Don't expect MacBook Airs to get Thunderbolt. They don't even backlit keyboards currently.
I disagree. With the rollout of Thunderbolt as the port of the future, I think we'll see this standardized on each and every Mac as they get refreshed.
We'll see.
I expect the swap of the current C2D + 320M for an i5 (Sandy Bridge) w/ HD 3000 integrated graphics + the Thunderbolt chip will ultimately be a wash.
11" MBA (the 320M is highlighted in orange):
15" SB MBP (Thunderbolt controller chip is highlighted in blue):
Apple SHOULD offer the option of blu on the iMac and the Mac Pro.
Apple typically use very slow drives so they'd likely go with 2-4x. At 2x, a disc takes 45 minutes to burn and 45 minutes to verify. DVD is painful enough when you get a burn error after 15 minutes, if I waited over an hour and had to do it all again, I'd thrown my computer across the room.
Not only this, people have reported burning important data to Blu-Ray and verified it only to find that a few months down the line, they are unreadable and have subsequently lost years worth of data because they assumed it was reliable storage.
Hard drives don't have a long shelf-life but are way faster to copy data to. If you have maybe 3-4 hard drives and cycle them every week with copies of important data, maintaining 3 at a time, data should be much safer than on discs that you can't properly verify.
I think Blu-Ray does have some uses for playing movies and for sending lots of data so including it in the desktops shouldn't be a problem. It will probably create an issue though where a desktop user who also owns a laptop could burn a BD-R only to find that they can't access them on a laptop in which case they'd have to buy an external drive. It makes more sense to me that Apple would just leave the optical external on all models and a family can share a drive or it can be shared between computers and is more cost-effective, easier to replace/upgrade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Appleinsider
Strong CPU and GPU update for all models
Out of the 5 models, the GPUs were downgraded on the 3 entry models.
MacBook Pro 15" should have an HDMI port. Thy should be done.
agreed
Quote:
Originally Posted by Povilas
I'm surprised Apple still keeps damn DVD drive there. Have you seen the size of that thing? It's the size of the mainboard on a13" MBP. It's a luxury that people hardly use.
so i should throw all my dvd games in the garbage????
and i play movies almost every day
ands i burn cd and dvd back up discs
on and on
Quote:
Originally Posted by minderbinder
Pointless unless you own a movie on BRD and you want to be able to just pop it in your laptop and watch it. People seem to ignore the whole compatibility point.
most blurays come w/ a digital DOWN LOAD AND OIR A DVD INCLUDED
of note i received the MATTE VERSION and i returned it
the screen looked 5 yrs old and the movies looks pastel like
my 14 month old 2 chip 15' glossy I still own looked a million times better
of note i received the MATTE VERSION and i returned it
the screen looked 5 yrs old and the movies looks pastel like
my 14 month old 2 chip 15' glossy I still own looked a million times better
DO NOT BUY MATTE
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
II actually hate Blu-Ray and upper end HD...I can see too much detail and I feel as though I'm watching an amateur production (unless it's animated).
Perhaps you haven't experienced Blu-ray and HD in a properly installed and calibrated home theater. With the right equipment, and done right, BD home theater easily surpasses the quality of many commercial cinemas.
And while no laptop is necessarily an ideal way to appreciate the better picture clarity of BDs (or the higher quality lossless audio on most of them), many BDs offer supplements of interest to many (particularly film students, to stick with that example), supplements that often do not appear on the included DVD of BD + DVD combo packs.
ODDs are definitely on their way out of MacBooks, which I think is a good evolutionary step. Keeping them in Apple's desktop offerings makes more sense, even if only as a BTO option. Mac OS X should incorporate BD and lossless audio playback though. Apple could then allow third parties to offer TB-enabled BD player peripherals for users who want to invest in them.
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
really
well to each his own i guess
i had to copies of avatar and the glossy looked so juicy
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
Fully agree on the non-glossy decision. I got the 30 inch Cinema Display the moment Apple announced it would be discontinued. Can't stand the reflection on those glossy screens either.
"Thunderbolt is not only fast, but also smart, supporting Target Disk Mode (something no version of USB can handle) and networking as a switched fabric interconnect."
i had to copies of avatar and the glossy looked so juicy
the matte' looked flat
peace
9
Yup, to each his own. But I think it's a preference of "juicy" or realistic. I can see how a movie like Avatar would look very nice on a glossy display. But since the colors are unrealistic to begin with (in terms of shades and saturation) how do you know it was accurate on the glossy screen? It would be better to use a movie with real-life scenes or photographs that you've taken to make the comparison.
Some digital cameras do the same thing to your photos, and I know of people who crank up the saturation on their camera's settings even more because they think it looks better. More isn't always better.
If your preference is for punchy or juicy or deep saturation, get the glossy screen. If your preference is for accuracy, get the matte screen.
Given that OS X can not only play Blu-ray disks but that installing your own Blu-ray drive in a MacBook Pro would be cheaper than any BTO option that Apple would offer...
Are you saying that OS X can play Blu-ray movies straight from the Blu-ray disk? Is this using the DVD Player application or some other program? And can you also navigate the menus like you would on a standalone player?
