Travel Technology - Help me shop for a new Apple laptop

Prefaces: Mods -- Move, merge, lock or destroy at'tchur pleasure; I won't take it personally. :) Membership-at-large -- Save the PC Proselytising for somebody who really gives a rip, I'm not interested. :p

Okay. I'm shopping for laptop this week to see me through grad school, so I need a workhorse to last ~5-6 years. My processing needs are fairly simple. It's just a matter of which MacBook or MacBook Pro configuration will cover my needs for the best price. I'd like to stay under $2K, but I don't think that's possible, per below. (The new MBA doesn't seem worth the price given its 13" screen, lack of replaceable battery, etc., so it's not a dog in this fight.)

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Here are the configurations I've come up with, which I invite your feedback on:

MacBook (black) -- $1,399 ($1,669 w/add-ons)

2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x512MB (2G 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB -- add $135)
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm -- add $135)
Superdrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth


MacBookPro 15" -- $1,799 ($2,001 with add-on)

2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
120GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm -- add $202)
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English


I need the ability to: 1) write papers; 2) work with large (book-length), hi-res PDFs; 3) run Skype while fiddling with docs/large PDF files << this is essential; 4) house my iTunes library (pushing 30GB already); 5) watch an occasional movie en flight. That's pretty much it. I'm not a graphics junkie, and if I were to turn into one I'd switch to a desktop anyway.

I'm no newbie user -- school telerams, mum's Xerox desktop, Trash 80 anyone? -- but I'm not one for fussing around with machines and apps either, especially these days. My last purchase was an iBook in '02, which was destroyed '03 (death by Starbucks, twice :(). This next purchase will be a much, much faster machine than my iBook and somewhat faster than my current home PC (1.83 GHz, 512MB).

Main questions:

Is the extra RAM really worth it for my purposes?
Is the extra HD capacity worth it, given that I'll have an external backup with me anyway?
Due to my general clumsiness with all things (luggage, ankles and elbows, dishes, whatever), is the Apple Protection Plan perhaps the better use of my funds than some of the add-ons?

Fire away, folks. I'm all ears.

The MBP is only beneficial for high end graphics, save your money and get the MB,

I'd skip the 2 upgrades (memory and hdd) and get those elsewhere.

For the price of the 2 upgrades Apple charges ($135+$135=$270) you can upgrade it to 4Gb ram and a 320Gb hdd by buying them from a different vendor. Apple want $765 for 4Gb of ram, you can get the same damn chips at Newegg for $89.99. Charging an extra $676 should be illegal.

Extra ram is always good, especially going from 1Gb to 2Gb. Extra HDD space is a personal thing; I can never get enough, but some people are perfectly content with 120Gb.

If you can live with 120Gb, get the white one, paying $200 for a different color is silly. That $200 can pay for a service plan. Then, in the future you can spend some more money on a larger drive.

ALWAYS get the Apple protection plan. Apple ain't what it used to be, and everyone I know with a recent Mac has had some kind of problem. One friend is on his fifth repair and had to email Steve Jobs just to finally get a new one.

That said; the machines may be in for an upgrade soon, when do you "need" it?

You can never have too much RAM or HD capacity. I bought a MacBookPro last year and am maxing out on my harddrive. I am a fairly serious amateur digital photographer, though.

I have a 4 year old iBook. I think the MacBook should work for you, but I'd think about more RAM out of the box.

Five to six years is a long expectation for a laptop. I replace mine about every three years.

Yes, unfortunately, get the Apple Protection plan. Every laptop I've had has developed problems at 13 months. Once upon a time Apple had really great hardware that was durable. No more. If you live near an Apple store, you're in luck for things that go wrong.

You'll probably want to back up the iTunes on an external harddrive and keep as little stuff as possible on iTunes on your laptop. At least, that's the way I do it.

I have to clean off my hard drive now so that I can play with some video my son shot of gorillas in Uganda.

Oh, and shop around. The prices you mention are not too bad, but Amazon can match or beat them. Being in OR you shouldn't have to deal with sales tax, so that's a nice saving.

Example; Macmall has the white 2.2GHz 120Gb for $1219 after a $75 rebate, plus free parallels, free case, free printer and free shipping (after some more rebates).

I recommend the MacBook as well. I just bought my wife a white MacBook for teacher's college, she loves it! Get yourself a student edition of Microsoft Office, and you will be all set!

