| Laptops and Notebooks Reviews : Apple |
 | Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
LOVE MY MACBOOK -- 2010-03-09
I absolutely LOVE my macbook. It is sleek, and amazing to look at, and even more amazing to use. The touch pad was a bit to get used to, especially since there is so much you can do with it. It seemed a little difficult to remember what each thing does; but once you do its amazing. The keyboard is soft and wonderful for when you have to write long papers, or even short reports. You don't have to worry about pressing down too hard either. My favorite little thing though has to be the charger being magnetic. I'm an extremely clumsy person, and my last laptop ended mainly due to my clumsiness. I tripped over the wire so many times and my computer was constantly crashing into the ground. Due to the macbooks magnetic charger, it simply pops off without damaging it OR your computer. I love it.
Oh my...this is what I've been missing. -- 2010-03-08
I've been a pc user for 20+ years and finally decided to make the switch. I'm at week 2 now and not only has my system never crashed, I have found nothing I am not totally pleased with. The trackpad is so amazing...touching my pc touchpad feels terrible now, somehow just flat and unresponsive. Mac is great!
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB990LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Really, really underwhelmed -- 2010-03-09
I bought a MacBook Pro directly from the Apple store. At first I was impressed by the speed, mostly booting up and shutting down, considering I was used to a PC with Windows Vista. Over time, things started locking up just like on a PC. 7 months old and the battery is about to die. A friend of mine has a $2600 MacBook Pro that already needed the DVD drive replaced. I sold this thing and got a $300 PC laptop that runs just as well and just as quickly with Windows 7. Lesson learned: sometimes, more expensive is not better.
I wouldn't choose anything else -- 2010-03-08
This is my 3rd Mac laptop. Every one I've been able to use for many years with daily long term use. I read all the negative reviews and found most of them to be totally unfair as it seems like the buyers simply didn't pay attention to what they were buying, made assumptions, then complained it didn't live up to their expectations. It's ok not to think highly of them, but don't blame them because you didn't look closer at what you purchased. I'm not sure I'd rely strictly on the Amazon description and would look at them on [...] as well just so you know what it is before you buy, but it was definitely cheaper to buy here.
These are very sturdy laptops, look sleek and travel well. I love the backlit keys as I like to use it a lot late at night without the lights on. The aluminum unibody frame is is very chic. and it's a bit smaller in depth than the previous models. The new trackpad is excellent and built in function key features are fantastic. I wouldn't buy anything else.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB991LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Really, really underwhelmed -- 2010-03-09
I bought a MacBook Pro directly from the Apple store. At first I was impressed by the speed, mostly booting up and shutting down, considering I was used to a PC with Windows Vista. Over time, things started locking up just like on a PC. 7 months old and the battery is about to die. A friend of mine has a $2600 MacBook Pro that already needed the DVD drive replaced. I sold this thing and got a $300 PC laptop that runs just as well and just as quickly with Windows 7. Lesson learned: sometimes, more expensive is not better.
I wouldn't choose anything else -- 2010-03-08
This is my 3rd Mac laptop. Every one I've been able to use for many years with daily long term use. I read all the negative reviews and found most of them to be totally unfair as it seems like the buyers simply didn't pay attention to what they were buying, made assumptions, then complained it didn't live up to their expectations. It's ok not to think highly of them, but don't blame them because you didn't look closer at what you purchased. I'm not sure I'd rely strictly on the Amazon description and would look at them on [...] as well just so you know what it is before you buy, but it was definitely cheaper to buy here.
These are very sturdy laptops, look sleek and travel well. I love the backlit keys as I like to use it a lot late at night without the lights on. The aluminum unibody frame is is very chic. and it's a bit smaller in depth than the previous models. The new trackpad is excellent and built in function key features are fantastic. I wouldn't buy anything else.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MC118LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop
One of the best notebook computers on the market -- 2010-03-04
It does not feel cheap, and it is very FAST. This is a speedy computer in many ways. I run everything from iWork, iLife, Windows with Parallels, Microsoft Office, Oracle Database, FileMaker, Photoshop, Xcode, Visual Studio, etc. If you want a real computer (by the way, Mac OS X is a Unix operating system), this is the one.
BEWARE - Sharp corners, bad hand position ruined this purchase -- 2010-02-28
I decided it was time to replace my 4 year old Macbook Pro 15" for a snazzy new unibody 15" Macbook Pro.
Spent alot of time at the Apple store checking them out (ultimately a bad environment for this!) before I decided on a new 15" - then ordered it from Amazon.
