backtop

Print E-mail del.icio.us 146 comment(s) - last by winterspan.. on Jun 29 at 12:09 AM

Distortion problems on the new MacBook Pro leave some units unreadable and unusable. A firmware update failed to resolve the issue, indicating Apple still is unsure what is causing it.  (Source: TechTree)
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...

In January, loyal Apple fans ponied up at least $2,799 to get their paws on the hot new 17" MacBook Pro.  However, it proved for many of them to be an unpleasant ride with the graphics failing on many units.  Now it's deja vu, with Apple owners being faced with more pesky graphics problems.

Reports indicate the newly released MacBook Pros with unibody aluminum cases are suffering from display distortion, which leaves text unreadable and the screen hard to use.  Apple's support team has indicated on its forums that the issue is isolated to customers using the Mini-DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter. 

Apple has released a firmware update to patch the problem -- the 1.02 firmware update for the Mini-DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adapter.  However, it strangely decided not to post the update on Apple software update or on its website.

And apparently, even with the update, many users still report problems, indicating that more problems are afoot.  In the past Apple has blamed NVIDIA for making flawed drivers.  Fixes by NVIDIA failed to resolve the issues.  Issues have also been reported in iMac desktops, which incidentally have AMD Radeon graphics.

The moral of the story is if you buy a MacBook Pro or an iMac -- both of which remains relatively pricey -- you have to expect that it may have display issues, as Apple has failed to resolve these onerous problem or figure out what's going on.  Its still a mystery whether the graphics hardware, drivers, display, the OS, or some combination of these components is to blame.  Hope does spring eternal, though -- Apple fans have seized on the hope that Apple's upcoming Snow Leopard OS, to be released in September, may clear up the graphical mess that has plagued Apple's notebooks.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Apple and problems?
By Bender 123 on 6/24/2009 9:20:43 AM , Rating: 5
But...but...but, the Apple commercials say Apple computers and hardware never have problems. This must be more filthy lies from the PC crowd.

(Sarcasm\)




RE: Apple and problems?
By DarkPrime on 6/24/2009 9:41:00 AM , Rating: 5
But I thought Macs were supposed to be superior to all others for Graphics?


RE: Apple and problems?
By DEredita on 6/24/2009 9:48:41 AM , Rating: 5
The 9400M must be one hell of an amazing GPU, since it's used in a $1700 pro series laptop, and in a $1500 desktop. That right there, plus the fancy Apple logo are sure signs that you're getting superior graphics.

Sure, you can get a 17" quad-core laptop, with 4GB of ram, and 1GB of fast dedicated graphics for a few hundred cheaper than the "superior" Macbook Pro with its 9400 integrated GPU god-chip.

/sarcasm


RE: Apple and problems?
By aegisofrime on 6/24/2009 9:54:36 AM , Rating: 5
This post is a Pirks magnet, even though it's totally true. And before you know it, we will be arguing about the virtues of a Lexus vs that of a Toyota all over again.


RE: Apple and problems?
By TomZ on 6/24/2009 10:01:27 AM , Rating: 3
And you know how much we ALL love car analogies!


RE: Apple and problems?
By FITCamaro on 6/24/2009 11:08:51 AM , Rating: 5
*Pokes head over cubicle wall*

Car?


RE: Apple and problems?
By DeepBlue1975 on 6/24/2009 9:32:09 PM , Rating: 3
Apple has decided to make cars??????

Woaaa!

They'll surely look great!!
But they'll only have one sit for the driver, the luggage compartment will be only big enough to put a can of your favourite soda in it, will be as fast and as equipped as any upper mid range car but you will have to pay for it higher than what you'd pay for that sports supercar you only get in your dreams, and will be incompatible with any kind of fuel that's not apple branded.

Oh, and one more thing: it'll only come in white.

Enter the iCar... One for which, with all certainty, iDon't care.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Ratinator on 6/24/2009 11:10:22 AM , Rating: 5
You mean something like: Buying an apple is analogous to painting yellow stripes on your vehicle because we all know yellow makes you go faster.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By Ratinator on 6/24/2009 12:00:32 PM , Rating: 2
Did they all have this problem or just you?


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 2:25:03 PM , Rating: 3
According to the article all Macbook Pros have the issue.
I have not seen any articles about overheating GPU on Gateway laptops however.

As a matter of fact in the recent memory (1 year or so) I only remember Apple having issues all the time. Exploding batteries, failing solder joints, bad screens, iBricks, bad chargers, getting hacked in 40 secs, etc

Seems like Lexus is having issues while Toyota is going strong eh?


