Apple Releases New 15" MacBook Pro, Updates 17" MacBook Pro

[celtikmind]

In my mind, eliminating the express card slot brings the overall price down...and to me that's a good thing. In this time of global recession it was a smart move.

Only thing wrong with that argument is... they didn't. Maybe in the US, but that's because the rest of the world compensates.

Sigh, so many here that were obviously dropped on their heads as children...

I should stop feeding the trolls but I just can't help myself.

Bring the price down? That's what makes this BS so magically delicious to you? Removing a $50 part that Pro users need, to bring the price of a *Pro* laptop down? Again, Apple has consumer MacBooks... Why should anyone just bend over and accept Apple *crippling* the Pro Macs to satisfy consumers? What is so hard about adding BTO options and cutting price of the *consumer* models? Why ruin the Pro models and remove features that Pro users need?

The trolls here can drive others to drink...

Second that, cheers

I´m not interested in saving $300-400 on a laptop that is only half as usefull to me.
I´m willing to pay a premium to have the ports I need and that used to be there. It´s hard to plan a head for a business when they keep changing and dropping ports all the time.
They could have the low end 15" without express card and and left it in the high end, and everyone would be happy.

To the difference in the 15 and the 17, you obviously haven´t have to trek/climb with 20kg (40 pounds) of camera gear at high altitude. Any extra weight is unwanted.
Hell, I can just about fit the 15" in my camera bag. The 17 wouldn´t come close.

I understand this dosen´t apply to most people, but I´m sure it´s plenty of other circumstances the extra size and weight matters.
If you only travel to and from work or campus, sure the 17" might not feel that much bigger.

Agree, with both of you. What most people that defends Apple in this seems to think is that having options is a bad thing. If anything, having options is as much 'Pro' it can get. Mostly due to the reason that every professional can then customize it to fit his/her need. No matte, no express card on a "smaller" version, no dedicated GPU and crippled when it has one and so on, all constitutes features the pro's want and are willing to pay for. Apple won't let us.

And in the pro part of the world, when something doesn't perform, it perishes faster then yesterday.

Let's just hope that Apple can survive on the iPhone until their next apex.

I don't know why you think that.

Also you are taking the term "Pro" as if these laptops were only meant for professionals. Not that they just contain more higher end components (processors, video card, memory expandability, multi-monitors, etc). I.e. a higher level of components.

Yes apple had 2 lines. It wasn't per see a consumer line and and one for professionals. It is more like "student/consumer" and "Business" It was a lower end line with lower end components and a More expensive line "Pro" that had better components. The "Pro / Business User" at the time for Apple was mainly niche markets that required faster and better components to run the software and hardware. This hardware was overkill and unnecessary for the non-business user since the applications one would need to use did not require great processing power. Better video cards on a student/consumer grade laptop did not need to be high end either since the MAC was not a gaming platform and didn't have graphic intensive programs for this market.

Today and the past year or two this has more to do with capturing Windows users and especially windows "business" / "professional" user. Windows and many apps running under windows, especially business programs as well as games, need more processor power, memory and better quality video cards. They need more of these higher end components that are typically found in the "Pro" line. Apple has made great stride in converting PC users. Especially given the fact that Windows runs faster on MAC hardware and that you can also natively run windows apps on the MAC. Apple is making a huge push into this market and is more evident with bundling MS Exchange support in Snow Leopard.

Thus what was a typical "Pro" user years ago for Apple is not the same today. Thus the change in feature set and the price drop to attract a much larger customer base.

There are cost savings even on the 2 higher end 15" systems compared to the previous 15" pro's processor & video card.

I can't believe anyone dignified your post with an answer, can't believe I do. Why? It's so full of errors and fud it has got to be trolling if I ever saw one, though an overly lengthy one.

Faster Processor: On all but the top end 15" and 17" they've used a lesser CPU with half the L2 Cache.

Better Video Card: The base doesn't even have a dedicated GPU anymore, only the top end 15" and 17" use the same GPU that has been used for nearly 2 years (albeit a rebranded slightly higher clocked GPU) in fact the GPU in the 15" has had it's memory halved unless you buy the high end 15". And on top of this the GPU (9600M which is a rebranded 8600M but clocked slightly higher) was a midrange GPU on it's release over 2 years ago.

Better Display: May very well be, and if so touche.