Thunderbolt will one day make having lots of USB ports unnecessary, but today all three on my 17" MBP are filled (external kb/mouse, iPod touch, USB headset for Skype).
At home I have a mini with 5 USB ports and I've had to add a hub just to keep everything connected: keyboard/mouse, two external drive cases, printer, music keyboard, mini USB cable for my portable HD, iPod cable, and a port for my SD card reader. No I don't need all of them plugged in all the time, but it sure is convenient having the big things connected permanently and an array of extension cables handy.
If buying a BluRay disc gives you a digital copy then including BD players in notebooks is unnecessary. I do think Apple should have made BluRay an option in their iMacs though. Why buy a television for your apartment or condo if you've already got a 27" screen with superior resolution and image quality?
Can't Apple find a happy medium between gloss and matte? Art galleries have done that and Apple considers their products works of art....
I'm surprised Apple still keeps damn DVD drive there. Have you seen the size of that thing? It's the size of the mainboard on a13" MBP. It's a luxury that people hardly use.
Don't pretend you speak for most people - I use it all the time. And guess what? It has to be big enough to fit a CD/DVD into.
Are you saying that OS X can play Blu-ray movies straight from the Blu-ray disk?
Yes.
Quote:
Is this using the DVD Player application or some other program?
It's one of those programs with MKV in the name. Totally blanking it right now, but CaveMan has a nice tutorial on MacRumors. You open the disc with that and stream the feed through VLC, I think.
Quote:
And can you also navigate the menus like you would on a standalone player?
Don't pretend you speak for most people - I use it all the time. And guess what? It has to be big enough to fit a CD/DVD into.
And? As long as you still use it every PC vendor should include it? There ate tipping points in technology and you can either be ahead or behind them, but don't pretend they don't exist or that they revolve around your desires.
Guess how Mac devs are downloading an installing Mac OS X Lion? It's all from within the Mac App Store and within SL without having to buy or burn a DVD. I'm sure they will sell a DVD to you people at the caudal end of the technology curve, but likely at a higher price. Your precious DVD drive is going bye-bye and there is nothing you can do about it but bitch and complain.
Comments
Don't expect MacBook Airs to get Thunderbolt. They don't even backlit keyboards currently.
I disagree. With the rollout of Thunderbolt as the port of the future, I think we'll see this standardized on each and every Mac as they get refreshed.
We'll see.
I expect the swap of the current C2D + 320M for an i5 (Sandy Bridge) w/ HD 3000 integrated graphics + the Thunderbolt chip will ultimately be a wash.
11" MBA (the 320M is highlighted in orange):
15" SB MBP (Thunderbolt controller chip is highlighted in blue):
Come on. Blu-ray isn't useless... ON A DESKTOP
Apple SHOULD offer the option of blu on the iMac and the Mac Pro.
Apple typically use very slow drives so they'd likely go with 2-4x. At 2x, a disc takes 45 minutes to burn and 45 minutes to verify. DVD is painful enough when you get a burn error after 15 minutes, if I waited over an hour and had to do it all again, I'd thrown my computer across the room.
Not only this, people have reported burning important data to Blu-Ray and verified it only to find that a few months down the line, they are unreadable and have subsequently lost years worth of data because they assumed it was reliable storage.
Hard drives don't have a long shelf-life but are way faster to copy data to. If you have maybe 3-4 hard drives and cycle them every week with copies of important data, maintaining 3 at a time, data should be much safer than on discs that you can't properly verify.
I think Blu-Ray does have some uses for playing movies and for sending lots of data so including it in the desktops shouldn't be a problem. It will probably create an issue though where a desktop user who also owns a laptop could burn a BD-R only to find that they can't access them on a laptop in which case they'd have to buy an external drive. It makes more sense to me that Apple would just leave the optical external on all models and a family can share a drive or it can be shared between computers and is more cost-effective, easier to replace/upgrade.
Strong CPU and GPU update for all models
Out of the 5 models, the GPUs were downgraded on the 3 entry models.
In the sense that there's no TB peripheral drive to plug into it, the answer has to be no?for now.
If you put a new MBP into Target disk mode and plug it into another Mac Book Pro the drive is visible but not bootable.
what has a fish to do with a strawberry cake?
Transgenic DNA!
Don't expect MacBook Airs to get Thunderbolt. They don't even backlit keyboards currently.
They already have miniDisplayPort.
Granted, the TB controller currently is too big to fit, and likely way over power budget for the MBA.
Give 'em time.
Now if we could only get USB3 on there as well.
Talk to Intel. They're the ones claiming that they'll have USB3 support included in their chipset next year. No sooner.
