Apple Macbook Full Review + Pics!

Apple Macbook

Overview and Introduction: The Macbook is a consumer-oriented notebook that is made by Apple. The Macbook is a 13.3” Glossy Widescreen 1280 x 800 notebook. Here is my review, and I hope you like it!
Specs:
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
• 2MB on-chip shared L2 cache
• 667MHz front side bus
• 1GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
• 60GB 5400 RPM HD
• 13.3 inch Widescreen LCD 1280x800 native resolution
• CD/DVD-RW Super Drive
• Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
• 802.11g/b Airport Express Wireless Card
• Bluetooth 2.0 internal Card
• 2 USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 Audio Input
• 1 Audio Output
• OS X 10.4.7

Reason for Buying: I have never had a notebook or even used one for over an hour. I was really interested in laptops, because then I can bring it with me to all my trips. I have spent the last two months looking for the right notebook for me. I never really used a Mac except for in School. I was looking into the Apple Macbook because of its sleek design; I fell in love with it. I later realized that if I went with dell, and spent about 200$ more, I would be able to get a full decked out Inspiron E1705 with a Nivida 7900 GS for gaming. I debated for about a month, and then after I waited too long, dell took away their awesome coupons. That ruled dell out for me, so I decided not to wait too long and miss out on the Free Ipod deal with the Apple Macbook. I paid 90$ for a 30 GB Black Ipod for my brother, and then I also got a free HP Printer, Scanner, and Copier for my Desktop. I bought a Platinum, Incase Messenger Bag for my Macbook and a Wired Mighty Mouse with a Wired Keyboard. I spent 1900$ USD all together, but I will have about 300 dollars in rebates coming in.

Where and How Purchased: I bought my Apple Macbook at the Apple Store in Irvine California, I got a 100 off with the student discount, and a discounted ipod and free printer. After playing with this notebook, I got a GREAT deal! It was well worth the price. I think I got a pretty good deal, and spent my money wisely.

Build and Design: The Apple Macbook is not a normal notebook, it is an Apple, and Apple is known for their gorgeous gadgets. The screen is a 13.3” glossy screen, and man this was built to last, the hinges are wonderful and very sturdy, and I feel that it will last me throughout anything. The Macbook is only 1.08 inches thick, and the magnetic locking system lets the Macbook sit flush when the lid is closed. The frame doesn’t twist at all even if you try your hardest. This thing was built “Road Ready”.

Screen: The screen is gorgeous, I mean it lights the whole room when set to full brightness. The screen is 13.3” widescreen display, with a 1280 x 800 native resolution. My screen came with 0 dead pixels, well I can’t see any, which is a good sign ?. The light is spread throughout the screen evenly, and everything looks perfect. It may seem small at 13.3” but it is perfect for movie viewing!

Integrated Web Camera: The Macbook comes with a built in web cam located at the top center of the lid. You can take pictures with it, and use it with iChat to perform live video conferences.

Speakers: The speakers, you know I thought the speakers would be very silent, but if you’re listening to soft music they are perfect, and if you’re watching a movie in a quiet room, you can hear everything fine. If you are into music and have loud noises around you, I would highly recommend some headphones, with the normal ipod headphone, the sound gets so loud, and I mean it gets very loud. The speakers are great for a notebook, but don’t expect much if you are a heavy music listener.

Processor and Performance: The Macbook is run by Intel’s new Core Duo Processors, Mine has a T2500 (2.0 GHz). I have 1 GB of 667 MHz ram that I bought at NewEgg.com I paid 86 including shipping and tax, and it arrived the next day with the free shipping that came with the ram. I got the Stock 60 GB 5400 rpm HD and it came with about 35 GB of ram left, after I installed the important upgrades. Which is plenty for me, but if you were planning on running Windows via bootcamp, I would highly recommend getting a bigger HD. The Core Duo processors soar through everything I do, they are so fast. The stock 512 MB of ram that comes with the Macbook isn’t enough to run a lot of stuff, and if you try to use Front Row, it lags for like 2-3 seconds, but with my ram upgrade it works in a second. The boot time is about ¼ of the time my Windows XP Desktop takes. It takes about 24 seconds to startup for me, and let me run programs, and that includes the 5 seconds I take to type in my password. It is blazing fast.

