I DON'T LIKE the new UNIBODY MBP

First, I am not flaming. I am not a troll. I am a Mac convert because of vista less than 10 months ago. I bought myself a MBP (last gen. before the unibody) and like it a lot. However I just got the new 2.4 GHz unibody MBP from work and I really don't like it. There was a lot of hype and I feel that the whole thing was way under-delivered. Here is the list of thing that I don't like.

1) mini-display port, why do mac do this? Nobody else in the world support it and it is super freaking annoying. Apple didn't provide the adapter like the old MBP, so I have to buy it and it is annoying. Why can't we have HDMI or at least a free adapter.

2) glass panel LCD...Why? It just make it heavier

3) Unibody thing to me, it was a gimmick.

4) beside the graphic cards, it is the same computer as the old MBP

5) It is heavier than the old MBP.

6) Even with switchable graphic card, the gain in battery life was offset by smaller battery, therefore no gain.

7) less firewire port

So what did I gain in getting this unibody MBP over the old one beside looks? The body is stronger, but is it that much stronger? The unibody also feel heavier than my old MBP. Thank god, I got it for free, otherwise I would have returned it by now.

 

I, too, prefer the older MacBook Pro but not for all those reasons. The matte screen on the 15".

 

I'm sure you can sell it and buy an older MBP and have some pocket change left over.

 

i dont like people who use caps as emphasis.

1. sucks, agreed.
2. structural stability. the common user likes glossy screens.
3. this is sily. it is not a gimmick, it really is that much stronger.
4. besides the graphics card, the ram, the processor, the keyboard, the screen, and the styling you mean. by your account every computer is basically like every other computer except for the components.
5. this is trivial. i dont notice a weight change.
6. any gain in battery life is much appreciated.
7. sucks, agreed.

 

Where does he use caps for emphasis?

 

To fastrandstrongr,

2) Ok, but at the expense of heavier notebook, the new design reduced the weight, but the glass panel gained it back plus some. The common computer company also provide their customers with a choice.
3) Unibody is stronger, I agree, but how much stronger. My old MBP is just fine, is the unibody design provide so much stability that it is at all worth it. If it is 100% stronger, great. But if it is only 10% stronger, does it really matter much. I just feel that Apple is playing the unibody thing as a gimmicky marketing tool.
4) Mac could at least provide a faster cpu or faster graphic card for their new design. Why can't they have an option for dual GPU running at the same time between 9400 and 9600. It could be done, but apple won't do it.
6) That is the problem, there are virtually no gain in battery life, which it should. If you use the 9600, you will actually lose battery life, when compare to the previous generation

 

Too bad I can't, I mentioned that it was bought for me by my employer. I can use it as long as I work for them, but of course I can't sell it.

 

Funny really, reading threads like this can really put people off a machine. It's a shame, I got my MBP today, and it's stunning.

The display is better than anything else I've seen, and the so called reflection issues are hardly noticeable. The unibody is strong, keeps temperatures down and looks incredible.

Compared to other laptops I looked at it's in a completely different league.

Very, very happy with my new machine, and I'm really glad I didn't listen to the negative stuff I've seen posted on here.

 

Sorry to hear that! All I can suggest is asking for another notebook

 

2. no, most consumer-orientated machines come with one panel - glossy. see the dell's (non-workstation), the hp's, the sony's, etc.
3. it is considerably stronger. the previous gen was riddled with case warping and denting... while the new version isn't impervious to these problems, it is vastly improved
4. you forget that this is also a vanity machine at just under 1" thick. the components have to be able to be cooled. for >95% of the population the processor will suffice. compare the mbp with the 9600gt at 1" and then compare the hp dv5 series thats at 1.5"... the hp runs ridiculously hot but the mbp keeps its cool - no pun intended. you will have to increase the size of the machine considerably to get to the next level of mobile gpus

 

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



The Unibody Macbook Pro is a work of pure art. Don't you think the whole thing is much stronger, and much more solid and sturdy? What about the glass trackpad? Don't you think that's pure win?

