Macbook Released

[ch1503]

macbook bag

just ordered a nice white macbook and want to keep it nice and fresh looking.....
anyone know where i can get a bag or sleeve to put the computer in?
thanks in advance

p.s. i am in uk...so would be especially good if it could tell me if the item could be shipped here

 

[composer11]

Ha ha, don't make me laugh.

APPLE SAVE FACE?

1st, PPC was supposed to be the fastest on the planet? How did that work out?
Guess switching to Universal Binary solved that.

Apple Save Face?
How about MB being on Par with MBP but without the whine?
Yeah, right there are reasons enough for saving face for the so called, never trusting what Jobs says.

Now, as far as Quad cores? AMD has been working on them for several years - I've been talking about MAC going x86 for several years, check the Nuendo Audio forum, or SX or Sonar forums. Apple has been AMD's partner since hypertransport - - most Mac users I know that went PC went due to AMD, not INTEL, so if you think that Apple won't use AMD you have a rude awakening coming, then again, you probably never thought Apple would go x86 now did you?

Saving Face?
Let's see, offer ugly white MB which costs more to make vs black, if you want 1.2 mghz upgrade and 20GB extra space, $200, then the buyer is almost at the BLACK price point, which at that point they are 1/4 the price point of the MBP which for $500 gives you extra LCD space and gaming with some heat and whining issues.

You can bash me all you want but the bottom line is the prices will be cut on the chips and therefore the prices will come down on the Macbook, end of story. The MBP users are fuming, so another SAVE FACE situation.

$400 for a black paint job, 20 GB of HD and so called super drive is a RIP off. Add in 2 GB of DDR ($130), a 7200 RPM drive then maybe a good deal. But as it is? NOT A GOOD DEAL!

Spin it any way you want. Add in that Apple crippled the Macbook for gaming and yes, there is more saving face - by summers end, before school, there will be a macbook with dedicated GPU.

AMD chips will be used as well, especially on the rendering farm quad core quad systems. Today's MBP will be tomorrows Macbook, and todays MB will be tomorrows low end portable mini.

There will be three LAPTOP price points, right now there is mid and low end, no high end. I'll be sure to come back to this sometime over the summer to re-fresh this page.

It's funny, you bash someone due to spelling, yet you probably where the same percentage that thought PPC would forever stay in the Mac not to mention in reality, the commercials from Apple are quite contradictory whereas the loose wearing clothing person (mac) is normally the tweaker, overclocker, of course, this being a mac forum, you won't read about this here. Just check the other 10 million plus forums about Mac vs PC.

In the meantime, I wish Apple all the success in the world and hope that they can gain market share - and the MACBOOK looks like they without regard to MBP users are doing what it takes to gain market share.

Meanwhile Vista is delayed for another year - good time for Apple to pull the trigger and gain/increase the user base.

You forgot the 512 DDR that would have to be dumped in favor of any memory change. I could be mistaken but I don't think you can just add 1 GB stick with 256. ?

Not saying I agree 100%, but they are testing the waters to see who bites for the black.

 

[retroz311]

If i remember right, you're the dude that started a thread and just started arguing with everyone on anything just to move out of "newbie" status. i honestly have no clue why you are even here if all you do is troll.

I'm not trolling dude.

For real, the $400 markup to get black is a rip-off, that's all I was saying.
I have intel, AMD, Mac, and use each for different apps.

But compare the white $1099 vs Black $1499 and compare the specs. Do you think that is a good deal? Do you really? $400 and that's still without dedicated GPU.

EDIT** and what about the 512 memory? As anyone with half a brain knows, buy apple DDR from Apple and it's almost DOUBLE the price. Plus you have to dump the 512 that comes with it, instead of offering 512 as a one stick, allowing users NO option to buy just a 512 stick.
Another gotcha product price gouging!

 

[drewyboy]

I'm not trolling dude.

