Reactionary

I went to go look at it yesterday, one of the few activities I’ve done this weekend, this a weekend being one I’ve said is going to be official Rest. There is no Apple Store in Center City, so I went to one of the local dealers to have a look. As with all Apple products, it has Buy Me written all over it. The widescreen monitor makes it look smaller then this iBook, even if I know it’s actually bigger. The screen is so bright, though, it makes the computer I’m using now (my G3 iBook) seem downright dark.

The glossy screen concerns me, though. While it looks cool and gives the computer an impression of iPodness that Apple’s banking on to sell computers, I think it would be hard to use, depending on the lighting. I hate glare. It’s bad enough on my television, it’s that much worse on a computer screen. I’magine having to work with some stupid glob of light on your screen! It would make me crazy. And moving to make the lighting better isn’t always an option. It’s a beautiful screen, but it has the potential to be a deal-breaker as far as the whole computer’s concerned. But in the right lighting, it works and it’s sharp, crisp, and bright.

The MacBook’s thinner than the iBook was though the specs say it’s about a half pound heavier. I like how it’s thinnner. It makes the iBook (which was right next to it for comparison) look clunky, kind of how the iPod nano makes the original iPod look. The camera’s adorable and one of the nice new features Apple’s pushing through the market again. The fact that it has no modem concerns me a little. I realise it’s kind of backwards and old fashioned to have a 56.6 modem in a world of WiFi, but it makes me a feel that a portable computer should be able to get online anywhere and everywhere and maybe some corner of the globe doesn’t have a nearby coffee shop with free WiFi like this one I’m in right now.

MagSafe and Front Row are nice and I’m sure they’ll come in handy. But I need to talk about the keyboard. I loved it. It’s bigger than this one without the boggy feel of previous versions. iBook keyboards never made me crazy when I used them, but the MacBook’s is a definite improvement. The keys aren’t sticking out like this one here, they’re recessed into the case so no more getting a freshly painted nail caught in between keys and having the polish get dented. They look easier to keep clean, too. The size of the keyboard might help people with fat fingers, I guess. I don’t have a problem with small keyboards so I don’t consider that a new perk. But it feels solid and the recessed keys are something to really like about the MacBook.

I got a quote from the guy, taking into consideration that if I traded this iBook in what the final cost would be. I’m not really in the new laptop market right now but it’s something to think about.I like being able to work elsewhere rather than home so I like having a portable and I had better trade in my iBook while I can still get something for it. I’m eligible for educational prices, though, so I’m unlikely to buy a new computer from anyone other than the campus store. When I buy a new computer, though, I usually wait until the next OS comes out so I save myself that expense. Leopard is said to be coming out this year. Apple’s good about the OS updates unlike some other people.

In spite of the reasons why I should get a new MacBook, the bottom line why I can’t is because I need a new lens for my SLR for my vacation in the fall. I need to keep reminding myself of that.

Posted on May 21st, 2006 under Tech •  Print •  Email • RSS 2.0 feed • Both comments and pings are currently closed