They took it out for people like me who keep trying to jam their mini display adapter in it.
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MacBook Teardown Images Reveal a Number of Additional Minor Changes
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It's a nice machine and the removal of FW & IR does not impact me. I would like to see an SD card and a price drop. There may be a price drop when they bump the HD size of the 160gb macbook pro to match the entry level macbook. I'm sure the HD bump is in the works.
Then again the $749 refurb macbook on apple's website looks pretty good.
Then again the $749 refurb macbook on apple's website looks pretty good.
Need a few more things to drop
They should drop $100 or $200.
It could be a great computer at $800.
common apple. no ir, battery checker still a little to big and heavy, specs almost haven´t changed.
But they did fix the material cracking problem with a better design and some aluminum, so how about keeping this in the mid price of a mac mini and a macbook pro at $900? I hope they reconsider.
They should drop $100 or $200.
It could be a great computer at $800.
common apple. no ir, battery checker still a little to big and heavy, specs almost haven´t changed.
But they did fix the material cracking problem with a better design and some aluminum, so how about keeping this in the mid price of a mac mini and a macbook pro at $900? I hope they reconsider.
I'm speaking from experience here. FW vs. USB? The point is, they do exactly the same thing. Exactly. They are in no way different in their function, just in their capacity. Sure, 11yos have much better access to video editing software/equipment, but does that mean they need the same capacity? No. I'll give you an example.
When I say I worked on video professionally, I mean I work on projects that have a tight budget and schedule, and I need to be able to reliably capture video, back up data, etc. Capturing video with USB and FireWire takes the same time if you're capturing from tape, but a bit faster on FW when capturing from a hard drive or flash memory. Pro users need the speed and reliability of FW, and consumers don't. What is that 11yo going to be working on that requires his data backup to be done in 20 minutes as opposed to 35? Nothing.
You're right that anyone can edit video these days, but trust me, the line between professional and consumer is there as ever. The same principles apply to design. Consumers need USB, not FW. FW is nice, but not necessary in 90% of cases.
Of course, now I work in visual effects for feature films, so we have 10gig ethernet and dark fiber networking . . .
FW and USB seem like parallel.
Apparently not enough for the local Best Buy to stock more than ONE Firewire hard drive, and for a local Tigerdirect to stock more than 11 Firewire drives out of over 120.
Firewire is all but dead.
I apologize if I wasn't clear, but my point wasn't so much what laptops and desktops cross over to consumer categories as much as even the lowest of the low - the Mac Mini, which you both suggest is the true desktop comparison to the MacBook - has FireWire and IR.
Apples seems to be living in a world where everyone has a desktop and a laptop to go with it, so it's no big deal if they can't use a remote with the MacBook - they're going to use their Mini or iMac as a media server, anyway. While this situation might be more of a reality today than it was a few years ago, I still think there's many of people who buy a single machine and that's their computer. And for a lot of Mac users, that single machine happens to be a MacBook.
I'm slightly disappointed regarding the lack of an IR port, but seriously, I never even use the battery indicator and the Firewire on my MacBook. I don't think this will reduce sales by that much.
Well, my point is that there are still plenty of miniDV camcorders out there. And the only way to capture video from them is over Firewire.
Sure, if we're all starting from a clean slate today, then people can buy USB camcorders. High def, even. But that 11 year old probably has a miniDV camcorder already in his home. A customer is going to walk into the Apple store and say "I have all these tapes of my kid growing up, I want to edit videos." Apple is doing them a disservice by saying, "Well, you can't. Unless you buy a Pro machine."
My point is that Apple is essentially saying "editing miniDV video is a pro application". Which is simply untrue.
Granted, the longer I keep harping on this point, the less true it is. A quick visit to Best Buy's website reveals that out of the dozens of camcorders they sell, only 3 are miniDV now. You're right, it's a dying breed. But that doesn't negate the thousands of existing miniDV cameras out there now in people's homes. Including my Sony VX2000 -- tell me what USB camcorder I'm supposed to replace it with?
