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Why have 2 rarely used Thunderbolt ports on your entry level laptop?

It's probably not going to be an entry level laptop, but more of a rMBP with smaller screen. One port is at least likely to be used for a screen since it doubles as a display port.
 
There are several other Mac-based options for "3D gamers". Why should this particular model be saddled with a heat-generating, battery-draining chipset that is unnecessary for the majority of users?

3D gamers can also run the display in non-Retina mode. I don't get why that's even a complaint...

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I know the cables are available, but that doesn't stop the ruling of their being illegal ...

Link to such a ruling ? The people running the HDMI standard have no force of law. Adapters are not illegal. They might not be sanctionned by a standard body, but they are not illegal.

DisplayPort is a VESA standard while HDMI is managed by the HDMI Forum, an industry association.

EDIT : http://www.vesa.org/displayport-developer/about-displayport/

VESA even markets DP as fully HDMI compatible as far as transport of Video/Audio. Devices that support DP++ are dual-mode and will sense if a display is connected through HDMI, switching the signal to straight HDMI, requiring thus only a completely passive, pin-to-pin adapter. This is all baked into the DisplayPort standard. Of course, you don't get the added features of HDMI such as CEC (a remote controlling standard so that a single device can control all its connected devices through its own interface) with this method, only Video/Audio transport.

So in essence, you're not just wrong, you're completely off base with your comments.
 
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Based on the 15" rMBP...

I bet the battery will be integrated into the chassis; that is the case itself is the housing for the cells.

Either way if this is at all like the 15" version and they kill of the real MBP's, I think my 2011 model is the last mac I will ever own.
 
I was trying to be fair and objective. :D Obviously the average consumer and especially those targeted by the 13" aren't Thunderbolt users. IMHO, it is mindless to put two of these ports on these computers. If and when the tech becomes widespread, these current machines will be obsolete. USB 3 is far more useful and practical for the vast majority and will be for at least a few years. And I'm being generous again. ;)
Actually, I suspect that Apple has some sort of deal going with Intel that rewards Apple in some way for trying to push TB as a new standard. You know, special pricing or early access to a new chip during production ramp-up, something along those lines. Works for Intel, because if TB is eventually widely adopted, then it gives manufacturers one more reason to go with Intel. Works for Apple, because it can claim that it has this new, advanced port tech. The problem is that Apple has implemented its port adoption strategy poorly. If Apple had itself had produced a wide array of affordable hubs and devices to use the port, then it could have taken off. Because Apple is taking a hands-off approach with peripherals, adoption is glacial due to a lack of built-in processor support, likely expensive licensing, and a limited market.
 
As for the other reply to mine about HDMI - I know the cables are available, but that doesn't stop the ruling of their being illegal ... one kind of came before the other there.

That's such BS, it's not illegal at all, otherwise you wouldn't have products that do the very same thing in the market.
 
I was really holding off on getting a new laptop hoping the new 13" would have dedicated GPU (still possible) and would be massively disappointed if they choose to skimp on this. Regardless of what others may be saying about the hd4000 being fully capable of handling those pixels on paper and using synthetic benchmarks the fact is on OSX we are getting lag when using a much more powerful GPU which will be so much worse with an integrated GPU.

Unless apple has resolved any driver / software related issues causing the lag, we WILL be getting a much worse experience regardless of what the hd4000 is capable of on paper. On top of that, there is no way I am spending $1,500+ on any laptop without a dGPU since I am a pro user using serious apps alongside some modern games and prefer the portability of a 13" when meeting clients or traveling. No GPU = not a real pro device, might as well get an air.
 
I was really holding off on getting a new laptop hoping the new 13" would have dedicated GPU (still possible) and would be massively disappointed if they choose to skimp on this. Regardless of what others may be saying about the hd4000 being fully capable of handling those pixels on paper and using synthetic benchmarks the fact is on OSX we are getting lag when using a much more powerful GPU which will be so much worse with an integrated GPU.

Unless apple has resolved any driver / software related issues causing the lag, we WILL be getting a much worse experience regardless of what the hd4000 is capable of on paper. On top of that, there is no way I am spending $1,500+ on any laptop without a dGPU since I am a pro user using serious apps alongside some modern games and prefer the portability of a 13" when meeting clients or traveling. No GPU = not a real pro device, might as well get an air.

Can you point me towards people complaining of their problems with the HD4000 on the 15"? I'd like to see some of those myself. I'm planning on buying the 13" and want to know if this will be a real issue. Its hard for me to believe that apple would release a computer that has screen lag on everyday tasks. I don't really game, but what serious apps (outside of games) do you run that you are concerned about? Thanks.
 
