Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with laptop and macbook

What lightweight but powerful laptop should I buy?

bkudria — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:36:10 -0800

Which light-weight yet powerful laptop should I buy? I like the Sony Vaio Z, followed by the MB Air and the Thinkpad X200. Am I missing any models? I'm looking to replace my current work laptop - I use it for web development, so I need to be able to run Apache, MySQL, PHP, and some other stuff. I also use Chrome pretty heavily, and of course I watch a DVD every now and then, play music, etc. I don't run an office suite or play any games.

I carry my laptop to and from work every day, and my current HP is pretty heavy, so I am looking to buy the lightest laptop possible that still has a real CPU (e.g. no Atom, ULV, etc). I don't want anything at all resembling a "netbook". What I'm not considering at the moment is price - I'm happy to pay extra for a nicer, lighter, laptop.

At the moment, the best option I could find is the Sony VAIO Z-series. It weighs 3.3 pounds, not the lightest on my list, but it has a nice CPU (a T9900 @ 3.06 GHz). The MB Air is 0.3lbs lighter, but the CPU clocks in at 2.13 GHz and as expected does slightly worse in benchmarks. The Z also has a higher-res screen. I use an additional external monitor, but it is a nice extra. The Lenovo Thinkpad X200 and X200s are lighter even than the MB Air, but have even smaller screens and slower CPUs.

(Note: I am aware of the Z's in-BIOS VT block. I have no problems with patching the BIOS to work around this. I don't consider it a downside.)

Additional details: I plan on running Linux, so gross Linux incompatibilities are a no-go, but I think I can handle anything merely pedestrian. Also, I plan on swapping out the HDD with an SSD some point in the future, so if that has any bearing on anything, I'd love to know. I'm still in the research phase for that.

In short: I want a light yet powerful high-quality workhorse laptop. The VAIO Z looks to be a good balance.

My question: Am I missing anything in my analysis? Do any of these laptops have any glaring flaws? Are there any other models that have solid build quality and similar or better specs?

Thanks!

Help me Bag an Apple

GJSchaller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:58:20 -0800

Looking for a good backpack for a 17" MacBook Pro I'm looking for recommendations for a durable, long-lasting, and comfortable backpack that can contain a MacBook Pro, as well as the rest of my geek gear. I'm not a HUGE gadget freak (I don't carry an entire IT closet on my back), but I do have some accessories, and some occasional books. I am not fond of shoulder slings or messenger bags. The 17" requirement makes things a bit trickier.

I've found several bag suggestions online, but need feedback on which are actually good (outside of on-site reviews). I live in NYC, but the Apple Store doesn't have a wide variety in stock - I'm trying to think outside the box for better bags that might not be sold in retail. One of the sites I've seen is Tom Bihn's Brain Bag - has anyone had any experiences with them?

Mac and MMO's don't mix.

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:23:54 -0800

I'm a gamer. I bought a mac. After going through a lot of hassles with Boot Camp, I've decided to switch back. I'll get around $1700 for returning the mac... My question is, would it be better to buy a laptop around this price or sell my desktop as well to up my budget? Quick note: This question is anonymous because my entire social circle knows about the situation, and I don't want them knowing about my other, more personal questions on the main account.

I did get boot camp to work for awhile, but then I ran out of hard drive space on my Windows partition. Low and behold, you can't dynamically resize drives. Instead of going through the reinstall when I run out of space again (or giving my mac partition a measly 5GB... What is it even there for?) , I decided to just buy a gaming laptop.

I've been looking at the G71GX and the G51Vx.(http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0rtKwgmuen69jiqw).

Around May of '08, I built a desktop with top of the line gaming equipment at the time (specifically, to run Age of Conan.) I'm away in college now, so most of the time it sits collecting dust. However, I'm worried that if I do sell it, I'll find the laptop doesn't measure up and regret it... Anyone have some experience with this that can chime in? (I've never bought a laptop for gaming before.)

Also, I mention the date/equipment because I'm trying to guestimate how much it'll sell for. My guess is around $500-$600, but could it be even less than that? (I can give specific specs if need be.)

MacBook Unibody Floppy-Hinge Hacks?

lonefrontranger — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:50:26 -0800

The hinge on my partner's new unibody MacBook Pro is just-loose-enough to make using it in bed annoying. Solutions, cases or a hack welcomed. O hive mind, please help us comfortably enjoy our weekend morning lazy-surfing, emailing bliss with a new unibody MBP!

So, after searching Google and finding this as the first hit, and this as the second, I'm not feeling very optimistic.