For real, the $400 markup to get black is a rip-off, that's all I was saying.
I have intel, AMD, Mac, and use each for different apps.

But compare the white $1099 vs Black $1499 and compare the specs. Do you think that is a good deal? Do you really? $400 and that's still without dedicated GPU.

EDIT** and what about the 512 memory? As anyone with half a brain knows, buy apple DDR from Apple and it's almost DOUBLE the price. Plus you have to dump the 512 that comes with it, instead of offering 512 as a one stick, allowing users NO option to buy just a 512 stick.
Another gotcha product price gouging!

Rememer, $200 extra for a white with practically same specs, not $400. But let me ask you this, when have you seen a laptop that does everything as nice a an Apple. obviouslly your gona say some other brand, but all i can say is supply and demand. regardless of what you or I think is right and wrong, numbers dont lie, and as long as ppl are buying this lappy's up, no way apple is gona bring it down. I will say once merom comes out, and macbook purchases die down, their gona lower the price to pursuade ppl to buy it for last minute school shopping price. plus apple would be just plain dumb putting dedicated gpu, i'm gona say you'll never see it on a macbook, UNLESS it is on the highest end one, i.e. black, but never one the lower two, never. But i can say i think we'll see the black drop down $50 or $100 in the fall, simply because apple CAN and IS charging more for "different" from what were use to. once the whole black craze has died down, they'll lower the price of it. it's an easy money making tool... it's all business... maybe not right or ethical.. (u could argue it)... but simply business.

 

[Mord]

I'm not trolling dude.

For real, the $400 markup to get black is a rip-off, that's all I was saying.
I have intel, AMD, Mac, and use each for different apps.

But compare the white $1099 vs Black $1499 and compare the specs. Do you think that is a good deal? Do you really? $400 and that's still without dedicated GPU.

EDIT** and what about the 512 memory? As anyone with half a brain knows, buy apple DDR from Apple and it's almost DOUBLE the price. Plus you have to dump the 512 that comes with it, instead of offering 512 as a one stick, allowing users NO option to buy just a 512 stick.
Another gotcha product price gouging!

lets see how much this 400 bucks is acctually worth:

cpu: accoding to intel the price difference is $129

a quick check of newegg shows about a 20 dollar difference

superdrive: about 80 buck difference in 9.5mm drives


so that leaves about a 160 buck difference and 20 of that probably covers the more expencive black parts.

 

[retroz311]

Rememer, $200 extra for a white with practically same specs, not $400. But let me ask you this, when have you seen a laptop that does everything as nice a an Apple. obviouslly your gona say some other brand, but all i can say is supply and demand. regardless of what you or I think is right and wrong, numbers dont lie, and as long as ppl are buying this lappy's up, no way apple is gona bring it down. I will say once merom comes out, and macbook purchases die down, their gona lower the price to pursuade ppl to buy it for last minute school shopping price. plus apple would be just plain dumb putting dedicated gpu, i'm gona say you'll never see it on a macbook, UNLESS it is on the highest end one, i.e. black, but never one the lower two, never. But i can say i think we'll see the black drop down $50 or $100 in the fall, simply because apple CAN and IS charging more for "different" from what were use to. once the whole black craze has died down, they'll lower the price of it. it's an easy money making tool... it's all business... maybe not right or ethical.. (u could argue it)... but simply business.

I agree and disagree, you see, if Black is in, which it is, it's a marketing tactic, while you say $200 for black vs white similar specs, it's still $400.

Once the buyer looks at the price differential for a similar spec'd machine, he/she goes for the "in" vogue Black, total cost $400.00.
Then one could argue, is the $200 upgrade from 1.83 to 2.0, 20GB and superdrive worth it?

