Enough about me, let’s talk about the hardware. So far it’s lived up to my high expectations. Physically it feels very solid, looks great, and is just the right size. The display is clear, 1280×800 resolution is sufficient, viewing angle is ok, and reflections haven’t been a problem at all so far. I love how the screen appears to float with no discernible transition between it and the black border. The touchpad is amazing and was one of my main attractions to the machine – it’s big, you get pixel-perfect precision when scrolling with it using two fingers (this is NICE!), tap to click/drag works well, and right-clicking is easy. The keyboard feels good, though it’s a bit cumbersome to not have dedicated Insert/Delete/Home/End/PgUp/PgDown keys (a common laptop problem). The magnetic power connector with charge status LED is a nice touch. Gigabit Ethernet lets me transfer large files as fast as the hard drives can handle, while the wireless is convenient and reliable. Speaker quality is surprisingly good and loud (on OS X), and the audio was fine with no noise when plugging in a good pair of headphones. The 5400RPM hard drive can be a bit slow but OS X and Windows 7 make the most of it. I’ll upgrade it to an SSD later. Upgrading the RAM to 4GB was a piece of cake once I got my hands on a #00 Phillips-head screwdriver. The optical drive is loud and scary on disc insert/eject, but works fine. I’ve used the machine on battery a few times and the battery life seems incredible (6+ hours while using XP in a VM on OS X?) but I need to test this more to know for sure. I usually keep it plugged in.

The fan is silent at its default speed of 2000RPM, and the case stays cool at idle and during light use. Under load the case can get quite hot, but only near the screen/power connector. The system doesn’t seem to mind running hot, as it never seemed to raise the fan speeds on its own in my testing. So, I use Temperature Monitor and smcFanControl (third party apps for OS X) to cool it down a bit. At higher speeds the fan is not silent but is still pretty quiet and cools much better. I’m used to having to do this with PCs and graphics cards anyway.

Everything seems to work nicely so far on OS X, but I’m still new to it. Visually it’s pretty and stuff “just works” for the most part. Being able to use Terminal for certain things is nice. Running XP in a virtual machine using VirtualBox was VERY easy to set up and works well – just like running it on Windows. I have noticed a few problems using OS X so far: Keyboard shortcuts seem kind of inconsistent between apps. It wouldn’t remember one wireless network after having connected to another. The list of Windows machines on the network shows up in the Finder sidebar sometimes, but not other times (apparently a machine running XP has to be on the network?). These problems weren’t hard to overcome, though. I paid the $10 to get Snow Leopard and am looking forward to trying that soon.

I installed Windows 7 64-bit RC1 using Boot Camp and that went fairly smoothly. I had to download the NVIDIA 9400M drivers separately from NVIDIA’s web site. The biggest problems running Windows natively seem to be no manual fan control (have to do that in OS X and then reboot) and bad sound drivers. While sound appears to work fine at first, once you use the machine a bit more you realize that the drivers are broken. Apple switched to a new audio chipset (Cirrus CS4206A) and it works fine in OS X, but the Windows drivers (XP and Vista/Windows 7) have serious problems. The built-in mic works in Control Panel and Sound Recorder but not in any normal applications like Skype, the left/right speakers are too quiet and the left speaker is louder than the right one, and there’s red light coming out of the headphone jack. There are huge forum threads about this, no good workarounds, and apparently Apple needs to get it fixed. There are a few other minor annoyances in Windows compared to OS X: the trackpad scrolling works but isn’t as precise/smooth, and I can’t seem to fully turn off the keyboard backlight. Other than these things though, Windows 7 runs beautifully. It’s very fast, looks great with Aero Glass, idle temp is ok, sleep works perfectly, function keys work, wireless is rock solid. I could easily use it as the main OS and probably have a better overall experience than most Windows-based laptops out there.

For now I’ll run OS X as my main OS on this machine as much as possible, to get to know it and to get the best use of the hardware. But it’s great that it runs Windows so well too. I bought this machine in order to get high quality hardware plus the ability to run both OS X and Windows, and Apple seems to have delivered.

