“It may not be the most economic way of field testing equipment, but lugging a laptop computer to a place such as Ephesus on the shores of the Aegean Sea is one effective way to give Apple Computer’s MacBook a workout,” Mark Kellner writes for The Washington Times.
Kellner writes, “When the MacBook was first announced, and when my only experience with it was hunched over a display unit in an Apple Store in Montgomery County, I had some worries about the keyboard.”
“Unlike previous Mac portables, this keyboard is a bit more of the “Chiclets” style, as noted earlier. Well, having had almost a month of daily typing, and more than 10 days disconnected from any external keyboard, I think it’s safe to say that the MacBook’s typing surface is much more than adequate,” Kellner reports. “I find myself making few mistakes, and even the touch pad doesn’t send the cursor flying around the screen anywhere nearly as often as other computer’s touch pads have done. I could live quite happily with the keyboard on the road, at meetings and even around the house; though having external options, wired or wireless, is quite nice.”
“The only qualm I’ve had with this notebook is heat. It gives off a large amount heat, and at one point it felt as if you could fry up a burger or two without effort,” Kellner reports. “Heat can be overcome with a laptop desk, or a real one; and it should be noted that even “hot,” the MacBook kept on ticking. That’s the bottom line for me: This computer took a fair amount of punishment, even a 2-foot drop, and kept on working. Final verdict: If you want a stylish, great, capable portable, buy this one. You won’t be disappointed.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Apple says MacBook heat issues due to plastic strip – June 06, 2006
Apple firmware update fixes MacBook Pro overheating – May 18, 2006
AP: Apple’s MacBook should give makers of Windows-only notebooks nightmares – July 07, 2006
Survey shows big jump in consumer interest in buying Apple Mac; Dell takes steep slide – July 06, 2006
Boston Herald: Apple MacBook superior to iBook predecessor in every way – July 03, 2006
Report: Apple MacBook shipments stronger than expected; 15-inch MacBook (not Pro) model planned? – July 03, 2006
MSNBC’s Krakow: Apple’s MacBook ‘the best notebook computer I’ve ever used’ – June 28, 2006
The Washington Times: Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook ‘is one powerful, affordable Mac portable’ – June 23, 2006
Apple offers special deal prices on select Apple Certified MacBook, MacBook Pro models – June 20, 2006
Review: Tom Bihn ‘Smart Alec’ backpack for Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models – June 19, 2006
IT Business Net reviews Apple 13-inch MacBook: ‘Insanely great value, Strong Buy recommendation’ – June 13, 2006
Computeract!ve: Apple MacBook ‘the best of both worlds’ – 5 out of 5 stars – June 13, 2006
Washington Post: Apple MacBook leaves iBook in the dust – June 11, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s new MacBook surprisingly inexpensive, offers vastly superior Mac OS X – June 08, 2006
Time Magazine on Apple’s 13-inch MacBook: ‘Dell and HP should be very worried’ – June 07, 2006
Thurrott: Look at Apple’s MacBook and ‘you might just find your perfect notebook’ – May 31, 2006
CNET writer won’t buy Apple MacBook because it lacks 2nd mouse button (uh, two-finger right-click?) – May 30, 2006
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
iTWire’s Beer: My next notebook is an Apple MacBook – May 18, 2006
Analyst: MacBooks are best consumer notebooks Apple has created, sure to be big winners – May 18, 2006
Apple’s new MacBooks are mobile HDTV media centers – May 17, 2006
Analysts expect Apple’s new MacBook to drive market share gains in near future – May 17, 2006
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
Doesn’t everyone know this by now???
No hot, 32 bit based, egg fryer for me.
I’ll wait for Rev 2 and the EFI firmware hacks so I know what’s really going on in there.
Going online with a brand new technology that can download and run drivers without the OS even being loaded should scare most people.
Bet the spooks and hackers are having a field day.
$50 says that two-foot drop was an accident.
