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Macbook Released

Fantastic computer.. but the screen?!?

Back to the screen-issue: I know it's been posted before, but I need to blow off some steam. I went to my local apple store today, and checked out the macbook. It totally blew me away: Loved the looks, the keyboard (amazing!!), the feel.. instant karma.

But: Why on earth that glossy screen?? It felt exhausting. Way too much reflection, way too much light. I don't need that extra color-experience. I'm a writer, so I need something I can work with for hours and hours. There is no way I'll be able to work with that screen for more than a couple of hours, without getting a headache or something.

It's kind of like meeting the girl of your dreams, and then discover that she's married... I really hope Apple will give us the possibility to choose between a glossy and a matte screen, sooner or later. Preferably sooner.

Any chance that's gonna happen?
 
Multimedia said:
At first I was crying out for FCS workability reports from anyone. Then when they came in as highly positive, I jumped on the MacBook bandwagon as FanBoy #1 - probably not quite giddy, but highly enthusiastic. I don't perceive anything "wrong" or "bad" about that. Sorry if it ruffles your feathers. I think there is little reason to misbelieve these early reports of highly successful FCS operation on the little buggers from two serious experienced Final Cut Studio practitioners. :)
Click to expand...

Creative Mac has posted benchmark results comparing the 13-inch MacBook with a dual 2.0 GHz G5 and a 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro running various rendering and encoding tests in Final Cut Studio 5.1., Motion 2.1, and Compressor 2.1.

http://www.creativemac.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=43717
 
Multimedia said:
What's next is an Intel QUAD made up of two Woodcrest Core 2 Duo (previously called Xeon) processors on Apple's first top of the line Mac Pro motherboard.
Click to expand...
It would be an added bonus if these motherboards mentioned can be overclocked for higher CPU clock speeds. This was the first thing I'd thought of when Apple decided to use Intel chips. If overclocking were possible, some PC hobbyists would make the switch, now that Macs can do multiple OSes. That would be exciting!

Multimedia said:
I think Apple needs the 2.33 GHz Merom Core 2 Duo now more than ever. But manufacturing on those doesn't begin until August. And with the user upgradable hard drive slot in MacBook, who among us isn't thinking "They gotta put that feature in the MacBook Pro line." Apple's in a tough spot with these MacBooks taking sales away from 15" & 17" mobiles every day they don't introduce the next generation MacBook Pros. It's obvious now that the current models are stopgap and not really the first completely new mobile Pro redesign that will surely include a user upgradable HD slot. In my mind, it's a huge advantage to MacBook right now. I'm hoping Apple is using this time they have waiting for Merom to really tweak those 15" and 17" designs so the Merom Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro becomes another big hit this Fall.
Click to expand...
IMO, I don't think Apple is too concerned about Macbooks taking sales away from MBP line because of "user upgradeable" HD. In the end their top line revenues will grow regardless. A lot of switchers are buying these Macbooks and also Mac minis, whereby creating the "Apple" experience and emphasizing on "Coolness" will result in loyalty in Apple products. I myself is a "born again" Mac user through the 2G iPod. My first "Personal Computer" was an Apple IIsi and then 15 years Wintel, and now the iMac G5 for home use. I'm skipping these 1st gen (Rev. A) 32-bit Yonah MBP and MP for the 64-bit Merom Core 2 Dous + Leopard notebook system...but I very much doubt they would be coming out later this year.

Multimedia said:
On the other hand, Apple Sales may not be crazy about the user upgradable HD slot in the Pro line because they will likely sell less hard drive BTO upgrades. But I'm thinking that feature will sell a lot more MacBooks than would have otherwise been the case which will more than offset the BTO upgrade profit center. I mean it's a closing feature - IE compells people to buy it. So there may be some kind of freaky interdepartmental cat fight among Marketing, Sales and Design right now inside Apple about this very point. ;) I think Apple would do well to put the customer first and do the right thing. I don't see how they can take back that slot, which appears to be a major innovative milestone in the history of mobile computer design or at least in Macs, do you?
Click to expand...
User upgradable HD is the way to go. Better for Apple, less stock and depreciation on hardware is minimised. Probably cost them more to have BTO upgrades which may explain the premium you'd pay. ;)
 
biocide said:
...Why on earth that glossy screen?? It felt exhausting. Way too much reflection, way too much light. I don't need that extra color-experience. I'm a writer, so I need something I can work with for hours and hours. There is no way I'll be able to work with that screen for more than a couple of hours, without getting a headache or something.
Click to expand...