 

You don't fully appreciate the unibody construction because you only had your previous MBP for 10 months. They are incredibly fragile, and the aluminum case is prone to severe warping over time. The unibody design should be much more durable.

 

Is the trackpad really glass? How does it bend to click?

 

there's a gradient where its thicker towards the top and thinner towards the bottom. the bottom part essentially simulates the buttons where they used to be. it really is made of glass - though not the transparent type that you and i are used to.

 

It doesnt. the whole trackpad it a button that moves in and out slightly when pressed

 

I believe in providing two sides of the story. I believed a lot of hypes about new MBP and I was disappointed.

As to others, I will agree that it is cooler than my previous MBP. In fact the old MBP actually gave me a first degree burn on my lap (I posted this a while back).

To me the glass trackpad doesn't feel any better than the old one.

I can't get a new one for a while. I choose to order the new Unibody MBP because I like the old MBP a lot. I can't simply tell my employer, here take it back, I don't like it. I just feel that some of the comment on this website is hyping up Unibody MBP way too much. I just stated what I feel. To me, the new unibody MBP was a disappointment. It is not a bad machine, but to me, it is not worth the investment. For my company $2180, it could be better spent elsewhere.

I like Apple, but I am not in love with it. I switched because of vista. If window 7 is good, I will switch back. I paid a premium for a Mac because it is a better OS with a cleaner and better designed machine.

 

And how do you know that the unibody won't have all the same problems?

 

So what is all these stuff about aluminum being so much better way back when the professional line came out. IMHO, aluminum is horrible as a frame for notebook. My MBP wifi reception is about 40% less than my dad's $1,200 lenovo. Aluminum will bend and warp overtime.

I believe using carbonfiber or high quality polymer with strong metal frame is a way to go.

 

Aluminum will always warp, but by having unibody, it will reduce the negative effect of warping. Before, MBP had many pieces and not all of them will warp at the same rate, therefore the fitting of all the individual pieces will degrade. With the unibody, the whole frame will warp at the same rate, therefore reducing the fitting problem. But again, it will warp. Beside the looks and the heat dissipation, aluminum is not a good materials for notebook.

 

Proof of any of this? My MBP Unibody has a greater wireless range than both my M1330, a Dell and a HP laptop, all bought within the last year.

Also, where's the proof that the new unibodies will bend and warp? The only complaints so far show that they are able to be dented with an impact of some force. People seem shocked by this? Ordinary notebooks will crack open with that amount of force too. Apple never said they were indestructable.

 

I started out on Macs about 16 years ago, then switched to PC's for the past ten. It was a big decision for me to switch back to a Mac, and one of the reasons was that I hated Vista. Leopard is a joy to use in comparison.

As for the unibody MBP I've read so many negative things about it and none of them relate to the machine in front of me now. It's cool, it's listing 5 hours battery life, it's tough, the screen is stunning and the wifi is picking up double the amount of networks that our Evesham PC laptops can.

And to think I nearly bought a Dell.

 

I don't have any proof, but my own experience for the wi-fi range. But if you have the new MBP and older 1.8Ghz dual core T40, your T40 will have better range. It is what happened to me. So please try it yourself if you want. I have heard about the interference of aluminum frame to the wi-fi reception. I didn't pay much attention to it, until it happened to me. But I can offer you one observation, why would MBP unibody have greater wifi range than M1330, Dell, and HP. I believe that they are of similar technology. I would expect similar range, but not greater. If you look at the scientific fact, aluminum does cause interference with the wifi signal, therefore there are higher possibility that the range of wifi will be limited by the aluminum body.

I have never mentioned about aluminum warp or what not. But aluminum is more prone to warping when it comes to things that heat up and cool down constantly like notebook. It is just a physical property of materials.

I think that carbonfiber is better because it is stronger and flexible. Again, it is just the nature of material. However good high quality plastic with good metal frame is the way to go in my opinion. It is lighter, flexible, and stronger than aluminum. Again, please look at the nature of materials, it is just the fact.