For the price point of $1099, in white at 1.83, it is a good deal, nuff said.
Anything beyond this though goes off the deep end and leads the consumer to part with $400 dollars if they want black. For example, why not offer 1.83 in black? Because black appears more pro to some users. Agree, it's all marketing, whether it's ethical or not, well, Jobs said they had the fastest 64 bit CPU on the planet what, just 1.5 years ago and now the MB is basically a G5 in terms of rendering, power, using the intel chips. So what or rather, how do you define ethical?

 

[retroz311]

lets see how much this 400 bucks is acctually worth:

cpu: accoding to intel the price difference is $129

a quick check of newegg shows about a 20 dollar difference

superdrive: about 80 buck difference in 9.5mm drives


so that leaves about a 160 buck difference and 20 of that probably covers the more expencive black parts.

Good find, and keep in mind, the price cuts for these CPU's are coming in two (2) more days so that makes the final difference even larger.

I see by your sig, you got the white, good for you, that is the best for what you get - use the $400 to get 2GB dual channel DDR and a 7200 RPM drive in July!

 

[Mord]

dude, i bought the stock 1.83 but if i had the money i'd buy the 2.0, it's not that bad a deal your just posting flaimbait,

at the time the G5 was and it stopped being once the power5 came out, things change, you dont.

i've ordered 2GB ram and i have a slimline superdrive already in my ibook and i was going to put it in a caddy, also i was going to wait for 200GB 2.5" HD's

 

[andrewface]

There is no use in playing the guessing game. All we have to do is wait and see what happens. Maybe we might get something July, maybe latter. No point in arguing here.

it took soo damn long for this thing to come out...and it kills right now...do you really think theyd make a revision as early as july?

 

[andrewface]

Rememer, $200 extra for a white with practically same specs, not $400. But let me ask you this, when have you seen a laptop that does everything as nice a an Apple. obviouslly your gona say some other brand, but all i can say is supply and demand. regardless of what you or I think is right and wrong, numbers dont lie, and as long as ppl are buying this lappy's up, no way apple is gona bring it down. I will say once merom comes out, and macbook purchases die down, their gona lower the price to pursuade ppl to buy it for last minute school shopping price. plus apple would be just plain dumb putting dedicated gpu, i'm gona say you'll never see it on a macbook, UNLESS it is on the highest end one, i.e. black, but never one the lower two, never. But i can say i think we'll see the black drop down $50 or $100 in the fall, simply because apple CAN and IS charging more for "different" from what were use to. once the whole black craze has died down, they'll lower the price of it. it's an easy money making tool... it's all business... maybe not right or ethical.. (u could argue it)... but simply business.

agreed...im gonna be the only kid in school running windows and osx on a black apple notebook this september

 

[Multimedia]

MacBook Comes With Nice Protective Cover

just ordered a nice white macbook and want to keep it nice and fresh looking.....
anyone know where i can get a bag or sleeve to put the computer in?
thanks in advance

p.s. i am in uk...so would be especially good if it could tell me if the item could be shipped here

I have a PowerBook I bought 2.5 years ago. Kept the original packing keyboard cover and computer sleve it came with. Still like new. Just add a Marware or other famous bag maker for 15". Marware is probably developing MacBook bags now. Just ask them when.

 

[Multimedia]

You Can Add One 1GB Stick and Keep 256MB In The Other - I Want Black Merom @2.33GHz

You forgot the 512 DDR that would have to be dumped in favor of any memory change. I could be mistaken but I don't think you can just add 1 GB stick with 256. ?

Not saying I agree 100%, but they are testing the waters to see who bites for the black.

Yes you can. But two 1 GB sticks cost only $144 at Omni via Ramseeker.com so why cripple the MacBook for $72?

I want Black. Will pay extra to have it after it goes faster and cooler with Merom. I may even wait for Leopard to ship with it depending on when Steve says it will ship August 7.

 

[Multimedia]

MacBook Will Not Change This Summer

it took soo damn long for this thing to come out...and it kills right now...do you really think theyd make a revision as early as july?

