My day with the new Macbook 2.2

[Cybergypsy]

Well I spent the day with my new macbook 2.2.
The first thing I noticed was the display, It looks like my MBP display, Kinda like LED, it is not like any other of the 4 macbooks I had, something is different, really not sure what, but it not the same.

The thing is Fast, mail is superfast and it eats memory, need to get a couple more sticks as i have 1G in it stock. I love how fast this is, pretty amazing how fast everything connects, set up is faster now, if that is even possible, connection to airport is awesome picking up 7 networks around me, the built seems better to me, keyboard feels a bit stiffer. and sides dont move if you press on them. Very quiet and has been running about 45 degrees as i surf....not hot at all......Command key has no Apple on it:(

I am impressed on the speed, it super fast at everything.....and leo is very nice.....

[Red Sox]

congrats. I picked one up too. hey just out of curiosity, tell me if you can find "boot camp assistant" under applications/utilities. It wasn't there on my mac, and I think it's a strange problem only with these new updated macs.

[Cybergypsy]

congrats. I picked one up too. hey just out of curiosity, tell me if you can find "boot camp assistant" under applications/utilities. It wasn't there on my mac, and I think it's a strange problem only with these new updated macs.??

Nope not here either????

[ucfgrad93]

Congrats! Did Leopard come installed? How do you like it compared to the MBP. I'm looking to get one in Dec/Jan timeframe. I'm leaning to the MBP, but I'd like your opinion since you have owned both.

[Cybergypsy]

Congrats! Did Leopard come installed? How do you like it compared to the MBP. I'm looking to get one in Dec/Jan timeframe. I'm leaning to the MBP, but I'd like your opinion since you have owned both. truth is the MBP was very nice, hated the latch and did not like the screen, this new macbook is as fast as the 2,4 that i had for daily things, and like the keyboard more on the macbook, love the less heat also.......I will stick with this now :) yep it was installed :)

[Tom B.]

Command key has no Apple on it :(

Does it have the Dashboard, Expose and media control icons on the F Keys like the new Apple keyboards as well?

[Cybergypsy]

Does it have the Dashboard, Expose and media control icons on the F Keys like the new Apple keyboards as well?

yes it does :)

[njp142]

congrats. I picked one up too. hey just out of curiosity, tell me if you can find "boot camp assistant" under applications/utilities. It wasn't there on my mac, and I think it's a strange problem only with these new updated macs.

found this on discussions.apple.com:

Hello,

I called Apple support this morning, and they guided me to the Boot Camp package on the setup CD - just put the Install Disc 1 in, then in Finder, to to Go -> Go To Folder... and put

/Volumes/Mac OS X Install Disc 1/System/Installation/Packages

in the dialogue box. There you should see BootCamp.pkg. Running that with all the defaults puts the Boot Camp Assistant in /Applications/Utilities/

[djejrejk]

Hi Mac lovers

Any ideas of the penryn processor is going to replace the current chip set in MBP? announced on Macworld expo?

Now the macbook and macbook pro are both using 2.2Ghz but with a big price difference which makes MBP a bit unfair...

No one can answer this question other than Apple execs and design team. You get what you pay for.. and you will always pay a premium for quality electronics when they are still relatively new.

[Cybergypsy]

The thing is amazing, I cant get over the speed , i just ordered the 4G of ram package this macbook is crazy fast ;) goodnight guys have to put it down!!

[xUKHCx]

The thing is amazing, I cant get over the speed , i just ordered the 4G of ram package this macbook is crazy fast ;) goodnight guys have to put it down!!

What spec MBP do/did you have, just trying to see if i will notice this speed you are talking about.

[Cybergypsy]

What spec MBP do/did you have, just trying to see if i will notice this speed you are talking about.

Had a 2.4,,,,,

[Capt Underpants]

The thing is amazing, I cant get over the speed , i just ordered the 4G of ram package this macbook is crazy fast ;) goodnight guys have to put it down!!

How much RAM do you have installed right now? 1 gig?

I have a Macbook on order with 2 gigs of RAM so I'm hoping it'll fly.

[xUKHCx]

How much RAM do you have installed right now? 1 gig?

I have a Macbook on order with 2 gigs of RAM so I'm hoping it'll fly.

.


