Aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pros Spotted?

[tMac85]

More importantly I'm tired of hearing about people bitch about Apple's pricing. If you think the iMac is too expensive, then don't buy the damn thing. We don't care if you go out and buy a Sony, just do so and shut the hell up.

amen to that. i couldnt agree more. its just like a bmw. you get what you pay for. and not all of us can drive a bmw. someone has to be top of the line. and it might as well be apple!

 

[Erindipity]

That's on the other side along with all the memory card adapters and some more USBs. I don't know about you but when I go out on the town I need about 7 USB slots to load all my items.

Totally! Doesn't everyone??? I have a really bitchin' wheeled travel case that'll hold both this thing and my dot matrix printer, too. Can't wait to take the whole mess to my favorite pub and knock back a few cold ones with all of my nerd gear by my side!

 

[Tosser]

I had a great dinner in Manhattan with my wife and kids. It was stupid expensive compared to what I would spend, say, for lunch every day in the SF Bay area, but it was a GREAT dinner. It was a lot of fun, great food, and much more memorable than eating at the local family-owned take-out (even if the local take-out is great and better than the local chain)

Was my daughter's burger made from essentially different materials than those that make up the local In-and-Out burger? No. But the owner had higher rent, a LOT more expensive decor, and fantastic table service.

You forget you're using an analogy here. The hypothetical Apple burger joint does NOT have more expensive decor, does NOT have higher rent, and does not have any more fantastic "table service" than the burger joint across the street.

My daughter was served with the same presentation and flare that my wife and I were served our much "fancier" meals. It was worth it, at that time, to allow my daughter have the expensive burger in a bistro in a great American city.

But when we talk about what this analogy is really about, you CAN'T get a "much fancier meal if you would so like. The only difference, if you really want to push it, besides the colour of the dressing, is the colour of the plate upon which it is served.

If you don't get qualitative differences, go back to your PC, in your trailer home (why in the world would you pay more per square feet when it doesn't help you eat or breath or sleep, right?) and crunch bits.

Funny remark, considering the "quality" of the product we're talking about here is not higher than the competitors. You can put make up on a turd, but it's still no madonna.

I've spent a lot more on PCs than I ever have on Macs and I understand the qualitative differences. I spent $5000 on a Toshiba Tecra laptop (Pentium 120, 48MB RAM), and it was a crude brick, but one of the better laptops of 1995.

LOL, you go on with your "qualititative differencies". Guess what, there are none. And then you back that up by comparing a 2008-product with a 1995-product? Yup, you sure as hell know what you're talking about

It's the same basis on which people choose Honda's vs. BMWs vs. Chevy's vs. Vauxhalls. The Honda owners look over at the BMW owners and say "I get better gas mileage, my car costs less, and it's practical. I ~so~ own the road." The BMW owner looks over at the Honda driver and says "Life's too short to be driving a practical, but utterly mundane vehicle.

Grossly ignorant analogy, considering that those two things you're comparing have nothing else in common, other than they're both cars. Not the same engine, not around the same "mileage", not around the same "speed", and none of the same parts, unlike the things we truly are comparing.

If I'm going to spend 2 hours of my day in a car, I'm going to enjoy it, even if it's going to cost me several thousand dollars a year to do so".

See above.

And guess what, they are BOTH RIGHT.

As above.

 

[mbleopard]

I am constantly amazed by people who say that software (in this case OS X) "costs" nothing because the company has already made a profit on it. This is pure ignorance of accounting. Just because one can "print" copies for nearly free doesn't mean that it doesn't cost anything. Once you break even (i.e. you have covered the weighted head costs (salary plus overhead) of the developers and QA test teams, the costs of support, and the other overhead and shipping and various costs, it doesn't mean that (a) it's free or (b) you are supposed to give it away for free.

Microsoft doesn't start giving it's OS away for free once it's sold enough copies to break even. Why do some expect, nay, demand that Apple do the same?

Your exactly right, even though Leopard may be paid for already, the money they charge help pay for the updates that Apple users receive and also the development of Snow Leopard and other products

 

[Courtaj]

OMG OMG OMG STOP

read this WHOLE THREAD!!!!!!!!!!

people people people....

sigh x3

I agree. I really put too much time into finely crafting and honing my posts for them not to be read closely and carefully.

Banana-flavoured MacBooks NOW! Or a Mac Mini that will fit behind my EAR!

 

[VoR]

Car talk?! Wasn't long ago when the mercedes e class was being manufactured for less than a ford mondeo.
Actually looking at what you get, considering it's value for money and questioning and 'bitching about pricing' is good for everyone.

 

[digitalbiker]

Banana-flavoured MacBooks NOW! Or a Mac Mini that will fit behind my EAR!

How about a banana flavored mac mini that would fit up your 'EAR.

