Re: [NTLK] No iNewton announced today

Hello,

--- On Fri, 9/11/09, Ryan Vetter <physicalconstants@yahoo.ca> wrote:

> MacBook Pro Unibody: best Apple laptop ever, and best build quality.

Is the Unibody model subject to same defects that the MB Pro is?

http://www.appledefects.com/wiki/index.php?title=MacBook_Pro#Random_Shutdown

Or is the Unibody a model that addresses these flaws?
 
>Pismos color fades,

I'll be honest: the color fade is a new one on me. I own more than one Pismo and fading isn't a problem with any of them, but then, I can't claim to subject them to direct sunlight all that often. They are indoor machines for the most part, which may help to explain why I'm not familiar with that particular problem.

>the casing is too flexible which makes it prone to cracking along the >trackpad, etc.

Agreed: the Pismo is noted for the case cracking just below the trackpad.

However, as far as possible defects for a decade-old machine are concerned, this is fairly Little League stuff and does not affect functionality in the slightest. Besides which, after a laptop has been subjected to my grubby little hands and utter lack of consideration for a decade, a small, non-threatening crack under the trackpad is going to be the least of my concerns in the cosmetics department. ;)

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I'm not convinced that the MacBook Pro Unibody is going to hold up as well as the Pismo has proven to. However, to be fair, I guess we'll have to wait until the former machine turns ten before the results are in. :)

Speaking of which, I'm also wondering how the iPhone will compare to the Newton in terms of longevity. One of the attractions of the Newton (for me, at least) is that Apple was thoughtful enough to encase it in a nice rubberized skin that's easy to get a grip on, doesn't show smudges too badly, and, thanks to the dark color, also doesn't "show the dirt" too easily.

Granted, the iPhone certainly holds greater appeal from the eye but, to me, the abovementioned thoughtfulness in case design seems to have been foregone in the interests of cosmetic considerations. Sure, most cell phone users aren't likely to hang onto their phones for more than three or four years, but in the days the Newton was designed, Apple seemed more inclined to overengineer their products in an effort to give the end user a device they could hang onto for a while, if they were so inclined.

It's an impression that, rightly or wrongly, I don't get when I handle an iPhone: it's all about the looks. Which is great if you're an image-conscious consumer, not so great if you're the type of cheapsk^H^H^H^H budget-minded consumer who tends to wring everything they can out of their toys.

Best,

James Fraser

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Received on Sat Sep 12 00:27:52 2009