The thing is Fast, mail is superfast and it eats memory, need to get a couple more sticks as i have 1G in it stock.

[Capt Underpants]

Skipped right over that. Thanks.

This further excites me about my macbook purchase.

[dcorban]

I also bought the 2.2 1GB MacBook yesterday.

I had planned on putting 4GB RAM in this thing, but honestly I have noticed nothing performance-wise suggesting that I need more memory. Everything loads instantly. Multi-tasking is flawless. I currently have safari, mail, addressbook, ical, itunes, ichat, quicktime, and textedit open and running since I booted the system up this morning. I don't see any method of determining how much memory is in use, but I haven't noticed any page-file usage, hitching, or slowdown.

I do plan on using iMovie and iDVD fairly often. I would assume these apps will use more RAM, but 1GB may be enough.

I am not familiar enough with the Mac OS to know how "extra" RAM affects performance. In Windows, you always want as much RAM as possible, since it uses an extensive file cache, often at the expense of swapping running programs out of RAM. I will have to do a little research.

*edit*
Well, I found the Activity Monitor application. I currently have 20MB of physical memory free. ;) Also using 350MB of swap, which doesn't seem like much.
I guess I should spring for at least 2GB. However, the price difference for 4GB is too small to pass up maxing this thing out.

[hishat]

I also bought the 2.2 1GB MacBook yesterday.

I had planned on putting 4GB RAM in this thing, but honestly I have noticed nothing performance-wise suggesting that I need more memory. Everything loads instantly.

i have realized you said instantly...are u talking about...as soon as you click the icon...it loads??? iv noticed my macbook being a bit lazy recently...takes about 4-5 seconds to open each program..i know its not a long wait...but it can get tedious..

[Cybergypsy]

Leo is a memory hog, the stock give me nothing left 2G is 49.00 and 4 is 159.00 so getting 4.... One more thing i did notice it takes the macbook 30 seconds to go into sleep mode.

[Cybergypsy]

Skipped right over that. Thanks.

This further excites me about my macbook purchase.
Glad i could excite you :0 having all Revs of the macbook, this is the fastest and most well built by far :)

[the Western zoo]

Where are you buying the extra ram?

I've ressently poured wine into my MacBook and I think I'll get a new one instead of repairing the old, but I'm curious as to what's cheaper buy the 4 gb ram from apple or somewhere else??

[xUKHCx]

Glad i could excite you :0 having all Revs of the macbook, this is the fastest and most well built by far :)

That is very good news to here. Purchasing on monday morning. Or in exactly 20 hours.

[Cybergypsy]

Where are you buying the extra ram?

I've ressently poured wine into my MacBook and I think I'll get a new one instead of repairing the old, but I'm curious as to what's cheaper buy the 4 gb ram from apple or somewhere else??


http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=MacBook%202.2GHz%20Intel%20Core%202%20Duo%20%2813-inch%20White%29

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/MacBook/DDR2/

[Slip]

I second Crucial
Very clear and easy to use site
Very good sticks
Not had any trouble with my RAM from there *touches wood*

[other]

Do the new MacBooks suffer from the CPU whine like all older models did?

[Jasonbot]

Glad i could excite you :0 having all Revs of the macbook, this is the fastest and most well built by far :)

Normally when that happens its more often than not the end of the line. Can't wait for what's coming next.

[johnsto]

Normally when that happens its more often than not the end of the line. Can't wait for what's coming next.

That's what I figure too. I imagine they're just using the current MacBook chassis as a testing ground for the new chipset, and to remain competitive. It's less risky that rolling out a new chassis and a new chipset all at the same time, especially given how popular the MacBook is!

[Cybergypsy]

I think the same and when the new imac came out i really think its quite ugly....I bought the white in case i hate the silver and black and if i love it I will then buy :)

[other]

I think the same and when the new imac came out i really think its quite ugly....I bought the white in case i hate the silver and black and if i love it I will then buy :)

Do you know about my earlier question, whether or not the new MB suffers from the CPU whine like the older ones did?

[Cybergypsy]

Do the new MacBooks suffer from the CPU whine like all older models did?

Dead silent, no fan noise at all, runs cooler then any other mac i have ever had 45 degrees........awesome:)
Also no hard drive click like two of my macbook had.....