I think you'll find having 2 GB of RAM will help with performance, but I would order the laptop from Apple with 1 GB, and add the other 1 GB yourself. It's not that difficult to do, plenty of instruction guides on the internet to show you how. Just make sure that the computer is configured with 1 x 1GB memory module, NOT 2 x 512 MB memory modules.

Most definitely get the Apple Protection plan, but if money is tight, you can purchase it separately and apply it to your computer anytime within the first 12 months of owning the computer.

get the MB. I have both, a few of both, and the MBP's are used for high-end work stuff the MB's are used as back up's and general tasks which you speak of. Just save the $ for ram in the MB and get what you need.

The only reason to get MacBook Pro over MacBook is for the higher resolution display, but it's not that much higher. 1440x900 vs 1280x800. You also get a discrete GPU, but it's only useful if you do CAD or play games.

It makes more sense to get a MacBook and buy aftermarket RAM and hard disk upgrades. Max the RAM out at 2x2GB for $60 to $100 and get a Hitachi 7k200 7200rpm hard disk for $100 to $200 depending on size.

Best Buy frequently has sales on Hitachi external hard disk, like next week. $119.99 for 200GB while Newegg wants $209.99 for same size. Look for one with serial number that begins with DTG, it will have a 7k200 disk inside. Swap it with the system drive and your system will scream.

Aw heck, that's a tough decision. I have a 15" MBP on which I'm typing this message, and a 13" IBook I take on trips etc.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I've had great luck with my lappies (the MBP is my third)...nary a problem in the bunch. I think Leopard is making some of my apps cough up hairballs recently, though (lots of random initialization issues and whatnot...)

Most what others said on buying AppleCare, buying aftermarket RAM, etc. It's nice to be able to run Micro$oft problems if you just have to, which is one reason I bought the MBP - most scuba computer programs are M$oft only.

(Another plug, for the Speck plastic MBP cases (http://www.amazon.com/Speck-MacBook-See-Thru-Hard-Case/dp/B000NY6K34/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1202012195&sr=8-9)...mine's hot pink, and I get a lot of comments on it...)

The only reason to get MacBook Pro over MacBook is for the higher resolution display. That's not the only reason. I'm also in the market for MB/MBP

1. The MBP has an ExpressCard slot. My Novatel Broadband card is Expresscard based, so I won't be buying a MB.
2. The speakers on the MBP are on either side of the keyboard and seemed louder to me - but the Apple store was pretty noisy.
3. You can't get a non-glossy screen on a MB. The MBP non-glossy screen is better against glare. I don't care about movies.
4. Low-end MB doesn't include a SuperDrive. I want a SuperDrive, but I also want the low-end box that I can upgrade myself.

ScottC: Nice tip about Amazon. I had no idea they sold Macs. Just priced the MBP + Applecare. Could save ~$400 (rebate, no sales tax)
divemistress: How cool. Save $150+ and still get a non-white model.

1. The MBP has an ExpressCard slot. My Novatel Broadband card is Expresscard based, so I won't be buying a MB.
Good point. I forgot about the ExpressCard slot, tells you how much I use one. ;) I don't think a full time grad student will benefit very much from wireless broadband service though.

2. The speakers on the MBP are on either side of the keyboard and seemed louder to me - but the Apple store was pretty noisy.
Speaker placement comes down to personal preference. I never cared much for laptop speakers.

3. You can't get a non-glossy screen on a MB. The MBP non-glossy screen is better against glare. I don't care about movies.
I could be mistaken, but I thought matte display was available for MacBook. Maybe once upon a time.

4. Low-end MB doesn't include a SuperDrive. I want a SuperDrive, but I also want the low-end box that I can upgrade myself.
I concur, this policy annoys me to no end. It's already 2008, DVD+-RW should be standard. Combo drives are so 2001.

You could always get a USB to ExpressCard adapter for the MB if that is the only reason for getting the MBP.

In an ideal world Apple would have a MicroPCI slot on the bottom and broadband antennas in the screen like Dell, Sony and Lenovo do. I love having my broadband card integrated in the machine, just one less thing to lose.

