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Ars Technica Reviews the MacBook
phaedo00 writes "Ars Technica has performed another of their in-depth and thorough hardware reviews. The subject in this review is the newly released MacBook. From the article: 'The Apple portable web site proudly announces that the "family is finally complete." What began with an announcement from Steve Jobs at the MacWorld conference in January has come full circle with the release of the MacBook this week. Every Apple laptop is Intel powered and moving in what I would consider is the right direction. The laptop line is finally better delineated by pro and consumer features, and the prices have been fixed at points that better reflect the minute differences in the models.'"
They could have at least done a little bit better on the black premium model. I know they're trying to balance performance with cheap, but it would be great to have a well-built small laptop that packs enough 3D punch for gaming. I was seriously considering one of these for my next "PC" until I saw that.
What began with an announcement from Steve Jobs at the MacWorld conference in January has come full circle with the release of the MacBook this week.
Almost.
What began with an announcement from Steve Jobs at the Macworld (no StudlyCaps) Conference in January will come full circle with the release of the Intel-based Power Mac.
The only thing that's complete at this point is the mobile product line, hence the MacBook family now being complete.
and Jobs said, "let them eat paste!"
I love Apple and all the innovation they have brought to the arena, but it really is just a laptop. I think Apples best accomplishment is not their products, but the hype they generate and their marketing... brilliant! My hat off to you Steve.
http://religiousfreaks.com/I went and checked out the 13.3" Macbook in black with the matte finish today. I think that it will hold up as well as the aluminum. (All the iBooks I have seen scratch like crazy) The keyboard is nice, and I would say it's neither better nor worse than that of my 12" PowerBook. I think it's a little crazy to charge an extra $150 for a black versus white finish... However, market demands it... I even bought a black iPod.
After getting my hands on it, I think I will eventually buy a black one. But still...
I wish that they had a 13.3 Pro coming out with a matte screen, backlit keyboard, and the extra little perks that the 15 and 17 Pro's have... But that would probably end up costing as much as the 15...
Oh come on, don't you think the submitter should have owned up to the fact that he wrote the review? "In-depth and thorough"...snicker. Maybe so, but tooting your own horn, aren't you?
What's most interesting are the benchmark results. While some screamed bloody murder over Apple's apparent downgrade to Intel's integrated graphics chipset, the new MacBook completely outclasses the old iBook on all fronts, and even out-performs the MacBook Pro in some cases (due to its slightly faster processor).
So what's worse? Integrated graphics or an underclocked Radeon X1600?
Nonetheless, the MacBook looks great, and I can't help but feel sorry for the people who rushed out and got a MacBook Pro. It seems that Apple rushed the Pro out of the door, whereas they took their time with the MacBook and got it right.
ENDUT! HOCH HECH!
Last thing ars needs is threats from Apple Legal.
Not mid level laptops and especially Apple MAC laptops. I always expected Macs to be better than PC to include what went inside them.
Yes I understand that this replaced two lines from the Power generation but they should have had an option for discreet graphics. There is a pricing hole between these machines and the Pro's that could have been filled nicely with an integrated graphics solution. Hell even the x1400 would have been acceptable and also easily comparable with offerings commoningly found in the Windows world. I think this would have broadened its appeal to the college set, it would have made it a no-brainer for some of the people I know who now are thinking of waiting for round 2.
Right now it looks like my best bet for a OS/X laptop is a returned Pro model. Either that or wait for the second generation systems to appear. There are some great deals to be had in the refurb market and even Amazon has new ones with MIRs.
I do like the port configuration and the mag latching system. Not keen on the glossy screen but since the graphics system already killed it for me thats a wash
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
You do realise the black version has higher specs... hence the cost.
Wow, it seems you are making a decision for your next potential laptop purchase on the color of the case. Niiice..
Apple loves price holes. Just look at the iPod. They used to have a 20GB regular iPod and a 6GB iPod mini. At that point, a lot of people are already going to be thinking that 6GB's just isn't enough, but if they want more they have to jump up to 20. I'm sure a lot of people who weren't really looking for something that big made the jump because there was nothing in between, and who wants to go down a level? Characteristically, Apple then introduced the nanos (which had even smaller hard drives) to replace the minis and then upped the capacity of the video iPods. Now, you can get either a 30GB model or a 4GB model. That's a huge hole and forces a lot of people who only need 10GB's or so to jump up to 30. It's amazing marketing, although I'm sure it makes some (myself among them) resentful at being herded like that.
I've always pictured the color of OS zealotry as a sort of bright flamingo pinkish hue
... this model also overheats.. what gives? If Apple doesn't have dedication to make sure everything is in tip top shape then why should a consumer support the company by buying their product?
I don't want to have to open the laptop to clean the cpu and mobo and then apply the paste properly, this is supposed to be Apple's job.
Cons:
I wonder what hard drives they use. My powerbook's hard drive died in just a little over 2 years. Between whine noises, power adapters that fall away too easily, notebook latches that don't close properly, logic board issues, overheating, display glitches, dead hard drives and more, i think that apple
hardware is just as error-prone as regular pc hardware.
Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
You could always, you know, buy a not-iPod.
Just a thought.
Haida Manga
I spent a couple minutes checking out the MacBook at my local Apple store.. It looks good. I think it will do well at that price point.
But, I did not like the keyboard. Compared to the keyboard on my PowerBook, or the MacBook Pro's, it didn't feel nearly as good. Maybe it's something you could get used to. But, I really like the old PowerBook keyboard..
'The laptop line is finally better delineated by pro and consumer features, and the prices have been fixed at points that better reflect the minute differences in the models.'
How are the MacBook and MacBook Pro both better differentiated and separated by minute differences? These seem to be mutually exclusive. Besides, the price points don't better reflect any minute differences -- one's roughly twice as much as the other!
I own a MBP 1.83GHz and wonder if I should've waited for the MB (I would've preferred the 13.3" screen; although the two MB weighs more).