Longer Lasting Battery: Always a good thing, and I'm not too fussed about a replaceable one, but others are, maybe they should license the magsafe so third parties can come up with a solution for those who need more time between charges.

And again I don't believe the BS about 1% of users using the ExpressCard, but even if that was true as I posted earlier how many of that 1% were using the ExpressCard slot as an SD card reader, well it would be less than 1% wouldn't it, so why even include the SD slot?

Well stated. The whole Apple update this time around was pretty based on that they managed to upgrade the few spec's that people looked at and is seen in ads. However anyone that examines the details will see that a lot is now missing compared to previous generation. This time around Apple manage to cloud their price increase into changing the spec's to yet again lower tech.

Anyone failing to see that... just look at the number of reasonably stated posts of genuine claims criticizing Apple this time around as opposed to what usually gets commented. Please, call yourselves 'Pro' if you like and as much as you want, since in AppleWorld that no longer has any value.

Apple got away with not having to admit their mistake of removing firewire by calling these machines 'pro'. It will be interesting to see how they will try to regain the real 'pro's, in time. If they ever should.

ok good, because if the students got to take home those computers or use them whenever they wanted to i would have been disgusted

lmao! What's also funny is they're not turned on. a lot of learning going on there...

 

[celtikmind]

Here's a thought no-one seems to have put forward yet...

Why is Apple focusing everything on consumers, instead of the pro's? Isn't someone using their machine for profit more likely to buy more units, more often than a consumer due to heavier usage, wear and tear etc.

I.e. both of my parents haven't bought a new computer nor an expensive one, in the last three years and there was at least three years before that. And I know of several more like them...

 

[chr1s60]

Here's a thought no-one seems to have put forward yet...

Why is Apple focusing everything on consumers, instead of the pro's? Isn't someone using their machine for profit more likely to buy more units, more often than a consumer due to heavier usage, wear and tear etc.

I.e. both of my parents haven't bought a new computer nor an expensive one, in the last three years and there was at least three years before that. And I know of several more like them...

Apple is a business. Businesses have a goal of making money. In the competitive computer market, Apple is already the underdog even though they have been slowly growing. In their situation, plus the current economy in the US, they can only afford to focus so much on the "pro's" before it becomes simply unreasonable to cater to this much smaller percentage of consumers. They do continue to offer some of these products, but obviously at this point in time it is too costly to offer as many options as they have over the past few years.

 

[DoFoT9]

Only thing wrong with that argument is... they didn't. Maybe in the US, but t
lmao! What's also funny is they're not turned on. a lot of learning going on there...

maybe the teacher is teaching them what it is like to be using a PC?

or maybe the screensavers are set to the minimum time and the screen got turned off

Here's a thought no-one seems to have put forward yet...

Why is Apple focusing everything on consumers, instead of the pro's? Isn't someone using their machine for profit more likely to buy more units, more often than a consumer due to heavier usage, wear and tear etc.

I.e. both of my parents haven't bought a new computer nor an expensive one, in the last three years and there was at least three years before that. And I know of several more like them...

i think its because the consumers are the majority, a much higher majority infact! im not sure if that is their logic but it seems somewhat likely to me

 

[brop52]

Here's a thought no-one seems to have put forward yet...

Why is Apple focusing everything on consumers, instead of the pro's? Isn't someone using their machine for profit more likely to buy more units, more often than a consumer due to heavier usage, wear and tear etc.

I.e. both of my parents haven't bought a new computer nor an expensive one, in the last three years and there was at least three years before that. And I know of several more like them...

There are three types of Apple customers. The consumer, the pro, and the enthusiast.

A consumer will usually buy the computer they think has the best value and will tend to be more inexpensive and won't contain all the bells and whistles. They tend to wait a long time before upgrading. This is usually the largest group and generally includes college students. Apple banks on the fact that the college students will become enthusiasts and buy an iPhone, an iPod, and more expensive Macs down the line once they graduate and start making some money and amassing debt like the rest of the country.

Next you have the pro, who will buy the top of the line machine for power to do the work they want it to do. They will spend more to get what they want and be productive but they are generally small in number. They upgrade less often until their higher end computer is no longer doing what they need it to or it doesn't meet the demands of newer software.

