicePlayer
This combo will play EVERYTHING, including MKVs with soft subs.
And hell the fuck yes get Applecare.
And yes I would at least wait a few weeks and watch appleinsider.com for reports of issues with these new models.
Phoenix
Member
Slurpy said:
Its even more worth it when you don't have a local Apple resource in your area because you'll need someone you can call and send the unit to if anything is wrong with it.
I like Apple hardware, but I have learned that their Intel hardware (in particular) has been going through a lot of growing pains.
couple of my tips after only owning a mac for 3 days now.
parallels > fusion. i had trouble with fusion getting some permissions and whatnot to access streaming content, all very complicated. parallels was no problem at all though. however, how can i hide the windows taskbar while in coherence?
insomniax for closing the lid without sleeping. i like to keep my comp on, and dont want the lid open. also, when i take it from room to room i would rather it not sign me out of anything.
caffeine for keeping the screen on. like someone else pointed out, great for watching web videos.
synergyKM. if you have a desktop near where your laptop will be, this is awesome. allows me to use my desktop mouse/kb and control the laptop as well. very nice
functionflip. i wanted to be able to use the expose button and all the other keys with pictures above them AND the "no-picture" F5-F6 buttons without pressing the FN key. this is the only program i could get to work.
multiclutch. also mentioned before. very nice tool to customize ur experience. ur going to need this if u use firefox. it will let you go back and forward with 3 finger swipes like Safari, and also program any other programs. i also have up/down to go through tabs.
and u can always wait on AppleCare. as long as you buy it within a year of your mac purchase ur fine.
parallels > fusion. i had trouble with fusion getting some permissions and whatnot to access streaming content, all very complicated. parallels was no problem at all though. however, how can i hide the windows taskbar while in coherence?
insomniax for closing the lid without sleeping. i like to keep my comp on, and dont want the lid open. also, when i take it from room to room i would rather it not sign me out of anything.
caffeine for keeping the screen on. like someone else pointed out, great for watching web videos.
synergyKM. if you have a desktop near where your laptop will be, this is awesome. allows me to use my desktop mouse/kb and control the laptop as well. very nice
functionflip. i wanted to be able to use the expose button and all the other keys with pictures above them AND the "no-picture" F5-F6 buttons without pressing the FN key. this is the only program i could get to work.
multiclutch. also mentioned before. very nice tool to customize ur experience. ur going to need this if u use firefox. it will let you go back and forward with 3 finger swipes like Safari, and also program any other programs. i also have up/down to go through tabs.
and u can always wait on AppleCare. as long as you buy it within a year of your mac purchase ur fine.
I use tranmission for torrents
I wouldn't bother with the ram upgrade unless you're planning on running something like parallels or VM Fusion for Windows. Then it might be worth it so you can run both at the same time with a decent amount of ram. If you do decide to upgrade, apple are actually doing a decent price at the moment, so thats worth looking at. Although getting the upgrade might results in a custom build so you won't be able to get it at a retail store. In that case, just buy it with 2GB and upgrade if necessary later down the line from crucial.
safari is great as is, just use that
i use gmail and OSX Mail is perfect. Use IMAP and they are both mirrored so on the mac I use mail in the background, and you can still check mails when you're away from your computer (at work, internet cafe etc).
for what you're describing, either the air or MB would be fine. MBP has a bigger screen which is better quality, but that doesn't sound like it matters for what you want (a 'companion' laptop). The MBP is 1lb heavier than the MB (although only 0.5lb heavier than the old macbook, so that might be worth considering if you're lugging it around with you all day. Slightly bigger too, although only a few cm (they are the same width)
I wouldn't bother with the ram upgrade unless you're planning on running something like parallels or VM Fusion for Windows. Then it might be worth it so you can run both at the same time with a decent amount of ram. If you do decide to upgrade, apple are actually doing a decent price at the moment, so thats worth looking at. Although getting the upgrade might results in a custom build so you won't be able to get it at a retail store. In that case, just buy it with 2GB and upgrade if necessary later down the line from crucial.
safari is great as is, just use that
i use gmail and OSX Mail is perfect. Use IMAP and they are both mirrored so on the mac I use mail in the background, and you can still check mails when you're away from your computer (at work, internet cafe etc).
for what you're describing, either the air or MB would be fine. MBP has a bigger screen which is better quality, but that doesn't sound like it matters for what you want (a 'companion' laptop). The MBP is 1lb heavier than the MB (although only 0.5lb heavier than the old macbook, so that might be worth considering if you're lugging it around with you all day. Slightly bigger too, although only a few cm (they are the same width)
Fixed for truth.Tobor said:
Rivet is the heart of my Mac mini Xbox 360 Media Server.