I look forward to seeing these laptops myself in the stores. From the pictures, I don't like the look of the keyboard at all. And the glossy screen just sucks, especially because I'll be using it in a florescent-lit office most of the time. I don't want to have to constantly counter the glare. And what about bright sunlight? And the fact that Apple still hasn't done anything about the thermal paste problem is worrisome. Maybe by the time I'm in the market for a new machine about November these issues will be fixed. And although I don't really want a bigger laptop than my 12" (the 13" would probably be fine), I guess I'll probably get the 15" Pro since I just don't like the white look (not to mention the keyboard and screen unknowns). I already know what the 15" MacBook Pro is like. Looks like Apple no longer sells any subnotebooks. A shame.
It has 20 additional gigabytes of hard drive space compared to the model that costs $200 less. Plus the hard drive is easy to replace (according to the article.) Upgrade the mid-range model to the same specs on Apple store and it is *still* $150 more for the black one.
Bottom line is you are paying $200 for the color, or lack thereof.
I still want one bad, but 82 degrees C is way to hot for my lap. I can believe he didn't mention the temperature as a con at the end, I agree with his conclusion earlier in the article that a laptop that runs that hot is defective.
Karma: Incomprehensible (Mostly affected by posting at +5, reading at -1, and metamoderating everything unfair.)
"Apple then introduced the nanos (which had even smaller hard drives) to replace the minis"
The nanos don't have hard drives, they have flash memory, which is still more expensive per gig than hard drives, but much smaller, and solid state. Which is why they could make them that size.
$150.00 (US I assume) for black instead of white? This can't be the entire story... please tell me it's not. When I bought my Canon EOS150D digital camera, it was only available in silver; the black wasn't available until a later release. I can understand this delayed release, but I really cannot understand (or justify to myself) an extra 150.00 for the colour... weird
Has anyone else noticed that the Powerbooks/iBooks have gone the way of the dodo? Also, at the beginning of the Core Duo age they were still selling the iMac G5's along with the iMac Core Duo's, but now it's just the Core Duo. Same with the Mac Mini. As for all the Apple notebooks now being widescreen, I don't know about everyone else, but I'm going to miss the good old days of non-widescreen notebooks. I don't know why, but a good old non-widescreen still has much more appeal to me than a widescreen of the same size.
This is not a sig. This is a llama-duck. Quack.
"I then ran two instances of this script in order to peg both processor cores. The system would step the speed of the processor up to 1.833GHz until the processor crossed a threshold of approximately 82C at which point it would step the processor down to 1.667GHz. When the processor dropped below 80C it would speed step back up to 1.833GHz and the cycle would continue. As expected, this would cause the system's fans to rev up to their full speed and overall, the machine was very noisy at this point."
---
A review that doesn't miss important bits! If you want to say... watch a DVD and run something processor intensive in the background it's all good for about 15mins, then the fan kicks in so noisy you won't be able to hear the DVD, on the plus side though, you won't have to put heating on in that room while its on.
Not that they're bad though, if you don't have an issue with noise and/or you don't do prolonged processor intensive work they're indeed very good and a worthwhile buy.
Good review!
Would you like a right click button with that sir?
*shrug* I just bought a refurb 4g 20gig for that newly-generated hole. Helluva lot cheaper than a 30g 5g. I wanted a portable music player -- not a postage stamp sized video player.
I really hate how Apple uses the so called "Superdrive" as something so special you'd have to shell out more cash to get it.
I can see more RAM, faster CPU, bigger hard drive, better video card and so on for more expensive units, but the superdrive?? Pretty fucking standard item I think.
Linux violates 235 Microsoft patents.
That's a pretty stupid question. The builtin chipset used sucks; it uses system ram, for starters. That is -really- going to hurt when you're mucking about in Aperture or iPhoto, or go to play a video and the whole system becomes slow as a dog.
Here's a test: why don't you try running Quake 4 at 1280x1024 or higher and tell me how well it works for you. Works FANTASTIC on the MBP (it was a little laggy sometimes, but they've since updated it to be SMP and it FLIES.)
Test number two: try playing the high-definition (1080i) trailers on Apple's website. I'd be absolutely shocked if it manages to do it without dropping frames like crazy. My Macbook Pro barely breaks a sweat.
Nonetheless, the MacBook looks great, and I can't help but feel sorry for the people who rushed out and got a MacBook Pro.
I don't feel sorry for myself or anyone else who bought a MacBook Pro, but I did get a developer discount. The MacBook Pro doesn't have any major faults; I hate the name with a passion, it makes some noises it shouldn't (slightly better after the recent firmware update) and I would have greatly preferred the 15" G4 screen's extra vertical pixels over the blurry, narcissistic iSight...but the thing works just goddamn fine.
I got my money's worth, I assure you. I was surprised at how "Pro" the non-Pro was (and Ars severely underplays the graphics and display differences; a lot of people hate glossy screens and the integrated graphics truly do suck), but whatever. I can't wait for all the "waaah, my graphics really really suck, I thought I was getting a MacBook Pro, how come I can't play any games and all the i-apps are slow as shit" comments over the next few weeks from "early adopters" of the Macbook...
Please help metamoderate.
they should have had an option for discreet graphics
You mean like running with the lid closed?
As true as your iPod example is, the prices are however not a big deal..
4GB nano for $249, 30GB 5th-gen for $299. If you need 10GB, it's not like being forced to move to the 30GB model also forces you to pay more than you should.
I was really glad to read about how easy it is to replace the HD.
Some of you might also find this interesting: step-by-step take apart. Text is in Japanese, but fortunately the pictures are in English. =) Click on the left hand picture. Looks like the whole unit is much easier to disassemble than were previous 'books.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
That gap existed because those were the kinds of hard drives that were available, 6 gig 1 inch drives and 20/40 gig 1.8 inch drives. I'm not even sure if the 1.8 inch drives are more expensive, i'm guessing they're actually cheaper but less shock resistant. They could use multiple 1 inch drives, but that would end up making the smaller players more expensive than the big ones. Perhaps apple could have used their size to influence drive manufacturers to start making 1.4 inch drives, but that would likely reduce overall efficiency.
a ses/article/0,1121,2973,00.html ), so if you want a 10 gig mp3 player, and especially if you'd like it to be small, you're in luck.
