MacBook Teardown Images Reveal a Number of Additional Minor Changes

[badapple18]

The apologists here need to realize something: just because you don't use a feature, doesn't mean it won't be missed.

Two days ago, you could get a brand new Macbook with an IR port, external battery indicator, and firewire port. Now a brand new Macbook has none of these things, and only a case redesign and an LED display to make up for it at the same price. It's not that the Macbook has bee crippled, but you have to acknowledge that Apple has taken away value.

Part of the so-called "Apple Experience" is all the extras you get when you buy your first Mac. My first-and-only 2007 Macbook Pro came with lots of features I had never dealt with. Firewire 400 and 800, a battery indicator, an Apple Remote, DVI-out. Guess how many of those features I use today? All of them. The reason people buy Apple is to get something "more" than the typical PC, and since they are removing features from products, it seems Apple forgets that that.

Luckily you can still buy old machines refurbished.

Dude settle down it's not like your the market for this machine anyhow, owe and you forgot to mention the new led display and now you get 7 hour battery life. now what are those features worth to you? i am a current unibody mbp owner and wouldn't even consider the macbook for myself for many reasons because I do use some of the missing features but my wife just wantes to be able to check her facebook, surf the net, plug in her usb digital camera, and use powerpoint, and word and such for school. see where I'm going here? it's not the end of the world because the entry level computer doesn't have all the same features as the pro because what would be the reason to shell out another 200 for the entry mbp? I wouldn't be surprised if we do see a price drop in the near future to compete with the holiday purchases and i wouldn't be surprised if the price drop sticks afterward either. it's only going to get cheaper for them to build after they recoup from the cost to engineer and manufacture a totally new product.

 

[AAPLaday]

Who remembers when MacBooks used to come bundled with the remotes in the box

 

[Freyqq]

Lack of FireWire : not bothered the only thing I have that has firewire is my external hard drive, and that's a crappy FW 400, not even compatible with my new iMac which has FW 800.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10301&cs_id=1030105&p_id=3542&seq=1&format=2

firewire 800 is backwards compatible with firewire 400

 

[chris975d]

It's nice that you say that with such authority, but it's also completely false. No they don't use the 'camera to pick up IR'. My new 15' MBP has an IR port, as do all macs that can use the remote.

These posts got me thinking about my unibody MBP and its IR port (I don't use a remote), so I pulled it out of my briefcase. I see no external IR "window" on the machine at all, so where is the IR port?? Does it in fact use the camera as stated above?

 

[wankey]

Some posts in this thread are really stupid and misinformed.

Unibody refers to the one piece upper casing that's polycarbonate rather than aluminum. The overall construction is exactly the same, except replace aluminum with plastic. The bottom plate is aluminum to reinforce the top plate (exactly like the Alu Unibodies) except they put a rubber like mold over it to make it much more comfortable for everday student use (on their laps and such, since rubber isn't a great conductor of heat)

As for battery checker, ir port... give me a break. As a student, I barely used my battery checker on the unibody other than using it as a gimick to show off my macbook pro. Same goes for IR port, walking around with a stupid remote to change my music when I can just walk up to the laptop and select specific ones. It's needless features that the target market really doesn't care for. If yu think you deserve 100 bucks off because they removed that then seriously need to look outside the window.

As for firewire, get out of last decade. The only firewire onoly device I have is my ancient iPod 3G 15gig. Everything I have runs off usb or has both USB and firewire. Firewire is close to death, USB 3.0 will come out and completely annihilate remaining firewire products. Apple is right for removing firewire, I just hoped that they put 3 USBs instead of 1.

Removal of the input port is also a great deal. There is already a microphone on the computer, why would I plug in another microphone?

 

[gnasher729]

Battery indicator is such useful that this thing alone makes be think Apple Engineers went drunk when did this same old price ripped of machine!!!