MacBook Pro 15" should have an HDMI port. Thy should be done.
agreed
I'm surprised Apple still keeps damn DVD drive there. Have you seen the size of that thing? It's the size of the mainboard on a13" MBP. It's a luxury that people hardly use.
so i should throw all my dvd games in the garbage????
and i play movies almost every day
ands i burn cd and dvd back up discs
on and on
Pointless unless you own a movie on BRD and you want to be able to just pop it in your laptop and watch it. People seem to ignore the whole compatibility point.
most blurays come w/ a digital DOWN LOAD AND OIR A DVD INCLUDED
of note i received the MATTE VERSION and i returned it
the screen looked 5 yrs old and the movies looks pastel like
my 14 month old 2 chip 15' glossy I still own looked a million times better
DO NOT BUY MATTE
TRUST NO ONE
9
Mmmm, strawberry fish cake...
of note i received the MATTE VERSION and i returned it
the screen looked 5 yrs old and the movies looks pastel like
my 14 month old 2 chip 15' glossy I still own looked a million times better
DO NOT BUY MATTE
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
II actually hate Blu-Ray and upper end HD...I can see too much detail and I feel as though I'm watching an amateur production (unless it's animated).
Perhaps you haven't experienced Blu-ray and HD in a properly installed and calibrated home theater. With the right equipment, and done right, BD home theater easily surpasses the quality of many commercial cinemas.
And while no laptop is necessarily an ideal way to appreciate the better picture clarity of BDs (or the higher quality lossless audio on most of them), many BDs offer supplements of interest to many (particularly film students, to stick with that example), supplements that often do not appear on the included DVD of BD + DVD combo packs.
ODDs are definitely on their way out of MacBooks, which I think is a good evolutionary step. Keeping them in Apple's desktop offerings makes more sense, even if only as a BTO option. Mac OS X should incorporate BD and lossless audio playback though. Apple could then allow third parties to offer TB-enabled BD player peripherals for users who want to invest in them.
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
really
well to each his own i guess
i had to copies of avatar and the glossy looked so juicy
the matte' looked flat
peace
9
I took a look at both in the store as I was having a hard time deciding (my 1st gen was not available in glossy, I got used to it, but found the glossy appealing). When I saw them side-by-side I opted for matte and have absolutely no regrets. I love it!
Fully agree on the non-glossy decision. I got the 30 inch Cinema Display the moment Apple announced it would be discontinued. Can't stand the reflection on those glossy screens either.
Cheers,
PhilBoogie
Bootable from the Thunderbolt port?
"Thunderbolt is not only fast, but also smart, supporting Target Disk Mode (something no version of USB can handle) and networking as a switched fabric interconnect."
really
well to each his own i guess
i had to copies of avatar and the glossy looked so juicy
the matte' looked flat
peace
9
Yup, to each his own. But I think it's a preference of "juicy" or realistic. I can see how a movie like Avatar would look very nice on a glossy display. But since the colors are unrealistic to begin with (in terms of shades and saturation) how do you know it was accurate on the glossy screen? It would be better to use a movie with real-life scenes or photographs that you've taken to make the comparison.
Some digital cameras do the same thing to your photos, and I know of people who crank up the saturation on their camera's settings even more because they think it looks better. More isn't always better.
If your preference is for punchy or juicy or deep saturation, get the glossy screen. If your preference is for accuracy, get the matte screen.
Given that OS X can not only play Blu-ray disks but that installing your own Blu-ray drive in a MacBook Pro would be cheaper than any BTO option that Apple would offer...
Are you saying that OS X can play Blu-ray movies straight from the Blu-ray disk? Is this using the DVD Player application or some other program? And can you also navigate the menus like you would on a standalone player?
At home I have a mini with 5 USB ports and I've had to add a hub just to keep everything connected: keyboard/mouse, two external drive cases, printer, music keyboard, mini USB cable for my portable HD, iPod cable, and a port for my SD card reader. No I don't need all of them plugged in all the time, but it sure is convenient having the big things connected permanently and an array of extension cables handy.
If buying a BluRay disc gives you a digital copy then including BD players in notebooks is unnecessary. I do think Apple should have made BluRay an option in their iMacs though. Why buy a television for your apartment or condo if you've already got a 27" screen with superior resolution and image quality?
Can't Apple find a happy medium between gloss and matte? Art galleries have done that and Apple considers their products works of art....
I'm surprised Apple still keeps damn DVD drive there. Have you seen the size of that thing? It's the size of the mainboard on a13" MBP. It's a luxury that people hardly use.
Don't pretend you speak for most people - I use it all the time. And guess what? It has to be big enough to fit a CD/DVD into.
Are you saying that OS X can play Blu-ray movies straight from the Blu-ray disk?
Yes.
Is this using the DVD Player application or some other program?
It's one of those programs with MKV in the name. Totally blanking it right now, but CaveMan has a nice tutorial on MacRumors. You open the disc with that and stream the feed through VLC, I think.
And can you also navigate the menus like you would on a standalone player?
I believe so.
Don't pretend you speak for most people - I use it all the time. And guess what? It has to be big enough to fit a CD/DVD into.
And? As long as you still use it every PC vendor should include it? There ate tipping points in technology and you can either be ahead or behind them, but don't pretend they don't exist or that they revolve around your desires.
Guess how Mac devs are downloading an installing Mac OS X Lion? It's all from within the Mac App Store and within SL without having to buy or burn a DVD. I'm sure they will sell a DVD to you people at the caudal end of the technology curve, but likely at a higher price. Your precious DVD drive is going bye-bye and there is nothing you can do about it but bitch and complain.