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Apple October '08 Macbook Refresh Hands-On
Introduction
When Apple releases a product, I imagine crowds of fanboys wagging their hands, stomping their feet, and crying tears of joy mixed with pain - the kind of pain that can only result from approaching one's credit card limit. That's my Beatles circa-1965, Steve Jobs as John Lennon fantasy. Or it used to be. I think the whole bit has nuked the fridge. Even if the tired-but-true formula has started to gather some moss, this may have been Apple's most exciting product release of this year. The aluminum case design that replaced the TiBook in 2003 had undergone some small changes, but its age was starting to show. Folks had been calling for the reincarnation of the 12-inch Powerbook since it was discontinued. It was time. I slogged through the Stevenote live-blogs, gazing doe-eyed at the pretty pictures, and decided I would take off for my local Apple Store the next day to get my mitts on the new hotness that are the Macbook and Macbook Pro. Too bad they didn't come in until Thursday. Calling ahead is always a good idea (thanks, Kurtis). First Impressions The dissonance between the design of mid-to-high end Apple computers has bugged me for a while now; the newest iMac’s black and aluminum motif was huge contrast to the Aluminum Macbook Pro pre-October 14. The Macbook look was classic, but it wasn’t down with Apple’s whole unification thing. I appreciate the move toward a single design aesthetic across all the product lines. Simple is best. The new casing is nothing less than gorgeous. While Kurtis expressed concern over the lack of a matte display option for photographers like himself, I am in love with the new glass screen. It’s exactly like the screen on my 20” iMac, and looks just as sexy in a portable package.         There’s a small rubber rim around the farthest edges of the display to prevent metal-on-glass contact between the upper and lower casings. The upper casing still flexes quite a bit when pressed while closed, but that’s pretty normal with a computer this thin. The bottom casing seems to be just as sturdy as the Apple folks claimed at the presser; I couldn’t get it to flex at all with significant pressing. Overall, the initial groping turned out to be totally pleasing. This feels like an evolutionary leap from where the old AlBooks were before. The 13” Aluminum Macbook looks and feels just like its wider sibling - durable, well-built, and good lookin’.
Page 1: Introduction, First Impressions
Page 2: Hardware & Performance Impressions Page 3: Conclusion 
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Add Comment
2 User Comments 1 - Posted by
RRR
on November 5, 2008 - 12:47 am Get the facts. Do a google search for MATTE GLOSSY POLL, and you'll see that most polls that between 45% to 54% want matte screens. Now, Apple can do their research, and claim that anything below 49% means the majority want gloss. But this 44-54% agrees with what the local Apple store salesman told me: that it was roughly 50-50 for people who wanted matte vs glossy MacBook Pro's (of the former model that had the option). These are the polls of people who want matte: 44% 45% 48% 68% 50% 54 % 72% _____________ POLLS: What type of screen do you prefer on the MacBook (Glossy or Matte) Glossy 32.31 % (10007) Matte 44.04 % (13639) Don't Know 23.65 % (7324) Total votes: 30970 http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=527 What are your feelings on the glossy-only screen in the new MacBook Pro (and MacBook)? Love it, already ordered one! 5.73% Looks sharp, planning on buying 15.92% Looks good, but no plans to purchase 16.97% Need to see it in person before judging 14.75% Dislike glossy screen, but will buy anyway 15.06% Hate glossy screens, will not buy because of it 29.41% Other? 2.15% http://www.macosxhints.com/polls/index.php View Poll Results: Gloss or Matte? [are you well?] Gloss - I like to shine! 50.00% Matte! - I'm all about the dull sheen... 48.39% Yes, thanks... I'm well! 33.87% No... I'm having a shocker!!... 9.68% http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showth... View Poll Results: Glossy or Matte (Not Glossy) MacBook Pro Screen? Glossy 24.14% Matte 68.97% Neutral (Doesn't Matter) 6.90% You Can Choose? 0% http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=24420... View Poll Results: Glossy or Matte Display ? (new imac vs old imac) Matte 50.00% Glossy 50.00% View Poll Results: What's your display like? Poll Options: My matte is great 54.10% My matte is bad 3.28% My glossy is great 39.34% My glossy is bad 3.28% http://forums.macnn.com/69/mac-notebooks/318569/gl... View Poll Results: Glossy or Matte screen ? Glossy 27.27% Matte 72.73% http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/19/33640023-matt... 2 - Posted by
Kurtis
on November 5, 2008 - 3:17 am Thanks for the input, RRR. Though you do seem to be coming across as though we were saying the glossy-only screens are a good thing, which isn't the case. I agree, matte is needed as an option.
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