RE: Apple and problems?
By Bender 123 on 6/24/2009 2:50:30 PM , Rating: 2
Not to feed the pirks, by which I mean to feed the pirks, but...

A more important question is how somebody can get a lifetime mod rating of .84? You have to be trying to not only have your comments overlooked as an average "2", but be consistently noticed as being a subpar commenter.


RE: Apple and problems?
By sprockkets on 6/24/2009 11:00:29 PM , Rating: 2
He would be lower, except there aren't enough people to mod him down since he posts so much.

We rather make fun of him.

And no, I don't stand up for Microsoft. I use SuSE Linux primarily and Windows as well for my other needs.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By Noubourne on 6/24/2009 3:37:12 PM , Rating: 3
Well, since most monitors have displayport - this should be an exceedingly small number of customers!

/sarcasm


RE: Apple and problems?
By foolsgambit11 on 6/24/2009 6:19:36 PM , Rating: 5
From what I understand, all said MacBook Pros have the issue. Whether that issue affects you or not depends on if you plan to use a Mini-DisplayPort to dual-link DVI adaptor.

To use a *ugh* car analogy, say the A/C didn't work on any Lexuses (Lexi?). Even though you may live in Alaska and never use the A/C, all Lexuses still have the isse.


RE: Apple and problems?
By MrWho on 6/25/2009 6:24:40 PM , Rating: 1
Luckily for apple, most users don't use that connection, or else they could be in trouble!


RE: Apple and problems?
By TomZ on 6/24/2009 12:05:11 PM , Rating: 5
Pirks, you're missing the point. Yes, there have been hundreds of millions of PCs shipped, and sure there are and have been some problems. But that's really not relevant.

The problem Apple has is their arrogant marketing and their reality distortion field in which Apple prodects "just work." In other words, Apple advertises their products to be superior and above any kind of problems, which of course comes back to bite them in the ass when then have design and/or quality problems. And the latter seems to be happening with some degree of regularity lately.

In other words, it's about Apple setting higher expectations and then failing to meet them.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By TomZ on 6/24/2009 2:27:28 PM , Rating: 5
Way to miss the point - again. The problem is not the ads, or the products - it's the expectations. Basically Apple's marketing oversells and sets up customers for disappointment because the rest of the company can't deliver.

Basically Jobs' oversized ego is poured into the ads, and his organization cannot live up to his over-inflated self-image.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 2:45:39 PM , Rating: 2
Unless of course the share increases because new customers fall victims to the adverts while the old customers are stuck with the iTurds but do not really plan to go back and buy another one.

Perhaps in 3 years time, when the hype has faded we will see how many of those customers will go back and we will see if Apple can maintain its market share.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By themaster08 on 6/24/2009 5:47:32 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
old customers are stuck with the iTurds but do not really plan to go back and buy another one.

Also not forgetting those that live a life of denial, feeling the need to constantly justify to themselves and others that they made the right choice spending that 3 grand in buying an Apple computer, therefore continue to purchase Apple products.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By nuarbnellaffej on 6/25/2009 12:41:12 AM , Rating: 2
From a hardware prospective, my self-built pc is MILES above ANY MAC anywhere near my PC's price, which ended up being about $1000, so... what your saying is its junk because it doesn't have an apple logo on it?

Also, you are aware that Apples are made from the same components as PC's right?


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/25/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/25/2009 4:02:50 PM , Rating: 2
So, you don't think you can get a PC with the same battery efficiency and performance-to-volume ratio as a Mac? pfft...

And, even if first one was true, the second one has very little bearing on the meat and potatoes within the case. Other makers might choose to use more space for cooling to keep from having the dreaded bad Apple screen issues.....

Use your head


RE: Apple and problems?
By sprockkets on 6/26/2009 3:57:57 AM , Rating: 2
The great boost in battery life has nothing to do with the hardware, but with OSX. Even people running "hackint0sh" on their MSI netbooks experienced an hour more battery life after the .7 update to Leopard, as well others stating they got 1-1.5 hrs. more for normal MacBooks.

Nice huh? But it isn't because Apple has complete control over the hardware. If that were the case, Atom based netbooks wouldn't benefit.


RE: Apple and problems?
By themaster08 on 6/25/2009 4:37:28 AM , Rating: 3
I think I speak for the vast majority here when I say that I have absolutely no problem with Apple products per se. What I do have a problem with is how they portray their products through such egotistical predominance, of which many people are gullible enough to believe.

