Considering to buy a Macbook

As the title says, I'm considering to buy a Macbook. However, the more I read review sites and blogs, the more problems I find. Can someone give me some unbiased answers on the following questions?

1) Does the Macbook get too hot to even use on my lap?
2) There are reports of the Combodrive and Superdrive scratching CDs/DVDs when the Macbook is nudged a little or tilted. Do you know if these are just isolated cases or a general faulty design in the machine? (Macbook owners could help!)
3) This is probably hard to answer, but what kind of life expectancy should I expect from a Macbook? I can't afford the extra warranty coverage and I'm getting the cheapest configuration they're offering.
4) Any problems I should be aware of?
5) How come boot times for the Mac take so much longer compared to PCs?

Thanks a lot!
This is going to be my first laptop and possibly my first Mac if I choose to buy it.

 

One thing you'll find is that people's experiences seem to be pretty different, especially in regards to issues like the heat question (i.e. some people have found them too hot to use, while others have had MacBooks running at fairly cool temps).

In terms of life expectancy, it's a little hard to say with the MacBook since it is newer hardware. I can tell you that I know of plenty of people with older G3 and G4-based iBooks who have been using them for a number of years and that are still holding up quite well. The AppleCare extended warranty is still worth considering (you don't need to buy it right away, you can buy it anytime before the regular 1 year warranty expires). You get an extra 2 years of protection out of it, and it can definitely be worth it (this is a good policy for any laptop really).

Regarding boot times, honestly I haven't noticed that particular issue. Even my old iBook seems to boot up in just about the same amount of time as my Sony Vaio, for example. From what I've seen in the store, the current MB's and MBP's seem to boot up even faster.

 

On my macbook, MacOSX starts quicker than XP.

I can easily use my macbook on my lap as long as its not plugged. If its plugged it gets a bit hot. You can use it with something else between you and your lap.

So far I haven't got any cds scratched.

The extra warranty, well, fortunately I haven`t used any warranty or phone support. But it covers a wide variety of problems. If they think its nescesary, they would replace it with a simmilar notebook (well, just in case there is no more MacBook production). There are cases in wich ppl get replaced their g3 for a g4 and their g4 for a macbook. I would strongly recommend it.

 

About the heat thing: Apple recommends that you don't use the MacBook or MacBook Pro in your lap while operating. My friends have said that their MacBooks don't get uncomfortable unless they've been using it on their lap for 45min. or more.

About the Warranty: I strongly recommend the warranty as well - our family had our first iMac G5 (1.8GHz PPC G5 - the first version) fail on us after about a year of usage - without the warranty, Apple wouldn't have given us a new one. I also like Apple's tech support a lot too - they're actually based in the US.

 

I can use my Macbook in my lap perfectly fine for extended period of time, just not computer to skin (make sure to at least wear long enough shorts)

Your lap will get warm, but its not gonna be something thats really uncomfortable. (considering your macbook is under normal load, haven't tested it under full load)

 

Under heavy load, probably. Some people are affected by it more than others.

The only way I could think of that happening is if you pressed hard on the top of the cd drive (right-side keyboard) enough to compress the case and force the cd into the lens or its carriage. I have no first hand experience, though.

If you get a decent model (you'll definately know within the first year), you'd probably be comfortable using the laptop for around five years. It'll start getting too slow to be practical. The battery will probably be the first thing to go (if you get a good model), especially if you use it a lot.

Some macbooks have been overheating and crashing the OS...if you encounter any similar problems, definately return it. The ram it comes with (512mb) should be considered a bare minimum, especially if you like to keep things open. Some people have discoloring issues (also, definately return). The integrated GPU sucks for 3d and it leeches ram. The magsafe is cool until you set the macbook on an uneven surface. You'll probably get annoyed pretty quick when the power cord keeps detaching/attaching accidentally.

Different operating system (More overhead in OSX?). I think they are pretty comparable, though. Windows gets to the desktop pretty fast, but usually takes ~30secs+ until you can actually do anything normal. If you don't like OSX, just install windows and it'll boot up just as fast as any (comparable) PC.