[other]

Dead silent, no fan noise at all, runs cooler then any other mac i have ever had 45 degrees........awesome:)
Also no hard drive click like two of my macbook had.....

Have you heard the CPU whine on the older MacBooks?

The SR MBP didn't have it though, so maybe SR fixed it (but it's there on the Dell XPS M1330).

[timestoby]

will ram bout in america work on a uk macbook.im thinkn that it should

[Slip]

will ram bout in america work on a uk macbook.im thinkn that it should

Yep
Aslong as it meets the specs that the MacBook needs (PC2-5300, 200 pin SO-DIMM)
Thats what I have anyway ;)

[naraic]

I had planned on putting 4GB RAM in this thing...


Does anybody know the deal with 4GB RAM with Leopard, I know that the max amount of RAM a 32-bit operation system can adrdess is 3.2GB, but does Leopard or Mac OS X have a way around this barrier?
I was thinking of putting 4GBs in a MacBook too, but was worried i'd need a 64-bit operating system to make good use of it...

[juanster]

Does anybody know the deal with 4GB RAM with Leopard, I know that the max amount of RAM a 32-bit operation system can adrdess is 3.2GB, but does Leopard or Mac OS X have a way around this barrier?
I was thinking of putting 4GBs in a MacBook too, but was worried i'd need a 64-bit operating system to make good use of it...

i am pretty sure it's hardware limitations for c2d macbook (nonSR) to only be able to address 3.2 gb...not OS or software

[Aranince]

Does anybody know the deal with 4GB RAM with Leopard, I know that the max amount of RAM a 32-bit operation system can adrdess is 3.2GB, but does Leopard or Mac OS X have a way around this barrier?
I was thinking of putting 4GBs in a MacBook too, but was worried i'd need a 64-bit operating system to make good use of it...

Leopard is 64bit, no need for a special version

[naraic]

Leopard is 64bit, no need for a special version

Oh, my mistake... Sorry about that :(

[Aranince]

Oh, my mistake... Sorry about that :(

No problem at all!

[foidulus]

Sorta off topic but since you mention owning both macbook pros and plain ol' macbooks, are there any issues with keeping the macbook clean? The most annoying thing about my powerbook(aside from single core envy nowadays :P) is that it is such a pain to clean. I basically have to take the keyboard appart to get it clean. One of the things I like about the macbook keyboards is that they look insanely easy to clean by comparison. Can stuff get under the keys? What do you do if that happens?

[Cybergypsy]

Have you heard the CPU whine on the older MacBooks?

The SR MBP didn't have it though, so maybe SR fixed it (but it's there on the Dell XPS M1330).


Yes , I had 2 that had the whine, this is dead silent!
Also been running of Batt... The batt must be new, I have been on most of the morning and still have 4:20 left...started at over 6:10 this morning with a full charge anyone else noticing this????

I would swear this is a LED screen.....

[slm]

The thing is amazing, I cant get over the speed , i just ordered the 4G of ram package this macbook is crazy fast ;) goodnight guys have to put it down!!


any benchmarks - how fast is it compared to the old one? Especially curious about x3100 (some FPS comparisons would be great) Thanks

[Cybergypsy]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/1860545614_eec0b7c473_o.png

[Cybergypsy]

Sorta off topic but since you mention owning both macbook pros and plain ol' macbooks, are there any issues with keeping the macbook clean? The most annoying thing about my powerbook(aside from single core envy nowadays :P) is that it is such a pain to clean. I basically have to take the keyboard appart to get it clean. One of the things I like about the macbook keyboards is that they look insanely easy to clean by comparison. Can stuff get under the keys? What do you do if that happens?
I am anal I wash my hands before using it, nothing can really get under these keys.......

[Cybergypsy]

I am anal I wash my hands before using it, nothing can really get under these keys.......

I want to say this is faster then my MbP.........I am done .....kepping this one for a long time :)

[xUKHCx]

I am anal I wash my hands before using it, nothing can really get under these keys.......

well if you are anal i'd hope you'd wash your hands before using the computer:p

Anyway jokes aside does it look like the keys could be removed, I only ask as I am using Dvorak and would prefer to have my keys where I want them.

[petvas]

Yes , I had 2 that had the whine, this is dead silent!
Also been running of Batt... The batt must be new, I have been on most of the morning and still have 4:20 left...started at over 6:10 this morning with a full charge anyone else noticing this????

