Give me a Blu-ray equipped MacBook Pro in some fancy new casing!
I'd rather see a dual format drive. Should be doable, but maybe not as a writer.
There is really no sense in Apple taking sides in this little competition. I do wish that Apple would deliver with the drives the software required to produce your own HiDef videos. Of course this implies a BlueRay or HD writer, which would likely mean a single format disk drive.
"We have been focussing a lot on our software lately and, well, some people have been saying we've been neglecting our hardware. Well, not any more.
"Today, to start 2008 on the right foot, and keep the Mac momentum going, I am announcing a refresh of *every single Mac model.*
"Let's start with the iMac. The iMac was just updated recently and we're pretty happy with it, but we have heard the feedback and would like to announce two new BTO options for the iMac today. A matte screen for the Pros and a more powerful video card for the gamers. We think that with these two new options the iMac should be able to satisfy just about everyone out there.
"Next up: the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro was a great deal when it first came out, but the world has moved on. It is time for an update. We have been working closely with Intel to ensure we leapfrog the competition, and today I would like to announce an all-new Mac Pro, build from the ground up on the Intel's latest technology: Penryn."
"Now on to the Mac mini. The Mac mini filled an important gap in it's time, but we feel that with our improved efficiency the iMac is now cheap enough for everyone. As a result today we will be discontinuing the Mac mini. We also feel this will make the choice simpler for consumers over the holiday season."
I'm feeling pessimistic so I'm going to predict all the worst things that can happen so that I can be proven wrong hopefully.
iChat for the iPhone with the usual backstage chat with Phil...and all of Europe will sigh a huge 'meh' because it doesn't do msn and is therefore completely pointless, still, not that it matters as the iPhone still won't be 3G.
Steve will unveil AppleTV2 with a built in tuner that only works in the USA, and announce content deals with NBC or ABC or whatever US network that nobody with a brain cares about anyway, and still no content deals with any European networks or movie companies. Zero content before, zero after. Or maybe well get more American shows like 'When Obese People Attack!!'
New Cinema displays finally but with glossy screens, which nobody doing any decent work wants.
Glossy only screens on the MacBookPro.
No more firewire.
A cheesy silver mouse to match the cheesy silver iMac...but not the cheesy silver keyboard.
Death of the Mac Mini to which AppleInsider will crow that they predicted it, forgetting that they've been doing that for over a year.
The XMac arrives, but the XMac weenies still complain they could build one cheaper themselves from a shoe box, three yoghurt pots and an old Etch-a-Sketch and still play Halo Death Wotsit 17 faster than a Mac.
iTunes 8 attains full sentience and takes over your Mac entirely before it ushers in the reign of the robots.
The Cinema display will have the isight too and an ipod dock.
I've actually thought about the silver mouse though and I think it has to happen. The keyboard and case of the iMac are now silver and the mouse is looking badly out of place. Hopefully they go some way to improving the mouse itself.
I don't think it would be a bad thing for the xMac to arrive but it will have a lot of expectations to live up to. I could see a reaction similar to what you are suggesting where people will say things like 'no, they've done the cube all over again'. If that happened, it would be a disaster because then they'd never do it again. They'd also lose a lot of respect because if they can't make a good product with the hardware they have access to now, they just shouldn't be making computers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ascii
I would like to see the "Hardware Macworld."
Definitely. They've been focused too much on their gimmicky rubbish that nobody wants to hear about. We need some interesting news on the stale hardware.
Trouble is, I've stopped caring now. I used to be interested enough in the events to watch and see what new exciting thing was coming out. I don't even think I'll watch the feeds this year because all the last events have gradually killed my inner child.
Apple is sadly becoming a company aimed at idiot consumers who don't even need what they offer. They consistently under-deliver on the professional front with bad price/performance ratios and slow updates and limit the professional lineup to overpriced models.
On the consumer end, they deliver products that the consumer market has no need for. Does grandma really need a Core 2 Duo CPU with a 20" display that costs £800? Of course not, my mum gets by with a 15" 350MHz iMac that is worth about £50 if I'm lucky.
I think they need to start re-assessing who they are actually making their computers for these days and build them properly to satisfy those markets.
If they want to aim for pros then stop building stupid AIOs that have no place in the professional community. If they want to target consumers then drop the prices.
Well we know they have agents that patrol these rumor sites fastidiously, waiting with trigger-happy fingers to assult them with Cease and Desist letters...
You'd think there would be research agents that try to gauge what there's a market for... y'know... tally up the number of times people request certain products or something? The mid-tower has been talked about a LOT recently... more than I ever remember.