I've had my MacBook for a few days now and I have to say, I don't have the problems others have found with the glossy display.

The only time I was bothered by reflections on mine (sitting with my back to a window with venetian blinds and the sun shining through) I changed the angle of the screen a touch and there was no more problem.

Not trying to take away from how much you don't like the screen, I'm just stating that to me, where I use it, the screen looks great.

Reminds me of a story told by a professor I had in school who built his own airplane(s). He was very proud of one in particular. One time while showing it off, someone asked "Don't the reflections in the windscreen bother you?". He had never noticed them before. But after they were pointed out to him he had to admit that yeah, NOW they bothered him! Apparently the problem solved itself soon after when the plane was destroyed during a storm - the hanger collapsed on it... but I digress...
 
fairly new to macs ,powerbook or macbook is the ?

Im fairly new to macs about a year (panther then upgraded to tiger),i have a powerbook g4 12 inch:)
All i can say is that this is with out a doubt the best note book i have ever had.
it looks good and i have not had a single issue with it.

What im after is an honest answer to wether i should upgrade to a macbook (black) as it look fantastic and ive played with one at the store.
Ive looked at the bench marks and thats ok for me but the on board graphics....?
I only use the mac for net ,music ,video ect but im looking to get some games for the long boring days i get at work.
Ive seen a few people say that the games side on the macbook isnt that great but on the pro line its fine.
also so some of the niose and heat issues consern me a bit as my current one is fantastic with not a single issue.

any honest coments...?:D
 
Final Cut Studio On MacBook Tests Beats Dual 2GHz G5 PowerMac Repeatedly

devman said:
Creative Mac has posted benchmark results comparing the 13-inch MacBook with a dual 2.0 GHz G5 and a 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro running various rendering and encoding tests in Final Cut Studio 5.1., Motion 2.1, and Compressor 2.1.

http://www.creativemac.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=43717
Click to expand...
Well La De Da! :p

While I rested my case back on page 85 post #2107, I guess we are looking at the real end of the dual processor G5's reign with this report. I guess this is as much of a surprise to the most die hard MacBook believers-in-the-first-place as it is to anyone who found it impossible to believe even in the face of young Lee Comley's early reports last week that the whole suite worked great in London. :D

Recently somebody here was trying to convice me I had drunk some kool-aid as a result of believing Lee and that there was no way it would work in America. :rolleyes:

Oh well. ;)

Thank you Dave Nagel for pounding that final nail in the coffin:
Conclusions
When I first got a hold of a MacBook Pro last month, I was shocked by its capability to beat out desktop G5 systems consistently. But I was doubly shocked to see such dramatic results from the newer and lower-end 2.0 GHz MacBook as well. After all, this is not just a notebook competing with a fairly current desktop system, but a consumer-level notebook at that.

Normally you don't even think about running benchmarks of professional-level creative software on a laptop against desktops, and certainly not a laptop targeted toward consumers. But in the vast majority of tests, the MacBook beat out the desktop system and certainly proved itself competition for all but the highest-end (G5 Quad) Mac systems on the market today.

Again, like the MacBook Pro, the 2.0 GHz 13-inch MacBook proves a thoroughly viable machine for users of Final Cut Studio.
Click to expand...
 
jake2jake said:
Im fairly new to macs about a year (panther then upgraded to tiger),i have a powerbook g4 12 inch:)
All i can say is that this is with out a doubt the best note book i have ever had.
it looks good and i have not had a single issue with it.

What im after is an honest answer to wether i should upgrade to a macbook (black) as it look fantastic and ive played with one at the store.
Ive looked at the bench marks and thats ok for me but the on board graphics....?
I only use the mac for net ,music ,video ect but im looking to get some games for the long boring days i get at work.
Ive seen a few people say that the games side on the macbook isnt that great but on the pro line its fine.
also so some of the niose and heat issues consern me a bit as my current one is fantastic with not a single issue.

any honest coments...?:D
Click to expand...

If you are not a gamer, and you like the screen size, the MacBook is amazing. Mine is almost silent (the quietest notebook I have ever owned) and the head is not extreme at all. Yes, it's as good as it seems.
 