 

[Tosser]

How about a banana flavored mac mini that would fit up your 'EAR.

For that purpose wouldn't one prefer a mac mini that was shaped like a banana?

 

[swagi]

@Beric

You know what? Apple's user demographic is different, especially with the people who buy the 'Pro' line. I myself would regard me as somehow 'average stupid customer' who was 'fooled' by the Pro moniker. NOT.

I bought the former Pro line, the POWERBook G4 more than 4 years ago. I not only bought it for style, and I certainly didn't buy it to do pro work. Yes, I'm just using it as eMail, web, word-processing thing. Everything media related is quite casual. But it was neither marketing nor status that lured me to the 'Pro' line.

It mainly was something called lasting appeal.

While the iBooks G4 of the world may rest in piece, as they stop supporting them with more and more bundled software (think iMovie for instance), my PowerBook still runs fine.

And that is the problem with the current Pro line. It doesn't have lasting appeal. If Apple could only build something like this spec-wise and put it in a decent enclosure, I'm all sold. And honestly, I wouldn't mind paying that premium again for lasting appeal.

So go on and tell me about the lasting appeal of your Dells, HPs and stuff

 

[jade]

Evidence we still have some time left before the update

Well I have a friend who works at apple. He is a senior test engineer type. He only works overtime once in a blue moon and hates working late. He has been burning the midnight oil with 7-day weeks for the past month and half. They are still going on, but they have dropped to 6-day weeks. We'll see updates within days (hours) after he goes back to 9-5.. Still holding strong for the short term foreseeable future.

 

[Tosser]

You know what? Apple's user demographic is different, especially with the people who buy the 'Pro' line. I myself would regard me as somehow 'average stupid customer' who was 'fooled' by the Pro moniker. NOT.

I bought the former Pro line, the POWERBook G4 more than 4 years ago. I not only bought it for style, and I certainly didn't buy it to do pro work. Yes, I'm just using it as eMail, web, word-processing thing. Everything media related is quite casual. But it was neither marketing nor status that lured me to the 'Pro' line.

It mainly was something called lasting appeal.

While the iBooks G4 of the world may rest in piece, as they stop supporting them with more and more bundled software (think iMovie for instance), my PowerBook still runs fine.

And that is the problem with the current Pro line. It doesn't have lasting appeal. If Apple could only build something like this spec-wise and put it in a decent enclosure, I'm all sold. And honestly, I wouldn't mind paying that premium again for lasting appeal.

So go on and tell me about the lasting appeal of your Dells, HPs and stuff

Thinkpads.

 

[digitalbiker]

For that purpose wouldn't one prefer a mac mini that was shaped like a banana?

Hey, I don't know what you are trying to imply!

I am a happily married man.

Besides I think our comments have drifted slightly off topic, not to mention off color.

 

[Tosser]

Hey, I don't know what you are trying to imply!

I am a happily married man.

Besides I think our comments have drifted slightly off topic, not to mention off color.

Haha, yup. But it was fun while it lasted

 

[macbooker15]

XPS M1330
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My Components
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Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate Edition SP1
Standard Display with 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
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Size: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
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McAfee SecurityCenter 15-months
Microsoft Works
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Hmm..I see the same specs...for MORE PRICE

(Vista Ulimate to compare with OSX, Microsoft Works was free, Photoshop elements/Premire a steal for $99 to compare with imovie/iphoto).

Same DVD burner, RAM, Hard Drive, warranty, and even graphics card!

 

[bplein]

Hey I bought the same Tecra in 1995. Great little laptop. Mine actually still runs fine. I still have the 24 floppies that contain MS DOS,Windows, and Toshiba's custom installed software and drivers disks.

Do you want mine for spares? It's currently in my garage, in a cabinet next to the Dremel tool. (grin)

I upgraded the stock 1GB IDE drive to 3GB (woohoo!), and added a 10x CDROM drive (I had the model that didn't come with a CDROM). I ran NT 4.0 (yikes) in that 48MB, and actually ran an Oracle server so I could write Visual Basic code to do simple database updates/queries. In 48M.

Needless to say, our expectations of laptop performance have gone up a few notches in the last 13 years!

 

[VoR]

Dell have about 3000 different prices for any one product depending on how you get there.
All you're doing pasting silly lists like that is proving that you have no idea how to spend your money, or that you're playing some silly prove the guy on the internet wrong game. Why don't you paste a product with similar specs for the absolute best price you can find and then join his discussion about value for money.

 

[bplein]

You forget you're using an analogy here. The hypothetical Apple burger joint does NOT have more expensive decor, does NOT have higher rent, and does not have any more fantastic "table service" than the burger joint across the street.

