I think this post underlines my thinking that the only MBP left is the 17".
The rest is MB´s.
SD cards are used in consumer electronics, not in pro stuff.
I bought my MBP because of the Expresscard slot, I use it all the time.
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How does everyone feel about the non-removable battery? And lack of expresscard slot?
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I think this post underlines my thinking that the only MBP left is the 17".
The rest is MB´s.
SD cards are used in consumer electronics, not in pro stuff.
I bought my MBP because of the Expresscard slot, I use it all the time.
Expresscard slot is vital to use my external raid which is eSATA. They should have added SD but kept the express34 slot or else leave well alone. This is a MAJOR downgrade for the pro line.
The only reason I have a second battery for my MBP is because the first battery died. So a non-removable battery is fine with me. The only thing i use the expresscard slot on my MBP is for my integrated sd card reader. I use it all the time with my canon camera.
This just makes me happier that I bought my aluminum MBP before the designers' heads at Apple got too far up their asses; another step forward, and another two steps back for Apple's customers.
ewww ouch
I think it's some sort of marketing move by Apple...
What they do is take something away and when they return it everyone goes wow
Firewire removed - returned wow
expresscard removed - later returned wow
man Apple are really forward thinking
I have to say, I'm very pleased that I purchased my MBP last october and didn't wait.
I'd rather have the expresscard slot and user replaceable battery. People can state till there blue in the face about how people don't need to access the battery any more and how long it lasts but the fact remains, batteries do die and its a lot easier to plop a new one in there yourself then sending it into apple. Or dismantling it yourself.
One quick question regarding the non-replaceable battery, how do you reset the SMC if you cannot remove the battery?
I'd rather have the expresscard slot and user replaceable battery. People can state till there blue in the face about how people don't need to access the battery any more and how long it lasts but the fact remains, batteries do die and its a lot easier to plop a new one in there yourself then sending it into apple. Or dismantling it yourself.
One quick question regarding the non-replaceable battery, how do you reset the SMC if you cannot remove the battery?
I think that the SD slot was a much more practical move than the ExpressCard slot. There are FAR more people using SD than buying ExpressCard devices, and you can always get a cheap reader for MemoryStick or CompactFlash.
As far as the non-removeable battery--the writing was on the wall with the 17" MBP (late '08) that all Mac portables would follow. This is a good thing, considering Apple is doing the majority of the engineering work on the battery cells themselves and not leaving it to the likes of Sony (warping/exploding cells, anyone?). This gives them a lot more control over what goes in the computer, how it is charged/discharged, replaced, etc.
However, I confess that I would like to see the track-record for these new non-replaceable batteries for the next year or two before I decide to jump on board. Sure, you get a lot more longevity, but lets see how well they do before we take Apple's word for it. In other words, trust
but verify
Despite having just bought a [then] top of the line 15" MBP (2.66Ghz), I'm happy to see how they have refined the product line and dropped the price. If I were to buy another notebook today, it would be a lot more clear about what model I want; there were a lot of gaps and himming/hawing over "should I get 'this' with 'that'....or get 'that' with 'this'?"
Now you can get a 13" MB or 15" MB that are more alike with more appreciable differences (ie. screen size, discrete GPU/VRAM, battery life, SD slot, etc.etc.) It would be a lot easier to recommend a Mac laptop to someone 'now' with these choices, than it would have been earlier.
As far as the non-removeable battery--the writing was on the wall with the 17" MBP (late '08) that all Mac portables would follow. This is a good thing, considering Apple is doing the majority of the engineering work on the battery cells themselves and not leaving it to the likes of Sony (warping/exploding cells, anyone?). This gives them a lot more control over what goes in the computer, how it is charged/discharged, replaced, etc.
However, I confess that I would like to see the track-record for these new non-replaceable batteries for the next year or two before I decide to jump on board. Sure, you get a lot more longevity, but lets see how well they do before we take Apple's word for it. In other words, trust
but verify Despite having just bought a [then] top of the line 15" MBP (2.66Ghz), I'm happy to see how they have refined the product line and dropped the price. If I were to buy another notebook today, it would be a lot more clear about what model I want; there were a lot of gaps and himming/hawing over "should I get 'this' with 'that'....or get 'that' with 'this'?"
Now you can get a 13" MB or 15" MB that are more alike with more appreciable differences (ie. screen size, discrete GPU/VRAM, battery life, SD slot, etc.etc.) It would be a lot easier to recommend a Mac laptop to someone 'now' with these choices, than it would have been earlier.
How is that practical? You could easily get an all in one card reader for the express card port.
Not good if you're going to be away from a power point and need to have more than the ~5 hours of battery life you'll get from the battery.
Also, I don't think 3G should be included (good Apple hasn't). It's something that can only be used if you're paying an ISP for 3G internet access, so if you aren't paying that extra money, it's just a totally redundant piece of hardware.
