I would buy a MBP again if Apple ditches the aluminum unibody and the glossy screen.

[roow110]

I completely disagree because the unibody design and glossy display are designed to be the ideal base structure for a computer.

Apple designs its products to be perfect for everyone. They don't make lime green or rugged laptops. Instead, they make a professional computer built to suit the average consumer to the best of their abilities with a professional stunning design. If you want a lime green macbook, you get a case or a decal. If you want a rugged macbook, you get a protective case or sleeve. They outsource the extras as optional ad-ons and thus build a flourishing accessories market as well.

Its like their iPhone. They build the basic phone with everything you need, and put it in a tiny universal package. For most people, this is great, for those who need more protection, there are thousands of case designs out there. For those who need more battery, buy a charger or battery case that way the phone isn't huge because of the massive battery or ugly and clunky for those who want a phone they can drop off a building.

And the unibody design is not weaker, rather it is stronger. The components are all locked directly into the metal casing so that if dropped, the components won't break off the flimsy plastic connectors. You may get a dent in your computer, but you won't break the internals. If you are worried about dropping it and don't want dents, keep it in a sleeve or get a snap on case.Even with the case its still thinner than most PCs.

As for the glossy screen, most users love the glossy screen. It works better in most conditions except in direct sunlight, and looks a hell of a lot better. If you don't like the glossy screen, opt for the ant-glare screen. The 13 inch doesn't come with it, so buy one of the hundreds of antiglare macbook screen protectors for 10 bucks off ebay. Done.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

They spent a lot building the setup required for the aluminum unibody setup, so I am guessing they'll stick with it a big longer. I recall disposal/recycling of carbon fiber being more difficult. I'm not entirely sure of the details though.

Not only that.

Carbon fiber facts:
- Requires thicker construction for the same strength, compared with Duralumin, which has a strength comparable to some steels
- Not very shock resistant. Breaks easily.
- Does not conduct heat as good as aluminum or copper. Aluminum is the second best heat conducting (widely used) metal after copper.
- As mentioned above, recycling is difficult and not cost effective.
- Some forms of sturdy designs are impossible with carbon fibers.
- Carbon fibers are probably more expensive than "standard" duralumin.
- ...

 

[altecXP]

As a person that works at a company that only issues Thinkpads and MacBookPros I can tell you that while the initial failure is higher on the ThinkPad (issues in the first year). The after warranty failure rate is higher on the MacBooks.

In 2006/7 we moved to T60 ThinkPads and Unibody/pre-unibody Intel MacBook Pros. We have 0 working early 2008 MacBooks left, and only 4-5 Core2Duo unibody. I have 15 working T60's left and well over that T61's (the T60 replacement in 2009).

I chalk this up to in the first 3 years all the Lenovo had a HDD/Fan failure, and went in for a new board or drive and came back in under a week from warranty fix. The MacBooks first failure was after the end of their Apple Care. So while the Apple cost more and had a longer time from purchase to first failure average, the ThinkPads were cheaper but in exchange for being fixed once under warranty were able to over all have a much longer life span for the initial purchase price.

The result was the average MacBook Pro lasting 3-4 years in our company but the ThinkPad being able to average 4-5.

Personally I prefer the keyboards on the non-unibody MacBook Pros so I have been putting off upgrading myself to the new i7 machine that work has offered me and have been keeping my early 2008 alive with parts from other failed machines. I'm running out of parts though and will have to upgrade eventually. While I would like a faster machine, most of my job is typing, not waiting on processes to finish.

 

[Yamcha]

I actually prefer the unibody aluminum look. Having used both Apple & Non-Apple branded laptops I have found that the ones with plastic construction aren't very durable and a prone to breaking easily.. It was also the case with the earlier version of Macbook's which used plastic..

 

[mfuchs88]

The issue with the aluminum unibody is:

1. It offers no shock protection for internal components when dropped.
2. It dents quite easily.

Thinkpads are pretty ugly, but they do a better job when it comes to these two complaints I have about the unibody design.