Don't buy Connect360. Buy Rivet. It's better and its author actually responds to support questions. I own licenses to both. Bought C360 first which sucked, the author never replied to my emails and Rivet came along. I bought it when I got a response from its author within an hour. Sold! Customer service goes a long way.
Based on my recent experiences with Apple hardware, I'll echo the calls for Applecare.
BUT....
while my MacBook (ordered the day they were announced) has died on me (hard drive crash), and has had battery issues (which have somehow self-corrected), I've saved money to date not having AppleCare.
Still, both the MacBook and my iMac have had hardware issues. While the hard drive fix was cheap enough, it's still a bit annoying to have to spend the money.
BUT....
while my MacBook (ordered the day they were announced) has died on me (hard drive crash), and has had battery issues (which have somehow self-corrected), I've saved money to date not having AppleCare.
Still, both the MacBook and my iMac have had hardware issues. While the hard drive fix was cheap enough, it's still a bit annoying to have to spend the money.
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Ashhong said:
Mediatomb
polyh3dron
Banned
MediaLink from nullriver.orgAshhong said:
It's not free, but it's WELL worth it.
SHIT SHIT SHIT......I WEN TO THE APPLE STORE AND THEY WERE OUT OF THE MACBOOK 2.4 NOOOOOOOO........ 
those things are sold out everywhere, WTF??? they said they might have some tomorrow, so i'll check again....talk about killing my excitement!
btw, while playing around with a MB on display, i noticed that the colors aren't as vibrant and rich as the screen on the MBpro and Mac Air....are all MBs like that? cuz all the ones on display had slightly faded colors.
those things are sold out everywhere, WTF??? they said they might have some tomorrow, so i'll check again....talk about killing my excitement!
btw, while playing around with a MB on display, i noticed that the colors aren't as vibrant and rich as the screen on the MBpro and Mac Air....are all MBs like that? cuz all the ones on display had slightly faded colors.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Yes, all MacBook screens look like an asshole. I say this all the time on here, and for some reason some people dispute it. I think they just don't have a reference to understand how bad it is. There is not a single good viewing angle on those pieces of shit.marwan said:
marwan said:SHIT SHIT SHIT......I WEN TO THE APPLE STORE AND THEY WERE OUT OF THE MACBOOK 2.4 NOOOOOOOO........
those things are sold out everywhere, WTF??? they said they might have some tomorrow, so i'll check again....talk about killing my excitement!
btw, while playing around with a MB on display, i noticed that the colors aren't as vibrant and rich as the screen on the MBpro and Mac Air....are all MBs like that? cuz all the ones on display had slightly faded colors.
I haven't read your previous posts, but unless I'm missing something, just order it online. The shipping will be free.
Robobandit
Member
Compared to the Pro and the Air, the Macbook screens are not as good. The difference was so blatant that you didn't need anyone to tell you that they weren't as good, you suspected it when you saw them 
I'm going to get a alu macbook anyway, knowing that much of the time I use it it will be with an external monitor.
I'm going to get a alu macbook anyway, knowing that much of the time I use it it will be with an external monitor.
giga said:
oh wow, glad im not the only one seeing things! i walked into the apple store and i was shocked that a new MB with a an LED screen has faded colors....i mean how? LEDs are supposed to have better colors, response rate and power efficient!
my friend kept telling if it probably just needs some brightness adjustment, but that didnt help at all, and bot of us were puzzled!
don't the MBP use the same screens anyways(but larger)? so why is the MB screen worse?
