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ActiveWin.com: Apple Macbook Pro 15" - Review

Time: 09:40 EST/14:40 GMT | News Source: ActiveWin.com | Posted By: Robert Stein

Byron has posted a review of his Apple Macbook Pro 15". Below his an excerpt:

At the top of the MacBook pro you have the LED Backlit 15� screen, just above that you have a really tiny iSightcamera that is integrated well into the casing. The main part of the MacBook Pro is under all of this, with the keyboard put between the two stereo speakers. Below that is the new Multi-Touch trackpad, a little bit smaller than that seen on the MacBook Air but it works just as well. Basically this is everything you will see when you open up the MacBook Pro � its sleek and stylish and compared to most other laptops, doesn�t fill up the outside with pointless buttons and stickers that you don�t need. (Wireless on and off buttons take note, why have them when its done in software)

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#1 By 116 (66.193.251.146) at 4/11/2008 10:46:51 AM

How good is this laptop at running Vista? I didn't see any mention.

#2 By 3 (86.1.38.147) at 4/11/2008 11:24:36 AM

I'll give it a try at some point and see - others have said it is excellent though

#3 By 2 (136.142.154.71) at 4/11/2008 1:32:31 PM

I think Byron lost his mind

#4 By 3 (86.1.38.147) at 4/11/2008 2:17:09 PM

I have, i'm still working with you after all.

#5 By 2960 (72.196.195.185) at 4/11/2008 2:48:42 PM

There is in fact a comparison between this and several other laptops in the issue of PC Magazine that just came out.

Here's the comparison chart. It more than held it's own, and in fact won more catagories than any other machine in the comparison.

TL

#6 By 72426 (69.109.24.209) at 4/12/2008 2:15:05 PM

Ok, I have to say something about this...

Performance overall is excellent, the Apple OS 10.5 is a good performer anyway on a range of hardware and on the Core Duo 2 it flies even with just 2GB of memory.

Are people this easily manipulated that even an ActiveWin 'journalist' (wink), would write something like this not realizing they just exited the reality distortion field?

For example: If this review was about a laptop running Vista, the line would DEFINATELY read like this instead:

Performance overall is ok, Vista isn't a great performer anyway, as it takes 2GB of RAM to fly.

10.5 OS X and Vista are the same level of pigs when it comes to RAM, both requiring 512mb to run acceptably, and 1gb to outperform the previous version of the OS and 2GB to 'fly'. Yet in all the reviews of Vista, we are told that it is a pig for having the same RAM requirements, and for an OS X review, we are told 'it flies even with just 2GB of memory'. 'Just 2GB of memory'?

I know this is a bit on the picky side, but the entire article is filled with psychological markers of context that show the reviewer is taken by the Apple marketing hype, and this is Byron and Activewin, wth?

Here another quick example, and there at least 30 statements from the article that fall into this psychological manipulation, either having been performed on Byron, or is being performed by him, but I don't think he might realize it.

doesn�t fill up the outside with pointless buttons and stickers that you don�t need. (Wireless on and off buttons take note, why have them when its done in software)

Ok, if this was a non-Mac laptop review, the device would be slammed for not having additional media control buttons, etc. Additionally not having a hardware wireless switch, is not only a mark against the laptop, but a very serious problem. Again if this were a non-Mac review the line would read more like this:

sadly there are no media control, quick access keys or any other standard features most users have come to expect. The unit even lacks a hardware wireless switch which makes the unit far more insecure and troublesome for air travelers, as the unit has to be turned on to deactivate the wireless radio.

Additoinally, the wireless hardware switch is more than just a bit disturbing, as wireless is the biggest attack area for OS X.

PS the 'easily done in software' applies to OS X or Windows, yet it sounds like 'because it is OS X' it is easily done in software if you notice another line from the article that talks about how easy WiFi was to setup on the unit. Easy to setup? Uh? What is there to 'setup'? And how is this a 'feature' of the laptop or OS X? Windows you click on the icon by the clock, select the wireless network (enter passphrase if needed or use USB key) and you are online.

