Helen Johnson

So Apple have now not only decided that it’s best to have all of their laptops look the same (unibody design) but now also be called the same thing. No longer will there be MacBooks and MacBook Pros but now there will only be MacBook Pros. Apple, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to add the “Pro” designation to all MacBooks regardless of whether or not they are actually “pro” at all.

It used to be that “Pro” meant something, that it was a “Professional” machine. The laptop had a dedicated graphics card, more power, better build quality and top end features for the users who needed or just wanted them. Read the rest of this entry »

So after seeing the new MacBook Pros get released last year, waiting for Apple to eventually release a new 17-inch version, and then waiting for my order, I have now finally got myself a new 17-inch MacBook Pro.

I have already talked about the new features of the 17-inch MacBook Pro before so no need to bore anyone with that again, instead I will let you know about my initial impressions of the new machine.

For starters it is quite shiny and nice, the new unibody design seems very sturdy. I have already noticed that the new model does not seem to get as hot (to touch) as the previous version (which gets very hot).

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Rejoice! Apple have finally updated the 17-inch MacBook Pro to the new aluminum unibody design.

The big advancement that Apple is all excited about is the new long-lasting, non-removable battery. The new battery will apparently last up to 8 hours, which is pretty amazing. By making the battery non-removable they were able to make the battery bigger by using the extra space that was used for the casing etc.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has also received the same upgrades as the 15-inch version that came out a few months ago, like the new style keyboard, the LED-backlit widescreen display and multi-touch trackpad. One extra they have added for the 17-inch version is the upgrade option for a 17-inch Hi-Resolution Antiglare Widescreen Display (for an extra AU$90.00). I will have to see what the reviews are of this option, but I would probably get it. I use my MacBook Pro for work, and while glossy screens do look pretty, the non-glossy screen that I have on my current 17-inch MacBook Pro is so nice and crisp and clean to work on.

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I have not been having the best of luck with tech lately (the whole MacBook Pro saga for example), and now one of my favourite little pieces of tech has decided to keel over. My Logitech NuLOOQ Navigator no longer works And to make matters worse, Logitech has discontinued it.

If you don’t know what the Nulooq is, Logitech call called it a “design controller”. You still use a mouse, but with your other free hand you control the Nulooq. It has a moveable ring around the middle that would scroll pages when pushed up/down or left/right, and would zoom in and out when twisted. On the top was a touch sensitive ring that could control other adjustable things like volume, and multiple buttons that you could assign different tasks to.

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After about 2 months out of action, I finally have my MacBook Pro back and working. Got a whole new logic board in order to fix the Distorted or No Display problem with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics cards (see my previous post: Update to my Macbook Pro blank screen problems for details). Was told that the logic board cost $1800.26 AUD, but thanks to Apple I got it replaced for free (which the tech guy made a big deal out of).

So far it has been working fine, which is so good. I really missed my setup, my 1920 resolution and TextMate. Hopefully there won’t be anymore problems, but at least I know now that Apple is honouring their word on the NVIDIA issue here in Australia and that I still have about another 10 months warranty on the graphics card to cover that problem if it strikes again.