Microsoft Releases Second 'Laptop Hunters' Commercial

[Mad Mac]

That's too bad your X1000 fell apart. Mine is still in good shape. Yeah, the keyboard is worn but I used it a lot. Other than that and the trackpad being worn, it looks fairly new. And I only paid $1400 for mine. And it had 1680x1050 resolution which I vastly prefer to my '08 MBP's 1440x900 resolution.

Never had a dock for the X1000 so I can't comment. But my work laptop (Dell Precision M6300) has a dock and it works flawlessly.

 

[elgrecomac]

The horror.....The horror....

The amount of histrionics on this topic is incredible. Its time to move on and let Microsoft wag the dog.

 

[DMann]

Not to me. And I've traveled around the world with a 6.5lb laptop. Hardly a difference vs a 5.5lb laptop. Actually, unnoticeable.

Well, I've traveled extensively with a 5.5lb laptop and have noticed a significant difference in both weight and bulk when compared to my previous Compaq. I suppose I could slap on a ZipDrive to make up for the reduction in weight and bulk, but I really don't have the immediate need for that functionality.

I've never had a built-in card reader malfunction or perform poorly. I'd rather throw the SD card from my camera into a built-in reader than have to lug an external reader or camera-to-USB cable. You were just griping about lugging extra weight while traveling and yet you advocate it as well?

Well I have, as well as several clients and students. Besides, one can always choose to carry, or to not carry the ExpressCard Adapter, which happens to outperform most built-in readers in upload speed. Does your Compaq also come equipped with a 3.5" Floppy drive as well? You never know when that might come in handy.

Do tell me how to wirelessly hook up an external monitor. And wirelessly hook up the charging cable for my laptop. And wirelessly hook up audio to perform as well as wired audio. And why would I want a wireless keyboard and mouse if they don't move from my desk? Just so I can waste batteries and electricity to charge it?

Speaking of battery life for Compaq laptops, I can understand your concern for needing to charge it frequently. If ever I felt the need to purchase a docking station for the MBP, I would - however, I don't have the need for one at this time. Furthermore, docking a laptop hardly eliminates the use of wires.

 

[Vercingetorix]

That's too bad your X1000 fell apart. Mine is still in good shape. Yeah, the keyboard is worn but I used it a lot. Other than that and the trackpad being worn, it looks fairly new. And I only paid $1400 for mine. And it had 1680x1050 resolution which I vastly prefer to my '08 MBP's 1440x900 resolution.

Never had a dock for the X1000 so I can't comment. But my work laptop (Dell Precision M6300) has a dock and it works flawlessly.

It didn't fall apart, quite; my son (four years old) still uses it all the time to play games. It just became....creaky, for lack of a better word. The case started to shift a couple of directions when you picked it up. It groaned a little. And the keyboard is ridiculous -- it doesn't look like one guy used it every day for two years; it looks like three old-school secretaries used it for shift work for a couple of decades. I had to draw several of the letters back on with a Sharpie so my son can use it. I bought it when the model was new, and I had a couple of upgrades put in it, but still -- this was supposed to be a professional laptop aimed at the business market.

Be glad that you didn't buy the dock, as that was a complete waste of money. So bad, in fact, that it really changed my thinking about it -- beforehand, I would never have considered buying a laptop without one, but now, I really don't even think about it. Why would you need one anymore? The laptop's already got the optical drive; it's already got a decent HDD. You don't have to plug in ethernet because wifi is damn near universal, even in the enterprise. The mouse (and keyboard, if you want one) are both bluetooth. The only two things to plug in are a big display (if you even need one) and external speakers. And I just can't see that being worth dealing with an extra piece of equipment. Docking stations are great for people like my wife, who occasionally need to have the mobility of a laptop, but who really do 95 percent of their computer work at one desk. But for anybody who actually moves around with their machine fairly often, I don't see the point.

 

[DMann]

It didn't fall apart, quite; my son (four years old) still uses it all the time to play games. It just became....creaky, for lack of a better word. The case started to shift a couple of directions when you picked it up. It groaned a little. And the keyboard is ridiculous -- it doesn't look like one guy used it every day for two years; it looks like three old-school secretaries used it for shift work for a couple of decades. I had to draw several of the letters back on with a Sharpie so my son can use it. I bought it when the model was new, and I had a couple of upgrades put in it, but still -- this was supposed to be a professional laptop aimed at the business market.

Be glad that you didn't buy the dock, as that was a complete waste of money. So bad, in fact, that it really changed my thinking about it -- beforehand, I would never have considered buying a laptop without one, but now, I really don't even think about it. Why would you need one anymore? The laptop's already got the optical drive; it's already got a decent HDD. You don't have to plug in ethernet because wifi is damn near universal, even in the enterprise. The mouse (and keyboard, if you want one) are both bluetooth. The only two things to plug in are a big display (if you even need one) and external speakers. And I just can't see that being worth dealing with an extra piece of equipment. Docking stations are great for people like my wife, who occasionally need to have the mobility of a laptop, but who really do 80-90 percent of their computer work at one desk. But for anybody who actually moves around with their machine fairly often, I don't see the point.

