mbp 2010 13" update (some reviews)

[xbeamelite]

hey everyone.

Just wanted to give a quick update on my mbp that I got from microcenter in nj. everything is working beautifully. I just switched to the hitachi 7200 500gb hd and i love it. Its pretty quick. Also got my moshi palmguard, key protector and a xgear carbon leather case (not bad case. fits well except for the new connector,the case blocks it so i just flip it around...looks nice, has nice matte feel to it. only thing i don't like is how the fabric moves around when you grab it or rub it too hard, but for overall protection its pretty sturdy imo. I just don't like the specs and incase plastic feel/look, so i'm pretty happy with the case for now)

I don't notice any more vibration or heat with the new hitachi drive(39C during regular use). I literally can't feel any extra vib at all during use...its awesome. As for battery I'm not sure yet but its saying 9 hours at 93% charge while im typing this, but not really doing much on the computer.

I have noticed that VLC player makes the mbp run much hotter (75-80C) whereas quicktime is cooler (65-70C). Anyone else notice that?

Hope everyone is loving their mbp as much as I am. Thanks.

 

[Audrey313]

I would like to hear reviews from others as well. I am going back and forth between the 13" and 15" and cannot decide!

 

[runebinder]

Used to use VLC all the time on Windows, found it to be a bit crap on OS X though, if you haven't already install Perian which will allow Qtime to play more video codecs and then use Mplayer extended for when that fails.

 

[xbeamelite]

Used to use VLC all the time on Windows, found it to be a bit crap on OS X though, if you haven't already install Perian which will allow Qtime to play more video codecs and then use Mplayer extended for when that fails.

i will try, vlc plays crappy i think. i can't scroll around without it getting choppy. isnt it a pain to keep switching around players if quicktime doesnt work. what does mplayer play that perian doesnt?

 

[chris2k5]

I've had mine since June. (Almost a month now!) Here is my quick review:

Looks: It is amazing. Looks professional yet nice enough to have around during family gatherings or etc. No signs of finger prints ANYWHERE on the Aluminium.

Build Quality: I LOVE the build quality. No body flex. No keyboard flex. Solid material and it doesn't scratch easily at all. I haven't gotten a single scratch on mine. No rattles, not a single noise. The trackpad is very high quality and the keyboard is solid as a rock. NO FLEX.

Screen: No complaints. Typical Apple nice screen. It is VERY BRIGHT and of course there is the reflectiveness which I don't mind because I check myself out occasionally...I never use it on full brightness because that is how bright it can get. No light leakage and solid construction on the screen.

Performance: It is snappy with Mac OS X. I only had Safari crash on me due to flash content maybe 2-3 times. I love Force Quit. It is Mac OS X equivalent of CTRL ALT DELETE but it works in 1 step instead of lots of steps. Normal usage it stays around 40C-50C while flash can bring it up to 60C-70C.

When I play Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike, or use Handbrake or other intense programs, the CPU will go up to 80C TOPS. It tops out there and then the fans come in and bring it down to 75C.

Speakers: They are just okay. Nothing to write about really. They make noise but they aren't super loud.

Other: I love the new Mag Safe but I hate how the Mag Safe's paint can rub off onto the LAPTOP!!! I personally like the old one better but thats me. I hate only having 2 USB ports as well. 3 USB ports should be a must!!!

I love the SD slot. Use it to upload photos to iPhoto a lot. And I love iLife. Amazing set of software that are VERY useful. Love the simplicity of Mac OS X. Everything is easily done after you learn the parameters of the OS.

The trackpad is the most amazing thing I think. I would buy the Macbook Pro based on the trackpad alone. The two finger scrolling is the most underrated feature EVER. You'll use it EVERY single time you use the MBP. Once you use someone else's computer you'll try to do it but it won't work because they are using a PC!!!

Expose is great too for multitasking I think.

Very slick Laptop and slick OS overall.

 

[aznguyen316]

last time I used a mac, VLC player was the best.. what's good now for .mkv and all codec and file types?

 

[DanMacApple]

I've had mine since June. (Almost a month now!) Here is my quick review:

Looks: It is amazing. Looks professional yet nice enough to have around during family gatherings or etc. No signs of finger prints ANYWHERE on the Aluminium.

