When you start to look closer, Apple’s new MacBook Pro gets less and less appealing. The first thing I noted was the lack of any advertised battery life. He noticed several other problems, not the least of which is the stupid, stupid name.
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According to Jobs (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10853916/site/newsweek/page/2/), the battery life on the new MacBooks will be the same as the PowerBooks.
While I love an extra 60 pixels as much as the next person, I think I would prefer the 67% increase in brightness over the PowerBooks. The PowerBooks’ screens were already amazing, but this should make them just beyond words.
According to MacRumors.com, the single-layer DVD drive was due to space issues. Apple couldn’t find a dual-layer drive to fit in that space (it’s about 10% thinner). Also, DL DVDs really aren’t that great because they cost so so so much more than single layer – to the point that I could probably buy 8 single-layer discs for the price of 1 DL disc.
The iSight might be an arbitrary addition and some may use the S-Video of FW800, but I wouldn’t have used them. For me, the new MacBook is definitely a step up, but for those for whom it isn’t, the PowerBook is still available.
I’ll wait and see what the battery life really is. I like the addition of the iSight and think it is a good one, I’m disappointed FireWire was cut, but don’t really care about S-Video or the modem. Too bad about the DVD drive, but those are the breaks. Mostly, though, one has to be wary of first-generation Apple hardware, it has a tendancy to (being created in secret, and all) have hidden flaws.
The new magnetic power cord, however, is a stroke of genius.