Now we have 8 gig 1 inch drives. Anytime now, seagate is supposed to be producing 1 inch hard drives that use perpendicular recording to have a capacity of 12 gigs( http://www.seagate.com/cda/newsinfo/newsroom/rele
I've owned and used many laptops, and they all have one thing in common: they get really hot when placed on a thermal insulator that conforms to their shape. Your pants, your bed, all impede the flow of heat from almost half the surface area of the part of the laptop that produces it. When it's on a flat surface like a table air can flow through the bottom since it's raised on those little rubber feet.
You know, when you think you *only need* 10GB from a music player, they have already won.
My english is sow-sow. Sowhat?
classic comments there. some choice ones:
"OMG, it's a CPU not a sandwich!"
"That's not a f-ing sundae!!"
This review tempts me to no end. I'd need to try out that weird-looking keyboard. (The powerbook g4s have great keyboards and I type a lot, so the keyboard is, um, 'key.')
But I can't stand the tacky glossy screen--I don't need Toys 'R Us colors from the screen! Give me matte or give me, um, nevermind.
sig my booty, check my website
I have a new Macbook pro, and yes, it does get hot. As for the thermal paste, I think it's an issue of it being easier to tell the assemblers to gob it on rather than risk someone not getting enough. As soon as my warrenty expires, you can guarantee I will be in there redoing it myself.
On the other hand, I notice that my laptop's fan NEVER comes on, as long as I'm not in the hot sun. It seems that with the aluminum case, they have the luxury of using the back half of the laptop as a giant heat exchanger. Heat radiation is proportional to the difference in temperature between the air and the heatsink, so the high temperatures just mean that Apple has decided that having a quiet laptop was more important than a cool one.
My friends all have Dells and Sonys. Yes, they run cooler, but their fans are almost ALWAYS on, and if they run any more than the basics, they start to sound like a leaf blower.
Bottom line- with all my past laptops, I have had underclock them in order to keep the fans off, since that seems to be the first component to fail. I can put up with a hot computer, as long as it is quiet and lasts longer.
A final note- my processor has a full blown whine, but it is easily quited with the well-known quietMBP program. I hope someone comes up with a more elegant solution.
K maybe I like those types of neat little nuances.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
The review mentions that the trackpad registers a right-click when you click the button while having two fingers resting on the trackpad.
What I'd like to know is if that works when you're running XP via Boot Camp. Anyone have a MacBook or 17" MacBook Pro, a copy of XPSP2, and the will to find out?
Interesting analysis, but I disagree. The cost differential between a, say, 15 and 30 GB drive is marginal, probably like $10, so why would Apple even bother? That's the reason why they have jump from 4 to 30 - NVRAM to HDD - availability and pricing of components.
Who is "they"? I'm the one making the decision about my needs. No one is telling me what size iPod (or other media player) I need. Apple is marketing a product based on available technologies at relatively fixed price points; if you were paying attention. Apple sets prices and slides newer, faster, bigger (in this case) technologies into them once, a.) the supply margins allow, and b.) when the demand is present in the market. Also, what did they win? If you mean they won by making a superior product at a reasonable price that not only plays music, but can be used as a general purpose storage device, then yeah, they've won 80% of the market. Does it fit everybody's wants and needs? No. Should it? Impossible. That's why there is another 20% market alive.
Weren't we talking about the MacBook? Isn't it designed to be an entry level consumer laptop? Was it ever advertised as a gaming laptop? Does Apple even mention games or gaming in their web or other promotional material relating to the MacBook? Ok, one on the Tech Specs page, "Big Bang Board Games", which I'm guessing is not a severely graphics intensive game experience. Other than that, none. Why are people complaining about a product's gaming performance when it's not advertised as a gaming machine? Aren't computers supposed to be tools and not just toys? Seems strange that the crowd that once called the Mac a 'toy computer' is complaining that it can't play games.
Well, considering that it's ars technica, I'd wonder what percentage of this "review" they plagiarized from other sources.
Push Button, Receive Bacon
Now, you can get either a 30GB model or a 4GB model. That's a huge hole and forces a lot of people who only need 10GB's or so to jump up to 30. It's amazing marketing, although I'm sure it makes some (myself among them) resentful at being herded like that.
If you put it that way, it sounds like Apple is being very manipulative. However, if you look at the prices, the price difference is relatively not as drastic between the 4GB and 30GB models:
* 200 USD == 2GB iPod nano
* 250 USD == 4GB iPod nano
* 300 USD == 30GB iPod
* 400 USD == 60GB iPod
Basically, Apple can buy a larger harddrive per $$$ now. Why not offer this benefit when competing w/ others?
tiBook! I had a TiBook G4 550 when it first came out. Loved it. Had to part with it as I took on a roll that required Windows 2000/XP on my lap (sniff) but I returned to the OS X fold ASAP with the iBook G4 12". Now my wife uses it as I bought the PowerBook G4 15" last Fall. It runs very well for my purposes, especially now that I maxed out the memory (unless someone knows a good way to cram more ram?).
:-)
But, I admit Intel-lust. I want an Intel-based processor not so much for the definite speed bump but for what I, delusionally?, believe will come soon from Mr. Jobs: the "oh, we run Windows apps natively" announcement.
I don't WANT to run Windows programs, but I need to. I hate that, but it's reality. So, let me retire my Dell 5150 permanently and let me have my OS X with a side of Windows apps. Please.
Tell you what. I'll sell my PowerBook G4 15" for the "going price" so I can buy a MacBook. Smaller screen? Fine. I did fine with my iBook. Takers? Drop a note. Specify "I want your PowerBook" in the subject or I'll never see it
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
Just for completeness sakes... Apple called their 1.44MB floppy a SuperDrive way back when...
Ever heard of external monitors?
Please help metamoderate.
And how much tail do you get jogging around mom and stepdad's basement with your iPod?
59 hits.
Groups? - Nada.
Is this old news still true that to do WPA from Airport you must talk to an Airport base station?
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
That temp really burnt my backside; to be punny and colloquial. I'm sorry, but is it impossible to keep a laptop cool now? The battery life made me happy
I have to agree. The aluminium casing for the 12" powerbook is very nice, and it's a shame that you can't get an ultra-portable with it anymore. I have never liked the iBook casing; after a few weeks it gets horribly scratched up and looks terrible. I haven't seen a MacBook in person yet, so I'm still hoping that it's higher quality plastic than the iBook case.