The new unibody MBP that mr. lfr. just bought is amazing. Really amazing. Photo processing has taken on new life, the screen is gorgeous, it doesn't get scaryhot when running video for extended periods of time, and last but not least, he's now able to run his heavy duty protein modelling software for work seamlessly on it now.

The only glitch is that he can't comfortably lie down in bed (or on the couch) with the laptop above his head because the new unibody has a seemingly "looser" hinge design than both his and my first-gen intel MBP did/do. The challenge with this is that we both tend to do a fair bit of lying around being creative (or lazy, your pick) either on the sofa or in bed, with the laptops above our heads, and the fact that he can't do that with his new one is actually fairly annoying. In fact, I am typing this question from a supine position right now on my older MBP. Also, I had planned to replace my own MBP with a new unibody soon, and this (seemingly quite minor) issue has suddenly become very important to me. Yes, I'm that lazy.

Has anyone here found a solution to this "floppy screen" issue on their new unibody? Since he already mentioned that he would like to find a case, is there potentially a (light, slim) case out on the market there that adds a little more tension/stability to the open clamshell design, to allow the screen to stay up/open when gravity takes over?

um, also please note: "get out of bed" is not really a helpful answer. He's already discovered that piling pillows to sit up and look at/down at the screen (rather than up at it) is much less comfortable and seems to put more strain on his neck.

Which MacBook?

joshuaconner — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:10:07 -0800

Which MacBook should I get? I've saved up a bit of money working so far this summer and I'd like to buy a new Apple laptop. Right now I pretty much use my current computer (a 2002 Dell) for basic stuff - internet, word processing, DVD's, Hulu, etc. - and I don't really see that changing.

But I feel like I made a mistake when I bought the Dell of not getting enough computer; I went for a pretty basic model, and it started to feel pretty slow after just a year of having it. As the internet got more complex and you could do more stuff with a computer, using my computer became more and more of an exercise in patience.

So one of my primary objectives is to buy something that's still going to feel relatively snappy for basic computing in 2-3 years.

Looking at probably a 13" (though I might be able to be talked into the 15") and I really like the look of the unibody design, so I've kind of narrowed it down to the two models of the new 13" MacBook, a refurb 15" of the last gen MacBooks, or (splurge!) a new 15" Macbook.

Does this sound about right? And if it does, which do you think will fit my needs best?

Get coffee out of a Macbook keyboard?

Orb2069 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:56:20 -0800

Just spilled coffee into a 13" macbook. Remediation tips? Splenda and cream, no sugar. Any ideas on stuff that can be done to mitigate the damage while it's still wet?

I sound like an air raid; do not want.

pseudostrabismus — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:58:59 -0800

Built-in MacBook microphone records an annoying buzzy/overloaded tone on loud vocals- is there a cheap fix? I've been practicing singing to YouTube karaoke tracks, recording it with PhotoBooth or GarageBand on my MacBook (the 13" aluminum one). Whenever I belt, it records my voice as a buzzed-out feedback sound, like I'm spiking the level or something. My old PowerBook G4's internal mic did not do this, nor does my friend's white 13" MacBook.
How to fix this?

I'm usually standing about 1 metre away and my head is about a foot above the computer. Overloading happens even if I back off the mic on loud notes. I'm a little limited in that I also want to record video of me singing so I can watch my breathing and jaw, so whatever I do can't involve me covering the whole screen or standing somewhere other than in front of the laptop. I know I could get an external mic, but I want it all to be as streamlined as possible so I'll be more likely to do it often (if I have to pull out gear I just won't do it, from experience).

I've tried:
changing the height of the laptop; putting it on a hard desk or a soft vinyl kitchen chair seat; adjusting the angle of the screen (in case it's reflecting back the sound weirdly into the mic); placing a Tshirt around the mic part of the laptop to absorb some of the sound; and putting a tiny piece of dense foam (an earplug) on the mic holes to dampen the sound a little. None of those have worked.

The mic holes look like this: ~10 teeny holes in the aluminum, at the top left of the keyboard, near the hinge that attaches the screen. The webcam is top centre of the screen frame.

Any simple hacks I could try? Putting some kind of tape or other soft stuff on the hole? Putting the laptop on a different kind of surface to affect vibration? Any ideas welcome, feel free to think creatively or come out of left field. And I guess, as a final resort, recommend a cheap but decent peripheral mic I could buy?
Thanks!

