“I reviewed the MacBook Pro earlier this year, and lately I’ve been testing the new MacBook, a handsome machine that packs a very good screen and keyboard into a fairly thin enclosure and is surprisingly inexpensive,” Walter S. Mossberg writes for The Wall Street Journal. “There’s a lot to like about the MacBook. It’s a very good choice for anyone considering a Mac and operating on a tight budget. Like the other Intel-based Macs, it can even run Windows alongside Apple’s own Mac OS X operating system.”
“Perhaps the most surprising thing about the MacBook is its price. Despite Apple’s reputation for charging more, the MacBook is actually less expensive than its closest major Windows competitor. That would be the Sony Vaio VGN-SZ240, which also has a 13.3-inch screen with the same resolution, includes a built-in camera, and is available with the same processor and the same memory and hard-disk capacity as the MacBook,” Mossberg writes. “When configured to match the major specs of the base model of the MacBook, the Sony costs $1,629, over 60% more than the MacBook’s $1,099 base price. But the MacBook is much heavier than the Sony. It weighs 5.2 pounds, 37% more than the Sony’s 3.8 pounds.”
Mossberg writes, “Like all Macs, the MacBook is vastly superior to Windows machines in terms of bundled software and security. Apple’s operating system is better designed, more stable and more modern than Windows XP. Its built-in iLife suite of multimedia software can’t be matched on Windows. And it has — so far — been attacked by only two viruses, compared with the more than 100,000 viruses and spyware programs that plague Windows. Those qualities are worth hundreds of dollars, in my view.”
“Like all Mac laptops, the MacBook lacks a right-click button, even though Apple’s own software displays right-click menus. To emulate a right click, Mac users typically must hold down the Control key while clicking the sole button. But the MacBook has a new way to do this that’s simpler: Place two fingers on the touch pad and click with a third. It works well. The MacBook also has Apple’s very cool scrolling feature, which allows you to scroll any screen by moving two fingers over the touch pad. It’s better than any Windows laptop scrolling feature I’ve seen,” Mossberg writes. “But the MacBook lacks two important hardware features that are nearly ubiquitous on Windows laptops. It has no slots for the flash memory cards used in digital cameras, smart phones and other devices. And it lacks a card slot for the adapters that can provide laptops with many add-on features, including flash memory sockets and cellphone data modems.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Another excellent review for Apple’s MacBook; this time by the world’s preeminent tech journalist who, regardless of his status, we simply must ask to identify the “two viruses” he mentions that have “attacked” Macs and the total number of users each of Mossberg’s so-called “viruses” affected. We expect more accuracy from Mossberg. His readers will think that an untold number of Mac users have “been attacked by two viruses.” That is incorrect.
In fact, back on May 11, Mossberg addressed just such questions to a concerned WSJ reader, writing, “There is no sudden security crisis on the Apple Macintosh platform. In fact, for average Mac users, there isn’t a security threat of any significance, at least not yet. It is laughable to compare the real, massive and burdensome security problems on Windows with the largely theoretical security problem on the Mac… As of today, there have been exactly two documented, successful pieces of malicious software — viruses, trojan horses, worms — that affected users of the Mac OS X operating system, since it was released in 2001. And these two failed to spread much, affecting probably a few dozen people, and doing no harm. I expect there to be a small number of additional Mac viruses this year… Security firms are saying that the discovery of these vulnerabilities in the Mac has increased sharply lately. They say that based on past patterns, this should yield a sharp increase in the number of Mac viruses in coming years. But even a ‘sharp’ increase could well mean under 50 viruses by 2008. So my advice to Mac users is that at the moment, I see no reason to buy and run security software, which is in itself costly and can degrade your computing experience… Just turn on Apple’s built-in firewall and relax. There is one exception: If you are running Windows on one of the new Intel Macs, you are just like a Windows user, and you must run Windows security programs when using Windows.”
What’s with the lumping together of “viruses, trojan horses, worms?” Does Mossberg sound a bit confused about what constitutes a “virus” to you, too? Can a piece of malicious code that affected “probably a few dozen people” really be described as “successful?” And how many of these “few dozen people,” if any, work in the labs of antivirus software peddlers?