In the beginning the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and is widely considered as a bad move.
I'm not sure I follow you...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Alright, it seems that this is a great upgrade for people coming from a 12" iBook.
I, however, am looking for an upgrade for my 12" Powerbook G4. And this ain't it.
First of all, the glossy screen. I guess we've got that confirmed now. I hate those. As the Ars review mentions, that's not a feature 'professionals' want. I certainly don't.
Quite a few of the new features - display spanning, for example - are NOT a new feature for me. My 12" Powerbook can already do that.
I'm not sure about the keyboard... I'll have to go play with that at an Apple store or something.
Now, I would NOT pay $150 for a black case. I would, however, HAPPILY pay an extra $150 for a non-glossy screen. I will never buy a laptop with a glossy screen.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
Was it playing at its full framerate though? If you press Command-I while the video is playing, it'll bring up an informational window that will show the file's framerate, and the rate that it's actually playing at. Quicktime will drop the framerate before it actually starts to studder, so something can look fairly smooth (if you're not looking closely) but on closer inspection might only be playing at 15 or 20 fps.
Not saying that's what's happening, but "it looks good" can be misleading if you're trying to get a benchmark.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
I really like Apple laptops. Great quality, performant hardware, and NOT expensive. However I have never bought a single Apple laptop. And you know why ? Because they don't make ultraportable laptops, and, oh boy, I wish they would ! The lighter Apple laptop is the MacBook at 5.2 pounds (2.36 kg). For comparison purpose my current ultraportable, a Panasonic R3 stands at 2.2 pounds (990 g !). Wouldn't that be cool a 2.2 pounds Apple laptop ?
I find it funny when people spend time reading through all the /. comments of each story ... but never read the story itself. It boggles the mind, it does.
is it impossible to keep a laptop cool now?
Considering everyone wants faster CPUs and higher benchmarks, the answer is "yes"
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
Apparently the tail you're getting is the easy skanky kind with HPV?
Actually, that's just basic sales. Suppose you've got someone who wants to by a widget. Not an Acme Widget, but just any widget, and they've settled on Acme. But if an Acme Widget fanboi walks in off the street and tells the customer that there's going to be a new version released next week, then the customer might well decide to wait until Widget 2.0 comes out and get that one instead. While they're waiting for 2.0 to come out, they might go to Acme's competitor and get one of theirs. You've lost that sale.
And this is just stuff I gleaned while selling luggage at my local department store.
AC's modded -6. I don't see you, I don't mod you, anything you say is lost. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
I'm a bit confused.. when I goto Apple and select the 2.0Ghz version, I notice that the 2GB is $500 more.. but at pricewatch .. they are only $166 for 2GB... is Apple jacking up the price that much?
My Core Duo Dell runs nice and cool, even when I'm compiling something and not running cpufreqd. It's possible to keep laptops cool, but then they don't look as cool :)
My other car is first.
Like the original Macintosh, the MacBook returns to the Apple fold a true appliance computer. The bezel mounted keyboard style (ala touch-tone phone) marks Apple's emphasis upon an appliance product.
This is not a machine but rather an appliance. This appliance is about what it can do for you. Rather than the machine paradigm of what you can do with the machine. You'll want to buy the more capable "Pro" version if there is much work you need to get done on a machine. If you have lesser expectations and needn't spend long hours typing on a computer, the MacBook is maybe the right solution.
I've never seen such clear cut model diversification as now exists between MacBook and MacBook Pro. I have no use for such an appliance, even though I built a multi-million dollar organization with Apple's 128 Macintosh appliance computer in 1983.
What Apple is doing with MacBook has created a whole new class of lightweight utility appliance computers. It'll be interesting to watch the edge offerings around the concept.
This one is interesting too:
k _makes_major_leap_forwa.html
http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2006/05/macboo
A video to show how easy it is to to get to the RAM chips and hard disk.
JP
Average consumers (who ever the heck they are) make decisions based on price - and Apple pitches the iPod at approx $50 increments, and not in terms of GB of capacity:
$69 --512MB Shuffle (Apple store price was supposed to drop to $49 yesterday)
$99 --1GB Shuffle (Apple store price was supposed to drop to $79 yesterday)
$149 --1GB Nano
$199 --2GB Nano
$249 --4GB Nano
$299 --30GB iPod
$399 --60GB iPod
Apple has an iPod for just at your price-point. The only "price-hole" is at $349.
I use my 12" iBook on the bus on the way to work. It's only the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, and 4.6 pounds. Makes it feasible to do that, and barelyfeasible to drag it around with me all day in the city, googling and slashdotting wherever I go, on whatever wifi happens to be around.
The new, larger and heavier Macbooks, with a screen that doesn't seem like it would perform in high light conditions, is not an advance for me. The quiet and long battery life of my ibook, along with the portability, are the keys, and the performance is just fine, even for watching DVDs and other bittorrent wares.
My ideal mac at this point would be a small thin one with a 1024x768 screen but able to drive an external monitor at higher resolution. That would be my livingroom and bus and coffeeshop and bedroom and kitchen computer all in one.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
One of the comments on the ArsTechnica forums was about the hinge being constructed in a way that doesn't allow the screen to be tilted all the way back.
Can anyone tell me how far the screen can be tilted back?
(me being from Europe the next apple store is a two hours' flight away and other retailers won't get MacBooks until sometime next week)
where's all that Karma?
Have you *ever* argued with a *woman* on buying a laptop/PC/TV/car/"anythingtechnical"? Color and Design are pretty much the *only* thing they care about. ;-)
Of course, I am aware that most slashdotters never get into that situation
Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
Slashdot posts yet another Apple story, and they again get hammered with a bunch of people configuring pimped Dell's but never buying them.
You know what?
sorry im too quick for you :)
I KUT J00 M4NG!!!
The MacBooks have a right-click button, in a way. It's a gesture, and you have to turn it on in System Preferences. If you click on the button while holding two fingers on the trackpad, it opens the context menu (a.k.a. right-clicks).
does it run with a sling?
The Dutch will inherit the earth. If not, we'll settle for a bit of ocean. Beta delenda est!