Of all things I never thought it would be the design of an Apple that would make me return it.
Once i got it home and started using it I noticed that the lower top front aluminum edges of the keyboard part of the machine where you rest your hands are pretty sharp and have no give - feels like a hardened machined car part. It wasnt long before i noticed my lower palm start to hurt like i was pressing against a dull knife. Full disclosure - i have big hands (not huge) so the positioning just didnt work for me, though others may have no problem with it.
In addition I asked my wife to try it just to make sure i wasnt making too much of it. When she went to put her hands down operate the track pad she was lightly stabbed (no blood or anything) on the small corners of the indent where you lift the lid. Its that sharp!!!
Add to that the glossy screen which REALLY REFLECTS outside lighting/shadows and I new it I couldn't keep it (not for $1800 purchase price!!!)
Its a real bummer as all the new Apple models except the low end white one have the same issues - Im not a PC guy anymore so Im not sure what I'm going to buy now. Hackintosh anyone???
Bummed.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB985LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop
One of the best notebook computers on the market -- 2010-03-04
It does not feel cheap, and it is very FAST. This is a speedy computer in many ways. I run everything from iWork, iLife, Windows with Parallels, Microsoft Office, Oracle Database, FileMaker, Photoshop, Xcode, Visual Studio, etc. If you want a real computer (by the way, Mac OS X is a Unix operating system), this is the one.
BEWARE - Sharp corners, bad hand position ruined this purchase -- 2010-02-28
I decided it was time to replace my 4 year old Macbook Pro 15" for a snazzy new unibody 15" Macbook Pro.
Spent alot of time at the Apple store checking them out (ultimately a bad environment for this!) before I decided on a new 15" - then ordered it from Amazon.
Of all things I never thought it would be the design of an Apple that would make me return it.
Once i got it home and started using it I noticed that the lower top front aluminum edges of the keyboard part of the machine where you rest your hands are pretty sharp and have no give - feels like a hardened machined car part. It wasnt long before i noticed my lower palm start to hurt like i was pressing against a dull knife. Full disclosure - i have big hands (not huge) so the positioning just didnt work for me, though others may have no problem with it.
In addition I asked my wife to try it just to make sure i wasnt making too much of it. When she went to put her hands down operate the track pad she was lightly stabbed (no blood or anything) on the small corners of the indent where you lift the lid. Its that sharp!!!
Add to that the glossy screen which REALLY REFLECTS outside lighting/shadows and I new it I couldn't keep it (not for $1800 purchase price!!!)
Its a real bummer as all the new Apple models except the low end white one have the same issues - Im not a PC guy anymore so Im not sure what I'm going to buy now. Hackintosh anyone???
Bummed.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB986LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop 2.8Ghz
One of the best notebook computers on the market -- 2010-03-04
It does not feel cheap, and it is very FAST. This is a speedy computer in many ways. I run everything from iWork, iLife, Windows with Parallels, Microsoft Office, Oracle Database, FileMaker, Photoshop, Xcode, Visual Studio, etc. If you want a real computer (by the way, Mac OS X is a Unix operating system), this is the one.
BEWARE - Sharp corners, bad hand position ruined this purchase -- 2010-02-28
I decided it was time to replace my 4 year old Macbook Pro 15" for a snazzy new unibody 15" Macbook Pro.
Spent alot of time at the Apple store checking them out (ultimately a bad environment for this!) before I decided on a new 15" - then ordered it from Amazon.
Of all things I never thought it would be the design of an Apple that would make me return it.
Once i got it home and started using it I noticed that the lower top front aluminum edges of the keyboard part of the machine where you rest your hands are pretty sharp and have no give - feels like a hardened machined car part. It wasnt long before i noticed my lower palm start to hurt like i was pressing against a dull knife. Full disclosure - i have big hands (not huge) so the positioning just didnt work for me, though others may have no problem with it.
In addition I asked my wife to try it just to make sure i wasnt making too much of it. When she went to put her hands down operate the track pad she was lightly stabbed (no blood or anything) on the small corners of the indent where you lift the lid. Its that sharp!!!
Add to that the glossy screen which REALLY REFLECTS outside lighting/shadows and I new it I couldn't keep it (not for $1800 purchase price!!!)
Its a real bummer as all the new Apple models except the low end white one have the same issues - Im not a PC guy anymore so Im not sure what I'm going to buy now. Hackintosh anyone???
