My new MacBook

For one week now, I've been the proud owner of a 1.83 GHz Apple MacBook.  This computer is truly a wonderful piece of work.

Since I bought the computer online, the whole shipping process was fun to watch.  I ordered it at the www.apple.com website a Saturday evening.  Since I requested an additional 512 MB RAM (to make it a total of 1 GB) and an additional 20 GB hard drive (to make it a total of 80 GB), the configuration had to be built.  This didn't take too long as I received an email from Apple on the following Tuesday stating that my computer has just shipped.  I clicked on the FedEx tracking number to find that it had arrived at the FedEx facility in Suzhou China.  From then on, I followed it through China, Alaska, Indianapolis, and finally to Puget Sound:

I admit that I was quite surprised by the expedience of this delivery.  Even though, I completely understand and embrace this jet age we live in, I still was surprised at how this package got from one end of the world to another (via Indianapolis!) in a few short days.

Over the long three-day weekend, I was able to play around and configure the new MacBook to my personal settings.  Taking it out of the box is truly a Zen experience.  I read a blog where someone compared it to attending a Japanese tea ceremony.  That is a great analogy (too bad I didn't invent it).  I should have video recorded the opening up of the box.  Turning on the computer, I set up my user name, password, and then entered my home Wi-Fi network's password.  Within about 5 minutes, I was fully ready to use this computer.

I immediately noticed how much faster this Mac runs with certain applications like Firefox, Safari, and especially iPhoto.  I installed a copy of Microsoft Office X, yet it doesn't run much faster than on my iMac G5 since the new MacBook needs to translate the Office program using the Rosetta software (MS Office X is not written natively on the Mac Intel hardware).  Office doesn't run any slower, though, than my G5.  I'm hopeful that Adobe will soon write their Photoshop Elements to run natively on the Mac Intel (MacTel?).

Many blogs have complained about the MacBook's newly designed keyboards.  So many people have spent cycles on measuring the amount of "travel" even down to the milimeter.  One guy looked up the ISO standards for keyboards.  Who are these people?!  Good Lord.  The keyboard is quite nice, actually.  It took me around 10 minutes to get a good feel for it.  One thing that I really really like is the trackpad.  If I tap on the trackpad with two fingers, it acts as a scrollbar.  And, if I tap with two fingers and subsequently tap with my thumb, then the "right-click" is enabled.  Wow.  This is even a better way of doing it then on Windows laptops where you need to click a type of right-button on those laptops.

The built in iSight camera on top of the screen is quite fun.  I haven't used it too much except for the first night that I played around with the computer.  I had several glasses of wine in me by then, so I was able to screw around with the various settings and face-changing attributes of the PhotoBooth software.  I can't imagine using that software too much, but it sure is fun every once in a while.  I'll post some crazy pictures of me using PhotoBooth every once in a while.  The neat thing is -- I'll be able to take a quick little PhotoBooth photo of me in whatever setting I'm in with the background visible.  This is a pretty cool concept.

Heat emanating from the bottom left of the MacBook is quite noticeable.  If I'm sitting around home watching TV and surfing with the MacBook on my lap, I can feel the heat through my pants (or blanket, as was the case last weekend since it was so cold).  I doubt that I'll be able to sit with the laptop directly on my lap if I were wearing shorts.  I'll keep this in mind during the warmer summer months, whenever they arrive here in Puget Sound country. 

My MacBook's stylish protector

Last Saturday, I bought a way cool laptop bag at the Apple Store.  Folks who were with me at the store thought this particular bag looked great, so I decided to buy it.  It's made by a company called STM from Australia.  Their website describes some of the cool features and looks of the bag.  It truly is a bag that can be taken anywhere discreetly.

Overall, the whole MacBook experience is typical for Apple these days:  wonderful.  I've never owned a better laptop. 

Comments

[Samaras]

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[James Doyle]

Hey, Brian. Stumbled across your web page, and recognized the name, while looking for photos of the new Memorial Stadium in Champaign. I just hit twelve years at CSC/ITDS/Amdocs in Champaign. Doubt there will be many more anniversaries here, as the message is pretty clear most of the work in Champaign is moving to India.

I too love owning a MacBook. I'm on my second generation of Macbook (first was a G3 Powerbook which I still actually use for Quicken), My daughter just graduated from Illinois, and got her second Macbook as a graduation present. Saw your comment about the heat issues when the computer is on your lap. Did you know that most manufacturers no longer call them laptops, but rather notebooks, specifically because of the heat issues? They don't wnat to be sued for suggesting you should use them on your lap.

Enjoyed reading your blog. I have one also, at www.jfdoylejr.com.

Jim Doyle
jdoyle@amdocs.com

[Steve J. Garrod]

Hey great to see you this weekend! Also checking out the site of your new laptop bag. Looks great! Glad that you're enjoying the new equipment! . . . .