The same is going on with the XBox and PS3. In market-speak, they'll claim they're offering people the choice, but in reality they want as many people as possible to pay for the high end system by artificially removing functionality from the low end system.
with the white and black models side-by-side, I can say there is another overlooked difference between the two (not that it justifies the price, but it's worth noting). The black one has a stiffer screen casing. You can determine this very easily by holding the rim of the screen with your thumb and pressing on the back of the screen with any of the rest of your fingers. On the white unit surprisingly light pressure results in the characteristic color distortion seen when you press on an LCD; the screen bezel simply isn't stiff enough to resist the pressure of your fingers. When you do the same thing on a black Macbook, you have to press *much* harder to get the color distortion.
This matters because it suggests the plastic used in the black model is stiffer. It may be more prone to cracking if you drop it (for the record I've never seen a white iBook's plastic crack), but it also appears to resist deformation from behind the screen better than the white one. So when your S.O....well, this is Slashdot so let's say your mother...unwarily drops the power adapter in to your laptop bag so it's pressing directly against the back of the screen, you'll be less likely to end up with a cracked screen when you set the bag down with your hardback collector's edition Lord Of The Rings Trilogy on top of it, and the car goes over a bump.
I've seen a lot of broken laptop screens, and many of those were broken by some object pressing against the screen from behind.
Given a choice, I'd rather risk cracked case plastic than a colorful spiderweb crack across my screen...although I will say that since it's a glossy screen I won't feel nearly so bad if it does get broken. Ugh. Glossy. What were they thinking?
Well, I tried, but the Apple Store doesn't carry any. Are you sure non-iPod MP3 players exist?
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Baa!
Considering everyone wants faster CPUs and higher benchmarks, the answer is "yes"
Not everyone.
I'd prefer a smaller, slower, cooler, quieter machine over a desktop replacement which roasts your thighs.
For that the old iBook 12" was ideal. It did most things sufficiently quickly, especially if you put enough memory into it, had an extended battery life, was compact and was cool and quiet. Oh and it didn't have a calculator keyboard or a highly reflective screen.
Agrajag: "Oh no, not again!"
I wonder what the build quality of this thing is. I've seen macbook pro's that just make me want to cry. I've had to take one apart and apply cooling paste (the RIGHT way) this time for the laptop to come back to a little more sane temperature. A problem which apple insists doesn't exist. That still leaves the screen/lid, which isnt 100% flat...calamity
An interesting addition is one that people have speculated about ever since Apple introduced two-finger scrolling on its trackpads (a feature that I now find nearly indispensable)--the ability to generate a right click without touching the keyboard by clicking with two fingers touching the trackpad. This lets Apple stick with their single button philosophy. (Doex anybody really like two-button trackpads? I feel like I'm flirting with carpal tunnel every time I twist my hand into that awkward position needed to reach the right button with my thumb).
I wonder if in "tap" mode you can just tap the pad with two fingers to get a right click?
Like Breakout, Super Breakout and Photoshop!
The difference between the 4GB Nano and the 30GB iPod is $50, which is the standard increase in cost on the iPods, so there is really no reason for a 10GB one. The extra 20GB won't bother anyone, but having to choose between 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 GB models will.
Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. And you don't want to get any on you.
Fuck! That is just stupid easy! Really amazing. OK, for that alone, the Mac Book designers deserve a trophy or a pizza or a trophy filled with pizza or something.
That was a great video, thanks for pointing it out to us.
To me, it's definitely worth it to pop in a 160 GB drive, even before I max out the memory. Having the ability to easily upgrade is important, and often overlooked on laptops. I've put a larger HD in my (now retired) Tibook twice. It wasn't too hard, but it was a little bit of an effort. I haven't yet done so on my current 12" PB, so I don't know how difficult it will be.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
The specs look like a Sony Vaio laptop as does the sceen... perhaps Apple just rebranded Sony's product.
What, like a Walkman?
It's funny how the original post is reflective of how ubiquitous the iPod has become. I'll throw in my own anecdote:
I fly about 15 times a year for business. In the last 6 months, out of about 8 flights, only 1 has told the passengers they can now turn on/off their "portable electronic devices". The rest of them told us we could now turn on/off our "iPods and other portable electronic devices". It didn't even occur to me until maybe a half hour after the first time I heard it. They just assumed most of us who had small electronic devices had iPods.
The fact is, most people won't even consider iPod alternatives. The reasons are varied, but for me it's because I've owned 4 MP3 players, including one Creative, before the two iPods I've bought (one is 3rd generation, and the latest is 5th generation), and every one of them sucked for a handful of reasons. Each one sucked for a different set of reasons, but they all sucked for more than one or two reasons.
I just got tired of wasting my money on "iPod alternatives", so I don't even consider them any more. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
On the integrated graphics, I think the MacBook has the same integrated video the Mac Mini has, which I've been using for about a month. I've tested dozens of apps in Mac OS X and Windows on my Mac Mini, and the integrated graphics performed WAY better than I expected. The only recent game I had any problem running because of the graphics was Doom 3. Half Life 2, World of Warcraft (Win and Mac) both ran comparable to my Powerbook with ATI Radeon 9700 and my AMD desktop with NVidia 6800GT.
We use Solidworks for engineering our products at work, and I showed one of our engineers how it ran on the Mac Mini in Windows XP with a very complex 400mb model, and we were both quite impressed. Especially considering it's an $800 computer, and he needs a $2500 computer to get noticeably better 3D video performance ($750 of that is a high-end workstation card).
Anyway, the point is, don't just write it off because it's integrated video. Not all integrated video is created equal...
Those gaps for the iPod have more to do with the storage technology than pricing. They can't fit 10GB in the Mini/Nano form factor, and if you go larger there's no point in going as small as 10GB.
You're right about there being pretty huge gaps in the product line, but wrong about the product line itself. iPods basically fit into three categories: the shuffle, the nanos/minis, and the full-size iPods.
Let's look at the full size iPods first:
The first generation of iPod ($399, 2001) had a 5 GB hard drive. Apple then introduced a 10 GB version ($499, 2002).
The second generation of iPod came with 10 and 20 GB hard drives (2002).
The third generation of iPod came with 10 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB, and 40 GB hard drives (2003).
