Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Updates 13" Aluminum MacBook, Rebranded as "MacBook Pro"
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Which works out to around 1254.90 USD. So that is only about 55 USD more. Not that bad considering how much the rates fluctuate.Starts at CAD$1399.
AVCHD is used by High Def Hard Disk and Flash recorders - it's a HUGE category. Nearly all modern High Def consumer camcorders use the format.
As for the original poster, if he wants to watch them on his laptop, his only choices are to keep the source files he used to create the disc (should probably do this anyway), or create a standard DVD with the movies. Or he could purchase an external Blu-ray drive. It would be nice if Apple started including them, though.
best selling
"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time."
I was going to quote someone else but didnt want to upset anyone.
"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time."
I was going to quote someone else but didnt want to upset anyone.
See instructions in this article:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/apple_secretly_updated_13_inch_unibody_macbook_screens_0
People at the Apple Store hardly know anything. I know more than they do. I once asked them something about Leopard and they didn't even know what it was until I told them "10.5."
"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time."
I was going to quote someone else but didnt want to upset anyone.
While amusing, your sarcastic quote is misplaced. Apple's customers are not a democracy, they are a market. Apple is a business, not a demographic.
The white Macbook is a cash cow which has a high profit margin to generate funds for the Apple coffers for less profitable ventures, R&D and so on.
It's here to stay until such time as it ceases to be popular, when Apple will probably drop the price point of the entry alu MB and reposition the alu MB as its notebook line cash cow.
"Only a diversified company with a balanced portfolio can use its strengths to truly capitalize on its growth opportunities. The balanced portfolio has: stars whose high share and high growth assure the future; cash cows that supply funds for that future growth; and question marks to be converted into stars with the added funds."
Why go with a 15"? and Expresscard Shenanigans
I'm just curious that now that we have nearly identical specs for 13" and 15", what is the point of spending the money for a 15"? the extra 2"?
I know the quicker processors options for the 15" have more L2 cache, but how much difference will that make for regular MBP use? If someone really wants beastly performance, wouldn't they just get a Mac Pro?
i am disappointed with the removal of the expresscard slot, though. MB's, including my dear MacInDell9, can read data from the camera via USB already. So, i don't see the SD slot as a great innovation; to me, it's more like a surefire way to differentiate the 17" from the rest of the MBP line.
Who the hell makes these Product decsisions?
just my $0.02...
I'm just curious that now that we have nearly identical specs for 13" and 15", what is the point of spending the money for a 15"? the extra 2"?
I know the quicker processors options for the 15" have more L2 cache, but how much difference will that make for regular MBP use? If someone really wants beastly performance, wouldn't they just get a Mac Pro?
i am disappointed with the removal of the expresscard slot, though. MB's, including my dear MacInDell9, can read data from the camera via USB already. So, i don't see the SD slot as a great innovation; to me, it's more like a surefire way to differentiate the 17" from the rest of the MBP line.
Who the hell makes these Product decsisions?
just my $0.02...
That's just Apples way of admitting a mistake by not admitting a mistake.
I'm glad to see the return of FireWire.
They are simply geniuses...even when putting FW back, they are still coherent with their marketing differentiation between old aluminum MBs and MBPs.
So what exactly SD is useful for? Plugging cards that are full with pictures? Anything else?
This response provides no new information. I waited to get the new screen. I was aware that a WWDC update was at hand, but post after post predicted that it would only be a speed bump and perhaps a slight price drop.
My wife and daughter share an 11-year-old PC, so at least getting the MacBook sooner rather than later has allowed my daughter to cut ties with this ancient shared resource.
I don't think you get it...it's not ONLY about physical media dying (which it is), it's about NOT seeing any major advantages of BR over traditional DVDs, until at least BR COMPLETELY replaces DVD on the shelves of stores (which, by the way, BR is FAR from achieving, even in the US or Europe).
What do you get for a much more expensive media? More DRM, zero or less possibilities for fair use copying, a better image for gigantic screens (which, if we follow your rationale, means that it's useful only for a FEW people too) and, as said above, MUCH higher prices for movies. Besides, if your fragile argument is for more space, OS X already supports BR backups; go buy an external burner for that.
