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Anyone like the older MBP's more than the unibody

Kronie

Kronie

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 4, 2008
929
2
I've been using windows for years and I'm about to pick up a 17" MBP. ( I cant wait):):):)

I have to say, I like the look of the older MBP better than the unibody. I like the grey keys and the screen over black. I know they don't have a 17" unibody yet but besides the unibody and the hard drives are there any new features the 15" unibody has that the 17" lacks?
 
I have a 15 inch MBP I bought in 2007 and it's still a much better machine than most of the Windows laptops I see at Best Buy. And it still makes me very happy. After recently getting to play with the new unibody model, I think they're great machines, but I don't feel any urge to buy one. For me though, it has nothing to do with the black keyboard.

Pros: The new design is sturdier and the cpu/graphics/ram/etc is faster. It also supports (more) multitouch on the trackpad.

Cons: There are two and both relate to display issues: miniDisplayPort and gloss.

I'm sure you can find plenty of posts on these boards sharing exasperation over the choice to go with only glossy screens and not offer a matte option at all. Not only is the only option glossy, but it's more glossy than the old glossy option. I don't mind glossy for home use and it makes movies look beautiful, but for people using it in an office setting or outdoors, it's not a good idea.

For me personally the biggest con is losing DVI output. I hook my laptop up to monitors, projectors and my TV all the time and DVI is the best option for compatiblity. The only external monitor you can use without an adapter is Apple's own new 24 inch.

They no longer provide adapters like they used to for their mini-DVI on the MB, so when you're looking at the cost of the new machines, figure in the price of at least two adapters, one for VGA and one for DVI, and if you have a 30-inch monitor, you'll have to pay for the $100 DVI-D adapter. You'll even need an adapter if you have one of the few monitors that supports ordinary DisplayPort.

Even that wouldn't be so bad except they've now enabled HDCP so forget about watching DRM'd HD content you buy on a TV or any external monitor except Apple's new 24-inch one because the adapter will make it an "non-trusted" connection. In other words, they are penalizing people who pay for movies and effectively rewarding people who pirate them.

Anyone who had an old Apple Cinema Display with their own proprietary connector can tell you the heart-ache of Apple-only connections. In my office, every time we upgrade a computer we have to buy a new monitor even though the old monitors still work wonderfully, simply because they used Apple's proprietary connector that Apple no longer supports and the adapter is nearly as expensive as a new monitor.

I think Apple made a big mistake in using with miniDisplayPort regardless of whatever technical or size advantages it may have. The sad thing is, most of us will buy an Apple anyway when we need our next computer no matter how disgruntled we are. But I personally will postpone that day as long as I can and keep an old laptop with DVI. If other manufacturers adopt Apple's "standard" or the company switches back to a real standard, I will reconsider. Until then, I'm happy with my machine.
 
Not at all, the old one is dated and looks like all the windows laptops out there!
 
No.

I like the old silver keyboard better than the new one. But that is the only thing I prefer from the old model.

I used to have a matte screen on my old MBP. The new screen is great. I have only been affected by the glare once when direct sunlight was hitting the white wall directly behind me. Other than that, I have not had any problems with the screen. And it's glass, which means it's easy to clean.

I love the new trackpad, although I tap-to-click instead of actually clicking the trackpad.
 
My friend has a PB G4 and i got a MPB classic a few months ago. He loves mine but said he wanted to get a glassbook. I then reminded him that the new ones have glass and pointed to the quite a few dents on his PB from being dropped. I was thinking that the classic might be more sturdy and proven. Also, i played on new MBPs and just didnt really take to the keys. The track pad is cool and would prob just take getting used to, but i really like the keys on mine. And if you're in school, the comfort of the keys is a must. So i agree with the other people, its just preference. Well that and a lot of people like to be able to say "i have a new mpb and its the best thing out there since its new"
 
mikes70mustang said:
My friend has a PB G4 and i got a MPB classic a few months ago. He loves mine but said he wanted to get a glassbook. I then reminded him that the new ones have glass and pointed to the quite a few dents on his PB from being dropped. I was thinking that the classic might be more sturdy and proven. Also, i played on new MBPs and just didnt really take to the keys. The track pad is cool and would prob just take getting used to, but i really like the keys on mine. And if you're in school, the comfort of the keys is a must. So i agree with the other people, its just preference. Well that and a lot of people like to be able to say "i have a new mpb and its the best thing out there since its new"
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I still haven't been able to figure out of I like the new ones because they are just new, or on their own merits.

I picked up an early '08 model earlier this week (first mac ever, :D, so far totally impressed). It came down to price and keyboard. I love the old keyboard, I highly dislike the new. I really like the new trackpad, but to me keyboard takes precedence.
 
I have a MBP SR'07 & i love the old ones i could go for another classic one if i could but i just hate the GPU pump inside them ::( ..
 
I like the sturdiness of the new unibody ones but I still love my old one. One thing that annoyed me all the time on the old one was the top case was never truly flush and how if you pressed on the top case around the cd drive it would dip the entrance down.
 
