I was in the Apple store today and all the machines are just beautiful until you find the white MacBook. It doesn't fit in, it feels cheap, the screen is HORRIFIC! Why would anyone pay premium price for that piece of junk!??
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Why does anyone buy the plastic MacBook???
- Thread starter JavaWizKid
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Because it's cheaper, has FireWire 400, has a removable battery, and has been the laptop of choice for three years.
It's cheaper than the other models and has the same 9400M G. Not to mention it's a steal at $749 refurbished for the 2.0 GHz model.
I know it's cheaper, and I expect its quality to go downhill a bit but it is still expensive to a regular PC laptop which is also junkie plastic! The only benefit you get is OSX!
No, people say you buy Apple products for their quality since PCs are cheap and clunky. That is a complete lie with the MacBook!
Cheaper yes, but when up against the 13" MBP it's a no brainer.
The FireWire point is moot as the entire line has FW800. The battery part I'll give you.
I have owned one for two years and honestly it seemed amazing until my girlfriend bought her unibody a few months ago. It is still an amazing machine but time is starting to leave it behind in the looks department. But is still a real bargain if you want one!
Dude! Relax. The MacBook is the lower-end offering. I haven't used it, but I do have a 4-year old plastic iBook that has performed well and held up well for 4+ years, and I'll be sorry when I eventually have to upgrade.
As far as "cheap and clunky," that's a bit of an overstatement. It's not as sleek or expensive as the unibody Macs, but I'd hardly say "cheap and clunky." I think it would still look pretty good at a Starbucks, especially next to a Dell or an HP. If it's anything like the iBook, I think you'll find it's still a quality machine.
I have an aluminum macbook . When I bought it white macbooks had intel graphic cards. If they had Nvidia cards I would probably bought white macbook and had saved money plus had firewire. ( And missed the touchpad 
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Besides the upper case issue which is only resolved by replacing it with another upper case what are the quality problems again? Not to mention the subpar Mac mini for the price but still offered there.
I've played around with plenty of other laptops and they'll resist pressure just as much. No so much on the lower chassis though.
Thank god there's an option to not to pay for the aluminium body.
I find them to be quite durable and tough, given that they are polycarbonate rather than the cheap ABS used in most thin plastic housings. I ran a lab with 20 of them, and they were quite robust for the tough use of 125 college kids checking them in and out all the time.
So, not a lie. Just because something is not metal does not make it cheap. If that was the case, bullet-proof glass would be metal and not polycarbonate plastic.
Well in my opinion its cheap and clunky. I hate the inner of the MacBook, it looks discoloured compared to the white outer case. The screen is also just terrible compared to some PCs I've seen!
That's why we buy Macs. If you don't value that then there is no reason to spend more than $400 on a computer.
I value OSX very much, it's people say the reasons you get a Mac over a PC are QUALITY and OSX. OSX is fantastic and currently unbeatable by any other OS IN MY OPINION
My view on quality is for example bad screen, horrible inner colour, horrible feeling plastic. Some of you may love the plastic and I don't fault you for it because you like it...
I'm sure it's a reliable computer because it is a very tried machine and probably a very good one, it's just the quality lets it down for the price point.
My view on quality is for example bad screen, horrible inner colour, horrible feeling plastic. Some of you may love the plastic and I don't fault you for it because you like it...
I'm sure it's a reliable computer because it is a very tried machine and probably a very good one, it's just the quality lets it down for the price point.
Look at the recent Microsoft ads; the only full function computer for under 1000 is the White MacBook.
And, I picked one up for my mom because it is cheap and functional. If she happens to like the OS X then we will upgrade. And, not everyone has 2K to spend on a system they are not familiar with.
And, I picked one up for my mom because it is cheap and functional. If she happens to like the OS X then we will upgrade. And, not everyone has 2K to spend on a system they are not familiar with.
I don't understand what makes you think the plastic MacBooks are cheap and junky. If you're trying to compare them to the MBP's, then maybe they are a little less durable. But that doesn't make them cheap, and definitely not junk.I value OSX very much, it's people say the reasons you get a Mac over a PC are QUALITY and OSX. OSX is fantastic and currently unbeatable by any other OS IN MY OPINION
My view on quality is for example bad screen, horrible inner colour, horrible feeling plastic. Some of you may love the plastic and I don't fault you for it because you like it...
I'm sure it's a reliable computer because it is a very tried machine and probably a very good one, it's just the quality lets it down for the price point.
Polycarbonate plastic has been Apple's material of choice for consumer laptops for 10 years now, there's a reason it's still around.
Ok it's obviously durable but it looks horrible and feels horrible. Also why is no one commenting on the horrific screen, that's my main issue with the notebook!
Crappy TN panels on Macs are nothing new.
I have a Dell Vostro that puts the MacBook display to shame.
On the contrary, the White MacBook has a beautiful white shell that makes it stand out in the crowd while at the same time looking clean, friendly and encouraging.
They are good machines and a "white" was my introduction to owning a Mac. I sold it and upped to a new MBP last October, and of course...the more you pay with Apple, the more you get. As is with most companies.
There is one reason I do agree with you to a point about the plastic. I have a friend who bought a white MB and he loves it. The only thing about it is that the plastic has actually worn away on the top front edge where your wrists would touch if you rested them while typing. It created a very small gap on each side where you could actually slip a 2 or 3 inch long piece of paper inside the machine.
I think it may have to do with the little ridges of plastic that stick out at the top of the screen. Those ridges are supposed to keep the screen from closing too flush and it seems they may have started the wearing away of the plastic.
Otherwise, he loves the machine and is going to upgrade to aluminum in a few months.
There is one reason I do agree with you to a point about the plastic. I have a friend who bought a white MB and he loves it. The only thing about it is that the plastic has actually worn away on the top front edge where your wrists would touch if you rested them while typing. It created a very small gap on each side where you could actually slip a 2 or 3 inch long piece of paper inside the machine.
I think it may have to do with the little ridges of plastic that stick out at the top of the screen. Those ridges are supposed to keep the screen from closing too flush and it seems they may have started the wearing away of the plastic.
Otherwise, he loves the machine and is going to upgrade to aluminum in a few months.
I just want to make sure I understand correctly. You started a thread simply to bash a product that you don't own and have no interest in buying. And now your irritated that no one else is jumping on the band wagon with you. Hmmm? How in any way is this contributing to anything?
It's the cheapest laptop running OS X next to the Dell Mini 9, you can take the case off easily and insert color photo gels to turn the glowing apple from white to any color of the rainbow (wooo!), stickers look better on it than on the aluminum laptops, and Spek color cases look nicer on it than on the aluminum models.
Scratch all that - my guess is because it's cheap and has mostly similar specs as the entry level 13" aluminum MacBoook "Pros." Refurb prices are ridiculously cheap for Apple, too.
I really don't know, I just think this is a silly topic.
Scratch all that - my guess is because it's cheap and has mostly similar specs as the entry level 13" aluminum MacBoook "Pros." Refurb prices are ridiculously cheap for Apple, too.
I really don't know, I just think this is a silly topic.