I purchased a MBP this weekend (the mid range model), but using it during the past two days did not convince me that the MBP is a better computer than the PB (I also own the 12" model). Here is why,
Good:
1)The MBP is faster than the PB, but I find that for everyday use the speed increase claims (2-4x) are exagerated. For example, the MBP does not boot significantly faster than the 12" PB.
2)The MBP runs Windows very well. I installed Windows XP in a Parallels Workstation VM, and the results are very encouraging. There are still rough edges, but this a very good solution for those of us who need to run Windows.
3)I like the integrated camera and Front Row.
Bad:
1)Runs too hot for my taste, even after installing 10.4.6 and the latest firmware update. I believe the intense heat will lead to component failures down the road. In all fairness, other PCs in the same class have a similar problem.
2)There is a light buzzing sound coming out of the right side of the MBP. This is actually very anoying if you work in a quiet setting. This problem is well documented, but so far there appears to be no acceptable solution (I read about the various workarounds, but I don't want the side effects).
3)Battery life is not great. I get between 2 and 3 hours on the MBP while I can get nearly 5 hours on the PB. This is more a difference between the 12" and the 15" models.
4)Many of the programs I use must run under Rosetta (Office, Safari, Remote Desktop). I just found out that I need to run Safari under Rosetta because some of the plugins are not native yet. Though the speed decrease is not noticeable, the machine must work harder than necessary.
5)It is a very expensive PC. You can purchase a similarily featured PC for much less money. But those PCs can't run OS X.
The above negative comments aside, the MBP is what Apple intends to sell from now on, so if you don't own one now, you will have to purchase one in the future. But as of today, if you own a PB (particularly if you have one of the latest PBs), you might think twice before dumping it for a MBP. I must choose within the next few days between selling the PB and returning the MBP.
Good:
1)The MBP is faster than the PB, but I find that for everyday use the speed increase claims (2-4x) are exagerated. For example, the MBP does not boot significantly faster than the 12" PB.
2)The MBP runs Windows very well. I installed Windows XP in a Parallels Workstation VM, and the results are very encouraging. There are still rough edges, but this a very good solution for those of us who need to run Windows.
3)I like the integrated camera and Front Row.
Bad:
1)Runs too hot for my taste, even after installing 10.4.6 and the latest firmware update. I believe the intense heat will lead to component failures down the road. In all fairness, other PCs in the same class have a similar problem.
2)There is a light buzzing sound coming out of the right side of the MBP. This is actually very anoying if you work in a quiet setting. This problem is well documented, but so far there appears to be no acceptable solution (I read about the various workarounds, but I don't want the side effects).
3)Battery life is not great. I get between 2 and 3 hours on the MBP while I can get nearly 5 hours on the PB. This is more a difference between the 12" and the 15" models.
4)Many of the programs I use must run under Rosetta (Office, Safari, Remote Desktop). I just found out that I need to run Safari under Rosetta because some of the plugins are not native yet. Though the speed decrease is not noticeable, the machine must work harder than necessary.
5)It is a very expensive PC. You can purchase a similarily featured PC for much less money. But those PCs can't run OS X.
The above negative comments aside, the MBP is what Apple intends to sell from now on, so if you don't own one now, you will have to purchase one in the future. But as of today, if you own a PB (particularly if you have one of the latest PBs), you might think twice before dumping it for a MBP. I must choose within the next few days between selling the PB and returning the MBP.