I have been doing the same internal debate of whether to purchase a MacBook or MacBook Pro and an leaning towards the MBP for the following reasons:
1) more RAM -- I have learned that more RAM is critical to the computer's function more than any other option
2) dedicated video RAM -- important for graphics rich processes, such as videos. This sounds like it may be a secondary concern for you.
3) larger screen -- useful for multiple apps being used at once, or in my case, digital image processing.

Finally, having been a Powerbook user, I would say my best purchase was the AppleCare warranty. In fact, if I could have extended it, I most certainly would have. I hav found that since the TSA has required laptops out of the bag, my laptop has been getting more glitches, so, it always good to be prepared for the worst.

As for price, Apple's are pricier, but they are worth it. If you want to try to save some money, I would suggest a couple of things. 1) Ebates offers a 1% rebate if you use their portal. Also, if you are not a member yet, they give you a signing bonus of $10 (or $5 if you are referred by someone). 2) A better option is if you can somehow make you Apple purchase as an Education purchase (usually as student or faculty member). At my University, the best offers are equivalent to getting a free Applecare warranty.

BTW, I noticed that you did not include the Macbook Air. I checked it out yesterday at the store, nice little machine, but I can wait another generation for one, exp when the solid state HD get bigger and drop in price!

...BTW, I noticed that you did not include the Macbook Air. I checked it out yesterday at the store, nice little machine, but I can wait another generation for one, exp when the solid state HD get bigger and drop in price!I think the reason for excluding the MBA was at the end of the first paragraph in the OP.

(Other than that, I've been following this thread but have nothing to add to what's already been posted. That may be a first for me. :) Enjoy whatever you end up with!)

I guess what has been said here pretty much covers it, although here's one more point:

MacBook Pro is overdue for a refresh. It is anticipated anytime now. The likelihood is a bump to newer processors, but it's not clear what else could be changed. Unlikely to get cheaper, but it would be more of a performance difference vs the standard MacBook.

That said, this kind of difference doesn't appear to be worth it for your uses, so if you need it now anyway, get the MacBook. Unless you really hate the white, as has been mentioned, you are paying a price premium for the black color. If you look at the model with the exact same specs (160 GB drive is the only other upgrade for the $1499 black over the $1299 white), using Apple's prices, the black unit right now commands a $125 premium just for being black. And having handled one in person, the black finish is not appealing IMO. It's a matte finish as opposed to the glossy white, and while it looks nice if pristine it holds fingerprints like no other computer finish I've ever seen. Really kills the effect.

I would say the bump to 2GB RAM is worth it especially with Leopard. It's very easy to install RAM in a MacBook, though, and you may want to play it as wait and see. Also cheaper. ExperCom is one place where you can get the 2GB RAM upgrade included for just $20 over the $1299 standard price: https://www.expercom.com/product_detail.html?PRODUCT_ID=483575 (I have dealt with them in the past, good service, and this is not a rebate setup.) It may not include installation of the RAM upgrade, not sure, but as I said it's pretty easy.

Personally, I would skip the HD upgrade, but I'm not one who uses that much HD space. I'm using an 80GB in my MBP and haven't used more than about half of it. It's much harder to get a good price on the HD upgrade unless you buy the drive and install it yourself. The HD in the MacBook is also pretty easy, and you may want to play wait and see with this as well. But it will be more effort than the RAM because you'll first need to clone the drive contents to an external, etc.

The only reason to get the Pro is if you really want the larger screen, matte screen finish (you can only get glossy on the MacBook), ExpressCard slot or dedicated graphics. For the things you mentioned, these don't really come into play I suspect. The 13" MacBook will be easier to use in flight and has better battery life too last I remember. And it's cheaper. Apply the savings to AppleCare (which you can also get at ExperCom for the cheapest price).

The posters above hit most of the important points, with which I agree:

a) get the smaller, cheaper machine to meet the needs you expressed
b) don't buy a bigger HDD/memory from Apple, but rather aftermarket
c) get Applecare

I'd also consider getting a 20 or 23" Cinema Display, mouse and keyboard for plugging into when you're at home. Total should be in the $800-1000 range depending on which size you choose. Much better user experience particularly if you're typing a lot, working with large docs, etc.

The posters above hit most of the important points, with which I agree:

a) get the smaller, cheaper machine to meet the needs you expressed
b) don't buy a bigger HDD/memory from Apple, but rather aftermarket
c) get Applecare

I'd also consider getting a 20 or 23" Cinema Display, mouse and keyboard for plugging into when you're at home. Total should be in the $800-1000 range depending on which size you choose. Much better user experience particularly if you're typing a lot, working with large docs, etc.

