Question:
Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
Hey folks... I just got a MacBook Pro at the local CompUSA and I am having second decisions... I am a noob to Macs as a whole and also have a Sony SZ120P/B...
My intitial impressions are that I LOVE the comfort of the keyboard as it has excellent responce and key travel... This is my main complaint for my Sony as it is not as good as the MBP... Keyboard is also very quiet as well... The backlit/illumination is what every Notebook needs... I do miss the convience of having separate "Backspace" and "delete" keys... Very responsive OS. I like the front row interface... I love the way when you make changes in the system preferences you see the effects immediately, not having to find the "APPLY" button and waiting to see the changes... I love the slot loading SuperDrive... It is thinner than my Sony... My Sony with battery weighs 4.2 pounds, but the MBP weighs 5.6 pounds (13.3 vs. 15.4 though)... Case construction is top notch and the materials (aluminum housing) is quite nice... I am worried about scratches appearing on the surfaces easier than my Sony... The battery life appears to be the same as the Sony (3.5 hours) so no big diff there... Adjustment to the OS is going okay, but will obviously take a little more time...
Some cons... This thing gets SOOOOOO HOTTTT!!!! I am one of those users who will sit on the couch with it on my lap and I can tell you it is reducing my sperm count as I type this... It is the single biggest concern for me as it is a big change from any of my other notebooks... and I have 6 other Windows based notebooks... I have mixed feelings on moving back to a 15.4" screen... I have been trying to downsive for the last 3 years... I went from an HP ZT3010 (15.4) to a Compaq V2140US (14"), then to a Sony SZ120 (13.3.)... now I am back to the big screen and it is nice to look at but a little less comfortable to transport compared to the Sony... The obvious issue with software since some apps are not Intel based for the MacOSX yet... Doom3 was loaded and the newest patch to make it universal were loaded and there was still a good amount of choppiness while playing on Medium settings... I am having trouble using Mac Office... An excel document I have been using in Windows for some time with Macros refuses to be opened in Mac Office... This is somewhat a problem as I wanted to move away from needing a secondary notebook, so I am not sure what to think of that... Safari keeps closing on me unexpectedly saying there was a problem and it is reported to Apple for evaluation... Same with MacOffice... I have a Netgear rangemax router and a Netgear wireless print server... No problems surfing, but the Print Server is useless now (software is not mac compatible)... It is the one that has 2 ports and a 4 port switch... I love it as I have a laser and a photo printer connected to it and it works flawlessly... All my software is Windows based, including my Acrobat 7 Pro... I have all ready purchased the MacOffice, but am dreading having to purchase the Mac version of all my apps, including Acrobat 7 Pro...
I have a couple of options... I can take this unit back and sit back and wait to see if things change with the heat dissipation and the app support, or I can buy a "lapdesk" and use 2 different machines (one PC and the MBP), and a possibly different wireless print server that is both PC and mac compatible... I do not do any music production nor any pro Video or Photo editing... I am a manager for a national retail chain and need something I can work on when I am away from my desktop at work and to surf the net, email, occational games... I use it mostly at night and the backlit keyboard is an envious want on any notebook... I am torn...
Someone please give me some advice...
Don
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
hmm i went to a dealer yesterday
and he admitted that the MBP gets pretty hot at times,
and especially when burning a DVD (have you tried?)
then also i tried feeling the bottom part of the MBP
and it did feel really hot
i doubt there's anything you can do about it though..
other than underclocking or whatever..
and i don't even know whether it's possible (or how)
i suggest you get a pc, since you don't really need the MBP for the stuff you do. or you could delay your purchase for a while, get an intel ibook (they might have backlit keyb), or wait till they solve the heat problem. and i think there's a thread on the hardware discussion group on backlit keyboards. but im not too sure.. you could check it out..
hey no backlit keyboards you can live with. but critical spermcount? :P
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
I returned the Macbookpro... Just too dang hot...
Don
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
One of the reasons why i sold my Powerbook...
It ran at 60 degrees C.
Using a IBM Z60T and it runs sooo cool :)
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
Mine you guys are a bunch of weenies, Im using my PB right now, and I can barely feel the thing on my lap.
I tested out the MBP at my local apple store and man was that thing sweet, I didn't think they could improve on the PB, but they really have. I wish I could get one, but it's just out of my Price range. :(
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
Your telling me 60 degrees C is nothing for more than an hour or two.
I get warm just using it and this is in the winter.
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Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
I like warm laptops as long my skin is unexposed. I always knew the stickers were for branding, but not the cattle kind.
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Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
How did doom3 run on the SZ120.
i am debating between the two and the game performance would be nice to know.
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
I can't seem to get a copy of Doom3, but I have Quake4 loaded and it runs better, smoother, and cooler than Doom did on the MBP... According to tweakquides.com, the Quake4 engine is based on the highly advanced Doom3 engine, so I can say this is an apple to apples (no pun intended) comparo... Based on this, the 7400 in the Sony SZ120 outperforms the X1600 in the MBP (both have 128MB RAM)... Hope this helps... BTW, I am still getting used to the spacebar issue... Go to the Sony forums for more details...
Don
Answer:
Re: Just got a Macbook Pro... 1st impressions...
I was reading some reviews online and they weren't that great for the Macbook Pro (even CNet gave it a 6.9)...I think you'll probably be better off to wait for future editions where Apple can fix these kinks out.
Hopefully you find a notebook that suits your needs.