Pros:
Absolutely amazing battery life (when I was trying to kill it for calibration, it lasted 5.5 hours – and it wasn’t calibrated yet!)
Very fast – takes less than a minute to turn on fully
Great size and weight – I don’t even notice the difference in the screen from my 15″ Acer, but I do notice the drastic weight difference!
Very, very well-made – when I first picked it up, it felt a tad heavier than I thought it would be for its size, but that’s just because it’s so solidly built. My old laptop had more flex.
Trackpad is great and easy to use
It does not get hot, unlike my old computer, which could melt chocolate and burn my legs. If I put it on a blanket, it gets a tiny bit warm (but not uncomfortable at all); if I put a magazine under it on my lap, then it stays as cool as if it weren’t running.
Super quiet – I can’t even tell it’s running half the time.
The speakers are great, especially considering there are no speakers visible on the computer! I think the sound might come up out of the keyboard.

“Cons”:
The trackpad does take some getting used to. Not because of the “lack” of a button (the trackpad is the buttong) or the multitouch gestures, but because it’s so BIG I keep accidently resting my palm on the side of it, which prevents the pointer from moving! However, I appreciate the big size and am quickly getting used to it.
No hibernate. However, you can get a widget from the Apple website for the dashboard called Deep Sleep that enables hibernate – I love it!
Can’t close the lid without putting the computer to sleep – however, this is probably a good thing to protect the computer from owners like me who would endanger their computer by moving it while the hard disk is spinning.

As you can see, all my cons are not really cons – just little differences that are easily fixed or adjusted to.

A lot of people are mad about the glossy screen, but I haven’t had a problem with it. Yes, there’s a bit of a glare, but it’s the same amount as on my TV. I can easily ignore it while watching video. I prefer it to my Acer’s old traditional, matte, screen, because this one I can easily clean. It’s just glass. It even comes with a cleaning cloth.
It also comes with a really cool charger. The magnetic connector is nice – I once tripped on the cord of my old computer and it went crashing to the floor! That won’t happen now. People have said the cord is too short, but the power brick comes with two attachments: a plug so you can plug the brick itself into the wall, and a cord that makes the adaptor reach farther. I like the choice, and with the extra cord, it’s the exact same length as my former adaptor.
Others have complained about the edge of the computer hurting their wrists; I have had no problem with this. Granted, I have yet to use it at a desk, which might create a different angle, but the edge hasn’t bothered me (and doesn’t even feel sharp). I do have small hands and wrists, so that might be why I’m not bothered.

Initial start-up takes but a few minutes, and after that, it takes less than a minute for the machine to be up and running. It is NOT hard to get used to a different operating system – if you just fiddle around for a few minutes, you can find out everything you need to know. If that is the only thing keeping you from buying a Mac, no worries. You can do it.

If you think you want this computer, you will not be sorry! I did not choose it for its looks but it is pretty – I’m almost afraid to use it, it’s so nice! If you are willing to sacrifice some battery life or size for price, then you can get a PC for less that will fit your needs. I was just not willing. Besides, with the recent drop in price, the student discount, the free iPod that I sold to defray the cost, and the free printer, this computer only ended up being about $100 more than the other PCs I was considering that only had 4 of the 5 things I wanted in a computer(13- or 14-inch display, under 5 pounds, fast processor, great battery life, well-made and durable).

When at home, I planned on hooking it up to an external display for more critical post processing work, so a 13-14″ notebook was perfect for my needs.

I seriously looked at the Macbooks because of the thin and light form factor, build quality, and I wanted to take a serious look at OSX Leopard after having so much fun with my iPhone 3G. Plus I could run Windows apps (I’ve got Adobe Design Standard CS4 for Windows) with virtualization software.

These refreshed Macbooks finally make the lineup truly worth considering for those looking at a Mac over a PC. Spec wise, these new macbooks are much more comparable to their PC competition (eg. Dell Studio XPS 13).

I picked up the 2.53GHz model because with the education discount and free iPod Touch promotion (through Apple), making the jump up to the higher end 13″ was a no brainer. According to early Macworld speed tests, the performance differences between the two new 13″ MBP models is more than just 2GB RAM.