That's another product I wouldn't pay the premium for. The Apple 23" cinema display is an insane $899. For less than half that you can get a nice Dell 24" widescreen. Panels are pretty much the same. And if you are crazy about getting a perfect color match then get a $60 calibrator for it.

It won't be as pretty as an Apple display, but $500 is a big difference. $300 more would even get you a 30", but I doubt that'll work on the MB.

I'd never talk someone out of buying a Mac, that is their choice, but I would not recommend getting some of the Apple accessories.

Though, the new keyboards are mighty pretty!

I think the only reason to get the MBP for the vast majority of users is to get the larger screen. Im quite happy with the speed that my MB runs at. For graphics like movies it is more than adequate and the RAM hasnt been a problem for any application I have used and I use Parallels extensively. I would say get the MB, max the ram and hard drive and get the protection plan.

It won't be as pretty as an Apple display, but $500 is a big difference. $300 more would even get you a 30", but I doubt that'll work on the MB.

Yeah, that would be one more reason to get the Pro, if you really want to drive a 30" external display. They only quote specs for Apple's displays, but the MacBook will drive up to the 23" and that's it. And yes, you have to really want the look of the Apple displays to pay their premiums.

I'd skip the 2 upgrades (memory and hdd) and get those elsewhere.

You know, that exactly what I did on my iBook purchase. Amazon's price was beat even the educational discount, and I maxed out the RAM myself. (In fact, *that* bugger is staring at me while I write. No idea what to do with it now.) I didn't know I could have done the same with the HD. The extra RAM was no bother to install, which I did along with the AirPort card. Is the HD upgrade as straightforward as that, or more like the infernal iPod battery issue?

If you can live with 120Gb, get the white one, paying $200 for a different color is silly.

:( But, but ... I don't like the white. ::slinks off::

That $200 can pay for a service plan. Then, in the future you can spend some more money on a larger drive.

ALWAYS get the Apple protection plan. Apple ain't what it used to be, and everyone I know with a recent Mac has had some kind of problem.

I learned the hard way last time. My first coffee spill was completely covered by APP, but the second -- just a month or so after the 1 year warranty expired -- wasn't. :(

That said; the machines may be in for an upgrade soon, when do you "need" it?

I can't wait any longer. I need it, like, yesterday. Something to take back and forth between home and campus. This file transferring business is a PITA. Plus, I'm sick of being chained to a computer lab while the entire campus is WiFi-enabled. How I long to lounge outside on the grass or work from my favorite cubbyhole away from the nattering crowd.


You can never have too much RAM or HD capacity. I bought a MacBookPro last year and am maxing out on my harddrive. I am a fairly serious amateur digital photographer, though.

I have a 4 year old iBook. I think the MacBook should work for you, but I'd think about more RAM out of the box.

Will an extra gig be noticeable, I wonder? My way of thinking, it's cheap to obtain and it can't hurt -- and I'm a bit of speed freak.


Five to six years is a long expectation for a laptop. I replace mine about every three years.

Well, you're not a grad student either, on limited resources. Philosophy is a 6- or 7-year haul, during which time I'll be earning zero point squat. If I have to dip into savings to upgrade my machine once the dissertation starts, so be it. But I'd rather buy with an eye for the long haul.

[G]et the Apple Protection plan. Every laptop I've had has developed problems at 13 months. Once upon a time Apple had really great hardware that was durable. No more. If you live near an Apple store, you're in luck for things that go wrong.

Okay, I'm sold on the care package. Fortunately, there are several Apple stores here.


You'll probably want to back up the iTunes on an external harddrive and keep as little stuff as possible on iTunes on your laptop. At least, that's the way I do it.

I prefer it the other way around: keep it all with me and back up to an external. I'm a compulsive mixer.

Being in OR you shouldn't have to deal with sales tax, so that's a nice saving.

Yes, sales tax is about the only screwing we don't have to take here. :(

I recommend the MacBook as well. I just bought my wife a white MacBook for teacher's college, she loves it! Get yourself a student edition of Microsoft Office, and you will be all set!