I'm a big fan of the new trackpad and the new keyboard (same as my BlackBook) where as I HATED the old keyboard (normal laptop style mushed keys), so I'm a bigger fan of the Unibody. Plus the old one had a latch where as this one is magnetic, etc.. and much more solid imho.
 
I never liked the older model much. Everyone always talks about how nice it looks but to me it always looked so chunky. The plastic rim on the edge was hideous and made it look cheap. It just didn't feel streamlined and sleek due to the boxy form of the body. The unibody looks elegant and modern. Whether the black color of the keys or the bezel is better I guess it up for debate but the body of the new model is better hands down.
 
I love absolutely everything about the unibody MBP better than the old one. I hated the squishy keyboard and annoying latch in particular. I think these new ones are a big improvement through and through.
 
waloshin said:
Not at all, the old one is dated and looks like all the windows laptops out there!
Click to expand...

Aww that's too harsh man. The pre-late'08 models have always looked very classy to me. I consider myself fortunate that the Unibody models were released at a time when I was talking myself into a switch-over to mac. But at the same time, I would've been happy to own a last-gen MBP. It's still a powerhouse of a computer.
 
I have both the Classic MBP and recently acquired the new Unibody MBP.

If both were the same price - that would be a very difficult decision. The real issue with the unibody MBP is that in some ways, I don't feel it is an "upgrade", yet it is hundreds of dollars more expensive.

What I liked about the unibody:
- Sleekness and rigidity
- Glass trackpad
- Huge trackpad
- Easy access hatch
- Cooler
- Newer GPU

Why it's not an "upgrade":
- Not a fan of the glass screen.
- Worse battery life than the earlier 2008 Classic MBP
- mini Displayport - I love using the dual screens - I hate having adapters:
-- Classic MBP had built in Dual link DVI
-- Unibody MBP's Dual Link DVI adapter cost $99 (absurd)

Why my wallet likes the Classic:
- 4gb DDR2 is dirt cheap, 4gb DDR3 is expensive (for now)
- The Classic is hundreds of dollars less

The issue with value is that all the things except the last two on the things I liked about the new Unibody aren't really that functional to me. I use a mouse for most of my work and I'm extremely handy with electronics - so the easy access hatch isn't that big of a deal.

Many people keep mentioning how nice the unibody looks. Looks are great, but I love my dual link DVI, non-glass screen, and better battery life. Oh, and extra cash in my wallet. It seems apple put aesthetics > function in this new MBP.

Again, if they were the same price - that'd be a tough decision. But because money doesn't grow on trees and the Classic is in many ways "better" than the unibody, I would definitely choose the Classic.
 
I was a big fan of the old one and didn't want to see much changed...however the new one grew on me, absolutely love it. The old one is still sweet but it does look a bit dated....I think its the screws and plastic border around the edge of the body. I loved the look of the keyboard but being painted plastic they are a bit cheap when you get on them. I've really gotten used to the chiclet kybrd and prefer it overall, but I initially was hoping they'd leave it alone. Either way I've always thought going to metal keys would be a very nice touch & I could care less if it weighed a bit more. All in all, I think by simplifying the overall design they've managed to improve on an already wicked design and make it even classier.

The new magnetic latch over the old annoying wonky hard to get at button = +1
 
Yeah, I don't really think it looks ANYTHING like a Windows laptop. I'm sure you drooled over the old one at some point, so no similarity to a PC there. ;)
 
Just got the old model!

I just got the old 15.4" model, 2.5Ghz Penryn, 4 Gb RAM.:D
It's a great price now, AND i can still use my 23" ACD without a bloody 99,- adapter, and i have a matte screen (a must have for me).
Oh, and it does'nt look like a 15 inch macbook.

(just keeping my fingers crossed the bloody NVIDIA GT 8600 does'nt die on me)
 
iMpathetic said:
Yeah, I don't really think it looks ANYTHING like a Windows laptop. I'm sure you drooled over the old one at some point, so no similarity to a PC there. ;)
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To me, the black keyboard paired with the ultra glossy display with the fat shiny black bezel around it looks very Windows PC. And I guess I have the old one, I have a PowerBook G4, so it's the same body.. And yes, I do love the look of my laptop. It's not as pretty as my iBook, but it's very professional looking, whereas the new unibodies are neither pretty nor professional looking.
 
The unibody is an amazing leap in laptops.
The 'classic' design is old and dated, basically unchanged since my aluminum PowerBook G4.
It was an amazing design...in 2004. :)

The unibody feels so much better than my last years MacBook Pro - it is just so solid.
Glossy is not an issue for me since my last two MBPs were glossy.
The display adapter is $29, not $99 and works great into my 23" Apple Cinema.
The black keys allow you to use the backlit keyboard at a much lower rate since the contrast is higher. Battery life using the discrete graphics is low, so switch to integrated. Currently I have some battery niggles, but it is under warranty and I am confident in the unit and Apple's ID in laptops going forward - this is the future.
 
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