I would argue that no one on this forum would be considered an "average" user of technology. The average user has NO clue what a cloud is (in terms of technology), has no idea how to get their pictures on to the cloud, or to access them later. Apple should offer an optical drive built in to their desktops as an option - if you don't want it, then don't get it, but it should still be an option.
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Phil Schiller Claims Customers Aren't Asking for Built-In Blu-Ray Anymore
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I would argue that no one on this forum would be considered an "average" user of technology. The average user has NO clue what a cloud is (in terms of technology), has no idea how to get their pictures on to the cloud, or to access them later. Apple should offer an optical drive built in to their desktops as an option - if you don't want it, then don't get it, but it should still be an option.
You're forgetting BD+ and any other watermarking, anti-copy stuff that the BDA decides to toss in.
Why would I and others want Apple to extend all this effort to integrate 3rd party DRM into the heart of OS X just so that a niche group can watch movies that are better served being played back on a HDTV? Doesn't make much sense.
I like the idea of the iMac shedding substantial weight this trip out of the gate. The machine has evolved and evolved and almost tempts me back to the world of desktops, which I abandoned decades ago. Almost. Going where the wall juice is still seems tedious. But if I did get the iMac now, I personally would not have a problem using an external optical drive with it.
As for opticals disappearing from laptops, I was skeptical at first and still have a workhorse MBP with one, but I did go for the MB Air last time I decided to get a newer laptop. I rarely use the MBP's internal drive now except for Netflix and I only rent discs from Netflix because my DSL is too slow for streaming. If I like the movie I rent and figure I would like to see it more times, I usually try to buy it from iTunes because the digital format is so much more convenient.
It annoys me that I can't take my purchased movie DVDs and just run them through iTunes to rip them to digital the way I can with purchased music CDs. Not being able to do that has negatively affected my rate of purchasing movies on DVD, that's for sure. It's too bad, because there are lots of movies I can't find in digital format that I would buy on DVD if I could rip them without feeling like a criminal and having to muck around with the rips instead of inserting the disk for iTunes to offer me "Import" on a menu.
A little drift here: Seriously, the movie industry has its head up its posterior on this subject, they have missed thousands of dollars worth of sales just to me because I'm getting my back up now about sinking money into a format I don't want, and about not being able to convert from that format to digital. I sometimes just go out for a walk now when I'm tempted to buy an old movie on DVD that I can't find in digital format. I hike around for awhile to get that movie out of my brain and off my shopping list. I'll forget about it in 20 minutes. It's the industry's loss, not mine.
Anyway I'm a convert to the no opticals in portables. It took me awhile to think it through. There is still the external option. I'm sure it also took me awhile to get over thinking that Apple ditched internal 3.5" disk drive slots too soon. Big deal, so I got a ZIP drive to get me past the era of 3.5 disks. Human brains resist even reasonable changes because it takes energy to work up a new autopilot script. The brain would like everything to be on autopilot. It takes effort to override that and tell brain who's the boss sometimes.
On the chances of Blu-Ray in Macs: Schilller is probably right that people aren't asking for it so much any more, but so are MacRumors posters correct who suggest that Apple's staunch "we're not going there" attitude is one of the reasons people have quit asking. I admit not having a dog in that contest since I'm not a connoisseur of video quality. How could I be when I'm willing to watch my purchased iTunes TV shows on a 3rd gen nano screen
in a kitchen speakerdock?!
I'd agree. Physical media is dead. While a couple people in this thread may have a need for a DVD burner or Blu-ray, they make up a very very small percentage of users. A percentage so small that it doesn't make sense to burden everyone else with the added cost of having a DVD drive in the new Macs when most will never use it. Let those that really need them buy externals while the vast majority of us have no need for it or the added cost/weight/thickness/lessened battery life/etc.
Confirmed
When Blu-Ray came out I was vocal in my rejection of it. At the time I viewed it as a format that would not have legs.
I've never bought a Blu-Ray disk. (OK that's not true. I have ended up with one or two when I picked them up by mistake, but they went back as soon as I discovered my mistake). I've never even watched a movie on Blu-Ray. You know what? Not only is Apple still avoiding it, I don't remember the last computer I looked at where it was an option. More and more of my local stores are reducing their Blu-Ray titles even if they are keeping DVDs around. I also do not know of anyone that has a Blu-Ray player or buys Blu-Ray disks. Blu-Ray has peaked and is going away without ever becoming the take-over-the-world-one-format-to-rule-them-all system its proponents said it would be.
I was right.
When Blu-Ray came out I was vocal in my rejection of it. At the time I viewed it as a format that would not have legs.
I've never bought a Blu-Ray disk. (OK that's not true. I have ended up with one or two when I picked them up by mistake, but they went back as soon as I discovered my mistake). I've never even watched a movie on Blu-Ray. You know what? Not only is Apple still avoiding it, I don't remember the last computer I looked at where it was an option. More and more of my local stores are reducing their Blu-Ray titles even if they are keeping DVDs around. I also do not know of anyone that has a Blu-Ray player or buys Blu-Ray disks. Blu-Ray has peaked and is going away without ever becoming the take-over-the-world-one-format-to-rule-them-all system its proponents said it would be.
I was right.
I've yet to hear anyone ask for a thinner or lighter iMac either...
I have heard people asking for cooler and quieter iMacs and for iMacs with desktop CPUs & GPUs.
Two points:
1) Why would *you* hear anyone asking for a thinner or lighter iMac?