You bring up a good point. I don't use Office at home or school. But perhaps I'll need to rethink this domestic policy, esp. if I ever collaborate on papers?


Best Buy frequently has sales on Hitachi external hard disk, like next week. $119.99 for 200GB while Newegg wants $209.99 for same size. Look for one with serial number that begins with DTG, it will have a 7k200 disk inside. Swap it with the system drive and your system will scream.

Oooo, good bit of advice. I see good deals at outpost.com, too. Any reason to avoid them?

Good point. I forgot about the ExpressCard slot, tells you how much I use one. ;) I don't think a full time grad student will benefit very much from wireless broadband service though.

Em ... actually, you'd be surprised. (I'm an FTer you know, and love gadgets as much as any of y'alls.)


I guess what has been said here pretty much covers it, although here's one more point:

MacBook Pro is overdue for a refresh. It is anticipated anytime now. The likelihood is a bump to newer processors, but it's not clear what else could be changed. Unlikely to get cheaper, but it would be more of a performance difference vs the standard MacBook.

Sounds like not worth the wait + likely price increase in my case. But helpful for others who might wander into this thread.

If you look at the model with the exact same specs (160 GB drive is the only other upgrade for the $1499 black over the $1299 white), using Apple's prices, the black unit right now commands a $125 premium just for being black. And having handled one in person, the black finish is not appealing IMO. It's a matte finish as opposed to the glossy white, and while it looks nice if pristine it holds fingerprints like no other computer finish I've ever seen. Really kills the effect.

Good to know. What really bothers me about the white is how all the scuffs show up. My iBook never managed to remain pristine like everyone else's. As I said, I'm kinda hard on toys. ;)

I would say the bump to 2GB RAM is worth it especially with Leopard.

What makes Leopard such a RAM pig, IYE?

Personally, I would skip the HD upgrade, but I'm not one who uses that much HD space. I'm using an 80GB in my MBP and haven't used more than about half of it.

I can foresee myself eating up 100GB by the end of the year, actually. Between what I've got on two PCs at home, what's already stored on the school's servers and what's left of my music collection to transfer to iTunes, that's 80GB right there. Now that e-journals and texts are widely available ...


I'd never talk someone out of buying a Mac, that is their choice, but I would not recommend getting some of the Apple accessories.

What about the in-flight power adapter? I think an extra bat would serve me just as well and be more useful.

I think the only reason to get the MBP for the vast majority of users is to get the larger screen. Im quite happy with the speed that my MB runs at. For graphics like movies it is more than adequate and the RAM hasnt been a problem for any application I have used and I use Parallels extensively. I would say get the MB, max the ram and hard drive and get the protection plan.

Thanks. Given that the kinds of tasks you do are somewhat similar to what I'm looking to do, your .02 FFW is especially appreciated.

If you fly a lot of like to watch movies on airplanes, unless you can get bulkhead/exit row every time, get the macbook. The macbook pro is too big for those tray tables.

Apple didn't announce anything to that effect during Macworld. I doubt it's happening.

If you fly a lot of like to watch movies on airplanes, unless you can get bulkhead/exit row every time, get the macbook. The macbook pro is too big for those tray tables.

Even the 15"?

Will an extra gig be noticeable, I wonder? My way of thinking, it's cheap to obtain and it can't hurt -- and I'm a bit of speed freak....What makes Leopard such a RAM pig, IYE?If you're like me, you'll have all kinds of applications open at the same time, the more RAM you have, the more efficiently things will run, the less dependent the operating system becomes on caching things to the hard drive.
You bring up a good point. I don't use Office at home or school. But perhaps I'll need to rethink this domestic policy, esp. if I ever collaborate on papers?That's the key--colloboration. You'll probably do a lot of it as well if my grad school experience was similar.
What about the in-flight power adapter? I think an extra bat would serve me just as well and be more useful.There are some accessories that make sense to get from Apple, particularly those that are not available from third parties, such as extra batteries, adapters, etc. For common computer parts such as RAM and Hard Drives, you may find it cheaper elsewhere. I buy my RAM and hard drives from www.macsales.com.

HAH! ScottC was on the mark about the MacBook upgrade, which was announced last Tuesday.