Apple is way wiser than the stupid PC market and their poor followers, and that's why it's the most solid and profitable IT company of the world right now. Otherwise they would be cramming every single technical gadget in their machines just like they did in the 90s...which almost meant their downfall, of course.
This should be stickied to all BD discussions. Seriously. It's this simple. Why is it so hard for some to understand ?
Because:
1 - very few people have bought or care to buy BR (or BD, whatever you prefer to call that crap);
2 - very few people have gigantic screens that justify purchase of heavily-DRM'ed BR (or BD, whatever you prefer to call that crap) movies;
3 - there is no reason to watch BR (or BD, whatever you prefer to call that crap) movies on comparatively tiny notebook screens. This argument is as silly as saying that watching such a movie on an iPhone is gonna provide you with a wonderful entertaining experience.
AGAIN, LEARN IT: BR (or BD, whatever you prefer to call that crap) IS DEAD.
whoops
concentrated on smart answer (open to dabate) in last post and forgot to post opinion on MBP.
I've got the desktop, ATV and touch but have held off with the laptop, last time because of the lack of FW. This is just what I've been needing and I'll also update desktop to snow leopard with iwork pack. Personally I'm delighted with it all.
Going with 13in MBP so I can carry it around easier.
concentrated on smart answer (open to dabate) in last post and forgot to post opinion on MBP.
I've got the desktop, ATV and touch but have held off with the laptop, last time because of the lack of FW. This is just what I've been needing and I'll also update desktop to snow leopard with iwork pack. Personally I'm delighted with it all.
Going with 13in MBP so I can carry it around easier.
So your logic is: I don't want it, I see no use for it, therefore you shouldn't have the option to have it? Does not compute.
I'm just curious that now that we have nearly identical specs for 13" and 15", what is the point of spending the money for a 15"? the extra 2"?
The extra 2" and the extra screen resolution (1440x900 vs 1280x800). If you step up to the mid-range 15" you also get the discrete graphics.
You can't bring a Mac Pro with you. There's plenty of uses for a portable laptop with more power than the 13" MBP provides.
Just to clarify for you, it's BD.
And, why do you have such a hatred towards these small plastic discs anyway?
Far from dead, Mr. Lawyer
This post is still relevant to your claim:
You don't understand the issue - it's not whether the 13.3" screen is ideal for seeing full 1080p quality.
The issue is that we're buying BD movies for our home systems, and we can play them on our Windows machines just fine.
Apples can't play them, though. Are we supposed to buy both BD discs and DVD discs just because of Apple's pig-headedness? Or are we supposed to buy Windows systems from other companies if we want to play BD discs? (The latter works for me. )
By the way, I'd rather watch a 1920x1080 BD movie scaled *down* to fit the 13.3" 1280x800 screen, rather than the 640x480 (or sometimes 720x480) DVD movie scaled *up* to fit!
And, of course, the video professionals and amateurs would like to author Blu-ray titles on their Macs, but that's another discussion entirely.
Perhaps you should look and see that 10 of the top 16 bestselling TVs at Amazon are 40" or larger.... In fact, 6 of the top 16 are 52" sets. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172659/ref=pd_ts_e_nav
And, while you're at Amazon, notice that 3 of the top 5 selling "DVD" players are actually Blu-ray players! http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172514/ref=pd_ts_e_nav
Fortunately, your opinion doesn't match up with the facts about Blu-ray.
and
and
Aiden
This post is still relevant to your claim:
You don't understand the issue - it's not whether the 13.3" screen is ideal for seeing full 1080p quality.
The issue is that we're buying BD movies for our home systems, and we can play them on our Windows machines just fine.
Apples can't play them, though. Are we supposed to buy both BD discs and DVD discs just because of Apple's pig-headedness? Or are we supposed to buy Windows systems from other companies if we want to play BD discs? (The latter works for me.
)By the way, I'd rather watch a 1920x1080 BD movie scaled *down* to fit the 13.3" 1280x800 screen, rather than the 640x480 (or sometimes 720x480) DVD movie scaled *up* to fit!
