Apple's notebooks are not loaded with peripherals

[Daphtdazz]

What to put in...

I think that built in card-readers are a waste of space, personally. If you've got a device that takes cards, then the chances are you're going to have some form of external card reader anyway. Why duplicate functionality at the expense of beauty? I would hate to have redundant ports on my computer that I will never use because I only ever use one sort of card. The best solution, in my opinion is to buy a single type card-reader, which are much smaller and essentially work as pen-drives. This then doubles the use of the card itself; you can use it for your camera and as general portable storage. Also, then you get used to carrying it around, and when you want to put your photos on another machine, you don't have to hope that it has the correct card reader. That's why I love the xD cards, which I can keep in my wallet, and the pen-drive like reader disappears in my pocket.

My computer should have general, multi-purpose ports, USB, or high speed specialised ones, FW, but not low speed single use ones. And as the general ones get faster, they remove the need for certain of the high speed specific use ones. Like FW400. Although I'm not sure that Apple made the right decision there; it doesn't seem that it could have taken up that much space.

 

[clyde2801]

you want this?

The screen still sucks....

 

[old-wiz]

TV tuners are messy things; for worldwide sales you need a few different types of tuner. In the u.s. alone you have the old analog, new digital, and different kinds of cable input. Go to Europe and you have to deal with PAL. A laptop with a U.S. tuner isn't going to be much use in europe.

 

[Tosser]

My wishlist would – besides firewire (with the Texas Instrument chipset) - a card reader that would take SDHC-cards (it could be a multi reader, but sdhc is the only small card I use) and CF-card reader. Now, CF cards are bigger and more of a pro card these days, and since I carry around a cf reader for faster transfers already, it would be neat to have a SDHC-reader inbuilt.

Not all care for the sound of laptops, so lets forego the speakers. They could save some space and weight for this - to me - unnessary item. Not just because of the THREE speakers in my MBP, but because they have to route the sound out of the thing. I really don't use the inbuilt speakers.

Anyway, to the people who say that it's way too much to include a multi-reader because "it's not used by everyone": Well, neither is the ethernet port, the bloody isight (god, I hate that thing), mic input, or many of the things in the damn OS. Now, how about we remove any- and everything that each and every one of us use in this conquest to reach the lowest of the lowest common denominator first?

So, what will it be? Let's remove the damn speakers. We have not reached the common denominator of what is used by _everyone_ unless we remove them.

Let's remove Firewire and swappable batteries – oh, wait … LOL.


Let's apply the same thing to the OS: Let's remove ical, imovie, iTunes, Spaces, expose, Safari, Stickies, Textedit, calculator, and almost the entire "Utilities" folder.

Then, and only then will we have reached the point where noone would be able to put forth such ridiculous argumentation as "It's okay to not include - or nix - XX because not everyone use said thing". And as such it is a void and meaningless argument. A logical fallacy, if you will.

TV tuners are messy things; for worldwide sales you need a few different types of tuner. In the u.s. alone you have the old analog, new digital, and different kinds of cable input. Go to Europe and you have to deal with PAL. A laptop with a U.S. tuner isn't going to be much use in europe.

This I agree with. TV-tuners truly are a mess. What's worse is that most of the digital tv-sets sold here in Denmark will be useless without an external digital receiver, because they will soon change the format, after they introduced the "wrong" one.

 

[mason.kramer]

Nice MacBulk pic

I don't want a card reader in my laptop and I don't want to pay for a card reader in my laptop. Especially a multi-reader. F*** firewire, too. USB won the format war, just accept it. TV Tuner? What the hell are you on about? Jesus.

 

[minik]

Nice MacBulk pic

I don't want a card reader in my laptop and I don't want to pay for a card reader in my laptop. Especially a multi-reader. F*** firewire, too. USB won the format war, just accept it. TV Tuner? What the hell are you on about? Jesus.

I didn't know FireWire and USB are competing with each other. Anyhow, I want the a slimmer black face.

 

[Tosser]

Nice MacBulk pic

I don't want a card reader in my laptop and I don't want to pay for a card reader in my laptop. Especially a multi-reader. F*** firewire, too. USB won the format war, just accept it. TV Tuner? What the hell are you on about? Jesus.

