Apple 13.3" MacBook Intel Core Duo Notebook

A sweet little laptop!

Strengths: Great price, next day delivery. Powerful little bugger. Love the bright, glossy screen. Front Row is an awesome plus!

Weaknesses: Advertised as a 60GB hard drive, arrived as a 35GB (!?) Guess I'll delete some of the demos and whatnot. Speakers could use a little punching up - they're kind of quiet.

Summary: I took delivery on a 13.3" MacBook Intel Core Duo 2GHz with SuperDrive (white) and I have to say that I am extremely pleased with it. Great price, hot features, happy boy. As the owner of a G4 Quicksilver desktop, I can say that even at 512MB RAM - this is one fast machine. The cost of 1GB of extra memory was cheaper elsewhere, so I went with that. It was a cinch to connect the MacBook with my G4 by ethernet cable and transfer files back and forth. Also got up and running on the internet quickly. Though I can't run Final Cut Pro due to the lack of a decent graphics card, this laptop will handle music recording duties just fine! Well worth the investment (and the wife will get this one when I graduate to a MacBook Pro later this year.)

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Exceeded all my expectations

Strengths: Ease of use, quiet, beautiful screen(even in bright sun light). Powerful, It just works....,

Weaknesses: Would like to have slot for media card. Have to go with the Pro version for separate video.

Summary: I have always found a reason not to convert to a Mac. I finally ran out of reasons. The MACBOOK is the best computer I have ever owned. I am the neighborhood expert when it comes to fixing and tweaking a Windows box. I am tired of being the expert. I can't believe how good this MacBook is. It has exceeded every expectation I had.

Part of the overwhelming satisfaction comes from the ILife Suite 06(built in) and the purchase of a .mac account. On the down side Apple controls almost everything (hardware, software) On the up side Apple controls all that stuff so it all works and works well. The built is software is 1st rate. I have Adobe CS and have not even opened it in the 2 weeks I have owned the MacBook, because of the powerful build in software.

Getting used to not having a right mouse is a little hard, but I have found that cut and paste is not the way to go with a Mac. You can really just drag and drop (and it works).

I am falling in love with Spotlight. Wow, this computer will find files and help sort them by type(concept Windows should use)

My real challenge will be figuring out Automator. I think that my be the hard part of a Mac.

Bottom line for me is a Windows box will do everything my new MacBook will do, it just does not do it easily.

If you are a home user that wants to manage digital pictures, slideshows, movies, dvd's, documents, spreadsheets, powerpoints, internet, email, video conferencing, music, and do it all wirelessly then by this MacBook.

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I love the Macbook!

Strengths: Modern look, extremely easy to set up, bright, glossy screen, available windows software

Weaknesses: gets really hot in upper left corner, semi-sharp edge that rubs wrists when typing

Summary: I have been a PC user for my entire life (well, atleast since the time I started using a computer, I'm 18 now) and my dad suggested I buy the Macbook for college in the fall. After my first trip to the Apple store, I was completely in love and wanted to buy one that night. A huge reason why I purchased a Mac vs. a PC is because of the decreased risk, if any, of getting a virus. Plus, I believe that Apple's technology is pretty advanced and won't "be out of date" within several months of buying it, like a PC would. I decided to purchase the 2GHz version because it was a great upgrade for a small chunk of change. I love the bright screen (vivid with either the glossy or matte screen) and the sleek and stylish look of the computer itself. Within minutes of taking it out of the box, I was already on the internet downloading the mac versions of my favorite programs. Turn it on, enter some personal information, select your internet connection and you're done! I'm no computer expert or Mac junkie, so I cant say much for the Tiger program or any of the other additions to the Macbook. As soon as I actually take the time to read the manuals, I'm sure I'll know much more about their functions! I bought the Office Mac student/teacher version that included my favorite windows programs (word, excel, powerpoint, etc.) and that, along with the internet, is going to be what I use the most on this computer. I really like how the iSight is built right in to the computer and of course, is really easy to use. Lets see what else...my iPod was really easy to load into the itunes, the Garage Band feature is fun to play around with, and I really liked how there was a trial version of the windows office programs. All in all, I fell in love with my Macbook because it was, well, "cute", extremely user-friendly and has alot of really cool programs built right in.

My only frustration is that the edge along the bottom of the keyboard, below the mouse pad, is "unfinished" and can get irritating and semi-painful after typing for a while. I will have to go buy a pad to put down for comfortable use. Secondly, the upper left corner of the computer gets realllly hot after only about 10-15 minutes of use. I've never owned a laptop before and I know that they do get hot after awhile, but this seems a bit much.