Incidentally, from my experience FW and USB are not exactly the same. Try scrubbing a FCP timeline full of clips taken from an external FW hard drive. No problem, right? Now try the same with an external USB drive. You'll find that the clips stutter and start to lose audio sync after a minute. The USB drive is struggling to keep up with the data throughput.
I understand that it is odd that there is no IR on the Macbook, especially considering the release of the new Apple Remote. On a 13 inch screen, however, I think the only useful need for it would be for itunes control (there are obviously other very useful uses that would be needed on occasion). It sucks that there is no IR receiver and it doesn't make much sense-no matter if it is low end. But, I don't think that has anything to do with the desktop lineup--its odd on its own, but not really a big deal for MOST people.
It is odd considering Apple would want to sell more remotes since they no longer come free and its not like anyone is going to buy the Macbook Pro instead of the Macbook simply b/c of the IR. Perhaps we will find out the reason for no IR, but perhaps we won't.
On a side note, I bet Apple bumps the specs on the rest of their lineup (maybe excluding the Mac Pro) before the holiday season (next tuesday) and then early 2010 we will see answer to our AppleTV questions and maybe a new product or two.
If this were $699 it would really compete (FINALLY) with PC counterparts and might tap netbook users (apple tax). Plus at that price i would pick up 2 right now to replace my aging macbooks (that my kids use, they never use IR or firewire).
Many miniDV camcorders made since the creation of USB2 offer that capability, including several that I've used. But many don't, you're right.
That's why Apple offers intermediate computers: the $1200 MBP, any iMac.
Same function, different capacity. I'm with you there; I've had to scrub from USB and it's frustrating after awhile. I need FW so I can scrub, transfer quickly, etc. Sounds like you need it too. But given the size of the MB's standard hard drive, and the ease of upgrading that, most consumer users will store a bit of video on their primary hard drive, and use an external for backup/storage. That's my guess.
MacBook - not up to scratch
Like a MacBook with its DVI output hooked up to a HD TV? I use the remote to control the DVD player ;-)
Yes, I've just upgraded to a 2009 15" MBP. I'm donating my 2007 White MacBook.
I got a 2007 White MacBook which was fantastic. Sure, the integrated intel gfx are crap (not really a concern as I use the laptop for pro audio) and the body construction could be better. However, it still serves me well today. I feel like I entered the mac laptop market at just the right time, purchasing a fantastic model which had firewire (ah target disk mode!), separate audio in/out and the useful remote (and to those suggesting the ipod touch/iphone, that's a ridiculously expensive alternative).
The MacBook has, at $999, become a seriously limited machine. It was an ideal entry-level machine. And yes, the 13" MBP is significantly better that it makes the white macbook look even more pathetic. Apple needs to drop the price on this thing or drop it all together.
Like a MacBook with its DVI output hooked up to a HD TV? I use the remote to control the DVD player ;-)
Yes, I've just upgraded to a 2009 15" MBP. I'm donating my 2007 White MacBook.
I got a 2007 White MacBook which was fantastic. Sure, the integrated intel gfx are crap (not really a concern as I use the laptop for pro audio) and the body construction could be better. However, it still serves me well today. I feel like I entered the mac laptop market at just the right time, purchasing a fantastic model which had firewire (ah target disk mode!), separate audio in/out and the useful remote (and to those suggesting the ipod touch/iphone, that's a ridiculously expensive alternative).
The MacBook has, at $999, become a seriously limited machine. It was an ideal entry-level machine. And yes, the 13" MBP is significantly better that it makes the white macbook look even more pathetic. Apple needs to drop the price on this thing or drop it all together.
Firewire isn't a big draw when a local Best Buy stocks no more than ONE Firewire hard drive, and a local Tigerdirect stocks 11 FW drives out of ~ 120.
FW is all but dead. If no one's really going to use the port there's no point in adding it. We're talking about the average consumer here, who'll be using USB. For the few "enthusiasts" that have FW equipment, buy an adapter (if one is available), or buy a new USB device to replace it, or get a Mac that supports FW, or get a generic PC.
Ive thought of a few things that im wondering about, they may have been addressed already but i skimmed alot of the longer posts and may have missed em.