Actually, that battery indicator is a bloody nuisance when your MacBook is lying in your bedroom or in a hotel room at night and you don't like _any_ lights at night. Stuff like TV and DVD player have a bit of metal foil fixed over the lights to keep them down, but can't do that with the MacBook.

 

[Eidorian]

Actually, that battery indicator is a bloody nuisance when your MacBook is lying in your bedroom or in a hotel room at night and you don't like _any_ lights at night. Stuff like TV and DVD player have a bit of metal foil fixed over the lights to keep them down, but can't do that with the MacBook.

The battery indicator light isn't the sleep light though.

 

[arkmannj]

Some posts in this thread are really stupid and misinformed.

As for battery checker, ir port... give me a break. As a student, I barely used my battery checker on the unibody other than using it as a gimick to show off my macbook pro. Same goes for IR port, walking around with a stupid remote to change my music when I can just walk up to the laptop and select specific ones. It's needless features that the target market really doesn't care for. If yu think you deserve 100 bucks off because they removed that then seriously need to look outside the window.

Just because you didn't want or need the feature doesn't speak for the whole target market.
I know a lot of people who use the battery checker. Students, flight attendants, pilots, etc...
that don't want a MBP but use the battery light in everyday use be it a dorm, flight lounge, making a decision on where to sit at the library, airport, cafe' etc...
The IR port is nice to just browse media, play DVD's, for presentations (though I know a lot of people would suggest getting an iPod Touch/iPhone to control the presentations)
I can understand the features may not suit your needs, and that's great, but many others don't feel the same. I respect both opinions I just happen to disagree with your assessment on this one.

As for firewire, get out of last decade. The only firewire only device I have is my ancient iPod 3G 15gig. Everything I have runs off usb or has both USB and firewire. Firewire is close to death, USB 3.0 will come out and completely annihilate remaining firewire products. Apple is right for removing firewire, I just hoped that they put 3 USBs instead of 1.

Firewire last decade ? I still get better constant performance and reliability out of Firewire 400 than I do USB 2, and who cares about USB 3 yet, it's not included on the machine is it ?
Firewire may be close to death for YOUR uses, but many people still have uses for it.
many people have digital video cameras with firewire, Target Disk Mode, many Audio equipment devices, Better sustained external hard disk performance, and performance that doesn't tax the CPU at that. Saying FireWire is nearly dead simply isn't true. Again, it may not be needful for your uses but for many people it is important.

Removal of the input port is also a great deal. There is already a microphone on the computer, why would I plug in another microphone?

I could think of uses for why some people might want both (other than just a Mic), but I agree that this one probably is an okay move for the target markets as long as they don't ditch the Audio-in on MBP's then I think this decision makes sense.

 

[KarlOlsson]

This one V/S the old one?

I just don't see the HUGE advantage to picking this up v/s what I have, Yes the design is most-likely better (I can replace a topcase in about 10min now....) At 999.00 the question in my mind is: Why should I......

 

[Poll Smoker]

Removal of the input port is also a great deal. There is already a microphone on the computer, why would I plug in another microphone?

Because the built-in mic is barely usable?

 

[joemama]

They didn't happen to find a hidden latch that reveals a firewire port, did they?

 

[FoxyKaye]

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a consumer to pay $999 for this where $1199 buys you the 13" aluminum unibody. For that extra $200 you get the aluminum chassis, Firewire, IR, battery meter, backlit keyboard...

Which is exactly what Apple *wants* you to think.

I actually think the most serious mistake in the new MB is the lack of IR - I'm thinking here of people going on the road with PowerPoint/Keynote presentations and such. I've been living life fine at work with a Dell Mini 9 hackintosh that doesn't have Firewire, battery meter, or any of the other features of a MacBook Pro. It seems like Apple's trying to position a "low cost" laptop for students and others who simply need to have Internet, Office/iWork, and a few other basic applications. If that's all you're running, I'd be hard pressed to see why you need Firewire (as convenient as it is). And if you're buying on budget alone, maybe the aluminum chassis and the other goodies of the MBP aren't so important.

