New MacBook case leaks question FireWire's future

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  • Reply 221 of 321
    Hey I use this port on my MacBook Pro to sync my iPod Photo. If there was only a Firewire 800 port, I'd have to buy an adapter to get back the functionality I already have!
  • Reply 222 of 321
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by merdhead View Post


    The port you marked Firewire doesn't have the Firewire symbol on it, it has the display port symbol on it, unless my eyes are failing me.



    It looks to have the symbole for a dual display on it, making it a Mini-DVI connector. The port size fits in-line with it, too.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a human View Post


    Is the taped up hole not for the Magsafe adaptor?



    I think the MagSafe will be at the very back-side of the case, like with all other Mac notebooks. Since it'll be the most used cable putting it up front doesn't make much sense. Now, what is that circular hole next to the taped port? I'm think it's an eject button for some Apple proprietary 3G/WiMAX addition.
  • Reply 223 of 321
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by joshdrummer View Post


    Hey,

    does anyone know if there is such thing as wireless FW? if so, that may be what they are doing. Apple is a very practical company, they know what they're doing, and there is definetly a logical explanation for the missing firewire. Plus, keep in mind that those photos might be prototypes, or even fake. But just keep in mind that apple is a company- that many people call and most of us believe- that is 50 years ahead of the industry.



    You're probably talking about the next thing after 802.11n or a much faster, extended range Bluetooth... Not likely Apple will be announcing this on Oct 14, though.
  • Reply 224 of 321
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Yes, gentlemen, if you have transferred anything between two Macs or PCs with GigabitEthernet, you won't go back to FW400.



    Now most people will just get a "fast" USB2.0 drive of some description.



    At the risk of offending many people I'd say, the time has come. USB2.0, FW800 or GigE. I love FW400, but it's time has come.



    So many of the new HD consumer cameras use USB now... I hate it, but, whady'a going to do about that...



    Why the F*K has nobody come out with a standardised FW800~esque~USB3.0~esque thingy? USB 2.0 as it is, is pretty crap when it comes to supplying power. Endless looking for hubs, etc. etc. nonsense.



    Can't they make a USB3.0 spec, that people will follow, with enough juice to drive, a nice fast 7200rpm portable drive???



    Oh, and here's a brilliant idea, I believe FW came up with it, a long, long time ago... DAISY CHAINING. Did somebody along the way forget about that when they went ape-sh1t crazy with USB? You need like five million ports on your PCs nowadays. WTF? Is it a power draw issue when you daisy chain USB?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    Called Time Machine overnight via wireless to my Time Capsule or in a pinch via GigE...which should be as fast or faster than FW400 in the real world given there's nothing but the mac plugged in directly to the Time Capsule.



    "One disappointment in this area: the performance of the Maxtor OneTouch’s FireWire 400 port actually lagged that of its USB port in the Duplicate File and Low Memory tests, which is atypical in a hard drive. Seagate, Maxtor’s parent company, attributes the test results to new Leopard drivers that have improved the transfer rate of USB 2.0."



    http://www.macworld.com/article/1318...onetouch4.html



    Don't assume that just because you have a FW drive that it works any faster than it would using USB2.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Herrbutzie View Post


    Very bad move if no Firewire on the MacBook.



    Most of you writing here have only mentioned using video cameras with Firewire. Have you forgotten about backing up your internal boot drive to an external drive.



    There are two types of computer users Those who have lost data and those who will.



    USB 2.0 is so far inferior to Firewire when it comes to reading and writing data it becomes laughable when real life comparisons are made. Check out Barefeats comparison FW vs USB read write test http://www.barefeats.com/usb2



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jarodsix View Post


    I STRONGLY disagree with leaving out FW ports on macbook (and on any product).

    Apple is evolving backwards for some time, have you noticed?



    NO BUY for the new MB if no FW ports. Period.



  • Reply 225 of 321
    matt_smatt_s Posts: 300member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    So is this "Mini DisplayPort" an industry standard, or is it yet another result of Apple's obsession with proprietary display connectors?



    Yeah, remember ADC? It was sort of the precursor to HDMI



    There were at least 2 or 3 monitors out of about 150 I was looking at last week that had a DisplayPort connector. I think we'll probably see more in 2009 but like the ones I saw, most will likely be high end monitors.