You just contradicted yourself. When the aluminum dents, what its doing is absorbing the shock. It crushes it as shock is absorbed. So really any type of metal that will dent or crush on impact is in fact providing "some" degree of shock protection.

 

[XX55XX]

You just contradicted yourself. When the aluminum dents, what its doing is absorbing the shock. It crushes it as shock is absorbed. So really any type of metal that will dent or crush on impact is in fact providing "some" degree of shock protection.

Fair enough. I am not a mechanical engineer.

But I do prefer how Lenovo does it, however.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I love my unibody MacBook Pro, but there is always room for improvement, this MacBook is a lot better than the multi-body MacBooks for sure (metal that would stick out over time from normal usage, etc).

 

[calderone]

Awesome!

If Apple meets your demands, be sure to come and post in this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/713578/

 

[thefizzle657]

As a person that works at a company that only issues Thinkpads and MacBookPros I can tell you that while the initial failure is higher on the ThinkPad (issues in the first year). The after warranty failure rate is higher on the MacBooks.

In 2006/7 we moved to T60 ThinkPads and Unibody/pre-unibody Intel MacBook Pros. We have 0 working early 2008 MacBooks left, and only 4-5 Core2Duo unibody. I have 15 working T60's left and well over that T61's (the T60 replacement in 2009).

I chalk this up to in the first 3 years all the Lenovo had a HDD/Fan failure, and went in for a new board or drive and came back in under a week from warranty fix. The MacBooks first failure was after the end of their Apple Care. So while the Apple cost more and had a longer time from purchase to first failure average, the ThinkPads were cheaper but in exchange for being fixed once under warranty were able to over all have a much longer life span for the initial purchase price.

The result was the average MacBook Pro lasting 3-4 years in our company but the ThinkPad being able to average 4-5.

Personally I prefer the keyboards on the non-unibody MacBook Pros so I have been putting off upgrading myself to the new i7 machine that work has offered me and have been keeping my early 2008 alive with parts from other failed machines. I'm running out of parts though and will have to upgrade eventually. While I would like a faster machine, most of my job is typing, not waiting on processes to finish.

Well you do realize that the early 2008 MBPs suffer from a well-known and documented defect in the nVidia GPU, right? My late 2006 MBP still works perfectly without any issues whatsoever and my friends' MBPs from the same period are also still going strong.

As for the Unibody, I was not a fan at first and resisted getting one because I preferred the non-Unibody design. However after getting one this fall my opinion has completely changed and I really love this design. To me it feels a lot sturdier than the pre-Unibody MBPs. In fact one of the reasons that I went ahead and got one now is because I am afraid that I might not like the rumored redesign. And AG for the win!

 

[Tsuchiya]

I see what you mean OP, I do feel that I need to "baby" my Macbook Pro a bit so it doesn't get damaged. Mine practically lives in a Speck products clear shell.

I think it's robust enough to take a (mild) battering, but with the design, blemishes are noticeable...which is kind of painful to look at on such an expensive machine.

 

[altecXP]

Well you do realize that the early 2008 MBPs suffer from a well-known and documented defect in the nVidia GPU, right?

I'm aware. Very few of ours were actually bit by that, maybe 3-5, and they were covered under warranty.

 

[felixgun]

Honestly i'm surprised to see a thread like this. I have the exact inverse opinion. I -LOVE- the unibody aluminum design AND the glossy screen.

IMO, the current MBP is the best looking laptop out there. I also tested my laptop's bootup speed into Mac OS X/Bootcamp Windows 7 versus my friends Lenovo T420 w/ 8GB Ram and the MBP killed it... booted up wayyyy faster and just faster in general. Nuts.

And about the Lenovo T60 -- I worked at a company with ONLY Lenovo Laptops and they are all "working" but SUCK. All of them. Everyone at the company complains about them and how terrible they are. The newer ones are the T410's and T420's and those are decent but look like they are from 1984 from IBM's original ThinkPad line.

 

[thefizzle657]

I'm aware. Very few of ours were actually bit by that, maybe 3-5, and they were covered under warranty.