Though I bought my machine back on the 19th, I managed to keep my mitts off the seal on the notebook box while waiting for the aftermarket RAM to arrive. Because Kingston.com is kinda pokey in processing orders, I was able to return the computer to the school bookstore for a full refund on the 9th day after purchase. Glad I was unexpectedly held off from breaking (in) my new toy because now I have a little bit faster processor and ~50% more HD space ... and a bit more pre-installed RAM, which of course I'll turn around and sell.

BTW, the educational discount of $1399 was the best deal I could find on the black MacBook. Not even Amazon could beat it given the config I originally wanted. And speaking of education discounts, I discovered that the school bookstore sells the 3-year Apple Protection Plan (separately) at $66 off the sticker price. Naturally, I'm allowed to purchase two per year. :rolleyes:

As for the writing app, I decided to pass on both Office and iWork, and instead go with OmniOutliner Pro (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnioutliner/pro/), which I'm totally in love with. Since paper collaboration in my discipline is a relatively rare thing, I don't feel the need to slum it with MS apps just for the sake of a one-off event. (In fact, I'm not even going to bother with Parallels or BootCamp or Crossover Mac. If I need to use a Win machine, it can wait until I'm near a campus computer lab. I'm done with the PC world for my own work.)

Thanks again everyone for the input. I am a very happy MacBook camper. :cool:

HAH! ScottC was on the mark about the MacBook upgrade, which was announced last Tuesday.

Though I bought my machine back on the 19th, I managed to keep my mitts off the seal on the notebook box while waiting for the aftermarket RAM to arrive. Because Kingston.com is kinda pokey in processing orders, I was able to return the computer to the school bookstore for a full refund on the 9th day after purchase. Glad I was unexpectedly held off from breaking in my new toy :o because now I have a little bit faster processor and ~50% more HD space ... and a bit more RAM, which of course I'll turn around and sell.

BTW, the educational discount of $1399 was the best deal I could find on the black MacBook. Not even Amazon could beat it given the config I originally wanted. And speaking of education discounts, I discovered that the school bookstore sells the 3-year Apple Protection Plan (separately) at $66 off the regular price. Naturally, I'm allowed to purchase two per year. :rolleyes:

As for the writing app, I decided to pass on both Office and iWork, and instead go with OmniOutliner Pro (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnioutliner/pro/), which I'm totally in love with. Since paper collaboration in my discipline is a relatively rare thing, I don't feel the need to slum it with MS apps just for the sake of a one-off event. (In fact, I'm not even going to bother with Parallels or BootCamp or Crossover Mac. If I need to use a Win machine, it can wait until I'm near a campus computer lab. I'm done with the PC world for my own work.)

Thanks again everyone for the input. I am a very happy MacBook camper. :cool:
Glad to hear it worked out so well. That OmniOutliner Pro and OmniPlan both look interesting. Just requested trial licenses of both. Thanks for that tip.

Please report on how useful these Omni apps are on the MacBook and MB Air.

I've yet to open my MBA box but might do so tonight, unless there is a date for the first MBA update. I saw somewhere that a lower-voltage chip, to allow longer battery life, could be in the works.

Nice work, essxjay!

Perhaps I'm the crazy red-headed stepchild in the basement, but the only reason I picked MBP over MB was for the old style keyboard. The new one looks sexy but I find it uncomfortable to type on. Haven't seen many complaints but it irritates the heck outta me. Am I alone out there or should I just get over it and boldly move out of the 80's?

Perhaps I'm the crazy red-headed stepchild in the basement, but the only reason I picked MBP over MB was for the old style keyboard. The new one looks sexy but I find it uncomfortable to type on. Haven't seen many complaints but it irritates the heck outta me. Am I alone out there or should I just get over it and boldly move out of the 80's?

Crazy red-headed stepchildren in the basement (or attic :eek:) may still have a valid point as they adjust to the key spacing.

I'm a day into the migration (MBA keyboard seems to be identically spaced to MB) from a PB 12" and recently a crappy Acer and haven't perfected my touch-typing on it.

It's a pain when moving from a standard PC keyboard at work to the chiclet keys but I hope it's a quick transition.

I love the MBA keyboard backlighting. :D
I'm picking up tons of WiFi networks the old lapop never could. :)

I have to say I LOVED the macbook keyboard but the glossy screen brought on a bout of bells palsey, so I sold it. Just scored a new 15" MBP at Amazon, 5% off plus a 150$ rebate. I can't wait for it to arrive.