And, of course, the video professionals and amateurs would like to author Blu-ray titles on their Macs, but that's another discussion entirely.
Perhaps you should look and see that 10 of the top 16 bestselling TVs at Amazon are 40" or larger.... In fact, 6 of the top 16 are 52" sets. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172659/ref=pd_ts_e_nav
And, while you're at Amazon, notice that 3 of the top 5 selling "DVD" players are actually Blu-ray players! http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172514/ref=pd_ts_e_nav
Fortunately, your opinion doesn't match up with the facts about Blu-ray.
Blu-ray Sales on the Rise in Japan
March 6, 2009 by Josh Dreuth
According to a recent report from GfK Marketing Services Japan Ltd (GfK Japan), sales of Blu-ray Disc recorders increased by over 800% last year in Japan. In 2007, only 160,000 Blu-ray Disc recorders were sold in the country, but that number jumped to 1.34 Million units in 2008, representing a huge uptake in adoption of the high definition format.
The overall optical disc market decreased by 1%, but DVD recorders dipped by 26% as the format gives up ground to Blu-ray. Last year, Blu-ray recorders represented 37% of all optical recorder sales (53% of revenue), and that number is expected to grow substantially this year.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2469
March 6, 2009 by Josh Dreuth
According to a recent report from GfK Marketing Services Japan Ltd (GfK Japan), sales of Blu-ray Disc recorders increased by over 800% last year in Japan. In 2007, only 160,000 Blu-ray Disc recorders were sold in the country, but that number jumped to 1.34 Million units in 2008, representing a huge uptake in adoption of the high definition format.
The overall optical disc market decreased by 1%, but DVD recorders dipped by 26% as the format gives up ground to Blu-ray. Last year, Blu-ray recorders represented 37% of all optical recorder sales (53% of revenue), and that number is expected to grow substantially this year.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2469
and
Blu-ray is being adopted faster than DVD
January 3, 2009 by Mike Ferro
It was a stellar holiday season for Blu-ray with movies like The Dark Knight breaking records. According to two research firms, Blu-ray movies and players were top on most holiday shopper's list. This is pretty much what I predicted a few months back when I compared Blu-ray as this year's Tickle me Elmo.
According to DVDFile, surveys conducted by both, Greenfield and Zogby International, Blu-ray players and movies were ranked high on holiday shopper's lists. In the survey conducted by Greenfield, it also indicated that Blu-ray players were number one on the list of HD TV owners. The survey conducted by Zogby revealed similar results ranking Blu-ray players as second on the list after HD TV.
I indicated that there will be a strong correlation between HD TV adoption and Blu-ray, and these two studies definitely show this to be true. Blu-ray sales are starting to eat away at DVD sales, similarly to how DVD sales ate away at VHS sales over 10 years ago. According to Richard Greenfield, analyst for Pali Capital, indicated that results for 2008 are expected to show a decrease in DVD sales by 6%. This is in contrast to original predictions of flat sales for the year.
Greenfield also indicated that the adoption rate for Blu-ray is much faster than DVD was. He states, "Interestingly, two years into the standard DVD cycle, the DVD installed base was only 1.2 million and players were not nearly as inexpensive as $129 [BD players were] on Black Friday." As indicated before, Blu-ray sales are twice of that of DVDs at the same point in its life.
I predict that the Blu-ray adoption rate is actually much faster than twice that of DVDs when you consider out of the two years on the market, only one year was really spent as the sole format. The first year was spent battling it out with HD-DVD splintering the market in half while leaving many on the fence. This holiday definitely showed that consumers have made the jump to Blu-ray.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.cfm?ID=18670
January 3, 2009 by Mike Ferro
It was a stellar holiday season for Blu-ray with movies like The Dark Knight breaking records. According to two research firms, Blu-ray movies and players were top on most holiday shopper's list. This is pretty much what I predicted a few months back when I compared Blu-ray as this year's Tickle me Elmo.