I would swear this is a LED screen.....
Could you please tell us how the screen quality is? Viewing angle? How does it compare to the previous Macbook?

[Cybergypsy]

Could you please tell us how the screen quality is? Viewing angle? How does it compare to the previous Macbook?

There is something different about the screen, I dont know what???
seems a bit dimmer then other models, angles are about the same, the screen is bright and clear, but something is different and cant put my finger on it .

[petvas]

There is something different about the screen, I dont know what???
seems a bit dimmer then other models, angles are about the same, the screen is bright and clear, but something is different and cant put my finger on it .

So it seems that the screen isn't so bright as the previous model???

It's really a shame that the viewing angle didn't improve

[other]

Yes , I had 2 that had the whine, this is dead silent!
Also been running of Batt... The batt must be new, I have been on most of the morning and still have 4:20 left...started at over 6:10 this morning with a full charge anyone else noticing this????

I would swear this is a LED screen.....

Okay, thank you. Sounds good.

[emac82]

Cybergypsy:

How did you change your finder toolbar from the default Green? I don't see it anywheres in System Preferences, is it a program you have to download?

[teerexx52]

Yes , I had 2 that had the whine, this is dead silent!
Also been running of Batt... The batt must be new, I have been on most of the morning and still have 4:20 left...started at over 6:10 this morning with a full charge anyone else noticing this????

I would swear this is a LED screen.....

That's whAt I'd like to know as well. My wife would like a new one if the screen is LED but no one seems to know

[other]

That's whAt I'd like to know as well. My wife would like a new one if the screen is LED but no one seems to know

If it was Apple would have advertised it.

[Cybergypsy]

Cybergypsy:

How did you change your finder toolbar from the default Green? I don't see it anywheres in System Preferences, is it a program you have to download?
its the wallpaper.............

[queshy]

Nice machine, cybergypsy. But I thought you were happy with your perfect LG mbp?

[Cybergypsy]

Nice machine, cybergypsy. But I thought you were happy with your perfect LG mbp?
I was love the feel of the metal, but the screen still looked
de funky, so went back to the macbook and now glad i did :)

[talazem]

Have you tried it in lid closed mode at all? How does the wireless in closed lid mode (or otherwise) of the new MB compare to that of your previous MacBook Pro?

[queshy]

I was love the feel of the metal, but the screen still looked
de funky, so went back to the macbook and now glad i did :)

Good, I'm glad you're happy! Enjoy your new machine.

[Reason077]

Leo is a memory hog, the stock give me nothing left 2G is 49.00 and 4 is 159.00 so getting 4.... One more thing i did notice it takes the macbook 30 seconds to go into sleep mode.

The more RAM you have, the longer it will take to sleep. MacBook's save the contents of RAM to a file on disk when you enter sleep, so the more RAM you have, the larger that file will be and the longer it will take to write.

Something to consider when weighing up 2gb vs 4gb.

[Reason077]

Does anybody know the deal with 4GB RAM with Leopard, I know that the max amount of RAM a 32-bit operation system can adrdess is 3.2GB, but does Leopard or Mac OS X have a way around this barrier?
I was thinking of putting 4GBs in a MacBook too, but was worried i'd need a 64-bit operating system to make good use of it...

Firstly, Leopard does support 64-bit applications, so its already a 64-bit operating system.

However, even a 32-bit OS is quite capable of utilizing more than 4GB RAM. Although a 32-bit address space is limited to 4GB (2^32 bytes), this only limits the memory that each APPLICATION can address, because (in any modern OS) each application has its own address space.

[Cybergypsy]

Have you tried it in lid closed mode at all? How does the wireless in closed lid mode (or otherwise) of the new MB compare to that of your previous MacBook Pro?Well never used close mode, I love this macbook, the 4 other were ok, but this is fast and smooth :)

[zepharus]

I was love the feel of the metal, but the screen still looked
de funky, so went back to the macbook and now glad i did :)

LOL Cybergypsy at it AGAIN. ROFL

[Johnner1999]

Have you tried any "games" or done any video editing -- how is the built-in video (x3100)


thanks in advance,
john

[Cybergypsy]

Have you tried any "games" or done any video editing -- how is the built-in video (x3100)


thanks in advance,
john


No sorry I am not a gamer, and no editing either......

