Hey guys, I'm in the market for one and I was wondering what highlights your experience with your machine and why. Particularly the 13 inch. You're more than welcome to put dislikes as well!
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What do you like about your Macbook Pro 13?
- Thread starter thinkinblue613
- Start date
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Portability
Powerful
Does everything that I need it to
the keyboard
OS X
Pretty easily upgradeable
Good software
Just a couple things off the top of my head.
Powerful
Does everything that I need it to
the keyboard
OS X
Pretty easily upgradeable
Good software
Just a couple things off the top of my head.
I like the portability. The 15 seems just big enough to be too big, at least for my needs. The processor, though a generation behind the 15, is just right for most purposes. Battery life is pretty killer, at least 5 hours,if not more in the real world. Backlit keyboard offers great feedback, makes me hate using the pcs at work. The trackpad's gestures offer usability on par with the iPhone. The screen is very bright and crisp, with very vibrant colors. OS X and iLife make the experience complete
Portability vs Power.
Would you rather have i-Core processors or Core2Duo with a smaller screen? Personally I would go for the Power... but I wouldn't be taking it too far.
Would you rather have i-Core processors or Core2Duo with a smaller screen? Personally I would go for the Power... but I wouldn't be taking it too far.
I personally struggled when I initially bought my 13" MBP, and considered for sometime upgrading to the 15" model. I can honestly say now though, I LOVE the 13" and glad I stuck to my guns and saved several hundred bucks. I did however upgrade my HDD and increased Ram to 8GB; both aftermarket, and let me tell you, this thing is smoking.....Does everything I have thrown at it so far.
Another thing was, I thought about waiting for next version upgrade; but I am not so sold on AMD ( as I have been reading is possible ).
Another thing was, I thought about waiting for next version upgrade; but I am not so sold on AMD ( as I have been reading is possible ).
After helping my mom tonight with her brand new 15" Azus laptop with windows 7.... I cant think of anything I dislike about my MacBook Pro !!!
I swear I was about to throw her laptop out the window at least a dozen times!
Fit & finish on the Pro is simply beautiful and the OS just works...
Plus its fast ... really fast
I swear I was about to throw her laptop out the window at least a dozen times!
Fit & finish on the Pro is simply beautiful and the OS just works...
Plus its fast ... really fast
It's a fantastic system and you won't be disappointed. The smaller size is well worth the power trade off if you are very mobile. The balance of making a small enough computer for extreme mobility without making it an overglorified calculator due to lack of power is one of the best to date as you can do virtually anything you need to but you don't have to worry about pulling a muscle trying to haul a big machine. Going smaller (except maybe the Air and few expensive Vaios) is something I did and will never do again. I had one of those supermobile 10 inch computers that weighed 2 pounds or something and it literally was incapable of doing certain things almost all computer users do.
Like
-The durability of the aluminum casing w/ reasonable scratch resistance
-LED backlit LCD is great not just for clarity but for long term functionality
-Trackpad is unmatched by any other maker and can do more things than most external mice can
-It is relatively light for its size 4.5lbs IIRC
-For basic mobile use, the Prnryn is by no means slow
-Heat building is less than other Mac's I have used
-Like all laptops, the stability of OS X makes you like the computer a lot more due to less frustration
-it is a sexay azz computer
-Supposed shock resistance is better than other laptops which is ideal for mobile users
-Battery life of both generations of the unibody MBP are well beyond the average
Dislike
-The current magnetic powercord seems to either break or wear quicker than it should compared to the entire computer
-Accessories (such as the powercord) are expensive and limited in brands available, especially as the current MBP is relatively new
-Everyone and their mother's dog has to say something about your computer when they see the lit up apple and some people, strangers at that, can get very emotional about how they feel about your computer
-The corners of the aluminum casing can leave impression marks on your wrist which can take a while to go away
-Only 2 USB ports (practical design limitation)
Like
-The durability of the aluminum casing w/ reasonable scratch resistance
-LED backlit LCD is great not just for clarity but for long term functionality
-Trackpad is unmatched by any other maker and can do more things than most external mice can
-It is relatively light for its size 4.5lbs IIRC
-For basic mobile use, the Prnryn is by no means slow
-Heat building is less than other Mac's I have used
-Like all laptops, the stability of OS X makes you like the computer a lot more due to less frustration
-it is a sexay azz computer
-Supposed shock resistance is better than other laptops which is ideal for mobile users
-Battery life of both generations of the unibody MBP are well beyond the average
Dislike
-The current magnetic powercord seems to either break or wear quicker than it should compared to the entire computer
-Accessories (such as the powercord) are expensive and limited in brands available, especially as the current MBP is relatively new
-Everyone and their mother's dog has to say something about your computer when they see the lit up apple and some people, strangers at that, can get very emotional about how they feel about your computer
-The corners of the aluminum casing can leave impression marks on your wrist which can take a while to go away
-Only 2 USB ports (practical design limitation)
Awesome, I'm really digging what everyone is saying about it!
