I want a MacBook. This doesn’t mean I’m going to get a MacBook Pro, the PowerBook replacement announced at MacWorld earlier this year, but at least another in the upcoming 2006 Mac laptop line. There are credible rumors making the rounds that a revamped 13.3″ widescreen iBook, probably renamed the MacBook, will be available in several months. One reason why I’m not too sure about getting the only MacBook Pro that’s out already is that it has a 15.4″ screen. I am not looking for laptops that are desktop replacements in the department of screen size. A 12″ iBook may be too small, but a screen around 13-14″ is acceptable. We’ll see what comes out next.

But why do I want a MacBook in the first place?

I have had a fair share of experience with laptops. The one I use doesn’t seem to be very well designed or assembled. Parts fall off or crack easily. Those who have seen my laptop have also seen a lot of scotch tape. Having learned from the past, I want a laptop that is extremely sturdy and durable. Furthermore, this is going to be the laptop I’ll be using in college, so I prefer an investing in a laptop that will last at least four or five years.

So a Mac laptop seems to fit the bill. iBooks and PowerBooks have (usually) had good reputations compared to those of other laptop manufacturers. Yes, they are also more expensive, but I’m sure the extra expense will pay off with better design and durability. All recent Mac laptops have a handy feature that stops hard disks from spinning when the laptop is moved suddenly, preventing a lot of potential damage.

Many argue that Macs don’t have a good variety of software. There is certainly less software for Macs, but there’s a good number of quality productivity software available anyway. I mean, lots of good software I want to use exists only for Mac. In addition, some complain about a dearth of games for Macs, but there are certainly good/decent games that one can get (including Unreal Tournament 2004 and World of WarCraft) for OS X, although the whole range of games is certainly not available.

There’s also the “I’m pretty sick of Windows” factor. I’ve only been using Windows since I was five, so why not try something new? I have definitely seen a good amount of BSODs and “Illegal Operation (X)” windows. And Mac OS X, as a much more secure, Unix-based operating system, has a better reputation than Windows. One reason is that OS X is designed specifically for the hardware it is sold with, in contrast to Windows, which is designed for hardware of certain “general” specifications. Not all hardware a computer manufacturer chooses is 100% compatible with Windows, even when it seems to work. For example, crashes may occur as a result of faulty, buggy drivers. But Linux is pretty good, isn’t it? Well, I still want to install Linux, but if I’m looking for a near-completely reliable laptop, I don’t think Linux is a wise decision, as it’s typically not preinstalled or even optimized for laptops (and their hardware). I’ll save Linux for a desktop.

Lastly, there’s the “it looks cool” factor. This certainly can not be ignored! Macs look cool. Do not underestimate the weight of this factor! Seriously, though, the “it looks cool” factor, to me, is simply a great plus to the practical reasons I want a MacBook.

So why don’t I just get an iBook or a PowerBook G4?

Many argue that changes have been due for the iBook and PowerBook lines for some time. The processor itself hasn’t changed over the past few years (remaining the PowerPC G4), and the clock speed has only slightly increased. In my opinion, getting an already out-of-date processor when a vastly better processor is available is out of the question for a laptop I’ll be using for several years. For a desktop, I wouldn’t mind considering an older processor, but for laptops, issues like power consumption, battery life, and efficiency suddenly become very important and dependent on processors used. Although I do prefer AMD over Intel in most cases, AMD’s competing laptop dual-core Turion line isn’t even out yet.

To me, a huge selling point for the MacBook Pro over the old PowerBook is a neat new feature called MagSafe. Laptops can easily be damaged when one trips over a taut power cord, but with MagSafe, the cord will be released from the laptop magnetically before the cord pulls the laptop to the ground with it. Hopefully the other MacBooks will incorporate this really useful feature destined to improve longevity. The new MacBooks will almost certainly be even more durable than the older lines.

Basically, I think a MacBook is a much better investment than an older laptop fading from the light.