I switched to Mac and all I got was this stupid smile
I upgraded to a new Vista laptop last year and have been unhappy and frustrated with it from the start. When my daughter's laptop died a horrible death I really didn't want to go through the same Vista pains with her so I decided to replace it with a Mac (it's going to be a Christmas present so shhh!). As designated tech support for my family and friends I started learning everything I could about Mac before she started asking questions. The more I learned about it the more I wanted one for myself and now that I have one I am really kicking myself for not switching last year.
It's simply beautiful. I know it sounds like I drank the apple-flavored Kool-Aid but the Macbook really is a marvel of elegant form and function. It feels solid and substantial without being bulky and heavy. the aluminum design is a work of art and I really appreciate all of the eco-friendly choices that were made regarding the components.
The LED screen is brighter and clearer than my old laptop's LCD screen. Looking at them side by side the difference is amazing (and my old laptop was marketed as a portable entertainment PC with an upgraded screen). I don't know what kind of LCD screens some of the other users have but the Macbook screen is far superior to any notebook screen I've ever seen.
The back-lit keyboard is great - no more keyboard light needed. The keys have a solid feel to them they're not mushy or noisy like some keyboards can be they're just right and the key layout is just like a full-size keyboard - no more hunting to figure out where the heck the backslash key is hidden or hitting the wrong key because your pinky slipped off of an undersized shift key.
I'll admit that I couldn't figure out the trackpad at first but I felt like a dork once I realized how simple it is. I did change the settings so that I can tap to click in addition to pressing down on the trackpad (since that's what I'm used to). It's just incredibly easy once you get going. Swipe two fingers down the pad to scroll swipe four for expose tap with two fingers for secondary-click... it does more straight out of the box than my old highly-programed touch-pad. And after about an hour the gestures become second-nature.
As far as the built-in speakers go they're nicer than I expected especially since I can't figure out how the heck they fit any speakers into such a tiny case. Seriously it's like the whole case is the speaker. As I type this review I'm listening to the album Paradise Lost by Symphony X and It sounds pretty good to me. of course it sounds even better played through my Klipsch Room Groove but um.. hey... they're integrated laptop speakers - though they are very nice ones.
There are only two USB ports but since the keyboard and trackpad are so functional you won't need external input devices (though a number pad is a must for me when doing a lot of data-entry). I only use USB for external storage and synching my iPod so it's not a problem for me (my iPod touch has a program that lets it act like a number pad when I need one). If I ever need more devices at once I'll get a USB hub.
Now it's confession time: As a Windows-centric IT Professional I never liked Apple much and I spent many years making fun of Mac and Mac users. When OS X came out I couldn't justify further ridicule so I just ignored Mac whenever the subject came up. After using Leopard for a short time I can tell you that I don't have the appetite to eat the big heaping serving of humble pie that I'm owed. Leopard is slick and smooth and oh so fast. I'm truly enamored with iLife and iWork and Time Machine is just about perfect (better than shadow copies for the Windows guys and gals). It's packed with a lot of little things (like Spotlight and Preview) that are unobtrusive and helpful which is a vast improvement over Vista's annoying and unhelpful features.
So now I'm a happy convert. I still have two programs that are Windows-only (until I find replacements) and I still go back to my old (1 year old) laptop occasionally (for just the two I don't want to bother with Boot Camp or Parallels). I hate going back to Vista after using my Macbook. Even though that laptop technically has higher RAM and processor specs than the Macbook it's slow and clunky in comparison. I always sigh in relief when I can put it away again.
Bottom line: I love my Macbook and I wish I hadn't waited so long to make the switch. If you're worried about switching to Mac visit an Apple Store - even if you have to make a day trip to get there it will be worth it. Spend a little hands on time with the Macbook and check out all the free classes the store offers. If you buy from the store they will move your files from your old PC for you (for free). If all of that doesn't convince you then come see me and I'll offer you a tall refreshing glass of Apple-flavored Kool-Aid. :-)More detail ...
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