You're correct, but it doesn't look like anyone's listening. Too many people are angry that Apple gave them almost everything on their wishlists, without realizing that their wishlists weren't economical for the price points Apple wants to sell at.
People just need to get an extra $500 together and buy a $1999 MacBook Pro. It's really that simple. If it's so important that people refuse to give up their FireWire devices, then they need to bite the bullet and upgrade.
I wasn't on a wishlist. It was already on the device, then removed like the said device was downgraded.
Don't see many people justifying upgrading to a more expensive device just for a firewire port that existed on old macbooks. Not in these economic times. Apple made a dumb decision.
When I brought up the firewire issue to the mac sales person she replied with "the previous macbooks only had firewire 400, and USB 2.0 is similar in speed"
Obviously, it's not similar in speed but still. Most people I know getting a Macbook do not use firewire, and I cringe when I say most becasue I know there are people out there that really need it. Also, the keyboard for the entry level (new) Macbook does not come with a backlight keyboard... really dumb, considering the keyboard is black.
They did take a step back in some departments and probably because of the profit margins of these new computers.
I wasn't on a wishlist. It was already on the device, then removed like the said device was downgraded.
You misread my post. For months, AI posters have publicly pined for aluminum construction, a multi-touch trackpad, Montevina, and better graphics chips on the MacBook level. Apple delivered exactly that. However, that drove up costs. Something had to be cut somewhere. The reality is that FireWire has never enjoyed success on the scale of USB and remains to this day a niche standard. For end user computing, you absolutely do not need FireWire: the Windows ecosystem gets by just fine with USB.
The applications listed in this thread--namely, video camera transfer and professional audio devices--are not in the domain of consumer computing. Thus, FireWire was removed from the MacBook. I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the reality of the market.
Quote:
Don't see many people justifying upgrading to a more expensive device just for a firewire port that existed on old macbooks. Not in these economic times. Apple made a dumb decision.
If FireWire is nearly as important as is being claimed, then the extra $400 to upgrade from the $1599 MacBook to the $1999 MacBook Pro is well worth the cost.
And, I'm frankly tired of hearing the "poor economy" canard. If the economy is so bad, why exactly are you in the market for an upper-tier computer? Your current machine clearly works fine, as you can post on AI using it. "The economy is poor" is not a justification for complaining that Apple no longer supports a niche standard in its consumer notebook line.
That computer isn't the Macbook's competition. The VAIO SR and XPS M1310 are, and neither can be had with equivalent features for less. In fact, they have inferior features, and in the case of the Sony, cost $250 more. You aren't seriously comparing a heavy 15" notebook to a subnotebook sized 13", are you?
If FireWire is nearly as important as is being claimed, then the extra $400 to upgrade from the $1599 MacBook to the $1999 MacBook Pro is well worth the cost.
And you, just like the other guy I just responded to are missing the point. Some of us want the Macbook because of the size of the computer. I don't want to carry around a 5.5lb notebook in my briefcase. There just isn't enough room for that and all the paperwork I carry. The Macbook Pro is not an option at any cost. I passed on the Air for the same reason in January, hoping that they would make the Macbook smaller. I would be willing to pay $2000 just to get Firewire on a computer this size, but they won't let me.
It's patently absurd. Almost as absurd as you asserting that video camera transfer isn't a consumer activity. So I guess that means that iMovie is used by Spielberg, right?
And you, just like the other guy I just responded to are missing the point. Some of us want the Macbook because of the size of the computer. I don't want to carry around a 5.5lb notebook in my briefcase. There just isn't enough room for that and all the paperwork I carry. The Macbook Pro is not an option at any cost. I passed on the Air for the same reason in January, hoping that they would make the Macbook smaller. I would be willing to pay $2000 just to get Firewire on a computer this size, but they won't let me.
Then you ought to be looking at clearance versions of the former $1299 MacBook.
Also, if space is an issue for you, why did you pass on the Air? It sounds to me like you should have an Air as your portable device and an iMac base station for your FireWire needs.