By the end of 2005, there were 114,000 known viruses for PCs. In March 2006 alone, there were 850 new threats detected against Windows. Zero for Mac. While no computer connected to the Internet will ever be 100% immune from attack, Mac OS X has helped the Mac keep its clean bill of health with a superior UNIX foundation and security features that go above and beyond the norm for PCs. When you get a Mac, only your enthusiasm is contagious. Learn more here: 114,000 viruses? Not on a Mac.
As for the lack of an ExpressCard/34 slot: if you need one, get a MacBook Pro. That’s one of the major ways that Apple differentiates their consumer portables from their professional models. As for media readers, get a USB reader (MacBook Pro owners can slide a media reader into their ExpressCard/34 slot) or, better yet, use a newer digital camera that connects directly to USB. Apple doesn’t suffer old tech gladly. And, lastly, regarding the weight differential between the lighter Sony that Mossberg mentions and the MacBook, you’ll have to weigh for yourself whether the $530 you save to have the world’s best consumer notebook that can also run Mac OS X and Windows natively is worth the extra 1.4 lb.
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Related articles:
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Thurrott: Look at Apple’s MacBook and ‘you might just find your perfect notebook’ – May 31, 2006
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Personal Computer World review: Apple MacBook – May 22, 2006
Amazon offers US$100 and $150 rebates on Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models – May 22, 2006
Ars Technica reviews Apple MacBook – May 19, 2006
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PC World: Hands on with Apple’s new black MacBook running Mac OS X and Windows – May 17, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new MacBook costs a bit more than iBook, but will sell strongly – May 16, 2006
Close-up Apple MacBook photos (keyboard, glossy screen, and more) – May 16, 2006
Apple debuts new 13.3-inch widescreen MacBook; replaces both iBook and 12-inch PowerBook – May 16, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s MacBook Pro gives users a ‘much better OS with vastly better built-in software’ – March 02, 2006
Apple: ‘Get a Mac. Say ‘Buh-Bye’ to viruses’ – June 01, 2006
Apple Macs and viruses: Fact vs. FUD – May 26, 2006
Mossberg: Is there a virus threat for Apple Macs? – May 11, 2006
Macs and viruses: the true story – May 02, 2006
FUD Alert: Viruses don’t catch up to the Mac – May 01, 2006
Gartner: Boot Camp won’t expose Mac OS X to Windows viruses or worms – April 13, 2006
The Idiot’s Guide to Mac Viruses For Dummies 101 – February 24, 2006
Atlanta Journal-Constitution asks: Is ‘Mac virus’ all just propaganda from Mac haters? – February 20, 2006
FBI: Viruses, spyware, other computer-related crimes cost U.S. businesses $67.2 billion per year – February 01, 2006
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
MDN is totally obsessed with everything Mossberg says! Holy crap, it’s practically Freudian or something.
Mossberg used to dump on pre-OS X Macs a lot. And they pretty much deserved it. Not that they were worse than the Windows boxes at the time, but they had their flaws. And malware wasn’t quite the scourge then as it is now. Both Windows and Macs have gotten better since then. Much better, for the Macs. Walt has much less to complain about, these days. Another respected tech writer who’s shifted stance is Hiawatha Bray.
The Vaio mentioned is hardly “fragile”, the case is lighter but still quite strong. And, other parts are lighter as well. Making it significantly lighter without making it significantly flimsier is a big part of the extra cost. The folk who are willing to pay 60% more for 37% less are also likely to be carrying another five to ten pounds of business-mandated gear and they want to keep the total weight down to prevent the “burdened bellhop” look when meeting clients. Unlike students, they don’t carry their gear in backpacks.
Card slot??? Last time I used one of those was for communications. The company Vaio (yeah, used one) had no modem, Ethernet, or WiFi built in and I needed a card if I needed to connect. It got ‘sick’ regularly even so.
As for media readers, get a USB reader (MacBook Pro owners can slide a media reader into their ExpressCard/34 slot) or, better yet, use a newer digital camera that connects directly to USB.