You don't want to "pay" for it? But you don't mind paying for a Mac? You don't mind paying for them cutting holes in the aluminium and putting on a piece of plastic in the shape of a stylized apple? You will pay for a glass plate in front of a glossy screen, but you wont pay for something that adds functionality?
And what's your problem with a multi reader? It doesn't mean that you have a dedicated slot for each and every card out there, now, does it?

Firewire? What are you on about? You seem to adhere to the principle "What Apple chooses to do or not to is always the best – even if that includes less functionality for me and my peers". Besides, the bloke above me is correct, they aren't exactly competing. Rather they seem to be complementing eachother.

 

[silverblack]

For an entry-level MacBook, one has to shell out $1299, which is much more expensive than most of the notebooks, given the size and capabilities.

I keep hearing this argument, but aren't we forgetting that OS X did not grow on trees. Yes, all laptops come with an OS. But Windows development cost is supported by 80% of computer users, whereas Mac OS is only supported by <20%. If you want Mac OS, you got to pay.

A $1299 MB that runs Windows would be too expensive, but one that runs OS X is not.

 

[leman]

For an entry-level MacBook, one has to shell out $1299, which is much more expensive than most of the notebooks, given the size and capabilities.

This is just not true. PC notebooks in the similar size (13") and weight (2Kg) category, with comparable hardware also have comparable price (like Sony Vaio). I am not talking about a 4 Kg 15" 600 euro plastic lunch box that looks like falling apart when you touch it

 

[cube]

Apple hardware is pathetic. Just look at the Toshiba R600: 800 grams.

 

[sactownbwoy]

laptops should have card readers built in. That is one feature that is very usefull, especially with the popularity of digital cameras and the other devices that use them. Card readers are small and wouldn't take away from the design at all

 

[Beric]

This is just not true. PC notebooks in the similar size (13") and weight (2Kg) category, with comparable hardware also have comparable price (like Sony Vaio). I am not talking about a 4 Kg 15" 600 euro plastic lunch box that looks like falling apart when you touch it

Spec out (BTO) this HP.

Sony's are just as much rip-offs as Apple. Bad examples. HP's have good build quality, unlike Dell. And they're light. I just found you an $850 HP there with slightly better specs than a MB (i.e., dedicated graphics, bigger HD). Meaning the MB is more than a 50% markup.

 

[Jpoon]

Spec out (BTO) this HP.

Sony's are just as much rip-offs as Apple. Bad examples. HP's have good build quality, unlike Dell. And they're light. I just found you an $850 HP there with slightly better specs than a MB (i.e., dedicated graphics, bigger HD). Meaning the MB is more than a 50% markup.

Meh, go buy an HP then. Everyone knows Apple laptops are expensive.

 

[Beric]

Meh, go buy an HP then.

Great argument. And actually, I'm currently looking at a PC notebook for $1400 that puts a $2800 MBP to shame.

Everyone knows Apple laptops are expensive.

The poster I replied to clearly did not believe so. I have done my best to dispel that belief. If people would just say that Macs are much more expensive than a PC, but worth it, I'm fine with it (who am I to judge their personal preferences). But when people try to justify a Mac purely by saying they cost the same as an identically-specced PC, they're flat out wrong, and I'll do my best to correct that.

 

[mcdj]

Great argument. And actually, I'm currently looking at a PC notebook for $1400 that puts a $2800 MBP to shame.

Actually, on a site called macrumors.com, I think it's a perfectly fine reply. Why exactly would you sign up for, and participate in, a forum for computers you don't like? You won't find me on vistarumors.com.

 

[therealdt]

When you buy a Mac, you know what you're getting or not getting. It's on you as an individual to buy or not buy. It's called free will.

 

[Beric]

Actually, on a site called macrumors.com, I think it's a perfectly fine reply. Why exactly would you sign up for, and participate in, a forum for computers you don't like? You won't find me on vistarumors.com.

What about computers you like, but find too expensive for their specifications?

