MacBook Pro
For my previous post on this: Notebook For College
Basically I was looking for a decent/portable/robust/durable/sexy notebook for when I’m going to college (computer science) later this year. The notebook will be used for the casual internet/music/messenger stuff, but also for my creative things such as software/web development and other new projects.
Currently I’m a happy Windows 7 user and I’ve been using Windows XP and Vista (for half a year) in the past. Next to that, I’ve used Linux distros like Ubuntu etc. But when I started using Apple’s Mac OS X in VMware/dualboot, I fell in love with it. It gave me the same ‘feeling’ of awesomeness that I currently have with my iPod touch. Sure, they have a higher price tag than PCs. ( = Windows) Yes, there is more software/games available for Windows. But when you are looking for a quality thing that just works, supports all the applications that you use and is very sexy… then you can’t disagree that Macs are awesome. 
That, plus the fact that I’m curious for a Mac, is why I have decided that my notebook for college will be the MacBook Pro 13″. It costs €1149 euros here but I’m hoping to get the student discount of €70 euros. Still it’s alot of money for a 13″ notebook with a Core 2 Duo CPU, but I’m willing to pay this price premium because of OS X, the notebook itself (design, build quality) and the excellent battery life. Apple states that it can last up till 10 hours at one single charge, and even when we convert this to real-world values it should still last like 8 hours or something. I spent €230 euros back in 2009 on my iPod touch (2G, 16GB) and I’m still super satisfied with it and I really like that feeling. Maybe it’s what drives Mac-fanboys in their ‘Mac is better than PC’ rants? I hope to find that out soon. 
I’ll be dualbooting it with Windows 7 for the odd Windows-only things like maybe some Visual Studio work. Steam will be available for the Mac soon, and even though my Windows rig + 20″ flatpanel is great for gaming, I hope to play some games like Team Fortress 2 and ofcourse Portal 2 (coming out later this year) at it. Yes, I’m aware that the 15″ and 17″ MacBook Pros have Core i5 CPUs and dedicated GPUs, but there’s a price difference of €600 (!) euros and I’m not able/willing to pay that for 2 inches more screenspace and a beefed up CPU/GPU – specs that I’ll never need on my college notebook, haha. Anyway, when I get my ‘financing’ done I’ll pickup a MacBook Pro 13″ 2010, they refreshed about a week ago or something so I believe that it’s the perfect moment for me to dive into Macs. I’ll also get a sleeve with it, so I can wrap it up in that & drop it in my backpack – it’s compact enough for that.
If you want to support me in my financing (my only income is my parttime supermarkt shelf-fill job that generates around €100 euros per month), you can always do a donation of any amount at this donation page. It will help me with purchasing my first notebook!
I’ll make a post here when I finally get there, so stay tuned.
UPDATE: I went to the Apple Store yesterday and played around with all the MacBooks there. Before I went there, I was worried about the 13″ (1280 x 800) display. However, it was epic & large enough. By the way, I have been on 1024 x 786 for years till I recently went to 1680 x 1050 for desktop. Anyway, this really is the notebook that I’ll be buying. I was tempted to buy it yesterday (as I’m going to the UK for a week @ saturday, and don’t have a notebook)… but because of the ashcloud all shippings are delayed so it wasn’t in stock. Oh well, I would be broke if I bought it now anyway! 
Oh, How nice!
Can you help me, my hotel is being hacked everyday-.-
I will offer you 100$ if you help me to get stop of hacking shit to my hotel
Sorry but because of ethical reasons I won’t help you.
I too would be willing to pay for your help. I don’t make money from my hotel but it would make my life so much easier.
Disconnections on my hotel (Caused by friends console) needs to be fixed, and I wouldn’t know where to start.
I too would like a MacBook pro they’re very nice.
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Hi kwendo unblock me
maybe i will help you
I got a MacBook not this years but a few years ago now but it’s still powers on and I love it tbh I suffer less lag on it than my custom pc from last year that cost me a fortune.. But you get that, What I love what I have done on my mac and what you should do, get a app/virtualization app called VMware fusion. With this app you could install windows xp for example and run c# in the windows than click this button and it will hide windows and run the windows apps asif they was mac apps. I love it
You should/would too if you get to try it!
Aight, thanks for the tip!
Hi, I really need some bug’s to be fixed on my hotel, would you ever considered paid work?
I’m not going to pay crappy amounts, don’t think I will please
.
Contact me at the email address I used for this comment.
Thank you!
You’re lucky to even have Macs in your country. My country doesn’t have any.
You’re a web/developer and you’re going to buy an Apple product? Wow, you must have been brainwashed or something.
My development stuff at the Mac will mainly consist out of Java/PHP/Flash-work and the like. Still, I have a desktop (Windows 7) which is suitable for all the work that needs alot of CPU/screen estate. This notebook is not really for development you know, who uses a 13″ laptop for that anyway.
By the way, thanks for your visit. How did you find my blog and why are you posting from a Dutch IP?
Don’t buy from Apple! It’s an enemy of your freedom!
Just an update he ordered it with the wrong keyboard the other day just before his holiday
Pvt Niggus from lovely England! I mailed Apple to change keyboard from NLD to USA. They changed the order this morning. Gotta wait till they process bank payment now!
@RMS
Most web developers use Macs? They have some very nice applications for development.
And I’m a windows user.
For you guys who don’t know RMS is one of those Open Source guys, he worships the stuff. It’s almost like a religion, but I have nothing agaisn’t him, I do however consider Mac Laptops probably the only good laptops ever built, laptops nowadays don’t last 3 years? Only laptops I’ve seen last anything are ANCIENT.
Companies just build them to work, not to last, if they build them to last they will make less money, whereas Apple builds them to last with all the top notch technology. At least that’s my observation, unless anyone finds me a site that sells affordable parts to build my own laptop from scratch I don’t consider myself as buying any laptop ever.
However, with government grants I may buy one for school. But again, that’s for school, after that I’ll either install Debian over it or something better like maybe Gentoo or sell the damn laptop.
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