Bummed.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MC226LL/A 17-Inch Laptop
Surprises Me How Much I Like This Laptop -- 2010-03-05
I'm not really a Mac guy, but I do iPhone development, and the Unix-like features come in handy from time to time. I've been doing development on an old MacBook Classic with the tiny screen and really not liking it much. Primarily I bought this one for the big screen and faster CPU.
This thing is huge, and it weighs a ton. For the life of me I'll never know why Apple insists on using those stupid glossy screens. And the keyboard still stinks. Jobs was wrong, a few extra keys like page up and down might be nice. And yet there's an eject key for the DVD drive, which no one uses. (Because we all use iTunes, right?) Hate the stupid touch pad.
But that's where the complaints end. I love the fact that it reliably starts up and shuts down in seconds. I love how fast it can pair and connect with BlueTooth devices and WiFi networks. The aluminum case is super tough, even if it is cold to the touch in winter. And even though it's huge, I can adjust the screen so that I can reasonably, if a bit uncomfortably, use it to get work done in coach on AirTran (which is really, really tight).
The absolute best part is the battery. I can get a real 6+ hours of work out of a charge. It's awesome. No more fighting over electrical outlets at the coffee shop. Definitely a boon.
Add to that a decent command shell and Remote Desktop from Microsoft, and I can get just about all my work done for all my different projects on this system. Thumbs up. If only it didn't cost so much.
Battery life is terribly misleading... -- 2010-02-15
Everyone else already nailed the great aspects of this unit, so I'll refrain. I absolutely love my MBP, and the backlit LED keyboard and bright LED display are phenomenal. I have one major gripe and a few smaller gripes, and this is why I gave it only four stars:
BATTERY LIFE:
Apple, like most other manufacturers, tends to be misleading in touting its technology. That's the nature of marketing, so be it. Getting 8 hours out of this battery just isn't realistic. I have traveled many times with this computer, and if I watch mpeg4 movies (not DVD) for 2 hours on two flights, my battery is usually toast at the end of four hours, if not sooner. This being said, I turn the display brightness way down, and the LED keyboard off (wireless/bluetooth as well). The mpeg4 movies tax the processor(s), yes, but I was very let down by the battery life. It barely outperforms my T series 9 cell Thinkpad when it was new. Apple breaks technological barriers by print, nothing more. If their 8-hour battery were real, it'd be a great leap in technology... problem is, its just not there, its simply a statement that people believe and no one calls them on it. See my review on the 27" iMac... if you're open minded, you'll start to understand.
I'm also a little frustrated that apple has not released a quad core unit. The quad core will use quite a bit more power, which will blast their "8 hour" feature.. hence, even the flagship desktop replacement pictured here is only available in a core 2 duo. Three words describe this - antiquated $2500 laptop. I can't hold it against the product though, the core 2 duo performs great and most folks will never notice the difference provided by two more cores. Obviously folks that buy the 17-inch MBP aren't as concerned with the mobility as much as those who would purchase the 13.3" MBP... so why not offer the quad core in the 17-inch? Core power management would still allow nearly the same battery life.
On the glossy/matte displays:
If you are going to watch lots of movies, mostly at night or on planes, get the glossy display. If you will be working in bright offices with lots of fluorescent lighting, or working outside at all, you need to get the anti-glare display.
Docking stations?
Why oh why has apple not manufactured a docking station for their flagship mobile computer? Apple's greed bothers me. They won't produce the dock station, because they don't want anyone replacing their imac or mac pro with a mobile solution that will do both. It would also require another hole in the body for the docking port, which we all know is a major problem for Jobs... he hates holes.
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 | Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Mac Air -- 2010-02-14
There have been plenty of reviews panning the Mac Air due to limitations. I'm not a techie so for me it is a perfect fit. I own a desktop mac and can do on it what I can't on the Air. The Air is great for travel or just to carry around the house when I don't want to be pinned down to my desk. It is super light weight. Yes, it meant shelling out some serious change for what is basically a Netbook on steroids but unlike a Netbook, it is substantial. Full keyboard, GREAT screen, etc., etc., etc. Then again, the new IPad may fill those needs for others. Your choice. K
Macbook Air -- 2010-01-28
It is a pretty cool Macbook.
It really prevents wonderful how thin it is.
I would recommend.
