MacBook Pro
 

What are everybody's general opinions on the MacBook Pro?

A main concern is whether it's good for making use of free wireless internet. :D

I haven't hammered on mine much but thus far I like it. I haven't had the buzzing issues that others have but I HAVE noticed the limited WiFi range. Sadly, EVERY Apple notebook seems to suffer from that. Also, the Expresscard slot, I"m sure, will be nice to have about three generations down the road. Right now, I think it's insanity that they put it in. There's not an Expresscard on the market at current and what I want (datacards) likely won't be out for a year or more. Yes, I know bluetooth is an option. Tethering is a PITA. I have to worry about another phone, another charger, another battery to maintain. Also, show me a Cingular 3G HSDPA bluetooth phone I can buy right now. The backlit keyboard is really nice in low light situations. It also is leaps and bounds faster than the 867Mhz 12" Powerbook I have had for the past few years. I will say that it doesn't seem quite as well built as Apple notebooks that've gone before. Specifically, the trim around the mousepad feels flimsy. Apple notebooks previously have had design issues but their build quality has been impeccable. I can't comment on the battery life as I haven't had occasion to use it away from the plug. :D

It is Apple's fault that Cingular sucks? :D

Dell claims expresscards will be out this year. I agree with you about the wireless reception. Even ibooks don't have particularly impressive range, and they aren't wrapped in metal. I don't use many rosetta apps, but office doesn't feel any slower than it did on a g4 pb. x86 native apps feel really, really fast.

HOT and hot!
 

I got to use an newer MBP for a few days about two weeks ago.
Nice machine, cannot really tell much differance size wise between an older 15" PB.

But, the unit was very very fast indeed! Everything seem very speedy, much more so than the older PB's. I was comparing it to my new 20" intelimac, which is very speedy, everything is just snappy, apps open fast, internet was very fast, native applications were very fast indeed. Things like photoshop were not BAD, as slow as before on PB's. Photoshop was usable. MacOffice was fine, it took a few more seconds to open, but everything was fine when opened, including scrolling.

As for the wifi performance, this is an ISSUE with the macbookpros, RANGE may have been an issue in the past with PB's, I had a fine one that worked well. The CURRENT issue I believe is with a software driver for the airportexpress card that is in the unit. I would imagine that is being worked on and it will be fixed in the next software release.

I was getting about 3:00 hours, maybe 3:20 using wifi, screen at 80% and surfing, running DVDS, etc.

The final comment, is HEAT! The heat coming off the bottom is more than any other laptop that I have ever used. I could not keep the thing on my lap for more than a few minutes. It is NOT a laptop in that sense. I don't really know what is producing SO much heat, but buyer beware.

iBook - best wifi range
 

Excuse me -- I do agree the powerbooks are bad.....BUT the iBook has probably the BEST WiFi range of any laptop.

My 14" iBook always got very good range, better than any other machine I happened to be around. My 15" PPC Powerbook does okay. It's better than the titanium models anyway. Are the MacBooks better/worse/the same as the PPC powerbooks with wireless reception? Anyone know?

Ok I should say every Apple notebook worth considering *DUCKING and RUNNING*...

No, seriously, I shouldn'tve said every, as I have only had Powerbooks since the Ti series rolled out. Seems that all powerbookss ince then have had a problem.

As for Expresscard, it's not Cingular, it's Sierra Wireless, NovAtel, etc etc. While cards may be coming out this year (I'll believe it when I see it.) it's going to take YEARS to replicate the plethora of PCMCIA cards that're out. Reminds me of when we made the jump from ISA/VESA Local Bus to PCI. "Uh, what's a PCI card???"

Well, in Apples defence; they usually are the driving force behind many new technologies. When the imac was first introduced there was ONE USB printer (an Epson Stylus), the only USB keyboard/mouse were the ones Apple delivered with it. When the first iBook was introduced a WiFi card cost $699 (Lucent Wavelan), now look at the market...