Build Quality: I LOVE the build quality. No body flex. No keyboard flex. Solid material and it doesn't scratch easily at all. I haven't gotten a single scratch on mine. No rattles, not a single noise. The trackpad is very high quality and the keyboard is solid as a rock. NO FLEX.

Screen: No complaints. Typical Apple nice screen. It is VERY BRIGHT and of course there is the reflectiveness which I don't mind because I check myself out occasionally...I never use it on full brightness because that is how bright it can get. No light leakage and solid construction on the screen.

Performance: It is snappy with Mac OS X. I only had Safari crash on me due to flash content maybe 2-3 times. I love Force Quit. It is Mac OS X equivalent of CTRL ALT DELETE but it works in 1 step instead of lots of steps. Normal usage it stays around 40C-50C while flash can bring it up to 60C-70C.

When I play Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike, or use Handbrake or other intense programs, the CPU will go up to 80C TOPS. It tops out there and then the fans come in and bring it down to 75C.

Speakers: They are just okay. Nothing to write about really. They make noise but they aren't super loud.

Other: I love the new Mag Safe but I hate how the Mag Safe's paint can rub off onto the LAPTOP!!! I personally like the old one better but thats me. I hate only having 2 USB ports as well. 3 USB ports should be a must!!!

I love the SD slot. Use it to upload photos to iPhoto a lot. And I love iLife. Amazing set of software that are VERY useful. Love the simplicity of Mac OS X. Everything is easily done after you learn the parameters of the OS.

The trackpad is the most amazing thing I think. I would buy the Macbook Pro based on the trackpad alone. The two finger scrolling is the most underrated feature EVER. You'll use it EVERY single time you use the MBP. Once you use someone else's computer you'll try to do it but it won't work because they are using a PC!!!

Expose is great too for multitasking I think.

Very slick Laptop and slick OS overall.

I agree completely with you! Good Review!

 

[TZRaceR6]

last time I used a mac, VLC player was the best.. what's good now for .mkv and all codec and file types?

I have no issues what so ever with VLC. WOrks flawlessly and with all the formats I download. Not sure why someone thinks it is crap. Sounds like an issue with their computer, not the program itself.

 

[elpmas]

I've had mine since June. (Almost a month now!) Here is my quick review:

Looks: It is amazing. Looks professional yet nice enough to have around during family gatherings or etc. No signs of finger prints ANYWHERE on the Aluminium.

Build Quality: I LOVE the build quality. No body flex. No keyboard flex. Solid material and it doesn't scratch easily at all. I haven't gotten a single scratch on mine. No rattles, not a single noise. The trackpad is very high quality and the keyboard is solid as a rock. NO FLEX.

Screen: No complaints. Typical Apple nice screen. It is VERY BRIGHT and of course there is the reflectiveness which I don't mind because I check myself out occasionally...I never use it on full brightness because that is how bright it can get. No light leakage and solid construction on the screen.

Performance: It is snappy with Mac OS X. I only had Safari crash on me due to flash content maybe 2-3 times. I love Force Quit. It is Mac OS X equivalent of CTRL ALT DELETE but it works in 1 step instead of lots of steps. Normal usage it stays around 40C-50C while flash can bring it up to 60C-70C.

When I play Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike, or use Handbrake or other intense programs, the CPU will go up to 80C TOPS. It tops out there and then the fans come in and bring it down to 75C.

Speakers: They are just okay. Nothing to write about really. They make noise but they aren't super loud.

Other: I love the new Mag Safe but I hate how the Mag Safe's paint can rub off onto the LAPTOP!!! I personally like the old one better but thats me. I hate only having 2 USB ports as well. 3 USB ports should be a must!!!

I love the SD slot. Use it to upload photos to iPhoto a lot. And I love iLife. Amazing set of software that are VERY useful. Love the simplicity of Mac OS X. Everything is easily done after you learn the parameters of the OS.

The trackpad is the most amazing thing I think. I would buy the Macbook Pro based on the trackpad alone. The two finger scrolling is the most underrated feature EVER. You'll use it EVERY single time you use the MBP. Once you use someone else's computer you'll try to do it but it won't work because they are using a PC!!!