My PowerBook has never moved the cursor in a way not corresponding with the motion of my finger.
Proof!!
MacBooks in one area is 15ºF hotter and overall hotter than a similar Dell.
http://www.krischeonline.com/staticpages/index.php?page=macbook
No fans apparantly in MacBook’s and they are there in the Dells.
Did Intel mislead Apple about the true heat of the Core Duo’s?
Did Dell know better because they have worked with Intel before and thus included fans anyway?
Hmmm. With Rev 2 hopefully Apple would learn a few things about their new chip supplier.
I am willing to bet that rev 2 will be as hot or hotter. Why is it that everyone seems to think that their own personal gripe with any new computer is a “fault” that will be fixed later. Did it ever occur to you that Apple knows that the Macbook can easily take the heat, that it is not some oversight, and that they know that it won’t be a deciding factor with the vast majority of folks? Their next revision of the Macbook is likely to be faster and thus likely to be hotter.
MacCrab:
Dells may be cooler because of the huge cases they’re packed it.
After all, the MacBook is only an inch thick, closed. A Dell with a Core Duo is probably closer to 2″ thick and weighs 8 pounds.
The MacBook has a single fan, very similar to the fan in the iBooks. Ya need pictures?
MacCrab said:
“MacBooks in one area is 15ºF hotter and overall hotter than a similar Dell.”
OK… and it is 6.3ºF cooler in another, and the overall temperature difference was 1.675ºF – less than 2% difference and probably within the margin of error of the measuring method.
What’s the freaking point? Not that I would buy that ugly @ss Dull in a million years, but I don’t buy my computers based on temperature.
“No fans apparantly in MacBook’s and they are there in the Dells.”
I would rather my computer run a little hotter and be quiet as a mouse than whine like a jet engine. The cube, fanless CRT iMacs, and the current iMacs are so quiet you hardly know they are on. My first Gen Dual G5 makes almost no noise most of the time (powered on 24X7X365 for a few years now). Every few days the fans turn on a little for about 8 seconds. The new optical drive I just upgraded makes more noise when it runs.
There are SO MANY reasons why Apple Products are better that I won’t even list them here. To try and convince someone that the Dull is better because it is 1.675º cooler… Wow, that’s mind-numbingly stupid.
But then again, I guess that’s Dell’s target audience.
I know the article is about the new MacBook, but people have always bitched about how hot Apple’s laptops get. I have a 1.5 GHz. Powerbook, and it never really gets that hot at all. WTF?
I know the article is about the new MacBook, but people have always bitched about how hot Apple’s laptops get. I have a 1.5 GHz. Powerbook, and it never really gets that hot at all. WTF?
It’s because one area of the Macbook’s gets incredibly hot.
Over 120ºF in fact, which is quite a shock coming from a warm G4.
Apple could have done a better job dissipating the heat.
Then of course the batteries are swelling too.
I’ll wait for Rev. 2 with the Core Duo 2’s thank you.
Cubert –
I’ve got a 12″ 1.5 GHz Powerbook and that puppy cooks!
Hey if it’s in the Moonie Times, it must be fuckin’ true.
I can only compare it to a 12″ powerbook – the heat is much more bearable on the Macbook as its not where you rest your wrist! I’m sure it is hotter but at least its not burning my hands anymore.
My wife has a maacbook pro. She finds the heat uncomfortable and uses a cloth on her lap. I don’t find it that hot and regularly use it for several hours sitting on my bare leg. I guess different people have different levels of discomfort. It is by far the best laptop we have ever used and pure joy to work with. If you are letting the heat issue keep you away DON’T!!!!
I suppose that if it appearred in the terrorist butt-licking NY Times, then you would find it credible. *shaking head*
One more thing — all the Mac news sites have just been on fire with all the “OS isn’t running but the firmware is downloading malware” stories, aren’t they? Even CNet hasn’t touched that one.