Quote:
It's patently absurd. Almost as absurd as you asserting that video camera transfer isn't a consumer activity. So I guess that means that iMovie is used by Spielberg, right?
I doubt Steven Spielberg uses FireWire to transfer footage from his production cameras. And as pointed earlier in the thread, there are plenty of consumer cameras with USB. FireWire is being dislodged from this market.
You have three options: get a MacBook Pro (and a larger bag), get a previous model MacBook, or get new equipment which uses USB and not FireWire.
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
While I agree with you in spirit. In reality is highly likely the MacBook is outselling that HP Pavilian with higher profit margins.
Do most consumers really want or care about firewire, card readers, express card slots, or HDMI ports?
I will agree that a lot of consumers don't care about firewire and to a lesser degree expresscard, but card readers and HDMI I have to disagree. I sold computers for a while and when I showed off all the ports that a specific laptop had the vast majority of customers didn't have a clue what firewire was for and only a handful knew what an expresscard slot was good for, but all except the most clueless customers knew what a card reader was useful for and a lot of customers even if they didn't know what an HDMI port looked like or what it was called were interested in being capable of hooking their laptop up to a television. Not all televisions have VGA, but even the cheap no name brand televisions have HDMI.
Considering the minute cost of a card reader(<$5) I am surprised Apple doesn't include one on their Macbook even if 90%+ of people didn't ever use them, which we know is being a little overzealous. Considering that Apple makes a good profit margin alienating even 10% of your potential market seems silly. Considering that Apple prides themselves on the digital lifestyle, you would think that a built in card reader for at least Secure Digital (by far the most popular memory card format) would be obvious, but after all these years it seems Steve Jobs is more concerned about marring the pretty Macbook with additional holes then about making his Macbook desirable for users looking for a notebook designed for the "digital lifestyle."
The exclusion of expresscard I find a little questionable considering that there are sub $500 notebooks that contain expresscard. If it were so expensive to include and so few people used it I would think that expresscard wouldn't be included in cheap laptops with razorthin margins. If excluding expresscard really cost more to include then the increase in sales it brought to customers then I imagine most cheap notebook would exclude it, but except for the cheap netbooks I don't see anybody who excludes expresscard slots on their machines.
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
Agree
I've read where some people are now complaining that there isn't enough differentiation between the Macbook and the Macbook Pro...well there ya go, Firewire is one of the things that separates the product lines.
Firewire is great, I like having it, but the only time I've ever used it was using the Migration Assistant. I use USB everyday.
If you want to have all the new goodies like better graphics, and still want it at the consumer price point, then you are going to have a tradeoff somewhere else. Not too difficult a concept now is it folks?
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
Well, the HDDs were always removable, but your point remains true. The new MB IS appropriately priced.
However, what you and I will simply not be able to appreciate is the missing FW and the price tags because we can afford the asking prices, and we don't care about FW.
Those who are griping about the price were hoping for an updated MB at $999, and some folks really do need FW. Their complaints are valid.
The whining that ISN'T valid is the suggestion that the new MB is overpriced. It isn't.
I will agree that a lot of consumers don't care about firewire and to a lesser degree expresscard, but card readers and HDMI I have to disagree. I sold computers for a while and when I showed off all the ports that a specific laptop had the vast majority of customers didn't have a clue what firewire was for and only a handful knew what an expresscard slot was good for, but all except the most clueless customers knew what a card reader was useful for and a lot of customers even if they didn't know what an HDMI port looked like or what it was called were interested in being capable of hooking their laptop up to a television. Not all televisions have VGA, but even the cheap no name brand televisions have HDMI.
We can look at this way. I'm sure Apple weighs the features it supports based on research of what most people will actually make common use of. Growth of Apple's notebooks have outpaced the industry for the past two years. None of them have ever come with card readers. Consumers have the choice of plugging a camera directly into the computer with USB or buying a USB card reader if they choose. A large number of the consumer market seem satisfied with this option.
HDMI is really a television display format and not really a computer display format. DVI and Display Port are computer display formats that support HDMI with no problem.
