If Apple made 27 variations of the MacBook, changed the name and offered lots of BTO options, someone would still complain. It is not like this is the first and last Apple Intel laptop, guys; they also cannot make something that is going to make all of us happy. (well, they could....!)
Enough is enough. Has anyone actually bought the baby and played with it at length? Can you tell us how it actually performs? Can you tell us your impressions of the magnetic power connector? Does it run cooler than the current heat machine I am using (PB G4 15")?
Looking at things by specs alone doesn't say whether it is a good product or not. Many moned about the specs for the iPod with video, but it turned out to be quite nice, and the movie downloads, which many expected not to take off, again based on specs, skyrocked.
The main thing I want to see is better quality. Some have mentioned that the 1st revision of a machine sometimes has problems. Apple has enough of our money to make sure their products work right the first time. The first incarnation should work, and so should every device (no DOAs). Of all the thousands of dollas in home appliances and elecctronics I have bought over the past decade, Apple was teh only maker who sold me a product that needed servicing, replacing or was DOA. If you have a Power Book, a Mac Book or whatever, and it has to be repaired every coulple of months, where'S the power?
You are fortunate if you have not had any problems with your consumer electronics. I have a Samsung 'hdtv ready' tv which gave me perhaps two years service before going dark, and a Sony DVD/VCR player which still not does work properly, and had the wrong remote in the box when it came.
My Macs have worked fine, one HD died several years after I bought the G3.
I agree with you that Apple's build quality is very important, and performance is more than specs. ThinkSecret's article where they suggest that Apple is using a lower power, more expensive intel core duo for the sake of battery life and heat is an hopeful note.
"I've been to Africa, Middle East, country sides, etc... and I DO NOT WANT to go around with damn adapters which will INEVITABLY get lost!!!!!!"
Ummm, you mean like power adapters?
If you did not see the move away from an internal modem coming down to the new laptops you are probably still wondering where your parallel port is. I mean after all they removed it from the Power Macs first...There is a group of anti progressivists called the lead pencil society. Maybe I will start calling people who invent a crazy strange situations to use antiquated technology the dot matrix society...or better yet Amish.
Here in the north of the rural US, where cell phone coverage is spotty, unless you get a 250$ booster, there are many modems in use. So it means that I bought a modem for my new as yet undelivered Mac for my office. Wide band may be common nearby, but one mile or five away still means dial up connexion for many people.
Good that you are in a place where things are in the modern world.
Apple is obviously going with costs... most of their customers probably live in areas with fast connections and the models that had BTO with the option to cut the modem were likely a test to see who needed them.
I find the new MBP to be an interesting development but Apple has not hit a home run with this.
No question, the raw performance is spectacular. Running native apps on this is stunning. Kudos to Apple and Intel.
The rest of the machine is so-so. It seems that a lot of compromises were made to get this machine out on time and in this form factor.
In the booth I was told that the downgraded DVD burner, loss of FW800 and S-video were due to the constraints of the larger battery and thinner package. They said that Apple was firmly committed to Firewire.
Just my speculation but we may see more FW ports and FW800 in later revisions when the CPU draws less power and the battery gets smaller.
I'm looking to update my 1.25GHz Al PowerBook and am currently torn between the current 15" PB and this new MBP. I'm leaning towards the current PB. After six months or a year I can upgrade to a MBP with better specs. By then more software will be available too. Currently EyeTV and Virtual PC don't run on the MBP.
For me, I have no FW800 devices, no Cardbus cards, no need for S-video and no desire to pay $4 each for DL DVDRs. Upgrading my 1.25 PB G4 will give me a serious boost, and really, bunging a modem in my laptop bag is no big deal.
For me, I have no FW800 devices, no Cardbus cards, no need for S-video and no desire to pay $4 each for DL DVDRs. Upgrading my 1.25 PB G4 will give me a serious boost, and really, bunging a modem in my laptop bag is no big deal.
I am with you. I have the same PB as you do, and I have been very happy with it. But it is time to upgrade. I would like (not need) the DL capability - probably rev B? I am a little worried about about a rev A machine purchase but it doesn't make sense to buy a machine that has a limited software upgrade path. Xtool did some great benchmarks in another thread and that certainly is helping convince me. I just wish someone could get their hands on one at an Apple store right now! sigh.....
I am with you. I have the same PB as you do, and I have been very happy with it. But it is time to upgrade. I would like (not need) the DL capability - probably rev B? I am a little worried about about a rev A machine purchase but it doesn't make sense to buy a machine that has a limited software upgrade path. Xtool did some great benchmarks in another thread and that certainly is helping convince me. I just wish someone could get their hands on one at an Apple store right now! sigh.....
There's a thread on MacNN by an iMac Core Duo owner. Apparently Rosetta runs almost everything faster than it was natively, even Photoshop!
The reason why is simple really, Rosetta runs PPC at 80% of native speed but the Core Duo is a lot faster so it still comes out in front.
I'm surprised it isn't a DL drive and at the reason - would releasing 1.1" MBP have been so terrible? But it really isn't the end of the world.