 

A laptop that you shouldn't use on your lap. SOUNDS GREAT!

 

I know...You'd think they would try to fix an obvious problem rather than try to rewrite rules. It's all a trade off, though. It could be noisy and cold? Which is better?

 

All of the questions seem to have been answered well. I have not heard or experienced any scratched CD's (I have an MBP, but similar loading drive) and the heat is something you will have to kind of decide for yourself. Some people are a little freaked out by a passive cooling system.

As for OS X booting slower, I have yet to experience that. It takes something like 32 seconds to go from cold to able to use it. My desktop PC takes about 30 seconds to get to the desktop, but then I gotta wait another 15-20 before it is actually usable. With OS X, as soon as the desktop appears it usable.

 

i haven't used a notebook on my lap since that article came out about it killing sperm.

maybe its just me, but i've been thru 7 or 8 laptops and i've never had one that i could say didn't get too hot for me. i'd also have to say that despite the crappy trackpad button on my macbook, its my favorite laptop so far. it was pretty frustrating during the first week of adjusting to osx from windows but now i wouldn't want to be without it.

osx also loads much quicker than any of my computers with windows.

 

YIKES!!!!

RO1

 

Just to chime in about the heat issue, with my MBP I find that most of the time even a thin pair of boxer shorts by itself is enough so that my legs don't get uncomfortably hot.

 

Regarding the heat--
One of my nieces got a MBP when they were first arriving-- she had ordered it the day after it was announced. It did run pretty hot in the beginning, but then there were some software updates which made it quite a bit cooler. She has never had any freezups/problems, but she was worried about the heat. The couple MacBooks I've had experiences with did not run that hot-- but it's all relative, and it depends on how hard you're taxing the processors.

My own experience-- I have a 3.5 year old Powerbook G4 1Ghz that has never given me any trouble. But when I used it on my lap, I didn't appreciate the heat. I recently have started to collect various lapdesks-- I love using them now with my laptops. All protect your body from feeling the heat, but some even have room for a mouse, some elevate your laptop also so it has better air flow, and it is just really easy to set the lapdesk to the side when I have to get up from my seat. It seems more sturdy than setting down the Powerbook alone, and it's easier to type on all the time.

Another thing I did to keep my computer cooler was to get larger adhesive rubber "feet" for the bottom of my Powerbook. They just stick on and give it a bit more airflow.

And when I'm on the go? I bought a thin plastic cutting board about the same size as my Powerbook that slips into my notebook bag. The "rough" cutting surface grabs the rubber feet of the Powerbook. And it was just $1 at the dollar store.

I've collected some links for you of a bunch of lapdesks - enjoy...

Targus Portable LapDesk Stand for Notebooks - cheapest at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...ct_id=4217006&sourceid=1500000000000002994000
It folds into different configs - see images here: http://www.targus.com/us/popup.asp?sku=PA243U&name=Targus+Notebook+Portable+LapDesk%99

Another few more cool lapdesk variants:
http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLAT...p?Params=Category=5-344|PageID=5044|Level=2-3
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/762_computer-lap-desk-padded-wrist-rest.htm
http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002L0V56/ref=nosim/104-7552770-6381526?n=3760901
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006G8U8C/ref=nosim/104-7552770-6381526?n=1036592
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3RZWS/ref=nosim/104-7552770-6381526?n=3760901
http://www.bedbathstore.com/lapdesk.html

 

Thanks much to the original poster and respondent who asked a lot of the same questions I had... I have a few (bunch) more... I apologize in advance for the cross-post (I'm on the what laptop should I buy board, too) but I wanted to hear from mac people and weren't sure you all check that other board.

A bit of a background, I was a total mac person back in the day, in college when i had a mac classic SE and then a power pc that could switch to PC mode (with great difficulty, clunkiness, crashes).... I was sold on pcs largely for the compatibly and have had two dells that have both died after about 3 years a piece. I LOVE the look and lots of what i'm hearing about the macbook but wonder if it's really practical and the costs are starting to climb, so.... here's your chance, mac fans. tell me how my computing life will be transformed by the power of mac, how easy/compatible they really are, and anything else I should know.