NickZac, I can live with those dislikes.. I'd rather have those problems than hating the machine itself.
What did you mean marks on your arms? Is it because the Unibody is more "jagged" than the previous models?
NickZac, I can live with those dislikes.. I'd rather have those problems than hating the machine itself.
What did you mean marks on your arms? Is it because the Unibody is more "jagged" than the previous models?
I had an Acer 6920 and an Acer 5920G before purchasing the 13inch MBP, and it is the most amazing laptop I have owned. Coming from a laptop with 2.0Ghz, nVidia 9500GS with dedicated memory, 4GB RAM, etc. I was worried that it wouldn't be much of a change, or worse, no change at all.
But seriously, this thing is WAY faster. I was worried it wouldn't be able to play my Sims 3, but it can do that perfectly while I'm on Firefox and MSN. My past laptops have struggled. The OS is also so much faster. It's extremely nice to look at and even better to use. The build quality is also amazing, it's solid.
You won't regret getting one. I was split between the iMac and the MBP, but I'm glad I went with the MBP. It's small enough to take to my friends, but it's also powerful enough to game on. I say go for it!
But seriously, this thing is WAY faster. I was worried it wouldn't be able to play my Sims 3, but it can do that perfectly while I'm on Firefox and MSN. My past laptops have struggled. The OS is also so much faster. It's extremely nice to look at and even better to use. The build quality is also amazing, it's solid.
You won't regret getting one. I was split between the iMac and the MBP, but I'm glad I went with the MBP. It's small enough to take to my friends, but it's also powerful enough to game on. I say go for it!
Wow, sounds awesome man! I saw a video online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwpkdcoLTI which proved to me that this thing is a BEAST. The guy ran all these programs at the same time and it didn't crash or anything. I believe what your saying is true, my current Macbook begins hitting 180 F when I'm on Firefox (especially YouTube for music) and Pages (writing essays)..
Is yours completely base in specifications? Like have you upgraded the memory and harddrive? And would you say the temperature is manageable? My hands get numb and too sweaty after using mine for half an hour.
Not to big not to small,
sturdy and light,
my base 13 mbp very fast for what I do, browsing , Iphoto, netflix runs
very smooth and great picture.
I really like the backlit keyboard and that is a major reason I got the mbp
over the MBA, and long battery life.
sturdy and light,
my base 13 mbp very fast for what I do, browsing , Iphoto, netflix runs
very smooth and great picture.
I really like the backlit keyboard and that is a major reason I got the mbp
over the MBA, and long battery life.
I think there is a Huge amount of Value to be said for what the 13" MBP does.
I have a uMB 2.4 with 4GB/500GB Hybrid and this thing is 2 years old and runs like a champ with OSX 10.6 SL.
My son just bought the new MBP 2.4 with 4GB and a 320GB and this is crazy just how much power it has and the battery life.
I think the OSX is extremely smooth and look at all the stuff you can do with a 13" right out of a box, way better then any Windows laptop, and I have been in the IT field for 20+ years.
No Antivirus needed, updates do not cause issues like MS ones do, it powers up really quick and shutsdown quick, I hardly ever get a lock up where I have to power it off, and it just does everything smooth.
I do not have to buy expensive software because there are a ton of valuable free applications out there and some are written better than those large corporations.