Typical MDN rubbish. That’s like a PC review saying, “As for iLife applications, if you need a movie editing application, buy one.”
DLMeyer,
youre talking out your ass,
the facts are the facts, windows has over hundred thousand viruses and growing, OS X = 0
OS X is inherently more secure, not because of market share, but by design.
If you really think that windows is more secure than os x then youre delusional.
if you want to ask Mr Ou from Cern then do it yourself, i’ll keep using the most secure, advanced operating system in the world – Mac OS X.
But even a ‘sharp’ increase could well mean under 50 viruses by 2008.
————
It could also mean well over a thousand virsues by 2008. Speculation.
The Sony is 4.1 lbs with the battery according to the Sony website. So that’s 26% more, not 37%. Still a big chunk of change.
As for the Sony’s copious array of digital media adapters, there is only ONE… a Sony mediastick slot.
That being said, the Sony has three things that the MacBook lacks– expresscard slot, modem and a biometric fingerprint security sensor.
I for one wouldn’t mind the slot, but the other two seem extraneous to me.
A Trojan is a type of virus which normally requires a user to perform some action before the payload can be activated.
Source: Webster Dictionary 2005 Student Edition – (hardcover format)
—————
Finally, some truth!
Windows laptops are full of gimmicks, that’s no reason for Apple to follow them. As a photographer, I certainly don’t need a flash or sd card slot on my MacBook Pro.
The overall tone of articles about the new Macs are astonishingly good. Give it a few months and the momentum of converts to Mac will become a tsunami…
Mossberg writes, “Like all Macs, the MacBook is vastly superior to Windows machines in terms of bundled software and security…”
Mossberg’s a dude!
“As for media readers, get a USB reader … or, better yet, use a newer digital camera that connects directly to USB.”
That last statement is dumb. The whole point of a media card reader is to avoid having to tether your camera to the computer. Media readers tend to be much faster than reading from the camera, and using a relatively cheap card reader is more economical than the extra wear and tear on your relatively expensive camera. Plus you don’t run down your camera batteries or have to drag out an AC adapter.
I’m not saying I want a built-in reader on my laptop, but sometimes MDN just doesn’t think about what they’re saying.
WTF cares what Mossberg says, he’s on Apple’s payroll and has his head firmly up in Jobs’ ass.
Windows laptops are full of gimmicks, that’s no reason for Apple to follow them.
————
And you don’t consider $150 more for the color black a gimmick? Sheesh!
A great review, and he did have to add some negative points (weight, missing card slot…) so that the article would seem unbiased.
I’m getting one for my shop!
Seriously, can someone tell me why the MacBookPro needs a PCMCIA slot? What can that add that the notebook doesn’t already have?
Fibre channel?
Reality Check:
Do you have any evidence? Paystub maybe? Fecal matter?
Do you have anything worthwhile to contribute at all?
“or, better yet, use a newer digital camera that connects directly to USB”
I am in complete agreement with this. Media card slots are one thing and one thing only: a gimmick to get folks to think a Windows PC has more features.
Seriously, who the heck is running around with loose compact flash or SD cards? The most likely scenario (by far) is a person who a has digital camera and takes a load of photos and wants to free up the card space buy dumping them on their portable.
Why take the extra step of pulling the card of the camera, downloading, and then putting the card back into the camera when you could do it all in one step but simply connecting the camera to the USB port?
Gypsy:
Thank you! I think a lof of people around here miss that point. Journalists have a responsibility to find something — ANYTHING — negative when they’ve already reported a bunch of positives. It’s how they maintain integrity.
A lof of us may think that the negatives Mossberg brought up are irrelevant, and for all we know, he may agree. But he is required to at least give them passing mention, which is exactly what he did.
Some history on the Creative vs. Apple mess
In its “Zen” patent suit, Creative Technology claims that in the pre-iPod days of 2001, Apple came knocking on its door for help developing its own digital music player. The Singapore-based iPod rival also resorts to some entertaining name-dropping in its explanation of the affairs.
According to the filing, in January 2001, Apple co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs approached a Creative employee at the Macworld trade show to “extol the virtues” of Creative’s then popular NOMAD Jukebox.