DesmoDog said:
I've had my MacBook for a few days now and I have to say, I don't have the problems others have found with the glossy display.

The only time I was bothered by reflections on mine (sitting with my back to a window with venetian blinds and the sun shining through) I changed the angle of the screen a touch and there was no more problem.

Not trying to take away from how much you don't like the screen, I'm just stating that to me, where I use it, the screen looks great.

Reminds me of a story told by a professor I had in school who built his own airplane(s). He was very proud of one in particular. One time while showing it off, someone asked "Don't the reflections in the windscreen bother you?". He had never noticed them before. But after they were pointed out to him he had to admit that yeah, NOW they bothered him! Apparently the problem solved itself soon after when the plane was destroyed during a storm - the hanger collapsed on it... but I digress...
Click to expand...


Love my Macbook and have no problems with anything, also love the glossy screen!
 
DesmoDog said:
I've had my MacBook for a few days now and I have to say, I don't have the problems others have found with the glossy display.

The only time I was bothered by reflections on mine (sitting with my back to a window with venetian blinds and the sun shining through) I changed the angle of the screen a touch and there was no more problem.

Not trying to take away from how much you don't like the screen, I'm just stating that to me, where I use it, the screen looks great.

Reminds me of a story told by a professor I had in school who built his own airplane(s). He was very proud of one in particular. One time while showing it off, someone asked "Don't the reflections in the windscreen bother you?". He had never noticed them before. But after they were pointed out to him he had to admit that yeah, NOW they bothered him! Apparently the problem solved itself soon after when the plane was destroyed during a storm - the hanger collapsed on it... but I digress...
Click to expand...

Of course, it might turn out different if I actually take it home and try it for some days... But I still have a bad feeling about it. The thing that bothers me isn't mainly the reflections, but the overall impression. It just felt intense, in a way - exhausting. Me don't like something so shiny! I've heard others say that it may help to turn down the brightness, though.
 
matticus008 said:
83?F will not burn you. It'll feel lukewarm at the very worst (things don't feel uncomfortable until around 108?F).
Click to expand...

Anyway, that should matter on the thermal diffusivity of your skin (as the instantaneous flux of heat is related to the temperature gradient (- of course) times the thermal diffusivity), though no, I don't expect the value to change drastically from person to person (and this would only affect the time it takes to reach the steady state temp profile, not the profile, assuming a diffusivity that is independent of temperature and position in this layer)...the thickness of the dead skin layer on top of the layer containing the nerve endings, and it should also depend on your personal pain tolerance....etc
 
too hot and too heavy for me, but great for some

Returned the black beauty from whence she came. Spent five nights with her and while I'm sad to see her go she just doesn't fit my needs. I have a powermac and I either want small and light or larger and more powerful.

My reasons for wanting a laptop are for mobility where I carry it with me through the day. I need a laptop that I don't have to carry in a backpack to more evenly distribute the weight.

The heat on the MB is intense. While people can talk temperatures numbers all day I don't think anyone would be comfortable with the peak temperatures of the outside of the case. I live in Texas (not a native, sorry) and I'm used to heat in all forms from chili's to hot sun. One of the last things I did was put my hand on the hot spot and get one more subjective reading. True enough, it didn't burn me, but I didn't want to leave my hand there. And on my lap it was uncomfortable.

I like many things about this Mac (see first impression review posted last Friday morning), but in the end I need it to be closer to 3.x instead of 5.x pounds. And while I know it never will be laptop weight should include the bloody power transformers too... How often do you leave home without the power cord?

I have no compelling reason to carry a heavy, hot, Mac laptop around with me. I can wait and we all know that when it comes to Mac's you are *always* rewarded by waiting. If you have a compelling requirement for a portable Mac at a reasonable price and don't mind the heat or the weight it's great. If you're still happy with what you've got I'd hold off and see what happens in the fall and spring.
 
biocide said:
Of course, it might turn out different if I actually take it home and try it for some days... But I still have a bad feeling about it. The thing that bothers me isn't mainly the reflections, but the overall impression. It just felt intense, in a way - exhausting. Me don't like something so shiny! I've heard others say that it may help to turn down the brightness, though.
Click to expand...

While I gave up my MB for other reasons I was knocked out by the screen. I was expecting to hate the screen and the keyboard and loved both of them! I have worked on other glossy screens that I did not like at all.
 
Check out the Black model BEFORE you buy!!!