    My damn heart sunk into my stomach when I learned that 1394a has been stripped from these new MacBooks. External hard drives & camcorders can no longer be bus powered - start toting extra power adapters! Great - more weight to carry. USB is such a PITA.



    What a disappointment, I have been waiting for mid-October for months to buy a new laptop. The MBP's are too huge to schlep around the planet, 15" just doesn't cut on the airline seat back tray, and now, the MB's are too stripped down, meaning even more weight must be lugged. I am totally bummed out.



    I need a whole new travel strategy. That Fujitsu miniature is starting to look good, and that bums me out even more...
  • Reply 226 of 321
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by matt_s View Post


    Yeah, remember ADC? It was sort of the precursor to HDMI



    There were at least 2 or 3 monitors out of about 150 I was looking at last week that had a DisplayPort connector. I think we'll probably see more in 2009 but like the ones I saw, most will likely be high end monitors.



    My damn heart sunk into my stomach when I learned that 1394a has been stripped from these new MacBooks. External hard drives & camcorders can no longer be bus powered - start toting extra power adapters! Great - more weight to carry. USB is such a PITA.



    What a disappointment, I have been waiting for mid-October for months to buy a new laptop. The MBP's are too huge to schlep around the planet, 15" just doesn't cut on the airline seat back tray, and now, the MB's are too stripped down, meaning even more weight must be lugged. I am totally bummed out.



    I need a whole new travel strategy. That Fujitsu miniature is starting to look good, and that bums me out even more...



    FW800 to FW400 9-pin to 6-pin cable FTW? Sorry to hear that, hopefully the 15" has lost a bit of weight.
  • Reply 227 of 321
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    So is this "Mini DisplayPort" an industry standard, or is it yet another result of Apple's obsession with proprietary display connectors?



    I think what we're seeing is the industry-wide Mini-DVI, not a Mini-DisplayPort which doesn't appear to exist. For starters, I don't think Apple could use a Mini-DisplayPort name in any such way; instead they would have to make their own port type and use their own naming convention (Mini-ACD?). Secondly, DisplayPort is already small enough that there is no need to have a a 'mini" version, unlike DL-DVI which is quite large and bulky for a notebook.



    PS: The use of Mini-DVI on these 15" Mac notebooks leads me to believe that Apple will be offering a 15" MacBook, probably with an IGP for those (like me) who find the Intel X4500 perfectly suitable for doing all graphic related tasks. I would hope that the MBPs will be using DisplayPort or HDMI for both the speed and and the svelte size of the connector.



    PPS: ~28 hours until we find out for certain.
  • Reply 228 of 321
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by palegolas View Post


    If Firewire is dropped completely from the Consumer laptops it simply means that Apple has investigated the usage of FireWire amongst average consumers and come to a conclusion that they don't use it. They use USB peripherals and USB drives.



    Since FireWire fucked up with their inconsistency with port design lost a great deal of average consumers and peripherals to the USB side that has had the same port ever since its introduction. I prefer Firewire though, and I'm sad to see it's being neglected on both the Air and MacBooks. Since it's a must have for me. Bad Apple. Bad Firewire.



    I agree with you. I find myself using FW less and less on my notebooks. In fact, since I have all intel gear now I don't even worry about FW. I have some FW800 drives from my iMacs but that is it. I am curious why we don't have esata. That is speed.
  • Reply 229 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by matt_s View Post


    ....



    External hard drives & camcorders can no longer be bus powered - start toting extra power adapters! Great - more weight to carry. USB is such a PITA.



    ....



    I'm using bus-powered USB hard disk drives. Essentially every 2.5" USB portable is bus-powered.
  • Reply 230 of 321
    What's with all the apologists here? If I'm buying a $1000 MacBook, I want it to have FireWire. So FireWire is on its way out, you say, most peripherals have USB anyway, and only professionals need it and they will choose a "Pro" MacBook over the normal MacBook. What kind of crap talk is that? There is a huge crowd of people who have invested in FireWire peripherals. This is not a small "professional" crowd. While Apple is focussing on new-to-Mac users now, the longtime Mac users who want to buy a new computer is still big. And Apple needs the loyal base. Apple is just screwing them over. There is a huge crowd of people who have bought DV and HDV cameras that work only over FireWire (on the Mac, anyway). These cameras may only be one year old. Heck, you can still buy consumer HDV camera's from Sony and Canon, and these need FireWire. So Apple just screws them over. Heck, Apple even sells Final Cut Express for these people who use HDV, and also sells Logic Express. These are targeted at normal consumers who want to do a bit more. So these people with a HDV and DV camcorders, or home enthusiast musicians using these apps are screwed when they want to buy an entry level Mac notebook? They should just buy an iMac or an even more expensive MacBook Pro, you say? Because what's a couple more hundreds of dollars for these people anyway, right?