[xUKHCx]

Do the keys look like they could be switched around physically.

[Cybergypsy]

Do the keys look like they could be switched around physically.
They seem like they can......I will not pull one off :(

[xUKHCx]

They seem like they can......I will not pull one off :(

Thats good, i'll do the pulling part when i get my hands on it.

[g-ram]

Hey... new here. This is my first post.

I have been following Mac for the last few months. I recently started the graphic design program at my local community college, where we have sleek new Mac Pros. Since this MB update and being that the MBP doesn't get updated until after christmas, I have been on the fence about what to do.

I will be getting an Apple notebook for christmas for sure. However, I need it to do graphic design and I need it to last me and everything I can throw at it for at least 3 years. I really want a MBP, but if a nice decked out MB will do the job just fine perhaps I'll just go with that.Anyway, enough backstory...

Do you use Photoshop or any of the Adobe suite at all? I'd love to know if the new SR MB will run the entire CS3 collection.

[Dybbuk]

They seem like they can......I will not pull one off :(

The keys come off and snap back on like a breeze. I wouldn't worry about it.

[dcorban]

So after some heavy usage I have decided that 4GB RAM is a must if you plan on using iMovie for anything more than tiny clips. Performance is actually pretty good even with only 1GB, but Activity Monitor is showing over 2GB of memory usage (1GB RAM, 1+GB swap) and heavy swap usage. My experience shows that 2GB is the minimum I would recommend for a MacBook, with 4GB recommended for video editing.

I will be adding the 4GB RAM for sure.

[Muahdib]

Well I had the previous Macbook for a couple of days before going back and exchanging it for the updated MB. The only real test I've done on the graphics is run Quake III. I know it's old but should still give a general idea of the graphics. I was a bit disappointed. The previous MB ran at default settings about 158 fps. The new one only 97 fps. I'm guessing this is a driver issue. I've also heard (second hand mind you) that WoW runs more slowly on the new MB's. Both were run under Leopard as well.

[Etrain]

Cybergypsy:

Can you please run a Geekbench benchmark on your new comp? I'm very interested in knowing what the scores are for the new models. Thanks!:D

[Capt Underpants]

Cybergypsy:

Can you please run a Geekbench benchmark on your new comp? I'm very interested in knowing what the scores are for the new models. Thanks!:D

Look on the 2nd page of this thread :)

[Etrain]

Look on the 2nd page of this thread :)

LMAO! Thanks! :cool:

[Diversion]

I picked up a SR MacBook on Friday and loving every bit of it.. well mostly anyways..

I had the previous MacBook about 2 weeks ago and returned it due to the information that the SR one coming out..

The screen I had before this new SR looked a little better to me in my opinion.. it's obvious Apple, like all other notebook manufacturers use various assorted LCD displays.. I guess I got lucky on the non-SR model I had compared to this one.. This SR MacBook's screen has too much bloom, too much contrast.. Light grays blend in with white.. In fact, I can hardly see the grey shade around this text field i'm typing in right now on this very forum.

Another slight disappointment is the X3100.. it's SLOWER than the GMA950 on the last model as well.. Not a lot slower, but WoW runs at least 10 fps slower than my last MacBook... I'm sure this all related to the driver being used for the video.. but as of right now, GPU performance is a downgrade in comparison to the last model.

Other than that, battery life is definitely improved on this model from the last model.. It's gotten past 4 hours easily and still says 1:30 hours left of time.. pretty ridiculous!

I don't think there's another notebook out there that has this form factor packing a 2.2ghz full-speed non-ULV cpu.. I could be wrong though.. I have a Dell 1420 with the same SR platform and same speed CPU.. it's HUGE in comparison to this MacBook.. and they are both the same speed.. The 1420 is 14" but yet, is easily twice as thick and .6lbs heavier. This is the ultimate "lap" computer for me so far.

This MacBook is perfect to sit in your lap on the couch, it doesn't get hot at all.. just luke warm when casually surfing the internet and doing Office type programs and what not.. I wouldn't dare any gaming in the lap. Would hurt.

Jay

[tayhadar1]

No sorry I am not a gamer, and no editing either......

You are making me feel like I do not need a macbook pro.....