If you are having to 'setup' a wireless connection something is actually wrong, and this opposite of a good thing, yet is presented as a good 'feature'. WTH?

Ok, I thought about just going through the entire article and sending to Byron, but instead I thought I would point out a few things, because you find this type of slant in all of tech journalism right now, especially the smacking Vista and then praising OS X for the exact same thing.

I hope the next time users read reviews about Vista or OS X take a bit of this thought with them, and contrast the writer's or publications articles, and notice that an article from the same person even (no offense Byron), will flame Vista for the same thing it applauds OS X 10.5 for in the next article.

Neither OS X 10.5 or Vista suck as bad as either side would like people to believe, but the manipulation of the favorability of OS X in the press is outstanding, even Derren Brown should be impressed by Apple's marketing team.

#7 By 3 (86.1.38.147) at 4/12/2008 3:15:17 PM

You are right any laptop should be slammed for not having media control buttons - you do know the Macbook's have them don't you? I find Wireless switches pointless as do most users - there is no reason to have them anymore. Also my view of better Wireless options in OS X is that on the first setup it sets up your wireless network.

I take your point about air travelers and it is a good point which I hadn't thought of probably because I don't fly anywhere - but sometimes its also good to get facts right when trying to make comments....the Macbook's (including Air) all have Media Controls and quick access keys for the things mac users use - I don't need a key for mail/home etc myself - if thats what you class as "Quick Access' when I have those apps open all the time.

I also love you stating I seem to hate vista which again shows any lack of knowledge about me or any Windows stuff I do - I think Vista is great when loads of others don't. The review was about the laptop too - not the OS.

Also I've never stated Vista is a pig with 2GB of memory - I've stated 2 is the minimum any OS should have right now - my views are this - OSX runs better with 2GB of ram with multiple programs open for me than Windows does with 2 GB ram - it's personal opinion once again - but hey, reviews are opinions it doesn't mean Vista doesn't perform well either, that would just manipulate things. Also use OS X 10.5 with 1 GB of RAM and Vista with 1 GB RAM - see which OS tends to run smoother.

You are more than welcome to go through the whole review and respond to all the bits you disagree with - but make sure the facts are right too as otherwise comments stating that we're brainwashed when it comes to Apple reviews make it seem others are brainwashed on the Windows side too. I love it when people assume manipulation is involved when it seems more like narrowminds from the other side half the time.

Throw me a Windows Vista laptop to review and if its a good laptop you'll see the exact same kind of review, put vista on a crap laptop and you'd probably get a crap view of Vista which is unfair...if you don't think a MacBook Pro is a superbly designed laptop that is fine and you're opinion, if you want a battle between OS X and Vista though..go elsewhere. (Lloyd is due to send me one of his companies laptops to review and I'm pretty sure they will be excellent, but hey)

This post was edited by Byron_Hinson[AW] on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 15:19.

#8 By 72426 (69.109.24.209) at 4/13/2008 6:24:05 PM

I appreciate your response, but I'm afraid you are taking my comments more personal than intended. You just happen to be here and now, and a good example of a non-Fanboi that has even been influenced on a nefarious level.

I never said you hated Vista, or even wanted to imply that, since I have read your work before and the fact that you 'do' like Vista is what made this Macbook review so surreal. I was watching the words on the page come from you as if you were an Apple employee working to obscure any criticisms that normal users would call into question.

In the past you tend to be very good about appreciating technologies no matter who makes them. Your street credentials is why I thought it was time to start pointing some of this stuff out to people, as all of us can be manipulated or influenced.

The few examples I gave were more to demonstrate the language usage and how it just slightly tilts. As the word 'just' describing 2GB, where most people would call 2GB 'a lot', not 'just' meaning a small amount.

