Apple MacBook MB402LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive) White

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

MacBook, Perfect Size & Power

I went back and forth between the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Which one? Will it be powerful enough? Big enough...?

Maybe a Sony Vaio would be better?

I'm a Windows software developer but I'm going back to school for my MBA and I wanted a smaller, simple notebook for papers and internet communication for classwork. It needs to be durable and I need it to work without a lot of fussing around with system bits.

After much research I chose the MacBook over the pro because of the smaller size and the fact that the aluminum on the pro although cool, can dent easily. The matte black finish on the MacBook is elegant, tough, and the build quality it top notch. Does the the black eventually get smears on it from your hands and fingers? Yes it does but just wipe them off every so often. It's not a big deal.

IMO, aside from a few points in processor speed the major technical thing the Pro gets your over the MacBook is a dedicated video card. The card in the MacBook uses part of your system memory and that's not a big deal if you aren't doing complex things like 3D Rendering or gaming. Even most photo editing tasks on the little MacBook will work well *if* you have enough RAM. I recommend 2GB or more.

My MacBook arrived and I couldn't be happier. I personally think the black is nicer looking than the aluminum model. And this thing is fast! It makes my dual Intel Windows tower at work seem pokey. The glossy screen probably has more glare than a matte screen but the trade off in weight and size is well worth it.

Also the built in wireless Airport is great and reception is wonderful. Just turn it on and available networks show up in your menu. It's really so much nicer than Windows. The bonus is that I can dual boot with BootCamp and run all my Windows stuff when I need to. I installed Neo Office (open source office suite) and now I can open and create all the documents for my coursework.

Don't fool yourself into thinking the less expensive MacBook is less worthy for general computing tasks than the more sophisticated pro. It's very elegant looking and very powerful. If you don't need the power and size of the pro, I think you'll be happy and the money you save can be put toward other things. Maybe a new digital camera?

(5 out of 5)

When I Fell, I Fell Hard

I have always been a heavy Windows user dating all the way back to the release of version 3.1 (approx 16 years ago). I was never interested in the Mac do to what I perceived as the proprietary nature of their systems and what I thought was an expensive price tag. Here is what I discovered when I purchased this model of Mac:

1. It just works. The boot up time is less than half of what it takes my Windows laptop, and the shut down time (4 seconds) is only a fraction of the 30-40 seconds of my Toshiba.
2. It runs Windows Vista faster than my Toshiba. I still need to run a couple of Windows applications, so I went through the VERY easy bootcamp installation of Vista. It runs flawlessly and after having purchased Fusion for $79, I am now able to run Windows apps alongside Mac apps. Simply incredible.
3. Battery life is great. I can get 4 hours out of mine running in low power mode.
4. Why no card reader???? Almost all PCs now come with card readers to use with your digital camera. Why does Mac not include this??? :(
5. It does NOT require the regular restarts that my Windows systems have always required. Simply close the lid and put it to sleep at night, and the next morning lift the lid and you are back in business. I can do this with my Toshiba but start getting errors in Windows after a couple of days and need to reset. Also, my Macbook runs very cool (with little heat) in the sleep mode, thereby allowing me to put it in my brief case in sleep mode without it heating up. I could never do that with any of my PC laptops. They would always heat up.
6. No virus software needed. Happy, Happy, Happy. Surfing the internet is faster because of this. Also, opening a document in MS Word is faster because the Virus software is not screening it.
I purchased MS Office and loaded it. It runs great and is almost identical to its Windows counterpart in functionality. But, Word and Excel seem to boot up a bit slower than the Windows versions. This is one thing that I do not like.
7. I like the way the electric cord connects with a magnet instead of plugging in. This seems handier and better in design, but I wonder if the magnet will still be as strong two years from now?

All in all, I am extremely pleased with this Mac. When you compare the price with the included features, it is only slightly more expensive than a comparable PC. To me it is worth the extra $200.

Actually what is going to make this very expensive, is now that my wife and daughter have seen my Mac they are both wanting to replace their PCs as well. This is one expense I did NOT budget for.

Thanks for reading. Hope this helps

(5 out of 5)

Fast & Cool with Outstanding Battery Life

I have been a PC user for many years and have had no complaints, particularly since Windows XP was rolled out. My current HP is five years old and it was time to consider a replacement. The availability of a $1000 (with rebate) Penryn based entry level MacBook from Amazon proved irresistible to me and am glad I gave Apple a try. I understand it is not a good choice for gaming due to its lack of a dedicated graphics card.