Last, you have the enthusiasts who are a relatively small group that grows and shrinks around the times of product updates, upgrade often (even when they don't need to), make impulse buys, go between complaining the most to worshipping the Church of Jobs in their bipolar episodes, go on places like macrumors.com in their spare time, upgrade to every new OS, and buy a product twice as expensive because it looks better.

Who do you think Apple caters to the least?

 

[DoFoT9]

There are three types of customers. The consumer, the pro, and the enthusiast.


Who do you think Apple caters to the least?

pro

 

[celtikmind]

I think almost anyone can agree to that most of the posts on this forum (or any forum) belong enthusiasts.

Though I do believe that to a certain extent they still mirror what other people, who are out there not posting, are thinking. Albeit a hazy one at times. Those same people often ask us pro's (or in your case perhaps, enthusiast) what we think of the latest this or that. I know our recommendation carries a lot more weight than that of the seller in store and this time around it seems Apple stepped on a lot of those toes.

Also, in thinking about long-term developments, the reason Apple have increased in the market is not only due to the Vista-fumble but also all of what they've done up until now. Rather recently, compared to their history, they've started a noticeable dive in quality (a lot of MacBooks and iMacs gets returned for various unnecessary or sub-quality defects) and they're also using older and/or cheaper components. With this latest update it's becoming more apparent, both on the iPhone and on the Mac. On the iPhone they essentially gave us video, wow. The lack of GPU power on the new Macs, if they even have a 9600GT being years old. This is skewed when they speak of all the use Snow Leopard will have of GPUs etc. We all know these things by now.

Thing is this, I would like to consider Apple the premium supplier of computer solutions in the future as well and not some fad computer manufacturer playing dress-up. Yet, they seem to be too eager and too greedy into getting in with the fight with Microsoft and the rest of the over-populated market for the consumers. There's no real reason behind this other than the famous greed of the stockholders, who are thinking short-term payback. Anyone knowledge in sustainability knows this to be bad for long-term quality, a thing that at least previously defined Apple as somewhat above the rest. There's quite a difference between surviving, well-being and gouging.

Sure, they're a corporation but wouldn't you, at the very least, as a customer rather see a balance between quality and their profit as opposed to all-profit/less-than-remarkable-quality? Returning customers, which everyone will be at one point sooner or later, is what keeps any corporation afloat. Except for the dark side which is dictatorship in monopoly. Apple have no need in becoming like Toshiba, Acer et. al. There's simply no point in that and had I invested in Apple, I would be thinking hard of a withdrawing. Today, before the next dip because nobody stays on top forever.

Just trying to see beyond the display...

 

[myca]

pro

Judging by the lack of updates for their Pro apps one could easily think that.

My ears still ring from the near 2 year old, well known and easily reproduced unfixed bug in Soundtrack Pro where it tries to deafen you/blow your speakers. As such its an application that lost most of it's usefulness for me, have to use SoundForge instead on windows

If Digidesign weren't so ludicrous with the pricing of their hardware I'd move completely over to Pro Tools, god HD systems cost too much

 

[swagi]

There are three types of Apple customers. The consumer, the pro, and the enthusiast.

A consumer will usually buy the computer they think has the best value and will tend to be more inexpensive and won't contain all the bells and whistles. They tend to wait a long time before upgrading. This is usually the largest group and generally includes college students. Apple banks on the fact that the college students will become enthusiasts and buy an iPhone, an iPod, and more expensive Macs down the line once they graduate and start making some money and amassing debt like the rest of the country.

Next you have the pro, who will buy the top of the line machine for power to do the work they want it to do. They will spend more to get what they want and be productive but they are generally small in number. They upgrade less often until their higher end computer is no longer doing what they need it to or it doesn't meet the demands of newer software.

Last, you have the enthusiasts who are a relatively small group that grows and shrinks around the times of product updates, upgrade often (even when they don't need to), make impulse buys, go between complaining the most to worshipping the Church of Jobs in their bipolar episodes, go on places like macrumors.com in their spare time, upgrade to every new OS, and buy a product twice as expensive because it looks better.

Who do you think Apple caters to the least?

Apple caters the least to the has-been enthusiasts, those who eagerly defended their beloved platform for more than five years. Some of them even for decades. This group slowly has realized, that their beloved 'underdog' company has developed to be an evil empire. They slowly learned to not be influenced by the RDF.

