Macbook Pro Review

I recently got a Macbook Pro for use at work.  I'm not sure when I became such an Apple user (I have an iPhone and an iPad) but I now have the trifecta of Apple products.  This marks my first OS X computer.  I've been a user of plenty of other operating systems such as OS/2, Solaris, Linux, and Windows.  I did use a Macintosh SE way back in the day.  But I have not used any modern Apple OS so I was interested how it would turn out.

To sum it up, I'm completely unimpressed.  I really went in with an open mind.  In fact, I really wanted to like it since I like my iPhone and everyone I know who uses Macs love it.  They love it so much they won't stop talking about it (which bugs me a little actually).  As someone who greatly values easy to use products and products which are designed with the customer in mind, I was hoping that this Apple product would really open my eyes to how computing should be done.  It hasn't.   Even more disappointing is that I have one of the nicer Macbook Pros.  I got the one with an Intel i7 processor, upgraded HD, and upgraded Video Card.  This thing should be rocking.

Now one thing I will say is that I feel I might feel differently if I had not used Windows 7.  Compared to Windows XP, the Windows version most people are familiar with, I think OS X blows that out of the water.  If OS X was like this 5 years ago when XP was really your only choice than I can understand the love.  Even compared to Vista it is superior although I never hated Vista as much as others.  But compared to Windows 7 I'm just not sure the Apple "simplicity" edge is really there anymore.  Here is how it breaks down for me.

Stability - This is the one thing I was really interested in seeing.  Apple users swear that Macs never crash and make fun of Windows users who experience the Blue Screen of Death.  Well I am pretty sure all those people need to shut up.  Since the launch of Windows 7 I rarely, if ever see the BSOD.  It may have happened over the last year but I honestly don't remember having any issues since Windows 7 went RTM and I'm a pretty heavy computer user so you would think I would run into it.  Within the first two days of having my Macbook Pro the thing crashed three times.  A week later, I had it freeze three times in a row on me in one hour.  This is not an exaggeration.  I called over the Mac lovers in my group to show them because they didn't believe me.  I let the computer sit for 30 minutes untouched and it sat their frozen.  The mouse would move but otherwise nothing was responding.  The only solution was a hard reboot.  Just yesterday, after giving a presentation, I unplugged the Mac from the projector and then the screen went dark and stayed dark.  Completely unresponsive.  At least with the BSOD, you know something is wrong.  My Mac just decides to die on you with no indication that there is actually anything wrong.

Business Software -  If you work in an office that is on Exchange and uses Outlook, forget the Mac.  I'm an Outlook power user.  As someone in management, my day consists of checking e-mail and going to meetings.  All things that  I depend very heavily on Outlook for.  There is no real substitute on the Mac.  Entourage,  the Mac Office equivalent of Outlook is a complete joke.  I could write a whole post on why it is inadequate but it would probably just upset me.  If you use the other Office products like Excel, Word, and Powerpoint don't fool yourself into thinking that Office on the Mac is like Office on Windows.  Yes Microsoft makes both products but that doesn't mean they are the same product.  They really aren't.

 Lack of Software in General - There are some basic things I need to be able to do on my computer and there are programs I have found on Windows to do them.  Similar products aren't available on the Mac.  It took me a while to find DB client program which would connect to all the various Database servers I needed to connect to.   I had several free versions to choose from on Windows but could only find one which I had to pay money for on the Mac.  The same can be said for photo editing.  Maybe I'm biased because I like Rick's Paint.net program but it really upset me that I found it difficult to edit simple pictures.  Those who like iPhoto are crazy.  More on that later.

"Simplicity" - The mac is supposed to be easy to use right? I wanted to edit a picture and then save it.  I opened the photo in iPhoto and tried to save it.  Was unsuccessful. Could not for the life of me figure out why the original photo, which I wanted to save over, had not changed.  I called over 4 engineers to my desk to figure this out.  3 of them are Mac users.  None of them could figure it out either.  How on earth is that simple?  Also, why is it that most of the useful commands take pressing 3 keys to do.  Ever try to take a screenshot on a Mac.  I have to hit three keys.  That is if I can remember which three.  One button on a PC.  And I don't care what anyone says.  A mouse with only one button is not easier to use.