Say what you want about Apple, but they do manage to push new technology a little faster...

iBook vs. PowerBook
 

This is getting off-topic but since you're ducking and running, let me take aim and shoot again :)

Powerbooks are great but they have their downside, wifi being one, hot being another, longer battery. Most people don't need all the bells and whistles provided - unless you're heavy graphics user and want to look cool w/ a titanium laptop....LOL.

Dollar for dollar, I would argue the iBooks are of better value. My son has a powerbook, I use an old 12" iBook. Mine is 3 yrs old and I'm due for an upgrade. My company pays for this and guess what - I'm waiting for upgrade of iBook rather than even considering the new MacPro.

Having said this, any apple laptop is a great buy and well worth the investment. Backlighting keys, built in iCam, etc. etc.

IMHO.

Is this really an issue? :eek:

With the intel procs, I'm afraid heat is going to be an issue with ALL of 'em. My issue was proc speed. The only reason I use macs is for sound capture, editing and processing. I bought an iBook and had it for a week before I took it back and got the TiBook 667 G4 instead. I didn't quantify the difference but the G4 sure as heck felt like it took half the time to render certain effects.

For the average user, yep, the iBook is just fine. My last G4 was the 867Mhz 12" PB. A comparison really isn't fair with the MacBook Pro as the 12" is SO old. The reduction in max memory offset the processor bump so really, all I did by moving from the TiBook to the 12" was gain portability (and ditch a two year old notebook that was starting to have 'issues'). A more valid comparsion would be the outgoing 1.5Ghz 12". All I can say is that the MacBook blows doors on the old machine. May not work for you... it's just what I need.

all I can say is check it out. I am not exagerating here, I couldn't keep it on my lap with jeans because my legs were sweating through them.

I have no problem with my IBM T43, 42, 41, X41, or a sony vaio. Go to a store, pick one up and put your hand underneath and check it out.

If you're a Mac user, it's more heat than you're used to. If you're an Intel user or do both, the Apple runs cooler than some Intels.

so, using intel based IBM T41, 42 and 43, I would put the heat that is coming off the bottom of the thinkpads at about, 15% of that coming off the bottom of the macbookpro.

This is based on the test, putting hand on IBM, and can barely say there is much heat. Putting hand on the bottom of the MBP and saying, ouch get your hand away from there!

Hot and fast
 

MacPro - some reports do indicate they are running very hot. Powerbook had similar problems.

I'm waiting for the intel iBook - rumored sometime in april....hopefully best of all the worlds: faster (than current iBook), cooler (than powerbook and MacPro), better wifi (w/plastic casing, shouldn't be problem), longer battery life.

ONLY loses in the coolness factor.....LOL ;)

I have to use this iBook on occasion:

http://www.apple-history.com/body.ph...date&order=ASC

...and it's the hottest laptop I've ever experienced. Surprised it doesn't melt out!

This may not be the right thread, but is it going to be possible to dual boot a MacBook in OSX and Windoze?

I think I raised the question before in another thread and the jury was out at that time. Wonder if the issue has been resolved?

Yes.

http://wiki.onmac.net/

I am surprised that they did not include an internal modem. I understand where they are going with this (after all they were the first to get rid of the floppy drive) but for those of us travelling to Podunk or Timbuktu, expecting Wi-Fi or Ethernet is a bit presumptuous.

A bit too early, IMHO.

When you configure the MacBook Pro on the Apple Store web site it offers the option to get a USB modem dongle. These are also available from 3rd parties if needed.

Hot iBook??
 

Link doesn't say a thing, nor does iBook have history for being hot...certainly not in past 3 yrs. Just not true.

Might want to call it the Firebook Pro
 

It looks like the processor heat is the least of Apple's issues right now with the MacBooks Pros.

Original Article in French
http://www.generation-nt.com/actuali...-magsafe-apple

Lead in of article translated by Babel Fish

An owner of the one of the last MacBook Pro saw his machine taking fire. The incident would be ascribable with the connector of MagSafe food.

