Didn't think a unibody plastic laptop was feasible, I'll have to see one in person...
Agreed.
Of all the previous white MBs I have seen in the past, the downside ... the two areas where your palms rest on, turns yellow, then sepia. To maintain total whiteness, you'd have to wear gloves (minus the diamonds) like Michael Jackson (RIP)
I just took my 2007 C2D MB apart for cleaning [talk about dirty]. While it's not difficult it does take time and the top part is a bitch to take off especially if it hasn't been removed ever. You know it's a bitch when you need a credit card to even get in there.
Even though I wouldn't touch it with the still lame GPU, this new MB is very well built. I think it should be $150 cheaper though.
Quoting myself. I take back my comment because I had a very nice hands-on experience with the new MB today. Man that thing is solid. Gorgeous plastic lol If they can charge what they're charging for Vaio's then that MB price is not bad at all. If the MB only had a better GPU.
Of all the previous white MBs I have seen in the past, the downside ... the two areas where your palms rest on, turns yellow, then sepia. To maintain total whiteness, you'd have to wear gloves (minus the diamonds) like Michael Jackson (RIP)
I have a three year old MacBook, and mine is nearly as white as the day I bought it. My wife's (2 years old) is not yellowing either as neither are several of my friends with MacBooks.
Quoting myself. I take back my comment because I had a very nice hands-on experience with the new MB today. Man that thing is solid. Gorgeous plastic lol If they can charge what they're charging for Vaio's then that MB price is not bad at all. If the MB only had a better GPU.
Well that's good to hear. I ordered the new MB from the Apple Store online yesterday, and will giving my 3 year old MB to the kids (now that will be a durability test)
Personally, as an avid Mac user at the consumer level.... the lack of a Firewire port doesn't bother me in the least, as I no longer own any FW devices. Also I'm actually very happy about the removal of the IR & Apple Remote, now I don't have to worry about my MB responding to my Logitech Harmony commands to my Apple TV when in the same room
Also I'm actually very happy about the removal of the IR & Apple Remote, now I don't have to worry about my MB responding to my Logitech Harmony commands to my Apple TV when in the same room
System Preferences » Security » General tab » Disable remote control infrared receiver
As always, I am horrified at the dead space that is the optical drive. Empty space for a disk to spin in, even though it's rarely there - and the size of a football field.
As always, I am horrified at the dead space that is the optical drive. Empty space for a disk to spin in, even though it's rarely there - and the size of a football field.
I think you're the first person to mention this problem in all the threads here about the new MacBook, so maybe it's not as big of a problem as you contend?
I think you're the first person to mention this problem in all the threads here about the new MacBook, so maybe it's not as big of a problem as you contend?
Maybe in these new MB threads, as I do see this as a dramatic future-forward change that should come to the Pro notebooks first, but it?s been stated many times throughout these forums over the years. Support seems to be growing, too.
Do I really need to post the MacBook x-ray picture again to show how outrageous this little used drive is? I?ll refrain from detailing its other shortcomings.
Maybe in these new MB threads, as I do see this as a dramatic future-forward change that should come to the Pro notebooks first, but it’s been stated many times throughout these forums over the years. Support seems to be growing, too.
Do I really need to post the MacBook x-ray picture again to show how outrageous this little used drive is? I’ll refrain from detailing its other shortcomings.
I know people have complained in the past, but even then it was somewhat sporadic.
I'm not saying it isn't large, it's probably the third largest device, after the screen & battery. But my point is, maybe people in general are using it more often than the detractors suggest? If it really is so little used and so unnecessary, wouldn't Apple have pulled the plug on it already? So maybe, just maybe, the people that have a problem with the drive being there might not represent the typical consumer just yet?
There are five threads linked to articles that talk about the MacBook in some way, and it took until now for someone to complain about the existence of the drive. It wasn't a secret either, the slot was plainly visible in several of the pictures.
I'm not saying it isn't large, it's probably the third largest device, after the screen & battery. But my point is, maybe people in general are using it more often than the detractors suggest? If it really is so little used and so unnecessary, wouldn't Apple have pulled the plug on it already? So maybe, just maybe, the people that have a problem with the drive being there might not represent the typical consumer?
There are five threads linked to articles that talk about the MacBook in some way, and it took until now for someone to complain about the existence of the drive. It wasn't a secret either, the slot was plainly visible in most of the pictures.
