Macbook review

[saxondale.]

It definitely does well on the HD playback :) My mac cant handle the 2nd video at 1080, averages at 13fps, but for the 720, i average around 24fps

Care to do an Xbench benchmark? http://www.xbench.com/

I really dont think this is the greatest benchmarking program, since it gives really odd results sometimes, but might aswell have a go :)

Edited June 4, 2006 by saxondale.

[chrisgeleven]

what about watching HD trailers?

what about watching a dvd and switching between a playing dvd and msn messenger?

what about photoshop performance?

and what games will run and look half descent on onboard video?

not trying to knock the macbook here, just dont understand why they couldnt have gone with a descent ati or nvidia card!

how many MB is the intel onboard video?

HD Trailers work perfectly. I haven't noticed a glitch and this is with many apps running (note: I have 2 GB of RAM).

I don't have Photoshop, but from what I hear it runs just as well on the Macbook as a Macbook Pro...meaning it is fairly slow but usable. Remember it is not a universal binary yet, so it is running in Rosetta. The video card has almost NOTHING to do with Photoshop performance.

This article should help you out with game performance: http://www.macworld.com/2006/06/firstlooks....php?lsrc=mwrss

The reason they didn't go with a decent ati or nvidia card is price, heat, and battery life. The people who buy Macbooks typically aren't gamers...or at best, are light gamers.

The intel onboard memory requirements is 64mb, with a buffer that brings it up to 80 MB total.

[sn00pie]

Another excellent review, Dazzla! :D

Can you take a photo of where the Front Row remote attaches to the MacBook? Thanks. :)

[Evolution]

Is the MacBook not a good choice for university, especially going into Computing Science?

dL

If the MacBook can run linux as a secondary OS, then you should be fine :) Some programs have specific quirks in them.... so some things that don't work in one OS' compiler may work in another. So as long as you can run both Windows and Linux you should be fine.

Edited June 4, 2006 by Evolution

[Huy]

You could even triple boot I suppose, Linux/Windows and OS X.

I'm not sure where the remote would actually attach, but I figure since there's a magnet in the lid, you'd be able to attach it to the top left or right of the lid, I guess. I've never used FrontRow on my Mac, never had the need to. The remote is still in the original wrapping.

[dL]

Thanks for your reply! Dazzla, or anybody else who have tried MacBook hands-on, is the MacBook really that heavy since it claims to be 5.2lbs? Apparently Dell M1210 and other portable ones are around 4.2lbs or at least < 5lbs. Will I feel that this notebook is too heavy to carry around or not? I am leaning more and more towards the MacBook now, but apparently on my other thread, there are quite a few that voted for the Dell M1210 instead of the MacBook. Maybe this thread is all just Apple fanboys?

My other link thread is here, feel free to comment: https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=465992&st=0

dL

[Huy]

I was afraid that it would be too heavy, however I found it's not that much different to be honest, compared to my previous laptop: a PowerBook 12" G4.

I have a brother with an iBook 12" G4 and it is 2.2kg.

My PowerBook 12" was 2.1kg, this MacBook 13" is 2.36kg - to be honest, my next laptop will be a MPB 15.4" that's at 2.54kg and I'm not a big person either.

Conversions:

iBook 12": 4.85 pounds

PowerBook 12": 4.63 pounds

MacBook 13": 5.2 pounds

MPB 15": 5.6 pounds

For me, it's not an issue. I can carry my MB 13" with one hand. It's not that heavy, but I have to tell you that Apple Stores in Australia have display models that are plugged into the AC and they've got the battery removed, so that will make it seem lighter than it really is. The weight is evenly distributed in my opinion, because it's wider and longer than the PowerBook or iBook (even if it's heavier than both, it feels more sturdy and well built - which it is). Just my opinion though, I'm a fairly small person and it's fine for me, 2.36kg compared to my previous 2.1.

[chrisgeleven]

I'm not sure where the remote would actually attach, but I figure since there's a magnet in the lid, you'd be able to attach it to the top left or right of the lid, I guess. I've never used FrontRow on my Mac, never had the need to. The remote is still in the original wrapping.

You can attach it halfway up the left side of the screen or in the upper-right hand corner.

I don't find the Macbook heavy at all. I can easily carry it in one hand if I wanted to for a long walk. But I wouldn't do that in practice, I would use my laptop backpack instead.

[Huy]

It's pretty impractical though, putting it there. Though I have to say, you have one sexy Mac(Black)Book chris! I've just got the white 2.0 here but yours is amazing - the keyboard feels a bit different though, from what I've seen the shops. They're glossier/smoother, a bit like the old PowerBook G4s.

