MacBook gets better screen; Final Cut 2 delay; Mac speaker fix
An updated to Apple's MacBook line on Tuesday came bearing price reductions for Europeans. Meanwhile, Apple appears as if it will miss a self-imposed ship deadline for the new Final Cut Studio 2 software suite. And separately, the company has promised a software update to patch a chronic speaker glitch in Mac OS X.
Latest MacBooks may bring stronger LCDs
Italians who received news of the spring 2007 MacBook update directly from Apple may have also been tipped off as to a change in the 13.3-inch displays used for the systems.
In its announcement, Apple Italy listed a 250cd/m2 brightness figure for the top 2.16GHz black model. The company has previously refrained from mentioning the display's specifications in the past, suggesting that the brightness was a selling point for at least the top system.
Europe as a whole also saw the price of the systems drop despite the change, with each system dipping 70 Euros to 1,049, 1,249, and 1,449 Euros respectively.
Final Cut Studio 2 shipping delayed
Apple has given signs that its Final Cut Studio 2 video editing tools will slip past their intended May release window.
Visitors to Apple's online Apple Store who place new orders are told that both the full version and its two upgrades will ship within 2-3 weeks, putting deliveries into early June. And despite showing an intended release date of May 15th, Amazon as of this writing is currently listing a 1-3 week shipping timeframe for new buyers.
No explanation has been given by Apple for the delay.
Update: Apple on Wednesday began shipping new license copies of Final Cut Studio 2. However, upgrade packages still reflect estimated ship times of 2 to 3 weeks.
Apple vows to fix speaker issue
Meanwhile, Apple is aware of and intends to fix a problem with the volume of the internal speakers on at least some Macs, including last fall's Core 2 Duo iMacs.
Owners of affected systems have complained that the built-in speakers have become too loud since the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update issued earlier in the year. The problem has become chronic and some customers have complained that Apple has taken a dismissive approach until today, denying that the patch was the root of the problem until the company privately admitted this month that its next software update should provide a cure.
"Not all Apple users enjoy being blown away by their systems nor are they from the generation that believes “loud” is the norm," said one report. "There has been no explanation as to why Apple took the direction it did in regards to this issue."
Latest MacBooks may bring stronger LCDs
Italians who received news of the spring 2007 MacBook update directly from Apple may have also been tipped off as to a change in the 13.3-inch displays used for the systems.
In its announcement, Apple Italy listed a 250cd/m2 brightness figure for the top 2.16GHz black model. The company has previously refrained from mentioning the display's specifications in the past, suggesting that the brightness was a selling point for at least the top system.
Europe as a whole also saw the price of the systems drop despite the change, with each system dipping 70 Euros to 1,049, 1,249, and 1,449 Euros respectively.
Final Cut Studio 2 shipping delayed
Apple has given signs that its Final Cut Studio 2 video editing tools will slip past their intended May release window.
Visitors to Apple's online Apple Store who place new orders are told that both the full version and its two upgrades will ship within 2-3 weeks, putting deliveries into early June. And despite showing an intended release date of May 15th, Amazon as of this writing is currently listing a 1-3 week shipping timeframe for new buyers.
No explanation has been given by Apple for the delay.
Update: Apple on Wednesday began shipping new license copies of Final Cut Studio 2. However, upgrade packages still reflect estimated ship times of 2 to 3 weeks.
Apple vows to fix speaker issue
Meanwhile, Apple is aware of and intends to fix a problem with the volume of the internal speakers on at least some Macs, including last fall's Core 2 Duo iMacs.
Owners of affected systems have complained that the built-in speakers have become too loud since the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update issued earlier in the year. The problem has become chronic and some customers have complained that Apple has taken a dismissive approach until today, denying that the patch was the root of the problem until the company privately admitted this month that its next software update should provide a cure.
"Not all Apple users enjoy being blown away by their systems nor are they from the generation that believes “loud” is the norm," said one report. "There has been no explanation as to why Apple took the direction it did in regards to this issue."
Comments
"Dammit!" - Jack Bauer
Next software update? Is this implying a 10.4.10???
Great, so now I got used to a little volume bump, Apple is going to take it away...
The old displays on the MacBook were 250 cd /m2 (nits) too. It used to be on one of the pages on the US site too (but not the one I saved before the launch).
And you know what I did to rectify the "issue" if I thought the sound was blaring? I used the volume control and TURNED IT DOWN!
Oh, my God I never thought of that!
The lowest settings on my Core Duo iMac make any app with full-volume (e.g. max setting within iTunes) really too loud for many situations. And NO I do not like having to adjust each and every app I own to get a volume that isn't blaring even at the lowest setting.
