First some background. Apart from a TI-99, we had when I was little, and Apple IIc computers in my high school, I've always been a Windows guy. I feel very comfortable in a Windows environment and have built my own computers for about 15 years. I do not hate Microsoft. But when there is a need for a second laptop was ready, I decided to focus my search on the higher end machines. I wanted good horsepower, but I particularly wanted a nicer format than the creaking Dell I had become accustomed. When I fell in love with the interface on my iPhone, I decided it was time to give the MacBook a try. I kept my Windows desktop, if I ran into compatibility issues.
The short version of the story is that I quickly removed my computer and now use this laptop as my only machine. I am fortunate to be able to do it because my work as a lawyer requires only Word, Excel and a browser. As a bonus, although my copy of Lightroom 3 installed on the MacBook. I'm not trying to sound like a Mac fanatic, so let's get a list:
Aluminum unibody is no marketing gimmick. It is sturdy and feels good without flex, no creaking. Looks good too.
Keyboards are well developed. The key travel and spacing between the keys feel just right for my taste. There is no flex here either, as I often find annoying in other laptops.
-The touchpad is a miracle. It really is. It is very big, but I have yet to feel like it's in your way. And finger movements are intuitive and works very well.
-The screen is bright, clear and good color. The reflexivity is sometimes a problem in bright, but I seem to lean it easily solves most problems. Otherwise, you can custom order the anti-glare screen protectors direct from Apple.
-The lid closes with a magnet, so there's nothing to break.
It's very fast. In my experience, Mac OS X starts up and shuts down much faster than a comparably spec'ed Windows computer. I have yet to feel the need to 8GB of RAM, but an upgrade would only cost $ 90 If you know how to do it yourself. Otherwise I have no problem to run lots of popular applications simultaneously.
-Comes with Time Machine. As a lawyer and amateur photographer, I have lots of things to be backed up regularly and reliably. Time Machine works so well and so smoothly that I can not imagine how I survived before.
-Spotlight is shining. Type a word and Spotlight almost instantly give you results from your entire hard drive, including inside your searchable documents, preferences, performance web, and even definitions of words.
Seven hours of battery life is very possible and even wireless. I can sit in Starbucks for hours unplugged and still have plenty of life left. The proviso is that you really just can surf and use programs such as Word. I also have installed Flash, which is a major battery drainer, so I took a flash blocking program that lets me choose which flash files to activate. Nice solution.
HD webcam. Good quality, although I have not really done more than mess around with it.
-The magnetic power cord is smooth.
-As a former Windows user, I think Mac OS X interface to be really nice and intuitive. There is clearly a learning curve, but I found it to be surprisingly short. Lions expected to be a nice upgrade as well.
-PRICE! Well, a lot of people complain about Apple Premium, and it actually exists. I found this laptop to be a couple hundred dollars higher than it really nice Windows laptop with mostly the same specs, but I do not compare the raw horsepower of two different operating systems is always an accurate benchmark. I live on my computer so I'm willing to pay a little more to get what I want. It's like buying a BMW because you have to spend three or four hours a day in the car. Whether that value equation work for you or not is up to you and your finances.
-Something I do not like? Not really. I might want one more USB port and a CF card reader. I would love to start seeing cheaper SSD in these things, but it's certainly not Apple's fault. Decent SSDs with any size is still expensive for everyone. I was a little nervous to have a 5400 RPM hard drive. I think the transfer of large NEF files from the card reader may be somewhat slower. The downside of battery life is probably worth it. Thunderbolt will be worth it? Who knows? I do not care yet, but ask me next year.
I know there is more to say but I'm running out of steam. I am happy to discuss any of the comments.
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