Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I'm also going to re-post my findings for the idea that it could be a Mini-DisplayPort here as they weren't picked up on due to me amending my previous post.

I did a search for mini-displayport and came up with a PDF from a Chinese company about their operation for 2008.

On page 43 they mention that from January to March this year they did the following:



As nice as they were to print this information, they don't provide a photo of the port.

PDF link

Wow! I searched for mini Display Port as well when the MBP photo (the angled one) first appeared, but I didn't find anything suggesting it existed. You're definitely better at the ancient art of Google-Fu ;).

So I think I'll adjust my earlier guess of it being either yet another DVI or mini Display Port to the latter.

BTW if it's mini-DP indeed it would mean one less thing to complain about... until Apple's connectors start to break :p.
 
I don't think they'll produce a consumer Notebook without Firewire; they've got iMovie and iDVD for consumers, e.g. many DV-Camcorders need Firewire. They brought the USB-to-LAN-thingy on the MacBook Air, what if it is not a LAN port but FW800 on the MacBook?

Besides - I don't know if it is possible (technically), but how about a USB-FW-adapter?

I like this idea. To this day I have never used the ethernet connection on my Macbook. What if they are dropping the ethernet port (to be done my a USB-ethernet converter) and what we think is the ethernet port is actually something else?
 
Scared! If these leaks are true, and I guess yes, everything seems like a downgrade. No FW on the MB is a shame. Same goes for moving from two FW ports to one on the MBP. They are removing, but what are they adding beside the thinness obsession ? At this point I feel they will also use the horrible glossy display on both machines without any option. I think they will lose a lot of customers. Me, for example.
 
Not. It's a completely stupid one, especially when the main alternative to ethernet is completely unsecure and much slower wifi connections, which usually aren't allowed to access internal networks (using WiFi to connect to my employer's internal network through VPN? How about no?). Likewise for uni networks, they're all wired, and I doubt Apple wants to drop student support.
They are not all wired. Several are wireless. For the ones that are wired, a USB-to-ethernet dong would suffice. Go ahead an complain about paying $29 for the adapter—I probably would too if I valued ethernet over FireWire.
 
If the MB is really going to get illuminated keys and, going by the pictures, a lighter and thinner shell, I can only forsee a heavy price drop for the MBA. All for the better--dont need that optical drive anyways.
 
Doesn't  have an adapter that converts USB 2.0 into Ethernet?

It's a 10/100 converter and it has both low performances and a high CPU consumption (due to being USB), the current eth port on the macbook and pro are gigabit and native interfaces.

That can fly on an Air which isn't expected to be tethered often, but macbooks and pros are. The FW-S800T option would be much saner.
For the ones that are wired, a USB-to-ethernet dong would suffice.
It wouldn't, see above for the reason why.
 
That is obviously a new mini-dvi port! Why is it so hard to believe that Apple would redesign it?
The old mini-dvi is too tall, and it isnt shaped at all like that one or an HDMI port. :cool:
 
Doesn't  have an adapter that converts USB 2.0 into Ethernet? If so, why bother putting an Ethernet port on the laptop: it could possibly make it thinner and slightly more profits for Apple.

I also really hope they don't take away firewire 400, because, first of all, I have no idea what firewire 800 is and therefore have no use for it, and I use Firewire 400 often for my camcorder and hard drives because it's like a million times faster than USB.

dont know if apple makes that adapter but several other companies do
 
Doesn't  have an adapter that converts USB 2.0 into Ethernet? If so, why bother putting an Ethernet port on the laptop:

For performance - a gigabit NIC is far faster and more efficient (less CPU) than a USB dongle.


I use Firewire 400 often for my camcorder and hard drives because it's like a million times faster than USB.

Where a "zillion times faster" is really 15% or so?

Unless you've got USB 1.1 or one of the early Apples with crappy USB 2.0 ;)
 
They are cutting far too many corners! there's nothing inside. Zilch! NADA! I hope the box is bloody nice, otherwise I will not be buying.
 

Attachments

  • 161859.jpg
    161859.jpg
    87.2 KB · Views: 132
I like this idea. To this day I have never used the ethernet connection on my Macbook. What if they are dropping the ethernet port (to be done my a USB-ethernet converter) and what we think is the ethernet port is actually something else?

Heck, why not? With Apple's penchant for proprietary cables, it could be a basic Ethernet port; and if you pay Apple another $19 (or $29 or more), Apple will give you a breakout cable that does both Ethernet and some flavour of FireWire. :rolleyes:
 
Where a "zillion times faster" is really 15% or so?

Unless you've got USB 1.1 or one of the early Apples with crappy USB 2.0 ;)

USB 2.0 Mixers can only support up to 16-bit recording, where as FireWire 400 Mixers provide up to 24-bit recording. Huge difference.

As well as Apple just shooting themselves in the foot with Target Disk Mode.
 
Show me a device that is using the full FW800 bandwidth.

Doesn't need to as he's complaining that FW400 is slower (and slow). FW400 is an effective 49Mbyte/s, versus ~100Mbyte/s for FW800.

Well, seeing as a good hard drive does 60-80 and a VelociRaptor can do 120Mbytes/s (sustained), I'm going to go on a limb and tell you that yes, a VR can saturate FW800.

And modern SSDs (such as Intel's recent X25-M) are above 200MBytes/s sustained on big files
 
Heck, why not? With Apple's penchant for proprietary cables, it could be a basic Ethernet port; and if you pay Apple another $19 (or $29 or more), Apple will give you a breakout cable that does both Ethernet and some flavour of FireWire. :rolleyes:

Ethernet will be on the new Macbooks.

If apple ditches anything it will be a USB port.

Most USB users are content to connect a HUB that divides a USB2 connection by 5, thus making the performance boost of USB2 = to nothing.

Ethernet is too important to IT infustructure to not have implemented. Too much network security is based on Ethernet MAC hardware address and actual physical connections to the network.

Apple dropping ethernet would be like windows dropping the DOS interface in windows. To many legacy applications and security services use it.
 
Ethernet is too important to IT infustructure to not have implemented. Too much network security is based on Ethernet MAC hardware address and actual physical connections to the network.

Apple dropping ethernet would be like windows dropping the DOS interface in windows. To many legacy applications and security services use it.

Hence why it is the MacBook, not the Pro. The MacBook Air doesn't have an ethernet port either. Everywhere I go has wireless. I've not connected by ethernet for years.

What legacy applications and security services on the Mac use the ethernet port? It is a laptop. It is meant for on-the-go. Wireless. Not cables.
 
Would such a mini dvi port reduce any quality?

also is there a fairly cheap but decent screen that any of guys would recomend for a studant to run is macbook of? Really cant afford one of those cinema displays, although they are awesome
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.