honestly, im disappointed, i really wanted the MB badly, but now i'll hold off and see what comes up. my current Vaio is working great for 2.5 years and it's screen is brilliant till this day, i really wanted to explorer Macs, but what a bummer
btw, the dude at the store said that Apple is introducing a new updated Mac Air next month, anyone knows what specs of the new Air would be? itmight be worth the wait for me.
sorry for the rant, i'm just ticked off that i had to go all the way to the apple store to grab the MB when i had come out of a foot operation last week and im on crutches after spending a week resting at home(i just had to get out, sitting home for that long depressed me and me wanna scream).
oh well,
i have had no major problems with my macbook. sure i notice its not great, but the colors are awesome to me. i dont see the problem if unless you are going to have a MBP right next to it to always compare it to. i watch movies in my bed on it at night and have no problem finding a great viewing angle.
it really isnt a big deal. the screen is fine, imo at least. no reason to choose not to buy it. and yea the MBA will be updated to look like the MB and MBP i believe as well as the 9400m or whatever.
it really isnt a big deal. the screen is fine, imo at least. no reason to choose not to buy it. and yea the MBA will be updated to look like the MB and MBP i believe as well as the 9400m or whatever.
i'll have a second look tomorrow and give it another thought.....it's funny how i noticed the screen immediately....it was weird how it just stood out compared to the rest , then i was very tempted to get the MBP instead due to the crappy MB screen, but it was bigger, and i'm looking for a smaller laptop(13" max, like my current Vaio), the 15" MBO didn't feel as nimble and portable as the MB and MBA.
oh....and the MBP was sold out too, so no luck there either.
oh....and the MBP was sold out too, so no luck there either.
i guess lui kang and i aren't the only ones...
http://gizmodo.com/5063492/macbook-and-macbook-pro-dual-review
bummer, i expected better from apple
http://gizmodo.com/5063492/macbook-and-macbook-pro-dual-review
bummer, i expected better from apple
yea that comparison was posted in the other thread. the fact of the matter is that compared to the MBP, yea its not so great. but when you have it at home, and theres no MBP around to compare it to, its fine. i have no complaints about the monitor. at my normal viewing angle, no issues. if i move my head lower, yea i can see the problems in the black. but then, why would i be looking at it from such a stupid angle in the first place?
and since there are now 2 macbook-ish threads...
for anybody with an Air or any of these unibodys, do i need to worry about dirty palmrests, scratches on the case, or anything like that? my white macbook was getting super dirty around the trackpad and on my keys.
and since there are now 2 macbook-ish threads...
for anybody with an Air or any of these unibodys, do i need to worry about dirty palmrests, scratches on the case, or anything like that? my white macbook was getting super dirty around the trackpad and on my keys.
Robobandit
Member
The new Macbook screen is reportedly much better than the old macbook screen, but it doesn't touch the Pro or the Air.
As for the new air specs.. it will get the 9400m integrated graphics of the alu macbook, but have a slower cpu and slower/smaller hdd.
As for the new air specs.. it will get the 9400m integrated graphics of the alu macbook, but have a slower cpu and slower/smaller hdd.
so these are horrible pics...but its all i can do. speed racer in avi format.
brightness on the lowest so theres no light showing. hard to see, but its nothing like that batman picture.
same pic, but with full brightness, hence the light from under. again, no inverted blacks (is that the word?)
new scene, brightness on full.
again, i know the pics really suck, but the point is that you can easily disprove that batman comparison shot. its all about where you watch from. these pictures were taken from directly in front of a MB, where a normal person would watch a movie from.
just saying, dont not get one because of the screen. its great.
brightness on the lowest so theres no light showing. hard to see, but its nothing like that batman picture.
same pic, but with full brightness, hence the light from under. again, no inverted blacks (is that the word?)
new scene, brightness on full.
again, i know the pics really suck, but the point is that you can easily disprove that batman comparison shot. its all about where you watch from. these pictures were taken from directly in front of a MB, where a normal person would watch a movie from.
just saying, dont not get one because of the screen. its great.
tedtropy said:
i dont see how it proves what they are saying? there are none of that inverted black crap that you see in that article. i chose black scenes specifically for that. the white is only there because of the light, and is nowhere near that obvious IRL.
i guess the first pic is the best then. almost completely black scene, no color problems. more than bright enough to watch in person.
marwan said:
i honestly dont understand what you are talking about...everything i see on my screen is very vibrant, especially compared to the dell 19" LCD monitor i have sitting next to it. are macbooks returnable if you opened it? id highly recommend u take it home and try. seeing it next to the superior MBP would of course change your perspective about it. and as said above, its greater than previous macbooks at least.
