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Strengths: * it's fast
* built in isight
* backlit keyboard
* hi-res display (1440x900)
* bright display
* autodimming/brightening display
* keyboard easy to type on
* magsafe power adapter
Weaknesses: * runs very hot
* marks and fingerprints easily put on
* hinge, while improved, still gets stuck occasionally
* no DL DVD burning
Summary: I was very excited to take delivery of this MacBook Pro. My previous laptop was a 1Ghz Titanium Powerbook, so this was a significant speed upgrade. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful display. You can really tell that you have more real estate to work with and it's great. It's a widescreen display so you're going to get more across than before, but not quite as much vertically. As a result, the MBP is a bit wider than previous Titanium powerbooks and was a slight squeeze to fit into my current timbuk2 commuter bag (but it does fit). The next thing I noticed was the built in isight, which is cool because I've never owned an isight and it's convenient that it's there now. I'm hoping to do some video ichatting with some friend of mine soon. The backlit keyboard is pretty cool because it senses ambient light to change the intensity of the backlight. The screen also autodims based on the ambient light. If I were a student, I think this would be much more useful, but as is, I don't have much use for the backlit keyboard at the moment. Speaking of the display, it's BRIGHT. (which is a good thing) You can always turn it down if you want, but it can be very bright if you need it to be. They've improved the sensitivity of the touchpad so that if you accidentally hit it or close to it while typing, it won't cause the cursor to go flying like it did on my tibook. The double finger scrolling is also a nice feature and I hear the right click feature found the the new macbooks has made it into the macbook pros with the latest OS release (10.4.7). The keyboard feels light, yet solid and personally, I like it. The biggest complaint I have is that the computer run HOT. Some have attributed it to shoddy thermal paste application, but since I'm not daring enough to open up the MBP, I won't know for sure. What I do know is that it's so hot that you'll feel it where your palms rest when you type. I seriously doubt you will be able to use it on your lap for extended periods of time. The other cosmetic thing I've noticed is that fingerprints appear quite easily on the MBP, much more so than on my previous Tibook. Not a big deal functionally, but if you're big in keeping your MBP in pristine condition, you might be annoyed. The hinge design that holds the MBP closed is better than the Tibook, but I've found that it gets stuck occasionally, usually when I don't put the LCD down as I'm releasing the hinge. Finally, it's too bad Apple had to revert to older technology in terms of DVD burning as the current MBP does not have dual layer DVD burning capabilities. Overall, I love this machine, and the strengths definitely outweigh the weaknesses.
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