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It's just not right to remove useful stuff from you products in order to replace them with external ones, with an added price.

In this case, since we're talking about something which for most users is very rarely useful (I never, ever used the external drive I bought for my MacBook Air), removing the optical drive from laptops to replace them with external ones is exactly the right thing to do.
 
In this case, since we're talking about something which for most users is very rarely useful (I never, ever used the external drive I bought for my MacBook Air), removing the optical drive from laptops to replace them with external ones is exactly the right thing to do.

You cite as proof that the drive isn't useful to "most users" the fact that you don't use it?

Ok. I use it often, therefore most people find it useful.
 
MPBs are already robust enough for me. And why don't you try fitting a 17" MBP and an external ODD on an airplane tray some time and tell me again how practical your solution is to business users.

i am pretty sure any business person that is really trying to be practical would not be trying to use a 17 inch laptop on a plane...btw they really wouldn't have to get rid of odd in the 17 or even the 15, why would they be using the dvd drive on a plane anyways. well I guess there are a few reasons lol.
 
i am pretty sure any business person that is really trying to be practical would not be trying to use a 17 inch laptop on a plane...btw they really wouldn't have to get rid of odd in the 17 or even the 15, why would they be using the dvd drive on a plane anyways. well I guess there are a few reasons lol.

I am an attorney and regularly use my 17" MBP on a plane (less regularly lately due to the iPad,but when I need to look at a ton of documents on multiple DVDs on the way to a deposition, the MBP is right for the job.)

My MBP weighs less and has higher resolution than the 15" HP laptop it replaced, so to me it's quite practical. And when I am at a client and he hands me a cd I don't have to be the douche at the conference table with peripherals scattered all about.
 
Would Apple really tell the resellers?

The rumor MAY be true - but would Apple really tell the resellers? NO.

The information has been provided to KennethLund.dk by one of the resellers. Formerly Kenneth was employed in one of the reseller stores. Added up, this is probably his source for the story.

But the resellers don't know - and is not being told - when new Macs come out before the customers. This is to ensure that the resellers will continue to sell out the current models.

So what has happened? The reseller has been low on stock and tried to order some new MacBooks, but was turned down. There can be multiply reason for this, eg. that order (read: bigger) markets than Denmark are prioritized.

The rumor MAY be true though!

Best regards,
LeronGO
 
You cite as proof that the drive isn't useful to "most users" the fact that you don't use it?
No, I didn't. First, I didn't write that the optical is not useful. I wrote that it is rarely useful. Second, I didn't cite anything as "proof."

I use it often, therefore most people find it useful.
The MacBook Air is now the hottest selling Mac laptop ever. Is that proof that most users rarely find an optical drive useful? No, not proof, but it's very strong evidence.
 
I would like to see some proof about that. On Apple's site, MBA does not even make it to the top 6 that you can see, lead by MBP in spot #1.

People just make up whatever facts are necessary to support their positions.

Here's a fact- most people buy laptops with bluray drives. By his logic, then, most people find bluray drives useful most of the time.
 
You know with optical drives and the debate on whether to include them or not, I'm surprised blu ray technology hasn't been used to reduce the size of the media. Remember the mini cd? Blu ray seems to be all about taking DVD's and increasing the storage size of the same sized media. But what about decreasing the size of the disc? You could go to a mini cd sized disc with blu ray and still fit a movie at HD longer than 2 hours but without the extras. I guess the backwards compatibility issue is the reason but for data storage this would work. And don't forget the PSP discs SONY used for movies.

For laptops this seems like the option for optical drives of the future if they remain. Most likely optical drives will be external or for desktop only though.
 
The average refresh cycle points closer to the 14th with best buy corroborating, so I would've expected that date before the Sandy Bridge bug. One of our other sources suggested that the macbooks would be delayed by approximately two weeks so even if they are planning an earlier release, they'd only have three days to get new Cougar Point stock [assuming it's not a simple fix] before they had to go into production.

Before the delay I would've and did hedge my bets on a mid-march update. However early April or maybe late march seems most probable at this point due to the delay. This is especially so considering that Sandy Bridge would be a considerably huge performance update to their line of products, with the last year's sweeping refreshes having a month preordering period for the iMac.