I am not a gamer or into editing, and based on your experience maybe I will go with a macbook. I just can't decide if a 13" screen is too small......

[Cybergypsy]

I picked up a SR MacBook on Friday and loving every bit of it.. well mostly anyways..

I had the previous MacBook about 2 weeks ago and returned it due to the information that the SR one coming out..

The screen I had before this new SR looked a little better to me in my opinion.. it's obvious Apple, like all other notebook manufacturers use various assorted LCD displays.. I guess I got lucky on the non-SR model I had compared to this one.. This SR MacBook's screen has too much bloom, too much contrast.. Light grays blend in with white.. In fact, I can hardly see the grey shade around this text field i'm typing in right now on this very forum.

Another slight disappointment is the X3100.. it's SLOWER than the GMA950 on the last model as well.. Not a lot slower, but WoW runs at least 10 fps slower than my last MacBook... I'm sure this all related to the driver being used for the video.. but as of right now, GPU performance is a downgrade in comparison to the last model.

Other than that, battery life is definitely improved on this model from the last model.. It's gotten past 4 hours easily and still says 1:30 hours left of time.. pretty ridiculous!

I don't think there's another notebook out there that has this form factor packing a 2.2ghz full-speed non-ULV cpu.. I could be wrong though.. I have a Dell 1420 with the same SR platform and same speed CPU.. it's HUGE in comparison to this MacBook.. and they are both the same speed.. The 1420 is 14" but yet, is easily twice as thick and .6lbs heavier. This is the ultimate "lap" computer for me so far.

This MacBook is perfect to sit in your lap on the couch, it doesn't get hot at all.. just luke warm when casually surfing the internet and doing Office type programs and what not.. I wouldn't dare any gaming in the lap. Would hurt.

Jay

The batt. life is awesome, much longer then any macbooks, I however have all the shading on this fourm, my screen is fine that way, but something is different about this screen.....and Have to agree coolest mac yet ever!!!!

[irbdavid]

I'll be ordering one of these in the next few days. Can anyone else attest to the new GPU being slower than the gma 950?? I guess you could put it down to new driver issues, but it should be snappier surely?

That said, I'm not at all bothered about 3D performance, just keeping expose etc smooth when using external monitors and lots of windows open. Coverflow etc.

~£760 including 3yr applecare with st00dent discount for the 2.2 Ghz one. Can't knock that.

My current (CD 1.83GHz) macbook is without a doubt the best computer I've ever owned. The new ones can only be a step up - really looking forward to it :D

[Cybergypsy]

I'll be ordering one of these in the next few days. Can anyone else attest to the new GPU being slower than the gma 950?? I guess you could put it down to new driver issues, but it should be snappier surely?

That said, I'm not at all bothered about 3D performance, just keeping expose etc smooth when using external monitors and lots of windows open. Coverflow etc.

~£760 including 3yr applecare with st00dent discount for the 2.2 Ghz one. Can't knock that.

My current (CD 1.83GHz) macbook is without a doubt the best computer I've ever owned. The new ones can only be a step up - really looking forward to it :D

I dont see that its any slower at all.......this is one quick book happy i didnt buy a 2.16 refurb....very happy!

[jockmock]

I'm going to buy the macbook soon as well. However, do you really need applecare? It's freaking $450!

[Cybergypsy]

I'm going to buy the macbook soon as well. However, do you really need applecare? It's freaking $450!

129.00 on ebay works just as well :)

[maestro55]

My 2.2Ghz MacBook arrived Friday morning and I have been using it all weekend. I will have to side with the OP, this thing flies and I only have the stock 1GB. I am not doing anything at this time which would require the extra memory though I would like to eventually upgrade the RAM. As for the operating system, Leopard is better than I thought. I never really got the chance to use Tiger since back in high school we did everything on 10.3 and my iMac runs 10.2 so the leap from 10.3 to 10.5 for me was amazing. I love the keyboard and the trackpad. Built in bluetooth is nice, and I am waiting till we can hook the iPhone with the MacBook via bluetooth and use EDGE anywhere to browse the web on our portables.

Overall, the MacBook is a great system for the price. I have owned a lot of computers in my life and this has got to be the best one I have ever owned. Now I am waiting on the release of a 2.2Ghz Mini, that would be a nice desktop machine.

