I don't think pairing the remote to the Apple TV would help, but I suppose you could pair the laptop to *another* remote, if you've got one around.
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MacBook Teardown Images Reveal a Number of Additional Minor Changes
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I don't think pairing the remote to the Apple TV would help, but I suppose you could pair the laptop to *another* remote, if you've got one around.
Beat me to it, same as on the Pro's, sorts of fades in and out when the laptop is asleep.
1.) To keep the price down.
2.) To differentiate it from the MacBook Pro, so they BOTH sell well.
That's the "sleep" light. It flashes white when the computer is in sleep mode. Granted, it could double as the Infrared port, seeing as it wasn't there in the teardown nor is on Apple's spec sheet, it's fair to say it's not on this MB.
All of these were unused by me. I doubt there are many people today who use them. For an inexpensive Apple notebook, this is a great move. Add back in those things and it would be $200 more, heavier, and chunkier.
This MacBook looks like a toilet seat anyways. Have fun selling them to schools Apple. I don't know anyone else that really wants one.
as well as MacBook non-Pro sales due to the lower price point.
It's only a few bucks for each feature, however, counting everything it may amount to 50 to 100 of your favourite currency units.
Yeah, that's the sleep light.
I see the infra-red as a deal breaker. First they stop selling the macbooks with remote and now they even remove the infra-red?
I'll buy a 13i macbook pro. It's the same price I was paying for my macbooks 2.4. Sometimes I miss a bigger screen (vertical height) but I noticed the 15' is only 100 pixels more.
I see the infra-red as a deal breaker. First they stop selling the macbooks with remote and now they even remove the infra-red?
I'll buy a 13i macbook pro. It's the same price I was paying for my macbooks 2.4. Sometimes I miss a bigger screen (vertical height) but I noticed the 15' is only 100 pixels more.
I'm very grateful for those guys at ifixit & what they do. This breakdown of the Macbook only confirms I did the right think when I dumped my macbook to my sis & moved on to the Mac pro 13". I can truly say I'm no longer interested in owning one. 
the line is on the one that ifixit took apart, but if I'm following their tear down correctly, the batter is directly behind that. Plus, I doubt they'd miss some board that was sitting there during the tear down.
How can you consider the MacBook 'crippled?' Is it unable to compute? Can it not use an optical disk? Maybe it doesn't boot up? This is like asking if the glass of water is half-full or half-empty.
Hey, I've got an iBook that looks something like this but doesn't have nearly the capabilities the MacBook does, and I paid 25% more for it in 2001 dollars (which means nearly 50% more if I were buying it today.) If I were in absolute need of a laptop computer, I'd probably consider the new MB over almost anything else, including the so-called netbooks.
I don't need or want an IR remote that can be so-easily lost. I don't need or want a dozen holes in the side of my notebook that provide a path for dirt and moisture to get into the machine. In all honesty, none of you really NEED any of the stuff you're complaining about! In fact, many of you complained quite loudly when some of these features were added to the machine simply because they were not needed. How about making up your minds, folks.
There is nothing stopping you from using the MacBook for what it was designed to do -- be a portable computing device. It does far more than most people need at a price that is less expensive than any other Mac on the market short of the Mac Mini. In fact, it's even less expensive than the average Windows-based portable with equivalent capability when you add those other non-needed components built in to the MacBook.
My only complaint might be that I can no longer run Photoshop 2.5 on it.
My sister's $299 netbook has an SD card slot.
But no, to Apple, SD card slot is no designated as a 'pro' feature, because it's apparently too good for customers of their $1000 laptop. It's one thing when Apple excluded SD out of ideology and principle. It's another when they give in and decide to incorporate it into their machines, but decide to keep it away from most popular line. How pathetic.
Same **** with the IR. Really Apple? Really? This artificial differentiation is taken such extreme levels, and makes the capabilities of their machines so needlessly confusing to the average person.
But no, to Apple, SD card slot is no designated as a 'pro' feature, because it's apparently too good for customers of their $1000 laptop. It's one thing when Apple excluded SD out of ideology and principle. It's another when they give in and decide to incorporate it into their machines, but decide to keep it away from most popular line. How pathetic.
Same **** with the IR. Really Apple? Really? This artificial differentiation is taken such extreme levels, and makes the capabilities of their machines so needlessly confusing to the average person.
I assume the iPod Touch/iPhone Remote.app would still work with the new Macbook to do some of that stuff.
The way to look at the Macbook is Apple's true answer to netbooks. How many netbooks come with IR/remote, Firewire, etc? Yes, the price is high, but Apple doesn't compete on price.
The other way to look at it is that Apple is trying to bump people up to a MBP, which is working, because that's exactly what I'll buy now to replace my aging C2D Macbook.
My first thought on the infrared port is that it's not hard to get a webcam-sensor to receive in the infrared range (in fact, most have a filter to prevent it from seeing in that range), but if the remote isn't an option I doubt that's the route Apple took.