Pros:
- Rock solid build quality. My wife’s Dell Inspiron 15 feels like a plasticky toy in comparison.
- Thin and Light (not quite MacBook Air, but you’re not making the same compromises either)
- OSX Leopard (and all that entails)
- **NEW** Display. Vastly improved over the previous unibody MacBook. Now on par with 15″ models. I do find myself adjusting the angle of the display to minimize reflections, but it’s not as distracting as people are saying. It’s all a matter of personal preference though. The glass is what enhances the display, so there’s the compromise.
- SD Card slot. People are complaining about the 15″ MBP losing the express card slot, but since the 13″ unibody MB never had one, this is an additional port.
- Battery. With the right settings, the battery feels like it can go on forever. I’ve pushed the battery life meter to 8 hours…though 6-6.5 hours is more achievable.

Cons:
- Heat. Under heavy load, the aluminum acts like a radiator and it heats up near the left hinge.
- Aluminum susceptible to scratching. I barely had my MBP for a weekend and there’s already a little scratch on the lid. I’m going to consider a Speck SeeThru Satin to protect it.
- Having to figure out how to get the Mac to get access to my PC’s printer and external storage…not a real con, but there’s an obvious learning curve.

The pricing of the MacBook Pro line has also dropped significantly. The original 15″ Pro was starting at the price of $1999, but they dropped it by $300 making it $1699. The Unibody MacBook was asking for $1299, but they are now asking for $1199 with the addition of the new features. I am very pleased that they dropped the price, as it is very rare to hear Apple drop their prices. The new features make it much more affordable. The computer still looks identical to the previous October notebook revision. It still carries the sexy Unibody design, and the backlit keyboard is now standard on all models. I actually find the backlit keyboard very useful, even as a touch typist. The gorgeous glass multi-touch trackpad still pleases me with the features and the size.

After the rebranding of the Unibody MacBook, and the addition of the new features. Apple has really stepped up to the plate. They successfully tightened up the competition, as the new MacBook Pro line is now much more affordable and is priced very well. The new 13″ MacBook Pro does feel like a “Pro” computer, where the performance is hard to feel unsatisfied. The graphics are incredible. Even if you feel that the MacBook Pro line is still too much, Apple is also offering the classic MacBook line for a low price of $999. If you purchase this laptop now, you’ll be able to upgrade to Snow Leopard for only $10. With the gorgeous Unibody design, LED backlit display, and trackpad, $1199 is a price that cannot be beaten. Great job Apple!

Fingers glide easily over the large, glass trackpad. The trackpad also operates as a mouse button — it takes a small amount of pressure to click it. Other trackpads I’ve used often register a click just putting my fingers down — the MacBook Pro’s trackpad gives physical feedback which reduces those mis-clicks.

Multiple-finger gestures make it a snap to navigate through documents and websites. Pressing with two fingers instead of one performs the equivalent of a right click. Swiping with 2 fingers scrolls the current window. Spreading fingers apart zooms in; pinching zooms out (similar to the iPhone). Swiping 4 fingers exposes the desktop or switches between applications. These gestures are intuitive and it is hard going back to the Windows laptop after getting used to their convenience (I am really hooked on the 2-finger scrolling).

The keyboard automatically lights up as the room light dims. This isn’t an essential feature (especially for touch typists), but is helpful for picking out the correct function keys after dark. It’s little touches like this that make the MacBook Pro a pleasure to use.

Apple put a lot of thought into the design of their power supply. It has a special connector that attaches magnetically to main body — so it connects easily and won’t cause your laptop to crash to the floor if you trip over it. The connector even has a light that shows it’s connected and charging (turning green when the battery reaches 100%). A little plastic clip on the cord helps manage its length. When traveling, the extension cord can be replaced with a retractable plug that goes directly into an outlet, so there’s even less to carry. The U.S. plug is included with the MacBook Pro, but you can order plugs for other countries.

The solid body, backlit keyboard and MagSafe power supply are nice design flourishes, but the important feature is the long battery life.