Here is an interesting snippet from www.ign.com (which is a PC gaming site and is predominately Windoze and PC oriented):
"The new 13" MacBook has an incredibly improved hardware and features set and is irresistibly priced at $1,299, and the new 15" MacBook Pro has some pretty solid updates as well."
I'm glad that even IGN knows the market, unlike some whiners in this thread, digging up low-end 15" PC laptops priced at $999 and trying to convince people that the new MB is overpriced for its features.
Assuming anything is foolhardy. Technicians use Firewire often to rescue hard drives or transfer files easily using Target Disk Mode. TDM is one of those features that you might not realize the power until it saves your bacon or makes transferring files much easier. It's not gone.
In my personal experience, TDM while neat isn't always as valuable as one thinks. I remember trying to use TDM on an old PowerMac and the drive didn't mount properly when I hooked up it up to my Mac Mini. I ended up pulling the HDD and connecting it to my Mac Mini through a USB to ATA adapter and using Disc Warrior to repair the permissions on the drive. On any of the Intel Macs I could have merely hooked up my external USB DVD drive and booted off it. Everybody who talking about Macs not booting off of USB need to get with the times.
The only situation I can see where TDM would really save you any time is if your optical drive won't boot, but your motherboard still allowed TDM. That seems like a slightly contrived situation. If your computer works properly you can always transfer information via crossover cable via Gigabit ethernet. Even if your MacOS install is corrupted you can use a linux live disc to transfer data off a corrupted OSX installation. I don't question that TDM can be useful, but I hardly find it a huge loss for troubleshooting.
Blu-Ray: This I can understand, being an avid Blu-Ray fan. But, folks, Blu-Ray slot drives simply are not cost-effective enough to warrant inclusion in machines that are already being criticized for price increases. If the aggregate is already of the opinion that the MacBook costs too much, imagine the bottom line of a Blu-Ray-equipped MacBook. Why do the "poor economy" arguments apply only to the $100 price increase/decrease, but not to the potential price of a MacBook with a Blu-Ray drive? If you want to watch movies on the go, the solution to your problem is obvious:
Put movies on your hard drive. Use iTunes.
True, but not everyone finds an SSD worth the cost either, but Apple included a CTO option for Blu-Ray. Why couldn't they do the exact same thing with Blu-Ray they did with SSDs on the MacBook?
How many of the people defending lack of Firewire in the MacBook actually believe what they are saying? If Apple had continued to offer Firewire in the MacBook, these same people would be praising Apple because:
"Firewire is so superior to USB"
"MacBook offers high end features not found on bargain basement laptops"
"Target Disk Mode make Macs so much superior to PCs"
But now that Apple dropped Firewire, these same people will just say "Who needs it anyway?"
No matter what Apple does, the Apple defenders will be right there to rationalize and defend them. If Apple completely changes direction, the Apple defenders will also change their story and contradict themselves right along with Apple. Instead of flip-flopping back and forth, why don't you stand by your beliefs?
There will be no video iPods. Nobody wants to watch video on iPods.
Apple will not make a cell phone.
Apple will never switch to Intel processors.
Who needs automatic memory allocation? Just click Get Info and change the memory yourself.
Who needs preemptive multitasking or memory protection since Macs never crash?
Here is an interesting snippet from www.ign.com (which is a PC gaming site and is predominately Windoze and PC oriented):
"The new 13" MacBook has an incredibly improved hardware and features set and is irresistibly priced at $1,299, and the new 15" MacBook Pro has some pretty solid updates as well."
I'm glad that even IGN knows the market, unlike some whiners in this thread, digging up low-end 15" PC laptops priced at $999 and trying to convince people that the new MB is overpriced for its features.
The Macbook is not overpriced at $1499. education price. I bought the first one sold by my local Apple Store on Oct. 15. All I can say is it is a spectacular machine!
How many of the people defending lack of Firewire in the MacBook actually believe what they are saying? If Apple had continued to offer Firewire in the MacBook, these same people would be praising Apple because:
I've said I would prefer Apple keep Firewire on its current machines until USB 3 is viable.
