Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-on

We just got our grubby, oily hands all over this pristine, all glass and aluminum MacBook. We sullied it on your behalf, but our initial impressions mostly positive: it's small, incredibly, ridiculously solid feeling, and we actually don't hate the all-clicking trackpad much at all. (If your thumb muscle memory makes you click at the bottom where the button used to be, it works and feels pretty much the same.) Of course, the glare of the glass screen is a MAJOR issue for us, and will be pretty much forever. There's just no way we'll be able to love it, so our eyes will be peeled for after-market add-ons to cut that down a bit. But in terms of the rest, it's pretty clear this is the best MacBook -- and best mainstream consumer laptop -- Apple's made to date.

Gallery: Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-on

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[Dan @ Oct 14th 2008 4:39PM]

Exactly why do they need an "expensive matte [sic] option for designers"? I love all the misinformed people out there who think this screen is somehow inferior to a matte screen with color reproduction.

[Ogo @ Oct 14th 2008 4:07PM]

Thank GOD the lower priced model does not have a combo drive.

[giantenemycrab @ Oct 14th 2008 4:08PM]

Holy crap! Did they even try to use the prototype? That glossy screen is going to be impossible to use if there's even a little light. Wow. Bad move, Apple.

[Boards of Canada @ Oct 14th 2008 4:35PM]

It is... I have a glossy screen on my laptop and you cant work at a café... you need darkness. and anyway the colors are not true.

[Taling Hallenthur @ Oct 14th 2008 4:15PM]

What bothers me is that they didn't really decrease the price of the MacBook at all. For me there is no difference if they sell that old MacBook just like an any other laptop or put it in the clearance section of their store, there is still no good reason to buy it. They could've bumped the specs a little bit or use the old case and slap the new hardware in it.

[Ogo @ Oct 14th 2008 4:20PM]

Looks like the Macbook Air was updated too..... for those who care.

[Boards of Canada @ Oct 14th 2008 4:29PM]

Look like my 2 years old toshiba... really! black bevels and glossy screen! but its the spec who hurt me most...

Bad move Apple.

[Patrick @ Oct 14th 2008 4:31PM]

this sucks. they are only giving a $50 dollar education discount on the macbooks and $100 on the MBPs. talk about money grubbing.

[eric @ Oct 14th 2008 5:06PM]

Yeah, this is pretty pathetic on their part.

I really dig this laptop but their omission of firewire makes it useless for me.
As a student, I can't afford the macbook pro and the reduced education discount is a real punch in the shoulder.

Thanks apple dudez!

[Alex @ Oct 14th 2008 4:38PM]

I was browsing the new macbooks on the apple website and if you click on the $1299 macbook it shows that you can get a backlit keyboard. What's up with that? Typo?

[Aaron @ Oct 14th 2008 5:50PM]

The black keys are ugly

[IEBA @ Oct 14th 2008 8:19PM]

A major failure of this design is the lack of Firewire!
http://techthoughts.org/2008/10/14/apple-says-firewire-be-gone/

How the heck can we digitize DV, or HDV, without Firewire?

Anthony

[Casey @ Oct 14th 2008 5:06PM]

I have read a few posts that say you can get a matte screen on the 17"... Of course you can, it's the old model... *#$% sakes, some peoples children...

No matte screen, apparently no ExpressPort slot, and no BluRay... why, why why? So... confused... brain... hurting... won't... buy one.... *cries*

Ok Steve, all kidding aside, what do the REAL new Macbooks and Macbook Pros have in store for us...

[Casey @ Oct 14th 2008 5:08PM]

Wait. There is a ExpressPort slot on the 15, just not on the 13... my bad... still would have like to see one one the little brother too though... ;)

[Joe Stephens @ Oct 14th 2008 5:12PM]

I personally am appalled at the pricing of the new MacBook's and I don't know if anybody else has noticed but in the UK the original MacBook has went UP in price to £719 which I am even more appalled by as it has dropped in price in the States.

The new MacBook's are amazing, if not the best laptops out there, but the price is way too high and I think customers in Europe in particular will be put off of buying.

[Casey @ Oct 14th 2008 5:13PM]

wow... so yeah. no firewire on the little guy... and no firewire 400 at all... neat!

*cries again*

[Prad @ Oct 14th 2008 5:52PM]

R.I.P. Black MacBook!

[joe @ Oct 15th 2008 2:43AM]

NO FIREWIRE !! is the reason why I will forget about it.

