I saw the Macbook today for the first time in the Apple store in Bluewater. Not really much to say really, mainly because I don’t use a Mac, don’t know much about them, and therefore don’t have anything to compare it to (no matter how much I might like to own a mac). I will, however, make a few points.

• The Screen – people have been worrying about the glossy screen of the Macbook, suggesting that it is more useful as a mirror rather than to see what’s on the screen. I beg to differ. They really have hit the sweet spot with the screen. It provides clarity, whilst also not being to reflective, even in the bright lights of the Apple store. I’m not a glossy screen user (I have a Dell), so I am often sceptical about glossy screens. In this case, though, I would be happy to work with it.

• The Keyboard – I am very particular about keyboards. I touch type, and so it really matters to me if a keyboard isn’t quite right. The Macbook keyboard is not conventionally designed; each key is more like a button than a standard computer key, with much less travel than would be expected. However, I found it easy to type on, and the springiness of the key had a surprisingly good effect in increasing ease of typing. Again, a success.

• Black or white? – Buyers pay a premium to have the black option, and to be honest, I wouldn’t bother with it. The finish of the black is completely different to the look of, for example, the black iPods. It is matt black, and in my humble opinion looks really quite drab. I would stick with the white. I also heard somewhere that there was concern from Apple Store employees that the black finish would scratch easily, as it lacked the hard resin finish of the white model.

Ergonomically and aesthetically, then, the Macbook seems a great computer. I didn’t have long enough with it to test how fast it was, though, and so if you are thinking of buying one you should definitely read a proper review. But, for what its worth, I liked it.