    Apple also did this with iPod owners, when they ditched FireWire (12V) battery charging. Now the new iPods won't even charge with most of the sound docks, car stereo systems, and more. People have invested in their iPod system, and the Made for iPod logo doesn't mean anything. Apple has screwed them over. All these old, and even new iPod Docks are useless when you buy a new iPod. Heck, even Apple's own iPod HiFi system doesn't charge your new iPod anymore. Great! What you say: Just buy a new Dock? Or simply don't buy a new iPod? And buy a second hand on eBay when you do need a new one?



    Some people can only buy one new computer. Say you have $1000-1199 to spend as a consumer. You can either buy a MacBook or an iMac. The price is about same. If you need a portable, you scrap the iMac. But you won't be getting FireWire for the same price? You have to buy an expensive Pro designated piece of equipment just to get that FireWire in a portable? I'm sorry, but these people who are saying that scrapping FireWire on the MacBook is something insignificant are just laughable to me.



    Having said all of this, I do think that Apple could be introducing a combo Ethernet/FireWire port (S800T).
  • Reply 231 of 321
    matt_smatt_s Posts: 300member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


    FW800 to FW400 9-pin to 6-pin cable FTW? Sorry to hear that, hopefully the 15" has lost a bit of weight.



    Actually, I use a 9pin to 6pin 1394 cable for most external drives with my BlackBook now.



    It's not only the weight of the 15" (it is about half a pound heavier than the MB). It's the screen size. It just doesn't fit on the seat back tray, and I'm on a flight somewhere 4 or 5 times a week.



    If you have a MBP and the person in front of you decides to put their seat back and snooze, your work is over for the rest of the flight. You're done. At least with the 13" you can keep working.



    I was actually hoping for a 13" MacBook PRO without a DVD drive. Real, manly IO, big time storage capabilities & a hot-swappable battery. Instead, I get a laptop made for the teenage crowd.



    I need a new laptop desperately. I waited too long for this October event. Since the MBP is too big to travel, and the MB is soon to be stripped of key functionality - since I must now live without that key functionality anyway, why not get something really travel friendly?



    Left: Kensington Lock Slot, AC Power, VGA, LAN, 2 USB, Firewire, Headphone/Mic



    Right: PC Card Slot, Optical Drive, 1 USB, Modem



    ...and it's only 2.9 pounds. Since it uses 2.5 SATA drives, I can plunk a 300 GB in there.



    Formatted for Linux, it might be a nice travel companion. I dunno, I've always used MacOS, going back to an old PowerBook 140. But I've never seen their equipment get so stripped down before, it's a real bummer...
  • Reply 232 of 321
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by merdhead View Post


    The port you marked Firewire doesn't have the Firewire symbol on it, it has the display port symbol on it, unless my eyes are failing me.



    That looks like the symbol for a MINI-DVI port to me. Which also fits into the exact port size of Mini-DVI.

  • Reply 233 of 321
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rolo View Post


    There are such things as USB to FireWire adapters so I don't know what the fuss is about. Apple might even include one. Here's one model on the market that hooks up to FireWire camcorders:







    I actually think it would be possible to make a universal usb to firewire bridge if you do it at a system level. Everyone say it's impossible, but I think it's about effort, determination and smart software/hardware engineering. But I haven't heard of any one out today though. However this one pictured above is ONLY for connecting an NTSC DV camera. A separate version for connecting a PAL DV camera. That's how specific it gets. It gets messy with a lot of converters for special needs.
  • Reply 234 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mcarling View Post


    Making the optical drive an external option would have the following effect on the specs:

    - lower price

    - lighter weight

    - smaller footprint

    - better battery life





    I'm sending this from my MacBook Air connected to an external monitor in extended desktop mode.





