MacBook Initial Review

[Editor's note: John originally wrote this as two separate entries.]

The Purchasing Decision

I am starting this post typing on my 2001 Apple 12″ iBook. It’s old. It’s pretty slow. It still works after a hard drive replacement three years ago. Still, I need a new clean notebook to help me begin law school in a month.

First, I had to decide what model (the brand and OS were, in this case, given). My main uses are web browsing, email and text. I also manage my music collection and photo libraries digitally and have used Apple’s GarageBand in a home studio setup. Since I am not heavily using any processor-intense applications, other than light GarageBand use, I decided on the consumer-line MacBook. The higher end MacBook Pro would have been cool, but overkill for my use and also cost-prohibitive.

In this day of rapid fire technology updates, I chose the fastest processor available at the time, the 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. I also maxed out the memory to 2 GB, as memory is such a crucial piece in the performance of a computer and you can never have too much. I went with the standard 120 GB hard drive. I bought an Apple USB modem in case my DSL ever goes out or I’m traveling to an area that doesn’t have broadband. That’s it for the setup…oh, and I also purchased the AppleCare Protection Plan. I’m not going to risk having to pay out of pocket if…well, you know. So now I’m waiting on the machine to arrive.

The Initial Impression

It’s been a couple of weeks since I received my new MacBook and although this computer isn’t some technological breakthrough or state-of-the-art supercomputer, it works. It works great, in fact. And looks and feels great, too.

Right out the box it’s visually stunning: very thin, clean lines, nice contrast between the polished and brushed polycarbonate casing, and the display is amazingly bright and clear. After a couple of days I find it uneasy to read text on my old iBook. Plus the widescreen’s real estate is copious. The keyboard and trackpad are very responsive and I don’t know how I ever lived without the two-fingered scrolling.

I told my brother that I got a new computer and he asked if it was fast, and I replied, “It’s not so fast that you go WOW, this thing is fast…you just don’t notice how fast it is. You click on an icon to open an application and it’s open before you can think of ways to use it.” Very nice. The real test for me was ripping a DVD so I can put it on my iPod. On my iBook, a two-hour clip took 16 hours to rip; on my MacBook it takes about 2. Garageband never slows, even with a myriad of software instrument tracks. So don’t worry about performance. It’s got it.

I chose to transfer my files manually instead of using migration assistant, which took longer but I didn’t want all the clutter of my old system. Nice and clean is the theme.

As far as software goes, I downloaded iGTD and Quicksilver and both have become extensions of my mind. I was skeptical about both but after using them for a week or so I’m hooked. I am, however, concerned about the long-term effects of decreased usage of my brain and reliance on the software.

In summation, I love my new MacBook. It works so well. It just wants to find ways to work, not just e-mail and web browsing.

After classes begin and I get settled in to daily school-related use, I’ll post more on my use of NeoOffice, iGTD, and other apps I find useful.