Sometime I just feel like some of us Mac users are such a fanboy and it is silly. There are good things and bad things about Mac. We need to look at it from different prospective sometime and not buy into the marketing and hypes. I am not a basher, but I believe that we can have some civil discussion about things that we don't like about Apple by people like us who actually use Macs.

 

I have to agree with you that OS X is just awesome. The UI is nearly perfect. It also runs very smooth. I like Mac a lot, but the new MBP to me was a disappointment because I have such a high expectation for them.

However I feel that the new MB was an upgrade and Apple did a good job with it. It was a big upgrade from the old one. However for MBP, it was not that much of an upgrade IMHO.

 

This may be the reason that you are disappointing- it was the same with me-when I ordered my new car,I thought that it will be totally awesome...when I received it,I was disappointing even more then you-it was good,but I didn't fill any difference

 

So just anicdotal evidence then? Seriously, some people are so keen to jump on the fact the case is aluminium. "It interferes with wi-fi", no evidence to suggest it does, "it will warp over time", no evidence it has or will.

If you have fears then that's fair enough, but please don't present them as facts. They aren't, they are just your opinion.

I don't have an opinion, just a conclusion based on a total lack of evidence of anything your suggesting

 

I'd say the disappointment for me came not so much from the change in the design/construction, but from the lack of substantial power increase. Granted, there's not much that needs to be done about the RAM/hard drive, but the processor speeds were only bumped up marginally (keep in mind I'm referring to the equivalent models of each generation, not comparing the base 2007 MacBook Pro to the ultra-high-end unibody MacBook Pro- I know there's a difference there). And, it's also been shown that the 9600M GT provides only marginal increases in performance over the 8600M. Seeing as they've kept the base model the same price, I just wish they'd given a little more reason to upgrade- it seems like they touted the unibody construction alone as the main selling point.

 

You points fail on so many levels I'm not going to waist my time typing why you are wrong.

 

the 9600m gt is not the only difference, the new motherboard with a 1066mhz fsb insteed of 667mhz is also a big difference... (its also mean there faster Ram in it...)

by the way the 9600m gt is also almost 2 time faster in crysis (but that is on a normal clocked 9600m gt i dont know about the undercloacked 9600m gt of the mbp...)

 

^it is not downclocked...

 

why everyone say so then?
many people use windows to overclock them to "factory setting" ...

 

It is not an opinion about wifi, it happened to me. I have no reason to be lying to you. How do you want me to prove this to you. I can conduct an experiment comparing my friend thinkpad to my MBP, but then you will simply say or think that I made it up, just like you kind of do now. If you anywhere near where I live, I would show you, but you are not, so it is a mute point. However have you even look at your notebooks and compare them? If you do given they are similar in wifi card, I believe that you will see the different. If you don't believe me, it is ok too. As for warping, aluminum does warp. It is a metal. Repeat heating and cooling overtime will warp it. It is a fact.

 

where?a link please!

 

Yep, you and I totally agree. I felt that apple really touted the unibody thing as a selling point, but is it really good enough for me to go out and buy it, if I already have a macbook pro?

 

Well, then why do you post here? How am I not liking something is wrong? I don't like glass screen because I don't like them. I don't think unibody is a big deal. How is that wrong? If you don't want to waste your time, don't post. By posting it, you waste both your and my time.

 

^if you have a m3 and bmw updates it with a little faster engine and makes some small changes in design,is it a good enough reason to buy new one?

 

Would everyone please respect each other's opinion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with chongfa's dislike of the MBP, his points are all very valid and justified. It is fine if you disagree, but that's no reason to start making derogatory remarks about his posts.

Further insulting of fellow members will result in disciplinary action on forum accounts.

 

There are small update like aesthetic and small add on from year to year in cars. If there is not a big update, then probably not. But if there are big update, possibly. If I can get a new car for free, I would get it no matter what. As in my case, my job provided me with a free MBP.