According to DVDFile, surveys conducted by both, Greenfield and Zogby International, Blu-ray players and movies were ranked high on holiday shopper's lists. In the survey conducted by Greenfield, it also indicated that Blu-ray players were number one on the list of HD TV owners. The survey conducted by Zogby revealed similar results ranking Blu-ray players as second on the list after HD TV.
I indicated that there will be a strong correlation between HD TV adoption and Blu-ray, and these two studies definitely show this to be true. Blu-ray sales are starting to eat away at DVD sales, similarly to how DVD sales ate away at VHS sales over 10 years ago. According to Richard Greenfield, analyst for Pali Capital, indicated that results for 2008 are expected to show a decrease in DVD sales by 6%. This is in contrast to original predictions of flat sales for the year.
Greenfield also indicated that the adoption rate for Blu-ray is much faster than DVD was. He states, "Interestingly, two years into the standard DVD cycle, the DVD installed base was only 1.2 million and players were not nearly as inexpensive as $129 [BD players were] on Black Friday." As indicated before, Blu-ray sales are twice of that of DVDs at the same point in its life.
I predict that the Blu-ray adoption rate is actually much faster than twice that of DVDs when you consider out of the two years on the market, only one year was really spent as the sole format. The first year was spent battling it out with HD-DVD splintering the market in half while leaving many on the fence. This holiday definitely showed that consumers have made the jump to Blu-ray.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.cfm?ID=18670
and
Blu-ray Dominates Christmas Sales
Jan 5, 2009 by Scott Nichols
Back before Thanksgiving I predicted that Blu-ray sales would suffer during the holiday season due to the high cost of both the player and HDTVs combined with the current economic recession, among other reasons. But after seeing the report from the British Video Association declaring Blu-ray sales have risen almost 400 percent for the 2008 holiday season over the same period of time last year, it is clear that I was wrong.
Across the whole holiday season 3.7 million Blu-ray units were sold in Britain, and that doesn't include sales of Sony's Playstation 3 console, which also plays Blu-ray movies. A large contributing factor to the rise in Blu-ray sales was the release of the movies The Dark Knight and Mama Mia on Blu-ray. The Dark Knight sold almost 300,000 copies in its first few weeks, becoming the fastest selling Blu-ray title to date. Mama Mia was no slouch either selling 5.1 million copies by year-end.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/156327/blu_ray_holiday_sales.html?tk=rss
Jan 5, 2009 by Scott Nichols
Back before Thanksgiving I predicted that Blu-ray sales would suffer during the holiday season due to the high cost of both the player and HDTVs combined with the current economic recession, among other reasons. But after seeing the report from the British Video Association declaring Blu-ray sales have risen almost 400 percent for the 2008 holiday season over the same period of time last year, it is clear that I was wrong.
Across the whole holiday season 3.7 million Blu-ray units were sold in Britain, and that doesn't include sales of Sony's Playstation 3 console, which also plays Blu-ray movies. A large contributing factor to the rise in Blu-ray sales was the release of the movies The Dark Knight and Mama Mia on Blu-ray. The Dark Knight sold almost 300,000 copies in its first few weeks, becoming the fastest selling Blu-ray title to date. Mama Mia was no slouch either selling 5.1 million copies by year-end.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/156327/blu_ray_holiday_sales.html?tk=rss
Aiden
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
According to the apple store you have to get the mid-range 15" for the 9600M, and that costs $1999 usd. The only difference between the 2.53ghz 13" and the 2.53ghz 15" is the 2" of screen and resolution. And $200.
Thanks for the advice, and for making me feel like I am not such a "small category." Thanks to previous advice by an extremely nice poster, I am going to buy an external drive and try to edit my footage. Until now, I've had an older iMac which can't run iMovie '08, so I didn't realize that it does support the format if I use an external BD drive. I'm not sure what you mean by "keep the source files." I actually switched to a HD Sony that took mini-DVs after figuring out how much trouble the mini-DVDs in AVCHD were. Now, I just have the mini-DVDs, not the camera. I just want to do something with that footage since it was a very special time (birth of my child and the weeks following it.)