I’ve now been a Mac user for two months. Since I switched primarily to get access to Apple’s excellent hardware, I thought I would issue an update on my observations about it at this point. I should note that I’m limiting this post to the hardware (maybe I’ll cover OS X some other time), and that I’m using a maxed-out Late-2007 2.2 GHz MacBook Pro.

Although some shortcomings have appeared, I’m pleased with the Mac overall. It definitely met my expectations and continues to meet my needs, mixing portability and performance in an excellent package.  I am impressed by Apple’s hardware design and component choices, especially when compared to other computers with similar specifications that I have used.  And, as noted by Tom’s Hardware, the specification of the machine was reasonably priced, especially since I purchased it at a substantial discount and upgraded it myself.

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As I transition to the Mac, I often find myself needing to transfer a file back and forth quickly. I could create SMB shares on both systems, but this requires both to be connected to a wired or wireless Ethernet LAN. Luckily, both Vista and OS X offer functional Bluetooth sharing technology for quick, easy file transfer on the fly.

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It turns out that Apple made at least a few errors in designing the hardware of the MacBook Pro.  After living with it for a solid week, I can report that, along with the useless ambient light sensor and wimpy power cord, both of the ‘Pro’s USB ports are compromised!  The left side doesn’t have the power to spin up a disk drive, and the right side shares bandwidth with the iSight camera built into the lid.  Why would Apple make this kind of mistake when PC vendors get these things right?

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So I was disappointed by the range and sound quality for my Cardo Scala 500 when used with the iPhone. It was good with the BlackBerry but so bad with the Apple that I ended up using the wired headphones most of the time.

Today I stopped by the local Best Buy and discovered the high-end mini Motorola H800 marked down to $17.99! This is an $80+ headset (was well over $100 when it was released in the first quarter) and has gotten fairly good reviews. After trying it out with the iPhone, I’m quite happy. Sound quality is good, it’s solidly built, and I love the slide-to-activate feature (which reconnects quite quickly to the phone).

If you’re in the market for a new headset, cruise by your local BBY and see if you’ve got this same deal…

I’d love it if there was a wireless stereo headset for the iPhone, but I guess right now the best stereo headset/headphone is the V-Moda. Why to all bluetooth stereo headsets look so nasty anyway?