Every single person I have told to get a Mac on their next purchase friend or family has said thanks because they do not have any issues specifically connecting a peripheral like a printer looking for drivers.
I have a uMB 2.4 with 4GB/500GB Hybrid and this thing is 2 years old and runs like a champ with OSX 10.6 SL.
My son just bought the new MBP 2.4 with 4GB and a 320GB and this is crazy just how much power it has and the battery life.
I think the OSX is extremely smooth and look at all the stuff you can do with a 13" right out of a box, way better then any Windows laptop, and I have been in the IT field for 20+ years.
No Antivirus needed, updates do not cause issues like MS ones do, it powers up really quick and shutsdown quick, I hardly ever get a lock up where I have to power it off, and it just does everything smooth.
I do not have to buy expensive software because there are a ton of valuable free applications out there and some are written better than those large corporations.
Every single person I have told to get a Mac on their next purchase friend or family has said thanks because they do not have any issues specifically connecting a peripheral like a printer looking for drivers.
These are not in any particular order:
1. Graphics card is good enough the computer is fine for a light gamer like me (unlike my previous MB that couldn't even handle light gaming).
2. Thinness. Unlike others who gripe they want bigger specs, I do think the thinness has great function. it's a laptop, meant to be mobile, and it does make it easier to move around (fits in my backpack better).
3. the trackpad. Absolutely love it. Worth upgrading for it.
4. Lighted keyboard. Not really a necessity as I know how to type, this for me is more just it looks nice.
5. Magsafe adapter: Definitely a good idea.
6. Magnetic closure: Also nice not to have to fiddle with buttons when opening the laptop. Plus I find on other laptops that button/latch tends to get finicky over time
7. Mac OSX of course
. That's really the ultimate reason I bought it.8. Battery life: Wish it was closer to what they claimed (I find it's about 7 1/2 hours and this is running just safari and word, supposedly the test they put it through to claim 10) but it's still pretty good. Definitely good enough to last me a plane flight across country which is the longest I'd use it (I usually have it plugged in).
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I get 8-9 hours with web surfing (click to flash installed) and 10-11 for word processing. Battery on this thing is amazing.
I get 8-9 hours with web surfing (click to flash installed) and 10-11 for word processing. Battery on this thing is amazing.
#1 for me is price point.
At the time, and this being my first mac, the base model 13" was my only way into MacBook Pro land. I'm also a guy who's gotten his last three or four laptops (all PCs) free from my jobs over the past years, so the prospect of actually spending ANY money on a laptop was a big thing for me. The April 2010 13" base model was the first base model I considered "worth it", mostly because they upped the stock RAM to 4GB, which for me, doing audio production is absolutely necessary.
As the months have gone by though, there's more and more I love about it other than price point.
At the time, and this being my first mac, the base model 13" was my only way into MacBook Pro land. I'm also a guy who's gotten his last three or four laptops (all PCs) free from my jobs over the past years, so the prospect of actually spending ANY money on a laptop was a big thing for me. The April 2010 13" base model was the first base model I considered "worth it", mostly because they upped the stock RAM to 4GB, which for me, doing audio production is absolutely necessary.
As the months have gone by though, there's more and more I love about it other than price point.
Oh, just wanted to add this: the build quality.
Holy crap, is it light years beyond what 95% of the computer OEMs are pushing on us.
It makes it hard to use anything else, it really does.
Although I still keep a Windows tower for all my potential PC gaming needs, I have found the MBP 13" to be pretty powerful for any games I've cared to throw at it.
Holy crap, is it light years beyond what 95% of the computer OEMs are pushing on us.
It makes it hard to use anything else, it really does.
Although I still keep a Windows tower for all my potential PC gaming needs, I have found the MBP 13" to be pretty powerful for any games I've cared to throw at it.
Size, performance, and build quality. IMO, there are absolutely no complaints that can be leveraged against the 13. People complain about the C2D but that's pure bull.
Consider the 13" MacBook Air. You get a higher screen resolution (same as the 15" MBP), faster SSD hard drive, and lighter body. If you can live without a built in DVD drive, I think its a better value.