I decided on the macbook Aluminum..for anyone else looking at 13 inch models..Here is why(Comparisons to other similar laptops).

Just thought i would let everyone know i decided on the Aluminum Macbook. For anyone else who was following this thread with the same questions i decided on it versus the following Models/Brands. I really wanted a 13 inch model so any suggested 14-15 models i ignored comparing.

I will be placing the order within 2-3 weeks and will definitely make another post about it once i have a chance to use the laptop a bit and my overall first impressions with Apple.

Dell Studio XPS 1300 - Many many reported high temp heat issues with units being sent back. Local bestbuy Has had 3 returns Inside of a week. Bestbuy.com is also flooded with complaints about them.

Lenovo U330- Build quality problems uneven springboard chasis (researched several forums googling the model and build quality. Does not effect every U330 however not a risk i am willing to take. Also visible screen ripple from pressure on the back of the screen.

ASUS N10j- Let me say i LOVE ASUS and iv'e had great experience with them in the past. The reasons i did not go with this netbook are the following. The CPU is a major bottleneck and even with the dedicated GPU the Macbook Scores higher in 3DMark 06 with it's 9400M. The battery in the ASUS N10j is also reported to be easily damaged and very short in life. I also had a chance to see the unit in person and while most of the unit was rugged the hinges...really felt rather weak.

Sony SR series- I did not choose this Laptop as it was the highest priced of the bunch. Among that I have had extremely poor experience with ATI mobile graphics (My last one being an X1700 two of which i had basically melt on me, Along with support being dropped very quickly). The build quality was acceptable but for being the most expensive of the lot i would expect a much sturdier build (Being made of Aluminum or something similar) A standard plastic for 1500$ is simply unacceptable IMO. The screen also rippled from pressure on the back. And the Palm rests seemed rather easy to have flex occur with.


The Main things that made me decide to get the Macbook Aluminum were..in order

1. The Build quality
2. The Size
3. The price for the Build quality
4. a GPU with acceptable performance but respectable battery life.

I have zero experience with Apple Laptops before..this will be my first.

Thanks to all the members who took the time to help me with suggestions in my research.

 

To be fair, ATI graphics are a lot better these days. But, the SR's palmrests/lid feel so cheap I can totally why that one's crossed off your list.

Hope you enjoy your new Macbook

 

I will take your word for it. But you can understand why with my past experience i would be hesitant? I will keep that in mind however If a laptop i really want is ATI based in the future =)

 

This thread reminds me of myself. Howcome you didn't consider the Sony Z? Too expensive? hehe.

 

Price is definitely way more then what it's worth, IMO. The 9400 M outperforms the 9300 M.

 

I'm sure you'll be very happy with the Macbook. Congrats on the purchase!

 

Thanks, i hope so =) Lord knows OSX has to be better then Vista is (At least i would hope). Though i must say it's unfortunate i won't get to try Windows 7 (though i could just desktop load it)

 

Haha well Vista is... well lets just call it "unique". For the brief time period I had a Macbook, I found it to be a joy. There's pretty much an equivalent piece of software to replace anything missed on Windows. I must admit, however, that I did not like Office 2008 nearly as much as 2007, but each his own I suppose.

By the way, VLC runs excellent on the Mac. Just a heads up.

 

congrats on the new mac. i was cheap and got the 2.0 ghz version without the lit keyboard. i should have gotton the version you got. the lit keyboard is one of its best features.

there are many benefits to knowing both pcs and mac. i switch between both often now and it doesnt matter to me either way, they are both so easy to use.

 

i agree with you. The backlighted keyboard helps loads at night. Even though i use my room lights, the light coming from the keyboard helps me a lot when i'm typing at night.

Windows simply rocks on the mac. I advise you to go with the 4gb ddr3 RAM because if you feel the need to use a virtual machine in the future, 2gb of RAM is definitely not going to cut the cloth. I upgraded my RAM from 2gb to 4gb and the difference is like day and night. There's no lag when booting up my windows 7. i can use now both mac os and windows at the same time without getting the spinning beach ball on my screen.

 

I don't know what you're talking about with the SR. The SR is not plastic; it is magnesium alloy: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644570898&parentCategoryId=16154 Magnesium alloy is more durable than aluminum... although the Macbook kind of makes up for that with its unibody construction. Also, I've had my hands on the SR and it feels quite solid and sturdy to me... not like plastic at all. (Some other Sony laptops, like NS and FW series, are plastic, and it's easy to feel the difference.)

The SR is also less expensive than the aluminum Macbook: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644569394&parentCategoryId=16154

 

That was not the one I saw or handled at the local Bestbuy. I am assuming there are multiple SR models(Or that bestbuys sign was wrong)?
The one you linked me is indeed alot nicer looking (and from the pictures looks a ton more durable then the one i saw). I would have given it alot more consideration with the one you linked me.
However i would have likely still selected the Macbook due to it's DDR3 vs the sonys DDR2, And the 9400 M slightly edging out the 3470 HD by about 100 points in 3dmark 2006 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html .
The other thing i noticed is the base priced configuration with the 2.16 ghz C2D does not allow the 3470 and forces a CPU upgrade (Not a huge difference just more to that base cost.) However it would definitely change my pricing/durability views of the laptop. Thanks for that.

 

Congrats on your decision on buying a MB. It is the best laptop out there.

 

I have to disagree with you on the construction of the SR. The palmrest/keyboard area on the SR are some of the most flexy i have ever felt. It may have a strong internal magnesium chassis but the outside is made of plastic feels downright cheap.

 

Only the first batch of U330s were affected by the warped chassis.
And it's a very sturdy computer, well-built, with a better screen than a Macbook at 900 bucks on Amazon.

Just to straighen things out.

 

besides, discount'ed T400 isn't any bigger. now that you get the thinkpad quality.

SR feels sturdy to me, HP's dv4 is on the same league as well

ps. don't limit yourself by size, if you need a 13.3; look for 12.1-14.1 and open up your mind.

actually, this post should better start off with "i like mac" two times. what's the point of limiting the choices with mac-favor setups? circular reasoning?

 

well,I don't see that thinkpad quality anymore... my x200/x301 are way behind of x40!the only notebooks that have BQ similar to old thinkpads are HP elitebooks.

 

I'm not sure what your implying hydro..But i have no love or hate for mac..Iv'e never owned one...In fact the last one i even USED was a G3 back in school and i hated the hell out of the thing(It crashed every other 5 minutes). The macbook just happens to suit my needs better then any other Laptop in it's class iv'e researched thus far. Quite frankly my only gripe is the price.


As far as the U330 goes i am aware of the first gen thing. HOwever with online retailers no one can truly know how long that stock has been there or what generation it is.

As for size Limitations I'm perfectly open to SMALLER then 13 inches but bigger is out of the question. I am the one buying it and i know my needs =) 14.1 is simply far too large for me. I spent a good amount on my 1520 Inspirion (by opening my mind) because it's price for the specs were amazing, well guess what? it never sees use because it's too big for my needs and i settled on size. To be frank i highly considered the N10J ASUS because of it's size. If it wasn't for the horrid CPU i would have gone that route over the Macbook. But the Atom CPU's are simply far too weak.