As a computer science major, I am exposed to a lot of people using Macs, mainly MacBook Pros.  They’re great computers, well made, solid OS and great usability while becoming more affordable all the time.  This does not mean that Macs are the savior of the computer world like some people treat them to be.  I will outline several of the things I don’t like about Macs in hopes they will be changed so I too will want to buy a Mac someday.

Currently, my main computer is a Fujitsu T4220 tablet PC running Windows 7.  I am pretty happy with this laptop and I like Windows 7.  As a student I always have my computer with me when I go to class, it’s essential for me to take notes and follow Power Points.  Then at the end of the day I set it back up in my apartment connected to my 22″ HP w2207 monitor, my printer, speakers and all the other peripherals that I have, but I do this all via a docking station.  When I’m running late to class, I don’t want to have to spend time to unhook every device and have the cables all over my desk, or falling behind it for that matter.  I just want to pick it up and go.  The same is true when I return home, I don’t want to waste time reconnecting everything and crawling under my desk to find the USB cable for my printer.  Currently, no Mac’s come with a docking station and all the 3rd party substitutes for a docking station are a pretty lame excuse for a docking station.  Until Apple develops it’s laptops to come with a docking station, I’ll never own one, it’s too essential for the way I use my laptop.

Another thing I wish Apple would change is their magnetic power cable connection.  This is fine when the laptop is on a table or a desk, but I often use my laptop…on my lap and my knee always knocks it out.  It becomes annoying to be constantly plugging it back in and finding a position where it will stay put.  Some people love this feature, and I can see how it can be cool, but I think it’s rather unnecessary and an example of how Apple tries too hard sometimes to reinvent the wheel.  Maybe try making the magnetic part closer to where it connects to the wall, this way when someone trips on the cord it still doesn’t rip the plug out of the computer while it can still be firmly connected on my lap like a more traditional plug.  This feature isn’t a deal breaker though if I were considering buying a MacBook.

The battery.  I understand where Apple is going with the design of their battery.  By making it impossible for a user to exchange batteries when one becomes old or breaks, the user gains impressive battery life of 7-8 hours.  However, for high end users like myself who often use their laptop on battery power, that battery starts to lose its charge quickly.  There will come a time when the battery life just isn’t sufficient anymore but the rest of the computer is perfectly fine.  Getting your battery replaced will cost money and time away from your laptop, and for people like me who don’t have access to an Apple Retail store, sacrificing a week without my laptop is no easy feat.

These are my three biggest reasons as to why I’m not interested in buying a MacBook yet.  This doesn’t mean they don’t have great attributes, they have plenty of them.  But some of MacBook’s biggest flaws are some of my biggest buying points.  Until the MacBook addresses the issues of a docking station, power connection and battery replacement, I’ll stick with my Windows based laptops.