Same here, mine became rickety after the first four months of use, and the keys wore out soon after - drawing the letters back on with a Sharpie seems to have been a good solution. As for purchasing a dock - with the advent of Wi-Fi, Blue-tooth, HDD, and optical, the dock has essentially been rendered unnecessary.

 

[contoursvt]

Ummm not. Pirated or not, market share is market share. If you want to factor in piracy as somehow detracting market share, then go to your closest torrent or P2P and search for Mac apps like Final cut and even OSX and see how many there are. Tons. So that would bring Apple down to what... 6% then? At least according to your logic.

After the pirated sector is factored in, MS's share currently holds ~67%.

 

[contoursvt]

Yup, the majority of camers take SD memory. Sony cameras take the Sony memory sticks and some SLR cameras still take CF but go to your local bestbuy and check out all the cameras and see how many take SD. I'd say 8 out of 10 take SD. That would be "Most" in my books or by any person's definition.

Most? Alright, gonna need some proof of this...

 

[contoursvt]

I noticed your comment about blueray or lack of it on the Macs. If you consider downloadable content as somehow making up for blueray, then you're wrong. Please point us to where we can purchase 1080p, surround sound movies that would be equivalent to blueray without being heavily compressed.

Next thing you'll say is that CD is dead and that MP3 is just as good. To some people, quality still matters. Blueray is not going anywhere and neither are CDs any time soon

If I need to do that, then you've completely missed the 21C.

 

[DMann]

I noticed your comment about blueray or lack of it on the Macs. If you consider downloadable content as somehow making up for blueray, then you're wrong. Please point us to where we can purchase 1080p, surround sound movies that would be equivalent to blueray without being heavily compressed.

Next thing you'll say is that CD is dead and that MP3 is just as good. To some people, quality still matters. Blueray is not going anywhere and neither are CDs any time soon

For watching movies on a laptop screen, ripped BD files are virtually on par with BD. I do agree that 1080p, surround sound movies are superior on large screens with decent sound systems, however, this particular discussion was geared toward playing BD on laptops vs playing ripped BD files.

Ummm not. Pirated or not, market share is market share. If you want to factor in piracy as somehow detracting market share, then go to your closest torrent or P2P and search for Mac apps like Final cut and even OSX and see how many there are. Tons. So that would bring Apple down to what... 6% then? At least according to your logic.

Again, yes, market share is market share. However, the fact remains that the percentage of Pirated Windows has grown to the extent as to warrant MS to claim: Piracy as our biggest competitor - "Number two market share goes to Windows pirated, or unlicensed," Balmer said. This seems to imply that MS views the pirated sector as having taken on a viral life of its own, a sector which poses a significant threat of attrition to the legit Windows market share:

 

[contoursvt]

Its true about the market share, but nearly all the pirated windows are home users and microsoft makes little of its revenue from home users. Corporate users are where they make most of their money and that is where they crack down hard.

Infact I spoke to a rep long ago and he said that piracy by home users actually helps them because say a home user pirates the latest MS office and likes it, chances are they will go to work and consider buying it there. So yes, there is revenue lost, but they make it up in the business sector down the road.

For watching movies on a laptop screen, ripped BD files are virtually on par with BD. I do agree that 1080p, surround sound movies are superior on large screens with decent sound systems, however, this particular discussion was geared toward playing BD on laptops vs playing ripped BD files.


Again, yes, market share is market share. However, the fact remains that the percentage of Pirated Windows has grown to the extent as to warrant MS to claim: Piracy as our biggest competitor - "Number two market share goes to Windows pirated, or unlicensed," Balmer said. This seems to imply that MS views the pirated sector as having taken on a viral life of its own, a sector which poses a significant threat of attrition to the legit Windows market share:

 

[-hh]

You realize that there are no docks for current Macbooks right? Hint: look under your laptop. There's no connector there.

True, there's simply no Apple OEM docks at present.
But that doesn't mean that there's no Mac laptop docks:

BookEndz website, Macintosh Page

No amount of Koolaid will convince me that plugging and removing cables is better than dropping into a dock. A lot of PC laptops have this option and for people that want it, it's there. A Mac has no option. Advantage: PC. But I'm sure if Apple ever does offer it then it'll be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Instead of Kool-Aid, try some cyanide to clear up your acne and recall that historically, it hasn't been for Apple not trying. They've done laptop docks before (reminder: I had one of the old 'DUO' ones) and there have been reports here on MacRumors of Apple Patent applications for newer dock design concepts. We simply don't know how many prototypes & concepts they've been experimenting with over the years.

