teh TODDtastic webLog-a-majig

Let me just get it out there… these new MacBook Pros suck.

I was expecting them to make these things better… not worse.

I guess I can start with some things I like about them… so that I’m not all negative. Hmm, I guess I like the fact that it is using an nVidia chipset. The performance gains with the 1066MHz FSB and DDR3 (almost the first use of that in the laptop industry) are certainly good. The new manufacturing process is good, and I’m sure these laptops feel very solid. Also, the fact they are letting you swap out the hard drive now is a plus.

And that’s the only changes I like. I’ll move on now to the things I’m neutral on… the touch pad is very iffy to me. Sure, it’s nice that it’s bigger and multi-touch… but I know about having the whole thing be the button. This is something I will have to try and use in person to see whether I like it. The magnet latch is just fine, as well. The overall design and look of it is just a normal update… and I’m sure it’s fine.

OK, now the biggest section of my gripes. The following things suck:

• The battery — The battery is smaller… and you have to remove a whole door to get to it, should you want to swap out a second battery while traveling. A smaller battery means that the battery life suffers, and it does. Before they claimed 6 hours (and it got about 4.5). Now they claim 5 hours (so it’ll probably get about 3.5).
• The display — I have not seen a single glossy display laptop that I like. The glossy displays absolutely suck. Matte is 100 times better than glossy. Enough said.
• The keyboard — Sorry if you happen to like the old MacBook keyboards with the gaps between the keys… I personally don’t like the gaps… but that can be gotten used to, I guess.
• The display port — These wouldn’t be so bad if they fucking included the needed adapters. The fact that they charge $29 for each one (and there are probably at least 2 you may need), really sucks. Plus… I don’t think these new ports are industry standard. I think Apple really wants them to be.
• The Dual Graphics cards — First off… this is really dumb. They have the balls to put 2 separate graphics chips in these things… and NOT SLI them for improved performance. What the hell? Secondly… why not condense them into 1 chip (talk to nVidia a little more) and just use the 9600M GT chip?  To save battery life… all you do is dynamically clock the chip (which yes, is possible!).

I have to say the most important thing that sucks is the glossy display. And right behind that the battery. If they would have left those 2 things alone or improved them… I would have been sold. But those 2 things are the deal breakers for me.

Update: Interestingly enough, I’ve seen some benchmarks on these new MBPs… and there is no significant upgrade in performance… unless of course you get the 2.8 Ghz chip. In some cases, the previous generation is actually faster.

I recently read an interesting article on oyster packaging… you know– those stupid packages with your product being protected by this nearly impossible to open plastic. This article was talking about how these are soon going to disappear… to which I cheer!

It also mentioned how there are several companies out there that have already turned away from them. The most notable that I can think of is Apple, Inc. I actually can’t think of when they had any oyster packaging. Maybe back before I paid any attention to Apple, but for some reason I doubt it. When I got my Might Mouse and my iPod Nano from them, both of them were the most pleasant thing I have ever opened. There was no fighting to get to the product inside. I can’t say that for that flash drive I recently opened, or that USB hub, or that bluetooth headset, or even my new pen.

I personally can’t wait for these packages to be redesigned for the better. And I don’t think anyone would like to see them stay.