I really am pleased with my MacBook and I cant say it enough...its so easy to use!!

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Macbook 13.3 White

Strengths: Really fast, great screen (very clear), comes fully loaded with mostly all softwares needed, magnet latch, camera, remote/sensor, sleek compact

Weaknesses: heat issues

Summary: I just got my new macbook, and coming from pc's all my life, i could not be more satisfied with the labtop. It does everything I want it to do, and then more. I am having a little trouble getting me network connection up and running, but that should be fixed in due time.

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what me worry?

Strengths: stronger than armenian b.o.

Weaknesses: weaker than arnold's tooth gap

Summary: I friggin love the lil book. She doesn't over heat or hasn't even hiccuped. iLife is awesome. The macbook looks and runs better than any other ( I upgraded to 2g ram ). whenever I use someone's pc or g4 i feel kinda sorry for them. The macbook makes me feel like king of the castle while the peasants peck away at their stone tablets. The core 2 duo was just released after I got the core duo. That sucked but the 4mb cache would've been faster than my 2mg. that's life

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A great machine, a great value

Strengths: Built-in iSight camera, ability to run OSX/Windows/Linux, bright screen, thin and light, easy to upgrade RAM and hard disk

Weaknesses: Upper left section of keyboard gets hot, 512MB RAM stock

Summary: After waffling back and forth between the base Macbook and a comparably spec'd Dell (e.g. 640M), I went down to the Apple store last night and picked up a base model MacBook with the 1.83 Ghz Intel Core Duo processor, 512MB RAM, and 60GB hard drive. As an affiliate (staff member) of an educational institution, I was able to get the educational price on the notebook as well as a free (after rebate) 2GB iPod nano and an HP C3180 all-in-one printer. Not a bad deal at all.

I have mainly been a PC user all my life. As a Web developer, I began using Macs for about two years ago when I arrived at my current, all-Mac office. Stability is unparalleled and all the software I need for my profession is available. Windows will always have a hard time emulating the polish of OSX.

The unit comes bundled with iLife 06 as well as trial versions of iWork and Microsoft Office. I literally took the notebook out of the very smarty designed and minimal packing material, plugged it in, and turned it on. It downloaded some software updates and I was up and running, configuring my favorite software (Blacktree Quicksilver, Firefox, Adium, Macromedia Studio 8, Photoshop CS 2). The performance is great and every application is snappy, even the non-Universal apps such as Photoshop that need to run through the Rosetta interpreter. I can only imagine how fast the Intel-optimized versions of these programs will perform.

Physically the notebook is very light and thin. The keyboard is unique. Although some complain, I find the tactile feedback improves my typing accuracy. The screen is bright and clear with great viewing angle. Although the resolution is very high (1280x800), the physical on-screen size of items such as windows and icons is very comfortable. Another nice feature is the latchless, magnetic lid closure. Again, the machine is very refined.

The exterior of the notebook is the glossy Apple white and very attractive. The palm rest area is more of a matte finish and very comfortable to use.

Everything is well thought out. My only gripe would be the heat output from the upper left of the bottom half of the notebook, especially when it's plugged into the wall. However, it is by no means unbearable.

I also plan on upgrading the RAM myself, which is very easy to do.

The notebook is silent most of the time and a complete pleasure to use. At $1099 ($1049 with the educational discount), you will be hard-pressed to find a Dell laptop that meets the technical specifications of this machine and the functional refinement. And with Parallels and Boot Camp, one can run Windows applications if necessary, so there's no excuse. I would buy this same notebook again tomorrow if I had to!

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Great Laptop

Strengths: Good Battery Life, very thin, magnetic power cord, video camera, easy to type keyboard, and dvd burner. runs both windows and mac os

Weaknesses: none as of yet, does get pretty hot, but just like my old pc laptop

Summary: I am a first time mac user, switched from PC just recently. The macbook is great, extremely fast, if you upgrade the ram yourself you can get 2gb total for about 140 dollars shipped, i would suggest doing that. it runs windows great, and extremely fast using bootcamp. Macosx is great too. the magnetic powercord has saved me a few mishaps already. there have been some reports about yellow discoloring and also the mooing sound, i have experienced neither. Overall i am extermely happy and glad that i "switched"

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Absolutely Incredible Notebook