I think people expect the drive to be there more than they use it.. I haven’t used it at all in the last year, despite reinstalling OS X several times.
On top of that, in my previous MacBook, the first time I went to use after owning it a year or so, I found that it was broken. I have to wonder if all those moving parts make it cost center for Apple repair.
Since is obsessed with weight, thinness, and going green, I have to wonder if it’s not in their sites. I am saying that it doesn’t have its uses, but for I don’t know of anyone that uses it often anymore. I think Apple may be holding off on Blu-ray for so long for two reasons: 1) to not support a competing video format that is best served in the living room, anyway; 2) to not have to support optical media for another decade.
There seem to be some factors that may have to happen in order for optical drives to start disappearing from notebooks. SSDs may have to get larger in capacity while being closer to HDDs in cost per GB. Cheap 8GB SD cards may have to get cheaper for it to viable to ship the OS on these discs with Mac notebooks, though the cost of the card and card slot is surely less than the cost of the optical drive itself. Finally, wait for the internet to evolve a little more.
They could always ship the MBA’s USB optical drive with machines or sell it as a fairly cheap option. It’s been at $99 since it came out, but that price could easily be dropped after so long and if many more were being sold.
I may not be the norm, as I so use the very handy USB method to install/reinstall OS X, but I really don’t see many people using optical media anymore. I predict that within 2 years we’ll start seeing an exodus to optical drive-less notebooks.
PS: Just think of all that port-side real estate that get freed up when it’s gone. that is 5” of per goodness… assuming Apple actually utilizes it. Plus, having to engineer around a large, power-hungry drive that always sit at the edge of the machine has to be a fairly major limitation.
I think people expect the drive to be there more than they use it..
But still, all Apple has to say is it's not really needed anymore, it's time to drop it, and if that's the truth, then most of the buyers will go along with it.
Quote:
On top of that, in my previous MacBook, the first time I went to use after owning it a year or so, I found that it was broken. I have to wonder if all those moving parts make it cost center for Apple repair.
I'm sure Apple knows that if servicing them is costing them a lot or not.
Quote:
I may not be the norm, as I so use the very handy USB method to install/reinstall OS X, but I really don’t see many people using optical media anymore. I predict that within 2 years we’ll start seeing an exodus to optical drive-less notebooks.
PS: Just think of all that port-side real estate that get freed up when it’s gone. that is 5” of per goodness… assuming Apple actually utilizes it. Plus, having to engineer around a large, power-hungry drive that always sit at the edge of the machine has to be a fairly major limitation.
It may surprise you, but I think two years is a reasonable time frame to drop it.
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap. Edge space for a couple more ports is one thing, there's a lot of depth there. They can probably spread the heat sink more and make the whole thing a bit thinner and still have plenty of room for more battery. Heck, another MagSafe input on the other edge would be nice, sometimes the extra foot makes a big difference for me.
But still, all Apple has to say is it's not really needed anymore, it's time to drop it, and if that's the truth, then most of the buyers will go along with it.
True. Many will complain at first. We?ll hear Apple is doomed, but historically others follow suit. Look at the floppy drive. Even the MBA, which many seemed to deemed DOA, has been copied multiple times in its short life.
Quote:
I'm sure Apple knows that if it's costing them a lot or not.
I?m sure they do. I can only make assumptions based on my experience with optical drives and technical downsides, like an open slot and many moving parts.
Quote:
It may surprise you, but I think two years is a reasonable time frame to drop it.
If they go with Blu-ray as an option in notebooks I think it changes the ease in which they can remove the whole thing later. This is part of my reasoning for thinking Apple will not offer it.
Quote:
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap. Edge space for a couple more ports is one thing, there's a lot of depth there. They can probably spread the heat sink more and make the whole thing a bit thinner and still have plenty of room for more battery.
Intel?s SSDs are 7mm thick, compared to the 9.5mm for the current HDDs and optical drives used in their notebooks. Apple love there thin machines. This, of course, would make the battery thinner, thus requiring more area for the same mAh. I thought that more aggressive cooling may take up more space, but separating the heat may be sufficient.
Perhaps they are waiting for the cost per GB to drop closer to HDDs and for capacities to increase. Adding SD card slots this late in the game seemed odd to me; I can?t help but wonder if there is some future-forward reasoning that we are not yet privy to.