I went to the Apple Store to pick up Final Cut Express HD 3.5 upgrade to put on my MacBook. That's one heck of an install! Took 4 DVD's.

I saw the black MacBook for the first time. Crap. It's awesome. Had I seen it before I bought the white MacBook, I probably would have spent the extra $ and purchased the black MB.

One thing I noticed about the black is the screen looks much better with a black border than a white one. It is a very, very nice looking laptop. I can see why Apple chose to put an 80GB HD in the black and charge $200 more.

I am seriously considering purchasing a Black model and selling my white upgraded one on ebay ... the black model is that good. Check it out and see!
 
Gatezone said:
Returned the black beauty from whence she came. Spent five nights with her and while I'm sad to see her go she just doesn't fit my needs. I have a powermac and I either want small and light or larger and more powerful.

My reasons for wanting a laptop are for mobility where I carry it with me through the day. I need a laptop that I don't have to carry in a backpack to more evenly distribute the weight.

The heat on the MB is intense. While people can talk temperatures numbers all day I don't think anyone would be comfortable with the peak temperatures of the outside of the case. I live in Texas (not a native, sorry) and I'm used to heat in all forms from chili's to hot sun. One of the last things I did was put my hand on the hot spot and get one more subjective reading. True enough, it didn't burn me, but I didn't want to leave my hand there. And on my lap it was uncomfortable.

I like many things about this Mac (see first impression review posted last Friday morning), but in the end I need it to be closer to 3.x instead of 5.x pounds. And while I know it never will be laptop weight should include the bloody power transformers too... How often do you leave home without the power cord?

I have no compelling reason to carry a heavy, hot, Mac laptop around with me. I can wait and we all know that when it comes to Mac's you are *always* rewarded by waiting. If you have a compelling requirement for a portable Mac at a reasonable price and don't mind the heat or the weight it's great. If you're still happy with what you've got I'd hold off and see what happens in the fall and spring.
Click to expand...
I realize the MB ain't for everyone, but I gotta say my experience has been exactly the opposite of yours, except for I'm in Texas too. :)

To me, the MB is small, light, and more powerful than previous desktop systems, except for 2.5 or 2.7 quad G5's. That's pretty darn incredible, if you ask me, from a consumer laptop. I can't get over the 20 second startup time (w/7200rpm drive) and how fast universal apps open/run.

I have spent a couple days carrying my MB, and love how light it is. I purchased a new Brenthaven 15" PB case ($100 retail) for $30 from LA Computer Co on closeout, and the MB fits very well -- surprisingly, width is perfect, and the height is about 1" off, but width is more important anyway. I can comfortably carry it in my hand or on one shoulder. No backpack needed. The Brenthaven bag is nice and light. I also purchased a Case Logic lightweight 13.3" laptop case, but the Brenthaven is much better quality for the same price, so I returned the case logic.

This is the coolest running Apple laptop I have ever used (and I've used several, all the way back to a G3 Pismo). Yes, it gets warm, but I was able to use it last night on my lap wearing shorts and never had a problem. Other Apple laptops I could not keep on my lap once the book heated up.

With 4-5 hour battery life, I left work yesterday and left my power cord behind. No need for it -- just plugged it in at the office again this morning and the battery charged right up.

Sure I wish the MB had dedicated graphics, but I'm not kidding myself -- I hardly ever play games, and the reduced heat and longer battery life of the integrated graphics is far more beneficial to me than getting better FPS on a game I might play now and then.

In the week I have used my MB, I can't think of one way to improve on it. For me it is the perfect laptop.
 
biocide said:
... I've heard others say that it may help to turn down the brightness, though.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, I must have edited that part out of my last post. I did turn the brightness down soon after powering it up. Then turned it down again after setting it next to my iMac while setting up a wireless network. I'll bet if you were to try it at a dimmer setting you'd like it more. Or at least it wouldn't bother you as much. ;)

(Did I mention wireless networks rock? Sitting on the couch downstairs working with files on my external hard drive in the office upstairs. How cool is that? [Hey, I'm a newbie to home networks. The concept is still all gee whiz and shiney to me...] )
 
Hi guys,

I'm new on that forum but reading it long time. Good forum as well.

I using macs last three years and since then I never worked on PC and Windows. When I see them have some very bad feelings. :D

I got two iMacs and going to buy Macbook the they after tomorrow but still thinking about color black or white, black or white. I loved it before seen it in real. Oooooooh more 36 hours, very long.