I haz a Macbook, now what?

nmaster64 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:56:36 -0800

Got a new Macbook, but not sure where to go from here... So I just purchased a new Macbook, as I'm planning to go into iPhone application development soon. However, I am completely new to Macs. It's really strange, because for years I've always had a sort of filter on my brain to ignore any stories and articles I see about Mac stuff (and jeez is there a ton of it), and now all of a sudden I start to care. So after years of blocking out all of the Mac stuff on Digg, Lifehacker, and other tech sites and whatnot, I feel I'm kind of behind. I was wondering if anybody had some suggestions for things to look at for helping me get started with it, learn some of the helpful tips and tricks, and point me to some of the great free software available for it. Thanks for any help.

(Also, if it's helpful for any reason, I own a XP desktop and Vista laptop as well. I'm just finishing up my degree in Computer Science, so I'm pretty tech-savvy, just not-so-much with Macs.)

Should I downgrade to a laptop or keep the 8-core?

phaedon — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:55:15 -0800

Can I edit in HD on the latest Macbook Pro without losing my mind? Strapped for cash, I decided to put my 8-core macpro up for sale. The idea was to use part of the money to buy a middle-of-the-road macbook pro and save the rest. I still need a computer and value the added mobility, but don't really need all that processing power.

So right when I find a buyer for my macpro system at a really good price, somebody offers me an editing gig.

Here's my question: do I have wildly optimistic expectations of what can be done on a laptop? Can I edit HD without going absolutely nuts? I am a relatively impatient person, and I have to say, part of me is embarassed at the thought of having a producer come over and find me working off a laptop.

If I decide to use all the proceeds from selling the macpro and get the top-of-the-line macbook pro, am I going to have an editing system that I can be reasonably happy with? Or should I back away from my decision to sell my 8core?

I work on Final Cut Studio 2.

What's a good female-specific purse/laptop bag for a 13" Macbook?

thewalrus — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:58:40 -0800

I bought my wife a unibody aluminum 13" Macbook for Christmas. She loves the laptop a lot but only has an old fashioned clamshell briefcase style carrying case for laptops, which was designed for 8 pound, 15.4" screen lap monsters. Can anyone recommend a female specific purse/laptop bag that is stylish and designed specifically for the 13" Macbook, or a vendor of an assortment of different styles of such bags?

Comparing Apples And Ubuntus.

2oh1 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:16:29 -0800

How does the Macbook Air with OS X compare to the Dell Mini 12 running XP or Ubuntu? I've been buying Macs since 1994 and work exclusively with them, mostly because I'm a freelancer (thus, I work from home). I'd like to buy a netbook-ish laptop for surfing the web and writing on the go. This would be a secondary computer, so I don't need bells and whistles. I don't even need a CD/DVD drive.

I have poor vision, so I'm looking for one that's just a bit bigger than the 7 to 10 inch netbooks, but I'd still like it to be light and small. I'm thinking 13 inch screen max with a resolution no larger than 1280 X 800-ish.

That led me to the Macbook Air, refurbished, for $999, or a Dell Mini 12, which can be had for a lot less. Or, should I be looking at something else entirely? I fear the 10 inch Eee might be a bit too small of a screen.

How do they really compare?
Would I prefer Ubuntu to XP?
Is it worth it to spend more for the refurbished Air?

I'm having trouble comparing apples to apples since only one of them is, in fact, an Apple.

Wine + Laptop = No work

fishmasta — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:20:22 -0800

How can I save my drunk macbook? I had a few friends over last night and my MacBook was set up playing music in the living room, when suddenly my friend accidentally spilled wine all over the keyboard. The machine immediately shut down and now the next morning I am stilll unable to get it to start back up. Is there any chance of saving my machine? How likely is it that I'll at least be able to get my data off of it? Any advice you can give a worried Mac owner would be appreciated.

Aluminum or plastic Macbook?

Danf — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:04:11 -0800

New Aluminum Macbook (low end) or slightly cheaper, previous generation? I am buying a Macbook this week, because my old laptop is beyond beyond. . .My choices are a new one, or, online a previous generation or refurb polycarbonate one. The new ones have a 2.0 gHZ processor, compared to a 2.4 gHZ processor. Does this make any difference?

Also, does the added graphics card really matter?

I am leaning towards getting a previous one (the black one) online, but I could go down and buy a new aluminum one in 10 minutes.

Does any one have any opinions they care to share?

Thanks.