[Look @ Oct 14th 2008 5:58PM]

Love the glass screen:):):) i just Love it!

[chuck @ Oct 14th 2008 5:59PM]

Is it me or does 4.5 Ibs seems heavy for a 13 inch notebook? i have to carry a laptop around day in and day out, weight does get to me.

[Corey @ Oct 14th 2008 6:40PM]

Wasnt the current MacBook 5lbs? Its lighter than the current white/black macbooks by half a pound....and its .13" thinner also at .95" (Current = 1.08") and I dont see anyone complaining about their little books. Its definitely an improvement. Cant satisfy everyone.

[comeon @ Oct 14th 2008 6:33PM]

It's the same basic screen design as the iPhone. Have you used an iPhone in the sun? You can see it just fine.

Sheesh.

[Reza @ Oct 14th 2008 6:52PM]

i really love the design and the upgrades and have already put an
order CANT WAIT :D

What i dont understand is people who nag about firewire, i mean there
is Pro and old macbook if you need it so badly.

And sure i agree the price is higher then other makers but hey who
goes and tells Ferrari to lower the price just be cause BMW made a
cheaper car??? Apple has always been about quality and also OSX of
course.

Also i too would prefer the old screen but on the other hand i think
it is a matter of getting used to. (i Have a iphone with same type of
screen which works really nice both in and outdoor).
Was going for an dell 1330 but i have changed my mine now
Dell 1330:
- better price
Macbook:
- Aluminium case
- better GPU
- multitouch
- better size
- Most importantly OSX

[LarryLarryLarry @ Oct 14th 2008 8:57PM]

I know Jobs is a dying man, but at least ask for a reacharound.

[Brian @ Oct 14th 2008 9:14PM]

can't you get the 8400m in the 1330?
isn't the 1330 only a little thicker than the new macbook?
doesn't multitouch not do anything for anything but editing in THEIR programs?
isn't the new macbook ugly as hell?

This is why i don't buy apple, i buy APPL. Ever since the iphone 3g, things have been going downhill...

[Philip @ Oct 15th 2008 12:38AM]

Without a firewire port this new Macbook is useless for me. :(

[Chris @ Oct 14th 2008 7:37PM]

Holy shit these things are expensive. I just check the pricing, and they're like... what, double the price of a laptop of the same spec?

I wish apple would be realistic, I actually need one for my music tech course which is mostly done in Logic Studio, I don't actually want one to be honest, I'd rather go for a laptop. But £949 is out of the question, I certainly won't be buying one. Looks like I'll be spending my evening in college on the iMacs =/

Disappointing apple, disappointing.

[Chris @ Oct 14th 2008 7:38PM]

Typo, EVENINGS.

I just hope they release a driver for the the HD4850 series so I can hackintosh it.

[stevejg61 @ Oct 14th 2008 7:33PM]

I live in AZ - I just love the thought of a nice aluminum case here in the summer. I call dibs on the first add on for this computer - thermal gloves to carry it with.

[neil @ Oct 14th 2008 8:05PM]

ya.. no firewire.. that sucks.. it's like.. if i were to get this new one... it would almost be like a downgrade...

they should've taken firewire out, and replaced it with another usb port... at least... com' on even most of the net books have 3 usb ports.... working with only two blow.

[Brian @ Oct 14th 2008 9:14PM]

the old 15" starts at $1,349. I'ma getting me either the gateway 7811fx or the MBP 15"!

[Old Guy With A Beard @ Oct 14th 2008 9:16PM]

New Apple MacBook Lacks Firewire — Cuts Off Millions Of Potential Buyers

Apple’s new MacBooks are of no use to the millions - or tens of millions - of potential buyers who own DV video cameras that use FireWire to transfer video from the camera to the computer for editing. The MacBooks are equipped with USB2, but no firewire.

I just got off the phone with the people at 1-800-MY APPLE who confirmed that there is no way they are aware of to use any firewire-based video camera with the new MacBooks.

Apple advised that buyers would have to use a video camera that uses USB to transfer video to the computer - and that excludes about 99% of all video cameras out there.

I was advised to check the Apple online store for such video cameras, but found only Canon firewire-based models for sale!

Even the new Sony, Canon etc High Definition video cameras use Firewire only to transfer video to the computer.

Unless there is something I’m missing, it means that my daughter will not be purchasing a new MacBook, nor will anyone she knows because they are all into making videos.

