Looking to purchase a MacBook Pro - I could use some advice.

Question

Hello everyone,
First, a little background on my current situation. I recently started a new job working at a high school as a techie. This school has just over a 2:1 ratio of Mac:PC. The college I attend, however, is a 90/10 PC-oriented organization, as well as my education was, so I have had little exposure to the Macintosh or its evolution over the years. However, due to the disappointment of Windows Vista, and my growing appreciation for the Mac OS, I am becoming attached to Apple products. Seeing as I work in a mostly Mac environment, and how much trouble me and my colleague had imaging a computer lab this week, I figure a MacBook would be a perfect asset to myself and my job. As a result, I am currently researching the possibility of purchasing a refurbished MacBook Pro.
Unfortunately, my research has casted some doubts as to the recent validity of Apple's products. I have read various complaints about the MacBook and MacBook Pros. These complaints include such topics as overheating, sharp edges on the trackpads, Magsafe power adapters failing and/or MELTING, faulty display screens, insanely loud fans, rude "Mac Geniuses," and other issues.
I WANT to buy a Mac. I used to think of them as comical and childish (see: rainbow of iMacs), but I now realize they are a fantastic tool. Sure, they're still a corporation like Microsoft, but Apple at least tries to give its customers some freedom and security (this point can be debated, but that is not a discussion for here). And also sure, getting the Mac OS to work on a "PC" is daunting at the least. But the Mac is more than just software. It's the SuperDrives, the thin profiles, the included FireWire 400 and/or 800, and more.
The first and last laptop I bought was an Alienware (yes, I bought into their propaganda...), and it was a disappointment from day one. The battery lasted about an hour while watching a movie. The fans ALWAYS ran, loudly I might add, which got worse as it aged (the BIOS had no fan control settings...). The trackpad was garbage. The computer got extremely hot. Recently, at around Thanksgiving, I believe the power supply failed - this laptop is worth nothing but a paper weight now, since I refuse to pay to have it repaired (it's out of warranty). Basically, I have vowed to never buy from that company again. The most likely company I would buy another laptop from would be Dell, because I have purchased two desktops from them with no serious (better yet, any) issues at all. Yet, with the failings of my Alienware, I am hesitant to purchase another PC laptop. With a PC tower, if you don't like how a part performs, you can replace it reasonably cheap. Not with a laptop, and certainly not with an Apple product. In most cases, especially if you squirm at the thought of voiding your warranty, like me, third-party product replacement is not an option. That's why I want to be reasonably sure an Apple product will remain in acceptable (or at least in a reasonably-costing repairable) condition for many years.
I know you fellow forum readers are not salesmen - you're better. You're actual users of these computers with real life experiences to share. So, please. Take a moment of your time and share your experiences with me. Bust the myths. Disprove the faults. Debunk the words of liars and people-who-may-never-be-satisfied. Deflate the over-emphasis on hardware issues. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
PS: I do have some specific questions, though.
1. How would you rate the capabilities of the onboard video of the MacBooks in relation to playing today's games? Not super high-end 3D graphical games like Half-Life 2, Doom 3, or Bioshock. I'm talking games like Dawn of War, Homeworld 2, etc. I read on Intel's website the graphics chipset has a stock 64 MB capacity, always taken up by Mac OS (80 MB, according to Apple). However, it can share memory with system RAM up to a total theoretical limit of 256 MB video-devoted memory. How does this compare to, say, the MacBook Pro's dedicated 128 MB Nividia card? Intel claims their chipset works well with 3D applications, but I'm not so sure...
2. Is a glossy finish on the display really worth the glare, or does the matte finish blur the picture too much? I've briefly used a new MacBook with a glossy finish. In my school's overhead florescent lights, the glare is almost unbearable.
If I think of something else, I will post it.
Message was edited by: M. Miller

Answer 1

M. Miller wrote:
Unfortunately, my research has casted some doubts as to the recent validity of Apple's products. I have read various complaints about the MacBook and MacBook Pros. These complaints include such topics as overheating, sharp edges on the trackpads, Magsafe power adapters failing and/or MELTING, faulty display screens, insanely loud fans, rude "Mac Geniuses," and other issues.
I've never encountered any of that in the several Mac machines I've worked with/owned. Most of my friends have MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and none of them have even had to call tech support, let alone have major software issues.
A couple of things you should really remember.
1. These boards make the products look disproportionately faulty. Most of the users on this board are users because something broke or crashed, they went to the Apple tech support page and clicked on the link to the forum. Accordingly, you'll see lots of "OMG APPLE *****!!11//"posts from people who are emotionally torn up about their poor crashed hard disk (and I certainly sympathize). If you surveyed Apple users on the whole, and the University of Michigan did, you'd find they're extremely satisfied. UM's customer satisfaction survey has put Apple as the highest customer satisfaction computer company for something like five straight years.
2. Problems and glitches do exist, but they're the least here. Yes, some people do get faulty power cords. But not as many as get them with HP, Dell, etc. I've always had at least a few glitchy things with my PCs (I've had several Dells and an Acer), but never with a Mac. My current MBP has shown no faults whatsoever.
M. Miller wrote:1. How would you rate the capabilities of the onboard video of the MacBooks in relation to playing today's games? Not super high-end 3D graphical games like Half-Life 2, Doom 3, or Bioshock. I'm talking games like Dawn of War, Homeworld 2, etc. I read on Intel's website the graphics chipset has a stock 64 MB capacity, always taken up by Mac OS (80 MB, according to Apple). However, it can share memory with system RAM up to a total theoretical limit of 256 MB video-devoted memory. How does this compare to, say, the MacBook Pro's dedicated 128 MB Nividia card? Intel claims their chipset works well with 3D applications, but I'm not so sure...
I've been impressed with the GeForce graphics chip. 256 MB of VRAM is fine for me, I don't know about heavy duty 3D work, but for basic gaming (AOE, COD 2, Halo , HP) it works fine for me. As a matter of fact, it was either PC World or PC Magazine that marked the MBP the fastest gaming laptop a few months ago. At 144 frames per second, it was their top performer. Apple's spin here.
M. Miller wrote:2. Is a glossy finish on the display really worth the glare, or does the matte finish blur the picture too much? I've briefly used a new MacBook with a glossy finish. In my school's overhead florescent lights, the glare is almost unbearable.
That's completely a question of personal preference. If I was in an office with can lights all day, I might go for the glossy finish. Since I use my computer in the car quite a lot, though, I went with the matte and I like it. Quite rich and sharp. Especially if you get the high-res option (which I didn't), it's fine.