That said, for folks like myself who want more from a Mac, the (new) lack of Firewire on the MB is disappointing - especially for transferring video files and such. So, I'd likely spend the extra $200 and get a MBP if I were looking for a laptop to handle this kind of work.

Actually, though, I'll likely spend the extra $1500 or so and get one of the Core i7 iMacs - which will probably be Core i9 by the time I've saved up enough to buy one.

 

[arkmannj]

They didn't happen to find a hidden latch that reveals a firewire port, did they?

Yes, and it was FireWire 3200 to boot ! In 6 months you can just pay $10.00 to have it activated. The port will melt it's own opening in the case once it has been activated ;-)
for new MBP owners the same patch will create a new ExpressCard opening as well.

 

[Macminiintel]

I'm opting for a 13'' Macbook Pro 2.53Ghz model, just as I need the extra power & love the metal uni-body design & the macbook pro's are more robust for college and well I do editing with DV-CAM and the tape readers use firewire, so its perfect sense

 

[retro83]

really odd.

Can't see any improvements and they've taken away some of the nice touches.

 

[notjustjay]

As for firewire, get out of last decade. The only firewire onoly device I have is my ancient iPod 3G 15gig. Everything I have runs off usb or has both USB and firewire. Firewire is close to death, USB 3.0 will come out and completely annihilate remaining firewire products. Apple is right for removing firewire, I just hoped that they put 3 USBs instead of 1.

So you don't have any miniDV camcorders?

I do, and I have hundreds of miniDV tapes. "Oh, everyone's using USB camcorders now" is not going to cut it for me for two reasons. One, I'm not just going to drop my DV equipment and buy a new USB camcorder just because Apple says I should. Two, all those old tapes! Right now my MacBook Pro has Firewire so it's not a problem, but the day I have to replace it with a machine with no Firewire is the day I'll have to go through all those tapes and transfer the DV files one last time onto a backup hard drive.

No, I'd sooner buy a PC for that... because all of them have Firewire nowadays.

I have Firewire hard drives too. They're actually dual-port FW/USB. The transfer speeds over Firewire are significantly faster. Especially when using something like Final Cut to scrub clips stored on the external drive. USB simply can't keep up, and my timeline becomes choppy.

And then to copy those files from my laptop to another machine... Firewire Target Disk Mode is brilliant. I'll miss that too.

 

[eastcoastsurfer]

As for battery checker, ir port... give me a break. As a student, I barely used my battery checker on the unibody other than using it as a gimick to show off my macbook pro. Same goes for IR port, walking around with a stupid remote to change my music when I can just walk up to the laptop and select specific ones. It's needless features that the target market really doesn't care for. If yu think you deserve 100 bucks off because they removed that then seriously need to look outside the window.

I used the IR port and remote as a student more than any other time. Keynote presentations with the tiny remote come off as very professional in class. Often times my laptop would have to be plugged in on the other side of the room from where I wanted to stand or walk around while giving a presentation. Sure, I could have walked over to the computer every time I wanted to go to the next slide, but it breaks the flow of the presentation.

Actually, though, I'll likely spend the extra $1500 or so and get one of the Core i7 iMacs - which will probably be Core i9 by the time I've saved up enough to buy one.

I looked at the iMacs that finally have desktop parts in them and thought whey couldn't they release one sans the monitor? Give me an i7 mini already!

 

[mattster16]

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.

Thank you! Car manufacturers do this ALL the time. Like cruise control, one model has it and one doesn't even though it's cheap to implement and for cars with drive-by-wire (lots of cars now) it's essentially just a software upgrade.

I've never used my battery indicator. I hardly EVER use the IR port and most people I know with a macbook don't even have an apple remote. Very few people even know what firewire is. Does anyone really think someone buying a $999 low end macbook is going to spend the extra money for a firewire peripheral vs. a cheaper usb one.