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| Apple MacBook Air MC233LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Very nice, but not perfect -- 2009-12-11
I'm a PC, but I'm also a Mac. A Macbook Air (MBA) to be exact. I'm very much into design so it just made sense. I first considered something like the Dell Adamo, Latitude Z or the HP ENVY13, But the Dells were heavily under-powered processor-wise. The HP was crazy powerful, but heftier than I would have liked. The Latitude's Euro design gave the MBA's design a run for it money, but it starts at over two grand and you'll easily knock on $2500 with the bells and whistles, Yikes! The HP ENVY 13 is very powerful and the only ultra-portable with the i7 processor. But for what I'll be using this for, the mobility and price is more important to me. The Adamo seemed to match the price and features of the Macbook Air best, but finding that the design, feature and price pretty much a draw (I personally thought the MBA had a very small edge on Design), I settled on the MBA because of the fact that I can run Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X(which I also use for different purposes)and the better build quality. I have to say, the unibody design really makes the thing feel as if it was carved from one piece of aluminum. There's minimal flex to speak of. Closed, it just feels so nice in your hands.
The 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is a lot better than the 1.2 and 1.4 that are available in the Dells; more than enough for my usage. This might have been a bit meek had I not already had an Intel Core 2 Quad Desktop computer at home. This also made HP ENVY pointless.
The screen is more than adequate and much better than a netbook. Since it's so light, it really can go anywhere a netbook can. The nice Keyboard and trackpad was also refreshing.
The Solid State Drive is also nice, but after some usage, I really don't find them all that different from a standard HD, perhaps a bit faster, but not that noticeable. It certainly is cooler and less noisy. Some users have complained about it getting a bit warm, but I'm thinking they've got an HD instead of an SSD.
And now for the few CONs:
No optical drive - since I won't be needing this too often it's not a big deal. I already have an external Blu-Ray Drive that I used to install everything. Once that was done, I can only image using it for an occasion Blu-Ray/DVD movie, but even this will be rare, unless I'm in a hotel room somewhere and bore out of my mind.
Connectivity:
No Ethernet, big deal! It's all about wireless!
Weird Mini Display port - also not a big deal since I don't imaging connecting an external monitor to this much.
Only one USB - This one, I admit, is pretty significant. It was a bit of hassle to swap USB devices a bit, but again, I only use multiple devices a handful of times (mainly a USB DJ Console Mixer and an external USB HD containing the music I want to mix). I got a little griffin USB "Splitter" which was nothing more than a very tiny USB Hub, but it did have some trouble getting enough power to the HD from this one USB port, so I did have to add a USB power cable to the mix (the audio was clipping heavily during mixing and transition). So keep that in mind if you're planning to daisy-chain three hard drives, a soda cooler and a reading light to the USB port- just don't. It works fine with the majority of other (low powered) USB devices.
RAM - Here's the other big CON! While 2GB of RAM will probably be ok for now, but I would have loved having the option of adding more. I have 8GB on my desktop and I actually use it (photo and video editing, media center functions, terminal services, etc.)! While I'm not doing much of that (maybe a little Photoshoping) on this thing, all it takes is that killer application that requires at least 4GB of RAM that I can't use that will drive me nuts!
I have a first generation Macbook Pro from work and I always loved the design of it. This takes things to the next level. I'm primarily a Windows user, and this seems to work a bit more seamlessly with Windows than the Macbook Pro(although with the latest drivers and software updates for bootcamp from apple, it got better). It's kinda odd that I went with an Mac to run Windows, but it was a calculated choice. Had I been looking for a full-function laptop, it would have likely been an HP or Dell.
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 | Apple MacBook MC240LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Great Laptop! -- 2010-03-03
Before this, I had a IBM ThinkPad running XP. It was slow and I couldn't do much with it. Then I switched over to Mac. Mac OS X is the best operating system out there. It's easy to use, but it's so powerful. My MacBook has beautiful design and is well thought out. My only complaints are that it costs quite a bit and it gets hotter when in use than my IBM did. iThink--ahem, I think, that iLife is a great software suite. I got iWork too, which runs well on it. I bought Colin McRae Rally Mac and it runs admirably on the Mac, besides about a second of lag every 15 minutes.
The processor is blazing fast, but I hope Apple will upgrade all their computers to i3, i5, and i7 Intel processors. The Nvidia graphics are wonderful. And the screen? Well, the screen is incredibly bright. The colors are vivid and bright. I would highly recommend getting a MacBook.
Excellent experince -- 2010-01-31
Original packaging, which was not even opend. Exactly the same product which I wanted. Most important is timely delivery. Just within 3-4 dys of order.
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