The Confessions of a New Mac User
An 8 MHz processor, 128 KB DRAM, 400 kB floppy disk drive, and 9-inch 512 x 342 monochromatic pixel display rounded out the Macintosh 128K. It was the first of its kind, and, as such, it was the first computer to feature a graphical-user-interface and mouse. All of this could have been yours for $2,495 in 1984. Well, we have all come a long way since then.
I wasn’t even born when Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.) came into existence.1 It has been over 31 years since the first Apple computer was sold. Within those years, the company has had its ups and downs, victories and failures, home-runs and strikeouts, and, well, you get the idea. Steve Jobs co-founded the company, and Steve Jobs prevented its imminent doom throughout the mid to late ’90s.2
Since the turn of the century, Apple has put its foot down on Microsoft’s turf, and the company has never backed down to the numerous challenges presented to it. Some believe this to be a great achievement, but I think of it as nothing less than extraordinary.
That was quite an impressive introduction, wouldn’t you say? Deservedly so—Apple really has done the impossible by standing up to Microsoft. However, when you only have to compete with Microsoft Vista and the Zune, it might not seem like such an advantage nowadays.3
As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 (WWDC) comes to a finish, I can’t help but recall my first experiences with my newly purchased MacBook. From the first moment I observed the beautiful intro movie which greeted me in various languages, I knew I was in for a treat.
My recently purchased MacBook features a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo “Penryn” Processor, a 250 GB Hitachi SATA hard-disk drive, two 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM (for 2 GB total), and a beautiful—yet fingerprint prone—black matte finish.
(I must make it publicly known that before I purchased my MacBook—only three months ago—I had never owned an Apple product. That’s right, I have never owned an iPod, iPhone, or any other iThing. It was not because I did not like Apple products—on the contrary, I enjoyed using them back in high school—but I felt they were too over-priced.)
What I Hate
I was questioning if I would annoy some of you which have subscribed with me by stating that there is something wrong with an Apple product. Unfortunately though, there are a few issues that need to be addressed with the MacBook (non pro) line of products. Let down your guard for a few moments if this is the case.
Some issues I have with the MacBook:
- I feel like I paid a $200 premium for a coat of black paint. Considering a few of the following issues, I would have expected better for the higher priced “BlackBook.”
- The fact that the MacBook is without a dedicated graphics unit is disheartening. For $1,500, I would have expected some kind of capability to pull off some basic 3D gaming, but, unfortunately, it is not there.
- The new iMovie application is fairly limited. Interestingly, the fact that there is no dedicated graphics chip means that using an alternative application for video editing is nearly impossible. The MacBook obviously wasn’t the best choice for video editing tasks, but I expected more; $1500 should have allowed some decent video editing potential.
- Leopard compatibility with Firefox renders the system unstable.4 This is a confirmed issue, and it is really disappointing to hear.
- There has been no official car charger released by Apple. Why the hell not? I am fairly certain that Apple is losing money with this glaring omission, but maybe they know something I don’t?
I will not be getting my money back nor receiving a graphics chip upgrade, but there is still hope for a Firefox/Mac update and an official Apple MacBook car charger.
The lack of a dedicated graphics card really does suck, but when I consider the issues I have had with previous systems, the cost is justified. Regardless, I knew what I was getting before I placed the order. Perhaps my expectations were too high.
What I Love
Now that I got the problems off my mind, I can focus on the things that make me jump for joy when using the MacBook. There are quite a few things to love, and while I don’t have the time to list everything, I will touch on the most important bits.
Where to begin:
- First, I must state that the Mac operating system—Leopard—is superb. It is beautiful, it is efficient, it is powerful, and it just works—all things I can appreciate. Previously, I used an earlier version of OS X in high school, but now, Leopard amazes me on a daily basis. The dashboard, the dock, the terminal, it is pure class.
- The applications made available to the Mac operating system are well done. Almost every application I have tried, easily over 250, has been a great experience. These are applications that you really wouldn’t mind paying for. Some of my favorites include BBEdit, NetNewsWire, Scrivener, iCal, iTunes, and Linkinus. More great applications are arriving on a daily basis.
- My first experience with Apple support occurred yesterday. A nice support representative from Canada was helping me with an issue—the MagSafe connector was becoming separated from the wire.5 After I called up and provided my serial number for the MacBook, I was informed that my 90-day complimentary telephone support had expired 4 days ago, but the customer service representative helped me out anyways. He had a new power brick shipped to me yesterday—it has already arrived. Overall, a great experience!
- Finally, I love being part of the Apple community. Sure, everyone thinks that Apple users are biased towards the company, and that might be true. However, I really do believe that the Mac operating system makes Vista seem outdated. I believe the iPod is better than the Zune, and I believe that iTunes is better than Windows Media Player. I can assure you that I am not an Apple fanboy, but I do understand why so many people are.
All the aforementioned really sums up my feelings about the MacBook laptop, the Mac operating system, and Apple corporation in general. The company is not perfect, but it is making much more progress than what Microsoft has been able to muster up.
This is Apple’s time. The next two to three years are very opportunistic moments for the once troubled company. If Apple can’t take a significant portion of the market-share within this time, it will be nothing less than disappointing.
For now, things are looking up, but nothing is certain in the technology industry.
- I was born January 10th, 1987. ↩
- Apple failed to keep up with Windows 3.x and Windows 95. ↩
- I have no bias against Microsoft, but I just think it is pathetic when your best software release within the past few years is Windows Live Writer. ↩
- Since switching to Safari, I have had no issues at all. ↩
- The MagSafe adapter is both a blessing and a curse. It helps those prone to accidently pulling out the power connector, but the unit becomes dangerously hot with time. ↩
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