If I can ask, what exactly failed in the rest of the them that didn't fall victim to GPU failure (I'm genuinely curious)?

 

[altecXP]

If I can ask, what exactly failed in the rest of the them that didn't fall victim to GPU failure (I'm genuinely curious)?

A few had fan failures and the LCD dying. Most were miscellaneous things like the network jack would stop working, USB ports died, audio stopped or the external video port stopped working. I don't count a HDD failure as a failure on the laptop. Since thats so cheap and easy to replace that it doesn't require me to retire the machine to the parts shelf.

Nothing usual for a laptop that's used heavily in a business environment and travel, but if the parts had failed under warranty those machines would still be in use, not spare parts in my back room.

There are pros and cons to a machine lasting. The Pro is years of uninterrupted use, the cons are that all the components are 3 years old when the warranty stops. The ThinkPads while they had a failure earlier, the problem was fixed fast, for free, and after 2 years or so the machine was given a new board or cooling system and given an extension on life that the MacBooks never got.

For a person that flips their machine every 3 years then it really makes no difference. For a person, or in my case company, that puts off refreshing machines every month they can get out of that machines for no or little more than initial cost, that's what matters. In that case the Thinkpad has the best numbers or operation time/cost.

 

[Prodo123]

I'd rather have the glossy over the matte (!) and the aluminum unibody.
Why? Because first, the glossy screen's black bezel is much more appealing. Also, the display itself is recessed on the matte screen and allows dust and grime to collect between the display and the bezel. Finally, the matte appears washed out to me, no matter how black it may appear to you.

Also, the aluminum unibody is very durable and scratch resistant. Love this thing.

Fair enough. I am not a mechanical engineer.

But I do prefer how Lenovo does it, however.

Lenovo's method is not to absorb shock, but to spread it evenly across the entire computer. It does nothing to reduce the actual impact, but transfers it to different regions of the computer to cause minimal damage.
Apple's method is to reduce the impact done to the logic board itself by making the frame protecting it somewhat malleable. Never visually appealing when it dents, but it does protect the innards very well and keeps the computer as stiff as...well...metal.

I'm not an engineer either, but I can tell you from experience that Lenovo laptops suffer more from shock damage than Macs.

 

[Kentochan]

...which is only available in the 15-inch/17-inch models.

Or perhaps you could get a matte screen protector? I got one myself and its been doing a pretty good job!

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

You just contradicted yourself. When the aluminum dents, what its doing is absorbing the shock. It crushes it as shock is absorbed. So really any type of metal that will dent or crush on impact is in fact providing "some" degree of shock protection.

He did mean probably "missing protection against shock propagation", which is also one of his false assumptions.

 

[SuperCachetes]

I would consider buying another Mac during that timeframe - but only if Apple ditches the glossy screen and the aluminum unibody in favor of matte screens and a chassis that doesn't dent as easily. Anyone else on me with this one?

No, seriously - you just named the two of the most important factors in why I bought my first Mac in 2009.

The whole concept of the unibody is, IMHO, one of the most elegant industrial design solutions ever, and the glossy screen renders colors and blacks a lot better and richer than any matte display I've ever seen.

Meh. To each their own...

 

[A Hebrew]

I use a MBP 13" for my Pathways class in High School where the lighting is...fairly high...I have no problem with glare unless for some odd reason I am looking at it from the side.

I think the aluminum unibody is FAR better than whatever plastic they used on those white boxes before. It looks better, it feels better, and it is less likely to crack. You have to be careless to get a dent in it, or have to be around careless people.

 

[vitzr]

I work with a 15" ThinkPad T520 & 15" mid 2010 Mac Book Pro. I've used both for years, and find them equals in build quality & lifespan.

The ThinkPad is not cheap plastic like other brands. The T series is high quality CFRP composite. It doesn't break, not too much unlike the type of carbon fiber used for F1 cars, it gives under impact. As far as being rugged it's very strong, second only to Panasonic Tough Books.

