I’ll admit that the title of this post is a bit deceptive. The article really presents the analysis I used to decide to switch to a Macbook (not a pro) from my IBM Thinkpad T42. For the record, the last time I could be called an Apple user was when I was relegated to using a Mac Plus as a terminal to a VAX and IRIX machine during a high-school internship. For the past 8 years I’ve exclusively used IBM Thinkpads (an i1300, T32p, and T42), except for a few months when I used a year old Dell Latitude (which I obtained for free) in place of my stolen IBM Thinkpad T32p. So, I’m no Apple fanboy and yet I’ve decided to switch. Below I explain why; I think my reasoning will apply to lots of other users as well.

Apple’s Macintosh platform has held a strong appeal for me ever since they released MacOS X. (Prior to that, I made fun of Macs saying that MacOS 9 finally caught them up to Windows 95’s preemptive multitasking.) As a hardcore Linux user at the time, the idea that I could run a UN*X derivative on a laptop without fighting with drivers to make things work, have the ability to seamlessly run Microsoft Office, and have a slick, refined, GUI was very appealing.

The problem was that I simply refused to pay 50-100% more for inferior (i.e., much slower) hardware. However, today, the situation is different. MacOS X has gotten better, Apple’s hardware has gotten better, and their prices have gotten a lot lower. Taken together, this made Apple’s machines worth a second look. As far as I can tell, the Macbook and Macbook Pro are actually competitively priced when compared to similar laptops. What’s more, since Apple now uses Intel processors, one can actually run Windows at reasonable speeds.

As a long-time and mostly satisfied Thinkpad user, I wanted to see how the various Apple models stacked up, especially compared to my IBM Thinkpad T42. Looking at the Apple line-up, there are three things that differ from the T-series I currently use: the display (both physical size and resolution), the keyboard, and the pointing device.

The Pointing Device

One of the things I love about my Thinkpad is the trackpoint input device and its 3, that’s right 3, buttons. If you’ve ever used xfig, that middle mouse button is almost essential. Compare this to the Apple with one mouse button. My experience with the trackpad on the Dell Latitude I briefly used was also not pleasant. Fortunately, my wife recently purchased a MacBook and so I could experiment with the trackpad and single mouse button. Much to my surprise, the Apple trackpad is great. I still like the trackpoint better, but only marginally. I could get used to the Apple trackpad. I also learned that with a two finger tap, you can right click, so that is effectively 2 mouse buttons. I can live with 2 mouse buttons, though I’d prefer three. As an aside, the two finger scroll thing is pretty darn nifty as well.

The Keyboard

The keyboard on the Thinkpad is fantastic. Its so good, I prefer it to a full-size keyboard. However, I didn’t have extensive experience with the Macbook Pro keyboard and the Macbook keyboard looks darn right uncomfortable. The best I could do for the Pro was try it out at the local Apple store. I must say that the keyboard on the Pro feels great. Almost as comfortable as my Thinkpad. The keyboard on the MacBook is different but still good. After using my wife’s MacBook for several hours, I stopped noticing the keyboard, which is a good thing.

The Display

With both the pointing device and keyboard on both the MacBook and MacBook Pro passing muster, let’s turn our attention to the difficult issue of the the Apple display. Just looking at the specs gave me pause. My Thinkpad has a 14.1 inch, 1440×1050, display. A nice resolution at a reasonable size that still allows for portability. (I have no idea who carries around these 17″ notebooks, they are huge, heavy, and unusable on aircraft.) For their size, it looked like the MacBook and MacBook Pro were rather low resolution. As someone mentioned to me, if you have good eyes, effective screen real-estate may be better measured in pixels as opposed to actual area since that controls the minimum font size. I’ve been accused of using microscopic fonts, and as someone who does a lot of programming and writing, effective screen real-estate matters. I need to know exactly what I would be sacrificing screen-wise to move to the Mac (and as I’ll discuss later, what I get in return).

To find out I compared the stats of my current Thinkpad screen to those of the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The results are in the table below.

This means that with the 15″ MacBook Pro (MBP) you actually gain 13% physical real-estate, but lose resolution. Remember, that if you use small fonts, resolution controls the smallest usable font size, and thus controls effective real-estate. From this perspective, the MBP has 15% less effective screen real-estate. The MacBook (MB) has 15% less physical area and a whopping 30% less effective real-estate. The final difference in the display department is under the hood. The 15″ MBP has a dedicated ATI Radeon X1600 while the MB has the integrated Intel GMA 950. This certainly makes it seem like the MBP is a much better replacement for a Thinkpad T42, but remember, the real choice is between a new Thinkpad and a MacBook or MacBook Pro. So the question is, “does the MB or MBP offer enough in exchange for the poorer screen to make the switch worthwhile?”

MacBook vs. MacBook Pro

As we saw above, the MacBook (MB) has a considerably smaller screen compared to the Thinkpad T-series measured in both pixels and physical area. The MacBook Pro (MBP) has a larger screen but fewer pixels. Since I am a small font guy, the fewer pixels matters more at the given screen sizes than the smaller physical area. Furthermore, 75% of the time I use the computer in my office or home office. If these things are not true for you, then the analysis in this section might differ a bit. On to what is offered by the Apple in exchange for a lower resolution/smaller display.

