Yeah, it’s late (as in both when I bought the darn thing as well as in when I’m editing/writing it in the day, oh, and as in how “late” in 2008 this laptop was introduced).

(BOO. I agree.)

(Man, this kid should get some sleep.)

The Looks

It oozes teh awesome. That’s pretty much all there is to say on this.

Except, some people would be very much bothered by the screen. I haven’t had a situation yet where I felt like I would pay an extra $50 (an option on the 17″) to remove the glossy display, but I can understand the people who prefer the diffusion of the matte displays instead.

However, since the backlight is much brighter than any previous MacBook Pro versions, I can usually blast away any random light sources… and burn out my eyes in the process.

Sidenote: I rarely have my backlight set to max. One or two below the max is quite enough.

The Feel

The unibody feels amazingly sturdy. I feel like I can finally stop babying my Macbook Pro. (Of course, this doesn’t mean I won’t stop doing so…)

I couldn’t believe it, but it’s even smoother than the earlier MacBook Pros. And to think that I thought those laptops were awesome. Pfft.

The Trackpad

If Apple made a bluetooth version of this trackpad, I’d buy it. I’ve opted to float my MacBook Pro next to my external screen for better ergonomics, and so I use my trackball instead.

But when I’m on the go… they weren’t kidding about getting the coefficient of friction just right. And the additional gestures are fun, too. I had my three-finger swipe down to be cmd + w. Works good for everything but… Finder.

Sidenote: They really really need to update Finder.

Comparisons to the “old” MacBook Pro

A few things come to mind immediately.

The lid can open up a few degrees more on the new unibody, for those rare occasions when I do need a few more degrees. I felt very limited with the older ones, almost to the point where I risked breaking the hinge because I would always triple check to see if it really was that limiting.

The problem with the lid now is that it has become heavier. I think it probably has something to do with the glossy screen. Whatever the reason may be, if you start angling the laptop at an angle, you’ll notice the lid starting to close up on you simply by the weight of the lid itself. However, the lid stays solid while I type away on the keyboard, so no big issues there. It just takes a tiny bit of getting used to, compared to the stiffer hinge of the older MacBook Pros.

Et Cetera

I like the fact that the CD drive is on the side: Although I rarely use it, I find that having it on the side just makes a lot more sense. (e.g. If it’s sitting on your lap, or if it’s on a mount with the rubber feet pushing against the bottom of the laptop)

I do miss the USB port on both sides. The first generation iPod shuffle and my bigger SD USB card reader is so wide that I can’t have the both of them connected at the same time. Solution to this is to just rock a USB hub and call it a day.

MiniDisplay Port? Being forced to buy yet another adaptor? And no, I wasn’t willing to buy the 24″ Cinema Display. No, I’m not that crazy.

Note to self: I really need to write that anti-fanboy post. Hmm.

One HUGE Problem: The Audio

The audio is the biggest FAIL for the MacBook Pro. I can live with a lot of the design decisions they’ve made, but the audio…

The physical 3.5mm or 1.8″ headphone jack sucks compared to the older MBP. It pops out a bit too easily compared to the older ones. But this is compounded by the fact that there is now a second or two of lag where the MacBook Pro switches from the built-in speakers to the headphones.

Right, that, and the constant hissing, as well as the R2D2 bleep blooping that happens from time to time. This has been an issue for a while, but I think it’s gotten worse with the Unibody. Yes, I can buy more things to fix this, but seriously, for a MacBook Pro, I’m expecting near perfection here. For now, I’m okay with my little volume attenuator.

That is, until I become a audiophile. I am the mouse, and my HD-555s is my cookie. I sure hope this isn’t my milk.

Conclusion

I love this thing. Heck, I’m just waiting for the day I can upgrade to the 17″. WTB moar pixels. Maybe after WWDC, I’ll buy the current 17″ model if they upgrade it.

Unless… Apple pulls out something magical. Unless. (!)