The initial fourth generation of iPod came with 20 GB ($299) and 40 GB ($399) hard drives (2004). The 20 GB U2 iPod mono game out in late 2004. At the same time, the iPod Photo was introduced (still in the 4th gen) with 40 GB ($499) and 60 GB ($599) hard drives.
At the start of 2005, Apple discontinued the 40 GB monochrome model and instead introduced a 30 GB ($349) photo model, the full-size line now being the 20 GB mono, the 30 GB photo, and the 60 GB photo. This is still 4th gen.
In summer 2005, Apple consolidated its full-size iPod line, removing the iPod monos. Simplifying the lineup, they had a 20 GB color iPod ($299) and a 60 GB color iPod ($399).
The fifth (current) generation of full-size iPod was released late 2005. They come in 30 GB ($299) and 60 GB ($399) sizes.
Now the iPod minis and nanos:
The first generation iPod mini was introduced in Jan 2004. It had 4 GB of storage and cost $249. Some people regard it as part of the 4th generation of iPods and the Nano is typically regarded as the first of the 5th generation of iPods.
The second generation iPod mini was introduced early 2005. A new 4 GB model was lowered to $199 and a 6 GB model was introduced at $249. In the meantime, Apple had dropped its third generation iPods. Some peope regard this as a gap in the iPod line, but in looking at the iPod line as 3 separate lines of similarly named products, this stops making sense. People are either looking for a very very small media player or a lot of songs to carry around.
In late 2005, the iPod Nano was introduced. Instead of a hard disk, the Nano uses flash memory, like the iPod shuffle. It comes in larger sizes, though, and with a screen. The initial iPod Nano line consisted of the 2 GB model ($199) and the 4 GB model ($249). A 1 GB model was introduced in 2006 for $149.
Lastly, the iPod shuffle:
The iPod shuffle was introduced early 2005. It is very small and has no screen. It uses flash memory (and can also be used as a flash drive). It comes in a 512 MB model (now $69) and a 1 GB model (now $99).
So, the iPod product lines as they currently stand:
iPod Shuffle (ultratiny, no screen, also a USB flash drive)
512 MB ipod Shuffle ($69)
1 GB iPod Shuffle ($99)
iPod Nano (very small, color screen, music and photos)
1 GB iPod Nano ($149)
2 GB iPod Nano ($199)
4 GB iPod Nano ($249)
iPod (portable, larger color screen, music, photos, video, hard disk)
30 GB iPod ($299)
60 GB iPod ($399)
The flash-based models are more suitable for jogging, excercise, running around madly, kids, etc. Hard disks are slightly more fragile and less portable; they are more suitable for in-car use and for people who want access to their entire music collection at once.
switcher \'swi`ch &r\, n.
A person who thinks that they are a Mac user but are really just trying to be. The mistake they make is to try to become a Mac user, when real Mac users are all about not trying to be anything and following your own rules. There is no fashion code to being a Mac user. There are no rules as to what applications you have to run.
Recent converts like you are ruining the old school Mac community because you are posers. Apple releases one OS that popularizes Fitts' law and the Genie effect, and suddenly people assume being a Mac user is all about owning a Mac. But a real Mac user is born, not made. You "switchers" are misrepresenting yourselves and the Mac platform. You're giving people the wrong idea of what Macintosh is.
switcher: shops at hot topic, thinks Firefox is a good Mac app, waiting for OS X port of PayrollPro 2000, follows any hint of a fashion trend (instead of setting them!), wouldn't know Clarus from Carl Sagan.
real Mac user: someone true to who they are, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world.
Apple said they'd support PPC for a couple more years. Leopard will definitely support PPC, and the version after that most-likely will as well. Most major Mac software will support PPC for at least a few more years. Don't forget that the pro desktop Macs are still all PPC until this summer.
On the other hand, I expect to see quite a bit of small and specialized software projects support Intel-only going forward, and it will become more and more difficult to find software for PPC starting a year from now. Already, there are some capabilities that PPC owners are left out of, like Boot Camp and Intel-compatible virtualization. I think developers will especially be enticed by Macs now that they can run Intel binaries, and they won't have PPC machines to test with, so they'll make Intel-only releases. Too bad there's no equivalent to Rosetta for running Intel binaries on PPC Macs...
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
Pros:
1. You get support for the full 3D pipeline in hardware, including shaders. This is tons better than having the CPU do all the work. Quartz Extreme benefits.
3. Less power needed (longer battery life).
4. Less heat generated.
Cons:
1. Performance is 1/3 the level of high-end, hot-running video cards, which is an issue if you want to play high-end games.
The real question is, how much more black could it be?
The difference, obviously, is that you can easily do the gesture with one hand. It's very natural, you don't have to move your hand at all if you're mousing.
Ctrl-Clicking, on the other hand, can't easily be done using only one hand. You've got to have the left hand on the keyboard and click with the right hand, otherwise it's going to be uncomfortable.
So there's definitely a difference. The gesture is (at least to me) as good as or better than an ugly second button, and it doesn't annoy those who don't want or need a second button, while the ctrl-clicking is simply a crutch for those who need it.
AC, your post reminds me exactly of those fashionistas who, when they find out you've only now started listening to their favorite band, exclaim "I've been listening to them from the beginning." It's okay, we all understand - you need something to make you feel important. Enjoy your precious little snub-club.
Me, I'll be working with the same OS X apps and tools I've been using at work for the last two years. I convinced the studio to convert from PC, after editing video and mixing audio on the PC for eight years. The choices there are either extremely pricey, or just pathetic. The broad range of tools I've used on the G4s/G5s at work (Logic, Reason, FCP, and all the helper/conversion utilities, etc.) are kick-ass by comparison.
Plus, the fact that it's a unixy o/s. Any off-the-shelf computer that comes with shells, is able to run my standard languages (Perl, Ruby, Python) etc. AND runs great content creation tools - that's my new computer. %^>
O lord, bless this thy holy hand grenade, that with it thou mayest blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.
I'm with you: I'd rather have a smaller, slower,longer running laptop. If I wanted extreme power, I'd buy a desktop (now, destop replacements have their place, but not for me). Twelve inches, 8 hours of battery life, at under four pounds? Yes please.
