This is the third week since I purchased my MacBook Pro. I think some first impressions are in order. Basically, I love the machine. It runs great, it looks beautiful and I am happy with the purchase. This is the short version of my first impressions. For those of you interested in more detail the longer version is after the jump.
Speed. The MacBook Pro 2.16 GHz with 1 GB of memory feels very snappy. I haven’t done any scientific tests to measure speed. But it feels fast. Applications load almost at a blink of an eye. I’ve noticed that even Safari seems to load pages faster compared to PowerBook G4, even though both are on the same network.
Screen. The screen is great. I chose to stick with the standard mate finish display, which I don’t regret. I read some comments in various forums that the glossy screen looks great but creates too much glare and is not very accurate on color. The mate screen is very bright. When they say that it’s 67% brighter than those on PowerBooks, it definitely is. Again, my wife has a PowerBook G4 and the difference is considerable.
Side note: PowerBooks had an issue with the oils that rub off your fingers on the keyboard leaving imprints on the display. This doesn’t appear to be an issue with MacBook Pro. I’ve used it for almost 3 weeks and haven’t noticed any imprints on my screen.
Size & Weight. The size is great. I got the 15 inch, which works great for me. I wanted a larger screen than what MacBook offers, but didn’t want a huge notebook. So, the 15″ MacBook Pro works out great for me. It’s also very thin, 1 inch to be precise. When I compare it to PowerBook or PC’s, the difference is noticeable. Although, this is a 15 inch notebook, the weight is very reasonable. It’s not particularly light, however it feels much lighter than similar-sized PC’s. In other words, the weight seems to be just about right. It’s not over bearing.
Small Issue. One think that I’ve noticed right way, which was inconvenient is the size of the latch button for the lid. It is a bit too narrow, which makes it difficult to press in when opening the lid. I’ve adapted, however, it would be nice to either eliminate it completely or make it a little wider for more convenient use.
Over all I love my MacBook Pro. It feels good to use a Mac.