Middle click on the new MacBooks?

stopgap — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:05:26 -0800

I find myself unexpectedly in the market for a new laptop, and I'm considering switching to a Mac. I know the new MacBooks can finally do a proper right-click, but can they also do a middle-click without some awkward key combo? On my current laptop I just tap in one corner of the trackpad to middle click, and I can't imagine browsing the web without middle clicking. Bonus question: My current computer is a Dell Latitude X1, which is essentially a rebadged Samsung. If I don't go with the Mac, are there any similar ultraportables? It looks like Samsung finally started selling their own computers in the US, but they're all bigger than what I've got now. The X1 is about an inch thick, weighs 2.8 pounds (less than the MacBook Air!) and has a 12" screen. I don't want to give up the portability I love about this computer but it seems like the ultraportable category has disappeared in the last few years, leaving a hole between too-big 13.3" screen computers and too-small netbooks.

my macbook is driving me insane

god particle — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:38:38 -0800

My macbook, running OSX 10.5.4, has been working really poorly lately It has trouble booting up (if I try to restart, I can end up with a blank screen), applications constantly crash or get glitchy, and my two external hard drives keep getting "improperly disconnected" even though they remain plugged in. Safari runs slow, always freezing things up, and there seems to be a general decrease in performance. This onset of problems is driving me insane. Could my hard drive be dying? Do I have some kind of virus? Should I start looking for a new computer?

Best keyboard skin for Mac Air? Best shell?

jeffmacintyre — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:11:59 -0800

Best keyboard skin for Macbook Air? Best shell case (not for carrying)? I've used keyboard skins in the past but gone away from them because I'm lazy and hate whipping them off before closing the unit. When I don't, the covering can smear the monitor of my old Powerbook. (Duh.)

With my new Air, is there a next-gen keyboard skin that avoids this problem? I plan to resell this Air if Apple introduces a Penryn model next month, so I'm invested in keeping this unit in mint condition.

Also, is there a shell case people recommend that doesn't present overheating complications?

What accessories do I need for a macbook?

donajo — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:52:15 -0800

First-time laptop buyer: What accessories do I need? I'm buying a MacBook in a few months, my very first laptop, and I'm trying to figure out what kind of accessories and peripherals I will need. I know I need a wireless router and a wireless mouse, but what else should I be thinking about/budgeting for? I'll be using it at home 90% of the time, but I'll also be using it occasionally at research libraries and on vacation. I already have a backpack with a built-in laptop sleeve.

Is there anything else a lifetime desktop-user needs to know about owning a laptop?

Help Me Rebuild My iTunes Library

grumblebee — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:39:45 -0800

My Macbook Pro was stolen. Just about the only non-shitty thing about it is that I keep my huge iTunes library on an external drive. All the music files are on the drive, but the data files (library.xml) were on the stolen Mac. I have another Macbook. What's the simplest way I can rebuild my library on it? I don't use playlists or ratings. All I want is the ability to see all my music in iTunes.

The music is now in two places: On the external usb drive and on my iPod.

On the new Macbook I'm using, I have an empty iTunes. Should I add all the music? Plug in my iPod and download from there? Something else?

(By the way, my stolen machine was a 17" Macbook Pro. It has a missing S key on the keyboard and is in generally bad condition. It takes forever to boot up. If anyone sees someone selling it online, let them know they can make more selling it to me. No questions asked. The machine isn't worth much. But there are chapters on it of a book I'm writing.)

How to get MacBook screen/iSight repaired quickly from Canada?

Xianny — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:53:31 -0800

How can I get my MacBook screen and iSight repaired quickly (by March 6), safely and affordably? I'm in Canada and I do not have AppleCare. The screen cracked and iSight stopped working after I dropped it about a metre, but the laptop is otherwise usable. I'm searching on Google but I would like some recommendations of specific companies.

Should I trade my PC Laptop for a Macbook?

monkeyagent — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:32:21 -0800

I was talking with a friend who owns a Macbook. She was talking about how she doesn't really use it for much and is looking for something newer. I mentioned that I just got my laptop but that I didn't like Vista and have been interested in Macs. Long story short, we came to the conclusion that we might each like to trade out laptops. I'm wondering if this sounds like a fair trade: My computer:
Acer Aspire 5050
AMD Turion 64 Processor MK-38 (2.2GHz, 512KB L2)
14.1" LCD
80GB HDD
DVD Burner
1 GB DDR2 RAM
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 Integrated graphics (variable GRAM depending on how much of it you assign from system general system RAM)
Has Vista Home Basic
It has internal wifi and is in more or less perfect condition.

Her computer:
Macbook
Intel Core Duo 1.8 Ghz processor [L2 Cache (per processor): 2MB]
LCD slightly smaller, though I don't mind that
34.22 GB HDD (? I couldn't figure out how to determine the full capacity - this amount reflects how much is "free")
DVD (i assume) burner? (not important, as I use my desktop for such tasks)
512 MB 667Mhz DDR2 SDRAM
OSX Version: 10.4.10
Also, while the case is scuffed up a bit on the outside, it seems to work fine and would clean up well. The speakers don't work, but the headphone jack work fine.

