Not meaning to stir things up but who does serious video editing on a 13 inch notebook? Come on. Video editing is done on a desktop computer with serious processing power and a 24 or 30 inch monitor. Complaining that a little 4 lb notebook with a 13 inch screen isn't equipped to edit your home movies is ridiculous. USB 2.0 does everything 95% of macbook owners need.
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a 13 inch notebook doesn't need firewire
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Speak for yourself. There are a lot of users who need portability with video editing capabilities.
I think FW is not necessary and truly almost everything FW can do USB can do , I do some video editing on my macbook, and i do lots of huge file transfers from my MB to my externals all the time, and I do not mind using usb for my non-FW externals BUT it is a downgrade from having one b4 and not having one now, you just can't deny that...its kind of like getting power windows in car because it comes with it, next year you get one for the exact same price but you don t get power windows in the new one...
That being said i still love the new MB but mine it's still more than enough for what i use it for, therefore i won't be purchasing one anytime soon.
That being said i still love the new MB but mine it's still more than enough for what i use it for, therefore i won't be purchasing one anytime soon.
So I can boot my new Aluminium MacBook into Target Disk Mode and mount it onto a another Mac via USB?
Is the OP serious? My dad has a Macbook, he is by no means a professional. What's one of his hobbies? He videotapes everything. Does he need firewire? Duh. Do I need firewire? Yeah, I like making short films with friends and for school. Are there a ton of other people out there who don't want/need professional laptops or desktops who use video cameras? No crap, Clifford!
No, the previous poster has no idea what Target disk mode is.
No, the previous poster has no idea what Target disk mode is.
Target Disk Mode has been the utility that has saved me countless times in a pinch. I assure you that there are many Mac IT professionals that have pulled off a few miracles with it as well.
While I think many people will miss firewire in the MB in the short term, my personal take on it is that the pros of the new Macbook outweigh the cons.
Only thing I use firewire for now is to connect my Sony MiniDV camcorder to it maybe twice a year... after holidays usually. The camcorder cost me about £400 a couple of years back. I can replace it with something comparable that uses USB instead for around half that price so that's what I'll do.
In the meantime, my partner still has an old white MB with Firewire so I'll use that and then upgrade the camera when I have to.
Would I rather have Firewire in the MB? Yes, definitely. Is it a dealbreaker without it? No... I can deal with it.
I suspect Apple are relying on this being the case with most users and those that need Firewire will just have to plump for the MB Pro.
Clearly you don't.
However, other people might want to. After all, iMovie and iDVD are right in there out of the box.
They took FW out to push people onto the MBP.
Doug
You are forgetting audio
Most audio interfaces are firewire (For good reason)
And people who are using audio programs often need to use an external hdd over firewire for samples/recording etc (especially with programs like Logic). In those scenarios, a firewire hdd is much better than USB.
There are lot of people who use Macbooks for those things (and yes Macbook Pros too).
Most audio interfaces are firewire (For good reason)
And people who are using audio programs often need to use an external hdd over firewire for samples/recording etc (especially with programs like Logic). In those scenarios, a firewire hdd is much better than USB.
There are lot of people who use Macbooks for those things (and yes Macbook Pros too).
Expand your mind to the other realms... particularly audio.
Many here seems to not realize that this user group exists. Everyone saying we don't need firewire argue about file transfers, target disk, video etc...
It's ridiculous to argue against a tiny ****ing port that should be there and completely ****s over the pro audio crowd. You think people are complaining because it takes 4 min to transfer some files vs 2 min? No. This is serious **** if you want a 13" notebook for a portable DAW (and want a Mac). If there were decent alternatives, we wouldn't be bitching about it. There aren't decent alternatives for USB pro audio that I would trust in a mission critical situation.
(I'm just going to cut and paste my answer (slightly changed) that I wrote just now in another thread.....)
Even if you don't use FW, I'd rather it be included, as it has been included in every Mac for 8 years or so. There are no good excuses for not including it. Apple just wanted some way to differentiate the MB from the MBP. If they were really so concerned with product differentiation, they shouldn't have designed them to be so similar.
FW has huge advantages over USB that not even USB 3 can solve.
1. The constant, sustained throughput of FW. USB only transfers data in bursts.
2. USB uses your CPU, and therefore, slows down your computer. If you're moving a lot of data, or you're using a device plugged into your USB, be prepared for your computer to slow down. Firewire doesn't require the CPU, so you and your computer can continue working at full speed.
That said, only the cheapest, s**ttiest camcorders don't support FW. Just because people buy the lowest end camcorder doesn't mean that $1300 and $1600 laptops shouldn't support FW. Even midrange products that are on the lower end of the scale have FW.
Besides, if USB was so effing hot right now, then why not replace the FW port with a 3rd USB port? Even $350 netbooks have 3 USB ports, and they actually dominate the laptop sales figures at the moment.
Even if you don't use FW, I'd rather it be included, as it has been included in every Mac for 8 years or so. There are no good excuses for not including it. Apple just wanted some way to differentiate the MB from the MBP. If they were really so concerned with product differentiation, they shouldn't have designed them to be so similar.
FW has huge advantages over USB that not even USB 3 can solve.
1. The constant, sustained throughput of FW. USB only transfers data in bursts.
2. USB uses your CPU, and therefore, slows down your computer. If you're moving a lot of data, or you're using a device plugged into your USB, be prepared for your computer to slow down. Firewire doesn't require the CPU, so you and your computer can continue working at full speed.
That said, only the cheapest, s**ttiest camcorders don't support FW. Just because people buy the lowest end camcorder doesn't mean that $1300 and $1600 laptops shouldn't support FW. Even midrange products that are on the lower end of the scale have FW.
Besides, if USB was so effing hot right now, then why not replace the FW port with a 3rd USB port? Even $350 netbooks have 3 USB ports, and they actually dominate the laptop sales figures at the moment.
Is that really true? From what I've been able to find out, it seems that most consumer hard disc, DVD and SD models seem to have USB. Many just relying on USB with no firewire option.
Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I'm not saying this is a cast iron fact. Just saying what I've found from what research I've done since the new MBs came out.
Well most HDDs don't have Firewire because most people use them to back up MS Word documents and photos, so they don't care. However, external harddisks aren't just so that people can make casual backups of things. They're made to store actual media files that requires real-time data storage, such as saving video or audio files.
USB is just crap for that.
USB is just crap for that.
Exactly! I would have order a new Macbook if it had Firewire, but i've had to go for an old Macbook Pro 2.4! I'm an I.T professional and 100% must have the function to use Target Disk Mode.
Did it ever occur to you that some people use both a laptop and a desktop for their work?
A 13" notebook doesn't need a lot of things. It doesn't need a big glass trackpad, it doesn't need a backlit keyboard, it doesn't need wireless built in. However some people want these things and buy because the laptop has them. I want firewire but i don't need it (heck when you think about it you don't even need a laptop). I probably won't buy a laptop without it.
Sorry if I misinterpreted, but.......
I just explained why there are some backup harddisks that don't have FW......because those customers don't need them, and they tend to be cheaper. More expensive HDDs aren't always guaranteed to have FW, but the ones that do are meant for people who transfer large files.
In general, FW is better for transferring large files, so it applies to more than just harddrives.