Quote:
Heck, another MagSafe input on the other edge would be nice, sometimes the extra foot makes a big difference for me
I know what you are saying. It can be an annoyance.
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap.
This might be a clue to what Apple would do with a light and thin Pro notebook that foregos the optical drive if they decide to go with a machine that has the power of a MBP but with the design of the MBA.
Note that this notebook, to get it as close to how a MBP ships is $1,189 which includes $150 for Win7 Ultimate and $25 for the backlit keyboard. Still, not back considering it has a 2.4GHz C2D. The external optical drive sells for $90 and the external optical drive with Blu-ray ROM is $165.
One limitation I see for Dell and others is that they likely can?t ship the OS on anything other than a DVD, while Apple has the option of using a 8GB read-only SD card for the OS.
Instead of making a complete change to their MBP, it may behoove Apple to just offer a new line of machines that fit the build until it?s time to discontinue the others.
PS: Some will say that the MBA is for such people, but it?s too thin, thus requiring and ULV C2D, instead of just removing the optical drive and using the extra space more effectively.
Your right. FireWire should be in *all* computers and it should stay in there forever regardless of whether the target market really has any FireWire devices to attach to it.
So what that pretty much all video cameras and removable hard drives are USB now? If one guy somewhere with a FireWire hard drive wants Firewire 400 ports, they should be there dammit! Because they are not making that thing for the majority, they are making it for me, and people like me who still have some FireWire devices and just don't want to switch or buy new gear.
I know that FireWire is on all the MacBook Pros, but even though I like the superiority that comes with using expensive FireWire devices, I'm cheap. I want to be able to buy the lowest-end, cheapest, entry-level MacBook and have it come with all the ports that a professional user would expect.
Apple is supposed to be building consumer products and I'm a consumer so I should always get exactly what I want. In fact if they don't give me everything I think I want, they aren't doing their job right, and it's probably evidence that the company itself is going to fail. This is because my experience is basically the yardstick by which everything must be decided.
Comments
So, you've implemented USB Target Disk Mode somehow?
Why bother? You can pop the hard drive out in about two minutes.
Why bother? You can pop the hard drive out in about two minutes.
Why bother? You can plug a USB flash drive or HDD in and boot into OS X in 2 seconds.
Didn't think a unibody plastic laptop was feasible, I'll have to see one in person...
Agreed.
Of all the previous white MBs I have seen in the past, the downside ... the two areas where your palms rest on, turns yellow, then sepia. To maintain total whiteness, you'd have to wear gloves (minus the diamonds) like Michael Jackson (RIP)
I just took my 2007 C2D MB apart for cleaning [talk about dirty]. While it's not difficult it does take time and the top part is a bitch to take off especially if it hasn't been removed ever. You know it's a bitch when you need a credit card to even get in there.
Even though I wouldn't touch it with the still lame GPU, this new MB is very well built. I think it should be $150 cheaper though.
Quoting myself. I take back my comment because I had a very nice hands-on experience with the new MB today. Man that thing is solid. Gorgeous plastic lol If they can charge what they're charging for Vaio's then that MB price is not bad at all. If the MB only had a better GPU.
Agreed.
Of all the previous white MBs I have seen in the past, the downside ... the two areas where your palms rest on, turns yellow, then sepia. To maintain total whiteness, you'd have to wear gloves (minus the diamonds) like Michael Jackson (RIP)
I have a three year old MacBook, and mine is nearly as white as the day I bought it. My wife's (2 years old) is not yellowing either as neither are several of my friends with MacBooks.
Quoting myself. I take back my comment because I had a very nice hands-on experience with the new MB today. Man that thing is solid. Gorgeous plastic lol If they can charge what they're charging for Vaio's then that MB price is not bad at all. If the MB only had a better GPU.
Well that's good to hear. I ordered the new MB from the Apple Store online yesterday, and will giving my 3 year old MB to the kids (now that will be a durability test)
Personally, as an avid Mac user at the consumer level.... the lack of a Firewire port doesn't bother me in the least, as I no longer own any FW devices. Also I'm actually very happy about the removal of the IR & Apple Remote, now I don't have to worry about my MB responding to my Logitech Harmony commands to my Apple TV when in the same room
So, you've implemented USB Target Disk Mode somehow?
You don't need to.
You've never done this, have you?