And that likely being the case...............
**waves** Hi market research people!!! Yeah, I'm talking to you... Not exactly a one-way mirror or anything...
Take the hint! MINI TOWER! Not necessarily $1000.... that's maybe a bit cheap, but maybe something at around $1500 where the PowerMac USED to be?? Sounds reasonable to me...
If Apple put Blu-ray drives into Macs I think they could really help end the format war. And since Apple is on the Blu-ray board (don't they have to pay or put some money into it?) they wouldn't be hurt by putting out Blu-ray-equipped Macs.
If Apple put Blu-ray drives into Macs I think they could really help end the format war. And since Apple is on the Blu-ray board (don't they have to pay or put some money into it?) they wouldn't be hurt by putting out Blu-ray-equipped Macs.
I think Apple is somewhat format agnostic. Being on the DVD board means that they can participate in the HD DVD format too.
I would like the whole mess to settle out, but I don't think Apple would be a catalyst for that.
If Apple put Blu-ray drives into Macs I think they could really help end the format war. And since Apple is on the Blu-ray board (don't they have to pay or put some money into it?) they wouldn't be hurt by putting out Blu-ray-equipped Macs.
Blu-ray will never happen unless you want a $4,000 laptop! HDDVD has aleady won. Toshiba laptops already have them. Plus the porn industry has chosen HD DVD- need I say more?
I saw a BestBuy flyer this week or last that had Blu-Ray notebooks from two brands for $1000 and $1500.
That's not really true.
1.)BS_ Sony BLU-Ray laptop= $3,000. And if Sony is $3,000 them Mac would be at least $4,000 or more. What brands are you talking about?
2.)"not really true"? It's either true or false. And it is true that the porn industry has chosen HD DVD because the HD DVDs s are easier to produce and the drives are cheaper as well.
NOw I grant you that Bl-ray may be better format but then so was Beta over VHS. And VHS won because of many reasons but #1 was VHS Porn.
2.)"not really true"? It's either true or false. And it is true that the porn industry has chosen HD DVD because the HD DVDs s are easier to produce and the drives are cheaper as well.
I mean there's not really a consensus, it's definitely not exclusive for the entire industry. Part of the original story was based on FUD.
The pressed discs are very comparable in pressing cost, last I saw, $2/disc plus or minus a dime for both formats.
The players being cheaper so far have not pushed enough disc sales.
Comments
Hello? Is this thing on?
$1,000 Mac tower, please.
Hello? Is this thing on?
No it's off!
Give me a Blu-ray equipped MacBook Pro in some fancy new casing!
I'd rather see a dual format drive. Should be doable, but maybe not as a writer.
There is really no sense in Apple taking sides in this little competition. I do wish that Apple would deliver with the drives the software required to produce your own HiDef videos. Of course this implies a BlueRay or HD writer, which would likely mean a single format disk drive.
Dave
"We have been focussing a lot on our software lately and, well, some people have been saying we've been neglecting our hardware. Well, not any more.
"Today, to start 2008 on the right foot, and keep the Mac momentum going, I am announcing a refresh of *every single Mac model.*
"Let's start with the iMac. The iMac was just updated recently and we're pretty happy with it, but we have heard the feedback and would like to announce two new BTO options for the iMac today. A matte screen for the Pros and a more powerful video card for the gamers. We think that with these two new options the iMac should be able to satisfy just about everyone out there.
"Next up: the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro was a great deal when it first came out, but the world has moved on. It is time for an update. We have been working closely with Intel to ensure we leapfrog the competition, and today I would like to announce an all-new Mac Pro, build from the ground up on the Intel's latest technology: Penryn."
"Now on to the Mac mini. The Mac mini filled an important gap in it's time, but we feel that with our improved efficiency the iMac is now cheap enough for everyone. As a result today we will be discontinuing the Mac mini. We also feel this will make the choice simpler for consumers over the holiday season."
Knowing Apple they'd likely do Blu-ray standard on the two more expensive models and perhaps a "low-end" SuperDrive on the cheapest Mac.
Cost prohibitive unless it's a BTO only configuration.
They should have 3 BTO Options with pricing options for HD-DVD, BluRay & HD-DVD/BluRay Hybrid drives.
SuperDrive DL already being standard on MacBook Pro's would be nice to see them across the entire line of MacBook models.
BTO for these new disc specifications seems the only option until their prices become reasonable.
Apple has other areas to address to make the systems more attractable across all their systems.