1. the no firewire thing - can i boot into target disc mode vis USB? This was the #1 thing i used firewire for and i did it several times.
2. the no IR thing - I use my uMBP on an external monitor with wireless keyboard, mouse, and
remote daily for watching netflix and hulu on the couch or in bed. can the macbook be used the same way? i would asume so since it has minidisplay out as well... sure most people would not use the remote with the 13" screen but im sure a lot of people would use it for the media center setup... just a thought.
1. the no firewire thing - can i boot into target disc mode vis USB? This was the #1 thing i used firewire for and i did it several times.
2. the no IR thing - I use my uMBP on an external monitor with wireless keyboard, mouse, and
remote daily for watching netflix and hulu on the couch or in bed. can the macbook be used the same way? i would asume so since it has minidisplay out as well... sure most people would not use the remote with the 13" screen but im sure a lot of people would use it for the media center setup... just a thought.Different Philosophies for OS and Hardware
OSX comes in one flavor - the same OS for "Student" and "Professional". But Apple took away some fairly inexpensive basic features (FW, IR, Battery Indicator) to further differentiate between the MB and MBP. Two different philosophies.
OSX comes in one flavor - the same OS for "Student" and "Professional". But Apple took away some fairly inexpensive basic features (FW, IR, Battery Indicator) to further differentiate between the MB and MBP. Two different philosophies.
The new macbook is great value. Same processor as the 13" MBP, and a bigger HDD.
I wonder how Apple can claim a 7hr battery though, the MB is 60 watt hours while the MBP is 73, and as the hardware is so similar (both have LED screens, same CPU & GPU), how is the MB able to run for the same amount of time as the MBP with a smaller battery?
I think the lack of Firewire is not an issue, the majority of people I have come across don't even know what it is. Of all my friends with macs, I am the only one who actually uses FW, and all my friends with PCs have also never used it. Coming from a windows background, switchers are unlikely to care about the lack of firewire
I wonder how Apple can claim a 7hr battery though, the MB is 60 watt hours while the MBP is 73, and as the hardware is so similar (both have LED screens, same CPU & GPU), how is the MB able to run for the same amount of time as the MBP with a smaller battery?
I think the lack of Firewire is not an issue, the majority of people I have come across don't even know what it is. Of all my friends with macs, I am the only one who actually uses FW, and all my friends with PCs have also never used it. Coming from a windows background, switchers are unlikely to care about the lack of firewire
the external batt status has to be the most useless thing on a laptop. Unless you have multiple batteries to look through, which most now dont
I'm not aware of any miniDV camcorders capable of transferring DV-codec video over USB. Yes, many DV camcorders have USB ports, and can stream "webcam" video which is 320x240 or 640x480. You can play back your DV tape and get a stream of video like this, yes, but it's not in the full DV resolution and it is further compressed.
Well, anyway, I'm one user who is going to need a computer with Firewire for as long as I still have miniDV tapes. And Digital8 tapes, for that matter. Now there's an example of a format that came and went -- but that's OK, because using the Firewire port, I can get a 100% perfect digital copy from one format to another. Guess I'll have to do the same -- copy from my miniDV tapes to a big ol' hard drive -- sometime in the next few years, before my camera dies or my computer does. Whichever comes first!
Ok, so you would like to have a multi-touch trackpad more than the ability to use a remote control, see the battery level without opening the computer, and and the ability to transfer data at very high speeds? I don't know... This update blows.
I was thinking about getting a MacBook, but now I'm not so happy about these omissions. And I will refuse to get the 13" MBP until they offer a matte option (at least the regular MacBook display isn't as glossy as the MBP).
Perhaps this has been noted earlier since I did not read every post, but I believe Apple removed the IR port on the MacBook because the remote is now aluminum and black, so it just doesn't match.
Apple's laptop sales suggests they do their homework as to what influences a person's purchase. I would bet apparent build quality and display is what the $999 buyer is after. Further, my guess is this is also built for education sales where a remote, Firewire, and external battery indicators are not at all used by those middle schoolers. A sturdier build in the edu market is probably the #1 selling point.