[StickClicks]

I know there have been many Macbook reviews on this forum but I still would like to give mine as hopefuly it will help someone in the future.

I bought my white 2.0GHz stock Macbook this past march so I have had some time to use it on a day to day basis and evaluate on its performance. I have also had the joy of taking it on several plane and road trips. I'm sure most of you that read this have seen and done a little reasearch on the Macbook so I wont cover every feature, instead I will explain how this machine has impacted my life.

Size/Hardware/ect:
The 13.3" screen is the perfect size. I was slightly concerned that it would be to small as I was buying the machine as my new main computer. It is the perfect ratio of portability and productivity. The screen isn't the brightest I hve used but the glossy coat makes everything very crisp and more usable in direct sunlight than the mate screens. The keyboard is a joy to use. Admitedly it takes some getting used to but once you do it makes for some very quick, and responsive typing. I love the huge track pad and have already smoothed the center out with my frequent use. Also, as a switcher I would like to say ctrl. + Clicking isn't a pain at all and I don't mind the single button. The case is gorgeous and I love the design, the only flaw is that it is not very scratch resistant. I wouldn't go as far to suggest a skin or cover, but you should baby the computer as much as possible. I already have a very noticable scratch near the apple logo and tons of small micro scratches on the top and bottom. Apart from that there is a little flexing in the case but not enough to harm anything. The wierless is great, I picked up 3 new signals that I did not have on my PC's wierless card, and the interface for managing the network connections is great. Last, but not least is the weight. This machine is a lot heavier than it looks. It is in the upper end of what I would want to carry around every day to classes (because I do), at 5.2 lbs.


Software/OSX:
I am new to the OSX user bease. Yup thats right, a switcher as f this Macbook. I have used OSX on several occasions briefly on a 12" Powerbook and Intel Mac Pro. Both times I was impressed and made the jump. So enough about that. . . The applications that come with the system are a steal for the money. I live in iTunes and the iLife suite. I' m a rather tech informed person, but still it was not hard to learn how to use the system or its applications. This machine eats most of these apps for breakfast. I was very supprised with the speed and horse power, especialy with 1GB of RAM. I can't wait to upgrade to a faster drive and 2GB of RAM. Back to the apps. . . Not only are the iLife included apps great and powerful but there are so many great freeware, shareware, and donation ware out there. One of the first 3rd party applications I downloaded and implamented imediatly was Schoolhouse2, which completly changed the way I do school work and made things 10x more efficient. Of course their are ton of Menu bar metters and widgets that I cannot live without but I wont go over those. Over all, these apps have "tunned technology into my way of life."-Knightwise. Underneath all of those great apps is the awesome Unix based OSX of course. I cannot believe how much more stable and all around better designed OSX is than Windows. I have had one kernel panic so far, and that was after downloading a patch and running multiple instances of an application on accident.

Round Up:
So, if you take nothing else from my words, take this. The Macbook is a very capable machine. It is rugged and will survive college life. Need Windows...Bootcamp is comming with Leopard, and Paralleles is great. The rumors about Macs lacking software, nothing further from the truth. These computers where built to last, just like OSX and I would strongly recomend buying a Macbook. I would go into why to get a Macbook Pro, but I figure the people who need one of those will know. Hope you enjoyed the review, PM with any questions at all.

A detailed table of the Macbooks' specifications can be found here.
Also visit Apple's website for more information.

[StickClicks]

P.S. Im very sorry for all the typos, I have to run and had very limeted time to do this.

[brettcamp]

Thanks for posting this hands on review. It'll probably ease many concerns of students considering a switch.
If you're worried about case scratches (and I wouldn't -- we all love that pristine new look but MacBooks will still look distinctive even with those little scratches, and you mostly will care about what's on the screen anyway, not the back), you can get a Speck snap on case, or one of those sleeves that allows you to use the MacBook without removing it.

[oijw27]

hm matte is more scratch-resistant than glossy though

[legacyb4]

One thing I have noticed with a black Macbook is that if you are surfing in low-light situation (say watching TV with the lights down), it's nearly impossible to see the keyboard compared to my old aluminum Powerbook G4. At least I can touch type which saves me but even then, it's a bit hard to see the function keys, etc.

[StickClicks]

!!!!!!!I Forgot!!!!!!!

The Blackbooks seemt o be a far better choice if you are looking for a more rugged and resiliant case. Also, the battery life is alright, I have been getting 3 to 3.5 hours running wierless, surffing the net, iTunes, the normal stuff. When I turn the wierless and Bluethooth off though it extends it only about another 45 minutes. I might suggest an extra battery for someone without and outlet and will be using the battery heavily for large spans of time.

Just thought I would add that.....

Thank you very much for th comments!

[kikkoman]

Nice review. Definitely turn on two finger scrolling and clicking if you haven't already. I find these preferable to other methods of scrolling and right clicking.

[StickClicks]

Now even more of reason to go for it. I paird close to the $1,299 price for my Macbook, the student discount just cvered the tax. Now my Machine is the base model! Imagine that. I knew it was comming, but you know I am not sore, or regretful one bit. I am glad I bought my Mac when I did, and oppted for the model I did. It is not in my nature to always have the latest and greatest, thats a big reason I switched. The staying power of these machines.

Here's a link to the New 2.16GHz Upgraded Macbooks

[brokenjago]

StickClicks: if you bought within 10 days of the update you are eligible for an upgrade to the new model at no cost.

[StickClicks]

Why thank you. That is very consederate of you to tell me. No, my mackbook is a few months old and I still love it. I switched in part, because how long these Macs have in terms of a usable life. The mac that switched me: a G3 Powerbook.