Well, Steve Jobs has done it again. With the release of the new Macbook and Macbook Pro, Steve Jobs has raised the bar even higher. While there are many improvements, there are also a few glaring features, but we’ll get to those later on, shall we?
Apple Macbook
First and foremost, the Macbooks look beautiful. If there’s one thing Jobs does right, it’s design. Compared to its PC competitors, the Macbook looks sleek and polished and would easily win a beauty contest any day. Plus, when you boot it up, OS X doesn’t look too shabby either. With a little research, it seems the streamlined feel of the new Macooks is due to an improvement in the manufacturing process. Instead of using multiple parts, only a few pieces of covered with aluminum allowed for stronger laptops that would withstand more punishment. I’m not a fan of Macbooks, but the design of current PC computers does make me envy the cosmetic advantages of the new Macbooks.
The Innards
An important piece of hardware that Jobs upgraded was the graphics card. As a follower of many types of technology, this was to be expected if Jobs wanted to future-proof the Macbook and Macbook Pro. However, what I didn’t expect was for Jobs to pull an “Alienware scheme.” What I’m talking about is the inclusion of two graphic cards instead of one. Like the Macbook, the Macbook Pro has a NVIDIA 9400M graphics card, but it also has a 9600M GT graphics card for those graphic intensive tasks such as video editing or even gaming. My only grievance with having two cards is unlike Alienware, the Macbook Pro has to reboot in order to switch memory cards.
As for the LCD, this is something that many consumers and reviewers have called both a blessing and a curse. While the new displays show better black and whites as well as improved viewing angles, the biggest problem is that Apple is only offering high-gloss displays. For those unfamiliar with display types, the two main displays that laptops have are glossy and matte. The matte does not have a perfectly smooth surface, resulting in dramatically reduced reflections. This is usually the preferred display type for those that work in bright areas, such as in an office setting or outside. On the other hand, the glossy display type is known to display at a higher quality and clarity, producing richer colors and deeper blacks. The problem is that the Macbooks have high-gloss displays, resulting in a ridiculous amount of reflection on the screen, as shown below. However, I’m hesitant to agree with anyone that the reflections could be a deal-breaker for me.
Macbook Pro Old vs Macbook Pro New
The philosophy that Macbooks are easy to use has spread to other parts of the Macbook family. For those interested in installing more RAM or swapping out hard drives, Apple made this easier by a “quick flip of a release hatch.” Also, the hatch on the lid has been replaced by a magnetic one, making it easier to open and close the laptops. Lastly, the trackpad has been enlarged and the physically clicking part, removed. This seemed to cause confusion to me at first because using a button to click seemed a lot more reliable, as well as having the physical feedback. However, it seems as though there are no major complaints about it and having a larger trackpad definitely helps with multitouch.
New Trackpad
Overall, this is another step in the right direction for Apple. The newly redesigned Macbook and Macbook Pro have once again given old and new Apple users something to appreciate.
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