This. The new MB looks nice and sturdy, and recalls some of the stlye of the iBook, but not all.
I agree. I purchased a G3 iBook in its first iteration after the clam shell orange and blue.
It was a beautiful machine for its time. I got quite a few admiring looks and compliments. I then bought the first intel MacBook and was very pleased with it (after upgrading to 2gig of RAM).
It is still going strong and has only needed one battery change. (Which Apple store gave me free-out of warranty, I might add!) Actually, the battery was given to my 5'11" blonde, 'cool drink of water' daughter! Go figure! Oh, Apple replaced the inside top due to discoloration for free, also.
Anyway, I can see the point of $200 more and you get a MacBookPro...Apple never makes the choices easy, except to always buy Apple, that is!
I kinda agree I was expecting a price cut which would make the macbook somewhere within the 600-800 range probably around 700 to make more of a distance in price between the macbook and the macbook pro. Was kinda upset when they didn't lower the price because I thought they would. Pricing it $699 or so would have been an incredibly smart move.
its because the 13 inch MBP used to be the unibody macbook, and for an extra 200 dollars the new macbook is not really worth getting other than a fashion statement which is cool if you like it but functionality-wise I think most people think it should not be so close in cost to the 13 inch macbook pro. Not to mention it was kind of expected the price would be lowered on it taking it out of the $1000 price range
I don't think the $200 is as big a "no-brainer" as some think. I personally would opt for the MBP, but for those who don't need FW or an SD-slot, they should save themselves $200 unless the aluminum is that much more attractive to them. This MacBook will be a huge hit, but I agree that it should be priced further apart from the entry MBP.
$949 (retail, not edu) looks much nicer, Apple. Come on.
Seems that they're reaching trying to differentiate from the 13" MBP. Lose firewire, infrared remote, SD slot, backlit keyboard, external battery power indicator, aluminum case etc. The 13" MBP seems like a much better deal.
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. Most companies that have it are using 100mbit ethernet. A dongle attached to a 480mbit USB port suffices. But USB 2.0 can't hold a candle to the performance of firewire 800 (15MB/sec vs. 80MB/sec) for external hard drives). No other port on the machine lets you make up that speed loss. Until USB 3.0 or Lightpeak (3x faster than USB3.0) come along, losing fw800 is a big limitation.
Missing from the new $999 unibody MacBook is a backlit keyboard (which all MacBook Pros now have);
Man Apple is hell bent on keeping backlit KBs a "Pro" feature. It's a bit strange to me because the recent MBs are fairly close to being essentially plastic MBPs and besides the case design this is the only feature that seems to be unique to the MBP. Why is a backlit KB such a "Pro" feature? It's a just an led.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Oh shiny
Apple's plastic notebooks have always been shiny, but the new model looks to be about as glossy from every angle as could be possible. That means after a few weeks, it will likely begin looking like a broken-in pair of comfortable jeans unless it is handled like the Hope Diamond.
While I actually love the design of the new MB the shiny plastic has always forced one to use third party protectors or risk having a very scratched MB. Unfortunately these protectors add a lot of bulk to what is supposed to be light. I think I'd prefer the black G3 material instead or at least the choice of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dm3
Seems that they're reaching trying to differentiate from the 13" MBP. Lose firewire, infrared remote, SD slot, backlit keyboard, external battery power indicator, aluminum case etc. The 13" MBP seems like a much better deal.
True. As I said above they are very similar and keeping features like a Backlit KB are one of the small ways I guess they are doing that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dm3
Does anyone use ethernet anymore?
Are you kidding? I guess you haven't read the memo on potential WiFi effects on health. Especially to children who have soft crania. WiFi is too new to provide definitive medical studies. It will take a while for those studies to be conclusive but I have no doubt that WiFi is not good for you. I have an Airport Express and never use it for my MB. I prefer to use an ethernet cable even if it's 40ft. I get better bandwidth anyway via ethernet. I use the Airport for the iPod Touch only and even then the iPod Touch's WiFi is always off unless I'm downloading an app.
EDIT: Ah you mean replace it with a dongle or something. Are those dongles reliable?
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. \\
Good point! I think you're right. Apple will get rid of this and supply a $29 'dongle' for a while as they did for....err....what was that called? Oh, yeah, 'Dial-up!' (for AOL and Hotmail users!')
For the extra $200 I?d go for the aluminium MBP which is lighter, thinner, has the IR sensor, FW800, SD card slot, battery indicator, backlit keyboard and much better display.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
So the Pro has a backlit KB but smaller HD? Something is very odd about that.
