Using The Santa Rosa Macbook Pro
written by John Chow
Yesterday, the Fedex man dropped off a package from Apple Computers. Inside was a brand new Macbook Pro. Anyone who know me know that Apple isn’t on my list of favorite computer makers. To me, Apple is a music company that happens to make computers as well.
The new Macbook Pro is the first Apple laptop to make use of the new Intel Penryn processor, which helps to increase the performance gap between it and the weaker non-pro Macbook. The Pro is available in two models, a big 17″ monster and my 15.4″ unit, which happens to be the lightest 15.4″ laptop in the world (it weighs only 0.4lbs more than the 13″ Macbook). Until recently, the Macbook Pro was also the world’s thinnest laptop at 1 inch thick. That title now belongs to the Macbook Air.
It Makes a Good First Impression
My first impression of the Macbook Pro was it sure looks good. One thing you can’t fault Apple for is style. The Macbook Pro is just oozing it. The Pro is one of the best looking laptops I’ve ever seen. However, good looks will get you only so far.
Upon opening the new Macbook, I noticed a few things missing from the keyboard. There was no print screen key or a backspace. I later found out that you need to hit three keys to do a screen capture and the delete key is really the backspace.
Since I only had the Macbook Pro for a day, I haven’t really drove into it enough to give a final verdict. I’m having a love hate relationship with the Mac OS. I love that this thing can boot up in just 25 seconds but I hate that there’s only one way to resize a window. I also find it a little unnerving that an Intel powered laptop doesn’t need any anti virus software. So far, the OS has been as stable as a rock. I’m waiting for the first crash. The Mac users on my IM list tell me I’ll be waiting till the cows come home.
How Much Does It Cost?
For the price of the Macbook Pro, you can get one hell of a powerful Windows laptop with more features. However, the Mac fan boy would say it still isn’t a Mac. Right now, I really don’t see what the big deal is about. I’ll be using the Macbook with the Mac OS X for a week. If I can’t get use to it by then, I’m replacing with it with Windows and sticking a Microsoft sticker on the back of the screen. 
Look for an update in a week. Place your bets now on whether this Pro will remain a Mac or become a Windows machine.
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STEVE JOBS FTW!!!
Now how did I know the first comment will come from a fan boy?
Did you get it directly from Apple as a free gift. I’ll assume you didn’t purposely order it.
Haha…
Ah well if I had the money or someone gave me a Mac I’d use it. I like their styling. Besides the only thing I can’t use a Mac for is Gaming..
Anyone out there willing to send me a MacBook? I don’t need the pro
I used to!
Amen to that. I just got mine and now I want to have its babies. I second that emotion.
I am surprised you don’t like macs i fix computers for a living and I have to say windows is crap (well they do keep me in business) hay jhon I emailed you about doing the ad pooling for your site I haven’t gotten a response please email me I’ll try again later.
I did reply. I don’t do pools.
oh that really s**ks but I’ll try coming up with something else thanks anyway
Mac OS X > Windows Vista
‘Nuff said.
this reaLLy IS a GOOd post I haven’t seen nate post here in a long time
?
To be fair though…
A$$>Vista
XP>Vista
2000>Vista
98>Vista
95>Vista…
See a pattern
Haha.. now that, I agree with. Although, OS X does make me put my password in every time I want to install something new.
But then again, I don’t mind when Vista or OS X does it really. Whatever keeps the boogie man away.
I’ve tested them out in the Apple store and they seem to be cool but XP and my PC seem to be doing just fine for now. Maybe in the future I’ll change over.
I am a Window’s guy too, but you can’t beat Mac for publishing. My day job requires that we have Mac’s, but by night I am a window’s man! I feel so dirty 2 timing them!
I switched to Mac in 2001 and stayed with it until now. I never had any problem and will most likely stick with it for a very long time. Enjoy your Mac!
