Like desperate, drooling canines circling endlessly for their dinners, with madness in their eyes and passion in their hearts, Mac devotees around the globe anticipated Sir Jobs' most recent announcement regarding Apple.
Most would say that they certainly did not disappoint, unveiling a much-needed upgrade to the (now) boring, flat white, plastic MacBooks of yore (read: last year). Honestly, though, both lines really needed a refresh, and this has been welcomed by fanboys and girls searching for a new laptop solution.
As a MacBook owner myself, I'm pining over these like an unrequited love. They make so many improvements that I am digging on. My wallet, of course, can't support my new crush... but a man can dream, right? Here's what I like best about these shiny new supermodels.
The "Brick" Construction
There was a lot of buzz going around about the "MacBook Brick," and the real-life implementation of the rumor is quite impressive. There's a whole host of benefits regarding the new "unibody" aluminum enclosure... it's supposedly thinner, lighter, and more durable.
But, I've found that Apple laptops overall have been quite durable as they were, so I don't care about those things. What I do care about, though, is NO MORE STAINING. I was cursed by the first-gen "MacBook Stain" edition, and even though I am meticulously clean when I use my electronics, it still shows signs of staining. The metal construction will solve this issue... and hopefully keep the laptop for those people like me who polish their case on a regular basis and have pet names for their electronics very, very happy. Good call Apple.
Multi-Touch Glass Trackpad
Oops, I think I just fainted from excitement. Did that sound sarcastic? It wasn't, at least not entirely. I'm genuinely super-stoked about this upgrade, partially because I'm an iPhone user as well, and have seen the glories of multi-touch first hand.
But why is this really cool? Yeah yeah, you can flick through pictures and it's all glassy... and stuff. But what does that mean other than being something Apple store associates will regurgitate as a fancy selling point?
Productivity, that's what. When I switched to working solely on a Mac (in my previous career, I was bound to a corporate Windows machine) I recognized how extremely productive Expose helps me. I'm able to switch through staggering amounts of open windows with ease, baffling onlookers as they say "whazzat?" as they spy apps zooming in and out as I flick between them. Then, Spaces came out, taking this to an even higher level. Currently, I use my side mouse buttons or corners to evoke the wonders of Expose, and CTRL+arrow key to awaken Spaces.
Imagine being able to whiz through both of them with a quicksilver swipe of the fingers. Amazing. Bloggers, road warriors, writers, and anyone who works from their MacBook should be overjoyed.
More Graphics Power With NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Finally. I've been waiting around for eons for a lesser-expensive Mac with a decent GPU. Stupid GMA950, which won't play Spore... on top of the fact that PC toters everywhere ridicule us for having crippled graphics performance...
No more, not with the new MacBooks. They're sporting a mobile NVIDIA powerhouse that is (according to Apple) up to 5X faster than previous MacBook models.
My Conclusions on the New MacBooks
Overall, like any good Kool-Aid drinker would, I've already bought in to the new line of MacBooks. I'm not willing to pony up the extra Benjamins to get a Pro, but a new MacBook could be in my near future. Really, all things considered, I see the new MacBook as a reasonable value considering that it not only includes my "favorite" features outlined above, but also a whole host of other improvements (it's greener, comes shipped with more memory than previous MacBook models, faster processor, wireless-n, and the list goes on.) In addition, it promises to be a laptop that will "live on" longer than previous models, due to its impressively solid and intelligent construction.
My Current, and Ever-Changing, Apple Wishlist
Here's my short list of things I'd really, really like Apple to tackle next. Disregard how impossible or unlikely they may be. This is just for fun :)
1. An Apple Tablet PC
How cool would this be? Like a Newton, only not crappy. Eat up Martha?
2. An Apple Netbook
I'm deeming this unlikely. If I were Apple, I'd think this would be "devaluing" the brand by offering a lower cost option. But, a mini Apple netbook with no hacking necessary would be super, super sweet... and worth a premium, in my eyes.
What are your Apple dreams? Let me know!