Hmmm MB owners download more media but MBP owners have external HD's? Maybe that's their thinking. Still it doesn't make sense. The hardware is the same. They could've equipped the MBP with 500GB. This will obviously be updated in the next MBP to be larger than the MB's don't you think? Maybe it's simply a result of the MB being updated later than the MBP?
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. Most companies that have it are using 100mbit ethernet. A dongle attached to a 480mbit USB port suffices. But USB 2.0 can't hold a candle to the performance of firewire 800 (15MB/sec vs. 80MB/sec) for external hard drives). No other port on the machine lets you make up that speed loss. Until USB 3.0 or Lightpeak (3x faster than USB3.0) come along, losing fw800 is a big limitation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by christopher126
Good point! I think you're right. Apple will get rid of this and supply a $29 'dongle' for a while as they did for....err....what was that called? Oh, yeah, 'Dial-up!' (for AOL and Hotmail users!')
Dm3 makes a pretty good argument for FW800 over Ethernet, but I think that Apple was reducing the non-essentials from the MB anyway, and I don?t think FW is commonly used with Apple?s new customers.
Though I wouldn?t want to lose 1000BASE-T as it is the fastest rated port right now. Maybe when USB3.0 gets added they can go that route. I think a 3rd USB would be more useful, especially if I can still get 1000BASE-T for my home network when over it, minus a little USB overhead.
They have a USB-to-100BASE-T dongle for the MBA for $29. I have no idea if it works for other machines.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
Nice catch. You have to with the $50 upgrade to the get the 250GB HDD. Hmm? I?d say it?s still worth the upgrade but it does obviously make it a little less enticing.
I have to admit, I was secretly delighted when I saw christopher126's first post.
I didn't expect to find Blackadder fans on a predominantly US website.
I watch quite a bit British TV despite being an American residing in America. Torrents are lifesaver for this as BBC America is slow to air, thought they have gotten better.
Black Adder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, Dr. Who, Coupling, Top Gear, Q.I. and my guilty pleasures, X-Factor and How Not To Live Your Life. There are of course the ones that were popular on our PBS TV station in the US. Oddly, I never really liked Monty Python.
I watch quite a bit British TV despite being an American residing in America. Torrents are lifesaver for this as BBC America is slow to air, thought they have gotten better.
Black Adder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, Dr. Who, Coupling, Top Gear, Q.I. and my guilty pleasures, X-Factor and How Not To Live Your Life. There are of course the ones that were popular on our PBS TV station in the US. Oddly, I never really liked Monty Python.
I know what you mean, torrents work a treat.
Some great shows there - I'm glad you found QI, I didn't realise anyone over here had heard of that. Looks like you are a real Stephen Fry fan. You might want to check this out:
It's a topical news quiz (a bit like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, on NPR), which obviously isn't going to be that topical now, but it's Stephen Fry at his best.
I also recommend you check out a show called Peep Show. You'll find torrents of it - this is British comedy at it's most innovative and in places, most funny.
Some great shows there - I'm glad you found QI, I didn't realise anyone over here had heard of that. Looks like you are a real Stephen Fry fan. You might want to check this out:
It's a topical news quiz (a bit like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, on NPR), which obviously isn't going to be that topical now, but it's Stephen Fry at his best.
I also recommend you check out a show called Peep Show. You'll find torrents of it - this is British comedy at it's most innovative and in places, most funny.
Q.I. I learned about from a Brit I met while traveling in Asia. The Wikipedia page has good detail if you scratch your head trying to recall some of the facts.
I have been told to check that out by one of the posters here. But I just haven’t gotten around to it. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.
Oh yeah, I forget Little Britain and Da Ali G Show, but they went to HBO so it’s not uncommon for Americans to have heard of those at this point.
For the extra $200 I?d go for the aluminium MBP which is lighter, thinner, has the IR sensor, FW800, SD card slot, battery indicator, backlit keyboard and much better display.
I heard the displays are the same. Even so, I think the rest is worth the $200, but keep in mind the hard drive is smaller in the Pro.
Comments
This. The new MB looks nice and sturdy, and recalls some of the stlye of the iBook, but not all.
I agree. I purchased a G3 iBook in its first iteration after the clam shell orange and blue.
It was a beautiful machine for its time. I got quite a few admiring looks and compliments. I then bought the first intel MacBook and was very pleased with it (after upgrading to 2gig of RAM).