We have been hampered long enough with video card standards.
That must be addressed first before we worry about addressing a disc drive option for the latest standards.
I still see Apple working more closely with AMD seeing as they are the only one on the UEFI effort compared to nVidia--still lacking a presence.
http://www.uefi.org/about/
Apple needs support for the latest OpenGL 2.x enabled cards across the board for both Gaming and Engineering/Sciences.
I am hoping for the most impressive keynote ever.
Every year's keynote is the most impressive of all.
I'm feeling pessimistic so I'm going to predict all the worst things that can happen so that I can be proven wrong hopefully.
iChat for the iPhone with the usual backstage chat with Phil...and all of Europe will sigh a huge 'meh' because it doesn't do msn and is therefore completely pointless, still, not that it matters as the iPhone still won't be 3G.
Steve will unveil AppleTV2 with a built in tuner that only works in the USA, and announce content deals with NBC or ABC or whatever US network that nobody with a brain cares about anyway, and still no content deals with any European networks or movie companies. Zero content before, zero after. Or maybe well get more American shows like 'When Obese People Attack!!'
New Cinema displays finally but with glossy screens, which nobody doing any decent work wants.
Glossy only screens on the MacBookPro.
No more firewire.
A cheesy silver mouse to match the cheesy silver iMac...but not the cheesy silver keyboard.
Death of the Mac Mini to which AppleInsider will crow that they predicted it, forgetting that they've been doing that for over a year.
The XMac arrives, but the XMac weenies still complain they could build one cheaper themselves from a shoe box, three yoghurt pots and an old Etch-a-Sketch and still play Halo Death Wotsit 17 faster than a Mac.
iTunes 8 attains full sentience and takes over your Mac entirely before it ushers in the reign of the robots.
I've actually thought about the silver mouse though and I think it has to happen. The keyboard and case of the iMac are now silver and the mouse is looking badly out of place. Hopefully they go some way to improving the mouse itself.
I don't think it would be a bad thing for the xMac to arrive but it will have a lot of expectations to live up to. I could see a reaction similar to what you are suggesting where people will say things like 'no, they've done the cube all over again'. If that happened, it would be a disaster because then they'd never do it again. They'd also lose a lot of respect because if they can't make a good product with the hardware they have access to now, they just shouldn't be making computers.
I would like to see the "Hardware Macworld."
Definitely. They've been focused too much on their gimmicky rubbish that nobody wants to hear about. We need some interesting news on the stale hardware.
Trouble is, I've stopped caring now. I used to be interested enough in the events to watch and see what new exciting thing was coming out. I don't even think I'll watch the feeds this year because all the last events have gradually killed my inner child.
Apple is sadly becoming a company aimed at idiot consumers who don't even need what they offer. They consistently under-deliver on the professional front with bad price/performance ratios and slow updates and limit the professional lineup to overpriced models.
On the consumer end, they deliver products that the consumer market has no need for. Does grandma really need a Core 2 Duo CPU with a 20" display that costs £800? Of course not, my mum gets by with a 15" 350MHz iMac that is worth about £50 if I'm lucky.
I think they need to start re-assessing who they are actually making their computers for these days and build them properly to satisfy those markets.
If they want to aim for pros then stop building stupid AIOs that have no place in the professional community. If they want to target consumers then drop the prices.
$1,000 Mac tower, please.
Hello? Is this thing on?
Ahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Well we know they have agents that patrol these rumor sites fastidiously, waiting with trigger-happy fingers to assult them with Cease and Desist letters...
You'd think there would be research agents that try to gauge what there's a market for... y'know... tally up the number of times people request certain products or something? The mid-tower has been talked about a LOT recently... more than I ever remember.
And that likely being the case...............
**waves** Hi market research people!!! Yeah, I'm talking to you... Not exactly a one-way mirror or anything...
Take the hint! MINI TOWER! Not necessarily $1000.... that's maybe a bit cheap, but maybe something at around $1500 where the PowerMac USED to be?? Sounds reasonable to me...
*adds a tally*
-Clive
Give me a Blu-ray equipped MacBook Pro in some fancy new casing!
That's what I'm screamin'
We also feel this will make the choice simpler for consumers over the holiday season."
What holiday season? MacWorld is in January, after the holidays.
Unless you celebrate Valentine's Day with Macs???
Or perhaps Ground Hog Day...if old whathisname sees his shadow, new Macs for everyone!!!