I really appreciate these wonderful boards.Thanks!

jennie

**** (from the "what to buy" board")

Okay, in large part thanks to all of you, I've finally narrowed down to the dell e1405 core duo or the macbook intell core duo...

now tht I'm actually starting to price these out... some questions:

*What are people's thoughts on warranties? Do I need the apple 2 year warranty ($219)

* Windows XP - do I need professional? or would media center /home do for me? or do i really need this at all if i were to have a spiffy new macbook!? As I've said on other threads, I just do the basics (word processing, other office apps., limited desktop publishing/photo editing, and internet (wireless)? I do connect via remote (citrix, if that means anything to you)) server to my u.s. government employer. I will ask my IT staff there but what do you all think? Could I get by with media center or home editions? And if I go mac, do I need any of this? I assume I have to buy it again? I can't use any of my existing software from my old (dead) laptop?

*MS Office? if I hve these discs (2003, windows) do ineed to purchase again if I go with macbook? Once I do what I need to (parallels, boot camp) to "activate" the pc side of my computer, can I use my office cds (from my dead laptop)? What about XP? Do I need to buy this again too? How much?

EDIT
*One more I just thought of: Wireless card options? Ummm there are so many... what do i want? Both have internal cards (i think?)


*and one more: 512 mb ram/sufficient or 1 mb (on dell it's free so... guess i'll go with that if go dell)
end edit

*For Mac Only- what are the extras I'll need if i go this way.
Can I use my existing wireless router or do I need airport?
Will I be able to connect to work (u.s. government) server securely?
Do I NEED windows xp?
Does anyone have experience with openoffice docs - would they suffice /open properly if I created on a mac platform and opened on a windows platform?

Thanks sooo much in advance? I realize each of these are books in themselves! Any thoughts will be *much* appreciated!

Last edited by washwords : Today at 01:02 PM.
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Today, 12:57 PM #2
yuio
Notebook Geek
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 99
Rep Power: 1 Re: warranties, XP version(s) and other particulars for new laptop

go with the dell, you will be about to use all of your old software, garrented ability to connnect to US goverment servers, will be cheap.

you can put windows xp on an apple but that will cost an additional 400 dollars because you will need to buy windows xp cd.

let put it this way
dell will have garrentied compatability with everything
and the mac will not.

 

Well, Apple is known very well for the quality of their hardware, not to mention their customer service as well, I do recommend getting the warranty anyways, mainly because sometimes defective hardware does get through regardless of how much they check their stuff before they get shipped out. Not to mention that LCD screens are VERY expensive to replace if something should go wrong with it, basically you'd be saving a lot of money if you had APP vs paying for the repair as well as labor costs.

It's up to you, Warranties are basically insurance, as long as you treat your item well and not abuse it, it's gonna be covered (except cosmetic)

Well, Mac OS X can do everything that Windows XP can do and better, in matter of fact Windows XP gets most of their features after its already been done by OS X. It will be perfect for what your asking of (macbook). The wireless thats in Apple products are none other than Atheros, Atheros is reknowned for their incredible wireless range and connectivity, none other can compare with them! Mac OS X can talk basically any language, when you add something to it, it will automatically find the software/drivers needed and install it for you, now granted XP can do the same, but no where as fast as OS X can find the hardware drivers and load it up and its gonna pretty much work right the first time, not to also mention you don't need to reboot your computer as well. I can connect anything and not have to install drivers or go through some stupid installation. Granted if you want to expand the capabilities of certain hardware pieces, the hardware provider will also give you some Mac OS X software to expand it's abilities. If you go Mac, you don't need to worry about media in the slightest bit, Quicktime and Front Row has that all taken care of, plus the notebook comes with a remote, hit the menu button on it, and your desktop disappears and you get a fancy Media Center that replaces it. If your older software or any software that is only available on Windows OS, it will not work. However there are groups out there right now developing software to run on Mac OS X that will allow Windows Applcations to run natively on OS X. (meaning when these groups finish this product, you can install windows applications on OS X that will run through this program)