Fw
I would bet money that the vast majority of MB buyers don't ever use FW. Almost all of the people I know who have video cameras for taping their kids' soccer games or whatever use USB and don't even know what FW is. The point is, USB is a basic feature so they expect you to use it on a basic machine. All evidence for the past few years has suggested that FW is on its way out, anyway.
I'm a pro user . . . I have several external hard drives and edit large amounts of video on a regular basis. So Apple expect people with such habits to buy pro machines. It makes sense. FW is sadly no longer a basic feature.
I also don't care about the charge status lights (seriously, who cares? I thought it would bother me with my MacBook Air, but unless I haven't used it in a week, I know exactly how much charge it has because it'll be the same as the last time I used it).
You've got me on IR. I don't use it and I don't know many people who do, but from my experience, IR receivers aren't exactly an expensive part, so it doesn't make sense as a cost saving measure. That one I would've left on.
I would bet money that the vast majority of MB buyers don't ever use FW. Almost all of the people I know who have video cameras for taping their kids' soccer games or whatever use USB and don't even know what FW is. The point is, USB is a basic feature so they expect you to use it on a basic machine. All evidence for the past few years has suggested that FW is on its way out, anyway.
I'm a pro user . . . I have several external hard drives and edit large amounts of video on a regular basis. So Apple expect people with such habits to buy pro machines. It makes sense. FW is sadly no longer a basic feature.
I also don't care about the charge status lights (seriously, who cares? I thought it would bother me with my MacBook Air, but unless I haven't used it in a week, I know exactly how much charge it has because it'll be the same as the last time I used it).
You've got me on IR. I don't use it and I don't know many people who do, but from my experience, IR receivers aren't exactly an expensive part, so it doesn't make sense as a cost saving measure. That one I would've left on.
The lack of an IR port on this MacBook will prevent me from upgrading yet
I use my Apple Remote a TON, as when my MacBook is not in use as my travel computer, it is set up with my TV and turns into a media center for me (hulu on your HDTV is pretty awesome, let me tell you). Apple, WHY?
I use my Apple Remote a TON, as when my MacBook is not in use as my travel computer, it is set up with my TV and turns into a media center for me (hulu on your HDTV is pretty awesome, let me tell you). Apple, WHY?
It's the small things I hate. Can't wait in a few months when someone comes running in to the store, "Quick, I need a display adapter for my Mac!"
"Is it a MacBook or a MBPro?"
"It's an iBook!"
"Did you buy it recently from here?"
"Yeah a few months ago"
"OK you have a MacBook then, it's all white, right?"
"Oh, sorry. Yeah I need a video adapter for class."
"OK, those are all VGA there, ummmm, do you have FireWire on that MB?
"What's FireWire?"
"Does it have rubber on the bottom of the case?"
"Uh, I don't know. Listen, I just need an adapter, how hard could it be?!?"
Sigh......
"Is it a MacBook or a MBPro?"
"It's an iBook!"
"Did you buy it recently from here?"
"Yeah a few months ago"
"OK you have a MacBook then, it's all white, right?"
"Oh, sorry. Yeah I need a video adapter for class."
"OK, those are all VGA there, ummmm, do you have FireWire on that MB?
"What's FireWire?"
"Does it have rubber on the bottom of the case?"
"Uh, I don't know. Listen, I just need an adapter, how hard could it be?!?"
Sigh......
I believe you're right. On this model I would expect Apple to drop prices instead of bump specs. But we'll see. Black Friday will tell the tale.
I wouldn't count on it. Not only has Apple stated previously that this is the right pricepoint for my MacBook, but you'd hear a ton of people complaining that there was a pricedrop within 2 months of the new model. I'm sure they learned their lesson with the original iPhone, and won't be dropping the price until at least after the holiday season.
Yeah definitely, since the iPhone/iPod app uses WiFi. I use it to control my Mac Pro, which doesn't have IR.
I don't think Apple sees the MacBook as a true netbook competitor. Nor do I think they'll make one. It's really just not their market segment . . . The MacBook has 80% of the features of a MacBook Pro. That said, it's roughly equivalent to a ~$700 PC laptop IMHO. The full-featured OS X sort of separates it from netbook territory. But you could be right . . . who knows?
Yes. The Macbook should have everything the Macbook Pro has and sell at the same price.
I agree that it is odd there is no IR port, but hardly "crippling" like others have said.
It not an extreme level. The plastic macbook is the LOW END portable. Most people buying it probably don't even know what firewire is and the SD slot is a convenience that is part of the Macbook Pro series.
I don't get pissed because Nissan didn't put a sunroof and automatic seats in my Altima S series but it is in the SL package and claim it is artificial differentiation--these are things you pay for, get over it. Don't buy it if you need IR or sd slot, buy the MBP 13". Just like if I really need automatic seats or a sunroof, etc., I would have spent the extra money on the SL Altima.