Like I said, I don't even think you realize how the wording was played or why it sounded like it does. And even most tech users might get the 'sense' but wouldn't be able to spot why the article just felt a little strange. Having worked with my teams that deal with marketing, you would be surprised how powerful and subtle human minds can be influenced. This is also why I reference Derren Brown as he makes a career out of subconscious manipulation with little effort.

Apple intentionally uses techniques that are considered 'questionable' even in the marketing world, as they dive into levels of psychological manipulation that are subversive and long lasting.

This creates unintentional biases when people don't even realize they are being manipulated. Keep in mind, the first person to protest they are 'above' being manipulated is usually the first person to be subjugated by manipulation, as their ego just created a targeted hole in their line of defense.

Being an amateur study of such techniques and understand how they work, I even find myself failing victim to them all the time as even basic social interaction is a form of psychological manipulation. So please don't let it sound like I am accusing you of anything that we all haven't done or fallen victim to numerous times in our life. In fact much of our 'happiness' and what we like is based on false premises and manipulations that would shock most people if they could take a step back from themselves and look at their life for a moment.

When you are aware of how easily NLM and other forms of wording and hypnosis manipulations work, you can be a bit more sensitive to them, and sometime spot classic examples of them, especially when they permeate throughout an entire industry or culture, like Apple tries to do.

I am not just picking on Apple as there are other forms of 'media' that do the same things they do, like Fox news for example. My directed contention with Apple is the fact they use it to levels that most marketing companies that understand these techniques simply will not use as they are slightly mind altering and considered a bit dangerous.

I could truly go through your entire article, as they are key words, expressions, perceptions you present and other items that either scream of being subjected to bias and even repeat the 'wording' that is used by Apple to create illusory perceptions of their products, but this would be off point and get into details of technical information and lose my point about the manipulation process that you have been subjected to, and what you repeat to your readers from it.

This post was edited by anthonyspt on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 18:26.

#9 By 72426 (69.109.24.209) at 4/13/2008 6:31:21 PM

One quick item that could be pulled from the article could be how much you like the Macbook display and how you even state you have always been a fan of Apple displays. This is fine, but based on what?

Apple is even currently in, and has been through many cases of litigation because of their consistency in providing low level or poor quality displays, especially in their notebooks. Is it the marketing from their 30in panel that you look back favorably to, or some of their current marketing hype, that tries to bill Macs as the ultimate 'graphics' computers?

I could even detail for you the specifications of Apple displays form bpp and how even on 18bit displays they use dithering instead of signaling, to topics on screen resolution where you still can't get high resolution displays on Macbooks, and 1600x1200 15in displays are common on PC back to 2001 and 1920x1200 17in display are common since 2004.

We could even talk about their contrast rations, refresh times, gamut, etc and even on their prize pig displays like their original 30in screen, as it had horrible specifications and slow refresh times.

Apple displays are NOT Apple displays, they don't make the technology, and buy from 'common' display providers and Apple has a bad history of purchasing inconsistent levels of display qualities even for the same model of Macbook, so that some have ok screens and some have horrible screens.

There should be no 'love' of Apple displays based on technical facts, how they look, nor even based on semantically terms as they don't manufacture displays, so you should be saying you love Toshiba LCDs, as at least this would fit reality better. Instead your 'love of Apple displays' is a classic distortion of reality in several aspects, and yet you were comfortable writing it.

Serious, think about what I have said, and pay attention to Apple marketing in the future, to look for how insidious their methods can be, even in the marketing world.

For reference, go look up videos on Derren Brown for fun, he is entertaining and a non-cerebral form of being exposed to this stuff. For more in-depth study, there are several good books and papers on the subject. A quick book off the top of my head that I would recommend is 'Predictably Irrational' and the author is D. Ariely.

Take care, and seriously don't take my comments so personal, as this is something virtually every tech writer could be called out on today, and is probably not intentional 99% of the time. However, if I as a reader don't speak up at some point, there will never be any discussion or realization of what is happening and manipulations will continue to happen to everyone and become accepted.

#10 By 4240821 (213.139.195.162) at 10/27/2023 6:40:33 AM