I'm so fickle.

MattGiaco · May 12, 2007

Some of you may remember my initial switch from Windows to Mac almost 2 months ago when I bought an iMac. Since that time, I've missed being completely portable (I had a desktop-replacement notebook for 3 years and it was my sole device). About 3 weeks after buying the iMac, I bought a refreshed MacBook to compliment it. A week after that, I got pretty bad buyers remorse and returned it.

Then, exactly 2 weeks ago today, I bought another refreshed MacBook. This time, I felt better about the purchase but I realized that I no longer had any desire to use my iMac because it required sitting at a desk. Even while sitting here cursing the MacBook's small screen, I wouldn't get up and walk to the iMac. Gosh, I'm lazy.

So, the point of this is that I decided to exchange the MacBook for a 15" MacBook Pro today -- and I've fallen in love with Apple all over again. It's perfect enough to become my sole device. The 15.4" screen supports the same resolution as the 17" widescreen display in my old Gateway notebook, so there's just enough screen real estate for me.

The plan is that I'm going to sell my iMac either here or on eBay to make up the cost difference. So, if you're interested in buying a very, very lightly used 20" iMac, send me a PM or watch the Buy/Sell/Trade forum.

iKitten · May 12, 2007

Wow! That's partially the reason I waited awhile to buy. I was so afraid of getting one and wanting the other and having to pay restocking fees.

MattGiaco · May 12, 2007

iKitten said:
Wow! That's partially the reason I waited awhile to buy. I was so afraid of getting one and wanting the other and having to pay restocking fees.

I was able to avoid restocking fees by being nice and asking. Both of the MacBooks that I bought were refreshed anyway, so they'd already collected a restocking fee. Plus, I formatted and installed OS X for them, so there was minimal "restocking" for them to do.

Speaking of that, I've noticed that one store in Orlando (Florida Mall) restores the factory image on refreshed machines. The other (Millenia) simply installs OS X from the disks. Odd.

walkerj · May 12, 2007

One of the things that was a major 'cultural' type change with upgrading from Mac Minis to Macbooks for my wife and I was the not being chained to a desk. My wife really likes the ability to use her Mac wherever she happens to be. I mean, I have a work supplied Dell laptop so I know how that is, but for her it is very liberating. For example today she informed me that she was undecided as to whether she wanted to watch a movie on DVD out in the living room, or go lay down in the bedroom. I said "well, why don't you take your Mac with you and do both?" So she did, and was able to enjoy the movie whilst resting on the bed.

For me, the cultural change was that I can take all my settings, bookmarks, email, apps, and data with me to work as opposed to having to 'switch' between whatever I'm using at work to what I had at my desk at home. For all the years of experience using computers this is my first personal laptop and even after four months I still find myself surprised as I wake it up when I get home that it's exactly wherever I left it when I put it to sleep before departing.

MattGiaco · May 12, 2007

Being mobile is definitely liberating. Personally, I'd been completely mobile for 3 years with my Gateway notebook. When I switched to the Mac, I initially bought an iMac. At the time, I didn't even have a desk. Then, I thought a MacBook would be a good companion machine. What I realized is that I'm one person and I can only use one machine. So, that's why I compromised and got the MacBook Pro, which is the best of both worlds, I suppose.

RawfodoG · May 12, 2007

Best of luck with your switching!
Thats something that kinda scares me; I bought a MB hoping it would be plenty powerful (and so far it has) but something in the back of my head keeps telling me i should have gotten the pro....
As a student, I really dont have the dough to cough up every time I want something new and nifty, but after i Graduate I hope that all changes

walkerj · May 12, 2007

As you carry your Macbook around and note that it's light and small, I'm sure that your fear will leave. The point of a Macbook is to be really portable such that you can take it wherever you might want to be.

One of my co-workers has a MB Pro that looks really nice on the desk, but to have to carry it around would not appeal to me since it is somewhat significantly larger than my MB.

This from someone who thought the Toshiba Libretto was a nice sized laptop (or perhaps palmtop) back in the day.

Ninjab3ar · May 12, 2007

MattGiaco said:
Being mobile is definitely liberating. Personally, I'd been completely mobile for 3 years with my Gateway notebook. When I switched to the Mac, I initially bought an iMac. At the time, I didn't even have a desk. Then, I thought a MacBook would be a good companion machine. What I realized is that I'm one person and I can only use one machine. So, that's why I compromised and got the MacBook Pro, which is the best of both worlds, I suppose.

Yeah, I feel exactly the same. When I chose the MacBook Pro as my first Mac, I chose it because I wanted a desktop replacement rather than a desktop computer.

It feels much nicer sitting on your couch to read your email or doing work than on a desk.

iKitten · May 13, 2007

walkerj said:
One of the things that was a major 'cultural' type change with upgrading from Mac Minis to Macbooks for my wife and I was the not being chained to a desk.

Gosh, that just reminded me, my brother offered me a desktop a couple of years ago (he's into building them). I thanked him, but told him I wouldn't use it! I already had a thinkpad and could NOT imagine being "chained to a desk."

(Have enough of that at work anyhow!!!)

Ninjab3ar · May 13, 2007

iKitten said:
Gosh, that just reminded me, my brother offered me a desktop a couple of years ago (he's into building them). I thanked him, but told him I wouldn't use it! I already had a thinkpad and could NOT imagine being "chained to a desk."
(Have enough of that at work anyhow!!!)

Lol, true. Unless the desktop is a massively powerfull computer (8-core Mac Pro with 16GB of RAM *drools*) I wont go for a desktop. Being chained to a desk at home is torture!!!

iKitten · May 13, 2007

Heehee, it occurs to me that if someone were to offer to give me a Mac desktop, I'd be hard pressed to turn 'em down!

Ninjab3ar · May 13, 2007

Random Though: If only Apple made iMacs with batteries!

RawfodoG · May 13, 2007

Ninjab3ar said:
Random Though: If only Apple made iMacs with batteries!

That would be pretty awesome. Come to think of it, the iMac is basically a laptop, just chained to a desk.

MattGiaco · May 13, 2007

RawfodoG said:
That would be pretty awesome. Come to think of it, the iMac is basically a laptop, just chained to a desk.

Except it weighs like 22 lbs. The MacBook is like 5.2lbs and the 15" MBP is like 5.6.

To the poster who said carrying the MBP around didn't seem appealing, I think that must be a 17" model. The 15" MBP is only about an inch wider and longer than the MB. It's actually 0.08" thinner and less than half a pound heavier. For me, it's a good compromise. I will say that the MacBook was easier to lug and cute. I felt bad taking it back to the store, like it was a stray cat or something. The flip side was it was too small for me to sit it on my legs comfortably. It's hard work keeping my knees that close together!!