Designing the New MacBook: Why It Couldn't Have FireWire

[Axemantitan]

The unibody construction, along with the decision to make the hard drive and battery easily accessible essentially determined the rest of the internal layout, and you wind up with motherboard that doesn't span the length of the notebook. So, all of the ports have to go on one side, and the limited space means you get three.

Apple chose Ethernet and two USB over, say, a combo with FireWire but no Ethernet. These design principles apply to every notebook, so it's worth reading if you've never thought about how the bucket of parts in your lap comes together.

http://gizmodo.com/5070115/designing-the-new-macbook-why-it-couldnt-have-firewire

[koobcamuk]

http://gizmodo.com/5070115/designing-the-new-macbook-why-it-couldnt-have-firewire

This is a duplicate. It's already been posted in the news section in the Steve Jobs thread.

[Axemantitan]

This is a duplicate. It's already been posted in the news section in the Steve Jobs thread.

So, because someone posted this article in a reply to a thread with 1,735 replies, I can't start a thread in the appropriate forum for it? Are you a moderator? If not, don't act like one. Don't try to shut down other people's threads.

[t0mat0]

Best is to alert a mod with the report post if there is a strong reason to report a post. But the OP has a point - new thread - It's a worthy article, that is useful to link to as some might otherwise bash Apple a little too harshly about the type and number of ports offered for the MacBook vs MacBook Pro

[Yr Blues]

I think it's more a financial differentiation decision than anything else. They want people to buy the Pro.

Their spin department was lousy at the Keynote, and it's lousy now. Not that I mind not having a firewire port, I don't give a hoot. I just want them to be honest about it.

[cube]

Yes it could.

[ibosie]

http://gizmodo.com/5070115/designing-the-new-macbook-why-it-couldnt-have-firewire

I don't know about anyone else but I'd rather have firewire than unibody - at least I would use it instead of just look at it. Or 1 USB 1 firewire would be fine as well.

[butterfly0fdoom]

There's a thread about the same thing with links to tear-down pictures instead of a Gizmodo article a few pages back.

I thought the FireWire threads had died down, too. :( I guess I was wrong.

[kasakka]

I don't see it being anything more than a design CHOICE. They could've for example thrown out the Kensington lock (does anybody actually use that apart from stores?) and put a USB in that spot, leaving space for the FW near the Ethernet port.