[MW Forums]

We've had two MacBooks in the Macworld offices for a day. Here's a first take on what's new and interesting with Apple's latest laptops. more

[OM_user]

I really like the look of the new keyboard. It seems futuristic or something. I'm not sure how functional it is, as I haven't tested one out yet, but I imagine it will be quite usable, maybe even more usable than previous laptop type keyboards. I was never a fan of the slanted edges and curved tops on other laptop keyboards. I would think the definitive spacing between each key make it easier to distinguish one from the other.
I'll be interested to see what battery life is like once you do some tests. Also glad to see they made the memory slots user accessible. That was always something that sucked on the iBook and 12" AlPB lines.
One thing not mentioned here was your impressions on the new screen. Is the glossy screen a distraction of any kind, or is it pleasing to the eye? Let us know.

[Jason Snell]

I'm just not sure about the glossy screen yet. Like I said, some people will love it and some will hate it. I am not sure just yet which camp I will fall into -- I need to try it in a bunch of different, out-of-the-office environments before I'm sure.

[icerabbit]

Very nice review so far.
Can you share where the speakers are located? And how they sound?
I can't seem to spot them in the photos & description on Apple's page.

[Jason Snell]

The speakers are in the same place as on the 12" PowerBook G4 -- they're on the back of the MacBook and reflect off of the screen....

[RASTERMAN]

Looking forward to seeing one in person, especially the bmb. One of my associates ordered his this morning. Any idea if any of these models support VT-x?
---RASTER

[icerabbit]

Thank you Jason!

[reidnixon]

What's old is new again, it seems.
I had this type of keyboard on my first computer, a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer. Problem with it was if you got anything into the keyboard (a little drink, a little food, dirt), it gummed up that key.
Maybe there's an easy way to get access to the actual keys on the MacBook; but when it happened to me back in the day, I had to buy a 3rd party replacement keyboard that you could replace the original with.
What did that replacement keyboard look like...similar to the keyboard we've been used to with Apple laptops with a little taller keys though.
For now, thumbs down (so to speak) on this style of keyboard...unless you can clean the keys under the "grill."

[SGhantous]

What about accessories supplied with and availabe for the black model? Do they come in black?

[rasterbator]

I believe the glossy screen is optional.
As far as the keyboard goes, the spacing looks to be the same as a regular laptop, but since the keys are very short and are not concave like regular keys it appears deceiving. I bet Apple engineers took their time to get the feel right. I am looking forward to checking it out at the Apple Store. Which is the reason for all these features anyway: foot traffic in the store, get people touching the keys, etc. Nice job Apple.

[mdawson]

Oh, the (in)famous Chiclets keyboard. I remember that type of keyboard from my first computer, a TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo); the original version in the classic Radio Shack battleship gray. Excepting the Apple ][ line, the original CoCo, and its progeny, enjoyed a following that was nearly unmatched by its peers (e.g., the Ataris, Commodores, TIs, et al), but the original model was often lambasted for its Chiclets-style keys. I think the only computer that had its keyboard less liked was the overlay styled Timex Sinclair family of (toy) computers. The original CoCos keyboard was so disliked that avid readers of Rainbow were well aware of 3rd-party companies that offered real keyboard replacements.
I would assume that keyboard technology has improved dramatically since the early 1980s, but with people complaining about current keyboard designs, I can see this keyboard not going over well. Of course, the intended market for the MacBook, non-pro laptop users, tends to be less particular about nearly everything.
ADDENDUM:
reidnixon beat me to the punch on the Color Computer point.

[mjair]

So you didn't find that having a shared memory graphics card affected the macbook too much? I've always understood this to be a cheap/inferior option but maybe it's ok these days?

[Argent]

In reply to:

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I believe the glossy screen is optional.

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Glossy screen is optional on the Macbook Pro, not the Macbook.

[Jon Seff]

In reply to:

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What about accessories supplied with and availabe for the black model? Do they come in black?

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Nope, the charger is white, as are the (optional) miniDVI-to-(DVI or VGA) cables. Same for the Apple Remote.