Easy To Upgrade: I upgraded the ram on my Macbook, by myself, and that says a lot because I am not very computer orientated. It was a breeze; the hardest part was finding the right screwdriver that would fit the small screws. You need a size “0” to open them. The Ram and HD are very easy to reach and upgrade.

Heat and Noise: These two things have been talked about non-stop until Apple recently released a new firmware upgrade that supposedly fixed the “Moo” noises and the heat problem. My Macbook gets hot at the top left, but it is never unbearable to have on my lap, unless the top left touches bear skin, your fine. My HD hasn’t made lots of noise, it has been very silent. I can hear the clicks of the keys and can’t hear the HD; I mean it is so silent. You only hear the HD when you are loading a big program or a game. The Firmware upgrade has reduced the heat, and I never experienced this “moo” noise that people have reported.

Keyboard and Touchpad: The Keyboard is very unique, and it feels amazing. I never try to click a key and then click the key next to it due to the keys being badly positioned. The keyboard has volume and brightness control, as well as the eject button for the optical drive. I advise you to visit an apple store or a Mac mall and use the keyboards for a few minutes and see if suits you. As for the touchpad, the touchpad is very responsive, and the two finger scrolling blows me away, it lets you just scroll side to side or top to bottom with ease, it is amazing.

Input and Output Ports: The Macbook ports are located on the left side of the notebook. The ports include a Firewire 400 port, Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio in and out, the port for the magsafe power adapter, and a port for a phone line. I don’t really need memory card reader, so it’s fine!

Wireless: The Apple Macbook comes with an 802.11g/b Airport Express Wireless Card. The Macbook also comes with Bluetooth built in. The wireless card detects my signal 30 feet away from my house. It connects so fast, and is twice as fast as my desktop regarding Internet speeds. I really love the wireless card in the Macbook; I haven’t lost the connection once. It is stunning!

Battery: The batter last about 4 hours and 30 minutes when I have Bluetooth off, and the screen set to medium, while surfing the web. I am sure if you just want to type and set the screen setting to low you can hit 5 hours. The battery last a lot longer then expected and I was really surprised about how long it lasted. I calibrated the battery the second day I got my Macbook, and I would recommend doing it as well. The instructions are in the User Manual that comes with the Apple Macbook.

Operating System and Software: I am in love with OS X. The Apple Macbook comes with two-installation disc that include iLife06, boot camp, and OS X. I love the iLifo06 software; it makes setting up slideshows a breeze. The Macbook comes with the best Free Software you could ask for. If you don’t want the free software you could delete it and your set. No need to “reformat” or anything, this is Mac; it’s just that Easy.

Customer Support: I never have had to use the customer support at Apple. The Macbook come with a 1 Year warranty, and you can upgrade to 3 years for like 180$ with the student discount. I have only heard good things about Apple’s Customer Support so I think I am in good hands.

Accessories: Apple has lots of accessories that are available for the Macbook. I bought a Messenger bag, wired mighty mouse, and a wired keyboard for my Macbook. The wired Mighty Mouse is amazing, and I really love the scrolling function it uses. I love my case that I got for my Macbook, I paid 50 well worth dollars for it, and I can sleep assured that my notebook is safe. You should consider getting some sort of wipe for your screen and keyboard/touchpad area because if your hands are dirty, you will know once you look at your keyboard/touchpad. The Macbook also comes with a Remote, that controls Front Row.

Power Adapters: The Macbook comes with the magsafe power adapter that everyone has heard of, instead of your Macbook flying to the ground, it takes the hit for the Macbook. The power adapters also came with an extension cable that lets you extend it about 6 feet longer. It was really fascinating to figure out how to attach it; after I looked in the manual I felt stupid how easy it was.
Conclusion: I would highly recommend this notebook to the occasional traveler, who wants a super fast system, with the best OS in the world! The Macbook surpassed my expectations as well as thousands of people around the World. I recieved in the Macbook exactly what I wanted, and it blew me away. This notebook is perfect for someone who wants to surf the web, watch movies, listen to music, and do homework, all with the best operating system out their, for a low price.

Pros:
• Great Processor
• Excellent Operating System
• Good Battery Life
• Lots of great software Included
• Built In Web Cam With Microphone
• Sleek Design
• Very Quiet
• Stunning Display
Cons:
• Video Card
• Gets Pretty Warm
• No Backlit Keyboard

I will post the pictures shortly. I hope you enjoyed my review. Thank you!
~Arman