Comments
If Apple made 27 variations of the MacBook, changed the name and offered lots of BTO options, someone would still complain. It is not like this is the first and last Apple Intel laptop, guys; they also cannot make something that is going to make all of us happy. (well, they could....!)
Enough is enough. Has anyone actually bought the baby and played with it at length? Can you tell us how it actually performs? Can you tell us your impressions of the magnetic power connector? Does it run cooler than the current heat machine I am using (PB G4 15")?
Looking at things by specs alone doesn't say whether it is a good product or not. Many moned about the specs for the iPod with video, but it turned out to be quite nice, and the movie downloads, which many expected not to take off, again based on specs, skyrocked.
The main thing I want to see is better quality. Some have mentioned that the 1st revision of a machine sometimes has problems. Apple has enough of our money to make sure their products work right the first time. The first incarnation should work, and so should every device (no DOAs). Of all the thousands of dollas in home appliances and elecctronics I have bought over the past decade, Apple was teh only maker who sold me a product that needed servicing, replacing or was DOA. If you have a Power Book, a Mac Book or whatever, and it has to be repaired every coulple of months, where'S the power?
You are fortunate if you have not had any problems with your consumer electronics. I have a Samsung 'hdtv ready' tv which gave me perhaps two years service before going dark, and a Sony DVD/VCR player which still not does work properly, and had the wrong remote in the box when it came.
My Macs have worked fine, one HD died several years after I bought the G3.
I agree with you that Apple's build quality is very important, and performance is more than specs. ThinkSecret's article where they suggest that Apple is using a lower power, more expensive intel core duo for the sake of battery life and heat is an hopeful note.
Ummm, you mean like power adapters?
If you did not see the move away from an internal modem coming down to the new laptops you are probably still wondering where your parallel port is. I mean after all they removed it from the Power Macs first...There is a group of anti progressivists called the lead pencil society. Maybe I will start calling people who invent a crazy strange situations to use antiquated technology the dot matrix society...or better yet Amish.
Good that you are in a place where things are in the modern world.
unless of course they were trying to send a message
hmmmmm?
Originally posted by Elixir
thats just stupid they shoulve put in a modem. if there was room then there is no reason not to include it.
unless of course they were trying to send a message
hmmmmm?
A modem costs them what, $5? Across maybe a million of these laptops, that's FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
For something that only benefits a fraction of their customers, that's a lot of money.
Originally posted by gregmightdothat
A modem costs them what, $5? Across maybe a million of these laptops, that's FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
For something that only benefits a fraction of their customers, that's a lot of money.
thats true.
so what'd they do? pass on the cost to us.
i feel comfortable having a modem for certain situations.
this year when i was hit with the hurricane (south fl)
everything was out but i still had my dial up
No question, the raw performance is spectacular. Running native apps on this is stunning. Kudos to Apple and Intel.
The rest of the machine is so-so. It seems that a lot of compromises were made to get this machine out on time and in this form factor.
In the booth I was told that the downgraded DVD burner, loss of FW800 and S-video were due to the constraints of the larger battery and thinner package. They said that Apple was firmly committed to Firewire.
Just my speculation but we may see more FW ports and FW800 in later revisions when the CPU draws less power and the battery gets smaller.
I'm looking to update my 1.25GHz Al PowerBook and am currently torn between the current 15" PB and this new MBP. I'm leaning towards the current PB. After six months or a year I can upgrade to a MBP with better specs. By then more software will be available too. Currently EyeTV and Virtual PC don't run on the MBP.
(you dont even know what comes in six months and if those missing features will even be added)
the only complaint i have so far is the dvd burner.
besides that not much else reallly bothers me
fw800
someone give me some things that run on that because when i think about it i dont believe i need it.
Originally posted by Blackcat
For me, I have no FW800 devices, no Cardbus cards, no need for S-video and no desire to pay $4 each for DL DVDRs. Upgrading my 1.25 PB G4 will give me a serious boost, and really, bunging a modem in my laptop bag is no big deal.
I am with you. I have the same PB as you do, and I have been very happy with it. But it is time to upgrade. I would like (not need) the DL capability - probably rev B? I am a little worried about about a rev A machine purchase but it doesn't make sense to buy a machine that has a limited software upgrade path. Xtool did some great benchmarks in another thread and that certainly is helping convince me. I just wish someone could get their hands on one at an Apple store right now! sigh.....
Originally posted by taliesin
I am with you. I have the same PB as you do, and I have been very happy with it. But it is time to upgrade. I would like (not need) the DL capability - probably rev B? I am a little worried about about a rev A machine purchase but it doesn't make sense to buy a machine that has a limited software upgrade path. Xtool did some great benchmarks in another thread and that certainly is helping convince me. I just wish someone could get their hands on one at an Apple store right now! sigh.....
There's a thread on MacNN by an iMac Core Duo owner. Apparently Rosetta runs almost everything faster than it was natively, even Photoshop!
The reason why is simple really, Rosetta runs PPC at 80% of native speed but the Core Duo is a lot faster so it still comes out in front.
I'm surprised it isn't a DL drive and at the reason - would releasing 1.1" MBP have been so terrible? But it really isn't the end of the world.
February can't come quick enough!