Strengths: perfect size, stylish, bright screen, runs both OS X and Windows, magnets, fast, inexpensive

Weaknesses: keyboard

Summary: This is the best notebook I've ever owned, and I've gone through at least half a dozen of them--both Mac and PC. The MacBook hits the sweet spot in terms of size and price, and the best part is it can boot both Mac OS X and Windows XP. While I spend 90% of my time in OS X, I do have to run Windows occasionally, and this does it much faster than Virtual PC and, heck, many PCs. The screen is bright and doesn't settle for 1024x768 like the 12" PowerBook, going up to 1200x800 instead. Also, the computer's blazingly fast--even when running non-Universal binaries--and I haven't had any heat issues as some others have reported. I think this will soon become my primary computer, replacing my iMac G5 and Libretto L5.

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Fantastic laptop!!

Strengths: From Apple: elegant and powerful computer.

Weaknesses: Ships with very low RAM (upgrade is needed). Not compatible with Classic applications.

Summary: I bought this laptop to replace my iBook G4 and I am impressed with the improvements. It comes with built-in bluetooth and web-camera, which works very well for internet chats. The only drawback that I noticed is that it comes with very low RAM, so th upgrade is a must. I have it now with 1.25 GB RAM and it runs very fast. B aware that you will not be able to run Classic applications with this computer (in case you still need them).

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Macbook

Strengths: iSight, Bluetooth

Weaknesses: ergonomics

Summary: Apple looks and design with all the extras that usually were in the power series. Upgrade from my G4 iBook, lots more power and features. Design is not perfect as the white stains and the keys feel artificial.

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Faster, sleeker MacBook

Strengths: Thinner, faster; bigger, brighter screen; full-sized keyboard with livelier action

Weaknesses: Sharp edge below trackpad

Summary: Apple's new MacBook 2.0 GHz, 13", is even sleeker and faster than the previous iBook. When compared with my previous 1.2 GHz, 12" iBook, the speed increase is quite noticeable for the suite of Apple software included in the system (Tiger 10.4.6). Startup and overall performance is definitely snappier, much closer to that of my desktop G5 PPC. The other obvious improvements over its predecessor, the iBook are:

• Noticeably brighter screen, even when not nearly maximum brightness

• More screen real estate, wide screen aspect ratio

• Thinner

• New Intel Duo Core processor at 2.0 GHz

• Full-sized keyboard with redesigned, recessed keys, more positive action

• iSight camera integral

• Improved native trackpad functionality

• Mag Safe power connector

• USB 2.0 connectivity

• Onboard Bluetooth 2.0 Connectivity

Of course, it has a bigger drive (60 Gig versus the 30 on my iBook; and I opted for the Superdrive versus the CD-RW) but the items mentioned above, for the buck, really make the MacBook a better all-around bargain when compared with the simple upgrades to be expected when going from a base machine to the mid-level.

But for me, the brighter, bigger screen, snappier keyboard and overall response and trackpad I can actually configure without buying 3rd party software are the biggest highlights. The usability with tap-clickable and two-finger scrolling are fantastic. Oh, sure, I was skeptical about the glossy screen, having been a matte, non-glare partisan since way back, but I have not had any reflection issues to speak of, in its primary use at home, even with a potential picture window to throw me into reflection Hades. It is truly a gorgeous looking display.

I even put a copy of Adobe 7.0 (for Power PC) onto the machine and it runs well under Rosetta under the non-demanding use I have put it through. Not a hitch so far. iTunes and iPhoto are faster with improved features; transferring photos from my old Nikon 885 zipped through without issue, only speedier.

Even the now-integral iSight camera has me ogling my own reflection with the included Photo Booth, and anticipating finally trying out iChat with a .Mac account! This is such a nice little machine, my only gripe is that, as mentioned in reviews I read before I bought, the edge that runs below the trackpad, where the wrists tend to rest, is rather on the sharp side where the iBook was a nice rounded edge. If you use the MacBook at an angle where your wrists just above parallel to the keyboard, you don't notice it. But if, like me, you tend to slouch with the thing on your lap, with your wrists dangling a big off the lower edge, then you will notice that you wished it was rounded. Sort of a strange oversite given the rest of the usual beautiful industrial design of this lush little laptop. I thought it might bug me more in the beginning, but the more I use it, the less it bothers. Just me, perhaps.

