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bcaslis · May 17, 2006, 08:42 PM

I think they both look better in person than in pictures. But it's black for me!

TomR · May 17, 2006, 08:42 PM

I ORDERED A MACBOOK With the following configuration:
Processor 0656306 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo
Memory 0656233 1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM 2x512
Hard Drive 0656226 60GB Serial ATA drive
Optical Drive 0656230 Combo Drive
Modem 0656513 No Modem
Apple Software Solutions 0656200 No Optional Software
Adapter 0656515 No Optional Adapter
Keyboard/Mac OS Language 0656235 Keyboard/Mac OS
Country Kit/AEX 0656313 Airport Extreme Card andBT

CAN'T WAIT TO GET IT!!!

Gamoe · May 17, 2006, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

I just hope Apple doesn't use this song to advertise it.

Haha-- Good one! Unfortunately that's not really the case here!

Though I agree that the black fades in more with a movie, etc., and I was actually for a black MacBook, seeing it in person convinced me that the white really does look better, and maybe even has more distinctive character, than the black. Add to that an exaggerated premium, more visible wear marks and now finish problems with the black, and the choice is clear (or white!) at least for me.

Maybe this is Apple's crafty way of convincing us that black just isn't good on Macs these days!

Kerrigan · May 17, 2006, 10:27 PM

Maybe Apple needs to go headhunting for another designer, because Ives and his team simply can't do black.

tricha6 · May 17, 2006, 10:31 PM

When I first heard black and white, I thought I was definitely going black. I was absolutely willing to pay the $150 black tax. But then I checked them out at the Apple store. Black is different, so it has that going for it, but that is it, in my opinion. Had the outside been glossy like my iPod - done deal. But the matte isn't better than the white - its just different. Ultimately, $150 is a lot to pay for something I don't think is better. More RAM is better. Bigger hard drive is better. $150 helps towards that.

hadocon · May 18, 2006, 01:19 PM

I have been waiting for a back to black Mac for quite a while now. My first mac was a Mac Plus back in '87 (I've been using Macintosh for well over half my life), so I've seen the Mac go through all of it's changes. So far my least favorite Mac has been my current 1.25Ghz Aluminum Powerbook. The metallic silver look is so dated IMHO. Silver, or metallic for that matter was the colour of the future in the 90's... I much prefer White or Black. However for me white is a bit too attention getting (if that is the correct phrase), although I do like my white iPod. I have been waiting for _years_ for Apple to bring back the Black laptops - a commeration to the heyday of the Classic Black Powerbooks of the 90's (when the Powerbook really took off) like the much maligned 5300, the 3400, the 1400, the Pismo (of course) and the 2400 (comet)... For me the Black brings back memories of those heady days when a Powerbook could save the planet from Aliens (Independance Day) or help out a super-spy (MI:1).

Needless to say, I purchased a Black MacBook - the $150 was not an issue for me at all.

... Now only if Apple could reclaim the Rainbow from the gay community...

Tarcat · May 18, 2006, 03:19 PM

The black looks really cool, but i'm not paying $150 extra just to get a black case.

tricha6 · 04:42 PM

I personally didn't think the Macbook black looked as good as my Pismo black. Personal preference I know, but seriously, before you put down any money for a white or black MB - try to find a store with one you can see in person. They do look different (to me) than the pictures show.

If it had been a glossy black on the outside I would have bought the black in two shakes and would have thought the $150 price increase was well worth it.

masugu · May 18, 2006, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by tricha6

I personally didn't think the Macbook black looked as good as my Pismo black. Personal preference I know, but seriously, before you put down any money for a white or black MB - try to find a store with one you can see in person. They do look different (to me) than the pictures show.

If it had been a glossy black on the outside I would have bought the black in two shakes and would have thought the $150 price increase was well worth it.

Did you like the keyboard???

f.lehman · May 20, 2006, 08:40 PM

Yeh,
I prefer the white version as it will go with my white iPod nano. It is also a bit like a trademark colour for Apple's products, like the iMac iPods; a kind of seperation between the professional colours(silver) and the consumer colours. I think the black version will suit many people as it is a change from the white that has been used for such a long time.

Rob

Eug Wanker · May 21, 2006, 07:41 AM

Fingerprints

Simon · May 21, 2006, 08:22 AM

^^^^ Hehe. BlackBook envy.

amazing · May 21, 2006, 08:32 AM

Gonna accessorize it with stickers anyway, so get white. Stick the $200 savings into a larger HD, and wait for fw-400 sata mobile cases to become available for the factory HD.