“cmd + shift + 4″ is the smartest idea ever. Being able to choose where you screen capture rocks. Otherwise “cmd + shift + 3″ is just the standard screen capture. The fact that it saves it as a file also rocks, and the fact that you can change the file type of screen captures.
My Mac has never crashed and I have had it for almost 2 years now. I have used Tiger and currently am using Leopard. I had XP “emulating” w/ vmware fusion and it was the fastest windows I have ever experienced. Ubuntu also runs like a blazing fire on vmware with only 128mb memory.
Oh shit you’re right about Windows having extra features. After all, I do wish I could have viruses on a mac. Now that would be awesome. I think mac would finally overtake the world (i.e. PC) if it had that extra “feature”.
Once again Mac For the Win!@#!@#$!T!#>$T>#!!!
O. M. G.
I’m a Mac newbie and I had no idea you could choose coordinate-based screen caps. That’s !#*&ing beautiful!!
Yes, Mac ftw.
cmd-shift-4 then press space is my favorite screen capture method. takes a cap of the image and even the drop shadow which is nice for putting screenshots in a web design.
Hey John.. you forgot to mention how the mouse pad doesn’t have left & right buttons
Don’t ya love having to hold down Ctrl to do a mouse click? lol
This Pro has the new fancy iPhone like touch pad so I don’t miss the second button that much.
Who in there right mind uses the mouse pad anyway!!!
http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/
Get a mighty mouse John it rocks
Oh dear god, I’m so getting one of these. I <3 Mac.
Nice affiliate link insertion for the cost: I was going to ask that.
Anyways, get a dell XPS 1330. I have one and couldn’t be happier, even though sometimes it shocks with me with electricity. Theres some defect with a few :\
I just got my XPS m1330 and I absolutely love it as well. It’s perfect for being on-the-go.
I bought a USB keyboard, wireless mouse, & a 24″ Dell monitor (runs at full res via HDMI). So I have a desktop setup too. All this for a couple hundred less than the Macbook Pro.
I get the shocks too… kind of a turn-on actually
“…even though sometimes it shocks with me with electricity”
And people say Dell quality has suffered
Lately I have been having a number of Mac Missionaries attempt to convert me to their gospel. I’ve been listening to their message and like what I hear. Your post helps put things in perspective
Hi John
I am actually surprised you aren’t a Mac fan. I own a MacBook Pro and a brand new Dell, and I must say the Mac is my computer of choice. The only reason I ever use the PC is when my wife has stolen the Mac and won’t give it back…
I’ve had the Mac for nearly 2 years and have never had a virus. When I first bought it I was also freaked out by the lack of anti-virus software (although you can by anti-virus software for Mac… its just a waste of money at this point), but on reflection it is a truly sad fact that I was so conditioned by my years of PC use that I was so worried about viruses.
At any rate, learning a new OS is sometimes a bit frustrating… but so is learning the new Office interface! Especially when there is no obvious added functionality! Down with Bill Gates!!!
Chris
Macs have their own benefits and PCs have their own, it’s like comparing Apples (fruit) and Oranges. It’s a matter of preference.
You should test drive the new MacBook air. It’s very stable and efficient and it even comes with Leopard OS!
MacBooks are targeted to producers not the common man so yea. Hope u like it.
What’s the story behind obtaining it?
Did you purchase it from Apple? Did Apple send it to you as a review unit for either JC.com or TTZ.com?
Ok, a couple errors in your article. The MacBook and the MacBook Pro have both been on the Santa Rosa platform since last summer. The new thing about the recent updates is that they now use Penryn processors.
I’m kinda surprised you’re not a fan of Apple– I’ve always thought you were a stylin’ guy! Anyway, give it some time– I think after awhile you’ll find that the Mac is a great OS and Apple is a great hardware maker. I think many PC types care all about price and assume that a screen is a screen and a trackpad is a trackpad, and that all the things Apple puts into their hardware and software to add value to them don’t really count for much. (And I think most PC people think that Apple hardware is more expensive than the competition- this hasn’t been the case for a decade!)