[Diversion]

My 2.2Ghz MacBook arrived Friday morning and I have been using it all weekend. I will have to side with the OP, this thing flies and I only have the stock 1GB. I am not doing anything at this time which would require the extra memory though I would like to eventually upgrade the RAM. As for the operating system, Leopard is better than I thought. I never really got the chance to use Tiger since back in high school we did everything on 10.3 and my iMac runs 10.2 so the leap from 10.3 to 10.5 for me was amazing. I love the keyboard and the trackpad. Built in bluetooth is nice, and I am waiting till we can hook the iPhone with the MacBook via bluetooth and use EDGE anywhere to browse the web on our portables.

Overall, the MacBook is a great system for the price. I have owned a lot of computers in my life and this has got to be the best one I have ever owned. Now I am waiting on the release of a 2.2Ghz Mini, that would be a nice desktop machine.

Actually they already have a small application for the iPhone that lets you connect your iPhone via WiFi to your Macbook/PC via AdHoc connection and through a HTTP Proxy to allow you to use your iPhone as a wireless modem on your notebook.. Although at the moment you're just limited to web surfing because of the http proxy, there's talks that they figured out how you could use it as a full blown internet connection (which i'm excited about). I tried the tethering with my iPhone already and it works great.. it's like having a 56k modem for the most part but it gets the job done.

Jay

[mattyh]

I too had a 2.16 Macbook for a couple weeks before exchanging it for this 2.2 model. To be honest I've been mostly disappointed compared to the 2.16, but I know it is only a temporary thing.

First, the screen looked odd from the moment I turned the computer on. I noticed that the grayish/silver theme of the applications actually looked brownish silver. I went back to the apple store, and luckily a technician was able to use the calibration tool in the system preferences to get the color to look much better (the difference when switching from the default preference to this new one is astounding).

Secondly, the mouse pad drives me nuts. I usually hate the mac laptop trackpads because they seem to be jerky. My 2.16 MB had a great mousepad, but I'm getting used to this one :(

Finally, and most annoyingly, the x3100 drivers are absolutely atrocious. I realize that windows had to deal with the same issue for many months, so it's only a matter of time before this is fixed. But, ANYTHING (games or even applications and leopard effects such as spaces) is somewhat jerky and generally slower than the 950 was in the 2.16 models. It's disappointing because on the 2.16 model, everything was so smooth and responsive. Now, whenever I try to do anything that requires the least bit of gpu use, I get quick stutters and jerky framerates. The most obvious examples are trying to move windows around in parallels and switching between spaces using the overhead view.

But, these things will be fixed with drivers in the future and I'm sure I'll be very happy then that I have the 2.2 instead of the 2.16.

[Diversion]

I too had a 2.16 Macbook for a couple weeks before exchanging it for this 2.2 model. To be honest I've been mostly disappointed compared to the 2.16, but I know it is only a temporary thing.

First, the screen looked odd from the moment I turned the computer on. I noticed that the grayish/silver theme of the applications actually looked brownish silver. I went back to the apple store, and luckily a technician was able to use the calibration tool in the system preferences to get the color to look much better (the difference when switching from the default preference to this new one is astounding).

Secondly, the mouse pad drives me nuts. I usually hate the mac laptop trackpads because they seem to be jerky. My 2.16 MB had a great mousepad, but I'm getting used to this one :(

Finally, and most annoyingly, the x3100 drivers are absolutely atrocious. I realize that windows had to deal with the same issue for many months, so it's only a matter of time before this is fixed. But, ANYTHING (games or even applications and leopard effects such as spaces) is somewhat jerky and generally slower than the 950 was in the 2.16 models. It's disappointing because on the 2.16 model, everything was so smooth and responsive. Now, whenever I try to do anything that requires the least bit of gpu use, I get quick stutters and jerky framerates. The most obvious examples are trying to move windows around in parallels and switching between spaces using the overhead view.

But, these things will be fixed with drivers in the future and I'm sure I'll be very happy then that I have the 2.2 instead of the 2.16.

Although I agree the X3100 drivers are horrible in their current state versus the best GMA950s.. the jerkiness/stuttering you're experiencing isn't related to the X3100 or it's drivers, a lot of MBP users also notice the same problem.. I think it has something to do with Leopard's version of Quartz and should be fixed in the near future via a patch. It's just a programming flaw im sure.