It is still going strong and has only needed one battery change. (Which Apple store gave me free-out of warranty, I might add!) Actually, the battery was given to my 5'11" blonde, 'cool drink of water' daughter! Go figure!
Anyway, I can see the point of $200 more and you get a MacBookPro...Apple never makes the choices easy, except to always buy Apple, that is!
I kinda agree I was expecting a price cut which would make the macbook somewhere within the 600-800 range probably around 700 to make more of a distance in price between the macbook and the macbook pro. Was kinda upset when they didn't lower the price because I thought they would. Pricing it $699 or so would have been an incredibly smart move.
its because the 13 inch MBP used to be the unibody macbook, and for an extra 200 dollars the new macbook is not really worth getting other than a fashion statement which is cool if you like it but functionality-wise I think most people think it should not be so close in cost to the 13 inch macbook pro. Not to mention it was kind of expected the price would be lowered on it taking it out of the $1000 price range
I don't think the $200 is as big a "no-brainer" as some think. I personally would opt for the MBP, but for those who don't need FW or an SD-slot, they should save themselves $200 unless the aluminum is that much more attractive to them. This MacBook will be a huge hit, but I agree that it should be priced further apart from the entry MBP.
$949 (retail, not edu) looks much nicer, Apple. Come on.
ever heard of profit?
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. Most companies that have it are using 100mbit ethernet. A dongle attached to a 480mbit USB port suffices. But USB 2.0 can't hold a candle to the performance of firewire 800 (15MB/sec vs. 80MB/sec) for external hard drives). No other port on the machine lets you make up that speed loss. Until USB 3.0 or Lightpeak (3x faster than USB3.0) come along, losing fw800 is a big limitation.
Missing from the new $999 unibody MacBook is a backlit keyboard (which all MacBook Pros now have);
Man Apple is hell bent on keeping backlit KBs a "Pro" feature. It's a bit strange to me because the recent MBs are fairly close to being essentially plastic MBPs and besides the case design this is the only feature that seems to be unique to the MBP. Why is a backlit KB such a "Pro" feature? It's a just an led.
Oh shiny
Apple's plastic notebooks have always been shiny, but the new model looks to be about as glossy from every angle as could be possible. That means after a few weeks, it will likely begin looking like a broken-in pair of comfortable jeans unless it is handled like the Hope Diamond.
While I actually love the design of the new MB the shiny plastic has always forced one to use third party protectors or risk having a very scratched MB. Unfortunately these protectors add a lot of bulk to what is supposed to be light. I think I'd prefer the black G3 material instead or at least the choice of it.
Seems that they're reaching trying to differentiate from the 13" MBP. Lose firewire, infrared remote, SD slot, backlit keyboard, external battery power indicator, aluminum case etc. The 13" MBP seems like a much better deal.
True. As I said above they are very similar and keeping features like a Backlit KB are one of the small ways I guess they are doing that.
Does anyone use ethernet anymore?
Are you kidding? I guess you haven't read the memo on potential WiFi effects on health. Especially to children who have soft crania. WiFi is too new to provide definitive medical studies. It will take a while for those studies to be conclusive but I have no doubt that WiFi is not good for you. I have an Airport Express and never use it for my MB. I prefer to use an ethernet cable even if it's 40ft. I get better bandwidth anyway via ethernet. I use the Airport for the iPod Touch only and even then the iPod Touch's WiFi is always off unless I'm downloading an app.
EDIT: Ah you mean replace it with a dongle or something. Are those dongles reliable?
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. \\
Good point!
One less 'wire' seems to be where Apple is going!
For the extra $200 I?d go for the aluminium MBP which is lighter, thinner, has the IR sensor, FW800, SD card slot, battery indicator, backlit keyboard and much better display.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
So the Pro has a backlit KB but smaller HD? Something is very odd about that.
Hmmm MB owners download more media but MBP owners have external HD's? Maybe that's their thinking. Still it doesn't make sense. The hardware is the same. They could've equipped the MBP with 500GB. This will obviously be updated in the next MBP to be larger than the MB's don't you think? Maybe it's simply a result of the MB being updated later than the MBP?
Does anyone use ethernet anymore? I'd rather see that port ditched. Most companies that have it are using 100mbit ethernet. A dongle attached to a 480mbit USB port suffices. But USB 2.0 can't hold a candle to the performance of firewire 800 (15MB/sec vs. 80MB/sec) for external hard drives). No other port on the machine lets you make up that speed loss. Until USB 3.0 or Lightpeak (3x faster than USB3.0) come along, losing fw800 is a big limitation.
