Anyone get a MacBook?

[Artdeco]

Ok forgot about the design of that. However I was reading about that just now and have noticed in several articles they say that the trackpad does indeed move slightly in that it has a give, but the actual click is due to haptic feedback.

I wasn't aware it was adjustable though, so perhaps the difference in feel I was noticing was because of different settings. Next time I'm in store I'll check the different settings.

In any case it is definitely not as satisfying as the click on older MacBooks unfortunately.

It doesn't move at all, it's solid state.

 

[rugby]

I got the silver base model and I really really like it. The performance is notably lower than pro machines, but the display is pretty spectacular and storage performance is solid.

It's definitely going to be the supplementary machine to the next 15" rMBP refresh when I pick that up later on.

That's how I'm using mine. I have a bag I can fit both laptops in when I head to the office I just take out the one I need.

I can fit my macbook in my jacket pocket so that's a HUGE plus for traveling.

 

[Tegeril]

It doesn't move at all, it's solid state.

Not correct. The entire surface gives way slightly on click. The surface itself doesn't cause the click, but it does move slightly.

 

[Artdeco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3B3bHt8ya8

I guess I didn't consider flexing at a microscopic level "moving", but yep you're right.

Just lit up a (legal in Colorado) joint before watching that, it was perhaps the greatest movie I've ever seen, the pacing was good, special effects were great, the audio was excellent, and who can forget the plot? Holy crap I'm wasted.

 

[Eug]

That video was pretty interesting, thanks.

However, in the video, they show the springs moving quite a bit actually. Whether that gets reflected in real-world use is a different story, but it's pretty easy to see with the naked eye.

But back to my original point. That movement, while easy to see, doesn't really compare to the satisfying travel you get with the older style trackpads. However, it's all a matter of preference I suppose, and I also suspect most of us will just get used to it. OTOH, it gives the advantage of not needing to press at the bottom. You will still get the click at the top or anywhere else. On the older ones, you really have to focus your clicks at the bottom of the trackpad.

 

[Artdeco]

That video was pretty interesting, thanks.

However, in the video, they show the springs moving quite a bit actually. Whether that gets reflected in real-world use is a different story, but it's pretty easy to see with the naked eye.

But back to my original point. That movement, while easy to see, doesn't really compare to the satisfying travel you get with the older style trackpads. However, it's all a matter of preference I suppose, and I also suspect most of us will just get used to it.

I was surprised, used it for a couple days before I even remembered it was force touch, I find it the typical outstanding trackpad you find in Apple stuff. I'll upgrade my magic pad when they release a force touch version. I do really like that Apple once again raised the bar on trackpads, it took the rest of the industry years to catch up.

 

[Tegeril]

If it wasn't clear, I love the trackpad

 

[v-600]

I had a play with one in the store yesterday. It immediately felt familiar, but after 10 mins of use I am not sold on the keyboard. I guess it would be one of those things you eventually get used to. After two clicks I didn't notice the force touch trackpad (I mean that entirely as a compliment). Not going to buy one though.

 

[rugby]

I had a play with one in the store yesterday. It immediately felt familiar, but after 10 mins of use I am not sold on the keyboard. I guess it would be one of those things you eventually get used to. After two clicks I didn't notice the force touch trackpad (I mean that entirely as a compliment). Not going to buy one though.

The keyboard does take some getting used to. I've used an Apple laptop since the Powerbook g3 and this keyboard is AMAZING once you get used used to it. I'm a fast typist and even my large hands can easily adjust to the new depth and feel of the keyboard.

 

[Artdeco]

I had a play with one in the store yesterday. It immediately felt familiar, but after 10 mins of use I am not sold on the keyboard. I guess it would be one of those things you eventually get used to. After two clicks I didn't notice the force touch trackpad (I mean that entirely as a compliment). Not going to buy one though.

LOL, I know, it's the best laptop you shouldn't buy.

I justify mine because I trade stock options pretty actively, 1.2 million $ so far this morning, I'm only making a little $ on each trade, up about $1,500 so far this week, more than pays for the laptop.

 

[Eug]

I don't think it's quite there yet. Version 2.0 FTW (like many other Apple products).

As for its usage, are you really saying you're using a MacBook Retina for day trading? Or are you just trying to justify its cost? Cuz a MacBook Retina would probably be the last Mac I'd recommend for day trading. I suppose it'd be passible with a giant monitor attached to it, but still not ideal.

P.S. I'm currently sitting here typing on my 27" iMac, with a 24" PC beside it, and an old 20" iMac beside it too (temporarily), as well as a MacBook Pro beside that. So I guess I'm biased, in my belief the MacBook Retina is more a quickly grab and go laptop, not really designed for heavy duty lifting.

 

[Eug]

I went into the store yesterday and spent about half an hour playing with the touchpad and typing on the keyboard.

I made sure to adjust the force touch keyboard to firm, and I tried three different MacBooks and 2 different MacBook Pros. The MacBook Pro simply has a nicer force touch keyboard. Either the design is somewhat different, or else it's just implemented better on the MacBook Pro. The firm setting on the MacBook is OK, but it just feels nicer on the MacBook Pro. Both on the medium or light setting suck though (although the medium sucks less on the MacBook Pro). It's as if the MacBook Pro's firm is like the MacBook's firm-and-a-half.

The keyboard on MacBook drove me nuts. It just doesn't feel right. The travel is too low. The concave nature of the keys I can easily get used to though.

Furthermore, while the PCIe SSD of both machines is amazingly fast, application launch times are noticeably faster on the MacBook Pro. Office applications on the MBP just snap to attention. On the MacBook, they load quickly, and much faster than my Core i7 at home, but there is still a bit of delay. Nothing to complain about, but when you use the MBP and MB side by side, the difference is noticeable.

Overall, the comparison made me really reconsider the MacBook, and maybe consider just getting a MBP instead. The main problem with the MBP is the weight. 3.5 lbs is OK, but in the greater scheme of things, suddenly doesn't seem like that much of a weight loss when my current MacBook is 4.5 lbs.

Thus, overall, I'm kinda inclined to wait. If the MacBook 2.0 doesn't fix some of the aspects I mentioned, and if the MacBook Pro doesn't shed some weight, maybe I should just wait even longer.

The best form factor for me was the MacBook Air. Unfortunately, its lack of a Retina screen made it a non-starter. The difference was really, really noticeable.

tl;dr:

1) MacBook Pro is beautiful and super fast, but weighs too much at 3.5 lbs.
2) MacBook is beautiful and super lightweight but has an annoying keyboard and trackpad.
3) MacBook Air has great form factor, but the screen simply isn't good enough.

Thus, I will stick it out with my SSD-endowed MacBook Pro from 2009 until something better comes along.