Apple MacBook MA701B/A

This top of the range Apple MacBook MA701B/A is probably the highest spec laptop you can get for around £1000 - with a super fast 2GHz processor and 1024MB RAM (note this is the newest core2duo version), however this can be achieved slightly cheaper by upgrading a white one to the same spec - you do therefore pay a premium for the black one but in my opinion it looks far better and is worth the extra cash. Yes, the black one is prone to finger prints but it is far better than showing up every spec of dust like the white one does. And the lighting up white apple on the lid just screams out to be shown off (like most of this laptop).

As far as performance is concerned there is not much to say - it is fantastic. Programs open instantly, as a benchmark iTunes opens in around 3 seconds, and macbooks are renowned for never crashing or freezing (As yet I have not been subject to the random shut-down which people complain about). The screen is a glossy finish which shows up the excellent graphics perfectly however if you move away from this position all perfect viewing will be lost as the screen quality is only at its best at 90 degrees. Putting this minor niggle aside the graphics on macs have always been second to none and the macbook does not fail to do this. DVDs are excellent to watch, games are good to play, however the lack of a dedicated graphics card limits the intensity of the games graphics you can use. There is even a low rpm fan so that all this power can be cooled quietly to enhance your experience! The drawback of this is that if you are using a lot of utilities at the same time it can get a little too hot (too hot to be on your lap) as the fan struggles to keep the heat at bay.

The key layout is very different and a bit weird at first but once you get used to the individual keys rather than one unit with all the keys on it, it is extremely good to type on, the keys have a very short throw and are nice and crisp to use.

I have only ever previously used PC computers (as in windows) and was a bit anxious about moving to mac as I had had no experience. After no more than a few hours I was moving around it easier than I had ever done on my PC. My only complaint about OS X is that it only comes with the equivalent of a slightly improved notepad (which is OK for minor typing) and a test drive of Microsoft Office. You can buy the equivalent of word and PowerPoint as a package for around £55 (called iWorks) or for £100 if you are a student (£200ish if not) you can buy Microsoft Works for mac which comes with Word 2004, Excel etc... either or I would recommend buying, the latter if you wish to transfer files from a PC like word documents.

It does come pre-installed with all the necessary Internet and connection setup software, along with some good games, video and image editing, web creating program, quicktime, even software to make songs (garageband) and many many more!

The most impressive features of this laptop are probably the most superficial however they are really cool! Firstly there is front row, the software package pre-installed that allows you to use the remote to access videos pictures and music whilst you sit back and admire the grace with which it does so. Then there is the iSight camera, it is very good quality and the program that comes with it has loads of cool editing features you can use. However what I didn't realise is that this cannot be used along side msn messenger as a webcam because Microsoft obviously want to keep the upper hand with there own products that are compatible with the opposition (apple). It even has a self loading CD slot which is great however a little loud.

Positives - very high spec, high quality laptop that looks great and will do whatever you want it to do without fail!

Negatives - this is on the basis that you can find mac compatible software to do it (which is easily found on the net usually not in shops) and can get past some slight niggles mentioned in the negative points.

Ask anything if you want to know more!