This group is just in waiting status. They have been waiting so long to become enthusiasts again (like when the current gen Mac Pro was introduced), but they just see this scattered pile of rubbish that is called Apple's product line and shrug away.

This group has their credit cards ready, as soon as Apple offers some ridiculously priced piece of hardware, that either has significant trade-offs due to a new spectacular design (MacBook Air) or offers the UBER-laptop in 15"-factor that our beloved Powerbook- or MacBookPro-line used to be.

Call me in that group, as I've been waiting for a worthy laptop to buy for 2 years now. I should've better picked up an Air to tide me over, til a real 15" Pro-notebook arrives.

 

[brop52]

Apple caters the least to the has-been enthusiasts, those who eagerly defended their beloved platform for more than five years. Some of them even for decades. This group slowly has realized, that their beloved 'underdog' company has developed to be an evil empire. They slowly learned to not be influenced by the RDF.

This group is just in waiting status. They have been waiting so long to become enthusiasts again (like when the current gen Mac Pro was introduced), but they just see this scattered pile of rubbish that is called Apple's product line and shrug away.

This group has their credit cards ready, as soon as Apple offers some ridiculously priced piece of hardware, that either has significant trade-offs due to a new spectacular design (MacBook Air) or offers the UBER-laptop in 15"-factor that our beloved Powerbook- or MacBookPro-line used to be.

Call me in that group, as I've been waiting for a worthy laptop to buy for 2 years now. I should've better picked up an Air to tide me over, til a real 15" Pro-notebook arrives.

Valid point. A lot of people feel left behind from the old days of obscurity.

 

[DoFoT9]

Judging by the lack of updates for their Pro apps one could easily think that.

My ears still ring from the near 2 year old, well known and easily reproduced unfixed bug in Soundtrack Pro where it tries to deafen you/blow your speakers. As such its an application that lost most of it's usefulness for me, have to use SoundForge instead on windows

If Digidesign weren't so ludicrous with the pricing of their hardware I'd move completely over to Pro Tools, god HD systems cost too much

hmmm you could also go the other way and say that they are keeping them "as is" so that people dont have to adapt and change to a new system. however its a bit excessive how long they have left it..

ahwell cant have everything, at least there is something!

 

[myca]

Had to laugh at this from the MBP page on Apples website.

Power your way through the latest 3D games — including Call of Duty and Quake

Wasn't Quake released in 1996, I'd expect a notebook in 2009 to run it pretty well, and Call of Duty is only 5 years old but still you get the point.

Now there's me thinking when the next refresh comes out they'll stick the GT 130M in there, and have a huge blurb about the latest GPUs, even though it'll be a rebranded 9600M (or a re-rebranded 8600M).

I think the poster above was right about long time mac users being immune to the RDF now, or maybe the more tech savvy you get the more you see through the marketing.

At least I live in the smug feeling that my efix hackintosh desktop will support the i7 platform when i choose to upgrade.

 

[brop52]

Had to laugh at this from the MBP page on Apples website.



Wasn't Quake released in 1996, I'd expect a notebook in 2009 to run it pretty well, and Call of Duty is only 5 years old but still you get the point.

Now there's me thinking when the next refresh comes out they'll stick the GT 130M in there, and have a huge blurb about the latest GPUs, even though it'll be a rebranded 9600M (or a re-rebranded 8600M).

I think the poster above was right about long time mac users being immune to the RDF now, or maybe the more tech savvy you get the more you see through the marketing.

At least I live in the smug feeling that my efix hackintosh desktop will support the i7 platform when i choose to upgrade.

Quake 4 came out for Mac in 2006. CoD4 came out for Mac is 2008.

 

[myca]

hmmm you could also go the other way and say that they are keeping them "as is" so that people dont have to adapt and change to a new system. however its a bit excessive how long they have left it..

ahwell cant have everything, at least there is something!

A couple of bug fixes wouldn't go amiss though, I'm not fussed about having a Logic Pro 9 any time soon, but I wish that they would make apps like STP2 actually useable. Try editing a mono file and previewing any effect and you'll see what I mean when your ears start to bleed, or you blow the tweeters on your silly expensive mackie monitors.

 

[myca]

Quake 4 came out for Mac in 2006.

Yes that may be true, but their website isn't mentioning Quake 4, they're mentioning Quake, and they're mentioning Call of Duty, not COD4.

