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Wow! (Gorgeous MB)

driftless

driftless

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 2, 2011
1,486
183
Chicago-area
Although I have been a fan of the new MB I decided a few days prior launch that I wasn't going to order one. On the way back from Hyde Park (Chicago) I stopped at the Oak Brook, IL store today and spent a few minutes with one. Wow. The screen is gorgeous. The keyboard and trackpad are fine, they felt like I would be comfortable typing on them all day. The trackpad is cool. The size is fantastic for someone who travels or wants to cut down on weight. The build quality is a good as Apple has made so far, if not the best. The MBA looked very dated next to it. As to performance, my observations were limited. There was no UI lag at all in the the 10+ minutes that I was actually using it. All of the Apple apps ran smoothly and fast. The only non-Apple app that was installed was Light Room. I imported one of the pictures that they had loaded in Photos and played in LR for a while. Photo Shop with multiple layers may be another story although that is what I have my iMac for. Despite all the nay saying on this forum Apple is going to sell a lot of these. I have changed my mind and ordered a 1.3, 512 in Silver.

IMG_0134 by David Dornblaser, on Flickr

Oh, yeah, one of the salesperson suggested that I check out the the Apple Watches. I did, and even meet with the salesperson to try them on and play with a live watch. My Tissot had nothing to worry about.
 
I still can't get over the shallow keyboard. I swear if Apple could have gotten away with using a touch screen instead of a physical keyboard, they would have.

The black MacBook is very sharp looking though.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
I still can't get over the shallow keyboard. I swear if Apple could have gotten away with using a touch screen instead of a physical keyboard, they would have.

The black MacBook is very sharp looking though.
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I didn't mind that at all. I did have one minor issue that will work itself out quickly. Because the keys are just slightly bigger than I'm used to, I found myself missing the delete/backspace key fairly often. Not a big issue.
 
driftless said:
Yeah, seeing it in person made the difference.
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Agreed. I liked the concept, was a little nervous about the new keyboard and the size of the screen but I went to the store and I found it very easy to type on the keyboard. I was afraid there would be no register when you tapped a key but there definitely is a little click that you can feel. I don't think I typed any slower than I normally do. I did miss the backspace a couple times but I think I can get used to the spacing quickly.

I was hoping the space grey would be a shade darker, but I think its darker than the iphone, which to me, is a couple shades too light. I like the gold in photos, and it was okay in person, but I think I like the space grey a tad better.
 
msb3079 said:
This and some other pictures that have been posted on here make it look so tall. It almost looks like a 4:3 screen, not 16:10.
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I think it's just the photo. It doesn't look that tall in other ones I've seen. But I'm glad to hear that the display being 16:10 makes a difference compared to the 11-inch Air.
 
It is probably the angle of the photo with the iPhone camera. I placed the MB over the iPads that they use on the tables to display information. I should have taken a picture of that as well.
 
driftless said:
Yeah, seeing it in person made the difference.
Click to expand...

Ditto. I had bought the Air and was only checking it out to make sure before my Air return window ended. The second I saw it, I knew it was the one for me. I immediately returned the Air and ordered one.
 
wickedwahine11 said:
Ditto. I had bought the Air and was only checking it out to make sure before my Air return window ended. The second I saw it, I knew it was the one for me. I immediately returned the Air and ordered one.
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It's definitely interesting how many people bought the Air recently or said they were just going to buy the Air instead, and then one look at this thing in person changed their mind.
 
I got to see the gold one yesterday and I loved it. The color was well done, didn't look tacky at all. I'm still wondering if I should pick one up!:D
 
Love reading these hands on impressions, it almost makes me wanna go see if the Apple Store near me has any. I'm only torn because waiting until mine arrives is ALREADY Driving me insane...
 
I got to try one out today. I probably would have gotten one if it wasn't already backordered. I actually really liked the keyboard. I logged onto type racer and clocked 88 wpm after using the machine for only a few minutes time. The keyboard was great. I'm not sure why the reviewers complained about it. It's perfect for long writing. I feel like it was actually easier on my fingers than the 2011 MBA that I'm typing on now.

P.S. I have the beginnings of osteoarthritis, so anything easier on my joints is great.
 
alia said:
I got to try one out today. I probably would have gotten one if it wasn't already backordered. I actually really liked the keyboard. I logged onto type racer and clocked 88 wpm after using the machine for only a few minutes time. The keyboard was great. I'm not sure why the reviewers complained about it. It's perfect for long writing. I feel like it was actually easier on my fingers than the 2011 MBA that I'm typing on now.
Click to expand...

That's really great to hear. I plan on using the rMB as my workhorse for writing...so I'm excited to hear that so many people actually enjoy using the keyboard.
 
PDFierro said:
That's really great to hear. I plan on using the rMB as my workhorse for writing...so I'm excited to hear that so many people actually enjoy using the keyboard.
Click to expand...

I think this KB is great for people who don't hammer at the keyboard. If you can glide over the keys, you'll love it. The feedback is different, it clicks more than depresses, and it's much less soft. But the stability of the keys is awesome.
 
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