Eug Wanker · May 21, 2006, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by amazing

Gonna accessorize it with stickers anyway, so get white. Stick the $200 savings into a larger HD, and wait for fw-400 sata mobile cases to become available for the factory HD.

Actually, it's not a $200 difference, given that the BlacBook comes with a bigger hard drive. The difference is $150. Mind you, if you were to get a 3rd party hard drive anyway, then you're right, it is effectively a $200 difference.

Also, $150 does go a long way for extra memory. It's a $100 upgrade to 1 GB from Apple, or you can get 2 GB name brand RAM from a 3rd party for about $230 shipped.

For me, the BlacBook definitely ain't worth it, especially after seeing the fingerprint issue confirmed. Mind you I'm biased since I prefer white anyway, and would have chosen white even if the black were the same price.

Dunno about the stickers thing though.

mulletman13 · May 22, 2006, 03:15 AM

Well at first I preferred white because black just looked bad... however I just spent a while with my friends BlacBook, and I must say that the matte finish looks VERY nice in person.

The computer feels so much better, it feels like it's coated in a thin layer of silicon/rubber.... and just looks very, very nice. It makes me wish that the white was also a matte finish and did not have the glossy texture. Worth $200? Not really, but it does look very nice.

Apple is making the [absence of] color black look classy again...

tycheung · May 22, 2006, 03:26 AM

I ordered a white one over the web since I technically am broke and $200 goes a long way. and I really liked my white ibook (when it was sorta translucent and not solid white)...

then i couldn't wait and went to the Apple Store specifically to drool and stroke them adoringly and OMFG the black is incredibly awesome!!!! holy ****, it's worth the extra $200 (which i had to repeat to myself I didn't have).

seriously, check it out at a local store 1st...

hyteckit · May 22, 2006, 04:53 AM

The different between white and black is not just that one is black and one is white. Black is rubberized plastic. Anyone who own a wallstreet, lombard, or pismo know about the rubberized black plastic.

It's like upgrading from cheap white leather seats to premium black leather seats when buying a car. Some are willing to spend more of the higher quality leather, while some are not.

azt33 · May 22, 2006, 05:27 AM

Hmm, this is interesting. I would *love* to have the BB, as I really do not like the white MB. I never liked the iBooks either, that's one of the reasons why I got the 12" PB (it just looks so damn hot

)

Gamoe · May 22, 2006, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by hyteckit

The different between white and black is not just that one is black and one is white.

...[snip]...

It's like upgrading from cheap white leather seats to premium black leather seats when buying a car. Some are willing to spend more of the higher quality leather, while some are not.

Yeah, but when the "black leather seats" start showing fingerprints, oil marks and that sort of stuff they suddenly become less desirable, at least to me. I continue to say that even though the black looks nice, it also has a way of showing prints and oil marks much more.. markedly than the white.

Star-Fire · 10:31 AM

2 gigs of memory for 159.00 bux - http://shop1.outpost.com/product/478...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

And yes it works I have it in mine, you can also pick it up at a Fry's.

My bigest thing against the black, it looks too PC, the white looks more Apple to me and I like the glossy finish, my parents have one of the orginial "Ice" books (clear with white paint inside) and while it is scratched you have to look at it in a reflection to see them and that's after 4 years of use!

harrisjamieh · May 22, 2006, 10:30 AM

159? Thats absurd! Over here in the UK, RAM is much more expensive (cheapest I have found for 2 gigs is £160)

zpctg · May 22, 2006, 11:27 AM

here in Germany 174 euro, it's also expensive!

dazzla · May 22, 2006, 03:15 PM

Yeah, I saw Kingston Value ram for £80 a piece but heard bad things about them and Macs. I ended up buying the 2x1GB pack from Crucial.com for about £223, then I used a voucher to get 5% off, came to about £211 so around £105 a stick.

I'm still caught in 2 minds about the Blackbook, I love the contrast between the white apple and the black texture, and I'd like to think that that it's a nicer finish. But I know it'll be harder to keep clean. I can't help feeling that this "special" black is what makes PCs so boring as well :/

masugu · May 22, 2006, 03:59 PM

I think the Black is minimalist & stylish. Love the way the keys are level to the bottom of the NB. Everything seems to fit all 'round the Blacbook.