Jay

[nyprimus4]

Hey everyone, like many I have been following the Macbook situation for at least 2 months now and this is what I want to do.

I want to order the hi-end white SR Macbook. I'll go stock for now on everything but eventually(probably x-mas time) I will upgrade to 2GB or 4GB and a 250GB hard drive.

It will probably fly for everything I want(Adium,Firefox,MS Office 2004,Photoshop CS2). The thing I'm wondering is---

Can any new SR MB owners tell me how it works with 720p/1080p .mkv H.264 files? Basically how does it play HD movies/shows, particularly in the VLC media player?

[Nitromaster]

nice :D

I'm going to be getting a 2.2 macbook in the next week,still debating over whether I should get 4gbs of ram from apple or a third party. (I must be crazy to even think about getting it from apple :D )

[Cybergypsy]

I too had a 2.16 Macbook for a couple weeks before exchanging it for this 2.2 model. To be honest I've been mostly disappointed compared to the 2.16, but I know it is only a temporary thing.

First, the screen looked odd from the moment I turned the computer on. I noticed that the grayish/silver theme of the applications actually looked brownish silver. I went back to the apple store, and luckily a technician was able to use the calibration tool in the system preferences to get the color to look much better (the difference when switching from the default preference to this new one is astounding).

Secondly, the mouse pad drives me nuts. I usually hate the mac laptop trackpads because they seem to be jerky. My 2.16 MB had a great mousepad, but I'm getting used to this one :(

Finally, and most annoyingly, the x3100 drivers are absolutely atrocious. I realize that windows had to deal with the same issue for many months, so it's only a matter of time before this is fixed. But, ANYTHING (games or even applications and leopard effects such as spaces) is somewhat jerky and generally slower than the 950 was in the 2.16 models. It's disappointing because on the 2.16 model, everything was so smooth and responsive. Now, whenever I try to do anything that requires the least bit of gpu use, I get quick stutters and jerky framerates. The most obvious examples are trying to move windows around in parallels and switching between spaces using the overhead view.

But, these things will be fixed with drivers in the future and I'm sure I'll be very happy then that I have the 2.2 instead of the 2.16.

I have no issues in mine at all like you are describing....no jerky stutters.......at all and the mouse is much better on this then my 2.16

[Cybergypsy]

nice :D

I'm going to be getting a 2.2 macbook in the next week,still debating over whether I should get 4gbs of ram from apple or a third party. (I must be crazy to even think about getting it from apple :D )

buy from newegg :)

[originalcliche]

I just got mine today and I am loving it. Though the guys at the apple store wanted to sell me the 2.16 and didnt even have the tags out for these new ones yet..

[nyprimus4]

How many FPS do you think CoD2 can get with the X3100? I've beaten it on the 360 but I would love to beat it on a Macbook. Plus I plan on buying a Nintendo Wiimote and setting up DarwiinRemote so I can play games COD2/Halo and ROM's with the Wiimote.

[Cybergypsy]

I just got mine today and I am loving it. Though the guys at the apple store wanted to sell me the 2.16 and didnt even have the tags out for these new ones yet..
Its a same they try to get a old one sold before the new....

[irbdavid]

I'm going to buy the macbook soon as well. However, do you really need applecare? It's freaking $450!

£47 (~$100) with UK higher education discount. Having said that, there's something about a 3yr parts and labour warranty by default on UK higher ed purchases so I'm told.

[Surely]

nice :D

I'm going to be getting a 2.2 macbook in the next week,still debating over whether I should get 4gbs of ram from apple or a third party. (I must be crazy to even think about getting it from apple :D )

If you're into wasting money, then buy your RAM from Apple. They charge 4x the going rate. You can get 4GB of quality RAM for $199.

You know, that if you are willing to spend $850 on a RAM upgrade, you may as well buy a MB Pro for $1999....

[rossgumbrell]

Well, i just got an email from Apple telling me my 2.2ghz Black (2gb RAM) laptop had just been dispatched.

It was dispatched on 5/11 but it says it will be delivered on or before the 19th nov......

Bit of a long time dont u think?!? 2 weeks for delivery!?

Or do they say this to cover their backs and should i expect to recieve it in the next few days?

:apple::apple::apple: