Apple MacBook Pro Summer 2009 user reviews (Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M, 13-inch)

Pros Love the screen resolution for photo viewing. Would love a larger screen but it wasn't in the budget. Will add a flat screen down the road.

Cons Learning curve of the track pad. Had to attach a wireless mouse for the first week as I picked up on its use.

Summary Love the backlit keyboard; the battery has a great working time; nice size for true laptop use. Love the look and feel of the aluminum case; love the feel of the keyboard. I believe I'm now a MAC instead of a PC, as my desktop PC hasn't been touched in two weeks.

Pros Performance, stability, Leopard OS, screen resolution, interoperability with peripherals, ease of configuration, Easy to learn for MAC novice, portable and sleek, Compatible software alternatives to Microsoft Office.

Cons iTunes migration from previous PC Libraries problematic...still trying to resolve after several hours on with Apple help. If migrating from PC, go for the "One-on-one" offer at purchase. No easy way to transfer Outlook "notes" and "tasks."

Summary Overall great laptop for business or pleasure; portable with great performance; Worth the effort transitioning from PC.

Pros Amazing speed, especially while surfing
Love the back-lit keyboard and easy to use track pad. Has great battery life and recharges quickly. It fully charged out of the box in just a few hours. Very light weight, unlike our 17" HP.

Cons Being new to laptops, it's taken a few days to get used to the keyboard but getting easier with practice, I do miss having a 10-key number pad but will sacrifice for a smaller, lighter machine.

Summary I love the size and weight for easy transport. The power cord is a good length and the second cord adds even more flexibility. The battery life is impressive although I haven't played a movie on it yet. The screen is very bright, clear and colorful. The back-lit keyboard is awesome, especially as I use it in a low light room. Makes typing very easy. The track pad is very responsive and making the transition from using a mouse easy. I thought I might need to buy a wireless mouse but it is easier to use the track pad than I expected. The battery life is very good and it charges quickly. I am transitioning from a 4 year old Mac mini and this is very impressive in comparison for speed and capacity. I love Macs for their stability and dependability. I've never crashed my mini, and look forward to several years of dependable use from this amazing little laptop. It's perfect for using anywhere in the house or on the go. And hooking up to our wifi was as hard as finding the password for the router! If you're looking for a sharp, dependable, small laptop with full-sized attributes, this is great option.

Pros Great touchpad. Computer rarely crashes.

Cons Word, Excel, Matlab don't work properly. Always looking for workarounds If you are a heavy Word user (use equations), forget the Mac platform. Excel does not have VBA capabilities, and Matlab is slower and does not have all the features.

Summary Wish I had never switched to Mac.