I know it's a typo that's been missed, but it's gonna give alot of those l88t PC gaming freaks something to laugh about when they say, and I quote "MACZ R 4 N00BZ, no GAMEZ on MACZ"

I found it amusing, even though TBH I do love abit of the original Quake every now and then, gotta love the Trent Reznor soundtrack, and it runs lovely on the windows partition of my hackintosh with the DarkPlaces mod and Hi Res texture pack

/runs for cover at the realization that I've become a PC gamer

 

[DoFoT9]

A couple of bug fixes wouldn't go amiss though, I'm not fussed about having a Logic Pro 9 any time soon, but I wish that they would make apps like STP2 actually useable. Try editing a mono file and previewing any effect and you'll see what I mean when your ears start to bleed, or you blow the tweeters on your silly expensive mackie monitors.

im not big on the audio stuff, i do do recording for my band but only use GarageBand and Cool Edit so i dont have any access to LP.

i am big on the video though and its starting to get old, the templates and features are getting old and used. ahwell

 

[IlluminatedSage]

Wow, Apple really is dropping the ball for their high-end users. First, the only matte external display that they offer is 30" and $1700. Now, they are forcing people into the 17" MBP in order to get an expresscard slot.

While I don't really mind buying the larger 17", I think that the features on it are kind of weak compared to a loaded 15" (if it had the express card). Personally, I think this is what the computers should be...

15" Mac Book Pro
-Matte or Glossy Option
-ExpressCard Slot
-Optional Internal Bluray Drive
-E-SATA
-FW800


17" Mac Book Pro
-Matte or Glossy Option
-HDMI Out
-Express Card Slot
-Optional Bluray Drive
-E-SATA
-2 Firewire Busses.....(2x800 or 1x800 + 1x400)
-Optional upgraded graphics card over the 15"


I will be buying a 17", and I can live with lugging it around. I just feel that there should be more performance options on a bigger format.

I agree with you 100% except i'd love hdmi on the 15"

Ive chooses form over function and thats why the latest designs are so badly flawed.

100% correct, its like they are also choosing to save $$ at the same time and relying on OS x to doll it up more.

Well, here's to hoping, that Apple may actually include some Pro features like:

- BluRay (sic!)
- real HDMI port
- next generation FireWire
- eSATA

and - a f@*$ing matte screen

Yep, another one who just wants Apple to start offering the leading new tech, instead of dragging their heels on anything costing them royalties or $$ in parts.

 

[brop52]

I agree with you 100% except i'd love hdmi on the 15"



100% correct, its like they are also choosing to save $$ at the same time and relying on OS x to doll it up more.



Yep, another one who just wants Apple to start offering the leading new tech, instead of dragging their heels on anything costing them royalties or $$ in parts.

I see your point, but Apple has pushed the industry forward. For example, the iMac was the first computer to just use USB rather than the old ports (and removing the floppy disk in the process). Macs were also one of the first to use firewire as they helped develop the technology.

 

[celtikmind]

I see your point, but Apple has pushed the industry forward. For example, the iMac was the first computer to just use USB rather than the old ports (and removing the floppy disk in the process). Macs were also one of the first to use firewire as they helped develop the technology.

And look at them now. They're no longer pushing... they're dragging!


...and it's going to show eventually.

 

[sauer228]

I've put off owning a MAC for long enough. Personally, the SD card slot is icing on the cake as an avid digital camera user. Thanks Apple.

 

[swagi]

I see your point, but Apple has pushed the industry forward. For example, the iMac was the first computer to just use USB rather than the old ports (and removing the floppy disk in the process). Macs were also one of the first to use firewire as they helped develop the technology.

Well, what happened to all this 'pushing forward'. Remember, how long we waited for USB 2.0 to hit the Mac?

Now what's the story in not offering HDMI?

Where are the mythical FW 1600/3200 specs? IIRC they use the FW800 connector, which is now standard on MBPs. And IIRC the standard is approved, so why not use it, if it is backwards compatible?

And why is Apple not pushing RAID-systems in laptops? If there are upgrade kits available why not make it a BTO feature, at least on the 17"?

Apple lost the bleeding edge on computers some years ago. Wake me up, when they are back there - I'd love to be buying. But alas, currently I don't see a point in doing so. Still must resist those bloody VAIOs!

 

[niuniu]

Just noticed this and posted it on another thread.