Actually, I suspect that Apple has some sort of deal going with Intel that rewards Apple in some way for trying to push TB as a new standard. You know, special pricing or early access to a new chip during production ramp-up, something along those lines. Works for Intel, because if TB is eventually widely adopted, then it gives manufacturers one more reason to go with Intel. Works for Apple, because it can claim that it has this new, advanced port tech. The problem is that Apple has implemented its port adoption strategy poorly. If Apple had itself had produced a wide array of affordable hubs and devices to use the port, then it could have taken off. Because Apple is taking a hands-off approach with peripherals, adoption is glacial due to a lack of built-in processor support, likely expensive licensing, and a limited market.

I see that Asus and MSI now have motherboards with Thunderbolt. I guess it's a start but it's going to be years before it is popular for the masses, if ever.
 
Seeing how the current Retina Macbook Pro has hardly any ports (ridiculous for a notebook), I don't think bragging about the "same port layout" is saying much. :rolleyes:
 
I see that Asus and MSI now have motherboards with Thunderbolt. I guess it's a start but it's going to be years before it is popular for the masses, if ever.
Anandtech and Tom's Hardware have taken a look at those +$200 Thunderbolt sporting boards and in some external enclosures. It is fast and with the one cable to "rule" them all nonsense but it still spinning around the vaprorware drain.
 
Anandtech and Tom's Hardware have taken a look at those +$200 Thunderbolt sporting boards and in some external enclosures. It is fast and with the one cable to "rule" them all nonsense but it still spinning around the vaprorware drain.

People buying ATX motherboards are already niche, I bet those buying boards more expensive than 100$ is a much smaller niche within a niche. Now for those 200$ guys...

Unit count must be ridiculously low on those. :eek:
 
People buying ATX motherboards are already niche, I bet those buying boards more expensive than 100$ is a much smaller niche within a niche. Now for those 200$ guys...

Unit count must be ridiculously low on those. :eek:
Dropping Thunderbolt onto an already expensive ATX board adds about another $60. Half of that being for the controller itself. On the other hand you also have Mini-ITX boards showing up with Thunderbolt support.

ATX dead for mobile or just desktop computing in general? There is still a general apprehension to support Thunderbolt but it does make for an interesting solution to differentiate your product from others. Not that it has really helped Apple. You are better off selling off your SB hardware and jumping onto the USB 3.0 IVB counterpart.
 
3D gamers can also run the display in non-Retina mode. I don't get why that's even a complaint...

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Link to such a ruling ? The people running the HDMI standard have no force of law. Adapters are not illegal. They might not be sanctionned by a standard body, but they are not illegal.

DisplayPort is a VESA standard while HDMI is managed by the HDMI Forum, an industry association.

EDIT : http://www.vesa.org/displayport-developer/about-displayport/

VESA even markets DP as fully HDMI compatible as far as transport of Video/Audio. Devices that support DP++ are dual-mode and will sense if a display is connected through HDMI, switching the signal to straight HDMI, requiring thus only a completely passive, pin-to-pin adapter. This is all baked into the DisplayPort standard. Of course, you don't get the added features of HDMI such as CEC (a remote controlling standard so that a single device can control all its connected devices through its own interface) with this method, only Video/Audio transport.

So in essence, you're not just wrong, you're completely off base with your comments.

http://www.slashgear.com/hdmi-to-mini-displayport-cables-declared-illegal-08164010/

It wasn't posted on April 1st either :D. Beyond that, I had no reason to doubt it, PLUS it does seem typical of the industry.
 
http://www.slashgear.com/hdmi-to-mini-displayport-cables-declared-illegal-08164010/

It wasn't posted on April 1st either :D. Beyond that, I had no reason to doubt it, PLUS it does seem typical of the industry.

So a particular adapter is unlicensed by the HDMI forum and asked to be withdrawn (or baring that, simply not using the HDMI branding). There is no mention of legality in there except in the title, the HDMI forum does not have force of law.

That doesn't make DP incompatible with HDMI. DP++ is specifically pushed by VESA to be compatible. As long as your adapters use proper HDMI licensing (HDMI isn't free, it's a licensed technology, DisplayPort is license-free), there is no issue in converting DP to HDMI.

If you read your fine article, you'd note also that the HDMI forum only has issue with DisplayPort to Male HDMI cables, which is what the article is talking about. DisplayPort to female HDMI adapters, into which you then use a properly licensed Male to Male HDMI cable are ok with them.

So you're still wrong, and now you show you really don't understand how all this works. Not to mention you based all of it on an article you obviously didn't read.
 
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LOL gotta say chill out. I just restated the headline, and mainly for amusement purposes; I was never going for right or wrong but you seem to be pretty worked up about this :(.

I am still "right", for the zero difference it makes, that minidisplayport is far less convenient than hdmi in my life, which was let's face it my main point; there was never an argument here.
 
I am still "right", for the zero difference it makes, that minidisplayport is far less convenient than hdmi in my life, which was let's face it my main point; there was never an argument here.