Yet most of us don't need that toughness so I won't count that. It does have a very strong roll cage inside as well as drainage ports and channels that allow liquid spilled on the keyboard to flow out the bottom. I actually like the business black look, but I'm biased. My M5 BMW & M3 daily driver are both black.

That said I'll be the first to admit I'm very Pro-Apple, it's my favorite platform and has been since System 7 in my PowerBook 170. As far as the hardware, my only complaint is the fact that years ago Apple abandoned the beautiful anti-glare display and shoved glossy in our face with no other choices. I bought one because I had to but didn't like it, even though I tried.

Luckily thousands of users didn't like it either, and after enough push back Jobs caved, and put anti-glare on the CTO list. Ripping us off by charging extra for what for years was standard. Oh well no surprise, it's typical of Apple. I immediately dumped the glossy & bought a new anti-glare MBP.

The aluminum is fine with me, I'm careful so I don't have scratches or dents. Apple does make stylish products, but that doesn't influence me. It's my tool for work and personal. It's function over style that I care about.

The MacBook Pro's my favorite, and has been for years. I do wish Apple would not have abandoned the terrific "PowerBook" name.

I thought it was perfect.

 

[-tWv-]

I completely disagree because the unibody design and glossy display are designed to be the ideal base structure for a computer.

Apple designs its products to be perfect for everyone. They don't make lime green or rugged laptops. Instead, they make a professional computer built to suit the average consumer to the best of their abilities with a professional stunning design. If you want a lime green macbook, you get a case or a decal. If you want a rugged macbook, you get a protective case or sleeve. They outsource the extras as optional ad-ons and thus build a flourishing accessories market as well.

Its like their iPhone. They build the basic phone with everything you need, and put it in a tiny universal package. For most people, this is great, for those who need more protection, there are thousands of case designs out there. For those who need more battery, buy a charger or battery case that way the phone isn't huge because of the massive battery or ugly and clunky for those who want a phone they can drop off a building.

And the unibody design is not weaker, rather it is stronger. The components are all locked directly into the metal casing so that if dropped, the components won't break off the flimsy plastic connectors. You may get a dent in your computer, but you won't break the internals. If you are worried about dropping it and don't want dents, keep it in a sleeve or get a snap on case.Even with the case its still thinner than most PCs.

As for the glossy screen, most users love the glossy screen. It works better in most conditions except in direct sunlight, and looks a hell of a lot better. If you don't like the glossy screen, opt for the ant-glare screen. The 13 inch doesn't come with it, so buy one of the hundreds of antiglare macbook screen protectors for 10 bucks off ebay. Done.

Agreed. Well Put

 

[skier777]

The issue with the aluminum unibody is:

1. It offers no shock protection for internal components when dropped.
2. It dents quite easily.

Thinkpads are pretty ugly, but they do a better job when it comes to these two complaints I have about the unibody design.

I like to think that the aluminum offers a lot of shock protection BECAUSE it dents so easily. When mine fell off of a 35" desk onto a concrete floor, the corner caved in about half an inch, leaving all internals undamaged. The aluminum distorts and absorbs the energy, rather than transferring it to the HDD etc.

----------

My M5 BMW & M3 daily driver are both black.

How do you find out if someone has a BMW? Don't worry they'll tell you.

 

[Prodo123]

The MacBook Pro's my favorite, and has been for years. I do wish Apple would not have abandoned the terrific "PowerBook" name.

I thought it was perfect.

I'm just glad they didn't call it IntelBook

"HEY GUYS I GOT A BRAND NEW INTELBOOK PRO"

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

...I'll be the first to admit I'm very Pro-Apple...

Yeah, and i'm santa claus.

...(Apple) ripping us off by charging extra for what for years was standard. Oh well no surprise, it's typical of Apple.

As i said, i'm santa claus.

I've read enough of your posts here on MR, to know that you are the opposite of "very Pro-Apple". Just carry on...

 

[takeshi74]

Anyone else on me with this one?

Not here but 50% of that is due to the fact that I didn't opt for a glossy screen to begin with.

Why does it matter anyway? If you don't care for it you don't care for it. Do you really need others to make you feel better by validating your opinion?