I mostly liked posts from Multimedia, he is very good person and read all 97 pages.

Some guys says to MacBook little warm or so and on lap is not good, but remember, when you charging it put it on table not lap. :D
 
I dunno if this could be answered but could there be a way to get the MB to use more ram for the integrated gfx? I have done this before many years back on a Compaq with 8mb of integrated gfx memory to 16(at the time 64mb was like max out on the market and it was still fairly new). I dunno if there any one And I know for some gfx like the ATI 9600 you can enable pipelines that were disabled which is like two. Can that same thing be done to a intergrated chip?
 
bloodycape said:
Why did Apple go with the 950 chip and the not the 975X or even the 955X which seems to me is a better chip?
Click to expand...
The 955X and 975X are system chipsets, not graphics chips. The GMA950 is the newest and best graphics chip currently sold by Intel.
 
dejo said:
OMG! It's 1.08 inches thick vs. the MBP's 1.0 of thickness! That extra .08" is nuts! How am I gonna be able to wrap my hands around it now? ;)
Click to expand...

Missing the point, perhaps. If I want a big laptop, I'll buy a 15 in MacBook Pro, which is virtually the same size as the 13 in MacBook. I want a SMALL Macbook, one that is the same size as the 12 in Powerbook but has the same features (except screen size) as the MacBook 15 in. Why does Apple believe that we all really want 25 in Macbooks and these 15 and 17 in models are just filling the gap until they can produce such a beast?
 
Gatezone said:
Returned the black beauty from whence she came. Spent five nights with her and while I'm sad to see her go she just doesn't fit my needs. I have a powermac and I either want small and light or larger and more powerful.

My reasons for wanting a laptop are for mobility where I carry it with me through the day. I need a laptop that I don't have to carry in a backpack to more evenly distribute the weight.

The heat on the MB is intense. While people can talk temperatures numbers all day I don't think anyone would be comfortable with the peak temperatures of the outside of the case. I live in Texas (not a native, sorry) and I'm used to heat in all forms from chili's to hot sun. One of the last things I did was put my hand on the hot spot and get one more subjective reading. True enough, it didn't burn me, but I didn't want to leave my hand there. And on my lap it was uncomfortable.

I like many things about this Mac (see first impression review posted last Friday morning), but in the end I need it to be closer to 3.x instead of 5.x pounds. And while I know it never will be laptop weight should include the bloody power transformers too... How often do you leave home without the power cord?

I have no compelling reason to carry a heavy, hot, Mac laptop around with me. I can wait and we all know that when it comes to Mac's you are *always* rewarded by waiting. If you have a compelling requirement for a portable Mac at a reasonable price and don't mind the heat or the weight it's great. If you're still happy with what you've got I'd hold off and see what happens in the fall and spring.
Click to expand...


Here, here! Please, Mr. Jobs. Give those of us who actaully want (have) to carry a computer around all the time, and even use it on an airplane when the guy in front of us has his seat reclined, a MacBook Pro that is SMALL!!!! Is Steve trying to compensate for something of his that's too small with all these honking, giant "laptops" (if you dare call them that)?
 
Experienced Blue-Grey or Pewter Not "White" Inside MacBook Today For The First Time

While the outside is white, the entire inside and keys are distinctly NOT "white" at all. They are clearly "pewter" - a kind of bluish grey. I do not understand why no one else here has pointed this out. I like it. And the keys feel great. I love the action of these keys. What a work of art. I had the priviledge of starting up a new one at the Campbell CA Fry's - just south of San Jose - this afternoon.

I instructed the one Mac specialist about our findings and how to set it up with the 23" 1920 x 1200 Apple Display sitting next to where we put it between a G5 and a 15" MacBook Pro. From left to right 15" MBP, MB, 23" Apple Display, PowerMac G5. They didn't have any mini DVI to DVI adpaters so he has to go over to the Valley Fair Apple Store in Santa Clara to pick one up before he can complete the display. I told him about the new Final Cut Studio Benchmarks vs. the Dual 2 G5 and MBP and about Final Cut Express 3.5 Universal as a possible demonstration setup on the 23" AD. He's going to make it happen. :)

Remember the inside of the white one is not white. It clearly blue-grey or pewter. :)
 
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