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well turns out I just picked the last 2.4 from the arndale in Manchester. Hope that doesn't piss anyone off too much :p
 
I disagree. Most amateur dv-tape based videocamera require FW to transfer DV-footage.

Tape is dying. Most videocameras are USB these days. As it happens, I have a dv-tape cam right next to me from few years ago, and it has both FireWire (well, iLink in this case) and USB-connectors.

Besides, I own severyl (non-pro) periphreals which require firewire.

Such as?

Apart from that, it is also a question of size. For my use of the laptop (currently a PB 12", last edition), anything much larger is simply too large.

I guess you are screwed then.
 
Tape is dying. Most videocameras are USB these days. As it happens, I have a dv-tape cam right next to me from few years ago, and it has both FireWire (well, iLink in this case) and USB-connectors.

Ok, it is starting to die... but still very lively for some time to go.

(an old joke coming back to my mind: During the communist era in the East Block, a soviet spy come back home: First question: Did you observe the dying capitalism? Answer: Yes, but what a beautiful death.)

And I do not intend to buy a new camera, for to get the same quality, that would mean another €1000, Then you could say, get the pro...but that one is physically just to large for the travels I do. I'd in fact go for it, if they offered a physically smaller one.... about the size of the former 12".

Such as?

several harddrives, though they do have usb, they are quite a bit faster on even only fw400, satellite receiver (formerly counted in the iSight...forgot that one is built in.



I guess you are screwed then.

Correct!
 
Bollox

What a shame. Yeah sure they look snazzy and sure the 4 finger swipe's all good, blah, blah blah. But these are really fancy toys with more style than substance IMHO.

2 USB ports? No FW? No Expresscard or PCMCIA slot to give any oportunity to get firewire? lololololol! On a £1k-£1.5k+ laptop!

Laptops are limied by harddisk size so most people who have a laptop have an external disk. This now HAS to be USB. 1 port gone. So that leaves me with 1 USB port. Any average musician needs an external soundcard which is FW if it's a good quality one. But OK, lets get a USB one now. So here's my MIDI keyboard... where do I put this? I instantly need a USB hub! This means either my HDD or my soundcard, both of which need max bandwidth, has to go via a USB hub! This is now gonna be even lower than the old FW due to only theorectical PEAK, not continuous throughput being higher on USB.

2 USB as the only expansion ports? Come on! An ipod and a camera and they're used up!

Lets compare! Let's look at the Dell range. :( Let's try a Dell XPS. Yeah, yeah, don't give me the old it doesn't run OSX bs. We're looking at hardware design here. XPS M1530. 3 USB ports & FW & Expresscard slot. less than £750! WTF? I only just looked to see how silly apple had been and that's the 1st similar priced laptop. Sure only up to 800MHz FSB, and 802.11b/g, but I can fit it with a Blu-ray drive BTO, and it's cheaper than the new MBs by £300, and faster overall than the similar priced "white MB"!

If you're not gonna give people all the port types they might want at least give them an expresscard slot so they can buy those ports and plug them in.

Really, really disapointed. :( I was actually gonna go to the Apple store this weekend. Now I'm gonna wait it out and maybe get the 17" pro as a desktop replacement, or actually for the first time (after waiting and waiting for this update) look a lot harder at Vista which I really didn't want to do. V. sad. :mad:
 
Is there an online petition urgin Apple to add firewire back to the next Macbooks?

Online petition's rarely ever work, and are usually less effective than venting on Forums like this one.

The best way to get word out to Apple, is to contact them. There are even times that Steve Jobs himself has replied back to people on these, and it is the best way for Apple to get feedback on their products and to make improvements upon them.

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You want to know what works? Tell all your friends not to buy the new MB.
lol. Yeah that might work, better than some petition anyway.

I'm actually STOKED about the new MB's. I don't really need FW, and I always use my MB indoors, so glossy is what I'd get anyway. Just ordered the 2.4 Ghz MB yesterday.
 
No hit this time.

It is a chock that they don't have firewire anymore. The air I thought was a misstake. Now I see path. You may say that you can buy a pro if you need it. And thats true. But the market for firewire equiment will be mush smaller. And If Apple now have desided after so many years to abondon firewire. Why should other compnies support the very small market with firewire equipment? Im not talking about the real mainstream, im talking about highend audio, video that are on
a smaller market. It will effect the pro users too in a very bad way. And im sure that some will leave their mac and apple customers whithout software support in the long run. If they kick out firewite form the next mini im pretty sure that firewire it self is dead. Apple have been in the front pushing for firewire more than anyone. And if they stop us it is dead.

