- Only two USB ports
- No Firewire port more
- No remote control via infrared
- No anti-glare display
- No separate connections for microphone and headphones (it can be but, for example, an iPhone headset plug)
- VGA or DVI output only with a special adapter cable
- No removable battery
Then you have to get involved. What you get on the other side for this? First and foremost, as always with Apple, the design called for, for many, this is a very important aspect - also for me. With devices that I really like, I work just prefer and almost all the people who like me to work in a creative environment with artists, designers, graphic artists and musicians, it's because similar. Another that is perhaps totally incomprehensible, therefore I will not argue about it since. But of course there are a few other very tangible positive features:
- Very bright display
- Incredibly quiet operation (ie really virtually inaudible)
- Pleasant keyboard
- Very large and awesome dissolved multitouch trackpad with finger gestures and virtually wear-free surface
- Decent battery life
- MagSafe power adapter (if one was to stumble over the cable, flying not the same throughout the notebook through the area)
- Mac OS X
So it's true then in the sum with look, feel and ergonomics, and a stress-ridden user like me is happy - even though there is for the same price even faster laptops with more RAM, faster CPU, bigger hard drive and more ports. Have had also little trouble with the non-anti-glare display, high brightness makes as many betting. For example, I also a small and otherwise very nice Asus netbook whose display is indeed no glare wonderful, but a total of only about half the supplies luminosity what then outdoor operation is also no use. When Mac Book can be the way the brightness dimming down not very far, but also switch off the display completely, if you, for example, only wants to listen to music or pending the lengthy rendering a file.
Ever since Intel processors in Apple found its way, a parallel Windows XP / Vista / 7 or Linux, it is well known, no problem to install. At boot time you can then select which operating system to boot. The Mac installation DVD contains the necessary for the Windows operating drivers, but not for Windows 7. The latter can, however, still install and the driver will then be reloaded after the installation as part of a Boot Camp updates from the Internet. Booting a Linux live CD or an image of a USB flash drive is incidentally also possible.
For Mac OS X itself: I like to really carry no religious war, there are narrow-minded enough to and sometimes marked by abundant ignorance discussions about the pros and cons of various operating systems. For me personally, Mac OS X is exactly what it is the first choice if you:
a) to be 100% certain standards-compliant applications from the professional environment (eg Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro, or for that matter, Microsoft Excel and Word) is dependent and
b) will have a robust system without constant Hantier because of network security.
It brings together some (but not all) advantages of a Windows system with those of a pure open source Unix system. There are also situations where Windows or Linux is the first choice. For example, when it comes to the greatest possible flexibility and automation example of server applications (Linux) or free utilities currently needed from the hobby and games area (Windows). In Mac OS X, some functions are simply "not provided", or describes unsuspecting users for all kinds of micro-trivial programs that are available for all other systems in vain, drawn the same amount of money out of pocket. Apparently speculate many amateur programmers that at the Mac-user's wallet is very loose. I like to use, therefore, different operating systems in parallel. Many popular tools from the open source area are also available for Mac OS X (OpenOffice, VLC, Mplayer, Avidemux, GIMP, to name a few) and many of these are quite excellent (regardless of platform).
Little faith I would give way, the frequently encountered statements that the hardware of a Mac Books is fundamentally more robust than that of a PC notebook. Something may have once voted (long ago), but now is in every new Mac the same (mostly from China and Taiwan derived) interior as in other computers also. Fortunately the own replacement of components (hard disk, RAM, battery), however, is not rocket science, although you should let someone with no experience steer clear of it (within the warranty period anyway). The Mac Book has a screw base plate, which can be opened by means of a thin screw-driver, then a clear view is to the inner life. I did that once and it's a lot easier than, say, a Mac Mini: The memory modules are DDR3 SO-DIMMs with 204 pins, 1066 MHz bus clock. Installed are those of Hynix (2 x 1GB), but go other brands (Samsung, Corsair, Kingston, etc.) Who his Mac Book still wants to use virtualization products like VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, or VirtualBox, should have upgraded to 2 x 2GB of RAM think otherwise Snow Leopard runs very well with only 2 GB. When 2.5 "SATAII hard disk is a model of Hitachi / Toshiba, which was probably chosen primarily because of its low noise level. You can also install a different brand. If the battery must be replaced once, I am also very confident that I manage that themselves.
Who wants Additional interesting Adapter Cable for connecting an external monitor / projector, should not make a mistake with the two used to come at Apple small monitor ports: There are the "Mini DVI Port" and the "Mini Display Port", the are two different things. A Mac Mini has eg both ports, the Mac Book but only a "mini display port". So look closely.
Among the limitations and conditions a Mac Book has to leave my opinion allergrößtes potential, a satisfied user. This may also be an additional cost value or not? In addition: the resale value of a Mac Books is still relatively high even after one or two years.
The price on Amazon is the way low ...
