MacBook Reactions

So I have now been using a black MacBook for about five days and I am really enjoying it. The comments made by a whole bunch of people reveal that this is a personal choice that can only be slightly influenced by your peers. Before I get into my initial reactions I just have to say how funny it is that I try to post good stuff about teaching and learning with technology, but the posts that get the most traction are the ones about Apple Hardware and other product style reviews. I think I may have to switch this blog over to an Apple Fanboy site.

Ok, now on to my MacBook thoughts ... I am noticing a few things now about the MacBook that I thought I would share as a follow up to the previous post:

• I am missing the lighted keyboard ... I hate to say it but I look at the keyboard quite a bit when I type. I type fast, but I never really did practice the way Mrs. Hawk (my 9th grade typing teacher) would have liked. With that said, I am digging the MacBook's keyboard design.


• The sound is lame ... the built in speakers suck. Completely underpowered compared to the MBP. I don't use the speakers on my laptop much, but I do when I am on the road in hotels. I love music so when I travel my laptop turns into my in room entertainment system. Maybe I just need to forget how good the MBP speakers sounded and get on with life.


• I am not missing the larger display ... the native resolution of 1280 x 800 on the MacBook is treating me just fine. I can always go back to a virtual desktop setup, but Expose continues to be my favorite choice for rapid switching.


• I love the glossy screen ... I know you can get that on the MBP, but I didn't have it and really like it. We shall see how it holds up on a plane with an open window shade, but so far so good.


• Video seems a little slow ... but I guess that is to be expected. I am only noticing it now as I have hooked up to a 23" Apple Display ... it just feels that way, but it may be in my head. It does do a great job of driving the display however.


• It gets dirty ... and I mean it gets dirty fast. I have no idea how to care for the glossy screen, but I find myself wiping fingerprints off the case a lot.


• Sexy ... yep, I said it. This thing is sexy. People check it out ... funny, MBP's are everywhere on campus and this thing just turns heads. Not that I am into that sort of thing!
  


• It is fast ... with 2 GB of RAM it is very speedy. I have to say it feels faster than my MBP (which was a first generation Intel MBP) except for when I launch Word. Thankfully (a) I don't launch it as much as I used to and (b) a native Intel version has been announced.


• The size ... the form factor simply kicks ass. The size and weight are amazing. It has sharp edges around the wrist rests that I will need to get used to, but it is a joy to hold, sit on your lap, and use. I am liking that ... it reminds me of why I loved the old 12" PowerBook.

Later today I am getting my USB Broadband Modem and will be testing it. That will be the make or break on this thing for me ... I will post my reactions either tonight or tomorrow on that one. So there it is for today -- my mind may change tomorrow, but so far I am really liking the MacBook over the MacBook Pro. Any other thoughts for me?

Comments

[Bartman]

I sometimes think back to Mrs. Hawk's keyboarding class...and it very well might be the most-utilized skill I continue to apply everyday out of every high school course I had.

The funny part is...I vividly remember turning every one of those speed typing exercises into a game w/ John, a friend who sat next to me. We'd lower the boards over the keyboards so we couldn't see the keys, then blast through the text, and see who could pull it off the fastest with the least mistakes.

So maybe I was leveraging games for education all the way back in the early 90s :)