[MW Forums]

The MacBook is very impressive, not only compared to the iBooks and PowerBook it replaces, but also compared to its new Pro brethren. It offers almost everything that people would need in a laptop. If you use non-native apps often, and prefer a SuperDrive to a Combo Drive, consider one of the faster models. But if you're a hard core 3-D gamer, the MacBook is not the Mac for you. more

[MacTel]

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And though from a value perspective, the black model isnt as good a deal as the others, the cool black color will be enough for some people

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The black one is nice but I'd definitely fork over $150-$200 more for a hot rod red one. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[tomtom]

"I also like that if you place two fingers on the trackpad, and then click on the trackpad button, it brings up a contextual menua big improvement over having to use two hands to invoke the menu."
Is this the same as "right click"?
PS - Nice review

[Jon Seff]

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Is this the same as "right click"?

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Yes, one in the same.

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PS - Nice review

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Thanks. I reallly was impressedin fact, I bought the 2.0GHz white model with a 100GB hard drive and popped in 2GB of RAM.

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Sure is. As far as I know, this feature is currently only available on the MacBook and the 17" MacBook Pro.

[tomtom]

That's the configuration I have settled on as well.

[montgomery_burns]

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I also like that if you place two fingers on the trackpad, and then click on the trackpad button, it brings up a contextual menua big improvement over having to use two hands to invoke the menu.

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Is this feature part of the standard Apple software, and can the MacBook Pros also do this? Will this feature also work when running Windows through Boot Camp?

[MBBuyer]

thanks for the review, one question which I have been having trouble answering is whether it's possible to use an external monitor in portrait mode. Portrait mode is great for working with text documents, since it resembles the shape of a sheet of A4 paper.
I've heard that Tiger supports rotating external screens, but whether an individual mac can rotate a screen depends on the graphics capability of the computer. Apparently ATI equipped macs can, and nvidia equipped macs can't. so .... what about the mac book (and mac mini) ?

[MCJ]

Apple has a reputation for making products that are user-friendly, which it mostly lives up to. So why doesn't it just admit defeat and add a second button under the trackpads for its laptops? Having to use three fingers where one would suffice just seems clunky to me.
I have the same feelings about the Mighty Mouse that came with my iMac. In my experience its lack of a discrete right button leads to a similar awkwardness when trying to activate the contextual menu - occasionally my index finger would inadvertently linger on the mouse and stymie my middle finger in its efforts to activate the right click. In the end I gave up trying to school my fingers in Mighty Mouse etiquette and went back to my trusty Microsoft Intellimouse - it doesn't look as pretty but it fits snugly in my hand and works like a dream.
It seems to me that Apple has made these design compromises to cater for people like me who clamour for the functionality, while at the same time trying to appease those who would regard adding more buttons to the hardware as something akin to sacrilege. The problem is that instead of making its products easier to use they just add a layer of unnecessary complexity.

[hillstones]

The black MacBook is a first since the Pismo PowerBook G3 in 2000??? Wrong. The Wallstreet PowerBook G3 was introduced in 1998, and that model was black. But even that model wasn't the first black PowerBook. The PowerBook 550c, even though it was only sold in Japan, was black, in addition to the PowerBook 2400c. I believe the first black PowerBook sold in the US was the 5300 series. Those models were such a disaster, they are easy to forget!
I do think the MacBook in black is a very cool looking laptop!

[bigpics]

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thanks for the review, one question which I have been having trouble answering is whether it's possible to use an external monitor in portrait mode. Portrait mode is great for working with text documents, since it resembles the shape of a sheet of A4 paper.
I've heard that Tiger supports rotating external screens, but whether an individual mac can rotate a screen depends on the graphics capability of the computer. Apparently ATI equipped macs can, and nvidia equipped macs can't. so .... what about the mac book (and mac mini) ?

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I asked the same Q. at the Apple Store and after the sales person came back from the Genius Bar, he said (sadly) NO, portrait mode is NOT supported.
If someone can tell me otherwise, I'd be a happy camper, though....

[MBBuyer]

Oh OK thanks - that's quite a pain. almost impossible to find out where I am, no apple stores only resellers, who are happy to speculate about whether it "should" work - rather than plug one in and find out. hmm given the poor 3d and the lack of external portrait mode - i think I might have to change my ID to MBPBuyer /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[b_baggins]

The tendons in my wrist like one button better. The two-finger, button combo for a right-click is a nice compromise between what you want and what the tendons in my wrist want. Same with Apple's new mouse.

[griffman]

"Is this feature part of the standard Apple software, and can the MacBook Pros also do this? Will this feature also work when running Windows through Boot Camp?"
You can apparently make it work on the MPBs. Note that I have not tested that, and have no idea how safe (or not) it might be, as it requires replacing part of the system.
It does not work in Boot Camp, as it's a software, not hardware, feature.
-rob.