The first thing to consider is battery life. The reports for the 15″ MBP’s roughly 3.5 hour battery life seem in line with that of my 2 year old (when it was new) and friends’ new Thinkpads (I’ve never gotten 4 hours out of my Thinkpad battery). The reports for the MacBook battery life are much more impressive, and my experience with by wife’s MacBook confirms the reports. As opposed to feeling lucky when the battery lasts 4 hours, it seems that 4 hours is about average with 5 hours not unusual if you are careful. I’ve never seen the 5:40 minutes the Ars Technica article reports though. I also don’t understand why people say that turning off wireless extends battery life significantly. I can’t tell that much of a difference. Anyway, on the battery front, the MacBook offers quite a bit, the MacBook Pro, not so much, when compared to the Thinkpad.

The next thing to consider is size. I don’t have a good photo (yet), but the MBP is rather large compared to my Thinkpad T42 (though not thicker) and slightly heavier. The MB is slightly lighter but about the same size. The 15″ MBP is almost too large in my opinion. The MB is just about right. I won’t mention the 17″ MBP except to say that it is ridiculously large.

As for the graphics subsystems in the MB and MB Pro, I also don’t mind the GMA 950 graphics. I don’t play 3D games and the stats for the GMA950 seem about the same as that for my T42’s ATI Radeon 9600; I’ve never found the T42 wanting in the graphics department.

Conclusions, Pricing, and Reliability

Based on how I use my computer, the MacBook is really appealing. With the MacBook I get a nicely sized machine with great battery life. The screen is smaller, but for the difference in price between the MacBook and the Pro I can almost buy 2 20″ Dell wide-screen LCDs to make up for it during my office/home office usage (75% of overall usage). Besides the screen, going from the MBP to the MB means one has to give up some faster processor options, the dedicated 3D graphics, and the ExpressCard slot. To me this isn’t a big sacrifice. The graphics on the MB are similar to what I have now and I’m fine with that. I only use the PCMCIA in my laptop for a CF Card adapter and so I feel that the ExpressCard is pretty much worthless. Finally, I don’t think the 2.16 GHz is worth the extra money (Over $300). However, by giving up these options, I get extra battery life and save almost $800. I suspect that for most non-gaming users this is also the right trade-off, making the MacBook (not Pro) the right choice if going Apple is a forgone conclusion. For those of us for whom Apple is one of many options, the question is “how does the Apple stack up against a new Thinkpad T60 (with the low-res screen) price wise?”

All machines have Bluetooth, wireless, etc. The Z61t comparison is straight-forward. The T60 above is about as equal as I could get it. The problem is that you can’t get the T60 with the low-res screen and the 2.0GHz Core Duo, so I had to settle for the 1.83 GHz. The T60 also has a slightly larger hard-drive (because of a special promotion that makes the 100GB cheaper than an 80GB), and a better optical drive. Let’s say that makes up for the 0.17 GHz in the CPU. The MacBook still has a better display (which beats the T60 screen by more than the specs imply, I’ve seen both screens), which, when combined with the benefits of OS X outlined earlier, I would say is worth $100. (A similar comparison of the MacBook Pro and the T60 with the better screen shows similar results, though in that case, the Thinkpad has the bigger, though not better, screen.) Some might say that the X-series Thinkpad is a better comparison to the MacBook, but it has a smaller screen (physically) and no built-in optical drive which is a show-stopper for me. Oh and no matter what you do, don’t buy more memory or harddisk than listed above from Apple. The prices are offensive. For example, you can buy 2GB of laptop memory from Crucial for about $250, while Apple will charge you $500!

The last issue is one of reliability and service. It is possible to get cheaper machines with similar specs, but not from a company I would trust to build a solid laptop and give excellent service when (not if, but when) there is a problem. IBM has had unbelievably good service. I’ve called support to report a failure and the Airborne Express guy has been at the office with a box in under 4 hours. I had the computer back the next afternoon. Thinkpads are also darn tough, though they do have their issues (hence my experience with the service department). Apples also seem darn tough. I’ve seen 3+ year old heavily used iBooks and PowerBooks still in service and working well. Contrast this to my Dell Latitude where the CD-RW drive falls out, so it is taped in! Apple service isn’t quite as good as IBM, but then whose is? And that includes Lenovo; while their service might be adequate, I doubt it will stay up to IBM standards over the next 3 years.

As for Apple’s recent troubles with the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, here are my thoughts. There do seem to be some Quality Control issues on both machines. However, the Pro seems to be suffering more than the MacBook. The main remaining MacBook issue seems to be heat. While an issue, my wife’s MacBook seems fine. Don’t get me wrong, it is super hot when it runs, but I don’t feel it is much hotter than other new laptops. Overall, I think that the Thinkpads are among a few laptops that are in the same class as the Apple in terms of build quality (though it probably should be stated the other way around, Apple is one of the few machines in the same quality class as the Thinkpad). As for the 3000 series, I don’t believe that it’s in the same class as the Apple and Thinkpad. Lenovo makes both the 3000 and the Thinkpad, so what is different between the models? I suspect quality and ruggedness is a big difference.

Pulling the Trigger

Despite all this I haven’t yet bought the MacBook (and 20″ Dell Screen). The main reason is that I’m not pressed to replace my Thinkpad and I would like to get a Merom powered MacBook. If you need the computer now, though, it’s probably not worth waiting. Rumor has it that both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro will be upgraded together early in September, so its worth a few weeks wait to me.