    Redesigning the MacBook Air's case to accommodate a more easily removable battery would require either making the battery smaller or making the MacBook Air thicker and heavier. I prefer the battery as is. I hope 4GB will soon be an option at purchase, but Apple will not add removable RAM to the MacBook Air.



    Intel 950 and X3100 CAN DO EXTENDED DISPLAY! HOWEVER they can only extend display in the native resolution of the main display.
  • Reply 235 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cory Bauer View Post


    Precisely. Unless the 15" MacBook Pro is going to start at $1299, the cost of having a portable system for on the road editing just increased significantly since the 13" MacBook will no longer be an option. What makes this even more frustrating is that the Macbook will finally have dedicated graphics, which would have significantly improved Final Cut Studio performance.



    What if these 2 case designs are for a 13" & 15" MacBook & we haven't even seen the Pros yet?



    One more day to find out.
  • Reply 236 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hezekiahb View Post


    What if these 2 case designs are for a 13" & 15" MacBook & we haven't even seen the Pros yet?



    One more day to find out.



    Yeah, early tomorrow morning, go to the Apple Store and read the sign "Sorry, we're closed, be back later".
  • Reply 237 of 321
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xwiredtva View Post


    Intel 950 and X3100 CAN DO EXTENDED DISPLAY! HOWEVER they can only extend display in the native resolution of the main display.



    That is not true (the second part of the above statement). The 950 and X3100 can extend the display to resolutions other than that of the main display.
  • Reply 238 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by applebook View Post


    Regarding the size differences between the MB and the MBP to musicians, I guess the issue is paranoia, not reality.



    The fact remains that the MBP is...what...10% larger? Probably not even, but then again, if you desperately want to believe something, then you can.



    Carrying around an extra .4lb and barely 1"x1" is not a big deal for those of us who are...um...not 80lb teens.







    Look at THAT difference! I'm sorry, but the size argument is ridiculous to most rational people.



    THIS is size difference:







    Yea... NOW use the Mini-Note for about 4hrs then pull the MBP back on your lap. Wanna talk about feeling like a small kid again. I used my HP 2133 for about 3 days straight then pulled out the 13" macbook to get some work done in photoshop/iwork... My gosh did I feel like a 5yr old in size.



    Nice, Ubuntu.... Nice...
  • Reply 239 of 321
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    It would be stupid to continue using Mini DVI or Micro DVI now that MIni HDMI is available, is industry standard, and seems to be smaller than Apple's proprietary connectors:



    http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/mini.aspx



    But then again, Apple might try to introduce another proprietary connector like "Nano HDMI" or "Micro DisplayPort".



    The optical drive should be made removable so users can take it out and put in other accessories like a second battery or second hard drive.



    DisplayPort is industry standard. Just because PC based systems don't come with them doesn't mean squat (aside from PC's are cheap POS). Displayport can run VGA, DVI, HDMI, and it's all Vid/Aud in one cable. It's also 1080i/p compatible and is capable of running OLED displays with 100% accuracy....



    One thing that's not really mentioned much yet about DisplayPort is it's integrated USB connectivity for such things as Touch Displays and Display's with USB Hubs.
  • Reply 240 of 321
    matt_smatt_s Posts: 300member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xwiredtva View Post


    Yea... NOW use the Mini-Note for about 4hrs then pull the MBP back on your lap. Wanna talk about feeling like a small kid again. I used my HP 2133 for about 3 days straight then pulled out the 13" macbook to get some work done in photoshop/iwork... My gosh did I feel like a 5yr old in size.



    Nice, Ubuntu.... Nice...



    You're missing the point. The difference in height between 15" and 13" is significant on the aircraft seat back tray. It's not only the height of the LCD but the space that the base absorbs.



    The difference is simple to explain: if the person if front of you lowers their seat, and you have a MBP, your work comes to a halt.



    I miss my PB G4 12", it was a fantastic travel machine.



    Why does Apple make us make hard choices as to what we're willing to give up, what features, functionality, work flow and equipment we're willing to surrender?



    Why can't we have robust IO in a small form factor, why must we compromise so much? How can Fujitsu jam 3 USB & a 1394 into a 12.1" form factor at 2.9 lbs but Apple can't get one 1394 & 2 USB into a 13" unit?



    Why does innovation now simply mean de-featuring, stripping out functionality?
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