Appletell | Apple, Mac, iPhone, iPod | News, Rumors, Reviews, How-Tos

The late Freddie Mercury once sang:

It’s so easy, but I can’t do it
So risky, but I gotta chance it
It’s so funny, there’s nothing to laugh about
My money, that’s all you want to talk about
I can see what you want me to be
But I’m no fool
It’s in the lap of the gods

Freddie Mercury also once sang, “You’re self perpetuating aparahumanoidarianised,” but I’m not sure what that means. I also thought I had no idea what that first quote means…until now. Ends up, even back in 1974, Queen were singing about the new unibody MacBook.

Tomorrow, December 9th, 2008, is when I’ll be leaving the desktop computer behind and joining the throngs of middle management businesspeeps at Starbucks and college students at Pantera Bread (I know, but that’s what I call it) with my laptop computer. Many—if not most—of our readers will be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” You’re right. It shouldn’t be. I’m a man on the move, after all, and I’ve owned laptops before. In the past ten years, I’ve owned a PowerBook 3400c, an iBook, and a Titanium PowerBook. But all of those computers supplemented my desktop machine, which is where I produced the bulk of my work and played the bulk of my games. It’s why I never had a problem selling them or trading in the laptops. I just didn’t need them.

Now, I do. As I find myself spending more time away from home, and with Macworld Expo 2009 rapidly approaching, I need to keep my computer with me to stay on top of work. The more powerful and reliable computer technology gets, the more I come to rely on it for common tasks. It’s becoming as integral to my modern lifestyle as my iPhone and my pants.

Trouble is, despite my personal parking space and corner office here at the sprawling Appletell Towers, I’m not above the current economy. With a family to support, mortgages (yes, that’s plural, don’t ask) to pay and a pinball machine in need of repairs, owning two computers is out of the question. So, it came down to this; can I live without a desktop computer? What are the positives and negatives? Will I suddenly feel the need to Twitter?

It was an agonizing decision, and here are the main issues that made it thus:

1. Cost - Apple laptops are expensive. There’s just no way around that, and it explains why I didn’t even consider the MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air. In fact, if paying full price, I would’ve never even considered the MacBook. However, a quick e-mail to the good folks at PowerMax (which I’ll cover in detail in the next installment) revealed my current Intel iMac would cover over half the cost of the MacBook. Suddenly, I can justify the price.
2. Screen Size - Oh, the pain. Going from a 20” iMac to a 13.3” MacBook screen will be harsh indeed. How does one open any application with tabs and windows and still have a workspace? How does one play a game? How does one watch bizarre Japanese horror movies his wife would never let him watch on the real TV? Answer? Mini DisplayPort. If I don’t reach the point where I can purchase a new iMac, the Apple LED Cinema Display will suffice (for about $1,000 less than the iMac I’d want). I know that people are in an uproar over the Mini DisplayPort, and rightly so if you already own an Apple monitor. But for those starting fresh, this is a fantastic set-up for two great products.
3. Graphics Power - As I’ve mentioned before at Appletell, I’ve been putting off the purchase of a MacBook since their inception for two reasons: finances and integrated graphics. Finances, I can work around (did you know your wife can sell her eggs for about $5,000 to $10,000 a pop?). Integrated graphics, not acceptable. I refuse to buy a machine that’s going to cripple me in some way, and that’s what Intel GMA X3100 graphics do. The technology’s very reason for existence was to make you wish you’d purchased a MacBook Pro, and I’m not about to do that. Although the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics of the aluminum MacBooks isn’t going to get me the power of the iMac’s ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO, it’ll suffice for what I’ll be doing with the MacBook…for now.
4. Firewire - I’m not ready to talk about this.

Thankfully, not everything will be a sacrifice with the new MacBook. Along with portability, I’ll get the new Multi-Touch trackpad. I’m not sure exactly what that means yet, but I’ve got the iPhone, so hopefully I’ll make use of the technology fairly quickly. Also, the LED-backlit display will be a nice improvement over the display of my 20” iMac (albeit smaller). I’ve got controlled lighting in my office, so glare won’t be a factor there. On the road…well, seeing my own reflection in my monitor will serve as a daily reminder of how much better I look with a beard, so I’ll be less likely to shave it off, which will please my wife, which will increase my chances of convincing her to sell her eggs so I can buy a rod hockey table.

Regardless, the decision has been made. The MacBook arrives tomorrow, and my iMac and I are enjoying our final few days together. Check back with us for the traditional “opening,” my initial thoughts, and a full review. And, of course, as issues present themselves and are solved, I’ll likely cover those as well.

• See next article: Trading in your used Mac