After you see the familiar OS on the screen it is definitely NOT boring like a PC which trys too hard.

Have just said this, I think the finish is not too unlike what the IBM Thinkpads had. Thought the Macs are NOT that boring. You acn definiitely see smears, but you don't see stains / black scratches like you did on your Ti's or ALs.

I have to think white keys (WhiteBook) would show much more than BlacBook

ginoledesma · May 22, 2006, 04:01 PM

Black looks nice, actually, but it is very prone to finger prints. For some reason, the black MacBook doesn't strike me as much as the Pismos did. I'm not sure if its the iBook form-factor or size, though. But I agree with the others -- see one up close because the pictures don't really show the difference between the two.

Star-Fire · May 22, 2006, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by masugu

I think the Black is minimalist & stylish. Love the way the keys are level to the bottom of the NB. Everything seems to fit all 'round the Blacbook.

Whats funny is that is what I though about the white, guess we're all different

Other reason I went with the white is I'm losing my backlit keyboard and figured the white keys would be easier to see in a dark enviroment with the light of the screen.

masugu · May 22, 2006, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Star-Fire

Whats funny is that is what I though about the white, guess we're all different

Other reason I went with the white is I'm losing my backlit keyboard and figured the white keys would be easier to see in a dark enviroment with the light of the screen.

HAHAHAH I agree.

Interesting point re: typing in a dark environ.

Come on Merom!!!

mathew_m · May 22, 2006, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Fingerprints

The white shows fingerprints too. It's all a matter of what angle you're looking at them from. Also pictures where a flash was used will exaggerate fingerprints, scratches and flaws.

I own a black Nano and while it looks kind of messed up from use it's no where near as bad as you would expect from all of the complaints that you read about online.

Tick · May 23, 2006, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

I just hope Apple doesn't use this song to advertise it.

No, they should use this song.

amazing · May 23, 2006, 11:27 AM

I say "get one of each color" and then do this checkerboard keyboard. Voilà, MacBook Ichimatsu:

http://www.kodawarisan.com/k2006/archives/0523001.jpg

Socially Awkward Solo · May 23, 2006, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

1) White. I like the look better, and with the cheaper price it's a no-brainer.
2) Where's the poll?

Well for me since the look of a product is so important the no brainer for me is the black model.

It is also easier to view the screen against black.

azt33 · May 23, 2006, 12:45 PM

Amazing, that's funny! You could almost play chess on it

How do you mean, multi-purpose

And I agree with you, Solo, I like the Black better!

skalie · May 23, 2006, 01:48 PM

Being cheap, I'm going for the white one and a can of matt black spray paint.

Might not get stolen as quick once it accumulates a few scratches.

Then spend the money I've saved on a quicker and bigger hard drive, put the original harddrive in a USB2 box, and call the thing a "sleeper".

Eug Wanker · May 23, 2006, 04:08 PM

Neither... or both:

icruise · May 23, 2006, 04:45 PM

People did the same with the PowerBook G3 and the iBook. Looks like crap though.

jere_69 · May 23, 2006, 05:22 PM

I ordered the white. I took a look at the black this weekend and did not like the way the fingerprints looked on the trackpad. Something like that would drive me crazy.

Socially Awkward Solo · May 23, 2006, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Icruise

People did the same with the PowerBook G3 and the iBook. Looks like crap though.

Ya, it looks friggin horrible, why would anyone bother?

reybart · May 23, 2006, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by angelp

I ordered the white. I took a look at the black this weekend and did not like the way the fingerprints looked on the trackpad. Something like that would drive me crazy.

Yap! But these are fingerprints of many people who do not care on how to handle the blackbook because it's not theirs, at the same time who just held many objects. But If it is yours, I believe you cannot even see any of it. I went for the black! It's aura is different!

Eug Wanker · May 23, 2006, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Socially Awkward Solo

Ya, it looks friggin horrible, why would anyone bother?

Heh. Well, it makes more sense to me to spend $20 to do that than spend $150 to get a black case.

Then again, this guy did both.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 23, 2006, 09:54 PM

I saw the MacBooks today. The black is sexy but it shows every little grease mark and light touch. The palmrests looked gross.

Anywho, I'd prob still get it. The Apple logo on the lid looks stunning.

greenamp · May 23, 2006, 10:30 PM

I'd settle for a bit of greesiness on my BlackBook palmrests over permanent dirty blobs on the white any day.