The built-in battery can last up to 7 hours between charges so you can get almost a full day of work out of it. The downside is that the battery cannot simply be swapped out when it gets low or reaches its end-of-life. Apple says their smart charging method allows up to 1000 recharges and batteries should last for up to 5 years. The inability to swap in a fresh battery could be an issue for people that take long intercontinental plane trips, although a HyperMac external battery can keep a 13″ MacBook Pro running up to 33 hours.

The MacBook Pro’s LED backlit display provides a wide color gamut (Apple says it is a 60% improvement over the MacBook). This is major plus for art and photography applications. A lot of people complain the glossy display is hard to use outdoors — I like its sharpness and mostly work under indoor lighting. However, I can see how this might annoy some users.

Apple has added a FireWire 800 port and support for up to 8GB of RAM. Currently, the cost of a full 8GB of memory is prohibitively expensive, but 4GB is quite reasonable. Eventually memory prices should drop and the MacBook Pro can be inexpensively upgraded to its full potential. The support for more RAM is a welcome feature as we enter the age of 64-bit operating systems. If you are using Photoshop, editing video or running Windows in the background, you might consider extra memory (the manual describes how to upgrade the memory yourself).

The MacBook Pro is a reasonable value for the money, but cheaper laptops are certainly available. I’ll leave it to others to argue the merits of one operating system over the other. Because the Macs are Intel-based, they can still be used to run Windows applications, either through Apple’s Boot Camp or virtual machine software such as Parallels or Fusion (or Sun’s free VirtualBox). The Mac operating system, OS X, is easy to use, so Windows users needn’t worry about switching.

The new Macs now ship with Snow Leopard, the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system. If the 13″ MacBook Pro you bought came with Leopard, you can upgrade to Snow Leopard for $9.95 via Apple’s up-to-date program (be sure to sign up within 90 days of purchase). Google “snow leopard up to date” for details.

What’s not to like? This MacBook Pro does not have an ExpressCard slot which limits its expandability. Apple is probably right that most users will be satisfied with the SD slot, but pro photographers might prefer to insert their compact flash card. 3D graphic designers might want to consider one of the higher end MacBook Pros that offer a separate graphics processor. Hard core gamers should probably invest in a PC. And it’s no deal-breaker, but a writable Blu-ray drive is still on my wish list. There are rumors that the MacBook Pros will be upgraded with faster processors in January 2010.

The aluminum body is durable — I have had mine for months now and it still look great. Naturally, nothing is totally scratch-proof and scratches on the anodized aluminum case cannot be simply buffed out. Scuff marks happen — true road warriors must learn to accept this as a fact of life. However if it’s a big concern, a Speck See Thru Case or InvisibleShield might offer some piece of mind. Personally, I prefer to just be careful and carry my MacBook Pro in a Tom Bihn Ristretto messenger bag (the STM Small Alley Messenger Bag looks like good alternative).

The 13″ model is perfect for someone wanting a full-featured laptop that’s easy to carry around. The MacBook Air is even more portable, but has less battery life and is not as expandable (plus the Pro’s built-in DVD is convenient). To work on a larger screen, plugging into a standalone display turns the laptop into a desktop machine. I can tell you, I would have loved to have a MacBook Pro when I had to march 20 minutes to campus for computer classes.

Mac in general:
I was raised in a PC household. Dad worked with old-school technology in the 70s and 80s, and was serious about PCs. As a Linux / UNIX admin (and former Windows server admin), I am just used to working on PC gear. Since I can generally figure it out or reinstall, it was never a problem. Then I met Mac. Gone are the days of rebooting and trying to fix driver conflicts. Gone are the days of vague error messages. I love the simplicity and the way OS X just… WORKS. Aside from Office, everything you need is included right in it. If I can make the switch from PC to Mac, so can you. And I’m not just spitting the propaganda that the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercial does. It really is that solid of a technology. I am a Mac, even though I’m paid to be a PC from 8-5.

And this product in particular:
I’ve used a 2005-era 20″ iMac at work, plus my wife has had a MacBook (plastic white) for a while. I, being the computer geek, kept buying random cheap PC laptops and netbooks, hoping to find a simple solution. Sadly, I was just wasting more time trying to install OS_X86 or make the software do what I wanted. I had a Ghost image of my PC laptop so that I could restore it every 6 months when the XP began slowing down. Buying this Mac was a luxury, but was much needed for my own sanity!!