Hot Hot Hot -  This is the hottest running laptop I have ever had.  Seriously, if it were sitting on lap during any serious computation, it would burn me.

The Little Things -Here are a bunch of other things that just annoy me

•  No easy way to lock the screen.


• Plugged in a Flash drive.  Didn't recognize it and didn't tell me it even attempted.


• I really like the Windows 7 feature of dragging windows to various locations to change size and shape.  No such thing in the Mac.


• Windows are very easily lost behind one another.


• Closing a window doesn't actually close the program.


• Force quit is not as effective as good ol' ctrl-alt-delete.

While the overall tone of the tone of this post may seem negative I'm not actually that down on the computer.  It is certainly nice but it isn't the life changing thing I was expecting.  It's like that over-hyped movie everyone talks about.  Ever notice how the movies everybody raves about are never as good as you thought.  I think the same thing happened here.  I like the computer, it is a solid performer, but I was just expecting a little more.

The Actual iPad Review

Ok, so I got an iPad.  I didn't actually get one myself.  Since I work for a web company, and the iPad is supposed to change the way we use the web, I figured I would order one for my group to see what the hype was about.   I ordered the Wi-Fi only version, since I didn't plan on walking around town with the thing.  I ordered 32GB version, just one step up from the base version, for $599.  I posted previously about the iPad in my non-iPad post but now that I actually have iPad in hand, here are my thoughts.

It's smaller than I thought it would be (that's what she said).

It is heavier than I thought and this makes it less useful.  It is not comfortable to hold the device in one hand for very long.  Since this is going to be used by most as an e-reader, this makes the device impractical for its main use.   1.5 lbs. may not seem like very much, but try holding that up in the air with one had for more than five minutes.The screen is as gorgeous as people says it is.  OK, maybe it isn't that beautiful.

The web browser is not a full browser, or at least people aren't treating it that way.  I use Evernote to take notes down and I wanted to copy a URL for me to read later.  Safari refused to let me use Evernote through the web.  It kept insisting I download the app which I didn't want to do.

The web browser seems to adjust the page to fit the screen.  However it can do this randomly.  I will be reading a page every once in a while and it will change the page.  Very annoying. This is not the same as the screen rotating randomly.  That is a different problem.

The screen can rotate wildly at times.  While it has a screen rotation lock, I don't always have it enabled and thus the screen is likely to just rotate.

Streaming Netflix movies look pretty good.  I'm actually kind of impressed with this app and it is very easily the best app on the iPad.

The lack of any really good free apps is disappointing.  This is in direct contrast to the iPhone where I have found very many useful free apps.  I actually have only bought a handful of apps on the iPhone and I find it more useful than I could ever want.  The can't say the same thing about the iPad.

The lack of Flash support is annoying.  This has been talked about to death but I was one of those who didn't think this really mattered until I actually needed it.  I wanted to watch the masters over the web and couldn't because all the video is in flash.  My vet told me to go watch a video on Youtube and of course, I couldn't.

The battery life is probably better than advertised.  The device can go all day even with some heavy use. 

Final Verdict:

I've used the iPad for over a week now and I think it is a nice little device but would hold off buying one for myself.   I'm not sure it is worth the $500 bucks it takes to get it and I'm not sure it is as "magical" and "revolutionary" as Apple is trying to make it out to be.   It is definitely less useful than a laptop, less convenient than a smart phone, but it does serve nicely as a "niche" product.  I just don't think niche products are worth $500.The device is at its best doing light browsing sitting on the couch.   Since it is always on, it is very convenient to grab it to look something up quickly.  My wife particularly likes to use it to browse through various shopping websites.  She thinks it is very convenient because it is a good size for her and doesn't get hot like a laptop would on her lap.

Some people will love the device just because it is new, different, and of course, it is Apple.  But for those of you who hold no such loyalty I think it is best to wait on getting an iPad.  Several other hardware manufacturers like HP, Sony, and reportedly Google are getting ready to launch their own tablet devices.  They are bound to be cheaper since you won't be paying the Apple premium.  Since I have found the apps for the iPad less compelling Apple won't have this advantage over its competitors.  So as long as the competition make a solid web browsing device, then I think it best to take a wait and see approach.

