All right, well, I just decided to post a little rant...feel free to move it to the wasteland if it's inappropriate, Mods 
Anyways, I know there are people who keep their computers for 3-6 years and more, and I can't compete with that yet, but I just want to let everyone know that after 6 months since I made the switch, it is still the best purchasing decision I've ever made, I'd say. Hopefully I'll get the chance to see how it holds up 4-6 years from now, but I may give it to my mom when I go to college since I'm getting a Macbook Pro (It's mandatory). Hopefully I'll have an equal or better experience with that Macbook Pro as I've had with this Macbook
So six months and 226 battery cycles later, my Macbook is still amazing. I abuse the thing, taking it to school every single day in my backpack with no case. I walk with it, using it with one hand and holding it in the other, I use it as an iPod in closed lid mode + insomniaX, and so much else. It comes in and out 20+ times a day, on desks and in my lap and in bed, and it hardly ever fails me. I still get about 4-4 1/2 hours of battery life (measured today with mild usage: Flash/web browsing, iTunes, Adium, Logic express, iCal, and Mail open at all times, and at one point I emptied a heavy trash load which took a few minutes and opened an OS 9 emulator). So I have no complaints there...my Dell Inspiron got about 2 hours when I bought it and now gets like an hour and a half a year and some months later...I'm sure there are better computers in terms of battery life, but this is the best computer I've ever owned for that, and 4 hours is good enough for anything I need!
I've had little issues...I experienced the DVD player issue twice (I no longer use DVD player, so I haven't experienced those Kernel panics), and have been dealing with the Apogee Duet kernel panic issue (which is not the Macbook's fault completely...) and there are little things it does to me, but no crashes besides the ones I mentioned, and it still runs fast, even when I'm working it in Handbrake/folding/whatever. I still love the aesthetics, too! I am so attracted to the Macbook's looks (in terms of laptop design I'm not really attracted to my computer), and I just feel great when I use the computer. I'm sure many of the adults on here can attest, and maybe some of the younger people, but at the age of 17, for me to work, save my money, and be able to completely pay off this computer I've wanted (and the Duet...and all the other stuff in between) along with gas, insurance, et cetera...It's a wonderful feeling. I feel really good about myself, knowing that I worked hard to get what I wanted, and I feel good about myself using such a beautiful and trustworthy piece of equipment. It was a wonderful investment.
One thing I've talked highly about for a long time is Apple's customer service. Maybe...two or three months after I got my Macbook, I had a dumb attack, and ended up dropping it (it wasn't like a, "whoops!" type of a drop, it was a, "****, I forgot I was holding my Macbook too when I dropped my books" kind of a drop). So it's completely my fault, and the Macbook survives! It does some weird diagnostics thing on the screen and is fine, runs fine, et cetera. The case is a little crooked, but not enough to bother me, and there's a chip next to the USB port, but it wasn't until later that I found out the DVD drive was broken. I called Apple, received a box and sent it in. It was back the next day, good as new. This is analogous to when I got my iPod...I dropped it, and smashed the screen...same deal. I got a box, sent it in, and had a brand new one the next day. Apple has, hands down, the greatest customer service I've seen in the computer industry, and it's one of the biggest things that will keep me a buyer for a long time. Atleast until they screw up big time for me.
But, anyways, I could go on for a long time about how happy I've been with my computer. I plugged in my Windows box a few days ago, and it's normal operating loudness (as in, not doing anything, just sitting there at the login screen) is louder than my Macbook's loudest fan speeds. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine computer, but goddamn it is loud! It just makes me appreciate the quietness of my laptop so much more. So to everyone considering a Macbook: Don't hesitate! It's a wonderful, completely capable machine, and Apple is a wonderful company for repairing and customer service. Don't consider this an I-love-Apple rant, so much as a, I've experienced something that makes me one happy consumer!
Peace everyone,
Dustin Cleveland
Anyways, I know there are people who keep their computers for 3-6 years and more, and I can't compete with that yet, but I just want to let everyone know that after 6 months since I made the switch, it is still the best purchasing decision I've ever made, I'd say. Hopefully I'll get the chance to see how it holds up 4-6 years from now, but I may give it to my mom when I go to college since I'm getting a Macbook Pro (It's mandatory). Hopefully I'll have an equal or better experience with that Macbook Pro as I've had with this Macbook
So six months and 226 battery cycles later, my Macbook is still amazing. I abuse the thing, taking it to school every single day in my backpack with no case. I walk with it, using it with one hand and holding it in the other, I use it as an iPod in closed lid mode + insomniaX, and so much else. It comes in and out 20+ times a day, on desks and in my lap and in bed, and it hardly ever fails me. I still get about 4-4 1/2 hours of battery life (measured today with mild usage: Flash/web browsing, iTunes, Adium, Logic express, iCal, and Mail open at all times, and at one point I emptied a heavy trash load which took a few minutes and opened an OS 9 emulator). So I have no complaints there...my Dell Inspiron got about 2 hours when I bought it and now gets like an hour and a half a year and some months later...I'm sure there are better computers in terms of battery life, but this is the best computer I've ever owned for that, and 4 hours is good enough for anything I need!
I've had little issues...I experienced the DVD player issue twice (I no longer use DVD player, so I haven't experienced those Kernel panics), and have been dealing with the Apogee Duet kernel panic issue (which is not the Macbook's fault completely...) and there are little things it does to me, but no crashes besides the ones I mentioned, and it still runs fast, even when I'm working it in Handbrake/folding/whatever. I still love the aesthetics, too! I am so attracted to the Macbook's looks (in terms of laptop design
I'm not really attracted to my computer), and I just feel great when I use the computer. I'm sure many of the adults on here can attest, and maybe some of the younger people, but at the age of 17, for me to work, save my money, and be able to completely pay off this computer I've wanted (and the Duet...and all the other stuff in between) along with gas, insurance, et cetera...It's a wonderful feeling. I feel really good about myself, knowing that I worked hard to get what I wanted, and I feel good about myself using such a beautiful and trustworthy piece of equipment. It was a wonderful investment.One thing I've talked highly about for a long time is Apple's customer service. Maybe...two or three months after I got my Macbook, I had a dumb attack, and ended up dropping it (it wasn't like a, "whoops!" type of a drop, it was a, "****, I forgot I was holding my Macbook too when I dropped my books" kind of a drop). So it's completely my fault, and the Macbook survives! It does some weird diagnostics thing on the screen and is fine, runs fine, et cetera. The case is a little crooked, but not enough to bother me, and there's a chip next to the USB port, but it wasn't until later that I found out the DVD drive was broken. I called Apple, received a box and sent it in. It was back the next day, good as new. This is analogous to when I got my iPod...I dropped it, and smashed the screen...same deal. I got a box, sent it in, and had a brand new one the next day. Apple has, hands down, the greatest customer service I've seen in the computer industry, and it's one of the biggest things that will keep me a buyer for a long time. Atleast until they screw up big time for me.
But, anyways, I could go on for a long time about how happy I've been with my computer. I plugged in my Windows box a few days ago, and it's normal operating loudness (as in, not doing anything, just sitting there at the login screen) is louder than my Macbook's loudest fan speeds. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine computer, but goddamn it is loud! It just makes me appreciate the quietness of my laptop so much more. So to everyone considering a Macbook: Don't hesitate! It's a wonderful, completely capable machine, and Apple is a wonderful company for repairing and customer service. Don't consider this an I-love-Apple rant, so much as a, I've experienced something that makes me one happy consumer!
Peace everyone,
Dustin Cleveland
