Apple MacBook 13-inch 1.83GHz

Reviews: Hardware

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Anthony Fiti
Kurtis
N/A
Aug. 1, 2006

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Setup

On the inaugural boot-up of the MacBook 13-inch 1.83GHz notebook, the first thing it asks for is a language, and I select English. Next it shows a nifty animation welcoming me to Mac OS X 10.4. After the video, a progress bar shows up and doesn't take long for it to prepare for the next step. I go through a routine set of configuration items, from picking out what type of network connection I have (Wireless G) to the keyboard layout and time zone. I was unable to setup the network connection however, because of my particular network configuration - I have a Wireless G access point, but it is WAP encrypted as well as MAC address-filtered. In order to get my MacBook on the wireless network I would need to be able to see its MAC address and use one of my other computers to add it to the list of computers allowed to connect to the AP. So I skipped the network configuration option for the time being. I also entered information like my Name, Address, phone number and email address, login/password for this computer, etc.

Once I actually got into the OS, a little Googling on my main computer gave me the information I needed on how to discover the MAC address of the Airport card located inside my MacBook. I entered it into the software for the Wireless AP from my main workstation, picked the encryption and entered the password on the MacBook and it was able to connect to the wireless network with no problems. Of course, as I'm cleaning up the mess I've made in my room with unpacking and setting up the MacBook, I notice the MAC address of the Airport device on the side of the MacBook box.

Just like when you buy a Windows PC, the first thing you should with a Mac is head to Software Update. It's easy to find under the Apple menu (the second item on the drop down list). Software Update took about 20 minutes to complete including the required reboot afterwards.

Once it rebooted I was ready to dive into the world of Mac OS X.

Packaged Software

One of the first things I noticed when I got the MacBook up and running completely was the amount of available hard drive space I had left. After Software Update ran, I realized that the operating system and installed out-of-the-box applications took up about 20GB, leaving just under 38GB free. This was a lot less free space than I had expected and made me wish I had opted for a larger HD. There are third party applications and steps you can go through to remove parts of the OS you'll never need (additional languages, printer drivers, etc), but while advanced users may take advantage of that, many casual users may never know why the OS is taking up so much hard drive real estate.

The MacBook comes with a lot of software. From iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, Front Row, Comic Life, iWeb, Photo Booth, iMovie HD, iChat! you get the picture. One of the benefits to being only 5% of the market is that you can include tons of software and not get sued for anti-trust violations, which is why you'll never see Microsoft include this amount of software with the base installation of Windows. A complete list of included software is available on Apple's website.

The MacBook also comes with trial editions of Microsoft Office and iWork '06. The Microsoft Office software trial shows nag screens when you save your document, and it will work for 30 days. The iWork '06 trial also stops working after 30 days. There are also some games included! Big Band Board Games includes games such as Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon. At least they put something there to keep you occupied when you're stuck at an airport and your flight is delayed two hours.

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Page 5 of 14

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Ordering the MacBook
Page 3: First Looks
Page 4: Taking a Closer Look
Page 5: Setup & Packaged Software
Page 6: Testing - Hardware
Page 7: Testing - Software
Page 8: Testing - Interfacing with and Running Windows
Page 9: Testing - Temperature
Page 10: Testing - Performance
Page 11: Testing - Battery Life & MagSafe Adapter
Page 12: Tech Support Experience #1
Page 13: Tech Support Experience #2
Page 14: Conclusion

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