One less thing you need to buy
True, but you're talking 7hr battery life (realistically, it's probably 5-6 on average). That's still pretty good, almost as much as carrying around two batteries.
Agreed. Most 3G options are USB anyway, and I'd prefer it that way. I would also prefer they 'shrink' the size of the USB dongles a tad.
ideally i would have liked a express card slot and a removable battery. but the fact that apple dropped express card and removable battery won't stop me from buying the 13"MBP.
the sd card slot is nice but in no way a replacement for the express card slot.
it's just the number of missing features that made me not buy the 13"MB before.
but for me the 13"MBP is almost perfect now. only a matte screen would be great.
the sd card slot is nice but in no way a replacement for the express card slot.
it's just the number of missing features that made me not buy the 13"MB before.
but for me the 13"MBP is almost perfect now. only a matte screen would be great.
Totally stunned. It's like a Schizophrenic is deciding on which ports the Macbooks will have from one model to the next generation. Quite frankly it's bewildering. Maybe they are just flipping a coin.
they should of kept the express card slot, but i don't mind the SD.
my gripe is with the battery, there is no way anyone is getting 7 hrs, it's ridiculous why apple won't allow users to carry multiple batteries. i have two MB batteries for 'just-in-case' scenarios.
and the screen resolution on the 13" MBP, please increase the resolution.
my gripe is with the battery, there is no way anyone is getting 7 hrs, it's ridiculous why apple won't allow users to carry multiple batteries. i have two MB batteries for 'just-in-case' scenarios.
and the screen resolution on the 13" MBP, please increase the resolution.
I personally like the ExpressCard Slot. I have a PSP which means.. Memory Stick Duo. I use the Belkin ExpresCard Adapter.
As for the battery, I could see it as being bad. If you were ever caught in a situation where you have to switch out your battery quickly. Also, if the new battery means harder access to the HD... ehh, I'd take the old MBP instead of the new one.
As for the battery, I could see it as being bad. If you were ever caught in a situation where you have to switch out your battery quickly. Also, if the new battery means harder access to the HD... ehh, I'd take the old MBP instead of the new one.
Still stuck at 1440x900 on the 15"
Like the SD Card reader, but why not 5-in-1?
Shoulda kept the firewire out and put in eSATA
Apple makes prosumer laptops, BTW. I don't think the 17" really qualifies as a "professional" laptop. They make it thin, but they compromise it's capabilities.
Battery upgrade is awesome.
Like the SD Card reader, but why not 5-in-1?
Shoulda kept the firewire out and put in eSATA
Apple makes prosumer laptops, BTW. I don't think the 17" really qualifies as a "professional" laptop. They make it thin, but they compromise it's capabilities.
Battery upgrade is awesome.
Question: Do you have to turn off the computer in the umb (not pro) to change the battery? Because if you switch batteries everyday that could be big hassle... I often have multiple documents and programs open.
I'm excited about it. The EXpresscard slot is irrelevant to me, and I never had two batteries for my MBP or PBG4. I hope to pick one of these up once they hit Apple Stores, hopefully this week.
I bought my uMBP last month and I am happy I did not wait.
I use pro Canon cameras and this means CF cards for me - SD slot is a WASTE !!!!
7 Hour Battery sounds good, but non-replaceable??? I dunno. I'd like to know if my battery goes bad I can switch it out myself.
Just looked at them again .... I am glad I did not wait.
That being said I will be buying a notebook for my daughter for school.
We had intended on getting her a 13" unibody Macbook Aluminum ..... now it looks like she gets a MBP! ( hope the battery serves her well )
I use pro Canon cameras and this means CF cards for me - SD slot is a WASTE !!!!
7 Hour Battery sounds good, but non-replaceable??? I dunno. I'd like to know if my battery goes bad I can switch it out myself.
Just looked at them again .... I am glad I did not wait.
That being said I will be buying a notebook for my daughter for school.
We had intended on getting her a 13" unibody Macbook Aluminum ..... now it looks like she gets a MBP!
( hope the battery serves her well )
I use a EC34 SSD on my MBP as a boot drive. Now that they have removed it, I lose the option of having 2 drives on my MBP. Price drops and SD card reader, I dont mind but why cant they leave the EC slot alone? There ARE people who rely on it and it is a good option to have instead of plugging a USB device all the time.
I have had my share of disappointments with Apple product releases in the past, but not this time. I held off the unibody 13-inch MacBook when it first came out, but now I am sold on it because of the new LCD, standard backlit keyboard, Firewire 800, faster processors, and a price cut.
- ExpressCard slot: never used it on all previous laptops.
- SD card: use it very regularly on business and personal trips where I take smaller (travel size) cameras that predominantly use SD cards.
That would have made more sense.
That said, I'm not complaining, I'm now getting a 13" Pro and own a dSLR that takes SD cards
I'm very happy about FireWire 800, my Aperture library can come with me!