There's only so much Apple can get rid of to differentiate models and lower costs. Do you suggest they remove the trackpad? the optical drive? isight?

Apple left the things consumers want and got rid of a few things most people don't need, use or in some cases even know about. If you're a person who wants these things you can spend a couple hundred more and get the macbook pro.

 

[Unspeaked]

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.

You're making no sense whatsoever.

The MacBook is targeted at the same level consumer as the iMac. Macbook is to MacBook Pro as iMac is to MacPro.

Yet the iMac - which was also just refreshed - has FireWire and SD. Heck, even the MacMini has FireWire!

Are the low-end users shelling out $1199 for a iMac aware of FireWire and the ones shelling out $999 for a MacBook not? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[uberamd]

Lack of FW, IR, and battery status LED is hardly crippling...

I agree. I never use the remote, and I don't personally know anyone that does. The status LED's are more of a vanity than anything I think. I personally never use them unless I am bored and want a button to push.

I will use my girlfriend (who wants a white MacBook) as an example. If I say to her "Apple just came out with a new white MacBook today but they removed the IR, firewire, and battery status LED," she will still want one.

 

[mattster16]

You're making no sense whatsoever.

The MacBook is targeted at the same level consumer as the iMac. Macbook is to MacBook Pro as iMac is to MacPro.

Yet the iMac - which was also just refreshed - has FireWire and SD. Heck, even the MacMini has FireWire!

Are the low-end users shelling out $1199 for a iMac aware of FireWire and the ones shelling out $999 for a MacBook not? Doesn't make sense to me.

That was Apple's old product lineup.

I would say now that the Mac Mini and Macbook are targeted at the same consumer group. You could probably throw the low end iMacs in this group as well.

Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro are all targeted at the same broad group - depending on whether someone buys a high end model or low end model.

The line between consumer and pro is becoming more blurred. This is a smart move. True pros care about specs and features. Many consumers don't like to think they are buying the 'low end' consumer model. Blurring the lines and making all the models look alike helps this.

 

[benlee]

You're making no sense whatsoever.

The MacBook is targeted at the same level consumer as the iMac. Macbook is to MacBook Pro as iMac is to MacPro.

Yet the iMac - which was also just refreshed - has FireWire and SD. Heck, even the MacMini has FireWire!

Are the low-end users shelling out $1199 for a iMac aware of FireWire and the ones shelling out $999 for a MacBook not? Doesn't make sense to me.

I think your comparison is ridiculous.

The Macbook is more comparable to the MacMini if you could even try to compare the target audiences of the notebooks and desktops.

Further, a portable does not have the same functions and features as a desktop. Also, no just because they are buying an iMac that happens to have Firewire doesn't mean they know what it is, they think of it as a port. I'm not saying everyone that buys, just most consumers.

But seriously, you can't accurately say

Macbook=iMac
Macbook Pro = Mac Pro

In any case, I'm saying that the Macbook is targeted as an entry-level portable and thus is not going to have the same features as the next step up, that is all. But lets not try and compare notebooks with desktops (or All-in-Ones for that matter)

 

[Jisuo]

These posts got me thinking about my unibody MBP and its IR port (I don't use a remote), so I pulled it out of my briefcase. I see no external IR "window" on the machine at all, so where is the IR port?? Does it in fact use the camera as stated above?

This is the IR window:

The Sleep Light is slightly visible to the left.

 

[Ammo]

really odd.

Can't see any improvements and they've taken away some of the nice touches.

-(supposedly) more durable construction
-Glass multi touch trackpad
-7 hour battery that lasts for a long time
-LED monitor
-Specs on par or exceeding the lowest end MBP

How anyone can think there aren't improvements is beyond my comprehension.

 

[halfapie]

Where are the stereo Speakers?

Am I blind, or is there only one speaker inside the macbook?

macbooks specs here say that there is "Built-in stereo speakers" but I do not see it anywhere on the teardown.
http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs.html