“They then discussed a possible meeting between Creative and Apple,” the filing reads. “Mr. Jobs indicated that Apple wanted a smaller version of the Nomad Jukebox digital music player.”
“Shortly thereafter, on or about February 8, 2001, Creative met with Apple representatives, including Steve Jobs, to further explore ways in which the companies could work together,” the filing continues. “Creative showed Apple several prototype portable digital media players that showed the patented interface.”
Creative claims that Apple initially lead the company to believe a joint venture was in the works before abruptly packing it in and declaring that there is “not enough financial room in the portable digital media player market for two companies.”
Instead, Apple proposed that Creative license its technology to Apple. According to the filing, “Apple [also] proposed that Creative spin off its portable digital media player business into a separate company and that Apple would then invest in that entity.”
Creative declined the offers and on October 23 of that same year, Apple introduced the iPod.
A great review, and he did have to add some negative points (weight, missing card slot…) so that the article would seem unbiased.
There is NO SUCH thing as a product with no negative aspects. If there were it would be PERFECT, which means there would be absolutely no room for improvement.
Of course, MDN denies that there is ever anything wrong with an Apple product, and typically resorts to name-calling and slander toward anyone who finds fault with an Apple product, but that is just MDN’s elemenatry school mentality.
MDN’s takes are the sole reason that the average person (not a Mac fanatic) will ever consider this site a legitimate news site.
I mean, can you imagine a reputable news organisation posting the silly pictures and captions of CEO Balmer that MDN does? It is totally immature, a third grader’s mentality.
Reality Check:
I’ll bet a few years ago when Mossberg wasn’t so friendly in talking about the Mac that RC use to quote him in his support of PCs. It’s good to see RC changes with the times.
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Go Mossberg! Go Apple!!
I mean, can you imagine a reputable news organisation posting the silly pictures and captions of CEO Balmer that MDN does?
———–
No, I can’t.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. These MDN discussions have really gone downhill over the last few years. However, MDN is mainly to blame for this as they usually set the tone for these discussions (er..rants,) with their narrow-minded, one-sided, totally-biased and extremely childish takes.
If you want to take part in mature Apple related discussions without name-calling, bashing, stupid Tom Cruise jokes and ridiculous takes by the webmaster, head on over to http://www.appleinsider.com.
KILLER TAKE MDN
Not even gonna read the rest of the thread.
Mossberg’s review is fair, but MDN’s comments are on the money.
Randolph,
First read this:
——————
A Trojan is a type of virus which normally requires a user to perform some action before the payload can be activated.
Source: Webster Dictionary 2005 Student Edition – (hardcover format)
——————
Now read MDN’s take again and tell me how they are on the money.
Carlo,
WTF do you think you are talking about? I did NOT say, or even imply, that OS X either has had a single virus or that Mac users are more vulnerable than Windows users. Nor did I say, or even suggest, that low market share was even <u>A</u> reason we are as secure as we are.
I said there were more documented security vulnerabilities and that more of them were “severe”. I suggested, all but claimed, that certain OS features – like the default firewall and the need to agree to install software – protected us despite the flaws at other levels of the OS.
YOU are the one speaking through the wrong end of your digestive track. You are the weakest link. Goodbye.
It’s when reviewers offer opinions, instead of writing objective comparisons that they always get themselves into troouble. Mossberg was clearly right in pointing out the differing features., but he should not have described these omissions as “important” without backingn that statement up with facts. Once he said that, he was in a world of hurt.
In fact all that was required was to point out the $530 price differential and the lack of card slots, then:
1. Quantify the lack of card slots in dollars
and
2. Question whether the typical consumer user needs these things.
He could then conclude “If, like most consumer users, you do not need these slots, then the MacBook really is $530 cheaper than its cheapest PC competitor.”
Changing the issue, why is the MacBook so heavy compared to the competition, when the MacBook Pro is so thin and light? Is it because the MacBook is designed to be more durable for the K1 and college market? I have no idea – but I’m guessing there’s a reason and if so, Mossberg should have explained it. It could point to an extra “feature”.
My 2 cents . . .