No they will not. Right now their problem is ramping up production. In July they will be in the thick of ramping up Mac Pro Quad and Core 2 Duo production. It will not happen before Fall. I think not before November. Why? Because Apple needs that much time to get MacBook Pro out ahead of MacBook so their higher price makes sense.

 

[retroz311]

Yes you can. But two 1 GB sticks cost only $144 at Omni via Ramseeker.com so why cripple the MacBook for $72?

I want Black. Will pay extra to have it after it goes faster and cooler with Merom. I may even wait for Leopard to ship with it depending on when Steve says it will ship August 7.

Do these Macbooks run in dual channel memory mode? If so they would have to be paired/matched.

 

[mikea]

The eagle has landed

Picked up my macbook today...Amazing!!!
My first Mac... This thing is a riot. 2.0 ghz with 1gb Ram.
I am really excited to learn this new world. The OS just seems to make sense!!
To all you gamers out there....stop complaining and go buy a gaming machine...it's really simple..thats not what this is. It is a really powerful comsumer notebook.
I am not going to mention which color I bought...because it makes no difference at all.
Thanks for all the insight over the last few weeks..
cheers

 

[composer11]

Using Macbook for Video/Audio!

Picked up my macbook today...Amazing!!!
My first Mac... This thing is a riot. 2.0 ghz with 1gb Ram.
I am really excited to learn this new world. The OS just seems to make sense!!
To all you gamers out there....stop complaining and go buy a gaming machine...it's really simple..thats not what this is. It is a really powerful comsumer notebook.
I am not going to mention which color I bought...because it makes no difference at all.
Thanks for all the insight over the last few weeks..
cheers

I know that the Macbook is basically a dual G5 in terms of specs for Final Cut, but was wondering, is it suffice to say that the iLIFE suite will work just as well?

The last Apple product I used/use is a PowerMac G4, and it works, but rendering is somewhat time consuming.

I am curious as to how strong the Macbook is with the iLIFE suite, and when the 7200 HD drives will be out. I am looking to get final cut express and Logic Express (jumping from Cubase SX). The idea I suppose would be I could load all my PC plug ins on bootcamp windows. But then again, can't you control link a mac to a PC and use both together in harmony? e.g. Use Logic or Pro Tools and sync to PC using Cubase or Nuendo?

Thanks!

 

[netdog]

Do these Macbooks run in dual channel memory mode? If so they would have to be paired/matched.

What you mean is that they have to be paired/matched to run in dual channel memory mode. The answer is yes.

With matched sticks, you will be able to take advantage of the 945 chipsets extensions to run Windows in Aero mode for instance. Matched sticks are highly recommended in the MacBook, but I think we do have users here using a 1GB stick and one of the 256MB sticks that came with their machine and the machines are up and running, but are not taking advantage of dual channel memory mode.

Does that make sense? LOL

 

[imacdaddy]

Q3'06 - Intel will displace the existing Core Duo and Solo microprocessors

Q3'06 - Intel will displace the existing Core Duo and Solo microprocessors

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31989

This means we will definately see the Merom chips in both the MBP and MB by the end of the year!

 

[Multimedia]

Dual Channel Mode Only 4% Benefit At Best But 2GB Maximizes Speed

Do these Macbooks run in dual channel memory mode? If so they would have to be paired/matched.

What you mean is that they have to be paired/matched to run in dual channel memory mode. The answer is yes.

With matched sticks, you will be able to take advantage of the 945 chipsets extensions to run Windows in Aero mode for instance. Matched sticks are highly recommended in the MacBook, but I think we do have users here using a 1GB stick and one of the 256MB sticks that came with their machine and the machines are up and running, but are not taking advantage of dual channel memory mode.