Also I'm actually very happy about the removal of the IR & Apple Remote, now I don't have to worry about my MB responding to my Logitech Harmony commands to my Apple TV when in the same room
System Preferences » Security » General tab » Disable remote control infrared receiver
System Preferences » Security » General tab » Disable remote control infrared receiver
I kind of figured that there had to be a way to disable it.... it was just always easier to block the sensor with something within reach.
Anyway.... it was something I never used and it's removal doesn't bother me in the least.
As always, I am horrified at the dead space that is the optical drive. Empty space for a disk to spin in, even though it's rarely there - and the size of a football field.
I think you're the first person to mention this problem in all the threads here about the new MacBook, so maybe it's not as big of a problem as you contend?
I think you're the first person to mention this problem in all the threads here about the new MacBook, so maybe it's not as big of a problem as you contend?
Maybe in these new MB threads, as I do see this as a dramatic future-forward change that should come to the Pro notebooks first, but it?s been stated many times throughout these forums over the years. Support seems to be growing, too.
Do I really need to post the MacBook x-ray picture again to show how outrageous this little used drive is? I?ll refrain from detailing its other shortcomings.
Maybe in these new MB threads, as I do see this as a dramatic future-forward change that should come to the Pro notebooks first, but it’s been stated many times throughout these forums over the years. Support seems to be growing, too.
Do I really need to post the MacBook x-ray picture again to show how outrageous this little used drive is? I’ll refrain from detailing its other shortcomings.
I know people have complained in the past, but even then it was somewhat sporadic.
I'm not saying it isn't large, it's probably the third largest device, after the screen & battery. But my point is, maybe people in general are using it more often than the detractors suggest? If it really is so little used and so unnecessary, wouldn't Apple have pulled the plug on it already? So maybe, just maybe, the people that have a problem with the drive being there might not represent the typical consumer just yet?
There are five threads linked to articles that talk about the MacBook in some way, and it took until now for someone to complain about the existence of the drive. It wasn't a secret either, the slot was plainly visible in several of the pictures.
I'm not saying it isn't large, it's probably the third largest device, after the screen & battery. But my point is, maybe people in general are using it more often than the detractors suggest? If it really is so little used and so unnecessary, wouldn't Apple have pulled the plug on it already? So maybe, just maybe, the people that have a problem with the drive being there might not represent the typical consumer?
There are five threads linked to articles that talk about the MacBook in some way, and it took until now for someone to complain about the existence of the drive. It wasn't a secret either, the slot was plainly visible in most of the pictures.
I think people expect the drive to be there more than they use it.. I haven’t used it at all in the last year, despite reinstalling OS X several times.
On top of that, in my previous MacBook, the first time I went to use after owning it a year or so, I found that it was broken. I have to wonder if all those moving parts make it cost center for Apple repair.
Since is obsessed with weight, thinness, and going green, I have to wonder if it’s not in their sites. I am saying that it doesn’t have its uses, but for I don’t know of anyone that uses it often anymore. I think Apple may be holding off on Blu-ray for so long for two reasons: 1) to not support a competing video format that is best served in the living room, anyway; 2) to not have to support optical media for another decade.
There seem to be some factors that may have to happen in order for optical drives to start disappearing from notebooks. SSDs may have to get larger in capacity while being closer to HDDs in cost per GB. Cheap 8GB SD cards may have to get cheaper for it to viable to ship the OS on these discs with Mac notebooks, though the cost of the card and card slot is surely less than the cost of the optical drive itself. Finally, wait for the internet to evolve a little more.
They could always ship the MBA’s USB optical drive with machines or sell it as a fairly cheap option. It’s been at $99 since it came out, but that price could easily be dropped after so long and if many more were being sold.
I may not be the norm, as I so use the very handy USB method to install/reinstall OS X, but I really don’t see many people using optical media anymore. I predict that within 2 years we’ll start seeing an exodus to optical drive-less notebooks.
PS: Just think of all that port-side real estate that get freed up when it’s gone. that is 5” of per goodness… assuming Apple actually utilizes it. Plus, having to engineer around a large, power-hungry drive that always sit at the edge of the machine has to be a fairly major limitation.
I think people expect the drive to be there more than they use it..
But still, all Apple has to say is it's not really needed anymore, it's time to drop it, and if that's the truth, then most of the buyers will go along with it.
On top of that, in my previous MacBook, the first time I went to use after owning it a year or so, I found that it was broken. I have to wonder if all those moving parts make it cost center for Apple repair.
