Some simple macbook questions?

I'm considering a macbook, but have a few questions.

If I recall, when the macbook first came out there were some concerns about it running hot and rather noicey. There were also concerns with discolouration.

Are those issues still existent on current generation (new) macbooks?


One other questions, what is considered the RAM sweetspot for leopard?

Thanks for answering the newbie mac questions!

 

My MB runs VERY quite. I do not ever notice that the fan is on till they kick into overdrive. I have had no issues at all with wear but I have only had it for a couple of moths. I think the "Sweet Spot" is 2 GB but the ram is so cheap right now I would drop in 4 GB. I love the speed that the MB packs into a 13 inch notebook. Enjoy but wait to see what apple throws out tomorrow.

 

Yeah the discoloration problem is gone. 2 gig is the nice sweet spot for a mac if you are running leapord. I hear leapord runs very nicely on 2 gigs of ram.

 

However it's a good idea to buy it with base RAM (1GB), and then get more RAM from somewhere like newegg.com because Apple charges about 10 times the price that the RAM is actually worth. You save a few hundred dollars this way... And yes the MB runs very quiet. Apple worked out all the kinks, but I'm not sure how hot it gets. Shouldn't be above the norm though.

 

In terms of heat, I get about 75 degrees celsius when under load (i.e. gaming). The MBP's shell gets hot quickly because its Aluminum which transfers heat fast. If its a cold day, the shell will be ice-cold. If its a hot day, the shell will be hot.

 

Yeah. The Macbook however has a plastic shell, so it shouldn't get nearly as hot as the metal MBP shell. Plus, it's not as powerful. Also remember 75 degrees may be the temperature on the internal components but the outside won't get that hot.

 

Thanks for the comments.

One more question - what is the average battery life for the macbooks?

 

I have the older gen, but I believe the battery hasn't been changed. I get about 4-5 hours.

 

5+ hours while browsing/chatting with WiFi. Of course if you start opening stuff like garage band or videos it wont last as long.

 

Hi RogueMonk! I remember asking you about ASUS models, nearly a year ago, and you answered them very nicely .

The MacBooks definitely aren't noisy (dead quiet, really), but they do get warm, if you use it on the lap with shorts on. The discolorations were defects and are recognized and replaced by Apple, but I haven't heard of any discoloration with Santa Rosa MacBooks, so I assume Apple has addressed it right in the production line now.

I get more than 3 hours with Safari + IM chatting with WiFi on (obviously ) and an acceptable level of brightness, and more if I turn off WiFi, maybe 4 hours or even more.

Leopard will run fine on 1 GB of RAM, but since RAM is so cheap nowadays and some applications such as Photoshop and iTunes with Cover Flow take up quite a lot of RAM, I'd recommend you get 2 GB .