Expose is great too for multitasking I think.

Very slick Laptop and slick OS overall.

Yup, agree. These are the things I would've said myself. (i.e. 3 USB is a must...but I like the new MagSafe better =})
The speakers could be louder...

 

[xbeamelite]

Yeah I agree with the above. The speakers are just there and make noise, nothing to rave about lol. VLC isnt horrible, I just noticed the higher temp and that when I skip around the movie, it lags which is really annoying. Quicktime has so far been great with Perian, but I still use VLC if needed.

 

[MacModMachine]

Yeah I agree with the above. The speakers are just there and make noise, nothing to rave about lol. VLC isnt horrible, I just noticed the higher temp and that when I skip around the movie, it lags which is really annoying. Quicktime has so far been great with Perian, but I still use VLC if needed.

hi,

could you post a pic of that xgear case ? sounds pretty awsome.

thanks!

 

[vant]

I use Perian first. If that fails, I switch to VLC.

 

[HLdan]

+1 for VLC. I use it on both my iMac and MBP and it's not slow nor does it raise my CPU cycles.

 

[Pillar]

why yes i am also loving my new macbook pro 13", thank you

 

[xbeamelite]

hi,

could you post a pic of that xgear case ? sounds pretty awsome.

thanks!

hey quick word about the xgear case its awesome, but only thing i dont like is the fabric moving like i said before. sorry for all the stickers, hehe, decided to decorate it a little. Also sorry for the fisheye pics, i took the pics and video with my GoPro HD motorcycle camera . hope it helps.

any questions just ask, good luck with your decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9tyYfd3lwM

 

[MacModMachine]

hey quick word about the xgear case its awesome, but only thing i dont like is the fabric moving like i said before. sorry for all the stickers, hehe, decided to decorate it a little. Also sorry for the fisheye pics, i took the pics and video with my GoPro HD motorcycle camera . hope it helps.

any questions just ask, good luck with your decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9tyYfd3lwM

thanks!

looks really good.

 

[VNM]

Working great, threw a intel ssd inside mine and am bumping the ram to 6gb for running parallels. Very happy with it, only issue is the 2 USB ports, had a pick up a firewire enclosure so I could free one up.

Only other thing I'm looking into for it is a Moshi palmguard.

 

[Vantage Point]

I just picked up a 13" MBP from Microcenter in NJ as well. Great deal. I picked up a 2009 MB from them three months ago for $799 and just sold it on ebay ($750) and picked this up. The price of only $999 and low 3.5% tax made the swap irresistible.

I have an iMac for the heavy lifting with a large monitor when I use Photoshop but for everything else this is a great size, not too big, not too small and not too heavy. Everything about it is solid and what I expected, including the backlit keys which was a big selling feature for the switch. I keep my dock on the right side instead of the bottom so I can take full advantage of the vertical space - like I am doing now with Safari

Like others stated, the speakers are 'acceptable' Battery is hard to predict since I charged it too 100% and I keep checking what's left but the numbers vary considerably. At the moment with only Safari open it says 8:50 at 81% but five minutes ago with exactly the same thing open it said 5:40 at 84%. (edited to add I just did another check and at 78% it now says 4:07 minutes left - WTF)

I did go to the Apple store after I picked this up and bought a incase canvas sleeve for $49. It is thicker and more durable than the standard incase sleeve and is water resistant. The only thing is that it was a very tight fit but after sitting in the sleeve for three days waiting for me to turn it on and set it up the sleeve stretched to a perfect fit - like a new pair of shoes that needed to be broken in. At first I was annoyed and now I love it.

My only nit is that it boots a bit slower then my recent MB. That took 35 seconds w/2gb ram and the same size hard drive. Now it is closer to 43 seconds. Why is it slower not faster?

Anyway, its a great little computer. If you are on the fence and have a microcenter near you just get one for $999 while the specials last.

 

[Shasta McNasty]

^your only gripe is that it takes the mbp 8 more seconds to boot than your previous mb? Are you kidding? Did you clock the speed difference?