Dude, you don't get it. Prices are NOT fixed by costs. It's a free world (as our former communist comrads in China are proving to us on a daily basis) and vendors are free to set their prices, and people vote with their pocketbook.

If the Apple MBP is such a commodity, easy to replace, how come there isn't another system provider that has created their own operating system (whether or not it has open source components), on hardware of their own design (based on commodity components), that had developed such a revenue base? Nobody has. Microsoft is selling software, Dell/IBM/HP/Gateway/Acer/Sony/blah-blah-blah are selling hardware (and reselling software). Nobody else "owns" the system, they own a part of the system.

If it's such a commodity, then someone else should step up and take over the profits that Apple is reaping. But it's not ~easy~ to do so. That is why Apple can charge so much: They are the only one offering the combined system. Whether you call it integration or "an experience", everyone else is strapping Windows and/or Linux on their hardware, or selling Windows. Nobody else controls the whole experience.

But when we talk about what this analogy is really about, you CAN'T get a "much fancier meal if you would so like. The only difference, if you really want to push it, besides the colour of the dressing, is the colour of the plate upon which it is served.

I get it. You treat food as fuel. Food in, sewage out. That's what life is to you.

Funny remark, considering the "quality" of the product we're talking about here is not higher than the competitors. You can put make up on a turd, but it's still no madonna.

So Intel systems are turds? Why are you so passionate about them then, mister "you have a bad analogy"?

LOL, you go on with your "qualititative differencies". Guess what, there are none. And then you back that up by comparing a 2008-product with a 1995-product? Yup, you sure as hell know what you're talking about

I wasn't comparing a 2008 product with a 1995 product, mister "Reading Comprehension Runner Up". I'm telling you I am a PC enthusiast, who has spent way more money on PCs than Macs, for a long time.

The fact that you say there are no qualitative differences between vendors amazes me. They all operate the same, are identically reliable, are just as easy to use, etc.? yeah, right.

Grossly ignorant analogy, considering that those two things you're comparing have nothing else in common, other than they're both cars. Not the same engine, not around the same "mileage", not around the same "speed", and none of the same parts, unlike the things we truly are comparing.

Grossly ignorant post. The point is that your opinion and my opinion differ. If you think that all people should share your opinion, you are closed minded. How are you going to justify your superiority if everyone was just like you? You need people like us, to look down on, to satisfy your existence. Just like the Honda driver and the BMW driver in my example look down on each other, and neither is wrong, and neither is right.

Sigh...

 

[macbooker15]

Dell have about 3000 different prices for any one product depending on how you get there.
All you're doing pasting silly lists like that is proving that you have no idea how to spend your money, or that you're playing some silly prove the guy on the internet wrong game. Why don't you paste a product with similar specs for the absolute best price you can find and then join his discussion about value for money.

It is true that dell has a lot of different prices for products. I just wanted to prove a point that if a PC is configured to match a Macbook, its not always as expensive. I tried my hardest to emulate the midrange macbook. Even with the extra software removed, its still 1279, just $20 less than the macbook, with exactly the same specs; hard drive, RAM, CD/DVD drive, Wireless N, Bluetooth.

 

[VoR]

Yeah you're right, it's also easy to find all sorts of laptops that are similar/worse machines than apple offerings, and cost more money.

 

[macbooker15]

Yeah you're right, it's also easy to find all sorts of laptops that are similar/worse machines than apple offerings, and cost more money.

Are you trying to make a point with this post?

 

[Loge]

If this is true and there's only one fw 800 port then I'm hooped!
I've got an Apogee Duet (into fw 400) and a Glyph PortaGig (into fw 800) setup to record audio. I know 800 is backwards compatible but thats for hard drives primarily, is it the same for audio interfaces? Everything just works the way things are and this possibility is unforseen and disturbing to say the least.

The Apogee Duet works fine from the FW800 port, I had it set up that way before I added a FW800 hard drive. I don't mind really if we get 2 FW800 on the 17", but I will not be pleased if it is just one in total, since I don't want to run a powered hub (I want fewer wires and power bricks!)

Yes, if the new models don't support 8GB RAM and if the hi-res becomes 1920*1080 instead of 1920*1200, I will probably get the last of the current model.

 

[chedda]

So Close

So it's weeks ? This Carbonite just has to go !

 

[Jelite]

ow, i didn't know that. but here is a new rumored pic!

Only 3 USB's and no VGA

That's actually what it would look like if some people on here had their way.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Only 3 USB's and no VGA

That's actually what it would look like if some people on here had their way.

*coughYixiancough* (It's cool, man, no offense meant.)

That's also what people would complain about if it looked like that, too.

"What, no HDMI?! No DisplayPort?! No Blu-ray?!"

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

Only 3 USB's and no VGA

That's actually what it would look like if some people on here had their way.

Is it waterproof? Does it swim or sink?