 

[Tosser]

When you buy a Mac, you know what you're getting or not getting. It's on you as an individual to buy or not buy. It's called free will.

Hmm, nothing like people attempting to shut down any criticism with notions such as "if you don't like, buy another", "it's on you as an individual to buy or not buy", "go buy an HP or a Dell", and so on.
What you forget in your fanboyism and attempt to shut down any criticism, is that "free will" also includes a right to criticise - something you seem to utterly oppose.

I guess, though, that in your book, everything is fine, unless someone speaks out against what they think is opposeable, then – all of sudden – it is their "right" to go somewhere else.

Man, if only the platform could get rid of at least 90 percent of the apologists, much would be gained from a user and consumer standpoint.

 

[Skeletal-dæmon]

you want this?

+1 I think I have one of those in the garage...

 

[hogfaninga]

Hmm, nothing like people attempting to shut down any criticism with notions such as "if you don't like, buy another", "it's on you as an individual to buy or not buy", "go buy an HP or a Dell", and so on.
What you forget in your fanboyism and attempt to shut down any criticism, is that "free will" also includes a right to criticise - something you seem to utterly oppose.

I guess, though, that in your book, everything is fine, unless someone speaks out against what they think is opposeable, then – all of sudden – it is their "right" to go somewhere else.

Man, if only the platform could get rid of at least 90 percent of the apologists, much would be gained from a user and consumer standpoint.

I hate it when people say +1 or only say good post, but you hit the nail on the head.

 

[Les Kern]

I've had a fair number of PC laptops. Never once did I use the card readers, card slots or any of the other add-ons that bulk them up. Apple fits me perfectly.

 

[wheelhot]

Its not that Apple don't want to add this features, its just that all these features is either not needed as often or many people rarely use it. Honestly, I never used my card reader (found on previous notebook) or FW (that's because for my needs I don't really need to use FW). Besides those points, adding these ports also damages the clean look of Apple notebooks, notice how clean their notebooks are? This is what makes people go "aww" when they see Apple notebook its sleek looking with no ports protruding or other unnecessary port. Apple prefers to use 1 port to do a few things rather then having 1 port for 1 specific usage.

Anyway it like what other say, its up to you if you want to buy a mac or not, if you are not happy with what it offers or what you are going to compromise just don't buy it. I know some Windows fanboys sometime love to complain how restrictive OSX is in how the OS looks and such but this is one of those things that I am willing to let go.

 

[darienphoenix]

Having to bring around a card reader or having it built in to the computer ready to access immediately...

I'll take the latter.

You just end up adding the space which would have been taken up by a card reader onto the laptop itself.

Apple's laptops are intentionally minimalistic, only have the essentials, and make up for it with very good aesthetics, design and build quality. Adding in random ports which are used 5% of the time would destroy that objective.

Seriously, my mates all own Dells, and none of them ever use their HDMI out, VGA out, card reader, 4+ USB ports, 'powered USB' port (whatever the difference is) - and if they do use them, it's rarely. If you're the type of person who uses these things frequently, buy an adapter, or buy another laptop. You can't please everyone.

 

[sactownbwoy]

How is a card reader or fw port going to add extra bulk. Those two things are tiny. I could see maybe a tv tuner adding a little extra bulk but a card reader or fw port would not.

I would have liked a card reader slot but it didn't influence my decision to buy my mb. It just would have been a very convient feature for me especially since I will be doing a lot of traveling other the next couple years.

 

[jsonli]

How is a card reader or fw port going to add extra bulk. Those two things are tiny. I could see maybe a tv tuner adding a little extra bulk but a card reader or fw port would not.

I would have liked a card reader slot but it didn't influence my decision to buy my mb. It just would have been a very convient feature for me especially since I will be doing a lot of traveling other the next couple years.

+1
Although the card reader I see being much more useful than the TV tuner.

The philosophy should be that if you're on the go you can survive with just the MacBook, even if for some reason you don't have access to any accessories. Without a mouse, power adapter, DVI adapter, headphones, etc I can survive for a while, but if I had a camera and I don't have the USB cable I'm screwed.