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2011 comes with no remote

azz0r

azz0r

macrumors member
Original poster
Hello,

I was just told that most macbooks come with a remote, which brought to my attention that my new MBP didn't come with one.

Any ideas why they stopped packing them in?
 
They stopped shipping with a remote a year or two ago IIRC, presumably to save initial costs and to get you to shell out another £15 on a separate one.

Plus, with Apple abandoning Front Row in 10.7, I can't see them coming back. However, the remote I got with my iMac G5 iSight still works perfectly with my new 2011 13" i7, and I've never even changed the battery in it. It's a trooper, and has outlived the iMac itself by over a year. 😛
 
azz0r said:
Hello,

I was just told that most macbooks come with a remote, which brought to my attention that my new MBP didn't come with one.

Any ideas why they stopped packing them in?
Click to expand...

You can order one for an extra ~$20. I got one but have yet to use it. Winning!
 
Well it was more than 2 years ago that they came with a remote. My early 08" didn't come with one, but an Apple TV does. Makes you wonder the profit margins on the ATV2
 
LukeHarrison said:
Front Row is still here, but it won't be for much longer, it's not a part of 10.7 Lion.
Click to expand...

Booooo. It was really nice for morning when my computer & external monitor were across the room and I wanted to start up some music or a film from bed :/ . /lazy
 
eaf7s said:
Booooo. It was really nice for morning when my computer & external monitor were across the room and I wanted to start up some music or a film from bed :/ . /lazy
Click to expand...

Front row with the remote is sweet indeed. Hoping that with Lion the experience will be integrated into iTunes if removed from the os.
 
I was pretty bummed when I didn't get one. Front Row is pretty terrible anyways. Still, the remote is 'cool' and was something I always was jealous of when I saw them at my friend's houses in middle/high school. With all that being said - I'd still never buy one.

To Apple, they probably view Front Row as redundant. If people actually used/relied on it (instead of all of the other media center apps, which in my opinion are WAY better) - they probably think they can coax them into buying the Apple TV easier.
 
azz0r said:
Hello,

I was just told that most macbooks come with a remote,...
Click to expand...

No they don't. In fact, the Unibody Macbook Pros never came with remotes since Apple discontinued including them months before the uMBP introduction.

"As of February 2008, the MacBook and MacBook Pro no longer include an Apple Remote in the package..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Remote [at the end of second paragraph]

azz0r said:
Any ideas why they stopped packing them in?
Click to expand...
Most likely to bring the cost down and/or allocate that cost to other components.
 
I always used it for Keynote presentations.

Trying to decide whether I should order a matching aluminum one now.
 
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I have 3 spares laying around from all the other devices I purchased. With iPhone, iPad I have no use for them.
 
^^exactly, iphone is the perfect remote

also i have wireless keyboard/mouse and soon to get a magicwand thing

all i need now is an apple tv..

ps - never liked watching movies on a laptop.. even with 17"MBP.. no comparison to 55" samsung LED 😉
 
yup, old news. many alternatives out there if you still need this functionality. Also, if you buy an Apple TV ($99) it comes with one 🙂
 
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