Sorry in advance for all the questions, but I'm trying to decide between a Macbook and a Macbook Pro, and these answers will really help.
1. KEYBOARD - the MB has a "funky" raised keyboard (compared to the more traditional keyboard on the Macbook Pro). Is this keyboard easier or harder to type on?
2. SCREEN - anyone think it's too small to use as a main "desktop replacement" type computer?
3. SCREEN (again) - anyone have issues with the glossy screen? I've never used glossy before, only matte.
4. WHITE vs. BLACK - I don't really have a color preference, but I am concerned about dirt, fingerprints, etc. Which *surface* is easier to keep clean and fingerprint-free... gloss (white) or matte (black)?
5. HEAT - I read somewhere that you can "fry an egg on the bottom of a Macbook." Does it really get *that* hot? I often use my laptop on my lap (weird, right?) so too much heat is no bueno.
6. UPDATES / REVISIONS? - any new Macbooks coming up in the next few months? Any good reasons to wait?
Thanks a lot for your help!
There have been a few posts in answer to all these questions, but I thought I'd add my own data points. While perhaps it's true that these questions have been asked before, I don't see any reason not to answer them here, since otherwise there would be so little traffic on this forum since everyone mostly just goes and uses their Mac to get stuff done. Anyway:
1. The keyboard is different from other notebook computers, but it is quite pleasant to use. When my brother-in-law went out and ordered a Macbook after I showed him mine said a few days after using it that the keyboard is quite useable, and has a comfortable spacing. He didn't find it frustrating or weird at all. I usually use a wireless bluetooth (Apple) keyboard when I'm at home, but when I'm at work with just the internal keyboard I am not hampered in any way. Just have to remember to hit that fn key for certain things I need to do.
2. I love the screen. I used to have a 20" CRT external to my old Mac Mini, but when I got my Macbook I didn't have a DVI-VGA adapter for about a week, and found that the screen/resolution was absolutely workable, even if you're doing some photoshop work or other things of a graphical nature. When I got an adapter, I ran with the monitor spanned, but have since found that unless I am doing something of a graphical nature, the external monitor with 1600x1280 resolution really isn't necessary. At the moment, for example, I'm just using the LCD with the external monitor off. If I want to touch up some photos or work on a CD label with photoshop, I'll fire up the external but otherwise if I'm just surfing, emailing, or video iChatting the LCD is perfect. Even if I'm using Parallels the built-in LCD is fine.
3. The glossyness of the screen has not been a factor pretty much anywhere I've gone. It makes the display very crisp and easy to look at for long periods. My big CRT kind of looks fuzzy in comparison.
4. My Macbook is white, my wife's Macbook is black. Since she meticulously cleans it it's difficult to say which is easier to keep clean. I've already gotten a little darkening on the wrist pads of my white Macbook, but that is easily taken care of with some optical cleaner.
5. Yeah, it gets a tad warm, but nothing burning through the thigh. As has been stated all notebooks get hot but the Macbook doesn't get any hotter than any others. I don't care about bluetooth sterilization since I'm not planning on having any children. :dive: I don't think, really, that it is an issue.
6. Have no idea. Apple will do what Apple thinks it needs to do. So far it has done very well as I am quite happy with the Macbook as it is. When Leopard comes out I'll probably be at the Apple Store picking up a couple of copies a few days later. As for the hardware, my mantra is 'if you keep waiting to by the latest/greatest you'll never buy the thing.' Heck, the first month after I bought my Mac Mini (which got me into this whole thing in the first place) Apple updated the processor with a faster one, it came with more RAM, a bigger hard drive and wireless/bluetooth. Then Apple had to do that Intel thing which opened up a whole world of possibilities. When it was possible I upgraded to my current Macbook and couldn't be happier. Apple could come out with a new whiz-bang 500 Gigglehertz Mac that ships standard with 1000 kiloquads, a terabyte of RAID and folds up to something the size of a Shuffle and I wouldn't be too upset. My Macbook handles EVERYTHING I need it to now.