Speaking as a Mac mini core duo owner, very similar specs:
That's a pretty stupid question. The builtin chipset used sucks; it uses system ram, for starters. That is -really- going to hurt when you're mucking about in Aperture or iPhoto, or go to play a video and the whole system becomes slow as a dog.
Actually Aperture seems rather tolerable on the mini, even with D200 files - I was actually pretty amazing with how well it worked (not fast, don't get me wrong - but very usable).
Test number two: try playing the high-definition (1080i) trailers on Apple's website. I'd be absolutely shocked if it manages to do it without dropping frames like crazy. My Macbook Pro barely breaks a sweat.
Actually that works really well on the mini; I use mine as an HTPC and I can play all of the trailers on the Apple site (plus HD movies) with no hiccups.
We all tend to think of integrated video as very poor, but don't forget this is a newer chipset specifically designed for features that things like Core Image use (though the design was in anticipation of Vista features more than Core Image I am sure).
Also the video solution uses both memry chips to double memory bandwidth.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Exxxxcelllenttttt !!!
-- "It's not stalking if you're married!" My Wife.
from the Apple Support site: "If you have a MacBook, the Final Cut Studio (Universal) crossgrade Installer does not prohibit you from installing the pro applications, but this configuration does not meet the minimum system requirements for Final Cut Studio. See the Final Cut Studio system requirements for complete requirements. Note: The integrated graphics processor in the MacBook does not permit float processing in Motion and will result in degraded performance and other issues in Motion and other Final Cut Studio applications." http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303 782
No 64 bit and no mouse button equals no mac for me. Unlike a desktop Mac, there's nothing you can do to have a second mouse button on a laptop - other than an external mouse, which isn't acceptable to me.
Melissa
"Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
Obviously, the parent poster was referring to someone who had already decided they were going to buy an iPod, no matter the model. I don't see why your comment is marked "Insightful."
"Sufferin' succotash."
Who is "they"?
Well, capitalism. "Big corporations." Didn't you know it makes you enlightened and educated on Slashdot to rant against consumerism and capitalism? Your college professor will love you for it.
"Sufferin' succotash."
You're right, I'm a victim because I've decided I only want a 10GB music player. Thank you for reminding me I'm a victim of my own choices. What would I do without you, "gomoX?"
"Sufferin' succotash."
Don't know, maybe something productive out of you saturday?
I'm not the one implying that Apple is t3h 3v1l because if you "just need 10GB" they FORCE YOU into buying 30!!!
My english is sow-sow. Sowhat?
No, actually is the other way around. Once you are educated (on Slashdot or anywhere else) you start ranting about consumerism and capitalism.
My english is sow-sow. Sowhat?
Crawl back into your hole.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
As many people have pointed out, to right-click, you tap the trackpad with two fingers (in tap mode) or touch the trackpad with two fingers while clicking the button (in click mode). The only drawback is that this will not work in Windows on a dual-boot setup.
Two reasons why I won't get one of these: 1) It won't manage the fancy bits of Vista because of the graphics 2) I couldn't stand not having double click when I booted it into Windows If it could do both of these, I'd buy one tomorrow.
The only drawback is that this will not work in Windows on a dual-boot setup.
Since the two-finger right-click is a feature of the hardware, though (according to the article) only in the MacBooks and 17" MacBook Pro which were released after Boot Camp*, I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple release Boot Camp Beta 2 with a Windows driver for the trackpad that supports that feature.
* It just occurred to me that maybe two-finger right-click trackpads were silently added to the 15" MBP this week when they were speed-bumped. I guess we'll find out when someone who's ordered one since this past Tuesday tests it out.
I *am* a college professor and administrator. And I'd say you're far from being 'enlightened' along with a vast majority of the /. crowd.
(You know just like everyone else that we see this fallacy -all the time- on Slashdot, that is conflating the opinions of the subset that comments on one story with the subset that comments on another; As if bsd-fanboys, gnu-fanboys, Mac-fanboys, Mac-users, Linux-users, etc are all one monolithic bloc we'll call "fervent Windows haters".)
> My problem lies with those who were fervent Windows haters but now are excited by Boot Camp because it's 'new and popular.'
This statement is a contradiction in terms. Fervent Windows Haters aren't running Windows XP on their Macs. If they are, they aren't (and never were) fervent Windows haters. Would this preclude them from acknowledging open-mindedly that it's a feature for others? Indeterminate. If a so-called fanboy is telling you that "omg boot camp is teh g r34test!!~" they aren't "fervent Windows haters" (or are open-minded, possibly-fervent Windows haters I guess) in which case their excitement over being able to use Boot Camp is a non-issue. (right?)
The people you "have a problem with" (the ones that both hate Windows and like Boot Camp because it's new and popular) are either non-existant or a tiny minority of waffling trolls. Probably not worth your time to complain about. And not worth the time to reply about?
Anyhow, something less trivial: The lower threshold to 'switching' is a win (imho) for all Mac users (fervent, fanboy, professional, etc). If anyone shares this opinion, then they could both fervently hate Windows and still honestly claim that Boot Camp is a net gain. Fault them for their exuberance if you must, but I don't think that anyone's stance on Microsoft is the sole yardstick by which Boot Camp is measured (e.g., any of the responses to your thread that explain why Boot Camp is personally a win). And finally, if they hated Windows before, why would Boot Camp even mitigate that?
what hole?
I KUT J00 M4NG!!!
Not everyone.
I was being sarcastic. Those of us who want cooler CPUs are not as loud as those who want faster CPUs. If we want cooler CPUs we need to make our voices heard. The people who wanted quieter computers bitched, and they got them. Maybe it's time we bitched about the scorch marks on our trousers.
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
One of my main concerns about Apple's laptops were that they seemed to have an underpowered CPU and a slow BUS. However, it seems that with the MacBook and MacBookPro these concerns are relieved to some degree. The ProDuo chip would be plenty fast for me.
Technobunga - Refreshing High Tech Geek Fuel and Modern Happenings
An interesting thing to point out, except you seem to have forgotten that people* don't go out and buy "the 4GB one" or "the 30GB one." They get the white one with the big screen, or the small one in black.
