Exactly two years ago (give or take a day or two), I received my 13" Apple MacBook Pro. I ordered the 13" MBP the day it was announced, more or less.
I bought what was then the $1,499 machine, with a faster CPU (if memory serves it's a 2.66GHz C2D), more RAM, and larger HD than the base option, as well as the backlit keyboard (I believe the latter is now standard on all MBPs). My MBP has remained stock with the exception of the HD - last fall I installed a 500GB Seagate Momentus XT for a performance/storage upgrade (the stock drive was still working fine). I have installed Windows 7 Ultimate with Boot Camp since I occasionally need Windows for work, but the overwhelming majority of the time I run Snow Leopard.
I have used my MBP more or less daily since receiving it, for a combination of work and personal use. I have a desktop at work and my MBP is not my primary work computer. I am, however, one of those people who, left to my own devices, will normally have my laptop on my lap while watching TV and often in bed, so it has seen, on average, several hours of usage every day for the past two years. I also travel fairly often, so my laptops slide in and out of cases quite a bit. I don't ever baby my computers - they are used with abandon. I am careful not to drop them or subject them to unnecessary jarring, however.
Prior to this I had a white MacBook (circa 2006). I previously owned an ancient NEC 486/33 laptop (bought in 1995), a Dell Inspiron 600M (circa 2004) and, briefly, a T-series Lenovo ThinkPad. I really didn't like the ThinkPad - it had a major technical problem (the wireless would cut out when any sound played) and the Lenovo tech support was horrible, so I returned it after a couple of weeks.
Looking at my MBP, I find it just remarkable it is two years old. It looks essentially as new. The unibody aluminum construction is incredibly rigid and tough - it doesn't have a scratch or dent. The glass touchpad is perfect - every other touchpad I've ever had would look worn and shiny by now. The keyboard also looks totally fine, though there is some shininess on the keys.
My other laptops have looked like they'd gone to hell and back by the time they were two years old. My Dell, in particular, had numerous mars, scratches and cracks in the case, and conked out entirely just after making it two years (the length of the extended warranty I had purchased). My white MB was really grungy - that plastic case scratches really easily - and had the cracked handrest that is typical of those machines (fortunately Apple was nice enough to replace the handrest and keyboard out of warranty since this is a known issue - this helped a lot when I sold it in May 2010). My NEC was actually not too bad after years of use, but that thing is such a dinosaur that it's hardly relevant to this discussion (it had neither USB nor any provision for an optical drive, for example).
The performance of the machine continues to make it a pleasure to use. It has been perfectly reliable at all times (even after I inadvertently left it in the trunk of my car during 2 1/2 subzero days and nights). The LED-backlit screen is very bright and looks great (I am not a shiny vs. matte snob, and since I don't do a ton of work on it I slightly prefer the shiny screen). The battery life, even after two years, is better than any other laptop I've owned (though there has certainly been some dropoff since it's been charged and discharged hundreds of times). I don't really play games on it or do CPU-intensive tasks, so the CPU and GPU, while admittedly outdated, are still more than adequate to my needs. Perhaps most of all, the ergonomics of the MBP are near-perfect for me.
After two years, I can find very little to criticize with my MBP. As an overall package I consider the 13" MBP the most perfectly-designed laptop ever built for my specific needs, and its build quality is second to none. I wouldn't mind a higher-res screen (though I am never bothered by it), and obviously if I were designing a new machine today I'd want a current CPU and GPU, but other than that I'd be hard-pressed to find anything I'd change. I occasionally have to use a ~2008 Dell Latitude at work and it's just awful ergonomically and makes me appreciate my MBP that much more.
Normally after two years I'd be looking to upgrade or change out my machine, but I'm inclined to see how long this one will keep working. I have AppleCare, so I'll certainly keep it for at least another year, but honestly I'm having a hard time seeing why I'd want another computer in the foreseeable future.
EDIT: I am now at three years! Updated comments appear below.
I bought what was then the $1,499 machine, with a faster CPU (if memory serves it's a 2.66GHz C2D), more RAM, and larger HD than the base option, as well as the backlit keyboard (I believe the latter is now standard on all MBPs). My MBP has remained stock with the exception of the HD - last fall I installed a 500GB Seagate Momentus XT for a performance/storage upgrade (the stock drive was still working fine). I have installed Windows 7 Ultimate with Boot Camp since I occasionally need Windows for work, but the overwhelming majority of the time I run Snow Leopard.
I have used my MBP more or less daily since receiving it, for a combination of work and personal use. I have a desktop at work and my MBP is not my primary work computer. I am, however, one of those people who, left to my own devices, will normally have my laptop on my lap while watching TV and often in bed, so it has seen, on average, several hours of usage every day for the past two years. I also travel fairly often, so my laptops slide in and out of cases quite a bit. I don't ever baby my computers - they are used with abandon. I am careful not to drop them or subject them to unnecessary jarring, however.
Prior to this I had a white MacBook (circa 2006). I previously owned an ancient NEC 486/33 laptop (bought in 1995), a Dell Inspiron 600M (circa 2004) and, briefly, a T-series Lenovo ThinkPad. I really didn't like the ThinkPad - it had a major technical problem (the wireless would cut out when any sound played) and the Lenovo tech support was horrible, so I returned it after a couple of weeks.
Looking at my MBP, I find it just remarkable it is two years old. It looks essentially as new. The unibody aluminum construction is incredibly rigid and tough - it doesn't have a scratch or dent. The glass touchpad is perfect - every other touchpad I've ever had would look worn and shiny by now. The keyboard also looks totally fine, though there is some shininess on the keys.
My other laptops have looked like they'd gone to hell and back by the time they were two years old. My Dell, in particular, had numerous mars, scratches and cracks in the case, and conked out entirely just after making it two years (the length of the extended warranty I had purchased). My white MB was really grungy - that plastic case scratches really easily - and had the cracked handrest that is typical of those machines (fortunately Apple was nice enough to replace the handrest and keyboard out of warranty since this is a known issue - this helped a lot when I sold it in May 2010). My NEC was actually not too bad after years of use, but that thing is such a dinosaur that it's hardly relevant to this discussion (it had neither USB nor any provision for an optical drive, for example).
The performance of the machine continues to make it a pleasure to use. It has been perfectly reliable at all times (even after I inadvertently left it in the trunk of my car during 2 1/2 subzero days and nights). The LED-backlit screen is very bright and looks great (I am not a shiny vs. matte snob, and since I don't do a ton of work on it I slightly prefer the shiny screen). The battery life, even after two years, is better than any other laptop I've owned (though there has certainly been some dropoff since it's been charged and discharged hundreds of times). I don't really play games on it or do CPU-intensive tasks, so the CPU and GPU, while admittedly outdated, are still more than adequate to my needs. Perhaps most of all, the ergonomics of the MBP are near-perfect for me.
After two years, I can find very little to criticize with my MBP. As an overall package I consider the 13" MBP the most perfectly-designed laptop ever built for my specific needs, and its build quality is second to none. I wouldn't mind a higher-res screen (though I am never bothered by it), and obviously if I were designing a new machine today I'd want a current CPU and GPU, but other than that I'd be hard-pressed to find anything I'd change. I occasionally have to use a ~2008 Dell Latitude at work and it's just awful ergonomically and makes me appreciate my MBP that much more.
Normally after two years I'd be looking to upgrade or change out my machine, but I'm inclined to see how long this one will keep working. I have AppleCare, so I'll certainly keep it for at least another year, but honestly I'm having a hard time seeing why I'd want another computer in the foreseeable future.
EDIT: I am now at three years! Updated comments appear below.
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