For example, MBP made several revisions over the year, some small and some big. I think that 99% of the people will agree with me that the last MBP update was a big one and I have to say that I am disappointed.

 

The OP seems to be the only unbiased person.

 

The OP does have valid points. You have to remember all of the points are subjective really.

1. The display port thing is annoying but Apple wants to move forward with what it believes will be the standard so it's cutting off what will eventually be legacy. You can argue whether they were right or wrong till the cows come home but it won't make a difference. I agree they should have put the adapter in the box.

2. It's subjective. I actually like it and the added weight (which I haven't noticed) is a small price for protection and panel/lid integrity.

3. & 4. I completely disagree on these two. I've had the previous SR MBP and the unibody is fantastic. The body is now rigid, no creaks or seems, gaps are non-existent and everything from the ports to the hinge to the lid are now all aligned perfectly. The new magnetic latch system alone was worth it. The old double-hook system was a nightmare when it failed and left uneven gaps along the whole body/lid.

The old MBP had only one high powered USB port (right side) where in order to run an external drive you could only use that port, the other was fine for non-powered devices. We now have two powered USB ports. The battery indicator was moved to the side (it was underneath before which was useless). The HD is finally user replaceable where it voided the warranty and was a PITA to do in the old MBP.

The trackpad was a huge improvement too. It's larger and smoother and taking away the button was a genius move on their part and now allows for two physical left and right click presses.

The speaker grill holes are tiny now which on the old MBPs can be a place where dust got into the unit easier.

I can go on but you get the point. It's not just one or two things they've changed and while they may seem trivial, most apple users see the changes as positive.

5. I can't comment because I haven't noticed the difference yet myself.

6. Some reviews show a fair bit of battery gain on the 9400M and it's good to see apple give its users at least the option to use discreet or integrated but I agree the battery gain may be minimal.

7. They removed the 400 and left the 800. Remember the 800 is backward compatible with 400 devices. This in a way is similar to the Display port move from point 1. Apple just doesn't see a future in FW400.

I think your expectations must have been really sky high to be disappointed by the unibody and that's fair enough. I've fallen for high expectations before too. I just don't think (for me personally) this is the case here.

 

Thank you for your clarification. I want to say again that I like apple. I use it and for god sake, I have two of them. I just believe that we need some honest discussion of what we don't like about the machine. Not a troll or mean spirited one from a PC people. I do use Mac and I still like it more than Window. I believe that Mac is going the right direction with OS X. But I think that they are slightly lacking in the MBP. I believe that the MB update is great, so I mentioned it. I love OS X, I said it.

I just think that we need different point of views in the forum. I know that people tend to get offensive because we get trolling from PC users all the time. I just want to tell you that I am not one of them.

 

That's the worst basis ever.

I'll give you an example. Some people cannot even install vista, it crashes. Ergo, vista is impossible to install. Only it isn't. For most people it installs fine.

There are some people who get a BSOD every time they try and print with Vista, on both their laptop and desktop. Therefore, conclusion, it's impossible to print with Vista. Only it isn't, most people can print fine.

In this thread you have made two claims.

1) The aluminium interferes with wi-fi

2) The aluminium will warp over time

I have no problems with wi-fi at all, and I get a better more reliable signal from my Macbook Pro than i do with my M1330, a dell and a HP. Everyone I know with a mac has experienced no problems with wi-fi at all.

So your first claim is just opinion. It's not supported by any evidence, no objective testing, nothing. Just an opinion, and one that most other mac users can't reproduce. Literally no evidence to support your claim at all.

Same with the aluminium unibody warping over time. Evidence? Zero.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you cannot present them as facts. They are totally lacking in any supporting evidence at all.

 

Just seen your post, so please ignore my last one.

I disagree with him, but i'm not being insulting or anything. I'm just pointing out that he shouldn't be presenting his opinions as absolute facts, because there is no objective evidence to support his claims.

It's just his opinion, which he is more than welcome to, like we all are

 

Pretty much what I would of said.