As a multi-year, multi-product dock user, I can say that given how mechanically clunky the current PC ones are to use (they're not a "Pleasurable" experience), as well as how frustrated users can (and do!) forcefully unplug before shutdown ... it appears to me that Apple is "Declining to Play" while continuing to look for a better design alternative.

BTW, if you think about it, when a "docking" problem crops up (and they always do...usually when you're in a hurry to leave) who does it negatively reflect on? Answer: whoever's name is on the docking port.

YMMV, but IMO, the future design direction is wireless everything...including power and video. It may be a lot closer than you suspect.

You don't have to move to high capacity SD.

You don't have to move from film to digital, either. Sure, you can remain stuck on small capacity cards, but lets not forget how fast one sucks through memory with 12MP sensors, plus now with video modes moving up to HD.

The original SD specification max'ed out at 1GB, although the Specification revision to 1.1 bumped this up to 2GB....but some SD readers don't support 1.1 For 4GB or larger capacities, you simply have no choice but to move to SDHC format today, and nothing less than a reader that similarly supports revision 2.0 (SDHC).

If you have SD cards laying around you can use them in anything that can use SDHC.

True, but that's backwards capability, whereas I was undoubtedly talking about forwards compatibility.

Simply put, if you have a SDHC card (eg, for your new camera), it doesn't work in your laptop's SD reader.

Everything is a moving target. Apple just pulled Display Port out of nowhere. If you're going to wait until things settle down in electronics you'll wait forever. I think it's pretty clear that SD is popular enough to warrant a slot.

Which is why I avoided Display Port too.

The simple facts of the matter are that even if you have a built-in SDHC reader today ... guess what? SDXC is now the newest "SD Family" format (January 2009).

I'm not disputing that all technology moves on, but simply that higher rates of change increases risk by decreasing the product's useful lifespan. And its up to you if you want that "decreased lifespan" product to be a $10 external reader, or a $999 laptop.

My point is merely that for those that are paying attention, Flash Memory card formats are presently one of these higher risk areas due to higher rates of change. That's why I question the benefit of permanently welding it onto a product that can easily be expected to have a 5+ year lifespan. Of course, if you wish to continue to lug around the extra mass of this, along with PS/2 & modem ports, plus a 3.5" floppy disk drive, that's your prerogative.

FYI, as little as 18 months ago, there were rumblings in the digital photography world that the SD form factor might become obsolete, to be superseded by the mini-SD form factor. The P&S camera manufacturers wanted it because it would help them to further miniaturize ... but the customers didn't want it due to it having unfavorable Human Factors usability issues. Don't be surprised if this one comes back.


-hh

 

[-hh]

Yup, the majority of camers take SD memory. Sony cameras take the Sony memory sticks and some SLR cameras still take CF but go to your local bestbuy and check out all the cameras and see how many take SD. I'd say 8 out of 10 take SD. That would be "Most" in my books or by any person's definition.

You need to read the fine print: most of the new Nikon & Canon digital cameras are "SD 2.0", which means that they're SDHC slots which are backwards-compatible to older SD cards.

When you put an SDHC card into an old SD reader ... it won't be readable. Doesn't matter if its an internal or an external.

And the even-newer SDXC format will also be an "SC Card" for outward appearances...and it also won't be compatible with SD or SDHC readers, which means yet another new card reader in the forseeable future.


-hh

 

[AidenShaw]

And the even-newer SDXC format will also be an "SC Card" for outward appearances...and it also won't be compatible with SD or SDHC readers, which means yet another new card reader in the forseeable future.

At least SDXC will support 2 TB cards, so that format should last for more than a couple of years

 

[Pika]

I am convinced that MicroSoft leaves itself vulnerable to malware for extended commerce purposes that keep them out of anti-trust court.

 

[Wikinerd]

Next thing you'll say is that CD is dead and that MP3 is just as good. To some people, quality still matters. Blueray is not going anywhere and neither are CDs any time soon

Actually if you use lossless it's more or less the same...

And if you that serious about quality you would've used a BR player with surround/ the lot... NOT a laptop, of all things...

 

[Wikinerd]

At least SDXC will support 2 TB cards, so that format should last for more than a couple of years

Which is why we just prefer external card readers—you can easily and cheaply replace them if they get outdated/damaged.

 

[AidenShaw]

Which is why we just prefer external card readers—you can easily and cheaply replace them if they get outdated/damaged.

It's not like we are suggesting that Apple fill the USB ports with epoxy so that you can't connect your external card readers!

What's wrong with an SDXC slot that will be convenient and adequate for 80% or so of the users?

 

[KnightWRX]

At least SDXC will support 2 TB cards, so that format should last for more than a couple of years

Yeah, like we haven't heard that before.

 

[Wikinerd]

It's not like we are suggesting that Apple fill the USB ports with epoxy so that you can't connect your external card readers!