On top of mediocre hardware, yes, the MacBook may have a better trackpad, better battery life, magsafe, and everything else you have previously listed, but most people aren't aware of that. Most people think Apple products are superior because the TV told them so.


RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 12:09:25 PM , Rating: 1
50$ says you are such a retard that you were trying to run 3D accelerated apps with the laptop in bed and completely blocking the vents under it.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Ratinator on 6/24/2009 12:37:57 PM , Rating: 2
My thoughts exactly.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 2:28:59 PM , Rating: 2
So you still used it in bed only with a laptop cooler under it?
Has it ever occurred to you that the laptop cooler has vents under it too?
Perhaps your specific model had a defect? At least it is a better fate than an entire range of laptops to have the same problem. Especially ones that are really expensive you know.

If I pay for Lexus I want reliability. Apple fails to provide.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 3:02:25 PM , Rating: 4
Maybe it failed because of the Mac envy you have? The Gateway notebook just new that, in your eyes, it could never live up to your expectations and it just decided to give up!


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 5:14:39 PM , Rating: 2
When did I say it was a problem with the display itself?


RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 12:17:46 PM , Rating: 1
No, it is the equivalent of taking the chassis and mechanical parts from a Datsun and putting a Nissan GTR body on top and installing a full leather interior full of gadgets and cool stuff.

Then you advertise it as superior: It burns less than a real GTR would of course because the engine is smaller and "weaker" and it also weighs less because the mechanical components are lighter in a Datsun. The problem is that you just paid the full price of a GTR and you do 0-60 in 10 secs. You are also missing the perfect weight distribution, the 4WD and the electronics that control the performance.

How is that for analogy Priks?


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By Cheesew1z69 on 6/24/2009 2:26:51 PM , Rating: 1
You should get the Apple dick out off your ass ;)


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By Cheesew1z69 on 6/24/2009 2:32:54 PM , Rating: 2
Quite amusing coming from someone such as you, because the problem is, I don't stick up for MS the way you stick up for Apple, funny how that is eh? So continue slobbing the Apple knob, it's right up your alley.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By Cheesew1z69 on 6/24/2009 3:43:51 PM , Rating: 1
You truly are a fucking moron......I mean really.... are you that in denial that you can't see how far up Apples ass you have your head?


RE: Apple and problems?
By Cheesew1z69 on 6/24/2009 3:47:13 PM , Rating: 1
I'll wait for your, as usual, moronic retort...this should be interesting...


RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 2:41:57 PM , Rating: 2
How about you check out the new processors we got more than a year ago. They are quad cores not dual cores. GeForce 9600M is not exactly top spec considering that for the same price you can get SLI on some laptops. How about you check out the i7? Oh and how about the GeForce 280M? Now those would definitely be a Lexus or Nissan GTR. Alas, Apple is all words and hot air.
Unless they go a step above the competition to justify their prices, they are and always will be a Datsun with a Nissan GTR body kit.

So yes, still a Datsun. The same as any other type of Datsun as Dell and HP make. Nothing groundbreaking or innovative about it apart from an aluminium body which is still lame compared to a full carbon fibre body that some VAIOs have.

By the way, I love how you called the 9600M a good GPU. Shows how cut off from reality you are. Have a look here to see how far from Lexus you are.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_m_series.html


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 5:12:41 PM , Rating: 2
Were Mac Pro's available with i7 before the 20th of January? I know of other box makers that had i7 workstations on the market by that time.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Pirks on 6/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/25/2009 8:52:08 AM , Rating: 2
Is that a mobile card? Not sure if you noticed, but he said 280M which means mobile.

BTW, you never answered my question above, I am sure that it's because you are wrong.


RE: Apple and problems?
By sprockkets on 6/24/2009 12:55:47 PM , Rating: 5
One way of looking at it is this: Apple can be considered the Lexus of computers.

But, Lexus doesn't make commercials dissing Chevrolet for having a plastic interior or for lacking wasteful luxury features. That would make it look like a pompous a$$.

Apple consistently disses $500 laptops, free cell phones, netbooks and high end workstations as well. They also claim their computers just work, with no disclaimers, which means they advertise perfection, which it never delivers.

And that's why people here hate Apple!


RE: Apple and problems?
By ImSpartacus on 6/24/2009 12:21:19 PM , Rating: 2
Well I don't think you understand how much better the lexus is than the toyota...


RE: Apple and problems?
By Denigrate on 6/26/2009 8:29:13 AM , Rating: 2
Except that the mentioned quad core gaming laptop above is more like a Bentley.