[chrisgeleven]

Thanks :)

[Amnesia]

well the remote isn't meant to be there on the screen.

The remote is simply an accessory (Although it would have been nice if there was a slot for it).

I wonder if the magnet though could affect the screen.

[Huy]

That's true. It's a convenient place to stick it though, since it's magnetic and all. It probably won't affect the screen but who knows... sort of like putting a radio on top of a TV for extended periods? Just leave the remote elsewhere (bedside or something) and use it AWAY from the MacBook... why would you need to use the remote, if you're within arms reach of the keyboard/trackpad/mouse? :p (I guess you'd want to activate FrontRow using the Menu button... but iTunes/QT is RIGHT there on the desktop if you're able to reach the screen).

[dior_addict]

Wicked review.

I need to pick up one of these soon.

[helix23]

Dazzla, you look different than the pic on your profile.

Nice review though

[Dazzla Veteran]

Dazzla, you look different than the pic on your profile.

Nice review though

Ah, that picture's about 2 years old. I've lost over 100 lbs since then :huh:

I contacted Notebookreview.com about putting the review up and everything's sorted, it should be going up on Tuesday :D thanks to Squibbles for suggesting it.

[firebud]

Awesome review!

...It boots into Windows faster than my PC. :(

[Wannes]

Very nice review there Dazzla--the pictures, videos, and your little personal details that you outlined was brilliant. (Y)

As for the Macbook: I think i'm in love.

Ditto!

*goes off buying one*

[Dazzla Veteran]

There was actually something wrong with that Windows boot, there was a 17 second black screen which I've not experienced again. It's a lot quicker than that video suggests.

[saxondale.]

XBench it!!

[dL]

Can you give us more information about Windows on MacBook? I heard there are some limited functionality such as the clock doesn't sync properly. I really want to have a pretty functional Windows XP to use, but it seems like Windows XP is just emulated or something :( and it tends to overheat really quick when running Windows XP.

dL

[Huy]

The clock is based on local time and the Mac uses GMT I believe. Something like that. This means that you'll have the wrong time in Windows unless you change your time zone and untick Internet synchronisation. I've tried all sorts of things but in the end, I leave it alone and remember to subtract however many hours from the Windows time, to actual time. It doesn't bother me much since I don't really use the clock (watch, clock and mobile do the trick). There are registry hacks that can sync the clock (or reset it) each time Windows loads, to match OS X time, but I don't want to try it. It's because of the constant switching between Windows and OS X that messes it up - get it right on one, and by the time you switch back to the other OS, it's out of whack again, until OS X syncs with the Internet again and what not. Doesn't bother me.

[dL]

I heard lots of pretty interesting things about Apple Dashboards. Mind sharing your experience with that?

dL

[Toastyone]

Nice review man! (Y) One question have they fixed the monitor output settings so you can hook the laptop to say a 2005FPW with out a lot of pain... On my ibook you had to leave the laptop open to run it on an external monitor and it only copied the screen and resolution you had on the ibook?.is the Macbook output the same?

Can you give us more information about Windows on MacBook? I heard there are some limited functionality such as the clock doesn't sync properly. I really want to have a pretty functional Windows XP to use, but it seems like Windows XP is just emulated or somethin:(:( and it tends to overheat really quick when running Windows XP.

dL

I have been running XP on my Mac since 2 days after boot camp came out and it is 100% functional in terms of XP working like it should, the only issue I have found is the clock but that does not bug me too much since I have a clock right on my desk

[Dazzla Veteran]

The time issue can be fixed by either enabling internet time or by doing the following:

http://twoyearstwodays.blogspot.com/

I've not had a chance to connect an external monitor, I should have but someone incorrectly told me that I could use my existing mini-dvi to VGA lead which I use on my iMac, I've ordered the correct one for the Macbook and as far as I've been told it fully supports external monitors including closed book operation.

As for Windows XP under boot camp, it's very, very good in my eyes. The fans aren't on all the time, the clock issue is resolved and after all it's only in beta. When Leopard rolls around it'll be final and we have no idea what Apple have planned for it. At the very minimum it'll have completed XP drivers for all components and who knows what they can offer above that. Apple are pretty imaginative.

Xbench has already been done by Arstechnica, my results are pretty much identical.

[The Angry Bunny]

for anyone interested I finally found reviews of gaming on a Macbook...

Guy said he was able to play Half-Life 2 at 1024x768 on High settings and manage about 20 fps, on medium-low settings he got over 30...

Also someone else posted on it that Warcraft III and Rise of Nations (which are the two games I'd play) worked great.

Here's the link

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