And What, Pray Tell, Was in the Box?

I could really get used to this Bringing Goodies by FedEx on a Saturday Thang. Yowza!
As you might have guessed, the other delivery (besides the Box o’ Postcards)  was My New MacBook Pro, delivered in fine form in less than 48 hours. The scheduled delivery date was Tuesday, but I think it’s a Zappos-esque affectation:  they tell you it’ll be a while so you’ll be all surprised and squeal-y when it arrives so much earlier than you’d expected. Apple’s moving up right there next to Zappos for just sheer delightfulness.
And let me tell you, as someone who’s bought a few computers in her lifetime, Apple has the packaging design thing down. I was so impressed with the presentation that I stopped as soon as I opened the box and waited until I had time to photograph it for you. If you’ve ever bought a PC, you’re probably used to a big box, a bunch of cardboard, some bubble wrap. Check this out:

You open the outside box, and there, right on top, is a handle. No trying to pry the inside box out or tilt it so you can slide your hand in there and pull it out. No, just this:

The corner protectors that hold the inner box in place are the sturdiest pieces of cardboard I’ve ever come across in a computer box.
Cute, too. I wonder what I could do with these?

 The plastic wrap slips off the handle:

You open the box:

Again, there’s no trying to get your fingers under the edges so you can pry it out. There’s this little tab:

Which lifts up the edge of the computer  so you can lift it out:

Underneath, you find everything you need, all neat and tidy. No random plastic packages of crap crammed in everywhere, like with the last laptop I unpacked:

You lift the tab again, and there’s the envelope, just like in the iPhone box:

Inside are the manuals and CD’s":
 
I hope whoever designed the packaging got some kind of award. Or at least a big bonus. Maybe an island.
So now the new notebook is hooked up, charging its little battery. I’m waiting on the new software before I jump in. I’ve got a couple of manuals on the way and one that I bought today—I buy all the how-to, the Portable Genius, the For Dummies. I read them, cross-reference them, mark them up. By the time I get through, I know pretty much what I need to know.
I ♥ reference manuals. I really do. You should see my collection.
It rivals my collection of Bags.