What do I do for a living? Marketing - and I’m filming and editing videos almost every day. All ten video cameras at my work are firewire based - right from my old reliable Sony PD150 to our new little Canon HV30 HiDef cameras (We bought three)

How big a deal is this?

Once again, unless I’m missing something, there is no way that anyone who owns a firewire video camera will purchase a MacBook.

How could Apple have made a mistake like this? Tell me I’m missing something here, please!

[TMM @ Oct 15th 2008 12:39AM]

Uhm, the new HD Camcorders use Flash memory, often times memory cards and you just plug 'em into USB.
So, consumer HD video: no problem on the MacBook.

And: Millions of possible users. Yeah, right.

I never understood the obsession with FireWire. FW400 is slower than USB2 - or, for sake of peace, let's say they are equally as fast.
95% of all peripherie uses USB.

But still users are forced onto another port, which doesn't give many more functions.
Or are you saying pulling video from a camera over USB isn't possible?
Why do you need FireWire in the first place, then?

Stop the obsession with Firewire. It's not worth it.
Apple knows it.
That's why it's only on the Pro models: just a handfull of people really need it.
And those guys a. don't care about a couple of hundred bucks b. need a bigger, fast notebook anyways.

[joe @ Oct 15th 2008 3:09AM]

@TMM

I was planning to buy a new MB.
I work as a video artist. I own a DVCAM video camera that ONLY plugs with firewire.
I also use a M-AUDIO external soundcard that ONLY plugs with firewire.
I also own LACIE Hard drives that ONLY plugs with firewire OR firewire 800.
I often need to go through my camera for live events, or some other kind of works that requires, guess what ? A FIREWIRE PORT.
So ,please, don't tell me to forget about the FW Port, since it IS usefull to tons of people, obviously.
And don't even start to troll, with the "they don't mind giving away a couple of hundred bucks".
I used to have a powerbook G4 that was less powerfull than the soon-to-be-replaced macbook.
So I can't see why I should give 700$ more for a machine that is 20% larger than I actually need !

[Hans @ Oct 15th 2008 11:10AM]

@TMM

Sorry, man, but you're clueless if you think FW isn't important. Apple's bread and butter has always been the audio/video professional. Before the ipod, when everyone was on PC and Apple had almost no marketshare, it was these industries that kept Apple's computer business alive. MacOS was always more friendly than the Microsoft operating systems for this kind of work, and consequently, the equipment used in these industries evolved largely around the Mac. As predominant as the PC was in the general market, so the reverse was true of the creative arts market: guys with PC's were the renegades.

I'm a musician, and I have both Mac and PC in my home. I use the Mac for all my recording, and I have recording interfaces, hard drives, signal processing equipment, etc., that all use FW EXCLUSIVELY. NO USB. Why? Again, because the equipment used in the audio/visual industries evolved around the Mac, and Apple has always pushed FW.

If you know anything about DAW recording, the following names will mean something to you: Apogee, Digidesign, Focusrite, M-Audio, Motu, PreSonus, RME, TC Electronic. There is not a single, mainstream, high-end recording device that I am aware of that uses USB2. USB2 is relegated to the low end stuff. EVERYTHING else uses FW. (I'm not considering PCI interfaces here, etc.) FW COMPLETELY DOMINATES the recording market.

To suggest that the MBP is only a few hundred more and the price difference shouldn't matter to those who need FW again reveals your ignorance. If I have $2500 to spend on a computer recording system, I would much rather spend $1500 on my recording gear and $1000 on the computer than $2000 on a computer and have only $500 left for gear. Recording is not the lucrative industry it once was. Thanks to computers, anyone can record now, and prices have dropped dramatically as a result. Margins are now razor thin: unless you run a huge studio, the difference in cost between a MB and MBP is significant, especially in this economy.

The lack of FW on the new MB's is an awful, awful move (to say nothing of HDMI and blu-ray) by Apple, and it totally screws their most loyal consumer base.

[Omar @ Oct 14th 2008 9:18PM]

Finally a good graphics card, Now I can put away my Powerbook G4.

[obrien.jake @ Oct 14th 2008 10:11PM]

Why the glossy screen? I mean come on, the purpose of an LCD screen is that it doesn't reflect light and is very thin and portable. Another keyword there: portable. When used outside, this will just be a pain in the ass.

