MacBook Pro has got to be the lamest name for the PowerBook I have ever heard of. When I hear the phrase “MacBook Pro” it feels oudated. It feels like a name that came out of 1980 or something. I think of a dusty, dinged-up box in the corner of an abandoned office with the title “MacBook Pro” looming over a picture of an early DOS machine. On the back of the box, I can see the description of how it will help you “balance your checkbook.”
The name sounds like it should describe KidPix or some equally insigificant program. It also feels like it should be followed by a number - such as “MacBook Pro 1.0″ or “MacBook Pro 1.5″
Some might argue that the reason that the name is switched is because the architecture switched. PowerBook went well with the PowerPC architecture - but now that it’s Dual Core - they need a new name. This argument, however, is completely wrong. PowerBook as a name has been around much longer than the PowerPC rendition of the laptops. It is an extremely strong brand and has done very well in convincing people to switch over to the Mac operating system.
Aside from the name - there is one other thing that bugs me. The built-in iSight. A dinky camera built into the bevel of a laptop-lid seems rather stupid to me. If you want to adjust the angle of the camera - you have to adjust the tilt of your screen? What if you want to use an external monitor as your primary display (as many PowerBook owners I know do)? The other factor that bugs me is the frequent abuse that a laptop takes. That screen gets bumped - a lot. Having a camera in it is having one more thing to accidently break and need to get fixed. Thumbs-down on the integrated iSight. (On the iMac - it makes some sense - but certainly not in a PowerBook).
Having said all of these things - the machine still has some impressives specs. It includes a PCI express slot for future upgradeability, still has a FireWire 400 port - and 2 USB 2.0 ports (what, did they give up on FireWire 800?). The not-going-to-bend-on-you power cable makes up for the not-going-to-be-very-useful iSight.
All-in-all I think the machine would be worth getting. If it didn’t have a stupid name. That I cannot get over.
January 10th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
You wont buy it because of the name? It’s not like it’s written anywhere on the actual laptop. Seriously…
January 10th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
If it had been called “PowerBook Dual Core” or something else I might be more inclined to buy it. Then the only obstalce would be my lack of money to buy it
January 11th, 2006 at 9:16 am
I don’t like the name either. It sounds dumb. It’s pretty sweet though.
January 16th, 2006 at 1:32 am
i can agree with your post. Freaking sweet machine, but why did they feel they had to change the name? (that’s coming from an advertising perspecctive)
January 19th, 2006 at 9:58 am
…its all in the name…. I can see how upset you can be after a lifetime of Apple marketing and PR pushing the boundaries of new powerpc chips design…but that was then and now is now…and for survival reasons Apple went down the dark side, oh…and of course had their PR and marketing chips removed in the process..so now you are probably going to get crap PC-like naming schemes…
You’re lucky that this product wasn’t called something like PC mk2.0 v1.001 (intel inside) blah blah blah… or something goofy like that.
I love my powerbook G4…
be happy
life is too short.