Seems that in the refurb store for £1299 got you the 15" MBP with a 2.66 CPU with 6MB L2 Cache, 512 MB of VRAM, 3 USB ports, FW 800, expresscard.

Now in the main store for £1499 you get a 15" MBP with a 2.66 CPU with 3MB of L2 Cache, 256 MB or VRAM, 2 USB ports, FW800 and no expresscard slot.

Ouch

Makes little sense to me, but good news for those after a refurb!

I nearly bought that!

It's still available too, only thing holding me back is I have an option to buy a 15inch 2.66Ghz in the US (I want the GT card) as my folks are going there next month. With the exchange rate that's only 1210 GBP, a real bargain.. I'm just waiting on some techy stuff answered in another section of forum before I make the jump one way or another

 

[woolfgang]

I'm not one to complain about everything. Whatever comes out, there's usually, someone saying, "What, no built-in espresso machine yet?", this isn't pro. But, thousands and thousands of professionals, like myself, depend on an express card slot, and even a second firewire port. We depend on a second bus. I shoot video, and not a day goes by that I see others, also shooting with P2 cards and such. This is going to have a big effect on the pro video community. Apple, generally doesn't do things without thinking. Just don't understand this big change.

 

[deconstruct60]

By this skewed logic if 1% were using the ExpressCard slot, how many were using it for an SD card reader, lets just make up a percentage, like 25%, so that would mean (by Apples own crazed logic) that 0.25% of MacBook Pro users were using it to access an SD card, so why add the slot in the first place?

And how can dropping a feature that could be used for more than just reading SD cards be any sort of gain to any number of users? There is no logic in that argument whatsoever!

I still think many folks are not trying to find solutions with the new hardware as opposed to matching old, well worn methodologies to the new offering. You need to look at what basic, non-replaceable functionality is being taken away and the demands of the problems facing and see how they don't fit.

It is the percentage of people who still have a solution not the specific interface implementation (unless that solution absolutely demands that specific interface, in this case ExpressCard/more concurrency ).

It is also the percentage of people who only have SD cameras and who also buy a MBP. Just because you buy a MBP doesn't mean you are a photographer. The probability of being a MBP owner and own only one Mac and high-end camera owner is much, much lower than being a MBP owner and only own one Mac and non-high end camera owner. Sure pro/high end amateur folks will probably buy an external multiformat reader. However, there are lots of folks who will just by SD because they have SD on other devices. Similar reasons why some folks want to stick with CF. The issue is that SD devices far, far, far outnumber the CF ones. So if limited to one format, which one do you choose to cover the most users? Certainly, the SD slot would get used in many of those users who were not high end photograhers.

Pointing at the users who bought at SD/Express adapters is what is whacky. The real question is how many folks have a SD only problem to solve (that decsision made after the ExpressCard got the ax. It didn't motive the ExpressCard getting the ax. It has already as lost. So no looking for what else is competing for that space and deepest impact. ).


So those folks using ExpressCard in USB mode there will be other USB solutions. In that sense the Card was only necessarily if running concurrent high load USB workloads.

Likewise some folks have said needed ExressCard so that have two "hard drives". The top end SD Card are roughly equivalent to lap top hard drives from 5 years ago in size, but 10 years in speed. Luckily not too many GB in to get the OS going. The vast increase in main memory RAM makes that even more viable as a solution ( after boot and some short "exercise" on the subset of apps that you need, you will have dragged everything into memory. ) Use the SATA drive inside the laptop as the "faster" drive. Note this solution is more compact and more portable than the solution that has drives dangling outside.

Some might say going to wear out the internal SATA drive. It is user replacable. 16-18 screws and your done after an overnight restore from backup ( a chance to test your complete restore process.) Just buy a new drive every 1.5-2 years. Just being in mobile environments is hard on a drive anyway. The drives were consumables when they were external too.

As SD gets a bit faster a future configuration would be even more viable for a broader set of users. [ And for some reason Apple seems to not really like eSATA for some reason. ] The notion of plugging in a decent flash drive is a forward looking solution maybe what they are taking an initial stab at.