Give it some time and you’ll love it. You might install windows as well (bootcamp makes that pretty easy, but parallels is a good alternative if you want to run them both simultaneously.) But I expect you’ll probably not want to go back to other hardware.
Also, if you miss the second mouse button, or third or wheel, etc, you can plug in your favorite windows USB mouse and it will work fine.
Most of the frustration with Macs for PC users come from habits built up using PCs… Macs are a bit different and those habits can be annoying when things don’t work the way you expect. But every single choice- from the “one mouse button” to the menu at the top of the screen, was made to make things faster and easier for the user. They break your habits, but they do make you faster.
Back in 1986 or 1987, the tradition was that a PC was great for programming, for developing applications. If you wanted a PC for staff to work on, you got them a Mac. The Mac was dependable but semi-rigid, the user that had the best experience wanted to do work, people that wanted to develop things were happier with the PC.
I haven’t seen much change in the last 22 years. Yes, there is development on the Mac, there are games. But for getting work done, it is tough to beat the consistent, dependable Mac. Note that the five volume interface library that Apple wrote to assure a consistent interface had a *major* impact on Window. Mac’s Command-C, Command-V became MS Control-C, Control-V.
And I would give it more than a week. You can always revert to Windows. You may not have as many alternatives for applications on the Mac, but many DTP and graphics applications were born there.
Enjoy!
hmm - I need to buy a new laptop and not sure, do i go PC or do I go Mac?
PCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC for me!
Cheaper
I agree. Macs are cool and have there place. But you pay for it.
Plus, there is a ton more software you can get for PC. And if you’re a gamer, go the PC route.
If you want something simple and easy to use, but don’t mind the extra cost. A Mac might be for you.
That looks like a pretty good machine to me.
My bet is you will give it up at the end of a week and go with a Windows machine.
I’d take that bet. I rarely see someone go back to a PC when they have put a mac to the test. Gamers excluded…
Welcome to the Apple family John! I got an iMac in January and I love it.
Make sure you get the Leopard OS X update that was released a few weeks ago. Check your Software Update menu for it. Enjoy!
I’m pretty surprised you don’t like MACs. I will give you that they are pretty expensive in relation to PCs of equal speeds. Their main saving grace is that they are free of Windows Vista, though.
I think is a waste of money.
I’ve been using PC’s for years, and now I have Vista
for all of my applications and I’ve gotta say I’m not a big fan of it so far. I haven’t had much opportunity to play around with a mac yet, that whole afraid-of-the-unknown-so-lets-not-go-near-it syndrome got me. Now though with the Dual Boot option I’m seriously thinking Mac for my next laptop. I still didn’t see an answer to the did you get it for free question too. Just wondering. 
John, I generally enjoy your posts, but this one is purely ridiculous. Clearly you know very little about Apple, its business, its history or its laptops. You’re definitely not the right person to do this review. Oh, I’m writing this from a Dell XPS laptop.
I hope you didn’t think this was one of his paid reviews LOL. He is merely expressing his opinion and therefore there is no right or wrong.
I don’t think you can do a REAL week-long comparison until you’re running Leopard.
I’ve been a PC guy my whole life and in fact used to think Apple people were just weird… but as soon as I got used to the interface I’ve never looked back. Now, I understand WHY people are so into it.
When millions of people are using something clearly inferior you want to help them!
By the way, PC Magazine just did a comparison of Leopard, XP, Vista and Ubuntu.
Guess which OS came out on top? Leopard.
Good thing this Mac comes pre-installed with the Leopard, huh?
I’ve had my Macbook Pro 15″ since OCtober and I love mine. I just recently installed Parallels on my computer to run Windows. I personally prefer boot camp cuz it’s faster, but as a whole I prefer to stay with Mac OS X because I worry too much about viruses when I’m running windows. Welcome to the fray! Can’t wait to see your next update!
this is a joke post, right?
Not really?
Mac eh…I’m still hesitant on trying one of these things
-Mike