You are correct sir. While Barefeats.com ran comparisons and found that there is only a 4% benefit AT BEST running in dual channel mode on MacBook Pros, I think the speed benefit is far greater by having 2GB instead of 1.25 GB of total RAM for only $72 more. You spend $1100-$1500 for a computer with 512MB of RAM then not $144 more for two 1GB sticks thus crippling its speed? Makes no sense to me. Do you realize how easy it is to need/want 10 or more applications up at once? (Command+Tab is your friend ) Without 2GB of RAM this will become painfully slow to experience.

 

[Multimedia]

1.83GHz Merom Retains Yonah 2MB On-Chip Shared L2 Cache Size While 2GHz Gets 4MB Bump

Q3'06 - Intel will displace the existing Core Duo and Solo microprocessors
Intel to cut notebook chip prices twice in a month
This means we will definately see the Merom chips in both the MBP and MB by the end of the year!

Here is the Merom Roadmap. Study this to see why some of us are waiting for Merom mobile Macs. It's kind of a Goofy Summer of Transition from 32-bit 2MB L2 cache to 64-bit 4MB L2 cache mobile macs by September.

Not exactly news iMacDaddy. Remember Apple does not pay these prices? A burning question is WHEN will MacBook get the Merom switch? Like you say, I think no later than November. But it could be significantly sooner, perhaps as soon as September, if Apple's logistics is buying Intel Processors on the "just-in-time" plan. And will it include a MacBook 2.16GHz or even 2.33GHz speed bump? I think not. Prices for the 2.33 and 2.16 Merom are much higher than the MacBook can stand - $640 and $420 respectively retail at launch.

Mac mini will probably go 1.66 Combo and 1.87 Super both Core 2 Duo this Fall - according to Apple's cost, both should be Core Duo at those speeds now. I think top 15" and 17" MacBook Pro (MBP) will get Yonah 2.33 GHz - still with only 2MB On-Chip Shared L2 Cache - bumps soon after it ships in July. Apple may announce the MBP Merom shift at Paris Apple Expo September 12 as they did the 15" Aluminum 1.25GHz PowerBook G4 in September 2003 - at the time a revolutionary product with FW800 and USB2 for the first time - or even sooner during the San Francisco WWDC SteveNote August 7.

Plus there is one Super - top-of-the-Merom-line - Mobile Processor coming with an unspecified speed and cache size above 2.33GHz with an upshiftable 800/667 bus we don't know when.

There's one specification difference between Yonah and Merom 2 to 2.33GHz processors that really sitcks out and I notice Apple only mentions it on their tech spec page "2MB on-chip shared L2 cache" - Merom DOUBLES the shared L2 cache to 4MB from 2GHz and up. That will dramatically improve performance. And yet they will cost Apple no more money per processor than the old Yonahs.

Apple can deflect the remainder of its 2GHz Yonah stock to the MacBook assembly lines. Then when they run out of Yonah stock, switch to Merom on the MacBook by November, I'm thinking, but not any faster since MacBook Pro can't exceed 2.33GHz for the time being and the top two speeds cost a lot more than 2GHz and under. I don't know the mobile speed bump plan beyond 2.33GHz. Anyone know that? I think Four Core Mobile is end of '07.

A $1099 2GHz Combo might be a psychological hump worth getting over sooner than later - "All Macs - except mini - are Dual Core running 2 GHz or faster" type of bragging rights. I'm wondering if the Combo drive is now only a tool to force buyers into a more expensive model. Can there really be more than a few dollars cost between them if that? And how much longer will manufacturers waste assembly line space making Combo drives for the same cost as they make DVRs? Weird times. But I digress.

Big deal is the Merom 1.83 GHz model retains 2MB on-chip shared L2 cache while 2GHz Merom and up all have 4MB on-chip shared L2 cache. So the 1.83GHz Merom MacBook is going to significantly BITE in performance when compared to the 2GHz Merom with TWICE the on-chip shared L2 cache thus further differentiating the bottom model from the other two.