Here are which starts extremely for the last portables MacBook Pro of APPLE, those based on processors INTEL. One of its purchasers saw it his taking fire under its eyes.

The cause of the incident: the connector magnetized MagSafe, designed to be detached if somebody would be caught the feet inopportunely inside. Following a short-circuit, on the level of the connector, the machine took fire. Reassuring...

Could it be referring to what's mentioned in these links?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rheauch...7594082940769/
http://digg.com/apple/Macbook_Magsaf...ector_burns_up
http://blog.flickr.com/flickrblog/20...macbook_p.html

I'm already doing it although it's not quite ready for prime time. The big hurdle now is the video driver. You can't just load the ATI XP drivers either. EFI makes for some interesting problems on that front.

Of course that link doesn't say anything about it. It was just a link showing the model we use. I never said that link mentioned anything about the heat issue.

I don't care what anyone's "history" says...I'm telling you from daily use it's true. You can ask anyone around our office that uses them...they're cookers. So much so that they have even been given several humorous nicknames that usually relate to baking a man's private parts!

:)

I suspect those nicknames are only humorous when it hasn't happened to you. There's a reason they're now called notebooks instead of laptops.

As far as the relative heat of different machines, it depends on what you're doing on them. Doing something that really taxes the CPU/GPU, like playing videogames, will make any laptop too hot for laps.

Too true. My Dell XPS2 could about fry an egg if I'm playing a 3D game. When browsing or watching a DVD it's cool as a cucumber.

And I thought that switching to Intel was all about faster and cooler machines. Especially for the latter, there was a huge debate.
Now, lets assume that I stomach this 4X overnight speed bump... I cannot accept any step back as far as heat is concerned. Moreover, I've never been and not planning to become Steve's (or Bill's) guinea pig. Right now I couldn't care less about a 15'' machine that seems to have problems. I'm very happy with my 12'' PB. But even if a 12 incher MacBook Pro comes out this summer (I really doubt it...), I'll hold out until the 2nd or 3rd version.

Hot iBooks
 

I'd ask you double check to see if they are iBooks or PowerBooks. If latter, absolutely agree, they run hot.

Let's pretend I wrote the above as I went from a 12" 867PB to the macbook.

Yes, would be great to have the express card now. I can think of a couple f uses.

I think the wifi range is fine. Bluetoothing with the phone works fine too. As do bluetoothing with a headset while skyping or ichatting.

The isight is fantastic.

I love my MBP

/E

Are you my twin or something?

The reason I ditched the old 12" PB 867 for the macbook was for sound editing.

I also needed a better graphics card for the video editing and for producing websites.

I'm not worried about the heat so much. I have solutions for that. I'm mostly tied to a desk when in UK but want portability for travels.

Had apple released a 12" MBP I would probably have gone for that. However, the bigger screen is nice.

Now, what else do we have in common?

/E

*LOL* I have the feeling you get a lot more use out of your MBP than I do. No website design here although the stronger video is VERY nice to have. I'm anxiously awaiting a desktop PowerMac and 12" MBP (or smaller!). Once that happens, I will replace my travel machine and my office desktop.

I'm an amateur audio archivist. I take old reels/discs and attempt to recover the audio on them. Content varies. It may be spoken word from a long-dead relative, or a musical performance, etc. I enjoy doing it and it gives the ability to write off a lot of this expensive equipment. It's also fascinating to hear voices and stories from the past. The work is time consuming and definitely a labor of love as it's definitely more costly in time invested than what I charge.

Sometimes this is very easy, sometimes the tapes/discs are in such poor shape that I cannot recover them. The software I use is Bias' Soundsoap Pro with a Metric Halo Mobile I/O ULN-2 doing the capture. I also digitize my own collection of reels and vinyl to listen to while on the road using a Fujitsu subnotebook and this. Not as small as an iPod but iPods don't do high-res audio.

I have to admit I haven't tried any of the pricier software suites but Soundsoap hasn't let me down yet. No universal binaries yet but the MBP has so much more power and memory that it still seems more than twice as fast.