Similarly, recently folks talking about high transfer with CF cards. No way CF cards can saturate FW 800. There are FW readers.
(http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2015)-SDDRX4-CF-901-SanDisk_Extreme_FireWire_Reader.aspx)
For pros and SD/CF/Multiformat readers wedded to ExpressCard, the FW/USB solutions can be used on both a laptop and desktop. Buy once and solve the problem for multiple machines, with a slight weight/space trade off.
[ would be perhaps different if Mac Pros came with multiformat readers. They don't. So the MBP is in no different position here than the MPro. ]

No that doesn't solve it for everyone, but folks are miscalculating the update in percentages if just narrowing count physical interfaces addressed as opposed to problems solvable with something that plugs into the remaining slots. Likewise, the folks sitting in that remaining set are even smaller ( so further weakens the argument of folks who insist Apple is under counting.) I'm willing the bet Apple approached this as "whose problems can't be solved with the interfaces provided?" versus "What is the count the number of things can plug into ExpressCard?"

Finally, I don't think the primary mover here is cost. Apple's minimalistic design philosophy goes over the whole range of their products. The smallest set of offerings that solves the most peoples problems is what drives the limitations on models, ports/slots , size .... all of it. And if users have to buy "extra" cables (e.g., mini-display port) to hook to things in the outside world that is fine with them.

That single philosophy is exactly why having multiple solution providers would be a better solution from the consumer perspective.

Throw in tracking some folks into tethered iPhones and it is profit, not costs that they are focused on.

If folks want to be effective in making the argument for ExpressCard need to have problems which can most effectively be solved with ExpressCard. They are out there. The real questions is who is over counting. The folks ( "I absolutely need it so therefore there must be a significant percentage of users") or Apple ( may or may not be using dubious demographic data collection) ?

 

[deconstruct60]

Where are the mythical FW 1600/3200 specs? IIRC they use the FW800 connector, which is now standard on MBPs. And IIRC the standard is approved, so why not use it, if it is backwards compatible?

In part because they (and others) didn't pull folks to FW800. FW800 wasn't a "Pro" feature is was a necessary across the line up feature if wanted FW to have a future.

Was USB a "pro" feature for an extended period of time when transitioning from Appletalk? USB 2.0 was "pro" feature? Ridiculous that folks settled for that spin that had to use that as differentiator for years.

If never got critical mass production on FW800 no one is going to ship silicon for FW1600.

Why didn't get to FW800 critical mass? Chuckle... several posts back someone was complaining about FW400 "going away". Holy stuck in the mud Batman! How many current PCs come with USB 1.0 capability? If there was a mob of folks demanding USB 1.0 only chipsets USB would be stuck in the mud too. It would be different if FW800 weren't compatible with a simple cable (since you need a cable anyway) or adapter (ok reuse cable).

USB 3.0 is little late, but the writing is the wall. Apple has decided to get deep into bed with Intel. That means jumping even further onto the USB bandwagon. Ironically, Apple's previous moves with respect to FW are one reason why Intel is so anti-FW.

no HDMI

Mini-DPort is standard across the whole line up. One part to buy for all Macs is simpler and cheaper.
Why not Mini-DPort and HDMI .... no space. Tight space budget on the sides (hence the mini-DP as opposed to regular DP which would have been even more cost effective since not limited to Macs.)

And why is Apple not pushing RAID-systems in laptops? If there are upgrade kits available why not make it a BTO feature, at least on the 17"?

Not sure but perhaps power/thermal issues. Some of these kits that folks come up with don't stay within the thermal constraints that Apple Engineers have to work with. Similar to slow arrive of 7200 drives that Apple will offer.

Secondly, you honestly think that Steve Jobs is going to let a case with a slot that isn't really a slot leave the factory? These are the same folks who waxed on about how they microbrushed the trackpad so it had the right feel.

Thirdly, if you are seriously beating hard (lots of read/writes) on your RAID disks they are going to need be replaced far within the lifetime of the machines. Thrown in he use/abuse that often comes, intentionally or not, with being mobile even more so. That kit augmentation isn't an Apple authorized component swap out. That is a decent solution for folks that need a two drive set up. One for apps/OS and the other for data streaming.

Lastly as long as there are 3rd party vendors willing to crack the case and do it for the very small number of folks who needs it.... why not just leave it out there as a 3rd party opportunity? Apple isn't going to do everything for everybody. Remember that Apple doesn't even do their own manufacturing. Some quirky line in assembly process is only an opening for the contractor to charge more money; "Well I gotta have Bob and Sam sitting over there processing only a couple of orders a day. That is going to cost you more."