At the same time I don't think its as crazy for them to take off of the MacBook as people here think. Apple still offers Firewire on 4 of its 6 computers. I think you guys are freaking out because this is a clear sign Firewire is falling into obscurity.
How many of the people defending lack of Firewire in the MacBook actually believe what they are saying? If Apple had continued to offer Firewire in the MacBook, these same people would be praising Apple because:
"Firewire is so superior to USB"
"MacBook offers high end features not found on bargain basement laptops"
"Target Disk Mode make Macs so much superior to PCs"
But now that Apple dropped Firewire, these same people will just say "Who needs it anyway?"
No matter what Apple does, the Apple defenders will be right there to rationalize and defend them. If Apple completely changes direction, the Apple defenders will also change their story and contradict themselves right along with Apple. Instead of flip-flopping back and forth, why don't you stand by your beliefs?
There will be no video iPods. Nobody wants to watch video on iPods.
Apple will not make a cell phone.
Apple will never switch to Intel processors.
Who needs automatic memory allocation? Just click Get Info and change the memory yourself.
Who needs preemptive multitasking or memory protection since Macs never crash?
Apple could have released a notebook without a screen and some here would be falling all over themselves to justify it. The computer, like the iPhone, is lacking extremely basic features seen everywhere else that cost pennies on the dollar to implement.
Comments
You're correct, but it doesn't look like anyone's listening. Too many people are angry that Apple gave them almost everything on their wishlists, without realizing that their wishlists weren't economical for the price points Apple wants to sell at.
People just need to get an extra $500 together and buy a $1999 MacBook Pro. It's really that simple. If it's so important that people refuse to give up their FireWire devices, then they need to bite the bullet and upgrade.
I wasn't on a wishlist. It was already on the device, then removed like the said device was downgraded.
Don't see many people justifying upgrading to a more expensive device just for a firewire port that existed on old macbooks. Not in these economic times. Apple made a dumb decision.
Obviously, it's not similar in speed but still. Most people I know getting a Macbook do not use firewire, and I cringe when I say most becasue I know there are people out there that really need it. Also, the keyboard for the entry level (new) Macbook does not come with a backlight keyboard... really dumb, considering the keyboard is black.
They did take a step back in some departments and probably because of the profit margins of these new computers.
I wasn't on a wishlist. It was already on the device, then removed like the said device was downgraded.
You misread my post. For months, AI posters have publicly pined for aluminum construction, a multi-touch trackpad, Montevina, and better graphics chips on the MacBook level. Apple delivered exactly that. However, that drove up costs. Something had to be cut somewhere. The reality is that FireWire has never enjoyed success on the scale of USB and remains to this day a niche standard. For end user computing, you absolutely do not need FireWire: the Windows ecosystem gets by just fine with USB.
The applications listed in this thread--namely, video camera transfer and professional audio devices--are not in the domain of consumer computing. Thus, FireWire was removed from the MacBook. I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the reality of the market.
Don't see many people justifying upgrading to a more expensive device just for a firewire port that existed on old macbooks. Not in these economic times. Apple made a dumb decision.
If FireWire is nearly as important as is being claimed, then the extra $400 to upgrade from the $1599 MacBook to the $1999 MacBook Pro is well worth the cost.
And, I'm frankly tired of hearing the "poor economy" canard. If the economy is so bad, why exactly are you in the market for an upper-tier computer? Your current machine clearly works fine, as you can post on AI using it. "The economy is poor" is not a justification for complaining that Apple no longer supports a niche standard in its consumer notebook line.
Anyway, my current company is in need of a qualitified Apple technician and Apple system administrator. If you guys are interested can pm me.
What Pavillion did you get. I noticed this one is pretty popular and it absolutely embarasses the wackbook in comparison.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....de=23-750059-2
Less than $1300 gets you
That computer isn't the Macbook's competition. The VAIO SR and XPS M1310 are, and neither can be had with equivalent features for less. In fact, they have inferior features, and in the case of the Sony, cost $250 more. You aren't seriously comparing a heavy 15" notebook to a subnotebook sized 13", are you?