If Apple put Blu-ray drives into Macs I think they could really help end the format war. And since Apple is on the Blu-ray board (don't they have to pay or put some money into it?) they wouldn't be hurt by putting out Blu-ray-equipped Macs.
I think Apple is somewhat format agnostic. Being on the DVD board means that they can participate in the HD DVD format too.
I would like the whole mess to settle out, but I don't think Apple would be a catalyst for that.
I wonder what he will wear???????????
I wonder how many times he'll say "sweet"!
If Apple put Blu-ray drives into Macs I think they could really help end the format war. And since Apple is on the Blu-ray board (don't they have to pay or put some money into it?) they wouldn't be hurt by putting out Blu-ray-equipped Macs.
Blu-ray will never happen unless you want a $4,000 laptop! HDDVD has aleady won. Toshiba laptops already have them. Plus the porn industry has chosen HD DVD- need I say more?
Give me a Blu-ray equipped MacBook Pro in some fancy new casing!
That'll cost you $5,000.
Blu-ray will never happen unless you want a $4,000 laptop! HDDVD has aleady won. Toshiba laptops already have them.
I saw a BestBuy flyer this week or last that had Blu-Ray notebooks from two brands for $1000 and $1500.
Plus the porn industry has chosen HD DVD- need I say more?
That's not really true.
I wonder how many times he'll say "sweet"!
The bingo card should have a spot for "boom".
I saw a BestBuy flyer this week or last that had Blu-Ray notebooks from two brands for $1000 and $1500.
That's not really true.
1.)BS_ Sony BLU-Ray laptop= $3,000. And if Sony is $3,000 them Mac would be at least $4,000 or more. What brands are you talking about?
2.)"not really true"? It's either true or false. And it is true that the porn industry has chosen HD DVD because the HD DVDs s are easier to produce and the drives are cheaper as well.
NOw I grant you that Bl-ray may be better format but then so was Beta over VHS. And VHS won because of many reasons but #1 was VHS Porn.
1.)BS_ Sony BLU-Ray laptop= $3,000. And if Sony is $3,000 them Mac would be at least $4,000 or more.
If you meant like Dell or HP, then you might be right, but Sony and Apple are priced comparably. Sony's all-in-ones even cost more than Apple's.
What brands are you talking about?
Sony and Acer. The ad said $1500 for the Sony, the other brand had $1000.
Ad:
http://www.demaagd.com/bbad.jpg
Acer:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1193234282708
Sony:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1188560396687
2.)"not really true"? It's either true or false. And it is true that the porn industry has chosen HD DVD because the HD DVDs s are easier to produce and the drives are cheaper as well.
I mean there's not really a consensus, it's definitely not exclusive for the entire industry. Part of the original story was based on FUD.
The pressed discs are very comparable in pressing cost, last I saw, $2/disc plus or minus a dime for both formats.
The players being cheaper so far have not pushed enough disc sales.
From NewEgg: Blu-Ray ready Laptops:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220210
ASUS G Series G2S-Extreme NoteBook Intel Core 2 Extreme X7800(2.60GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $3,349.99
Weight: 9.6 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220206
ASUS Lamborghini VX2S-A2Y NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 15.4"
Cost: $3,069.00
Weight: 5.6 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834117592
SONY VAIO AR Series VGN-AR690U NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $3,069.99
Weight: 8.4 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147512
HP Compaq 8710w(RM265UT#ABA) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $3,079.99
Weight: 7.5 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147516
HP Compaq 8510w(RM259UT#ABA) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 15.4"
Cost: $2,649.99
Weight: 6.1 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147511
HP Compaq 8710w(RM302UT#ABA) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $2,999.99
Weight: 7.5 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115343
Acer TravelMate TM8210-6632 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7200(2.00GHz) 15.4"
Cost: $2,799.99
Weight: 6.6 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147516
HP Compaq 8510w(RM259UT#ABA) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 15.4"
Cost: $2,649.99
Weight: 6.1 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147508
HP Compaq 8710p(RM255UT#ABA) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $2,449.99
Weight: 7.55 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834110290
Fujitsu LifeBook N6460(FPCM61057) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 17.0"
Cost: $2,799.99 (Special at $2,449.99)
Weight: 10.58 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834117578
SONY VAIO FZ Series VGN-FZ285U/B NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T7500(2.20GHz) 15.4"
Cost: $1,899.99
Weight: 6.1 lbs.