The big hoop-la over the supposedly over-hot battery is a non-issue, as it feels no hotter to me than its predecessor, the iBook. I use it all the time on bare legs and you just have to be mindful is all, like before, especially if you are sensitive to this sort of thing.

I don't play the "big" processor-intensive games, or use big pro level audio or video, so the potential bottleneck of the integrated versus separate graphic card on the MacBook doesn't really effect me. Some DII, Lord of Destruction and a little Neverwinter Nights is all I generally play--or their ilk. Loaded up the DII (non-native, Rosetta, btw), and it's played fine so far through lvl 10 (though a mouse is a must on any game worth the time). :-) If you have needs that run toward those higher end graphic requirements though, I'd consider the Pro version, instead. My review and observations are with the stock 512M of memory, so I expect I'll get a little boost when I get to maxing out the RAM at the 2 Gigs it'll take, but cannot comment on that performance variable as of yet. The bluetooth works effortlessly with my Motorola PEBL and I was able to create my very own ringtones and send them to the phone. The usual smooth Mac experience so far. I transferred my entire iBook settings/docs/everything using the firewire Target Disk mode (even with Power PC to Intel difference, take note) and it was effortless and perfect, saving me the hassles of having to manually transfer over all my email and other documents by hand.

I never knew I "needed" a laptop before I was seduced originally by an iBook. The new MacBook's siren call pulled me in once again. My poor desktop G5 sits forlorned, pinned to its power cord in my office while I whisk my little MacBook off to wherever it is more fun or convenient to be, utilizing the still-powerful Airport to keep me online and networked wherever there is WiFi access, at home or elsewhere. A lovely but powerful and affordable little computing luxury, to be sure. A joy even with plain old text.

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best deal ever - Macbook

Strengths: Perfect size and duo core with bootcamp for window os...no other choice...extremely money worthy

Weaknesses: too hot..some drivers on window os still not supported, speaker problem on XP

Summary: Best deal available in the market...beautiful outlook! fast and compact...having both OS...no other choice today!so far so good for me...hope the bootcamp will modify to better compatiabilty later and also use the function keys. I have no regret of buyig it...it will be nice if ther is S-video as video out.

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Mac Hater Turns

Strengths: Well designed, runs Mac OS X and Windows

Weaknesses: One mouse button

Summary: I went with the Macbook because it runs windows and I knew Apple made well designed devices. I was not let down by the cool design of the Macbook. I haven't installed windows on mine, yet... I'm just digging on the OS X. The more I use it the better it gets.

I like the Macbook and would recommend it strongly.

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Very good machine at a very good price

Strengths: Fast, wireless (blue tooth and 802.11g), loaded with almost all the software one would ever need and easy setup and migration of data from windows machines.

Weaknesses: Heat and the rather sharp edge on the front causes some discomfort on the wrists/palms.

Summary: I really like this lap top and it is miles ahead of my old Dell Inspiron (running XP ofcourse). I am not bothered by the glossy screen (actually like it!) or the new keyboard layout. It was a breeze setting it up, linking to my wireless network at home and transferring all my files (pictures, documents and music) from my windows machines. And for those of you who might want to develop something cool, check out xcode, its awesome.

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13.3" MacBook

Strengths: Small, decent screen picture quality, built-in wireless

Weaknesses: Heavier than expected

Summary: Macs are usually a love/hate relationship and either you love your Mac and hate a PC or you don't use a Mac at all. However, my own situation is one that I've used both a Mac and PC for years (15+ years). Apple has ALWAYS had style and ease of use. The PC has always had speed and software options.

Unfortunately, the 13.3" MacBook doesn't have much style. It's a brick. While not exactly heavy, it's just shaped like a brick, like Dell and Gateway and HP notebooks. That's not to say it's not cute and small, it's just boring for a notebook (like a giant IPod for the notebook world).

The ease of use is still there, afterall, it runs OS X. The built-in wireless and bluetooth are extremely handy if not downright indispensible anymore. The speed is good but the problems with the manufacturing process in the larger MacBooks (which many seem to have a serious overheating problem) have me concerned with what's inside this box (so far I haven't had any problems along that line).

I might be more upbeat I guess if I hadn't purchased a Sony SZ series laptop at about the same time. I'll be doing that review in a few weeks. Now there's a notebook I'm excited about (I'd better be, it cost an arm and a leg. Kind of sounds like the Mac and PC world traded places on this one).

All-in-all the MacBook is a solid computer. It runs its apps well and performs as expected. Sort of what I'd expect from a PC...

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