* who aren't geeks poring over specs sheets on the Internet
I've used the Intel chipset under Windows XP, and the performance with 3d apps was miserable... my old celeron 1.7 with an nVidia 5600 was smoother than a 3 GHz P4 with Integrated Graphics. It was still faster than my older Radeon 9200 for most stuff (but not always noticably) but *damn*.
... so it'll probably beat the old iBook most of the time. And that's Windows XP, but I've run the Mac version of some of the same software on my Mini and it wasn't that far behind the 3 GHz P4 with the Intel graphics.
The only place it really kicked butt was video playback.
Now, my Celeron is probably faster than the old Powerbook simply because I have a MUCH faster memory bus
And... I've seen some game benchmarks where the iBook beat the Macbook or the Intel mini even with universal binaries. Now, I suppose on the mini they could say "this is an entertainment center, it's not a general consumer machine"... but the Macbook *is* targeting the general consumer market, and if the new Macbook's slower for games than the iBook was that's just not acceptable.
That's got the same problem as the stupid "Mighty Mouse" ... it's too easy to accidentally register the wrong button (I can't reliably right-click with the MM, I have to stop and deliberately lift my index finger), plus you can't chord for the middle button in X11 apps.
Doex anybody really like two-button trackpads? I feel like I'm flirting with carpal tunnel every time I twist my hand into that awkward position needed to reach the right button with my thumb
Don't do that then. Hit it with your little finger or your ring finger.
So what's worse? Integrated graphics or an underclocked Radeon X1600?
What's worse? Integrated graphics.
The Core Duo mini using software OpenGL plus the GPU barely edges out the 166 MHz bus G4 + Radeon 9200 in the original mini in some benchmarks. It's up to snuff with modern Radeons in others, but *damn*... having to use a dual core CPU to make sure you sweep the grotty old Radeon 9200 should be terminally embarassing for Apple.
When they say that it's "4-5x faster" but you're using all that extra speed to cover up for the crummy GPU... that's just pitiful.
Test number two: try playing the high-definition (1080i) trailers on Apple's website.
The GMA chipset is pretty good for 2d acceleration, it's 3d it sucks at. That's why people excused it in the new mini since it was "targeted for home entertainment centers".
They don't have that excuse in the MacBook.
Intel must really be soaking them for their Core Duo chips if they have to cripple the boxes elsewhere to keep the price down.
In MacWorld's benchmarks with real-world OpenGL (UT2004), the MacBook Pro, with real video, delivered three times the framerate of the MacBook.
Nice one. Notice that the Macbook's frame rate about split the difference between the iBook and the Powerbook?
iBook - 14.1
Macbook - 17.8
Powerbook - 21.4
Mcbook Pro - 63.1
So the Core Duo and the GMA graphics together were somewhere between the performance of the nVidia go5200 and the Radeon 9600.
UT2004 at Macworld:
iBook G4 1.42, nVidia go5200 - 14.1 FPS
Macbook 1.83, GMA950 - 17.8 FPS
Powerbook 1.67, Mobility Radeon 9700 - 21.4 FPS
Macbook Pro 2.16, Mobility Radeon X1600 - 63.1 FPS
Your G4's got a Radeon 9600, and I would be surprised if it doesn't match the performance of the Macbook 1.83, if not better it. Why don't you give it a shot and post the results here?
True, but the point is still valid - widening the gap. More expensive types of storage don't hold more music per space.
No single raindrop believes that it is responsible for the storm.
Nor are you the only one missing the fact that there are plenty of other mp3 players out there that are cheaper, and in enough cases (especially when you're never going to want 30 gigs, or have no desire to watch video on a screen that small) better. the price point gap strategy works particularly well because a large chunk of people who buy apple products don't seem to realize that there are, in fact, good alternatives.
No single raindrop believes that it is responsible for the storm.
I have a 1 gig Sandisk. Couldn't be happier.
My english is sow-sow. Sowhat?
I bought a MacBook the day they came out. I have been a big proponent of Apple for a long time, and like what they're doing software-wise. I really wanted a MacBook and knew they'd show up "sometime soon" after the MacBook "Pro". (Hell the specs on the new MacBook are as good as the original "Pro" machines, just like Apple always does.)
I then left on a trip back East, and two days into the trip the laptop went completely dead. Won't even power up. Battery is charged, charger works fine. Tried the PRAM Zap thing and the power controller reset trick. The machine is utter fucking toast.
Got back home from the trip into Denver where we have THREE Apple Stores and drove like a mad bastard from DIA to the house to get the original packaging, and then to the Apple Store. Already had researched that they close at 6PM here on Sundays. Had a friend look at the website on the phone while I drove.
Walked in at 5:30 PM, told the sales guy what's up. He says, "come over here with me" and proceeds to log into a Mac away from the rest of the customers to get me an APPOINTMENT for the Genius Bar. An APPOINTMENT? WTF????
The system tells him there are NO APPOINTMENTS left for the day. He tells me flatly that I can't get it replaced or repaired tonight.
My blood boils. I tell him the thing is completely dead and I want it dealt with. He says I can't see anyone today.
I ask him, "Can you at least check with them and see if they'd have time to see that it WON'T EVEN BOOT?!" He says yes, then hollers over to the Genius Bar guys, "Are you guys done for the day?".
Not a word about WHAT THE FUCKING PROBLEM IS -- He leads them into "Yes."
I was so shocked and pissed off I walked out. This was the store across town from where I bought it, but closer to Denver International Airport.
I'm going to absolutely LOSE IT on a manager tomorrow.
Fucking hippy-dippy "Get an Appointment at the Genius Bar" BULLSHIT. Christ.
A customer with a completely dead piece of hardware they bought 4 days ago on the DAY IT WAS RELEASED walks in and you tell them "Go away. You don't have an appointment."
What the fuck is wrong with these people?!?!?!?!?!?!
They're probably getting a dead MacBook back for good tomorrow. If they try to charge me a restocking fee, I'll let them know I'm invoking my credit card's customer protection plan and they can go jump in a god damned lake.
Dude, I'm gettin' a Dell.
+++OK ATH
Jesus wept.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
My White macbook was shipped to me direct from china with huge gashes on the top lid with some sort of brown matrial in the gashes...very disappointing. I would have sent it back If I thought I could get it in a reasonable timeframe.