Italy Trip - Sorrento & Naples Day 8 & 9

This is taking me way longer than I thought it would.  Oh well, I will plow through it.  Sorry, no pictures for this part of the trip.  This was our second time in the city, so there was not as much new stuff to take pictures of.  The trip to Naples also had no pictures and I will explain why in a little bit.

We got back to Sorrento and we were glad to be back someplace that was familiar.  Unfortunately for us, the hotel we had stay earlier, Hotel Sorrento City did not have room availability that night.  Now I do have to say something about this. Earlier, I gave a fairly positive review of this hotel.  For what we spent, it was a good deal.  But I have to say that the receptionist on this day was extremely unhelpful.  When we got to the hotel we were told they were booked.  We asked if she knew of any nearby hotels that were approximately the same price.  Now most hotels will help you out here.  If they cannot house you, they are usually more than willing to help you out.  But she refused to help us.  I do not know if it was out of ignorance or out of just a bad attitude, but in any case it was very disappointing to me since they had been so good to us earlier.

We made our way down the street where we knew there was another hotel to ask if they had availability.  Lucky for us there was and it was fairly cheap.  Now, I didn't mind staying at a nicer place but this hotel, Hotel Nice,  had one thing really going for it.  It was close to where we were, so we didn't have to carry the luggage any farther, and it was close to the train station where we would have to go to catch the bus to Naples in two days.   The amenities were the bare minimum.  But if all you were looking for is a bed in a good location and a cheap price it fits the bill.  Now a word of warning.  If you want a restful nice sleep with very little noise this might not be the place for you.  The noise outside the window was pretty bad and it continued for most of the night.  To make matters worse, the insulation of the building was not very good and my wife was pretty cold most of the night.  Again, you get what you pay for.

The oddest thing about the trip was that we actually ran into two of our wedding guests in the city.  We had actually run into them twice randomly in Capri and it was odd to run into them again.  It ended up being perfect because it allowed us to just hang out and relax our first night back with some friends without really worrying about what to do.

The next morning, we made our way on the train to Naples.  Naples is the birthplace of pizza.  My wife, being a foodie, wanted to go and get a slice.  So we hopped on the circumvesuviana and headed toward Naples.  Now Naples is not a safe place.  To go with some of the worst driving in Italy (and that is saying something) it is also well known for its mafia presence.  Just the other day there was news of a man shot down in broad daylight.  If that is not enough to scare you I don't know what will.  So we decided not to bring anything of value with us, and that included the camera.  That's why there are no pictures for this part of the trip.

The stories really do turn out to be true.  The driving was quite crazy and the city just has a very dirty feel to it.  We didn't feel particularly safe walking around.  We didn't get mugged or anything but we still decided to get out of Naples as soon as we got our pizza.  We were looking for a particular pizza place that was recommended, but like all Italian locales it is hard to find unless you know exactly where it is.  The problem is that the streets are so poorly marked.  We asked several people along the way and I swear, they all pointed us in different directions.  We finally gave up on that place and just went to a vendor that looked busy.

He had a sign for pizza for 1.50 Euro.  That is pretty cheap but he was busy and the people didn't look disappointed.  We asked for two slices but when he started to hand us a whole pie we decided to just get the one.  We couldn't believe the whole thing was just 1.50.  And it really did turn out to be the best pizza ever.  No joke.  The crust was just absolutely amazing.  There was nothing special on the pizza.  It was literally just crust, some sauce, and a LITTLE bit of cheese.  But it was so fresh and so good.  I would risk going back to Naples just to get another slice.  OK, maybe I wouldn't.

We headed back early and just relaxed back in Sorrento.  We actually had to go back to Naples to catch a plane to Venice early the next morning.