Well, you will probably have to purchase a new license for XP to run on it, unless you got some extras around. Boot camp will setup your Apple to be able to run Windows XP. Windows XP cost anywhere from 125-225 dollars depending on which version you get. To be honest, I think you will be VERY pleased with OS X, but no matter what someone on this forum says, there is nothing better than actually going to an Apple Store or Reseller and trying these out for yourself. Currently right now there is no Office version for Mac OS X that is Universal meaning it will run native speed on intel macbook, however their Microsoft office 2004 will run anyways, but unless you get that extra ram I said, it's gonna be slow. Right now i'm waiting for microsoft to release a universal version.

Like I said above, Apple uses Atheros wifi cards, the best you can get out there. Dell does not, its not even an option with Dell, you'd have to buy it third party and install it yourself, plus it wouldn't be covered under your Dell warranty as well, but Atheros will have its own warranty, but its just becomes a hassle having to keep track of multiple warranties.

512 is enough to run it and do stuff, but I recommend at LEAST 1 GB of ram, your macbook will thank you for it! My macbook has 2GB of ram and it blazes.

Extras? There are none. Unless you want to buy a notebook bag for its certain size or extra batteries.

Yes, you can use your existing wireless router, I've read somewhere that the wireless card in Apple supports b/g but it also supports a wireless access point however a is unoffically supported by apple, but nonetheless works. I have yet to verifiy that 'a' wireless point works, because there are none around here.

Up to you if you need XP or not.

OpenOffice stuff should work.

Yes connecting securely to your work should be no problem, OS X even has security protocols that XP yet has good enough support for.

I have had my Macbook for almost a month now, and its running great! I love OS X, and I had been a Windows user since 1991 and linux user since 1999, after using OS X I swore never to use Windows again. I love the fact I don't really have to worry about viruses as much as I do on windows. I love how I can plug anything into my Mac and it identifies it and installs it within seconds, not minutes like Windows XP. I don't need to install any software for anything I plug in either. Mac OS X comes ready right out of the box. Windows you have to install about 3-4 different computer securitiy programs.

OS X can 'talk' to anything, meaning if it connects to a windows server/network or linux or unix, whatever the case, it knows how to communicate with them so connecting to a network should be no problem, GRANTED you have smart IT people, Macs involve a little more knowledge letting you access a secure network, such as if you use Active directory to login at work, (it can be done, but the Admins have to add it a certain way)

We can't really answer your IT questions at work, only they can.

Dell is cheap construction, you honestly think that paying such a low price for a computer, that you're gonna get quality? Apple charges the premium for good reasons, because they truely do hold quality to the highest.

Macs are compatible with just about everything as well, Hardware that is, if its a program thats made specifically for Windows, well than duh it's not gonna work, but like I said CodeWeavers is currently making a program to allow Windows applications to run on Mac OS X.

If you can't use OS X at work or whatever, just use Boot camp and install Windows XP, I heard that it runs excellent on macbook, except iSight and certain trackpad shortcuts dont work, probably because Apple doesn't want to support that, they want you to at least give OS X a faithful try first.

 

thank you sooo much! I love these boards. I'm reading every word carefully and greatly appreciate all the time this took. Big shout out to you xbandaidx Just the info. i needed

 

I actually considered the Macbook before but there are a couple of things that I didn't like:

1. I have the impression that white plastic on the palmrest area will get dirty really quickly... especially if you are working in school where writing utensils are on your desk. As for black, it's too expensive and I have heard issues about paint flaking off

2. no expresscard/PCMCIA slot
3. only 2 USB ports
4. no memory card reader
5. no VGA out, although I heard you can use (purchase) an adapter
6. the heat. It is scorching hot particularly on the top left underside of the notebook.

Otherwise, I love its build quality, the LCD, and am willing to buy it for the OS... but to me, the balance between build quality, versatility and expendability is more important so I looked elsewhere.

