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Buying a new Macbook: Black or White?

somevelvet said:
don't really get why everyone's so kookoo over the black ones--they just look like PC laptops to me!
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I don't know, look at Dell or HP or Sony's sites and check out the laptops.

I see way more than look the the MacBook Pros than I do plain black ones anymore.

It may have been different a few years ago, but nowadays most PC laptops are either silver or an ugly combo of black and silver. Very few are solid black, except for maybe the Thinkpads.

And let me say there's: there's been a few times I've seen a PC notebook in magazine ad or on a TV commercial and thought to myseld, "Hmm, is that a Mac? I have to take a closer look..." but I've NEVER seen a black MacBook and confused it with a PC; it may be black, but it's still very Apple.

And finally - the white MacBook is just like all Apple's other stuff... the MacMini, the iMac, etc. I find the black MacBook actually stands out in their product line..!
 
Unspeaked said:
I don't know, look at Dell or HP or Sony's sites and check out the laptops.

I see way more than look the the MacBook Pros than I do plain black ones anymore.

It may have been different a few years ago, but nowadays most PC laptops are either silver or an ugly combo of black and silver. Very few are solid black, except for maybe the Thinkpads.

And let me say there's: there's been a few times I've seen a PC notebook in magazine ad or on a TV commercial and thought to myseld, "Hmm, is that a Mac? I have to take a closer look..." but I've NEVER seen a black MacBook and confused it with a PC; it may be black, but it's still very Apple.

And finally - the white MacBook is just like all Apple's other stuff... the MacMini, the iMac, etc. I find the black MacBook actually stands out in their product line..!
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What stands out even more in the black macbooks is the collection of grease and grime that pile up on the finish! it really adds alot to the "new modern" look. nothing compares to showing off my new 1200$ grime machine at the local coffee shop
 
I'd take white one. I've seen them both at my Apple Reseller and I can say that whitle looks better IMO. Judging by my experience with black/white iPods, white one doesnt show sratches and other negative stuff as easily as the black one does.

Plus, black one looks like PC laptop when its open and you're looking at the front. (Back doesnt because there's a lit-up Apple there:))
 
Martin C said:
^ The finish on the Black Macbook is totally different than the one on the Black iPod.
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And it somehow looks totally different from any PC laptop that I have ever seen. Maybe it's the styling, maybe it's the finish, I don't really know. I just know it looks different, even from when PC laptops were all black (and very few are these days). And the white accessories and Apple logo on the lid are nice contrasts, I think. To me it would be worth the extra $50.
 
I too debated over whether to get a white/ or black MacBook. My advice to anyone with a similar dilema: go for the Pro. I thought I would try and save money by going with the MacBook. I didn't really have a color preference between the white and the black, but two things drove me away from the white. 1) The white glossy display casing seemed to get too many scratches for my liking and 2) I didn't see one used iBook or MacBook that hadn't turned brown. I decided to go with the black. The black looks nice out of the box but after that, it has its share of problems two. Fingerprints and grease build up like crazy. I would clean mine almost every night when I first got it, and still people would comment on how dirty it looked. Most of this WILL clean off quite nicely, except for the touchpad and the keyboard. The touchpad develops a large shiney spot (which never noticeably develops on my other laptops until about the 3rd year) and grease in the keys becomes imbedded in them (especially on the space bar) and I have had no luck removing it.

I'd take the black over the white since a relatively un-intrusive keyboard skin will keep your keys nice, and all you are left with is a shiny touchpad which is only noticeable from directly overhead in certain light. The rest of the black MacBook can really be cleaned up to look like new, and its pretty resistant to scratches. Still, I'd go with the Pro. The MacBooks just don't have a $1500 appearance in my opinion.
 
CedarPoint182 said:
Still, I'd go with the Pro. The MacBooks just don't have a $1500 appearance in my opinion.
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Good point. Also,
- 13" looks too damn small.
- black tax is really bad, besides apple looks great in white or grey.
- i have an ibook with no discoloration or anything like that.
- my next buy would be a 15" :)
 
i was having the same conflict i finally chose the black one, i had it for a few weeks now and i love it the personally i think the black looks alot nicer than the white i havnt had any problems with it exept yes the touchpad does get a little shiny but its hard to notice every one that sees my macbook is impressed by the design.
 
I would go for black. I say this as a college student. I have a white iBook, and it gets all smudgy and dirty, and it also gets scratched. Then, dirt seeps into the scratch and gets like, permanently embedded and the notebook looks dull and dingy. The black will pick up grease, but at least it will still look halfway decent instead of looking like you picked it up from the trash bin.

However, if you are not a college student/do not plan on lugging it everywhere/are super careful, and if you find white to be a better color, by all means, go for it.
 
I've posted several times about 303 Protectant, but apparently no guinea pigs yet. I loved the Blackbird and Wallstreet/Lombard/Pismo powerbook plastic (and would buy a blackbook in a heartbook if had that), but personally not too keen on the blackbooks. They look so mottled so fast. Just my personal view. I don't think it has to be like that. Something applied to the surface to prevent oil absorption might improve that. Anyone know any Apple geeks w/ access to the plastic to try different products?
 
If you wanna get a blackbook and save a few bucks, try going referb. If you check apple's store for referbished macs, you can probably find a black macbook for only $50 more than the white vs $200 if you buy brand new. The only downer - you likely wont find the 2.4ghz in the referbed.
 
I have a 12" white iBook that is 2.5 years old. It still looks great (I take pretty good care of my stuff though).

I know some people with black macbooks. No chipping whatesoever. I think they look great, and if I was to purchase, I would get a black one as well.

Enjoy your purchase.
 
CedarPoint182 said:
I too debated over whether to get a white/ or black MacBook. My advice to anyone with a similar dilema: go for the Pro. I thought I would try and save money by going with the MacBook. I didn't really have a color preference between the white and the black, but two things drove me away from the white. 1) The white glossy display casing seemed to get too many scratches for my liking and 2) I didn't see one used iBook or MacBook that hadn't turned brown. I decided to go with the black. The black looks nice out of the box but after that, it has its share of problems two. Fingerprints and grease build up like crazy. I would clean mine almost every night when I first got it, and still people would comment on how dirty it looked. Most of this WILL clean off quite nicely, except for the touchpad and the keyboard. The touchpad develops a large shiney spot (which never noticeably develops on my other laptops until about the 3rd year) and grease in the keys becomes imbedded in them (especially on the space bar) and I have had no luck removing it.

I'd take the black over the white since a relatively un-intrusive keyboard skin will keep your keys nice, and all you are left with is a shiny touchpad which is only noticeable from directly overhead in certain light. The rest of the black MacBook can really be cleaned up to look like new, and its pretty resistant to scratches. Still, I'd go with the Pro. The MacBooks just don't have a $1500 appearance in my opinion.
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Hmm...can anyone comment on the durability/looks of the Macbook Pro?

I too was recommended to either choose a lowend MBP or a highend Macbook. The color choices (and threats of discoloration/grease smearing) are enough to deter me from the Macbook.

And I don't mind spending a tad more (~$200 from what I've priced so far) to make the leap to the MBP. Does it suffer from any aesthetic issues? Chipping/scratching/grease smearing/discoloration?
 
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