Apple MIA; Dell offers sub-$1,000 Blu-ray laptop

[MediaRyan]

I like Doug.

 

[Apogee]

Apple didn't include a bluray drive because it is pointless, why include a technology that the rest of the computer doesn't support? Plus, including combo drives with the current models help make the Macbooks affordable and low cost.

 

[Azmordean]

Apple didn't include a bluray drive because it is pointless, why include a technology that the rest of the computer doesn't support? Plus, including combo drives with the current models helps Apple fulfill its obsessive desire to "differentiate" its product levels and force people to pay extra for the mid-level when the low end is otherwise sufficient.

Fixed.

Seriously, DVD burners are dirt cheap now, they are effectively a commodity. They are like CD burners 2 years ago. There is no excuse to still be using combo drives - except to force people to pay $200 more for the mid-level just to get a SuperDrive, despite the fact it probably costs Apple about $5 more than a combo drive, if that. I like Apple and I love their products, but they are well known for this type of nonsense.

 

[MediaRyan]

Seriously, DVD burners are dirt cheap now, they are effectively a commodity. They are like CD burners 2 years ago. There is no excuse to still be using combo drives - except to force people to pay $200 more for the mid-level just to get a SuperDrive, despite the fact it probably costs Apple about $5 more than a combo drive, if that. I like Apple and I love their products, but they are well known for this type of nonsense.

I just got a 2.4ghz 15" merom on clearance at my university bookstore's computer section shortly after the new penryns came out. Before that I had bemoaned the fact that the entry level mbp (then the 2.2ghz merom) couldn't simply get a vram upgrade to 256mb from 128mb, you had to "upgrade" the entire system by buying the next tier.

Its a mixed blessing..?

 

[Mac_Max]

BluRay video is just h.264 or Microsoft's VC1 (Microsoft yet again reinventing the wheel and making something very close to, but not quite h.264) with Linear PCM or AC3 audio. Lossless codecs are also supported. Any modern PC can handle this. Anyone with a Radeon HD 2x or 3x series card under Windows will get the advantage of accelerated video decoding of h.264 video that uses essentially 0 CPU usage.

 

[djellison]

Apple didn't include a bluray drive because it is pointless, why include a technology that the rest of the computer doesn't support? Plus, including combo drives with the current models help make the Macbooks affordable and low cost.

Macbooks are NOT low cost. For what you get, they are a premium price product. The combo drive is an insult. For the sake of what will cost apple about $5, they are shafting customers. Totally unacceptable. It's blinkered fanboyism to argue any other way. £350 laptops from very other manufacturer include DVD writers. That's HALF the price. I can't find a combo drive in the Dell line. Infact, HP, Lenovo, Acer, nothing. Apple are dragging their feet and shafting customers with a premium price laptop with a serious bargain basement component.

And what do you mean 'the rest of the computer doesn't support'. All modern Macs (save the MM) have all the power needed to play HD footage. I could plug in an external USB BR drive into my MBP, boot to XP, and watch BR movies without a problem.

Doug

 

[alphaod]

Macbooks are NOT low cost. For what you get, they are a premium price product. The combo drive is an insult. For the sake of what will cost apple about $5, they are shafting customers. Totally unacceptable. It's blinkered fanboyism to argue any other way. £350 laptops from very other manufacturer include DVD writers. That's HALF the price. I can't find a combo drive in the Dell line. Infact, HP, Lenovo, Acer, nothing. Apple are dragging their feet and shafting customers with a premium price laptop with a serious bargain basement component.

And what do you mean 'the rest of the computer doesn't support'. All modern Macs (save the MM) have all the power needed to play HD footage. I could plug in an external USB BR drive into my MBP, boot to XP, and watch BR movies without a problem.

Doug

If you're a Pro, you don't need your DVD burner. I've used mine like once.