 

1. This issue of the flaking has been addressed from what I hear, plus there are products that can protect the palm area (invisibleshield, is what I use) if you don't want that, there are products to clean it as well.
2. MBP is what you gonna want if you want that, currently there is only one expresscard on the market thats actually available to the mass. PCMCIA is old and outdated now, anything that it used to be used for is already incorporated in notebooks.
3. You need more than 2 USB ports? If so, than a USB hub is fine. I rarely find laptops out there wiht more than 2 anyways. Plus laptops/notebooks are meant to be mobile, its not targeted for desktops.
4. Again, if you need a memory card reader, just get one that plugs into your USB port, Apple didn't put one in because it makes it look 'bad' Apple is about style as well as quality.
5. Yeah, theres an adaptor for 19 bucks.
6. The heat is fine on Macbook, there is another thread that was just recently posted by cashmonee that shows someone who compared a comparable PC version to the macbook, and tested the heat with a heat laser, he found that the macbook does indeed run warmer, but by few degrees, he also mentioned for a notebook like Macbook to rarely ever turn on its fan to be compared to this Dell which always has an active fan on, just shows you how well Apple knows about passive heat.

The heat isn't uncomfortable at all, just give it a week or two for its burn-in process and it'll start running a bit cooler. You'll notice the heat granted, but why are you touching around the upper left corner where the power plug is? Than again, whats uncomfortable for me, might not be the same case for someone else.

cheers.

 

Man, Have you ever heard that cheap ends up being more expensive? well, what I am trying to say, is that if you get a deal on a dell you will get a more consumer bassed PC, If you get a macbook its an experience. You could think its overpriced, but when you see its LCD vs a dell LCD, you wont think of that anymore. Light leakages are more or less common on Dell, my sister's dell 600m has got one. They didnt want to replace it. She has complete care and so far, she has changed the LCD twice, the motherboard once, the hard disk once and the optic unit. The notebook is starting to feel a bit loose on the borders and the battery does not last long. But then again, it was a "deal" she got the top processor and 1 gig of ram, dvd rw 3 years ago.

 

Humm, some comments.
1. It looks like it appears only in a few units, and Apple will replace it if it happens. Besides, the Macbook insides are really light gray, not white (see the photos in the review here).
2. I quite agree. Having to pay close to US$2k for a MBP to have an ExpressCard slot is silly.
3 and 4. Agree, again. Say I plug an USB mouse and external HDD, and voila, no free ports. While there is an advantage to having few ports - the chassis is sturdier - I would glady have more 2 USB ports in the right side, specially considering the Macbook lacks a modem, a PCMCIA slot (outdated or not, there is a lot of peripherals in this format, I'd like to use another wifi card for wardriving for example), and the aforementioned card reader.
5. At least it could be a standart DVI conn. I am obliged to buy an adaptor to use it (and it's different from older PB's adaptors). One more thing to carry.
6. There is some heat, but it is not excessive. I have a week19 MB and the CPU sometimes reach 82C when loaded, but in the outside it just feel warm. While it could hurt to leave it on your lap bareskin, it's not like it will burn you immediately. I guess people exxagerate a lot on this.

I must add that I had trouble connecting to my windows workgroup at work. This is a known problem in OS X and the workarounds sometimes involve changing the network settings, something you might not be entitled to do.

So to sum it up, yes, the Macbook has some disadvantages, but it all depends on what you expect from it. It is a very nicely designed, sturdy and well built machine. OS X is also visually appealing, and while I found its interface somewhat limited it is very slick and ease to use. Besides, as said before, you can just install Windows if you want.

 

I have a macbook pro.

1. Mine's on my lap right now. I have shorts on. I'm on A/C power, in the dark, so my kb is lit up and my screen is slightly dimmed. It's not as hot on the bottom as it is on the top left side. It's not as hot as it can get, but it's a bit warmer than my previous emachines laptop.

2. I haven't noticed any CD's getting scratched yet.

3. Can't answer this one. The only thing I can say is your hard drive will probably fail before anything else, if you get a good/stable machine. I probably will do the extended warranty though, for my own peace of mind.