I have been using it for two weeks now and have the following observations:

* Very snappy performance including boot up and shut down time
* Smaller screen than I am accustomed to but not a problem due to the excellent fonts
* Small size and light weight is a plus.
* Excellent wireless performance.
* Amazing battery life (never less than 4 hours at 90% screen brightness).
* Very little heat generation.
* Fan and hard drive noise is very low.
* Setting up a dual boot to Windows XP is well documented and easy to do.
* Running Windows creates much more heat and consequent lower battery life.
* 4 MEG of RAM can be purchased for under $100 but it runs very nicely with 1 MEG
* I miss the two button trackpad.
* It has a relatively sharp edge where one's palm usually rests when using trackpad
* Free software is available to allow reading Windows .wmv sound files.
* Built in automatic backup capability (Time Machine) is a plus.
* Nothing is perfect but this is pretty close given the price and current technology.

For those considering a switch and willing to learn a new operating system, I highly recommend it!

(3 out of 5)

Dead Pixel Marring Otherwise Great Computer/Amazon Comes Through!

***** - 5 Stars (UPDATED BELOW)

'Nuff said about how great this computer and Leopard are.

HOWEVER, out of the box I have one DEAD PIXEL just off center which shows as a black dot the size of a small period. According to Amazon and Apple, one dead pixel is not enough to warrant replacement of a brand new computer. I know it's one tiny pixel out of a million but once you notice it you always seem to see it. It just seems to me that for $1300 you should be able to receive a computer without screen imperfections. I wouldn't care about discoloration or scratches on the case but the screen should be perfect. I don't buy Amazon's & Apple's excuse that this is acceptable: no Mac I've ever owned had dead pixels; none of my friends' Macs have dead pixels; none I've seen in Apple stores have dead pixels etc. Had I purchased in an Apple store I could have walked in within 30 days and they would have swapped it out. How can everyone I know and even my giant LCD TV not have any dead pixels but my brand new macbook has a permanent dot? On-line buyers beware.
(END OF ORIGINAL REVIEW)

UPDATE: AMAZON HAS COME THROUGH WITH FLYING COLORS AND SENT ME A BRAND NEW MACBOOK WITH NO DEAD PIXELS AT NO CHARGE. After a visit to the Apple Store (to confirm that if purchased there, they would replace it) I gave Amazon one more chance. Using the call-back feature, customer service instantly called me and without any hassle, told me that they would replace my defective Macbook. Sure enough, 1 day later my new Macbook arrived via FedEx and after staring intently at each and every pixel, I am completely satisfied. This is the kind of customer service I would expect, and makes me very happy to use and recommend Amazon in the future.

A few things I've learned in this process. If you're worried about pixel issues, as soon as you get your new computer, download a Pixel Checker program or change your background to Red, Green, Blue, White, Black (separately) and check for any stuck or dead pixels. If there is a problem and you can live with it - enjoy your new computer, otherwise contact your dealer ASAP. Also, I had much better results dealing with the telephone support people as opposed to trying to resolve this by email. As long as Amazon takes care of its customers like this, I will be a lifelong user.

I wish I could change the star ratings to 5-star but you're not allowed to edit that. This is really a great computer. Super fast and perfect for my needs. Weighs 5 lbs which is fine with me - not ultralight like the Airbook, but it seems lightweight enough to me. Leopard is a great OS and the bundled programs are fun and easy to use.

(5 out of 5)

Hallelujah, I just love it so

Here's what I do with my laptop: I take it into Walt Disney World and write articles and reviews of attractions, restaurants and the like for a travel guide. I do much the same thing down here on Sanibel Island, where for another book I take my computer with me in my pickup, or on my bicycle, to dig up such details as beach parking lot spaces and hiking trail finds.

As you can guess, I need good battery performance. And it's for that reason alone that I waited for this new-for-spring MacBook model, and the reason I'm so happy with it. For the most part I only use Pages, so I'm not much of a power pig, but this is the first laptop I've ever had that makes it all day in the field on one charge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not typing that whole time by any means, but I often leave my MacBook on as I walk around Disney or drive from one beach to another, often open it up to type in a paragraph or two, and usually get in a couple of solid hour-long writing blocks each day.

From what I've read, the better battery performance comes from the brand-new Penryn processor these new MacBooks incorporate. I can't comment on that, as except for being able to install memory I'm not too knowledgeable about stuff under the hood. But I did test out the old 2.0 GHz model against this one at an Apple store, and I can tell a slight difference in speed. Visually this MacBook is identical to its immediate predecessor, model MB061LL/B.

I chose this entry-level 2.1 GHz model (with simply the 1 GB of RAM) because, like I said, I really only use Pages, with an occasional Numbers spreadsheet or video-free Keynote presentation here and there. My 2004 iBook has been great except for its battery life; now there's nothing not to love. (My Apple store rep agreed with my choice. He thought the other new MacBooks, all of which come with SuperDrives, are worth the extra cash only for those who burn DVDs.)

For what it's worth I've been a Mac addict since 1984. Over the years I've used 18 Macintosh models.