RE: Apple and problems?
By ksherman on 6/24/2009 11:30:45 AM , Rating: 2
While mostly true, the upper end ($1800+) 15.4"ers and 17" also have a 9600M GT in them as well, so its not JUST the 9400M


RE: Apple and problems?
By fsardis on 6/24/2009 12:23:20 PM , Rating: 2
And you have to log off to switch GPUs. I am sure that is the new cool way to switch devices in Apple land.

Quick everyone, get two GPUs in your laptops and make the user log off to switch between them. This is the new innovation from Apple.


RE: Apple and problems?
By WoWCow on 6/24/2009 9:48:09 AM , Rating: 2
They have neglected to report the fact they, Apple, uses the same components as all the PCs out there at a 1000$ premium.

Of course, as much as I hate to admit, their customer service is much better than Dell (in my experience) and Apple does make quality stuff, when the stuff works!


RE: Apple and problems?
By chrgeorgeson on 6/24/2009 10:09:43 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
and Apple does make quality stuff, when the stuff works!


I agree with everything you said but your last line is kind of funny.

To me that's like saying: "My car gets me to my location... when it's moving."

I'm just playing around by the way so don't take what I say to seriously. God knows my wife doesn't.


RE: Apple and problems?
By maverick85wd on 6/24/2009 11:38:47 AM , Rating: 2
Definitely hillarious, but it's more like saying:

"60% of the time, it works every time."


RE: Apple and problems?
By DASQ on 6/24/2009 12:03:42 PM , Rating: 2
The Sex Panther school of thought.


RE: Apple and problems?
By maverick85wd on 6/24/2009 2:43:11 PM , Rating: 2
"What is that? Smells like a turd covered in burnt hair!"


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 10:34:28 AM , Rating: 5
I am a die hard PC guy, but my boss wants a 13" macbook pro. In trying to convince him otherwise I tried to find a comparable PC that was way cheaper, but was unsuccessful. If anyone has any ideas let me know.

The 13" mac has 2.26 Ghz Core 2 Duo, a quick search on newegg for a 13.3" screen in the 2.0 Ghz + range AND not an intel graphic chip, has an Asus with a bit better specs for $1199. Oddly enough the same price as the mac.

Now if you step up to a brand that we actually have a corporate account for (Dell, Lenovo, HP...) the Mac ends up actually cheaper. Do the same newegg search and the cheapest Lenovo is in the $2700 range, and uses a much slower CPU.

Now I am NOT saying macs are a value, but at least in the lightweight 13" class they are not a bad deal.

So a bit of a challenge if anyone can find a tier 1 brand that is sub 4lb (which btw the Asus fails), Core2Duo 2Ghz+, 13.3", NO intel graphics chipset. If you can find one even 20% less expensive than the mac I would like a link so I can convince him not to bring a mac into my network.


RE: Apple and problems?
By tech329 on 6/24/2009 10:47:18 AM , Rating: 2
Get a Dell e6500 from the Dell outlet page. You can find there 2.4 C2D, 250GB HD, 4GB memory etc. Great pricing too.
I buy there all the time. I'm not associated with Dell in any way.

http://www.dell.com/content/segmenter.aspx?c=us&l=...


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 10:57:30 AM , Rating: 3
I did not see pricing on your link, but a refurb is hardly a direct comparison. This is kind of my point if you have to look to outlet sites to find a much better deal, then maybe... dare I say ... the mac is really not overpriced (again in this class).

And the 6500 is a 15.4" and does not meet the portability requirements.

Next please.


RE: Apple and problems?
By JasonMick (blog) on 6/24/09, Rating: 0
RE: Apple and problems?
By thornburg on 6/24/2009 11:22:18 AM , Rating: 2
Nice try. 15.4" 6.5 lbs.

It does look like a very nice laptop, though.


RE: Apple and problems?
By JasonMick (blog) on 6/24/2009 11:40:50 AM , Rating: 2
My apologies... this is the one I meant...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

It's 4.3 lb, but I doubt a few extra ounces are going to break your back.

I've never heard any serious complaints about the ASUS brand, so I wouldn't see any compelling reason not to use them.


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 11:44:34 AM , Rating: 2
That is the one I was referring to in my OP, and it is the same price. I would not have a problem with it at all, but there is no compelling price break to outweigh the status symbol of the Apple for this guy. In other words it is hard to argue with a Sr. VP that a brand he never heard of is the same price so we should get it.