Italy Trip - Capri Day 4-6

Most of the rest of Capri is kind of a blur.  We purposely did not do very much the day before because I was still getting over being sick and we were playing it safe.  We shored up the restaurant plans for the wedding and took care of some loose ends.  We met up with a few of our guest and went out to dinner with those that had arrived.

I'll skip over the details of the wedding other than to say it ended up being perfect.  We were a little worried because the photographer had plane trouble but other than that the wedding went off without a hitch.  The skies even seemed to clear even though it was rainy the day before.   I am not sure we could have picked a better venue to actually have the wedding as the views were absolutely spectacular and the hotel staff was so helpful.  Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the restaurant we went to that had some of the best food we tasted on the entire trip and had the hands down best cup of cappuccino.

I do want to say one thing about the Hotel Ambassador Weber.   After my previous post, it may seem like it is the worst hotel in Italy but nothing could be further from the truth.  I will say that the quality of the rooms can vary greatly.  The one I had was awful.  The one that I changed to was quite nice.  The room was spacious (by European standards anyway) and the view from my balcony was spectacular.



The staff was more than helpful in every possible way.  There are so many things that could go wrong with a venue and there are so many ways people can not be helpful (which we would learn later in Italy) but none of that happened.  I am sure that we made more than the usual number of request from their guests since we had a lot of things that had to be done.  But the hotel staff was always happy to help us.

We saw the other part of the island on our last day there but decided to skip the Blue Grotto.  Capri is famous for it but we decided it was not for us.  We get seasick so the idea of being on the ocean in a small little boat was not our idea of fun.  It also seemed somewhat like a tourist trap being way to expensive for such a short experience.

From Capri, we decided to take the direct ferry to Positano which would turn out to be one of the more memorable stops on the trip.

Italy Trip - Sorrento Day 1

We decided to get to Italy a few days before the wedding to set some things ups.  We wanted to check out the hotel, find a place for the reception, get a bouquet, and settle a little bit before the wedding.  Our original plan was to spend the night in the city we landed in, Naples, and eventually make it to where we got married, Capri.

After doing some research and reading we decided against that plan.  Everything we read about Naples was umm ... interesting.  All the guidebooks warned tourists that Naples could be dangerous.  They made it sound as if thieves were around every corner and the mafia was just waiting to shoot you in the street.  So we passed on Naples and went to the other town with an easy ferry to Capri, Sorrento.

We booked through Expedia a small little hotel called Hotel Sorrento City.  Picture below.



As it turns out, it was a great location, right on the main drag in Sorrento.   One of the disadvantages of taking a long trip is that you spend a lot of money on lodging simply because you have so many nights to account for.  My wife and I have decided to stay at relatively modest hotels to save some money and because we are not really fancy people anyway.  We only require a safe location, clean room, modest bed, and a nice hot shower.  Most other problems we can deal with.

Hotel Sorrento City satisfied these conditions so it was adequate.   But it was not more than that.  The room was definitely small but not that small when you compare it to the European standard.  It was somewhat odd that there were built in pull down beds on the side of the wall but I guess that could be convenient for some.  I wish there was free internet access but there wasn't.  I wish there was wi-fi but there wasn't.  Just a small little pay station in the lobby.  The breakfast that was provided was pretty good though.  My wife really liked the coffee out of the coffee machine but she has liked all the coffee that we have had since coming to Italy.

Sorrento itself was a very nice city.  Our very first stop was to the center square to catch a bite to eat.  Right in the middle of the main square was a place called Fauno Bar.



It seemed to be a typical Italian outdoor cafe but bigger.  There were lots of people there, and that is usually a sign of an OK place to go, so we asked for a table.   I had the cannelloni, my wife had the gnocci.  It was seriously some of the best Italian food we had up until that point.  The pasta was clearly fresh and the cheese was very tasty.  Part of it was that I was pretty hungry by this point but the other part of it was that Italian food is just better in Italy.  Go figure.

One of the odd things we noticed while we were eating was that we were THE ONLY people who ordered food.  I'm going to write more on this later but it seems that Italians eat really really late.  Dinner doesn't start until 7:30, and in some places 8:30.   After dinner we were wiped out from the trip so we went back to the hotel and just fell asleep.  That concluded our first day.