Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A 15.4-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive)

I have been using the Macbook Pro for over 2 months now. I find it a delight to use. Stable, fast and a very user friendly keyboard. I installed iWork, MS Office 2008, Fusion 2.0 and Windows XP for general use. I have been working on both my Dell Vista system and my Macbook and find the Macbook more user friendly and stable than the Dell Vista system. Most of the teachers I work with use only Windows and I was concerned that the documents that I produced with iWork or Mac Office would be a problem, but that has not been the case. All have been very easy to open and use. I am using Fusion and Windows XP Pro very little since the programs on the Mac work perfectly. I can even write PowerPoints on the Mac (MS Office 2008) put them on a Flash drive and read them at school on my HP Vista system without any problem.

I have used Windows for many years and finally got fed up with Vista hanging, crashing and it loading time. I purchased the Mac to get away from Microsoft and have had great success. If it were not for a few problems with Keynote (maybe I will be able to solve them) and converting to PowerPoint I would not be using any Microsoft products! As a long time Windows user, I recommend you switch to a Mac, you will not be sorry.

I really like my Mac Book Pro -- I bought mine when they first came out with the Intel Core 2 Duo Processors, and it's still going strong. There are so many good things to say about this Mac, but I'll just highlight a few features that make it better than my wife's Sony Vaio laptop, which she bought around the same time for nearly the same price.

1. The Mac is faster on startup. We can both turn on our laptops the same time and mine is ready to roll about 30 seconds faster.

2. The Mac is faster on the internet. We're both working off the same internet connection, and yet my computer loads pages faster and does much better with embedded videos. I don't know the technical reasons, but it is obvious. We can load the same youtube video and hers will stall, and I will have seen the entire video by the time hers gets about halfway through.

3. iLife and especially iMovie are so much more intuitive than comparable software on her PC.

4. The so-called "Software advantage" to PCs is irrelevant to us -- we both use Office and we both use the internet, but beyond that she uses Photoshop and I use Final Cut Pro. Photoshop is available on both platforms and FCP is available exclusively for Macs. I just haven't found any applications I need and use that I can't get on my Mac -- and many of the applications I've used are available as shareware and freeware.

5. My laptop feels so much nicer in the hands -- hers is clunkier and heavier.

6. My laptop has a built-in camera/webcam. Hers doesn't.

Just so it is clear: she agrees with me on all these points. We aren't constantly in a Mac/PC argument -- in fact she has said many times that next time she buys a computer it will be a Mac.

One issue that we've both faced over the last couple of years is that we've both needed to replace our power cords -- I really like the little magnetic plug on the iMac, but find that the connection between the wire and the magnet plug is a bit flimsy and on mine it bent out of shape and eventually pulled loose. On hers something similar happened.

Overall, though, for ease of use, for aesthetics, for the simple way it recognizes new hardware, for its versatility with media creation software, we both agree: Mac wins!

I have been waiting for a year for an Apple laptop with a LED screen that fit within my budget. With the release of the new laptops I was able to get a MacBook Pro that met all my criterion and I was able to save a considerable amount of money to boot. I am very pleased with this purchase. This laptop is awesome.

Hardware -
Review on hardware alone. This model is by far the best value out of the entire macbook pro line. I hate the glossy screen, and the price for the 2.6 chip or the 17" vs the benefits of these upgrades, wasn't worth it to me. Overall the hardware and design is solid.
Software -
This would be my biggest complaint. As a Java developer I can't recommend mac os vs using linux especially polished distros like fedora, or ubuntu. Why ? well they only support java 5 32 bit and 64 bit, and only java 6 64 bit. For example most gui applications on the mac need to be paid for, when in linux most can be downloaded for free. Now weather or not you care for the polish or the fancy graphics is a different concern. I'm looking just overall quality and choice of software. To make the os actually usable, you have to use several 3rd party software solutions. Example Finder is the worse implementation of a file manager I have ever seen... thats why Path Finder is so popular. Expose is a terrible alternative to finding programs. Just compare the actions taken looking for applications when using task bar vs expose. Skip the graphics and make it useful. When having 15 - 20 applications open expose becomes unusable. I think the keyboard layout of mac is terrible. Just do a comparison on cut and paste. When pressing command or apple button + c .. your hand is curled and awkward VS .. ctrl + c .. your hand is extended, and can reach other keys easily. Just something as simple as that.. makes a big difference to me. Now people say just use linux or windows .. in separate partition... well I payed the apple tax to be able to use mac os.

Overall comparable hardware can be bought cheaper when deals come along, and can save about 500. For the power of a *nix os and the polish of windows.. is good , especially if you are not a power user. But overall for my needs, I would not make this mistake again.

this is a great computer and it was the best price I could find anywhere.
filled with a great variety of programs, so many that I am still learning how to use a lot of them. Mac tops all other computers out there.
I got this one as a replacement for a another one I had for five years that I used so much the hard drive bit the dust and I am going to get it replaced to use as a back up machine. Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A 15.4-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive)