Rating  - From A Clunker (MS) To A Maserati (Mac)
I was a Windows user for 15 years. Although interested in a Mac, compatibility issues with my office Windows network made me hesitate. I'm now retired and since my ThinkPad was getting on (and acting up), I decided to go with the MacBook.
I was surprised at the marked superiority of the Mac right out of the box. I decided to wait to write a review until I found some flaws. After all, nothing is perfect. Well, I may find some eventually, but during the month I waited I became even more confirmed in my first impression. By "superior" I mean in all material respects--operating system, hardware and software. I realize some IT types, gamers and others may see some advantages to Windows, but I see none for a user like me (primarily, internet, email, iTunes, word processing and picture management). It was a revelation to find a computer so stable and user friendly. Other adjectives that come to mind: Solid, Fast, Fun, Pretty, Snappy, Sleek, even Graceful. From frustration to the sublime.
I could go on describing the improved design, but let me give just one, seemingly trivial but representative, example. I don't like trackpads, so I use a mouse. In Windows several steps were needed to disable the trackpad and enable the mouse. On a couple of occasions I forgot the mouse and had to enable the trackpad using keystrokes. Frustrating and time consuming. I ordered a wireless mighty mouse with the MacBook and enabled it in 30 seconds. While searching Help to disable the trackpad, I noticed it was already disabled. Then I realized it was automatically disabled when the mouse was added. Then I learned it was automatically enabled when the mouse was turned off or moved away from the computer. Such a simple solution, but apparently lost on the Windows engineers.
Finally--the operating system and compatibility. The Mac OS is different from Windows and takes some getting used to. But not as much as I expected due to the intuitive nature of the Mac, the actually helpful Help menu and the hundreds of very well done tutorials on the Apple web site. As to compatibility, I expected to buy the Office for Mac suite, but after reading the critical reviews on Amazon I downloaded the less expensive iWork suite from Apple on a trial basis. It includes word processing (Pages), spreadsheets (Numbers), and presentations (Keynote). While those programs don't have all the bells and whistles of Word, Excel and Power Point, I had no problem opening and editing in iWork and sending them back to Windows.
In short, my apprehensions about making the switch proved groundless, while being treated to a distinct upgrade in product. Go ahead and do it. You'll be glad you did.
Rating - Best laptop ever purchased
This is probably the best laptop I ever bought. I had 2 sony vaio's before and used different types of windows laptops from work. By far, this is the best user experience I've had using a laptop, with great aesthetics. The boot up time is incredibly fast, applications(itunes, safari, iphoto, canon software etc) load super fast, compared to windows. Apple makes home computing incredibly easy with Leopard and macbook.
Like some of the other customers, I debated whether to buy a macbook or macbook pro, but in the end I couldn't justify the added cost just for larger display and dedicated graphics card. This works just fine, I use aperture with this and it works really well
Rating - Excellent
I knew that this was going to be a great purchase, and when it came, I was very pleased with it. Not only does it look great, but it runs very nice. The battery life is fantastic, and the OS is really great. Much more efficient than windows. It's very fast. A good deal faster than my windows desktop. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a good laptop.
Rating - Great notebook for student/home use!
This was my second Mac. It replaced a PowerBook G4 that had been in use for nearly six years. I am a school teacher and I carry my laptop to school and home every day. The one regret I had about my 15" PowerBook was that is was quite large and heavy. Travel on planes and buses was a pain and required a decent sized backpack or other bag.
There are limits with the MacBook in terms of graphic abilities. I'm told they will not do video editing and gaming as well as the MacBook Pro. I don't need these capabilities. I use my laptop for word processing, presentations, internet utilities and email, personal finance, and managing my photos and iTunes library. The MacBook does these handily.
I have found the upgrade to Leopard to be a significant one. I interact with Windows users regularly and as a result I've found it useful to also purchase Microsoft Office for Mac. I prefer iLife for publishing and presentations though. I prefer the Mac Mail, Address Book, and iCal to the applications in Office.
Other features that I find quite useful are the magnetic power adapter and the very multi-functional mini-DVI port. Most PC laptops have more buttons and ports but they are buttons and ports that I don't see much use for. For example, my dad owns a Compaq laptop that includes a button to turn off the wireless card. You can do that by clicking an icon on the OSX desktop so why do you need an additional physical piece that could break? It is elements like this that make the MacBook's design so desirable.
The only trade off is a lack of multi-media card reader but I picked one up for $12. Also, the 13.5" screen is a little small. I suppose that's a trade off for a notebook that's the size and nearly the weight of a notebook. I put mine in a neoprene sleeve and carry it in a standard sized backpack.
I've observed battery life of just over five hours using wifi.
Rating  - No Cables
This is my third Apple laptop in the last six years. I am very happy with how it looks though I was surprised to receive no cables with the new Macbook. Previously my other ibooks always came with ethernet cable, firewire cable etc. In order to transfer files from my old ibook to the new macbook I have had to purchase a firewire cable and think it would have been nice if this were included in the box. (I gave away my previous firewire cable that came with my last ibook)
Also I could not connect to the Internet although I have a wireless router. Apple tech support suggested removing the battery and putting in back in again and that did the trick and I was able to get online.
This is quite a change from my previous Apple laptops with the wide screen and will tak a bit of getting used to.
Overall I am pleased with the purchase but for anyone considering this purchase remember to add a firewire cable to your order if you need to transfer files from your existing Apple computer.
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Customer Reviews for Apple Computer,MB403LL/A,885909214266,0885909214266,B0013FPYRK, |