Good point!
Dm3 makes a pretty good argument for FW800 over Ethernet, but I think that Apple was reducing the non-essentials from the MB anyway, and I don?t think FW is commonly used with Apple?s new customers.
Though I wouldn?t want to lose 1000BASE-T as it is the fastest rated port right now. Maybe when USB3.0 gets added they can go that route. I think a 3rd USB would be more useful, especially if I can still get 1000BASE-T for my home network when over it, minus a little USB overhead.
They have a USB-to-100BASE-T dongle for the MBA for $29. I have no idea if it works for other machines.
But.... the MB Pro does have a smaller HD. 160G vs 250G. Just one place the MB out did the MB Pro.
Nice catch. You have to with the $50 upgrade to the get the 250GB HDD. Hmm? I?d say it?s still worth the upgrade but it does obviously make it a little less enticing.
That is one tacky laptop.
BRING BLACK BACK.
this would look much better (and much less tackier) in matte black. it would probably appear thinner too.
i think Apple is worried that if they brought black back it may cannibalize sales of the 13" MBP.
BRING BLACK BACK.
this would look much better (and much less tackier) in matte black. it would probably appear thinner too.
Haven't you heard, 'White is the new black!'
The few times I saw a black MB it seemed to get 'shiny' on the track pad and where the palms rest.
Haven't you heard, 'White is the new black!'
The few times I saw a black MB it seemed to get 'shiny' on the track pad and where the palms rest.
But this reminds me of the old iPod that would scratch if you touched them. Remember the Apple ice cream? http://www.radtech.us/Products/IceCreme.aspx
Now leak is a positively disgusting word.
Now leak is a positively disgusting word.
These posts make me smile. Black Adder Goes Forth is certainly my favourite of the series.
These posts make me smile. Black Adder Goes Forth is certainly my favourite of the series.
I have to admit, I was secretly delighted when I saw christopher126's first post.
I didn't expect to find Blackadder fans on a predominantly US website.
I have to admit, I was secretly delighted when I saw christopher126's first post.
I didn't expect to find Blackadder fans on a predominantly US website.
I watch quite a bit British TV despite being an American residing in America. Torrents are lifesaver for this as BBC America is slow to air, thought they have gotten better.
Black Adder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, Dr. Who, Coupling, Top Gear, Q.I. and my guilty pleasures, X-Factor and How Not To Live Your Life. There are of course the ones that were popular on our PBS TV station in the US. Oddly, I never really liked Monty Python.
I watch quite a bit British TV despite being an American residing in America. Torrents are lifesaver for this as BBC America is slow to air, thought they have gotten better.
Black Adder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, Dr. Who, Coupling, Top Gear, Q.I. and my guilty pleasures, X-Factor and How Not To Live Your Life. There are of course the ones that were popular on our PBS TV station in the US. Oddly, I never really liked Monty Python.
I know what you mean, torrents work a treat.
Some great shows there - I'm glad you found QI, I didn't realise anyone over here had heard of that. Looks like you are a real Stephen Fry fan. You might want to check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8UuA...er_profilepage
It's a topical news quiz (a bit like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, on NPR), which obviously isn't going to be that topical now, but it's Stephen Fry at his best.
I also recommend you check out a show called Peep Show. You'll find torrents of it - this is British comedy at it's most innovative and in places, most funny.
I know what you mean, torrents work a treat.
Some great shows there - I'm glad you found QI, I didn't realise anyone over here had heard of that. Looks like you are a real Stephen Fry fan. You might want to check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8UuA...er_profilepage
It's a topical news quiz (a bit like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, on NPR), which obviously isn't going to be that topical now, but it's Stephen Fry at his best.
I also recommend you check out a show called Peep Show. You'll find torrents of it - this is British comedy at it's most innovative and in places, most funny.
Q.I. I learned about from a Brit I met while traveling in Asia. The Wikipedia page has good detail if you scratch your head trying to recall some of the facts.
I have been told to check that out by one of the posters here. But I just haven’t gotten around to it. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.
Oh yeah, I forget Little Britain and Da Ali G Show, but they went to HBO so it’s not uncommon for Americans to have heard of those at this point.
For the extra $200 I?d go for the aluminium MBP which is lighter, thinner, has the IR sensor, FW800, SD card slot, battery indicator, backlit keyboard and much better display.
I heard the displays are the same. Even so, I think the rest is worth the $200, but keep in mind the hard drive is smaller in the Pro.