If FireWire is nearly as important as is being claimed, then the extra $400 to upgrade from the $1599 MacBook to the $1999 MacBook Pro is well worth the cost.
And you, just like the other guy I just responded to are missing the point. Some of us want the Macbook because of the size of the computer. I don't want to carry around a 5.5lb notebook in my briefcase. There just isn't enough room for that and all the paperwork I carry. The Macbook Pro is not an option at any cost. I passed on the Air for the same reason in January, hoping that they would make the Macbook smaller. I would be willing to pay $2000 just to get Firewire on a computer this size, but they won't let me.
It's patently absurd. Almost as absurd as you asserting that video camera transfer isn't a consumer activity. So I guess that means that iMovie is used by Spielberg, right?
And you, just like the other guy I just responded to are missing the point. Some of us want the Macbook because of the size of the computer. I don't want to carry around a 5.5lb notebook in my briefcase. There just isn't enough room for that and all the paperwork I carry. The Macbook Pro is not an option at any cost. I passed on the Air for the same reason in January, hoping that they would make the Macbook smaller. I would be willing to pay $2000 just to get Firewire on a computer this size, but they won't let me.
Then you ought to be looking at clearance versions of the former $1299 MacBook.
Also, if space is an issue for you, why did you pass on the Air? It sounds to me like you should have an Air as your portable device and an iMac base station for your FireWire needs.
It's patently absurd. Almost as absurd as you asserting that video camera transfer isn't a consumer activity. So I guess that means that iMovie is used by Spielberg, right?
I doubt Steven Spielberg uses FireWire to transfer footage from his production cameras. And as pointed earlier in the thread, there are plenty of consumer cameras with USB. FireWire is being dislodged from this market.
You have three options: get a MacBook Pro (and a larger bag), get a previous model MacBook, or get new equipment which uses USB and not FireWire.
** Aluminum Casing
** LED Backlit Displays
** Larger Multitouch Glass Trackpads
** Backlit Keyboards
** WAY better graphics
** Half Pound Lighter
** .13" Thinner
** Removeable Hard Drives
Apple Taketh:
** FireWire
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
While I agree with you in spirit. In reality is highly likely the MacBook is outselling that HP Pavilian with higher profit margins.
Do most consumers really want or care about firewire, card readers, express card slots, or HDMI ports?
I will agree that a lot of consumers don't care about firewire and to a lesser degree expresscard, but card readers and HDMI I have to disagree. I sold computers for a while and when I showed off all the ports that a specific laptop had the vast majority of customers didn't have a clue what firewire was for and only a handful knew what an expresscard slot was good for, but all except the most clueless customers knew what a card reader was useful for and a lot of customers even if they didn't know what an HDMI port looked like or what it was called were interested in being capable of hooking their laptop up to a television. Not all televisions have VGA, but even the cheap no name brand televisions have HDMI.
Considering the minute cost of a card reader(<$5) I am surprised Apple doesn't include one on their Macbook even if 90%+ of people didn't ever use them, which we know is being a little overzealous. Considering that Apple makes a good profit margin alienating even 10% of your potential market seems silly. Considering that Apple prides themselves on the digital lifestyle, you would think that a built in card reader for at least Secure Digital (by far the most popular memory card format) would be obvious, but after all these years it seems Steve Jobs is more concerned about marring the pretty Macbook with additional holes then about making his Macbook desirable for users looking for a notebook designed for the "digital lifestyle."
The exclusion of expresscard I find a little questionable considering that there are sub $500 notebooks that contain expresscard. If it were so expensive to include and so few people used it I would think that expresscard wouldn't be included in cheap laptops with razorthin margins. If excluding expresscard really cost more to include then the increase in sales it brought to customers then I imagine most cheap notebook would exclude it, but except for the cheap netbooks I don't see anybody who excludes expresscard slots on their machines.