Specs:
Model
Brand \tSONY
Series \tVAIO FZ Series
Model \tVGN-FZ285U/B
General
Operating System \tWindows Vista Ultimate
CPU Type \tIntel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.20G
Screen \t15.4" WXGA
Memory Size \t2GB DDR2
Hard Disk \t250GB
Optical Drive \tBlu-ray Disc / Super Multi
Graphics Card \tNVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory \t1023MB (Total Available Graphics Memory)
Communication \tModem, LAN and WLAN
Card slot \t1 x ExpressCard /34 Slot
Battery Life \t2.5 to 5.5 hours
Dimensions \t14.01" x 10.02" x 0.98-1.4"
Weight \t6.1 lbs.
Tech \tIntel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology
CPU
CPU Type \tIntel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed \tT7500(2.20GHz)
CPU FSB \t800MHz
CPU L2 Cache \t4MB
Display
Screen Size \t15.4"
Wide Screen Support \tYes
LCD Features \tXBRITE-HiColor technology
Display Type \tWide XGA
Resolution \t1280 x 800
Operating Systems
Operating System \tWindows Vista Ultimate
Graphics
GPU/VPU \tNVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory \t1023MB (Total Available Graphics Memory)
Graphic Type \tDedicated Card
Hard Drive
HD Capacity \t250GB
HD RPM \t4200rpm
HD Interface \tSATA
Memory
Memory Speed \tDDR2 667
Memory Size \t2GB
Max Memory Supported \t4GB
Memory Spec \t1GB x 2
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type \tBlu-ray Disc / Super Multi
Optical Drive Interface \tIntegrated
Optical Drive Spec \tDVD+R DL Write : 2.4x max.
DVD-R DL Write : 2x max.
DVD+R Write : 8x max.
DVD+RW Write : 4x max.
DVD-R Write : 8x max.
DVD-RW Write : 4x max.
CD-R Write : 8x max.
CD-RW Write : 8x max.
CD Read : 24x max.
DVD Read : 8x max.
DVD-RAM Read : 5x max.
DVD-RAM Write : 5x max.
BD-ROM Read : 2x max
BD-R Read : 2x max
BD-R DL Read : 1.6x max
BD-RE Read : 2x max
BD-RE DL Read : 1.6x max
BD-R Write : 2x max
BD-R DL Write : 1x max
BD-RE Write : 2x max
BD-RE DL Write : 1x max
Communications
Modem \tIntegrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11)
LAN \t10/100Mbps
WLAN \tIntel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection (802.11a/b/g/n)
Ports
Card Slot \t1 x ExpressCard /34 Slot
USB \t3
IEEE 1394 \t1
Video Port \t1 x VGA, 1 x S-Video TV-out, 1 x HDMI
Audio Ports \t1 x Microphone jack; 1 x Headphone jack
Audio
Audio \tSony Sound Reality - Audio Enhancer
Built-in microphone
Speaker \tInternal Speakers
Input Device
Touchpad \tYes
Keyboard \tStandard
Supplemental Drive
Card Reader \tMultimedia Card Reader:
One Memory Stick Duo media with MagicGate functionality
One Secure Digital Media (SD)
Webcam \tBuilt-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE camera
Power
Battery \tStandard Lithium-ion Battery (VGP-BPS2B)
Battery Life \t2.5 to 5.5 hours
Physical spec
Dimensions \t14.01" x 10.02" x 0.98-1.4"
Weight \t6.1 lbs.
Manufacturer Warranty
Parts \t1 year limited
Labor \t1 year limited
-------
Apple's Current MacBook Pros weight in at 5.4 lbs and 6.8 lbs.
XEON Processor Systems sold from NewEgg are slim pickens:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9279&name=XEON
None of them offer Blu-Ray.
Only 2 Blu-Ray Burner Options:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ray+DVD+Burner
Baseline price starts at $450 and it's definitely not a SuperDrive Form Factor which will increase the cost.
Cheapest Blu-Ray ROM drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135158
Cost: $269.99
Too bad it's just for reading BluRay discs.
List of Drives off the Wikipedia Site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_DVD#...HD_DVD_devices
Some of these standalone drives are asininely priced.
CompUSA has a few Blu-Ray Options:
http://www.compusa.com/products/products.asp?N=201348
--------
HD-DVD Slimline Burner from Toshiba
http://sdd.toshiba.com/main.aspx?Pat...Specifications
I can see a modified version of this being something Apple would be interested in offering as a BTO.
https://usm.channelonline.com/ntw/st...?id=M004175819
Cost: $439.00
-----------------
I just see the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD as both being BTO in the near term and not standard until SONY starts to play hardball and slash their prices.