I'm in the market for a replacement for my rock-solid but ageing iBook G4 800. It's held out this long because the RAM is maxed out. Its not a good games machine though, no Quartz special effects, and the hard drive is small and hard to extricate. So after the Intel switch, its time for an upgrade.
After seeing the MacBook in real life (http://www.mymac.com.au), it definitely more resembles the 14" iBook than the 12". I was tempted to take a picture of it next to my iBook but fortunately Ars Technica did it for me.
The MacBook is no lightweight.
(From http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macbook.ars )
It's bigger than I expected. One of my criteria for choosing a new laptop, between the MacBook and MacBook Pro, was whether I would need a new bag for it or not, as I really like the Crumpler Sheep Scarer backpack I currently use. But even with the extra inch or so clearance in that backpack, the MacBook likely wouldn't fit.
So if I end up buying a new bag either way, I may as well get the MacBook Pro. At 15.4", the MBP is in real life, not that much bigger, and not much heavier.
Another concern is gaming performance. I'm no ubergamer but I like WarCrack and Sims 2. Now according to my research (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?FN=wow-mac-tech-support&T=24746&P=1 among others) the MacBook gets about 15 fps. My iBook gets 15 fps. This is not a win for me. So that's a point for the MacBook Pro, underclocked GPU and all (and I suspect that issue will be addressed next rev).
In every other respect though the MacBook blows the doors off my current laptop. It gives the MacBook Pro a run for its money too. I so wish it had a real GPU. But it doesn't, so to MacBook Pro I'll go.
I'm going to buy whatever MacBook Pro is available after the WWDC keynote in early August. My budget says I can afford one in July, but I'd hate to buy one and then for there to be a Merom-based MBP a couple of weeks later, so I'm holding out. And I'm not feeling so bad about hanging onto my iBook until then, because Apple don't make compact notebooks like that anymore.
The other thing I did recently was dip my (healed) toe in Media Center computers. I started with http://geexbox.org/en/index.html , which is nice but with a few rough edges. I'd like an installable version of this so I can at least save some settings, like DVD playback mode (menus please).
I then installed KnoppMyth but I don't need most of the features, and I haven't been able to get the DVD drive working with it yet. I just want a DVD and media-file playing setup. This was prompted by our Xbox crapping out on DVD playback (I think it's trying to say it's time for a 360, but we're not interested).
4 comments:
Have you considered Xbox Media Center ? I'm yet to find anything that comes close it. Doesn't cost a great deal to do and can play practically any media file out there.
The problem there is that we'd need a new XBox (the current one has the dodgy DVD drive).
It's something to look into once my saving aren't being directed towards expensive laptops, but at the moment what I have to work with is an old HP 400 PII with a DVD drive, and fortunately, an ATI Rage Pro with TV-out.
just been drooling over a workmates new macbook. maybe one day. :-)
I'm going about this business the cheap way and getting a refurb MBP (full warranty, etc). :)
MacBooks are sweet though.
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