Apple Giveth:
** Aluminum Casing
** LED Backlit Displays
** Larger Multitouch Glass Trackpads
** Backlit Keyboards
** WAY better graphics
** Half Pound Lighter
** .13" Thinner
** Removeable Hard Drives
Apple Taketh:
** FireWire
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
Agree
I've read where some people are now complaining that there isn't enough differentiation between the Macbook and the Macbook Pro...well there ya go, Firewire is one of the things that separates the product lines.
Firewire is great, I like having it, but the only time I've ever used it was using the Migration Assistant. I use USB everyday.
If you want to have all the new goodies like better graphics, and still want it at the consumer price point, then you are going to have a tradeoff somewhere else. Not too difficult a concept now is it folks?
Apple Giveth:
** Aluminum Casing
** LED Backlit Displays
** Larger Multitouch Glass Trackpads
** Backlit Keyboards
** WAY better graphics
** Half Pound Lighter
** .13" Thinner
** Removeable Hard Drives
Apple Taketh:
** FireWire
.....and suddenly theyre the worst people in the world. Either man up the $400 for the Pro or upgrade your devices to USB compatible ones. I dont know what to tell ya. They did their best to make an incredible 13" MacBook, and I think they accomplished that. For me personally what they added and improved far outweighs FireWire, I dont see how for the majority of people this would be any different. This is by far THE best general consumer laptop on the market...and Im thinking of replacing my Santa Rosa MBP with the $1599 model....upgrading it to 320GB HD & 4GB RAM.....$1724.00 would be the total (With education discounts).
Well, the HDDs were always removable, but your point remains true. The new MB IS appropriately priced.
However, what you and I will simply not be able to appreciate is the missing FW and the price tags because we can afford the asking prices, and we don't care about FW.
Those who are griping about the price were hoping for an updated MB at $999, and some folks really do need FW. Their complaints are valid.
The whining that ISN'T valid is the suggestion that the new MB is overpriced. It isn't.
I will agree that a lot of consumers don't care about firewire and to a lesser degree expresscard, but card readers and HDMI I have to disagree. I sold computers for a while and when I showed off all the ports that a specific laptop had the vast majority of customers didn't have a clue what firewire was for and only a handful knew what an expresscard slot was good for, but all except the most clueless customers knew what a card reader was useful for and a lot of customers even if they didn't know what an HDMI port looked like or what it was called were interested in being capable of hooking their laptop up to a television. Not all televisions have VGA, but even the cheap no name brand televisions have HDMI.
We can look at this way. I'm sure Apple weighs the features it supports based on research of what most people will actually make common use of. Growth of Apple's notebooks have outpaced the industry for the past two years. None of them have ever come with card readers. Consumers have the choice of plugging a camera directly into the computer with USB or buying a USB card reader if they choose. A large number of the consumer market seem satisfied with this option.
HDMI is really a television display format and not really a computer display format. DVI and Display Port are computer display formats that support HDMI with no problem.
"The new 13" MacBook has an incredibly improved hardware and features set and is irresistibly priced at $1,299, and the new 15" MacBook Pro has some pretty solid updates as well."
I'm glad that even IGN knows the market, unlike some whiners in this thread, digging up low-end 15" PC laptops priced at $999 and trying to convince people that the new MB is overpriced for its features.
Assuming anything is foolhardy. Technicians use Firewire often to rescue hard drives or transfer files easily using Target Disk Mode. TDM is one of those features that you might not realize the power until it saves your bacon or makes transferring files much easier. It's not gone.
In my personal experience, TDM while neat isn't always as valuable as one thinks. I remember trying to use TDM on an old PowerMac and the drive didn't mount properly when I hooked up it up to my Mac Mini. I ended up pulling the HDD and connecting it to my Mac Mini through a USB to ATA adapter and using Disc Warrior to repair the permissions on the drive. On any of the Intel Macs I could have merely hooked up my external USB DVD drive and booted off it. Everybody who talking about Macs not booting off of USB need to get with the times.
The only situation I can see where TDM would really save you any time is if your optical drive won't boot, but your motherboard still allowed TDM. That seems like a slightly contrived situation. If your computer works properly you can always transfer information via crossover cable via Gigabit ethernet. Even if your MacOS install is corrupted you can use a linux live disc to transfer data off a corrupted OSX installation. I don't question that TDM can be useful, but I hardly find it a huge loss for troubleshooting.