Here's to hoping for March first regardless though. My Comp's broken and I'm currently sharing my mother's. The sooner I can purchase the better. Only question is if I'd be best suited to a refurb mini or a new laptop... (Still thinks the refreshes will more or less happen altogether, since everything's growing past its life expectancy)
 
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March 1st please! ;)
 
All signs are pointing towards Apple removing it. The last reason Apple saw to keep the optical drive was for installing software and that's now coming to a close with the Mac App Store. The reason there was remote disk was to install software but you still needed an ODD to do it, not anymore. They'll keep the external one available for those who need it and slowly fade that out as time goes on, for everyone else, they'll enjoy the benefits of it being removed.

So "screw you" to people that have games that need the DVD loaded each time you play the game? I know it's idiotic copy-protection, but there are some things out there that just need the drive. I'm not going to go out and buy a whole new copy of everything just so it now has a digital download. I know Apple and the software manufactures would love that, but come on.

Are there viable USB/Fireware RW-DVD drives out there? Or are they going the way of the dinosaur also?
 
Okay, having rethought this, I can possibly see them getting rid of the optical drives if, and only if, they also come out with a portable solution for hooking up a drive.

As I look through the Apple store, I see only 2 solutions. The Macbook Air Super drive (which only works with the Macbook Air from what I can tell), and a 3rd party thing that may or may-not work depending on who's writing the review. :D

But I can see Apple coming out with a universal USB optical drive for all the new Macbook Pros. That way with pros out there needing to load in legacy software etc etc, they can do it easily.
 
Numerous Apple store people have told me that they don't know any sooner than we do. And it's a rare occasion that anything is released on the same day it's announced anymore. There's usually at least a 1-2 day delay because boxes reveal specs.

My dream list for the next MacBook Pro update:

1) SSD shipping by default (no more spinning hard drives)
2) SSD in packages like the MacBook Air (reduced space)
3) Death of the optical drive (more reduced space, no one uses it on a regular basis anyway)
4) Larger battery
5) 13" gets 1440x900 as default screen resolution
6) 15" gets 1680x1050 as default screen resolution
7) All LED screens are now IPS like the iPad/iPhone 4
8) 13" gets discrete graphics (because of #2 and 3 giving increased space for cooling)
9) Bluetooth 3.0 (just for good measure)

Yep, that'd be a pretty worthwhile update. Of course, since it's Apple, we'll get about 1/2 this stuff by 2013, but of course the world will have ended by then. =/

Keep dreaming... :cool:
 
Okay, having rethought this, I can possibly see them getting rid of the optical drives if, and only if, they also come out with a portable solution for hooking up a drive.

As I look through the Apple store, I see only 2 solutions. The Macbook Air Super drive (which only works with the Macbook Air from what I can tell), and a 3rd party thing that may or may-not work depending on who's writing the review. :D
The external Apple SuperDrive ($79) also works with the Mac mini server. Third-party drives are a better deal, there's a Samsung model around $45 and a LaCie unit around $53 at Amazon.com.

Why do you doubt the functionality of the third-party peripheral listed in the Apple Store? There's no logic to the concept that Apple would sell something on its own store that doesn't work with its products.
 
I highly doubt they remove the optical drive from the Macbook Pro... All of Apple's "pro" applications are CD based and can't see coming to the Mac App Store

*sigh*

again, there is no good reason to keep the optical drive. after you install your final cut, after effects, logic, etc from an ODD one time, you're left with a big unused hole inside your computer.

the idea is to just use an external ODD on those rare occasions when you need to install software not available for download.
 
*sigh*

again, there is no good reason to keep the optical drive. after you install your final cut, after effects, logic, etc from an ODD one time, you're left with a big unused hole inside your computer.

the idea is to just use an external ODD on those rare occasions when you need to install software not available for download.

There are lots of good reasons. They aren't used only for installing software.
 
The easy solution for apple software is to have them available for download via the Apple website. Then if you need any kind of additional software you could always buy the optional external optical drive.

I would really like to acquire a 13" Pro without an ODD, but including more features that come with the 15" and 17".
 
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