Okay, I would begin by giving my beloved 12" Powerbook my deepest gratitude for serving me majestically during these 4-and-a-half years of daily graft. No machine has ever given me such dependability and value, and, I guess, never will. There will always be a place in my heart for such a classic gem of a laptop.
But, as the march of technology continues and without mercy, I need to move with the 21st century.
I ended up getting the 2.4mhz Macbook instead of the Macbook Pro today (3 hours after the Apple Store opened on the day of release). I just felt that the power of the top-end Macbook combined with integrated graphics chip would be plenty for me (as a graphic designer), plus the more portable size was very appealing (since I loved the 12") and the illuminated keys taken from the pro gives it an extra hike up to pro quality, in my opinion.
In fact, I believe this is a true successor to the 12" Powerbook G4 and those longing for a 13" Macbook Pro for these past few years.
Okay, there is the two biggies to deal with: that dreaded glossy screen and the lack of firewire. Well, honestly, the screen is not that bad! In fact, with my new Macbook next to my 12" PB, both screens have their positives and negatives. The glossy has more contrast and vivid colours; the PB has no glare/reflections but is duller. Yes, true, I have found it a little annoying when in a bright room and having harsh reflections, but this can be minimized by changing your desktop image to something brighter (the reflections appear most vivid on a black background). But if you work in a dim room, or even at night, the screen is very beautiful and crisp with minimal reflections. The black bezel definitely grows on you and functions to frame your screen very much like a modern frame in an art gallery. Once you get beyond the contrast of the design (black against silver) and begin to actually work on it, it is actually very pleasant.
As for the firewire, I have a firewire iPod, a Sony camcorder and have just bought a dual firewire/USB portable hard-disk. Personally, it is something I can live without and find ways around. For example, for my camcorder, it uses the Sony memory-sticks, so I can just stick it into a USB reader. I can use the firewire on my PB and transfer files via wireless if needed.
The main noticeable difference compared to my powerbook is simply raw power. Geesh is this Intel baby fast! Another thing I have noticed is the amazing nividia graphics chip. I just downloaded a 1080p quicktime HD movie from the Apple site and played it full screen on my 20" Apple Cinema Display. There is one word to describe this: effortless.
The glass trackpad is very nice too. Has that silky feel when you slide your finger on it. You can click to select a window while simultaneously using your second finger to move the window (the area is FOUR times bigger than the trackpad on the 12"). And the gestures is so handy (compared to the zero gesture function of the 12").
All in all, I would say that I am extremely happy with finally buying an upgrade to my aging 12". I would definitely recommend it to someone considering a successor to their own powerbook, especially if they have started to noticed severe slowness due to the advancement of technology and software. It really started to bug me how slow leopard was becoming, the jumpy movies I was watching, the slow read/write times of files, editing big photos in photoshop, to name just a few annoyances. Now, everything just zips along like a professional skater on ice!
To me, the new 13" Macbook IS that much desired 13" Macbook Pro.
Anybody else who has followed the same upgrade path as me? Care to share your experiences of the move?
Thanks,
Tony
But, as the march of technology continues and without mercy, I need to move with the 21st century.
I ended up getting the 2.4mhz Macbook instead of the Macbook Pro today (3 hours after the Apple Store opened on the day of release). I just felt that the power of the top-end Macbook combined with integrated graphics chip would be plenty for me (as a graphic designer), plus the more portable size was very appealing (since I loved the 12") and the illuminated keys taken from the pro gives it an extra hike up to pro quality, in my opinion.
In fact, I believe this is a true successor to the 12" Powerbook G4 and those longing for a 13" Macbook Pro for these past few years.
Okay, there is the two biggies to deal with: that dreaded glossy screen and the lack of firewire. Well, honestly, the screen is not that bad! In fact, with my new Macbook next to my 12" PB, both screens have their positives and negatives. The glossy has more contrast and vivid colours; the PB has no glare/reflections but is duller. Yes, true, I have found it a little annoying when in a bright room and having harsh reflections, but this can be minimized by changing your desktop image to something brighter (the reflections appear most vivid on a black background). But if you work in a dim room, or even at night, the screen is very beautiful and crisp with minimal reflections. The black bezel definitely grows on you and functions to frame your screen very much like a modern frame in an art gallery. Once you get beyond the contrast of the design (black against silver) and begin to actually work on it, it is actually very pleasant.
As for the firewire, I have a firewire iPod, a Sony camcorder and have just bought a dual firewire/USB portable hard-disk. Personally, it is something I can live without and find ways around. For example, for my camcorder, it uses the Sony memory-sticks, so I can just stick it into a USB reader. I can use the firewire on my PB and transfer files via wireless if needed.
The main noticeable difference compared to my powerbook is simply raw power. Geesh is this Intel baby fast! Another thing I have noticed is the amazing nividia graphics chip. I just downloaded a 1080p quicktime HD movie from the Apple site and played it full screen on my 20" Apple Cinema Display. There is one word to describe this: effortless.
The glass trackpad is very nice too. Has that silky feel when you slide your finger on it. You can click to select a window while simultaneously using your second finger to move the window (the area is FOUR times bigger than the trackpad on the 12"). And the gestures is so handy (compared to the zero gesture function of the 12").
All in all, I would say that I am extremely happy with finally buying an upgrade to my aging 12". I would definitely recommend it to someone considering a successor to their own powerbook, especially if they have started to noticed severe slowness due to the advancement of technology and software. It really started to bug me how slow leopard was becoming, the jumpy movies I was watching, the slow read/write times of files, editing big photos in photoshop, to name just a few annoyances. Now, everything just zips along like a professional skater on ice!
To me, the new 13" Macbook IS that much desired 13" Macbook Pro.
Anybody else who has followed the same upgrade path as me? Care to share your experiences of the move?
Thanks,
Tony