My only needs for my laptop are Internet accessibility, word processing, and basic multimedia playing functions. Everything else I do on my self-built PC. I know very little about Macs, but have been wanting to learn about them. Does this trade make sense? Are there any other things I should consider?

Help! My MacBook is now a MilkBook.

gazole — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:02:16 -0800

Spilled milk in my MacBook's keyboard, and the technician at Apple suggested I bend the rules to get it fixed or replaced. What does my warranty cover, anyway? While I was away at work today, my 3 year old (bless him) spilled about 1/2 cup of milk into the keyboard of my new MacBook (purchased this past Sept.) It immediately powered off.

Then, my wife (bless her) unwittingly made things potentially much worse by attempting to turn it on several times and plugging it in, then using a hair dryer to attempt to hasten drying the milk. (It won't turn on.)

She called the Apple phone support 800 number, and the tech told her there's nothing they can do, that the warranty expires in 6 days, and that what she should do is buy the Apple Protection Plan, then send it in without telling them about the spill.

I found this information odd, to say the least. A little research online reveals that phone support is the "warranty" that expires next week, and the regular limited warranty is good until next September.

So my course of action to (hopefully) recover my computer or at least its data (what seems like my entire life) depends on a few things.

- Does the actual warranty status change 90 days after purchase of a MacBook? Would ponying up for the Apple Protection Plan change this?
- If we send it in to Apple for repair or replacement wouldn't they find it obvious there was a spill, and tell us we're out of luck?
- Is there any point to us taking the machine to the local Apple Store for a second opinion?

Where do we go from here? Thank you, MeFi, for any help you can offer.

MacBook: Literate?

Goofyy — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:41:57 -0800

Macfilter: Does the MacBook "combo drive" (as opposed to the "super-drive") read DVD-R and RWs? Having weened myself from Windows, I'm looking to purchase a MacBook. The specifications are not clear whether the combo drive, on the bottom-of-the-line, can read DVD-R/RWs. It writes CDr, but not DVD. I've never encountered a CD-writer that reads DVDs, so I'm totally unclear on this. Calling my 'local' Apple retailer is a waste of time, as the guy there has poor English skills and may be clueless. It's important, but I'd rather not pay for added drive space and speed I don't need, in the model with the "super-drive". They told me I can't upgrade just the optical drive.

Where can I get a replacement Macbook Pro power cord fast?

bradbane — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:47:06 -0800

Where can I get a replacement Macbook Pro power cord fast? My girlfriend's dog chewed up her Macbook Pro's power cord, and we are having a hard time locating a replacement. Several stores have told us that Apple is completely out because they have recently redesigned it, but won't start shipping the new ones for a few weeks and I can't seem to find one on Ebay or anywhere else online.

Will a normal Macbook cord work? Is anyone aware of some secret cache of Pro power cords? We would rather not have her computer be a paperweight for the next couple of weeks.

Buy a MacBook now or wait two months.

beowulf573 — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:30:03 -0800

Should I wait for Leopard or take the plunge now? Buying a MacBook. My reliable Compaq laptop running Linux finally died a graceful death at the age of 7. I've pretty much settled on a MacBook but am considering waiting till October for the release of Leopard. How stable are Apple's initial releases? Will it be one or two more releases till Leopard is truly stable for use on a laptop?

Also, while I have the floor, one thing I'd like to be able to do is use Parallels/VMWare/dual boot to run XP for Quicken and the .NET development tools. Is 2GB enough for this or should I seriously consider getting a MacBook Pro so that I can add more RAM? The additional cost of the Pro is a bit much for my budget and I'd rather stick to the MacBook if I can.

Thanks.

A non-Apple laptop equivalent to a Macbook?

jaimev — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:50:45 -0800

My Windows-centric wife wants a laptop. I (her very Apple-centric husband) recommend she get a Macbook. To be fair to her, what other non-Apple laptops should we be looking at? Our benchmark is the black Macbook (13.3" widescreen display, 2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 160Gb HD, 1 Gb RAM, SuperDrive, built in webcam, 802.11 draft N) for about $1300 take home price from Amazon.

We can go slower on the processor, less on the HD, we can settle for just a DVD-ROM drive, don't need 802.11n or the iSight camera. The low end Macbook (running Parallels or Bootcamp) would be just about perfect for her, except she really wants a black laptop.

What are the high quality, non-Apple laptop manufacturers/models should I be looking at? I don't have a clue.