 "As good as it can get" | 2009-11-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3PUBP3MINJDDN |
Macbook Pros are indeed fascinating, specially if its your first mac. All the small details, the neat reworking of features of other operating systems, the WAY better performance/hardware ratio provided due to software optimizations and less middle-men (software abstraction layers), everything.
The purchase in itself was great: quick shipping, amazing customer service from the seller, product is as described. I just wish I could have bought it with the 512MB of video memory version without having to go all the way up with other hardware specifications, along with an extra $300+ in budget. |
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| "BEST COMPUTER" | 2009-10-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1Y2P5BA10NPI6 |
| honestly if you have enough to buy this computer but feel like saving money and going for the Dell, DONT. Dells suck terribly and even though you are paying a lot more up front for the mac and you might not be used to it at first, in the long run you are saving money and its just a way better computer. Dell screwed me over with tons of money and three computers that all became outdated very quick and even crashed, I have yet to encounter a problem with my mac and I do alot of work with music on it! Seriously the best investment I ever made, I will never consider buying windows again. The best part about this computer is the touch trackpad for the mouse, once you understand how to use all of its features, which is pretty quick, you will wish every computer had one. It makes web browsing and everything else so much easier!!! Go for it, this computer rocks the screen looks amazing!!!! Apple MacBook Pro MC118LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop! |
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| "15 year PC con-vert to Mac. THIS model MacBook made me do it." | 2009-09-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1BR9QQF8QL43N |
What can I say? Maybe it's my age catching up with me. I am not sure. I know that I was just tired of all the mess there is in keeping a PC up to date and always running. Drivers, inter-application support, all of this is just something PC owners deal with and have gotten use to. I'm tired of it.
I found the iLife suite of applications a perfect answer for everything I needed. iPhoto, iMovie and of course iTunes (which I was already using on the PC along with my iPhone) are just a joy to use. iPhotos "places, faces and events" are super cool. And it's amazing how easy it is to get photos in and tagged. Everything about OSX just flows easily and never gets in my way. Everything works together smoothly and nothing competes with each other. i.e. WIndows Photo Viewer and Media Player both wanting to manange your pictures and videos DIFFERENTLY. Typical PC reply is "oh just download this other app and install this service and then run this codec pack and set this registry entry and you're all set'" NO...I'M DONE WITH THAT. iLife and OSX WORK.
Now to the hardware.
I liked the previous generation MacBook Pro. It was missing some things though for the price. For one, it seemed to not really offer much in build and features I couldn't get elsewhere much cheaper in a PC laptop. This was not to say I would buy a PC but it meant I was looking at the MacMini or possibly even the iMac. Something I didn't really want to do. I wanted a laptop. So I waited. Another year with the PC...then finally these new ones hit.
I was blown away by the features videos and when I got to handle one in person...WOW. They are thinner yet completely SOLID. Picking one up or just smashing the keys and you feel like you're using something God would use. I can rest my fat palms on the faceplate without worry. The new black backlit keys are MUCH easier to see and feel great! The buttonless touch pad (the entire thing is a button) is amazing. It's like the iPhone except with the addition of a button. Which is perfect. Be nice if the iPhone could get this feature some how. The gesture support is spot on. It's the first time I've ever used a touchpad and NOT wanted to get a mouse instantly. You can really use it all day and it's transparent. It operates so smoothly. FINALLY.
The sound from the speakers is much improved. iTunes in the background or jamming out loud is very clear and full sounding for a laptop speaker. Nothing sounds harsh or crushed. They are laptop speakers mind you, but for that, they are the best I've heard.
The display is very clear and off angle is nice. I find the contrast to be pretty good and the 3D performance to be awesome. (and should be with a 9600). The auto switching to the slower power saving 9400 is a pretty neat trick too. I play World of Warcraft and EVE-Online and they both run quite smoothly. When running on battery there is a performance hit with the cycled down cpu and slower 9400, but you'd expect that. I also tried Team Fortress 2 via "Crossover for Games" and it ran very smoothly. With only a couple of small display glitches.
My only real complaint is the lack of USB ports, it has two. I really wish it had TWO more. My model has the express slot instead of the mini card slot. I find you have many more expansion options with the express slot. Including putting in your own mini card reader. So why limit your options?
Finally, Amazon's price was $200 cheaper than Apple's. I got no tax and free 2 day shipping on top of that, pretty sweet. |
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 "Great computer, but with scratches" | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2MORNDIFIYLRF |
As the title says, the computer is great, it is much more than I expected considering I moved from PC platform to Mac. Every thing just works fine, no bugs, no hassles. This Macbook Pro is a 2008 model, but I found it very powerful and fast compared to my Vaio FZ-180e.
The only annoyance had nothing to do with the laptop conception or functionality: it came with scratches on the right side of the lid. Also, when I installed aditional memory I found a lot of dust inside it, which made me wonder that this notebook could have been in some showcase at Datavision Computer Video store in NY, from where it was delivered.
I've tried to contact the store by e-mail through the proper service at Amazon's site, but received no word about it. And since I'm not in the US right now, I just got stuck with a new computer that looks old. So, the reason I rate it no so good is due to its handling by the store, not because the quality of the equipment which I think it is superb. |
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| "Awesome Computer!" | 2009-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1R4WRCCTQC4QJ |
| Having spent most of my computer time with PC, I have had far too many gliches and down times with viruses and malware to be optimally productive. Not having my own personal IT Department to tend to my many computer concerns, this became expensive not to mention a bothersome nuisance. Since switching to Apple, I've been very impressed with superior customer service I got from the Apple Store! I am also AMAZED at how user friendly this MacBook Pro laptop is! The screen is very clear and image-sharp, the icons are readily available at the bottom of the screen, I can customize this desktop many different ways, I LOVE how the keypad lights up in diminished room lighting so that the letters and numbers don't wear off like my old PC and most importantly for me, I especially enjoy not getting PC hassles and computer downtime any more..... I'm converted! |
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| "The Promised Land..." | 2009-08-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3HS7P1S3Q0452 |
| I never thought it was possible to be this excited over a laptop but I have done it. This machine is spectacular! I have been a windows user for my whole life (NOT by choice) and I thought computing was going to be mediocre and droll but Apple has flipped my world upside down. This is going to be a very short review because All I can say is I will NEVER buy a PC again! |
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