Oh well, I guess I'll just stick with my old MacBook. I just can't see how I am going to use this thing anywhere but my desk at home, where as now I like working with it outside (coffee shops, on a bus, etc). If it breaks and Mac has rid itself of all the non-reflective displays, I can't say I'm going to buy another one.

[mario @ Oct 14th 2008 9:35PM]

whats the hole on the right front side of the laptop?

[Dan Smith @ Oct 16th 2008 8:21AM]

its the infra red receiver for use with the apple remote (sold separately)

[aaron @ Oct 14th 2008 9:45PM]

Oh... Oh... Oh... DONE. Thanks for the Gadget Porn guys!

[Enduro @ Oct 14th 2008 10:06PM]

I sent feedback to Apple about the lack of firewire. The reason I got back into using an Apple computer was the ad showing the iMac DV being an ENTRY LEVEL computer that was capable of video editing. Thanks to the Firewire port. I've got a consumer grade preamp that is firewire and a consumer grade camcorder that I can still use with that old machine (and my eMacs)... not to mention several hard drives.

No firewire is a total deal breaker. My monies shall remain in my pocket until they address this. Although if the old black MB is capable of playing Civ 4 I may just buy refurb.

Total. Epic. Fail.

[Ginseng @ Oct 14th 2008 10:11PM]

After the excitement of the launch, I realized that my 4-year old iBook was still going to be the best machine for me for now. I do a ton of video transfers for my work and the lack of Firewire renders the MB DOA. And yeah, glossy screens SUCK when you're working under long tube fluorescents all day.

[Ken @ Oct 14th 2008 10:45PM]

Can you believe the display??? I was hoping for 1920x1400. My guess is that the target market for the MBP is graphic design, video editing and 3D modeling professionals and they give us the same crappy resolution as regular laptops? Has Apple completely lost touch with its consumer base? I was waiting so long for this so I could switch from the PC. And the glossy screen just sealed the decision for me. I will stick with my HP 8510W (which by the way is 1920x1400 with nVidia's Quadro card) for now. A pity Apple missed the target with this release.

[nirmal @ Oct 19th 2008 6:46AM]

The battery seems to be of lower capacity compared to previous macbooks down to 45 wh from 50 wh but i guess since ddr3 memory requires lower voltages the net 4 hr battry life should be attainable..

[perpetualtranze @ Oct 14th 2008 10:56PM]

Am I the only one that's really gonna say it? The ultra thick black bezel around the screen is hideous. I thought by now there would be no bezel on ANY lappie for that matter. For the love of god I had a really old Compaq Armada? Maybe? At least my old Gateway 2000 Solo, anyways either one seemed to have more screen acreage than this shiny shiteous screen could ever offer. By the by, glossy = HUGE TURN OFF! Especially when using this thing outside at high noon on a lovely day.

[Enduro @ Oct 14th 2008 11:01PM]

I wonder if Jon Ives ever actually uses a computer or if he just likes looking at them.

[angie @ Oct 14th 2008 11:18PM]

i really don't know what to do. i waited for months to get a new laptop since i knew macbooks would be updated. since my old laptop has been slowly dying, i've made sure to back everything up in my lovely firewire external hard drive. i planned to go to the apple store thursday evening to buy whatever the new macbook release was. and now they tell me i don't get firewire unless i dish out an extra $700. or i could go for a soon-to-be-completely-outdated older model. great.

[Perssonster @ Oct 15th 2008 2:20AM]

Dunno what the price is in the US and the A but here in Sweden the cheapest Macbook costs 1700 USD and thats just a fucking joke!

[Mike @ Oct 15th 2008 4:24AM]

I'm not understanding the problem with the screen of the new Macbooks. Previous Macbook owners are complaining that it wont work for them..YOUR MACBOOK ALREADY HAS A GLOSSY SCREEN!! If you are talking about the pro then that is something different because there was an option for a non glossy screen.

I have an Air and an older core duo Macbook. The Macbook not so good in sunlight but the Air does a really good job. I think it is because of the LED display and the new Macbooks have this. Phil is right, crank the brightness in sunlight and it'll be fine.

Also the iPhone has a glass screen and looks great outdoors. I think the big problem is the lack of FW. There are going to be a lot of audio interfaces and video cams that wont be compatible with the new Macbook

[Jonathan @ Oct 15th 2008 3:40PM]

No card reader is brutal for me, I use that every day on my XPS M1210...