A beautiful and stunning notebook both inside and out. I can not even begin to tell you how passionate I am about this device since the day I got it. The Unibody Macbook is generations ahead when compared to equivalent notebooks with similar specifications. There are countless reviews out there so in this review I would like to share with you the little things that are often overlooked, yet can make an impact to your buying decisions.
Hardware:
Build and design - Unlike the polycarbonate version, the unibody clearly feels solid. It is not a marketing gimmick and by far the most solid notebook you'll ever pick up. Lenovos were traditionally viewed as the 'tough' book class for business environments but the unibody manufacturing process has changed my view completely. (Although not recommended), there is virtually no flex picking up and holding the unibody by the edges.
Turn the macbook over and all you find is a clean and well presented underside. There are no ugly FCC stickers, no Windows COA stickers. International and Bluetooth certifications? Intel inside stickers? Nope. Although some of these regulations are required to be displayed, the bare minimum is etched onto the back cover as a monochrome type instead. I have seen countless laptops being scarred left right and center with all sorts of horrendous stickers both on the palm rest and the back. To complete, there only 4 visible screws flushed against the aluminum back cover and actually the only ones you'll ever find on the entire notebook. The remainder is hidden underneath the battery latch. When was the last time you counted the number of screws on your laptop? The unibody incorporates 'defensive design' - should you find the need to open up the notebook to upgrade the memory, you will notice that there are strategically assigned magnetic areas which catch these screws if you accidentally dropped them in the process.
I had been tearing apart trying to decide whether a backlit keyboard (2.0ghz vs 2.4ghz model) deemed necessary for the extra cost. The processor and hard drive upgrade was insignificant but I had no regrets going for a model with a backlit keyboard. I am a touch typer yet I still find it helps considerably especially during low lighting situations such as being on a plane, checking mails first thing at dawn where you would find yourself typing passwords or quick email replies in these low lighting situations.
Around the notebook, you'll notice that battery indicator on the side - No point having it at the bottom where the battery is if it means you have to turn it over to find out. This is extremely helpful when you are in the middle of a full screen presentation. There are no annoying or blinking indicator LEDs that you find on other notebooks. With exception of the sleep indicator just to the left of the infra red receiver. In fact, it is not even visible at all until it is actually indicating sleep mode. There are no latches to get your business/long sleeve shirt caught onto and the lid shuts with a solid thud which got me to believe that to even produce that kind of sound, it requires all edges of the lid to come into contact with the base all at the same time.
All connectors/ports have been assigned to the left side of the notebook, a feature I find that many other notebooks lack - For example, I tend to use wireless but on occasion fall back on Ethernet LAN, with the previous notebooks I owned I had to look left, right and behind to locate ports which I do not frequent. The unibody design meant that every port you'll need is always in one side of the notebook. Also keeps your desk tidy rather than having cables running in every direction out from the notebook.
The fan is extraordinarily quiet when in operation. I would hear the hard drive spinning over the centrifugal fan. Vents are placed at the top of the notebook between the keyboard and the display. This is critical because with most notebooks I find they tend to draw air from the side (or worse at the bottom) of the notebook which meant that dust could get drawn inside the unit.
It is not widely known that the speakers have actually been upgraded from the previous polycarbonate version. It even boasts a mini subwoofer but do not expect it to perform miracles.
The multi touch trackpad is a joy to use once you get accustomed to it. There have been plenty of criticisms, both positive and negative about this however I found it did not take me long to realize that I am far more productive using it daily without requiring a dedicated external mouse. It is highly configurable and even does right clicks for those skeptics out there, and my advise is to kick the habit of physically pushing down for a left/right click and instead use the multi touch capability to distinguish between the two. Try it out at an Apple Retail Store.
A review is never complete with negative comments however it is impossibly difficult to expose the faults of the Unibody Macbook. My only concern was the poor LED display quality when viewing at an angle - colors appear washed out when viewed at an angle - something which Apple has addressed recently with a silent upgrade. Mentioned by others, the glass display does attract fingerprints but it is nothing too strange about any Apple device in the first place. The lack of firewire ports seemed to be a strategic decision for potential buyers to consider the 15" pro cousin instead.
In conclusion, Apple has once again redefined the standard of notebooks and made me accept nothing less in terms of design and quality from a notebook manufacturer. Apple has always made great devices and other manufacturers can make great things too. For the latter, sadly that is still not entirely the case. The unibody macbook may not be the device for everyone, but it is certainly a notebook that made a right step towards perfection. I hope after reading this you are able to take away some of the insights that I found to have contributed towards the joy of using it everyday.Get more detail about Apple MacBook MB466LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.
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