Apple finally released the MacBook this morning after what seems like a month of false-rumors about the launch date. It comes with either a 1.8GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo, 512MB RAM, and a 60, 80, 100 or 120GB hard drive. Some have complained that the weight of the unit is too much. Weighing in at 5.9 pounds, that is actually heavier than the 14″ iBooks.
The display is a 13.3-inch “glossy” widescreen display, and that is what I have a question about. Why would anyone want a glossy display on a computer that is going to be used in all kinds of light situations? It would seem to me that the glossy screen would just throw back a reflection and make the screen harder to see in bright-light situations, such as outside. I guess I will have to see one to know whether or not that makes sense, but just reading it doesn’t.
The glossy widescreen is a configurable option on the 15″ and 17″ MacBookPro, but is standard issue on the MacBook.
Also, they are offering a white and a black version of the MacBook, which replaces not only the 12 and 14 inch iBooks, but also the 12 inch Powerbook (in size). For the black MacBook (or the BlackBook, as it has been called), it is an extra $200 ($1499) for the black finish in the exterior and 20 extra gigabytes of hard drive space. Is the cost of the black shell really that much more expensive. To add the 80GB to the $1299 version of the white MacBook is only $50, so essentially you are paying $150 for the black shell.
My instinct tells me that maybe Apple is just waiting to see what the demand for the BlackBook is. If lots of people start ordering it, maybe they will drop the premium for black exterior, and possibly refund any money paid for it before the units start shipping.
In addition to announcing the MacBook today, they also bumped the processor speeds of the 15″ MacBookPro, pushing the 1.8GHz to 2.0 and the 2.0 to 2.16. They have also dropped the glossy display into the 15″ MacBookPro.
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“…maybe they will drop the premium for black exterior, and possibly refund any money paid for it before the units start shipping.”
Ha hah… ahem, hahahaha… hahah…
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH… heheh.
Dream on brother, dream on.
Yea, Apple is a corporation and as nice as they seem they won’t refund any money unless its for PR reasons or a huge mistake made on their part. People are making the decision to pay more for the black so they are going to have to live with this decision. If customers didn’t think it was worth it they would of went for the white in the first place.
I’ve learned that no matter how silly Apple’s decisions seem, there’s always a reason for it. It’s clear they’ve had some success with the black iPod Nano. It is possible they also determined the power users are more likely to buy black.
Hey, double check Apple’s website on the specs page of the new macbooks. The weight is actually 5.2 pounds (not 5.9). It’s more than 1/4″ thinner than the iBooks were, but I really can’t get over the brightness of the screen, especially when compared to the previous iBooksâIt’s 79% brighter! Photobooth and Front Row look stunning on it, really. Sorry if this seems like a biased opinion, being a Mac Specialist myself, but just wanted to post my 2 cents.
This is probably my next computer.