If that helps you sleep better, the point is, mDP or HDMI makes no difference as you have been shown and told : mDP is compatible to HDMI with a simple, passive adapter that costs no more than 3$. mDP offers many advantages to vendors in that it is royalty free to implement. That is why computer OEMs are mostly going for DP rather than HDMI.

You can keep repeating falsehoods if that is what you like, it only affects your own credibility in the end. Read past the headlines next time.
 
@aristotle

@ Aristotle

I don't have aproblem with leaks... Define "most!". did you take a survey?

who knows if Apple has any role in some "leaks."

SEC has no jurisdiction over leaked parts. The SEC only can prosecute if somone trades the stock on inside info that has not been disclosed to the public. These are people making public rumors. This has nothing to do with insider trading. Posts like yours, with.false statements, are exasperating!!!! and take all the fun out of Mac Rumors.

Excuse me.... The SEC has failed in many ways to prosecute insider trading as well as other illegal trading activities. And the US congress members -- our elected officials -- have benefited for years trading on insider info.

Keynote speeches are mostly boring.... Particularly with SJ gone....

I think a number of people have a problem with these persistent leaks with actual photos of parts. That is a serious problem and if the manufacturer was located in the US, somebody would be investigated for insider trading or misappropriation. Because the manufacturer is located in China, the SEC cannot prosecute or investigate the leakers. If, however, someone at Apple were to leak insider information about future products, they could be charged under SEC regulations and fined or imprisoned.

I don't think nobody wants to see people go to jail.

I miss this site when we had unsubstantiated rumors and speculation with very few actual leaked parts to go on. All of these leaks take some of the fun out of the keynotes.
 
@ Aristotle

I don't have aproblem with leaks... Define "most!". did you take a survey?

who knows if Apple has any role in some "leaks."

SEC has no jurisdiction over leaked parts. The SEC only can prosecute if somone trades the stock on inside info that has not been disclosed to the public. These are people making public rumors. This has nothing to do with insider trading. Posts like yours, with.false statements, are exasperating!!!! and take all the fun out of Mac Rumors.

Excuse me.... The SEC has failed in many ways to prosecute insider trading as well as other illegal trading activities. And the US congress members -- our elected officials -- have benefited for years trading on insider info.

Keynote speeches are mostly boring.... Particularly with SJ gone....
You seem to be under the mistaken impression that insider trading requires the person with the information on the inside to make the trade. An insider can leak information to a friend and if that friend makes buys or sells based on that information, both people can be charged with insider trading.

If an insider makes a trade after a so-called "public rumour", thinking that is it now public, they can be charged with insider trading. Rumours and leaks do not constitute public notice under SEC rules. In order for information about, say an acquisition, to be public it has to be issued by an official wire service and the public has to have had the opportunity to digest it before an insider can make a trade on that information.

If Apple had a supplier in the US and an employee of that company used information about Apple seen at work to make a trade or leaked that information to a friend, they could be charged with either misappropriation or insider trading.

You don't have to be an employee to be an insider. You can be a contractor or even a significant shareholder. Employees at companies doing business with each other also have to be careful not to leak or act on information that they might come across during their work day.

If you actually worked at a major publicly traded corporation then you would know all of this. It is usually part of the standard ethics trading given to employees at those companies.

Some could argue that these leaks constitute misappropriation by employees of Apple's suppliers and represent a potential harm to the value of the stock price for shareholder.
 
Heh, and it is very Apple-like to leave a couple of years ago in the dust :). In my life, HDMI is far more relevant now than it was a couple of years ago; I have a TV with it and have also bought one for my mother and one for my father, and a Dell with it ... with no connection issues; it is only the minidisplayport that causes issues, and I would rather not have to bother with another cable or adapter - that is just too Apple-like for me now.

As for the other reply to mine about HDMI - I know the cables are available, but that doesn't stop the ruling of their being illegal ... one kind of came before the other there. In any case my main reaction was to find it amusing - this port business be insane :D.

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Will it be allowed on planes :D?

Oh didn't get the sarcasm. They do have hdcp which is copy protection but I think that mainly applies to BR.

Yeah to each their own. Obviously everyone can do the " it's relevant to me" argument. Right? But Apple doesnt make 50 million different laptop models. Maybe in the future they will be like Burger King.

Windows is better at that but then the tradeoff is a race to the bottom and less care about design etc.

Anyway I was puzzled Apple put it on their flagship model of the future form reasons stated above.
 
If you could choose one, what would you have: discrete graphics or quad core processing?

Ooooh wow that's a hard question. Although seeing as this has a retina display I'd prefer discreet graphics because the computer experience would not be worthwhile if there's lag in the most basic task. However I'd feel better about this choice if we were talking about haswell dual core processors.
 
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