4. I am having some small issue with my wireless NIC. When I'm on battery power, it drops the signal constantly and I have to manually reconnect. It only takes a few seconds, but it's VERY annoying. I'm planning to call Apple tomorrow and see if they can help me with it. I hope i don't have to return the machine for repair, that it's a software issue. If I have to send it in, I need to do a backup of the hard drive first. Ugh.

5. My Macbook boots MUCH faster than my Windows machine ever did. MUCH MUCH faster. I think that boot times for any machine simply depend on how much garbage the OS pre loads to run in the background before you can use the machine. I would say mine boots to the login in less than 15 seconds, and once I login it's another 10-15. Very fast, in my opinion.

I hope this helps. This has been my favorite machine so far, as well.

 

You see, the problem is that I am a student and I don't have alot of disposable income like you do. Not only will you waste money to be on par with the ports and connections of a competing Windows notebook, but you have to carry the extra bulk as well. Isn't the Macbook suppose to be a budget-centric notebook computer? Besides the build quality and the OS, what does it have to offer over equivalent Windows notebooks?

Your comment about expressCard slot is not true. ExpressCard is not widely adopted yet. In fact, PCMCIA peripherals are still dominant.

 

I don't waste money to be on par with a competing Windows notebook, I'm a college student as well, and I could hardly say that it's 'extra bulk' at all, this has been my thinnest and lightest notebook i've had to date yet. I'm used to paying this much for a notebook since I've been getting notebooks/laptops for years now, my first one costed 2,100 dollars from Sony. When I purchased my Macbook it wasn't because I wanted a competing windows notebook, heck I'm never running Windows on this nor do I even have any desires too. I needed Apple certified hardware to run the OS I wanted, and I wasn't going to use some cracked version either.

From the reviews I've read on it running Windows XP, its very promising with many reviews reporting it's extremely fast running windows, but also coming with problems such as driver support for certain hardware. I believe Apple is leaving some of it out on purpose.

Integrated webcam is still not a standard either on PCs yet these days, granted there are more and more coming out with it, but its restricted more to the high end laptops still. Webcam for Apple is available across the Apple notebook spectrum. Sudden Motion sensor, Magsafe, the LEDs on the battery that tells you charge by how many LEDs are lit up, theres things on this quality hardware that PCs or at least mainstream consumer PCs still lack. Atheros wifi card, which doesn't even come as an option for most if not all PCs manufacturers, if you're not up to date about Atheros wifi cards, its worth looking into. The LCD screen is the BEST I've ever seen on any notebook out there, and I've been all over best buy and circuit city looking at screens, yes LCD quality is personal opinion.

Heres a Quote from Dogbreath

It seems even with webcam that there are manfacturers out there are having some bumps in the road in terms of software features, in OS X, the iSight is completely integrated in just about anything, I can use Quicktime, iMovie HD, Photo Booth, iChatAV, etc with the webcam. My favorite is turning on the thermal cam, so I can see where heat sources are coming from in Photo Booth, and yes it appears to work too, because whatever heat source I put the integrated webcam towards it comes up as dark red, even works on my own body. I've read quite a bit about lack of function with PC laptops webcams.

So yes, there are things it's offering that Windows has yet to offer at that cheap sub 999 price tag that most of the consumers go after (Dell), and yes there are somethings that macbook lacks, but those things have been warranted by myself as unneeded. So far the only unneeded thing on my Macbook would have to be Bluetooth, I have yet to use it or do I even have anything to use it.

Heck, Apple just came out with wireless bluetooth Mighty Mouse today, maybe I'll get that.

 

All I have to say to this is that the Might Mouse looks real good, and not that expensive. As far as the Mac Book is consirned. I have not "owned" laptops before. I have been given some laptops for temparary use and/or reviewing purposes but never owned one with my own money. I have recently purchased a Mac Book for college purposes because I spent many weeks, months even, searching for the right laptop for my college experience. After all this searching I found the Mac Book to be the most affordable laptop for my needs and gives the most Bang for the Buck if you will. I spent, with extra shipping and tax, just under 1400 for my MacBook. That is with the upgrades I ordered and I find that the MacBook is going to be a great NoteBook that will last me the rest of my college experiece and was a great investment on my behalf.