I'm sure Apple knows that if servicing them is costing them a lot or not.
I may not be the norm, as I so use the very handy USB method to install/reinstall OS X, but I really don’t see many people using optical media anymore. I predict that within 2 years we’ll start seeing an exodus to optical drive-less notebooks.
PS: Just think of all that port-side real estate that get freed up when it’s gone. that is 5” of per goodness… assuming Apple actually utilizes it. Plus, having to engineer around a large, power-hungry drive that always sit at the edge of the machine has to be a fairly major limitation.
It may surprise you, but I think two years is a reasonable time frame to drop it.
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap. Edge space for a couple more ports is one thing, there's a lot of depth there. They can probably spread the heat sink more and make the whole thing a bit thinner and still have plenty of room for more battery. Heck, another MagSafe input on the other edge would be nice, sometimes the extra foot makes a big difference for me.
But still, all Apple has to say is it's not really needed anymore, it's time to drop it, and if that's the truth, then most of the buyers will go along with it.
True. Many will complain at first. We?ll hear Apple is doomed, but historically others follow suit. Look at the floppy drive. Even the MBA, which many seemed to deemed DOA, has been copied multiple times in its short life.
I'm sure Apple knows that if it's costing them a lot or not.
I?m sure they do. I can only make assumptions based on my experience with optical drives and technical downsides, like an open slot and many moving parts.
It may surprise you, but I think two years is a reasonable time frame to drop it.
If they go with Blu-ray as an option in notebooks I think it changes the ease in which they can remove the whole thing later. This is part of my reasoning for thinking Apple will not offer it.
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap. Edge space for a couple more ports is one thing, there's a lot of depth there. They can probably spread the heat sink more and make the whole thing a bit thinner and still have plenty of room for more battery.
Intel?s SSDs are 7mm thick, compared to the 9.5mm for the current HDDs and optical drives used in their notebooks. Apple love there thin machines. This, of course, would make the battery thinner, thus requiring more area for the same mAh. I thought that more aggressive cooling may take up more space, but separating the heat may be sufficient.
Perhaps they are waiting for the cost per GB to drop closer to HDDs and for capacities to increase. Adding SD card slots this late in the game seemed odd to me; I can?t help but wonder if there is some future-forward reasoning that we are not yet privy to.
Heck, another MagSafe input on the other edge would be nice, sometimes the extra foot makes a big difference for me
I know what you are saying. It can be an annoyance.
I too would be interested in knowing what they do with the space when they do make the leap.
This might be a clue to what Apple would do with a light and thin Pro notebook that foregos the optical drive if they decide to go with a machine that has the power of a MBP but with the design of the MBA.Note that this notebook, to get it as close to how a MBP ships is $1,189 which includes $150 for Win7 Ultimate and $25 for the backlit keyboard. Still, not back considering it has a 2.4GHz C2D. The external optical drive sells for $90 and the external optical drive with Blu-ray ROM is $165.
One limitation I see for Dell and others is that they likely can?t ship the OS on anything other than a DVD, while Apple has the option of using a 8GB read-only SD card for the OS.
Instead of making a complete change to their MBP, it may behoove Apple to just offer a new line of machines that fit the build until it?s time to discontinue the others.
PS: Some will say that the MBA is for such people, but it?s too thin, thus requiring and ULV C2D, instead of just removing the optical drive and using the extra space more effectively.
Your right. FireWire should be in *all* computers and it should stay in there forever regardless of whether the target market really has any FireWire devices to attach to it.
So what that pretty much all video cameras and removable hard drives are USB now? If one guy somewhere with a FireWire hard drive wants Firewire 400 ports, they should be there dammit! Because they are not making that thing for the majority, they are making it for me, and people like me who still have some FireWire devices and just don't want to switch or buy new gear.
I know that FireWire is on all the MacBook Pros, but even though I like the superiority that comes with using expensive FireWire devices, I'm cheap. I want to be able to buy the lowest-end, cheapest, entry-level MacBook and have it come with all the ports that a professional user would expect.
Apple is supposed to be building consumer products and I'm a consumer so I should always get exactly what I want. In fact if they don't give me everything I think I want, they aren't doing their job right, and it's probably evidence that the company itself is going to fail. This is because my experience is basically the yardstick by which everything must be decided.
Hallelujah, brother. Testify!