On a side note, I love Apple’s ability to create products that solve problems, and their ability to charge almost a fair price for them. For example, the 500gb airport / backup is *almost* worth it to me, and will likely become worth it sometime soon. The same applied for this MacBook. I drooled for months at the unibody and waited for the new product line. I wholeheartedly believe that this exact model is the best laptop ever made. While it seems painful to pay a bit more than a PC laptop, look at what you’re getting. Comparable hardware in a PC laptop (I priced out a few Dell laptops with the same specs) and this one is really a good price.

I upgraded mine with Crucial’s 4gb RAM and stuck in a 500gb SATA drive. I can run 3 VM desktops (Fedora 11, Ubuntu, and Windows) simultaneously on VMware and… well, I see the performance issue, but I can still function. The battery is good too. While I’m getting more like… 5 hours of battery life, I’m also running the keyboard backlight and screen on bright all the time.

I love my new MacBook Pro 13. This thing is solid and light and absolutely beautiful. Fast, functional, and suits all my technology needs. Don’t underestimate iPhoto’s ability to sort photos by faces. I had an UNMANAGEABLE amount of photos… imported them in and POP! All done. Duplicates ignored, sorted by the embedded date, including videos. My iPhone photos (where I allowed the GPS to store data) show up on a map at the exact point where the photo was taken. Yeah, this is cool stuff. And face recognition works.. “pretty well”. It gets me and my toddler confused, but in all fairness, she looks a lot like me. I just wish it was a *bit* smarter, but it’s still a feature I’d miss if I didn’t have it.

This laptop is the last one you’ll ever need, at least for the next couple of years. I will not let mine out of my site. Buy one!!

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Gateway M-6848 Refurbished Notebook PC is its elegant and polished chassis covered in a Garnet Red finish. It is simply beautiful and fresh to look at. The same could be said for its 15.4-inch diagonal widescreen WXGA display. The full-sized US keyboard and wide are simply a joy to use. Plus, the laptop is very easy to carry around, with weighing just 6 pounds.

In terms of performance, the Gateway M-6848 Refurbished Notebook PC gets the two thumbs up. An Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0GHz crunches the numbers, supported by 4 gigabytes of DDR2 RAM. An Intel graphics Media Accelerator X3100 GPU takes care of all video-related tasks. Gateway M-6848 Refurbished Notebook PC>With it, running games and videos is easy. Whether you perform multi-tasking chores, watch a lot of movies, or just use basic applications this laptop will be a big help.

TheGateway M-6848 runs on Windows Vista Home Premium as well. This OS, aside from having support for the newest computing standards, is simply great for multimedia use since it comes with an integrated version of Windows Media Center. Rounding out the multimedia package is onboard media controls and a 1.3MP webcam for face-to-face chatting or user-generated content. It also supports Direct x10, the computer gaming software platform of the most advanced video games out today.

Taking care of your storage needs is a 250 gigabyte hard disk. Not only is it big, the disk spins fast too, thus letting you access data instantly. Connectivity options include a 56k modem, a LAN port and WiFi. Connecting to the Internet has never been this easy.

Plus, with the integrated webcam and microphone, you get to perform videoconferencing right away. Thus, not only will you be able to browse your favorite sites, you’ll be able to communicate with all people easily too. With all these and more, this laptop is simply a great choice.

The machine is really beautiful – like a work of art, but the real power is the machine and the OS. Setup was easy enough – it took me about an hour. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong wireless network during setup (it was late at night) and it took me while to resolve the issue. I restarted my wireless router, modem and laptop – after doing this for a while and entering and re-entering the WEP key it finally got online. When I finally did get it online, I was able to register with Apple and do all the software/OS updates.

I’ve used Windows my whole college and working life – this wasn’t too bad of a transition. I use shortcut keys heavily with Windows – I prefer minimizing the use of the mouse/track as much as possible. The shortcut keys are still taking some time for me to get used to, but I’m sure I’ll learn them eventually.