 

[elpmas]

I just picked up a 13" MBP from Microcenter in NJ as well. Great deal. I picked up a 2009 MB from them three months ago for $799 and just sold it on ebay ($750) and picked this up. The price of only $999 and low 3.5% tax made the swap irresistible.

I have an iMac for the heavy lifting with a large monitor when I use Photoshop but for everything else this is a great size, not too big, not too small and not too heavy. Everything about it is solid and what I expected, including the backlit keys which was a big selling feature for the switch. I keep my dock on the right side instead of the bottom so I can take full advantage of the vertical space - like I am doing now with Safari

Like others stated, the speakers are 'acceptable' Battery is hard to predict since I charged it too 100% and I keep checking what's left but the numbers vary considerably. At the moment with only Safari open it says 8:50 at 81% but five minutes ago with exactly the same thing open it said 5:40 at 84%. (edited to add I just did another check and at 78% it now says 4:07 minutes left - WTF)

I did go to the Apple store after I picked this up and bought a incase canvas sleeve for $49. It is thicker and more durable than the standard incase sleeve and is water resistant. The only thing is that it was a very tight fit but after sitting in the sleeve for three days waiting for me to turn it on and set it up the sleeve stretched to a perfect fit - like a new pair of shoes that needed to be broken in. At first I was annoyed and now I love it.

My only nit is that it boots a bit slower then my recent MB. That took 35 seconds w/2gb ram and the same size hard drive. Now it is closer to 43 seconds. Why is it slower not faster?

Anyway, its a great little computer. If you are on the fence and have a microcenter near you just get one for $999 while the specials last.

wth...43 seconds...mine is usually 30secs x_x...and it's with stock hd

 

[Vantage Point]

^it takes the mbp 8 more seconds to boot than your previous mb? Are you kidding? Did you clock the speed difference?

Yes. I did clock the speed. This started with my first Mac, my 3.06 iMac purchased earlier this year. I watched a few YouTube videos of people measuring boot time of about 25 seconds. Mine older computer was 3-4 minutes so I was excited to get fast boot times (not the reason I switched to Mac). Anyway, my new iMac took 55 seconds as the fastest boot time. Then I had sow problems and called Apple and they had me reload the OS to fix it. After that I measured the boot time again which dropped to 35 seconds. A month later I picked up a MB with a smaller and slower hard drive and CPU and that tied the iMac at 35 sec. I had expected this MBP to equal to beat the MB but it doesn't. Not a big deal just a a bit below expectations. Perhaps I will reload the OS from disk so I can leave out all the extra languages...and get a slightly faster computer.

I know it sounds petty but don't you want to impress your non-mac friends when you boot up your computer in their presence

 

[TZRaceR6]

xbeam,


A bit off topic -

I knew by the Astars sticker you were into bikes. I was testing some of the very first GoPro cameras when they cames out years ago. Good cameras for their size and lack of wiring. It was unheard of 5 years ago to have that. I've taken my GoPro's all over the U.S and here in Europe. Still working like the day I got them.

 

[VNM]

Yes. I did clock the speed. [...]
I know it sounds petty but don't you want to impress your non-mac friends when you boot up your computer in their presence

Try resetting the PRAM/NVRAM. Boot holding com + opt + P +R, it will beep and reset again. My ssd was booting no faster than the stock drive it replaced, this dropped the time significantly.

 

[xbeamelite]

xbeam,


A bit off topic -

I knew by the Astars sticker you were into bikes. I was testing some of the very first GoPro cameras when they cames out years ago. Good cameras for their size and lack of wiring. It was unheard of 5 years ago to have that. I've taken my GoPro's all over the U.S and here in Europe. Still working like the day I got them.

That's so awesome! I love my Go Pro HD. Took it to track days and any adventures. Wish they had a screen or showed you where it was pointing, but the quality from these little camera's are amazing imo. better than any other motorsport camera out there.

thanks for your comment Do you ride?

 

[Ronnoco]

re: VLC on the Mac:
It works fine for me..I have Perian installed for
QuickTime and it works ok, but QT has a much lower volume than VLC in my usage and you simply cannot beat VLC's "aspect ratio" controls and it's ability to add subtitle files...QT may have these control/options, but I have not found them yet in QTX...