What's wrong with an SDXC slot that will be convenient and adequate for 80% or so of the users?

No... Earlier in the thread another user said that Macs sucks (not exact words, just the gist) because they lack built-in card readers.

And the SDXC slot will be outdated as soon as a new format comes along— thus we stick with external card readers. That's just our prerogative.

 

[AidenShaw]

And the SDXC slot will be outdated as soon as a new format comes along— thus we stick with external card readers. That's just our prerogative.

... and as soon as Apple does ship a laptop with a builtin card reader, these fora will be full of posts saying how great it is that Apple has a reader and laptop X doesn't.

I've seen how that works.

 

[Wikinerd]

<masses of spliced text cut>

No. You misunderstand. If you had a dock, it doesn't remove the wires completely. Unless you're using the dock's speakers, which wouldn't be any better than that of Apple Cinema Displays and the Laptop itself, you'll be forced to connect *a wire* to the audio jack anyway. It's just that you have something between to get the signal from A to B.

Same applies with USB.

Speaking of docks, this old patent of Apple might be interesting.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/01/apple_docking_patent_works_per.html

 

[Wikinerd]

... and as soon as Apple does ship a laptop with a builtin card reader, these fora will be full of posts saying how great it is that Apple has a reader and laptop X doesn't.

I've seen how that works.

I'll stick to my external reader. Thanks.

(I've got a hackint0sh running with a built-in card reader, given as part of the motherboard, but I've never used it. Although it sometimes malfunctions, I've just stuck with an external reader. Or just connecting the camera to the computer itself.)

 

[Mad Mac]

True, there's simply no Apple OEM docks at present.
But that doesn't mean that there's no Mac laptop docks:

BookEndz website, Macintosh Page

This is laughable. Do you think a ghetto solution like this with plugs sticking out (and will obviously have alignment issues) is a proper dock? Seriously, why even mention this?

We simply don't know how many prototypes & concepts they've been experimenting with over the years.

Who cares? They don't have a dock. End of story.

As a multi-year, multi-product dock user, I can say that given how mechanically clunky the current PC ones are to use (they're not a "Pleasurable" experience), as well as how frustrated users can (and do!) forcefully unplug before shutdown ... it appears to me that Apple is "Declining to Play" while continuing to look for a better design alternative.

Way to use FUD to try and support your stance.

Have you tried every dock for every PC? There is nothing clunky about the one I use for my Dell M6300. Haven't had a problem. Ever. And neither have my coworkers.

YMMV, but IMO, the future design direction is wireless everything...including power and video. It may be a lot closer than you suspect.

You're crazy if you think wireless video and power will go mainstream for laptops in the next 5 years. Meanwhile, you've got nothing right now. Keep justifying a lack of features on Macs (dock, Blu-ray, etc.) while you're waiting on the next big thing.

No. You misunderstand. If you had a dock, it doesn't remove the wires completely. Unless you're using the dock's speakers, which wouldn't be any better than that of Apple Cinema Displays and the Laptop itself, you'll be forced to connect *a wire* to the audio jack anyway. It's just that you have something between to get the signal from A to B.

Same applies with USB.

No, you will not have to connect an audio wire nor USB. The dock I'm using right now has provision for audio out and USB. You hook it up once, just like your video, keyboard, mouse, etc. and you never have to do it again.

 

[Wikinerd]

You're crazy if you think wireless video and power will go mainstream for laptops in the next 5 years. Meanwhile, you've got nothing right now. Keep justifying a lack of features on Macs (dock, Blu-ray, etc.) while you're waiting on the next big thing.

Wireless video? it's not that hard if you can get the protocols and whatever figured out. The fact that people can vnc means that we have the bandwidth to do so.

Wireless power
Not impossible.
Sonicare toothbrushes are using a charger that uses an induction field to charge the toothbrush.

(Before you make any snide comments, let me remark that Apple's Magsafe idea came from a kitchen appliance. This is not that different—you just need a breakthrough to implement it; make it powerful enough but not be dangerous...)

 

[Mad Mac]

Wireless video? it's not that hard if you can get the protocols and whatever figured out. The fact that people can vnc means that we have the bandwidth to do so.

Wireless power
Not impossible.
Sonicare toothbrushes are using a charger that uses an induction field to charge the toothbrush.

(Before you make any snide comments, let me remark that Apple's Magsafe idea came from a kitchen appliance. This is not that different—you just need a breakthrough to implement it; make it powerful enough but not be dangerous...)

Inductance charging works fine for products that don't need a lot of juice quickly. It's essentially a trickle charger. If you'd like to wait days, not hours for your laptop to charge then inductance is for you. Plus, the charging field would probably wreak havoc on your wireless and on the computer itself.

Like I said, wireless charging and video out to monitors won't happen for a long time.