RE: Apple and problems?
By aebiv on 6/24/2009 11:58:41 AM , Rating: 2
Then show him Asus's web page with how many machines shipped with their parts and how much growth they've had.


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 12:13:30 PM , Rating: 2
Just tell him that Asus was making all of the Apple notebooks for quite some time, at least they were until Apple starting having all the problems. Asus was THE manufacturer for Mac books for many years past, so, you were still buying Asus.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Unspoken Thought on 6/24/2009 12:21:56 PM , Rating: 3
RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 11:39:51 AM , Rating: 2
Economic times or not the CEO's son and Sr. VP want the protability, and douchebag image that comes with one (for executives they like that shiny new stuff image and will pay for it). Again I DON'T want it, but no one can give me a compelling option that has the same portability.

I would not go spending that for every Joe blow employee, but if this Sr. VP gets it I'm sure 5 others will want one too. I'm trying to find a way to prevent this, and I'm sorry but in this class the "Apple is overpriced" argument does not appear to be valid.


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 11:47:28 AM , Rating: 3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

14" (Macbook is 13.3")
4gb memory (Macbook has 2Gb)
320Gb drive 7200RPM (Macbook has a 160Gb @ 5400RPM)
2.4ghz Core 2 (Macbook has 2.13Ghz CPU)
DVD SM (equivalent)
Ge Force GT 120M with 1Gb video memory (faster than the 9400M in the Macbook)
6 Cell lion (Macbook has slightly longer batter life)


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 11:51:56 AM , Rating: 2
A good option, but the size may be a deal breaker for him. He wants something he can throw in a sleeve in his briefcase. Judging by pictures alone this one looks to have a much bigger footprint.

I send him the link, but it may not be enough. The other specs might persuade him.


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 11:57:37 AM , Rating: 2
The footprint difference between the two is minimal if you actually compare them side by side.

I don't really see how any serious computer user wouldn't want to go for the much better spec'ed machine, but if he is all about the image and status, by the Mac. I don't really care what anyone buys, but just be honest about the reasons.

The Asus notebook is less $$$ with much better specs and only slightly larger footprint. I have used 14" notebooks and 13.3" notebooks, and both will almost always be able to fit in the same cases. But, if the guy isn't really concerned with the spec's and price and is actually only worried about what others might think or better yet what he thinks his notebook says about him, then clearly he is already a Mac user and just doesn't know it.


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 12:11:19 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
then clearly he is already a Mac user and just doesn't know it.


That is my fear, and I'm afraid his Title will see to it that I have no choice but to support it.


RE: Apple and problems?
By JasonMick (blog) on 6/24/2009 11:56:38 AM , Rating: 3
I don't get that argument, though. Your boss is willing to settle for inferior, potentially glitchy hardware that won't run Windows software outside of multiboot?

If its just a one-shot deal for a boss, buy them something real nice like:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGN-Z591U-Laptop-Proces...
http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Studio-XPS-13-Laptop/dp...

Granted, both are overpriced, but both feature better hardware as well.


RE: Apple and problems?
By bhieb on 6/24/2009 12:09:31 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Your boss is willing to settle for inferior, potentially glitchy hardware that won't run Windows software outside of multiboot?


Yes he is...
He is a user, surely you've met one. He only knows what the TV tells him :), and it does not tell him that it is inferior, and glitchy and he does not believe me because "I'm a PC".

Now you see my problem, his heart is set on one and there are no cheaper options that I can send him that prove it is way too expensive or something. I do plan on sending him this article to try to show him the problems.


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 12:17:27 PM , Rating: 2
That Asus machine that I posted before is much faster, especially considering it has a 7200RPM drive and the Mac has a 5400RPM drive, double the memory, faster CPU, and costs 10% less. It only weighs 1/2lb more, and is only 7/10's of an inch larger. If he cannot see the logic in that then he needs to be put out of his misery :) .


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 12:19:55 PM , Rating: 2
Oh, and I forgot the most important part, it's not known for having graphics problems, while also having a much better graphics solution with 4 times the video memory.

So, if he went with the Asus, he will get a notebook that doesn't have a high chance of failing, for less money, and it will have MUCH better hardware all the way around.


RE: Apple and problems?
By Motoman on 6/24/2009 12:22:38 PM , Rating: 2
...if I were you, I'd just start looking for a new boss. This one isn't qualified for the job.


RE: Apple and problems?
By weskurtz0081 on 6/24/2009 12:29:52 PM , Rating: 3
Actually, I was looking at Macbook pricing. The Asus machine I posted is 25% less with much better specs. So, for 25% less, you get a LOT more.