Apple MacBook Pro 17 in. (APPMA092LLA) Notebook

I've waited most of my life to own a Mac. When I was 12 years old, an Apple store opened in between my home and school. I fell in immediate lust with their machines. Unfortunately, price has always been a huge barrier for me when it comes to buying an Apple computer. Throw in the lack of software options for older versions of Apple computers, and you'll understand why it took me this long to own one.

I have a shiny, new MacBook Pro 17-inch. I went with the glossy screen option, and upgraded it to 2 GB of RAM. It as a 120 GB hard drive and the fastest processor Apple currently uses in its notebook computers.

Experts will probably tell you that now is not the time to buy a MacBook Pro because they predict that there will be a rather radical CPU upgrade in the very near future. Apple recently moved their iMac line over to Core 2 Duo chips from the older Core Duo chips. Those who care about such things predict that the laptops will be migrated to the new chip soon.

So, if you're going to scream in pain if Apple changes the chips to something faster soon after you make your purchase, now is probably not the best time to buy one. Consider yourself warned.

Personally, CPU speeds are not the critical factor in my computer purchases. Video cards, RAM and hard drive size are more important for my needs. I do not do a lot of CPU intensive graphics rendering. I program for the web, surf the Internet, read emails, do basic word processing and play the occasional game of Sims 2 or Civilization IV. I'm just fine with this Core Duo 2.16 processor.

There is one thing that is an issue for me that Apple may fix in the next version of the MacBook Pro. The current version runs a bit warm. It can be uncomfortable to use on your lap for extended periods of time. In comparison, my Thinkpad is never noticeably warm on my legs. Apple's suggestion to fix this is to use the computer on a table or desk. Doh! Thanks a lot, Apple. My workaround was to buy a Targus cooling pad. It has two fans and connects to my MacBook's USB port. It keeps the heat of the laptop away from my legs, but does make things a bit more awkward. In colder months, I don't think I'll mind the heat of the machine. It's not burning hot, just warm.

O.K. We've gotten the bad stuff out of the way. Now, on to the good stuff.
1. The display. The wide screen is absolutely gorgeous. Show stopping gorgeous. People stop to comment on it when I have it open in public. That's how pretty it is.
2. A light-sensitive back-lit keyboard. When I work on the laptop in the evening when the family watches television, my keys light up just enough to let me see what I'm doing.
3. The power cord is magnetic. If somebody trips over my cord, it detaches immediately from the computer. This is a safety feature to keep the laptop from being yanked off a table when somebody trips over the cord. It does detach sometimes when I move around on the sofa, but it's easy enough to pop back on.
4. I can have OS X and Windows on the same machine. I like both operating systems. You're not going to get any Mac vs. Windows debate out of me. I love having the option to run either or both at the same time.
5. It has a built-in web camera. I don't really use it, but it's there if I ever do need it. If I had a creative bone in my body, I'm sure I would be using it with the built-in microphone to produce video podcasts.

I'm not enough of an Apple expert to explain to experienced Mac users why they should upgrade to the MacBook Pro. So, I won't even try. I'll leave that to the Apple sales team. But, I can tell Windows users why they might want to consider a MacBook Pro for their next laptop.

Windows XP is a pretty slick operating system. It's somewhat easy for non-technical people to use, and it's something many of us are comfortable with. But, we all know that it has security issues. There are tons of exploits out there that aim at getting into a Windows computer. Tons.

The OS X operating system is based on Linux. And, because both are not as widely used, there just aren't that many people gunning for them. I don't have to worry so much about spyware or other exploits. I don't think it's because Linux or OS X are necessarily better written operating systems. It's just that they are pretty much off the script kiddie's radar screens.

Having a MacBook Pro gives you choices. And, if you design web sites or write web applications, having a Mac lets you test your work on all the major platforms. You can easily use the same machine to test on OS X in the Safari browser, in Linux on the KDE or Gnome browsers and in Internet Explorer on Windows.

When I was a kid, there just wasn't a lot of software out there for Mac computers. That is no longer the case. Many of the applications I use on Windows (firefox, jedit, iTunes, etc.) are now available for OS X. I can continue to use software that I'm comfortable with, and most of what I use is free.

I am able to easily use my new Mac at work on the Windows network. I can access the exchange server using Entourage. I can access printers and other network resources. Getting it set up was painless. I plugged into the network, and things worked. Simple.

And that's another thing about the new Macs. They are simple to use, yes. Easy doesn't begin to describe it. BUT, they also have the power of Linux behind them. I can get to a command line and be as geeky as I want to be with shell scripts and Unix commands. It is what Linux should be if Linux ever wants to really win over casual users.

Now, I don't think Apples will ever be truly inexpensive. You're not going to find a $600 laptop from Apple like you will from Dell or other PC manufacturers. But, if you are looking at higher-end notebook computers, do take a look at the Apples. Experts out there equate the price of the MacBook Pros with notebook PCs that have similar hardware. Paying $3,000 for a laptop these days is a tough choice to defend. Computers become obsolete so very quickly, and there are many laptops for less than half the price. But at some point, I think you have to take into account that quality lasts and you don't necessarily need to have the latest chipset to have a good, functioning computer that does what you want it to do. I firmly believe that this laptop is going to take whatever I can throw at it for years to come.

And, did I mention that it's pretty?