The DarthBook thirteen days on…

Following on from his earlier first impressions of his new MacBook, Greg Storey of Airbag Industries has a few more notes on the performance and durability of the new MacBook:

He has some good things to say -

"I have yet to see any wear or tear on the black case and I see no evidence of chipping of flaking of any kind."

although

"The black is very unforgiving when it comes to hand perspiration, dust, and finger prints but these all wipe off very very easily with a warm towel.

Greg also finds that

"...the screen is bright enough that I can use the laptop outside during the middle of the day. I could never do that with the old screens without having to squint — not so with the DarthBook.

"If you're a web designer waiting for Adobe to release Photoshop CS 3 before upgrading to a then stop waiting and go get yourself a new MacBook.

"Hell, if you breathe oxygen and are looking to upgrade or try something new, go get yourself a MacBook."

Check out his review - it's a good read.

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Black Halo Inc. reviews black MacBook : “superior to any iBook and the 12” Powerbook”

Another review of the black MacBook, this time by Black Halo Inc. With some nice photos, including the traditional box opening ceremony (in the laundry?) the review goes on to say:

"...as we open up the notebook, you’ll notice that Apple has finally adopted the glossy screen which PC users have had the luxury of using for awhile already. The 13.3” 1280x800 widescreen shines brilliantly and it actually looks sharper and brighter than the one found on the Sony XBRITE screen. Personally, I feel that this is the best feature found on the MacBook because it feels very pleasing to the eyes looking at a very sharp, bright screen.

"Web surfing and reading on the MacBook is really enjoyable because the screen is so clear and the text is very crisp. The colors on the screen shine brightly and it really accents the beauty of the OS.

"One thing that I do not like is the keyboard because some of the keys feel very loose and cheap as I type on it which I also had the same experience with on the MacBooks on a store display. I’m not sure if it’s just my MacBook but a few of the keys stick when I type on them, especially the spacebar. I don’t have this problem with my iBook and it gets irritating.

"A lot of people compare it to the Sony Vaio SZ because they are both similarly priced and have almost the same specs. However, the Vaio SZ has a much more superior and dedicated videocard, Dual Layer burning, an expansion slot, and a memory card reader which are all missing on the MacBook. Other issues on the MacBook such as the heat and cheap feel of the keyboard keep this from being the perfect notebook. Another thing to keep in mind is that the white version of this MacBook at the exact same specs costs $150 less so you have to ask yourself if the color is worth it.

"Other than the issues stated above, the MacBook is definitely superior to any iBook and the 12” Powerbook thanks to the widescreen glossy display, integrated iSight, larger trackpad, and the ability to switch into Windows to run it natively. The screen is definitely its most attractive feature and it really brings out the beauty of the Mac OS. However there is a lot of room for improvement for Apple’s MacBook. I hope in the near future that they at least include a dedicated graphics card and especially fix the heat issue.

"Overall Rating: 7.5/10"

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MacBook review : MacBook 2.0ghz Intel Core Duo

John Waller reviews his black MacBook and has a nice collection of photos, too.

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Stand for MacBook and Monitor

Do you hook your MacBook up to an external monitor? What do you do with the MacBook display - close the lid or use it as extra screen real esate? With the lid open do you find it hard to use both screens because the external screen's up there and the MacBook is down there?

It's a problem Jason Snell of Macworld.com has found a solution for - the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. The name's a mouthful but Jason says it does the trick, putting both external and MacBook screens at the same (ergonomically correct) height.

Check out Jason's full review here.

Rain Design mStand Ergonomic MacBook, MacBook Pro, Notebook & Laptop Riser Stand
Rain Design mStand Ergonomic MacBook, MacBook Pro, Notebook & Laptop Riser Stand
US $67.95

 Logitech 939-000344 N200 Cooling Stand USB powered Up to 16
Logitech 939-000344 N200 Cooling Stand USB powered Up to 16" Notebook MacBook
US $55.99
More items here:   1

Recent MacBook searches: 17 apple book stands, apple themed monitor stand

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“A solid nine” : Ars Technica review of the Apple MacBook

In probably the most exhaustive review to date, Clint Ecker gives the MacBook a good going-over in seven sections covering

  1. Introduction
  2. High-gloss
  3. Keyboarding
  4. Usage
  5. Benchmarks
  6. More benchmarks
  7. Pro vs. not

After a very thorough discussion of the MacBook features Clint's conclusions:

"I found it very hard to come up with a list of negatives about the MacBook—while I am usually pretty fond of Apple stuff, I am still usually able to cobble together a list of annoyances I encounter during my use and from around the web. In contrast, I've developed a high opinion of this machine and my anecdotal research for this review seems to indicate that many others are of a like mind. With that in mind, I am giving the Apple MacBook a solid nine."

Pros

* Widescreen display
* Nice screen resolution
* Improved graphics over iBook G4
* Glossy screen is nice in some situations
* MagSafe
* Integrated iSight
* Affordable
* Enhanced track pad operation
* Dramatic performance increase
* No latch!
* Super easy to service (hard drive too!)
* Front Row and remote control

Cons:

* High operating temperatures
* Glossy screen can be annoying under certain circumstances (i.e., with any direct lighting)
* Integrated graphics siphon off system RAM, slower than dedicated graphics card

For MacBook forum freaks the review is followed by 12 pages of discussion.

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