Eug Wanker · May 23, 2006, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by greenamp

I'd settle for a bit of greesiness on my BlackBook palmrests over permanent dirty blobs on the white any day.

Permanent dirty blobs? I've had two white iBooks and I've never had that problem. One was an iceBook (my fave colour scheme by the way - same as the iMacs, with the transparent layer), and my other was a solid white.

My GF's is a solid white too, and there are no permanent dirty blobs on hers either.

Kerrigan · May 23, 2006, 10:38 PM

So my choice is between greasy smudges or dirty blobs? Suddenly a ThinkPad seems more appealing.

greenamp · May 23, 2006, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

So my choice is between greasy smudges or dirty blobs? Suddenly a ThinkPad seems more appealing.

You could always just get a gray HP or something. Nice middle-road compromise.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 23, 2006, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

So my choice is between greasy smudges or dirty blobs? Suddenly a ThinkPad seems more appealing.

Well I didn't see any marks on any white iBook I have ever seen including my 6 year old one.

StiZeven · May 24, 2006, 01:02 AM

I saw both the black and white MacBooks at the Apple Store today and I have to say that they both look much better in person than they do in all the pics posted so far (including Apple's heavily imaged pics).

The white doesn't look cheap and plasticy in person as they do in pics with harsh flash and the black has a nice coated slightly rubbery feel to it (as I suspected when I first saw the pics of it). They both feel VERY sturdy and well made. The black feels more rugged due to its matte and sort of coated feel.

However, the black DOES show every spec of lint and fingerprint imaginable where the white will hide this more. On the other hand, if you look at the outer shell of the white one on a slight angle, you'll not only see finger prints, but also small wear scratches. There were no scathes on the black one once you wiped the prints away.

I usually wipe down my notebook (and other gadgets) at least once per week (I am a neat freak who washes his hands hundreds of times per day - so finger prints and 'palm marks' are minimal to begin with). I only use RadTech ScreenSaverZ micro fiber cloths slightly dampened with hot water - that's it. They usually come spotless with no chemicals, filmy coating or streaks.

I am sure the black MacBook would look great after a wipe down, but I am wondering if the micro fiber cloth will actually create more small scratches and swirls on the shiny outer casing of the white one?

Also to add about the white notebooks looking dirty. There were lots of 'picture threads' on here where people's iBooks and PowerBooks looked filthy (especially on the keyboards and the palm rests). I never had a white notebook before - just a PowerBook which still looks pristine.

So, what's the deal? I can't imagine all those people have dirty hands? At least, I hope not! Maybe it's body chemistry and too much use of lotions, etc. I am also not into people eating (with their fingers) then touching just about anything of mine!

nJm · May 24, 2006, 07:12 AM

The trackpad on my iBook looks pretty grubby from most angles after a few months of use if I don't clean it. I'm sure it shows up faster on the BlackBook, but its easy enough to clean it.

Yakov · May 24, 2006, 07:24 AM

white = cheap
me = cheap
me = white

Dave B · May 24, 2006, 02:52 PM

I was at an Apple store yesterday, and spent some time with the black and the white.
For me it's a non-issue as long as the black color/finish costs $150 more.
Since I'm currently using a Black Pismo, I focused more on the white.
I didn't think the background color made any difference to me.
I have a 20" iMac at home, and I have never been distracted by the huge amount
of white surrounding the screen. It's funny, when I'm actually using a machine and getting stuff done,
I couldn't care less about what other people think about the color; I'm not trying to impress anyone.
So I'm not too concerned that the white might show more minute scratches if you
look closely, or that I might have to clean the trackpad more often. Speaking of which,
I was surprised at how pristine all the white trackpads in the store looked.

As far as a black Macbook being mistaken for a Dell or whatnot, I don't think so.
As with the Pismo, the white Apple logo is instantly visible from a great distance;
nothing else looks even remotely like it. And anyone looking from behind can
tell with even a casual glance that you are using Mac OS X, not Windows.

Only time will tell the differences with the finish durability of the white vs black.
I would recommend not obsessing too much about the color. It's a tool, not a museum piece!
Actually, on second thought, perhaps the Macbook should be a museum piece.

b11051973 · May 24, 2006, 03:04 PM

If the price was the same, I would have gone with black. I chose white because black wasn't worth $150 to me. I'd rather get more ram or a larger hdd. I might have spent an extra $50, but I don't really care that much.