I think Apple has given up on firewire, but stuck the 800 in there to make people happy. By not putting it on the MB means they are trying to get away with it and slowly kill it off.

 

true.but IMO,update wasn't that big...it was mid-size anyway,you got it for free and it does the job,but you were expecting that it ll be much better.am I right?

But this one is going quite well! No insults,just some nice talk/debate



Some things that are -/annoying/unnecessary for someone can totally be considered as awesome by others,i.e. unibody construction or glass touchpad!

 

ATC, thanks for your contribution. I just wish that we can have more discussion like this. I didn't know about the high power USB issue. I agree in some improvement, but I just believe there could be better improvements like more USB port and HDMI instead of minidisplay. How could apple possibly think that minidisplay will be the standard. They are the only one that use it. Most people use HDMI. To be honest, I have never heard of minidisplay port up until the new MBP came out.

I also expect apple to utilize both 9400 and 9600 to run together as a dual card. The technology exists, why don't use it.

The speaker grill, now that you mentioned it, I agree. It is better.

The HD feature is also nice.

Does the creak, the perfect within 0.1 mm type fittings really necessary? I think the magnet is better than the hook latch. But to me these are something that not as important in the notebook. To me as long as the body is adequate without structural flaw it is ok. I am a fairly careful user, I am not going to abuse my notebook.

I really want to know what is the reason why Apple use aluminum in the first place. Is it just for look? I know that it is not for strength or durability. I can only see heat dissipation issue. Other than that, if anybody here can offer an opinion, I really would like to hear about it.

 

Don't think that you guys can slip things past me just because you're all spamming 5 posts a second. I'm the most vigilant mod you'll ever meet.

 

I have never state it as a fact for 100% all the time. I have stated it as my experience. May be my MBP has some slight flaw. Who knows? The short range is not a big problem, I never notice it, until I went back to my home in thailand. In Qatar and US, I have a small home, therefore I never notice it. But in Thailand, my home is about 8000 square ft., so I noticed it. How would you like me to prove my claim about the wifi? About 4-5 months back, I posted that MBP gave me a first degree burn on my lap. People said that it is BS. I took a picture of my lap and you can see the burn. But I am at lost of how can I prove it to you. I can show you websites, but to me it will be a crappy citation.

I am also saying that aluminum will warp, it is just the natural property of it. Of course there will be no evident of aluminum unibody warping over time because it has only been out less than 6 months.

As for vista, people tried to do stupid things with it or have too low of a spec. But I don't know anyway of how could I lower the signal of my wifi by messing with the setting. If you can indeed do that please let me know, so it will be something new that I can learn today

 

You never heard of miniDP bc it didn't exist! apple made it! and AFAIK,regular DP is the future standard,not mini!


also,chongfa,please tell me,did I offend you with any of my posts?

nVidia confirmed that mbp is capable of hybrid sli...I think that feature will be available with Snow Leopard!

one of the reasons is that aluminum is highly replicable,and as you knw,apple is trying to be as "green" as possible!also,~all reviews prize macbooks for their BQ!

emm,I am sorry,but I don't understand what you mean.

 

Nope, your contribution to this post is highly valuable. I like lively and spirited debate. However there are minority of people here who are just love Apple blindly and become hostile to any criticism to Mac. Trust me, you are not one of those people. I think that you are a lot like me when it comes to computers. We use both Mac and PC. We can see both the good and the bad in the system. Please continue to contribute to the discussion.

I guess that all of us must try to save the world in our way. Apple used to have a very low rating when it comes to being green. So I guess that they are trying to improve that.

 

Yes, but there are different line of products in those company. So eventually, you can get what you want. This is also both a strength and a weakness of apple. Apple has limited variety of hardware, but they test them and made sure that they work well together, as a result, you have a machine with less problem. However you also have a weakness of less variety. But when it come to screen, is it that hard to let me have a choice of matte or glossy? I use glossy and it is ok. It is not that big of a deal. But wouldn't it be nice to have a choice in the matter?