Boot up is fast! So is waking up from sleep! I still like Windows – and I was able to play with Windows 7 for a few days and was impressed. But I think the MacBook Pro and Snow Leopard will soon be my favorite.

I should mention that after a long resistance due to using Windows Mobile and Palm phones (both of which I enjoyed), I decided to try the iPhone 3G over a year ago – the iPhone was a great deciding factor in my decision to eventually getting a Mac. I never had buyers remorse getting the iPhone and I’m pretty sure I won’t have buyers remorse with the MacBook Pro.

The quite miserable Touchpad response can be fixed in the following manner. But please note that doing this will also lose the zoom and rotate capability built into the as delivered Touchpad driver. I do computer graphics and the tradoff of a far more usable Touchpad with no rotate and zoom was well worth the switch. Perform the following selections:

• Start
• Control Panel
• Hardware and Sound
• Device Manager (under Devices and Printers)
• Mice and Other Pointing Devices

OK, from here on I cannot provide the exact names because having already done this change the names are no longer available in the menues for viewing.

Select the Touchpad and then the Touchpad Driver and then Delete it. You will receive a warning but continue with the deletion. Then you will have to reboot one or more times as Windows 7 detects the lack of a Touchpad driver and simply installs its own driver. The Windows 7 Touchpad driver is more user friendly than what Toshiba provided, but it does lack the rotate and zoom that very few would use anyway.

I bought this laptop for my spouse and she likes it after I fixed the sound and Touchpad. It does have a really long operating time on the battery when you set it up for minimal power usage.

After my PowerMac G4 desktop failed on me, I was left with a lonely Cinema Display. I transitioned from video editing to photo editing and figured I didn’t need as much processing power as before. After much fiddling with the various MacBook Pro sizes, I settled for a MacBook Pro 13 (2.53GHz) because it has the extreme portability requirement, but with the same processing power and features as the basic MacBook Pro 15.

If I’m home, I connect the bigger Apple Cinema Display for dual monitor power use. On the road, I have a light and powerful laptop that doesn’t take up much bulk.

Features / PROS:

- Dual monitor support up to 24″ (If you have the older Apple LCD Cinema Display 23″ as I do, you will need the optional Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter Model# MB570Z/A). Otherwise, the latest Apple LED Cinema Display 24″ will plug right in.
- 2 x USB ports
- 1x FireWire 800 port
- 1 x Gigabit LAN
- SD card slot
- Battery level
- Multi-purpose Audio In / Audio Out jack. Unlike it bigger brothers, you only have one slot which generally wouldn’t be a problem because not many users feed analog audio in signal these days and would rather opt for USB digital audio.
- IR remote to support Apple Remote
- Bright LED screen that does not need warming up
- Aluminum monobloc build gives it more strength and is a good insulator for better heat dissipation
- Glossy screen for prettier-looking videos
- Elegant back-lit keyboard with adjustable brightness that puts even Apple’s own Aluminum desktop keyboard to shame
- Multi-touch trackpad that can virtually replace the need for a mouse
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n support

CONS:

- Glossy screen (Too pretty and too much glare. Not my liking.)
- Hidden stereo speakers produce a tinny sound with no perceivable stereo separation
- Non-user replaceable battery (I don’t get how Apple can design and have the resource for a monobloc case, but cannot come up with an easy to replace battery. Most likely a marketing gimmick to either facilitate faster notebook replacement or generate more income for the Apple Retail store with after-service replacement cost. I’m just saying, it’s perplexing.)
- Not-for-the faint-of-heart method to replace/upgrade hard drive and memory
- A 14″ screen would have been more perfect for screen real estate and portability (and just leave the 13″ screen for the MacBook)
- It really is expensive compared to Windows laptop counterparts

IS THIS FOR YOU?

- YES if you have excellent vision and can tolerate a 13″ screen as your main viewing method OR if you have a larger display as your second or dual-monitor source
- YES for processing power as the larger MacBook Pro models without the bulkiness

-NO if you plan to use only one screen as you will run out of space quickly. I would recommend a MacBook Pro 15 in this case.

I would advise to thoroughly test it out at your nearest Apple Store / Dealer and try all laptop models until you find one that you can comfortably sink into in terms of use and budget.