mac geekery

The new MacBook Pros are a substantial change from the previous generation of MacBook Pros, but it’s hard to call them an upgrade, in my opinion. I’ve been using Macs for a couple of decades now and when I think of the word “upgrade” I tend to think of a notably faster processor, more features, and other goodies that make it scream “hey, this is what you have, but better!” The new MacBook Pros don’t really scream upgrade.

They scream redesign.

This isn’t the old MacBook Pro on any level. The only thing they have in common is the case material and the size of the unit. Other than that, this is a whole new computer in every measurable aspect: the screen is better, the keyboard has changed, the case is sleeker, the port layout is cleaner, the trackpad is … more on that later.

Where to begin? Well, I should begin with the most notable differences on the outside, I suppose. These are the things you’ll note have been substantially changed since the first MacBook Pro, which is what I upgraded from.

The Case

The case on the new MBP is very sleek, and very pretty. When the unit is closed, it feels like a rounded book in your hand, and is very comfortable to cart around. You no longer open it with a latch, but by simply pulling it open like you would the MacBook. However, there’s my first problem with the case. The magnets holding it closed are a touch strong, and I have to hold one end of the unit while pulling on the other to get it open. With the latch design I just hit a button. Also, the case near the depression where you get your grip has been cut a little sharp. You won’t cut anything open, but you can easily stab a fingertip and get an unpleasant surprise. While they were rounding corners, that might have been a good place to get one.

The bottom of the unit has a few changes for the better as well. The feet are no longer those silly stubs that fall off when you slide the unit around a lot. They took the hemispherical pads from the MacBook for this model. Battery access is no longer a pair of sliders but is a latch that, when pulled, pops a panel off the bottom of the unit that exposes the new form of battery (a long cell) and … the hard drive.

Yes, folks, you can now easily upgrade the hard drive in the MacBook Pro. It only took, what, five years to get back to the feature set of the Titanium PowerBook?

As the battery is internal now, you might wonder how you’ll check the battery level externally. On the left is a button that gives you the familiar battery lights on the computer itself. I’m sure this makes the batteries cheaper to make. Whether we’ll see that reduction or not in the price … eh.

All the ports are on the left side. No longer do you have a USB port on either side for your mousing needs. Invest in an extension cable if you have a short mouse cord. The optical drive is on the right which is, frankly, a significantly better placement than the previous design (in the front). The security port is on this side as well.

In the front is a slit where the remote sensor lies and an updated power light. The light is much softer when asleep and won’t provide enough light to navigate your bedroom at 3am any more (for good or ill).

Lastly, the power button is about the size of a … well, I can’t think of anything that small. It’s tiny, and it’s hidden in the upper right corner with no distinction to it whatsoever. The message is very clear: you’re not meant to turn this off regularly. Sleep the damned thing.

Overall, the case redesign is rather fantastic. They did a great job of updating the design without losing the essence of it.

The Keyboard

I have some issues with the keyboard layout changes, but the important part of the keyboard is how typing compares. Honestly, while the keys are wholly different (again, MacBook style) I had no problems just sitting down and going at it. The feel is good and the spacing is familiar.

As for the layout, the most noticeable is the function row. Gone is the mirror/extended toggle key as well as the number lock (and the whole number pad). How many times did I use it? Well, never. I dislike the change for the sake of tradition, but I can’t argue with it on a merit basis. The reason for these changes is that the whole row is full of media keys now: brightness, Expose, Dashboard, keyboard illumination, iTunes, sound, and then eject. Every last one has a purpose other than waiting for you to assign them things. And you can change these actions in the Keyboard preferences, too.

The most annoying to me, by far, is the removal of the Enter key. I never realized how much I use that key to dismiss dialogs and other quick things until it was gone and I realized that nothing was happening because I was hitting the right Option key instead. Enter is not dead, you can still get it with fn-Return, but having two “OK” keys was damned handy and I’m going to miss it.

Of course, as I mentioned earlier there’s a utility out there to let you remap keys to overcome this. Looks like I’ll be trying that out now.

The Screen

It’s glossy. It’s pretty, too. I’ve been using an iMac at work for about a year now with this look to it and I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s not that much of a stretch for me to see it here. The black border does a fantastic job of bringing out the content on the screen and the glossy screen isn’t distracting in either low-light or good light. The backlight is powered by LEDs now (and the last revision as well) so bumping up the brightness is immediate and obvious, and the screen doesn’t warm up — it’s just ready. I think of all the things on the computer, the screen is what I’m happiest with.

The Touchpad

This feels like a clusterfark. I really don’t know what to make of it. Unlike all the rumors that came before the actual announcement, no this isn’t glass or iPhone-y or any of that stuff. Take the area of the touchpad and button from the MacBook Air and make the button touchpad space as well. There ya go. When you press on it, the whole thing clicks (the hinge is at the top and the bottom moves the most).

However, I’ve had some functional problems with this touchpad. Some of it is getting used to it, but some appears to be just how it works. Sometimes when I click, it doesn’t register. I hear and feel the pad go down, but nothing happens on-screen. I can hit it several times in a row and nothing will happen. Then I’ll press it with more determination and a little slower and it works. So the super-easy and sensitive button of yore has left the building. This one wants love.

Also, if a finger is hovering around but not touching it, clicks seem to be randomly accepted as well. I’m still trying to figure the pattern out, myself, but it seems kind of wonky sometimes.

However, the multi-touch gestures are rather nice. There’s a new System Preferences pane just for the touchpad that details how to get things done with it. You can switch programs, call up Expose, or page to the next or previous item just by holding down a number of fingers and swiping. It could get addictive, or it could be something I forget about and never use again. Time will tell.

What’s Not In The Box

A remote. Happily, I have one from the previous machine but that realization rather ticked me off because I pair and label my remotes so that I can actually use them without messing other machines up (like the Mac mini TV server or my wife’s computer). If I want to sell the remote with the old MacBook Pro, I’ll have to pony up for a new remote.

What’s Broken

Registration. I did the “Register With Apple” thing this time, mostly because it was already filled-in, and received an email congratulating me on buying an iPod Touch. I was amused. I wonder if I get the same shitty warranty now?

Conclusion

Overall, this is a spectacular redesign of the MacBook Pro line and if you’re looking for something to upgrade to, consider it. However, it would be very wise to try and find one in person so you can try the touchpad for ten minutes or so and see if it’s something you can do or not. I feel that this is Apple’s new direction and they won’t be backing off of it anytime soon, but perhaps they’ll do something different in the next round that makes it a little less odd.

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