 

[Multimedia]

iLife '06 Should Run Killer On Any MacBook

I know that the Macbook is basically a dual G5 in terms of specs for Final Cut, but was wondering, is it suffice to say that the iLIFE suite will work just as well?

The last Apple product I used/use is a PowerMac G4, and it works, but rendering is somewhat time consuming.

I am curious as to how strong the Macbook is with the iLIFE suite, and when the 7200 HD drives will be out. I am looking to get final cut express and Logic Express (jumping from Cubase SX). The idea I suppose would be I could load all my PC plug ins on bootcamp windows. But then again, can't you control link a mac to a PC and use both together in harmony? e.g. Use Logic or Pro Tools and sync to PC using Cubase or Nuendo?

I can't speak to the latter at all. But MacBook is not as slow as a dual 2GHz G5. It's benchmarking significantly FASTER than that. No doubt iLife '06 will run very fast and rendering time will be a lot better than what you expeienced on a G4. Have fun.

 

[matticus008]

I'm not trolling dude.

For real, the $400 markup to get black is a rip-off, that's all I was saying.
I have intel, AMD, Mac, and use each for different apps.

Knock it off, seriously. Troll or not, the price difference between the black and a matching white MacBook is $150. End of story. Whatever else you think about it, at least get that through your "plus or minus the facts" shield.

 

[andrewface]

You are correct sir. While Barefeats.com ran comparisons and found that there is only a 4% benefit AT BEST running in dual channel mode on MacBook Pros, I think the speed benefit is far greater by having 2GB instead of 1.25 GB of total RAM for only $72 more. You spend $1100-$1500 for a computer with 512MB of RAM then not $144 more for two 1GB sticks thus crippling its speed? Makes no sense to me. Do you realize how easy it is to need/want 10 or more applications up at once? (Command+Tab is your friend ) Without 2GB of RAM this will become painfully slow to experience.

i can do it with my pc desktop 2.4 p4 with only 512 ram
i think 512 is the current standard 1gb for anyone that wants abit more power and 2gb for anyone doing any real rendering

edit: i am going to order a macbook either tonight or tomorrow and i plan to go with 1gb ram

 

[juanm]

Go to Ramseeker.com and search at top for MacBook Pro (same ram), then click on the PRICE LINK $71.99 across from Omni OPTIVAL listing which will take you to the Omni page where you can buy at that price. Any other path will cost you a LOT MORE.

Do you REALLY mean this store?
http://www.omnitechnologies.biz/

You'd better check this before you place your order, then:

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller10095.html

Juan

P.S: Sorry for my English, by the way... but not worse than theirs:
http://www.omnitechnologies.biz/Images/MACBOOK PROW.jpg

 

[milozauckerman]

I finally got around to feeling one in person at CompUSA today. The upper left section of the body/keyboard did feel quite warm (some might call it hot) at idol. Cooler than the G4 PBs sitting next to it (oh, the lovely transferrence properties of a metal shell), but warmer than almost all the PC notebooks I've dealt with (and felt up at the store).

Whether it's dangerous to the machine or an issue to consider before purchasing, I couldn't say. I'd be skittish.

I don't know why Apple has such a hard time crafting a cool-to-the-touch PB/MB/etc. - my brother recently purchased a Toshiba Satellite w/ T2400 dual-core (P105? S105? I can't remember), and I spent a couple of hours playing games on it (with a lovely 17" screen, included 256MB graphics card and 1GB of RAM, for less than the mid-level 15" MBP retail - too bad the Toshiba runs Windows) and didn't feel any heat at all. Very cool-running, not even overly noisy. Maybe a bit thicker than an Apple, but I'll take that any day - stylish form factor should never come before function in the design process.

The glossy screen wasn't horrible in CompUSA, but I'd still rather have a matte screen to eliminate glare completely.

Doing some touch-typing tests on the MB and MBP ('quick brown fox' stuff), I found that I had a much easier time using the MB. My right hand was hitting the wrong key every now and then on the Pro.