Barkley's Justice
Member
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
wow, honestly? they havent fixed this on these new rounds? for crying out loud, apple...and i'm pissed that the so-called specialist "press" hasn't pointed this out yet, and i had to hear it in passing on gaf...
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
No, it's not. I've tried these new ones, and it's the same shit where you're moving the hinge up and down trying to find that one perfect viewing angle, but it doesn't exist. You can see in your shots that the colors and brightness fades going up.Ashhong said:
mrklaw said:
i want a small laptop to tak around with me, i prefer the 13" size, paying extra is not the issue here, i almost bought the MBP but it was chunkier, plus hooking up to a monitor defeats the purpose since i a want a laptop....i already have a desktop with a 24" monitor, 3Ghz Core 2 Extreme(quad core), 4GB RAM, 750GB HDD PC, you see my point?
anyways, i'll give it another thought, if i could actually find one to begin with.
I envy Mac virgins.
I remember being blown away when I bought my Macbook Pro (first Apple computer since the IIc). Finding out about expose, finder, no viruses, built in dictionary (maybe the most useful feature), etc. for the first time was very cool.
And I second the notion that first gen Apple hardware can be fickle. I bought the MBP right after they switched to Intel and I had problems with the logic board and the graphics card so Applecare paid off big time for me.
Almost 3 years later and my MBP still feels snappy and I don't regret switching.
I remember being blown away when I bought my Macbook Pro (first Apple computer since the IIc). Finding out about expose, finder, no viruses, built in dictionary (maybe the most useful feature), etc. for the first time was very cool.
And I second the notion that first gen Apple hardware can be fickle. I bought the MBP right after they switched to Intel and I had problems with the logic board and the graphics card so Applecare paid off big time for me.
Almost 3 years later and my MBP still feels snappy and I don't regret switching.
marwan said:
fine, so accept that the screen isn't amazing which is the price you pay for the portability you desire. You have a good screen at home which you can hook up to your MB if you need more space/better screen.
I think we're all guilty of overthinking these things. Its a fine laptop, the screen is fine but could be better, but probably not at that pricepoint.
20 years later after receiving my first Apple II it looks like I'll be going back :lol my MBP is prepped for shipment and will probably arrive by Monday or so.
I did sort of hesitate on pulling the trigger on this one, mostly due to most of my movie collection now being on blu-ray. But after noticing that my current notebook is pretty beat up I went ahead + just ordered one.
As for apps, I've grabbed a bunch of open source/freeware ones :
NeoOffice
Skype
Adium
HandBrake
I'm probably going to try and stay away from parallels/fusion and bootcamp for as long as possible (just to get myself into adjusting to OSX ), but I have a feeling eventually I'll have to do it due to how windows centric my work environment is.
I did sort of hesitate on pulling the trigger on this one, mostly due to most of my movie collection now being on blu-ray. But after noticing that my current notebook is pretty beat up I went ahead + just ordered one.
As for apps, I've grabbed a bunch of open source/freeware ones :
NeoOffice
Skype
Adium
HandBrake
I'm probably going to try and stay away from parallels/fusion and bootcamp for as long as possible (just to get myself into adjusting to OSX ), but I have a feeling eventually I'll have to do it due to how windows centric my work environment is.
bionic77 said:
I felt the exact opposite, especially after dropping 3k on a laptop. It was just another shiny toy. I feel like there were so many more shortcuts in WinXP. And I could work efficiently without a mouse. I'm no stranger to linux so maybe that's why I wasn't "blown away".
One year later things are better I guess, but I always have Fusion running. Quicksilver has changed my Mac experience tremendously for the better. Firefox has weird problems where I need to force quit and restart it every now and then. I'm still waiting for a good alternative to Newsleecher. And almost all poker clients don't support MacOSX, which is ridiculous because of the marketshare they are ignoring.
/end ramble
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