Blu-Ray: This I can understand, being an avid Blu-Ray fan. But, folks, Blu-Ray slot drives simply are not cost-effective enough to warrant inclusion in machines that are already being criticized for price increases. If the aggregate is already of the opinion that the MacBook costs too much, imagine the bottom line of a Blu-Ray-equipped MacBook. Why do the "poor economy" arguments apply only to the $100 price increase/decrease, but not to the potential price of a MacBook with a Blu-Ray drive? If you want to watch movies on the go, the solution to your problem is obvious:
Put movies on your hard drive. Use iTunes.
True, but not everyone finds an SSD worth the cost either, but Apple included a CTO option for Blu-Ray. Why couldn't they do the exact same thing with Blu-Ray they did with SSDs on the MacBook?
"Firewire is so superior to USB"
"MacBook offers high end features not found on bargain basement laptops"
"Target Disk Mode make Macs so much superior to PCs"
But now that Apple dropped Firewire, these same people will just say "Who needs it anyway?"
No matter what Apple does, the Apple defenders will be right there to rationalize and defend them. If Apple completely changes direction, the Apple defenders will also change their story and contradict themselves right along with Apple. Instead of flip-flopping back and forth, why don't you stand by your beliefs?
There will be no video iPods. Nobody wants to watch video on iPods.
Apple will not make a cell phone.
Apple will never switch to Intel processors.
Who needs automatic memory allocation? Just click Get Info and change the memory yourself.
Who needs preemptive multitasking or memory protection since Macs never crash?
Here is an interesting snippet from www.ign.com (which is a PC gaming site and is predominately Windoze and PC oriented):
"The new 13" MacBook has an incredibly improved hardware and features set and is irresistibly priced at $1,299, and the new 15" MacBook Pro has some pretty solid updates as well."
I'm glad that even IGN knows the market, unlike some whiners in this thread, digging up low-end 15" PC laptops priced at $999 and trying to convince people that the new MB is overpriced for its features.
The Macbook is not overpriced at $1499. education price. I bought the first one sold by my local Apple Store on Oct. 15. All I can say is it is a spectacular machine!
How many of the people defending lack of Firewire in the MacBook actually believe what they are saying? If Apple had continued to offer Firewire in the MacBook, these same people would be praising Apple because:
I've said I would prefer Apple keep Firewire on its current machines until USB 3 is viable.
At the same time I don't think its as crazy for them to take off of the MacBook as people here think. Apple still offers Firewire on 4 of its 6 computers. I think you guys are freaking out because this is a clear sign Firewire is falling into obscurity.
How many of the people defending lack of Firewire in the MacBook actually believe what they are saying? If Apple had continued to offer Firewire in the MacBook, these same people would be praising Apple because:
"Firewire is so superior to USB"
"MacBook offers high end features not found on bargain basement laptops"
"Target Disk Mode make Macs so much superior to PCs"
But now that Apple dropped Firewire, these same people will just say "Who needs it anyway?"
No matter what Apple does, the Apple defenders will be right there to rationalize and defend them. If Apple completely changes direction, the Apple defenders will also change their story and contradict themselves right along with Apple. Instead of flip-flopping back and forth, why don't you stand by your beliefs?
There will be no video iPods. Nobody wants to watch video on iPods.
Apple will not make a cell phone.
Apple will never switch to Intel processors.
Who needs automatic memory allocation? Just click Get Info and change the memory yourself.
Who needs preemptive multitasking or memory protection since Macs never crash?
Apple could have released a notebook without a screen and some here would be falling all over themselves to justify it. The computer, like the iPhone, is lacking extremely basic features seen everywhere else that cost pennies on the dollar to implement.
he computer, like the iPhone, is lacking extremely basic features seen everywhere else that cost pennies on the dollar to implement.
And what is the new MB "lacking"? Even if FW is indeed an "extremely basic feature," like you claim, this is still only a single feature missing.