What Apple should have done was make the loudest setting louder but kept the low settings as is...
Let's hope with the delay of Leopard that we DO we 10.4.10 as opposed to waiting until October to have this problem fixed.
Apple's stock has gotten slammed today, no doubt this helped contribute.
"Dammit!" - Jack Bauer
It didn't really get slammed. The Nasdaq was down as a whole. I don't think you can say that helped contribute at all.
Apple - as if though you're reading this - please, please, please don't turn the MacBook Pro back down to inaudible.
reinharden
What are these people smoking? I mean, I noticed as well that the speaker volume on my MBP increased after that update. I actually thought it was a welcome change. And you know what I did to rectify the "issue" if I thought the sound was blaring? I used the volume control and TURNED IT DOWN!
Great, so now I got used to a little volume bump, Apple is going to take it away...
The sound on my iMac is too loud at its lowest setting. Hopefully, they only tweak the iMacs, for your sake.
I too welcomed the increase in volume in 10.4.9 as my MacBook Pro was previously all but silent even at its loudest. I'm shamed to say that my girlfriend put aside the MacBook Pro in order to watch online videos on a Dell laptop because she couldn't hear the sound on the Mac.
Apple - as if though you're reading this - please, please, please don't turn the MacBook Pro back down to inaudible.
reinharden
I had a very similar problem with my MacBook. I couldn't hear a damn thing. I brought it to the Apple store SoHo and the guy cooly explained it away as "movies are mastered at lower volumes than pop music, so that's why you can't hear it". Which, while it is probably true, still gave no explanation as to why a computer so focused on being "dorm-friendly...30 feet away" had such a bad speaker system. </end rant>
The new edu discounts offer $100 off as opposed to the previous $50.
-=|Mgkwho
My FCS upgrade invoice, ordered day of, has always said ship by May 31st deliver by Jun 6
I had a very similar problem with my MacBook. I couldn't hear a damn thing. I brought it to the Apple store SoHo and the guy cooly explained it away as "movies are mastered at lower volumes than pop music, so that's why you can't hear it". Which, while it is probably true, still gave no explanation as to why a computer so focused on being "dorm-friendly...30 feet away" had such a bad speaker system. </end rant>
The movies may well be mastered at a lower level. But I could hear the movies on my Dell laptop (and my HP and my IBM laptops). Even at the highest volume, they were essentially inaudible on the MacBook Pro.
So I still think there was a volume problem that was fixed in 10.4.9. Alas, it apparently broke the volume on other machines. :-( Is it too much to hope for one fix that fixes both...
So, now that the arguably new MacBooks are released...when can I buy a black iMac?
reinharden
I'm using from work a Black MacBook Core2Duo 10.4.9. The speaker volume setting is just nice. The laptop "vibrates" a little on louder settings, a bit of "mini-subwoofer" effect too to give some bass boost. I have to say, I likey.
Having used the Black MacBook, once you go Black, you never go back...
It goes nice with my Black(+DarkBlue "dust") Logitech Wireless Mouse, TDK Black Headphones, my Black and Red/White Cap, Black Sony 17" LCD, Black/Grey Canon Printer, Black/Grey Canon Scanner, Black PC Tower, Black/Silver PC keyboard, Black Glass of my study table, yet still. It owns the other Black Hardware... 'coz it be a Mac. 8)
The movies may well be mastered at a lower level. But I could hear the movies on my Dell laptop (and my HP and my IBM laptops). Even at the highest volume, they were essentially inaudible on the MacBook Pro.
So I still think there was a volume problem that was fixed in 10.4.9. Alas, it apparently broke the volume on other machines. :-( Is it too much to hope for one fix that fixes both...
Umm... I would suggest y'all learn to use the Equalizer in iTunes and/or "Volume Adjustment" in iTunes File Info panel.
Yes, the mastering varies a lot especially for video. It's pretty complicated stuff unless you have had some experience with Compression (as in audible sound not data), Limiting, Normalization, EQ, and Dolby Digital/ DTS downsampling/ muxing.
So, now that the arguably new MacBooks are released...when can I buy a black iMac?
Word. That would be badass.
Why is everyone ignoring the education discount increase for MacBooks? Now the laptop is sub-$1000 with the discount!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The new edu discounts offer $100 off as opposed to the previous $50.
-=|Mgkwho
WORD.
An updated to Apple's MacBook line on Tuesday came bearing price reductions for Europeans. .... Europe as a whole also saw the price of the systems drop despite the change, with each system dipping 70 Euros to 1,049, 1,249, and 1,449 Euros respectively.
Come on Apple Asia !!! Discounts too!! Papa needs more comission on sell Apples.....!!!