And about the price. It's far to high. In rich contries as us this is maybe not a big problem. But in the growing markets they wont have any private customers. Apple need a entry level mac. May be they sould not rely to mush on Microsoft failure with VIsta.
 
so I just got off the phone with 1800MyAPPLE sales team. When asked if the new 2.0gHz macbook has a backlit keyboard, SalesRep answered "Yes, all aluminum macbooks come with backlit keyboards." So I confirmed with a "so if I buy the 2.0gHz macbook now, it will come to me with a backlit keyboard." Salesrep: "yes, that is correct." me: "ok, just for fun, can you go on the Apple store online and place the order as a consumer would." Salesrep: "oook...". *silence* Salesrep: "Hmm... it seems backlit keyboards are not offered for this particular model. We must have been given incorrect information" then the salesrep checks with their "gurus" and confirms that 2.0ghz mbs do not come with backlit keyboards. me: "that's a serious error on your part to advise me with incorrect information." then after much apologizing from salesrep and complaining from me (hoping to get an upgrade or at least some fricking bone from apple), salesrep couldn't do anything but say, "do you want me to still place your order?" me: "no."

really, it's not the sales' fault, i suppose. but they could at least have given me a nice $300 credit to get the higher end mb. here's to dreaming...
 
so I just got off the phone with 1800MyAPPLE sales team. When asked if the new 2.0gHz macbook has a backlit keyboard, SalesRep answered "Yes, all aluminum macbooks come with backlit keyboards." So I confirmed with a "so if I buy the 2.0gHz macbook now, it will come to me with a backlit keyboard." Salesrep: "yes, that is correct." me: "ok, just for fun, can you go on the Apple store online and place the order as a consumer would." Salesrep: "oook...". *silence* Salesrep: "Hmm... it seems backlit keyboards are not offered for this particular model. We must have been given incorrect information" then the salesrep checks with their "gurus" and confirms that 2.0ghz mbs do not come with backlit keyboards. me: "that's a serious error on your part to advise me with incorrect information." then after much apologizing from salesrep and complaining from me (hoping to get an upgrade or at least some fricking bone from apple), salesrep couldn't do anything but say, "do you want me to still place your order?" me: "no."

really, it's not the sales' fault, i suppose. but they could at least have given me a nice $300 credit to get the higher end mb. here's to dreaming...
Having been in sales for a few years, I can't stand when sales reps are incompetent (or given wrong info, if that was the case). Glad you caught their mistake, too bad they didn't throw you a bone. So is that one phone call enough for you not to buy a new mac?
 
Having been in sales for a few years, I can't stand when sales reps are incompetent (or given wrong info, if that was the case). Glad you caught their mistake, too bad they didn't throw you a bone. So is that one phone call enough for you not to buy a new mac?

haha, probably not. if apple's going to try to weasel dollars out of me, they can at least expect me to do the same. other than the backlitness, this is a good set up for me.
 
The Macbook really should be called the MacBook Pro Lite. The Macbook as you know it no longer exists.
 
Since when do highschool students carry around laptops? Wouldn't the iMac work wonderfully then? It not only has the Firewire for you but it has a bigger screen which would be better for editing purposes right? Also, then they could carry their necessary school files on an external hard drive to your class and not worry about carrying a laptop around. And, its cheaper.

Since at least 5 years ago. Some high schools are issuing laptops instead of textbooks. They come with textbook material loaded on them. Obviously you've never taught a video class, so giving advice on what we should be doing just so that you can defend Apple dropping the firewire port is not useful at all. In these time of budget cutbacks, we don't have enough editing computers for every student. So, having at least some of our students with laptops solves that problem. And they don't have to carry them around all day (although many do) because they can drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon when the go home. Also, they can work on projects if they have a study hall or during lunch. The MB takes up a lot less space than the iMac, too.
 
Tape is dying. .

That's not even close to being true. I've been a video professional for over twenty years. I've been hearing these comments for over ten of those years. When miniDv came out it was stated that VHS is dead. In educational institutions VHS is alive and well. I produce a lot of event videos, such as high school dance performances, and at least 20% of the orders I get or still for VHS tapes. miniDv will be around for at least another ten years. Almost all prosumer cameras still use them. Also, it's a very cheap and reliable storage medium. Will it die? Eventually, but it still has plenty of life.
 
well , I've slept on it now and come to conclusion that I'm leaning toward buying the base MBP , I have a few concerns .....

Is the MBP GPU that much different (in terms of what I'll be able to do) from the Macbook one ?


What do you think the resale value could be on the new MBP in 6 months ? (just rough ideas obviously)

One thing that bugs me is what is available to use via the expresscard slot ...audio devices wise ...links please :)


.I'm sure more will surface before `I buy , maybe I'll start a thread ??
 
You guys are funny, all proud when you can boast that anyone can use a Macbook to make home movies in iMovie or to record music in Garageband or Logic. But when they leave out firewire its..."Oh well nobody uses Macbooks for making movies or recording music, only pros who will buy the pro version."
 
You guys are funny, all proud when you can boast that anyone can use a Macbook to make home movies in iMovie or to record music in Garageband or Logic. But when they leave out firewire its..."Oh well nobody uses Macbooks for making movies or recording music, only pros who will buy the pro version."

Personally , I truly believe those folk to be on the :apple:payroll
 
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