Ugh, just when I thought I was sold on the MacBook, a new, convincing post!!
Thanks for the small review. I guess the best advice is from those who have owned both in question.
Was/is there a big difference in power? Not that it really matters to me. If I can run iTunes, FireFox and iWork, I'm in fine form.
Having never owned or used a powerbook, I guess you can say I'm a little biased. But here are my .02 cents:
xJ6 says to check out the notebook section of the forums. Sure there are tons of macbook threads, but let's look to see what is being asked, first and foremost. There are some complaints about cracked cases, but most are about replacing the HD/RAM, modding, or the keyboard. Now this is a forum and people come here for help, you aren't going to see a lot of people saying, "hey, my keyboard is working perfectly!"
Of course there will be problems. But don't forget that we are talking about apple products here. For the most part they are rock solid. Sure the speakers suck but you can still hear it. I usually hook up headphones when I wanna jam out or hook up some regular computer speakers. Problem solved.
The keyboard is really a matter of preference. Just because they are annoying to XJ6 doesn't mean they are annoying to everyone else. I happen to like the keyboard, and yes it works as desribed
The screen can be bright, yes. But you can always turn it down...
I don't see screen size as a real issue because leopard does come with spaces. I designate specific programs to open in different spaces. Problem solved. Switching between spaces is also a cinch. It's almost second nature now.
I've primarily used windoze and PC's my entire life. I just recently made the switch. Talk about feeling cheap and flimsy...That definitely doesn't describe my macbook. But that's just my opinion.
If you are worried about cost, check out the apple website for deals on refurbs:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?node=home/specialdeals/mac
If you check diligently (every morning) I'm sure you'll find a good deal, I did. After buying a refurb myself I don't think I'll ever pay full price for a brand new one. Refurbs are retested and recertified to be sold again. Mine came with 0 defects and everything works flawlessly. Heck, I almost prefer having a refurb because this minimizes the chance that you get a defect since they retest everything before reselling. Again, just MHO.
And let's not forget the horsepower this thing has. 2.0 - 2.4 GHz C2D processor will run everything you need with no problems. Uprgade to 4 GB of RAM for around $80-90 bucks and you are set.
By the time I open the lid and open firefox, my wireless is already connected and on my homepage. What more can you ask for?
This is just from my personal experience. Overall I've been extremely pleased with my black macbook.
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