2) If people are asking for "cooler and quieter" iMacs and iMacs with "desktop CPUs and GPUs", they're asking for two mutually exclusive things. The desktop parts run hotter, and therefore require larger (and correspondingly louder) fans.
Yes, but . . .
Steve Jobs was surely right in Blu-rays being supplanted by that downloaded.
However, I might still be forced to use it thanks to Apple. This to secure certain movies iTunes in its wisdom does not offer in HD (and possibly never will); or, certain movies in their correct theatrical aspect ratio (as that purchased as "widescreen" from iTunes something other, in some cases).
This, aside from just the superior quality of Blu-ray media. A concern surely for some. Otherwise, it is ever so convenient and pleasant just to download something.
Steve Jobs was surely right in Blu-rays being supplanted by that downloaded.However, I might still be forced to use it thanks to Apple. This to secure certain movies iTunes in its wisdom does not offer in HD (and possibly never will); or, certain movies in their correct theatrical aspect ratio (as that purchased as "widescreen" from iTunes something other, in some cases).
This, aside from just the superior quality of Blu-ray media. A concern surely for some. Otherwise, it is ever so convenient and pleasant just to download something.
Serious question. Do most movies you buy from iTunes have substitutes and commentaries? And if I bought movies on iTunes and down the line I don't want to use apple products anymore, can I put it on non I devices?
I think I have a dozen Blu-ray films. I might have watched one. I wanted Blu-ray on a computer a few years ago, and got close to buying one, but I'm glad I didn't. I just have no use for one, and downloading is the future, and the quality can be just as good as Blu-ray anyway. I wouldn't be mad if Apple supported it, but at this point, it's probably pointless and better left to third parties for support.
They're not asking for it anymore because you refused to give your customers
the option to get it for the last 5 years. But the brain dead iSheeple will get it
backwards and say that Phil didn't let them have it because they didn't want it.
Unbelievable RDF lunacy.
the option to get it for the last 5 years. But the brain dead iSheeple will get it
backwards and say that Phil didn't let them have it because they didn't want it.
Unbelievable RDF lunacy.
I have a blu-ray player, but buying blu-ray discs is my second choice after buying iTunes movies in HD.
"Overpriced"? Prolly compared to NetFlix - but in no way to iTunes Store. Most movies cost at most(!) twice at amazon compared to the iTunes Store version. In the latter, you can get a full movie in HD for $15+ (or, occasionally, during sales, $10). Amazon's prices are pretty muc comparable.
I agree. Like it or not, for most consumers DVD/BluRay is no longer required.
That being said, I am not upgrading my old mini due to the fact that the new one doesn't come with one.
Since my mini is used for HTPC, I need that drive in order to play some movies to my son. However, I can tell you that I've been doing less of that over the past as he switched to Netflix, YouTube, iTunes (through the ATV).
If the new mini came with a bluray (or DVD), I would have upgraded. For all other computer's at home, I prefer an external drive.
Is there anyone here that misses the internal floppy? I remember many cried when the floppy went external...
That being said, I am not upgrading my old mini due to the fact that the new one doesn't come with one.
Since my mini is used for HTPC, I need that drive in order to play some movies to my son. However, I can tell you that I've been doing less of that over the past as he switched to Netflix, YouTube, iTunes (through the ATV).
If the new mini came with a bluray (or DVD), I would have upgraded. For all other computer's at home, I prefer an external drive.
Is there anyone here that misses the internal floppy? I remember many cried when the floppy went external...
Me either. My DVD player is about 15 years old and the last DVD I bought was in 2006. Last CD I bought was in the 90s.
I buy all my TV shows and movies in iTunes and store them on external drives.
THe only time I have used the CD/DVD drive in my MacBooks was to install the OS.
I have never owned a Blu ray disc/player and don't plan on ever getting one.
This is really the point that Apple's getting at. For those great movies that look and sound fantastic there is nothing out there that delivers like Blu-ray. But not every movie is going to look and sound great and I like having the ability to choose what I want. I'm ok with downloads for certain movies and stuff like LOTR will be purchased in the best fidelity possible.
A Mac isn't the ideal component or display for the top notch movies. Most consumers seem to get this.
It's not hard to imagine one might want to watch a movie on their computer (on a plane, train, in a hotel, at a lake house, ski house, in bed) and not want to buy a second copy of it. Or waste their free time and computing power ripping DVDs.
Lack of internal Apple-provided BluRay drives has never been a problem. A combination of an USB-attached BluRay drive and MakeMKV makes this a non-issue.
The first thing I do when I get a BD disk - I strip off the DRM and make a digital copy. This way it's playable on all of my devices in original 1080p quality, and without inconvenience of optical disks.
The first thing I do when I get a BD disk - I strip off the DRM and make a digital copy. This way it's playable on all of my devices in original 1080p quality, and without inconvenience of optical disks.
: Indeed!
Sure. It takes balls, which apple has since they have the weight to throw around. It seems to be working, too.
Which amazon makes money off of like any other product they sell. But we're not discussing Android tablets or amazon, so that's all I'll say about it.
I doubt Apple execs do. If they do, I doubt they give a s***.
(bold emphasizing by me)
"Can". Too bad iTunes Store movies have significantly worse image (appr. 3-5 Mbps vs. 20-30 Mbps encoding bitrate), audio (no multichannel support) and subtitle/ closed caption (there is no CC's for the vast majority of iTunes Store titles) support / content.
So basically, a Thunderbolt Blu-Ray drive is not going to happen from Apple.
Doubt it. Though you can get lots of standalone Blu-ray burners, if you like.
Blu-Ray... oh yeah, that was the last known disc format used for movies in the early 21st century. I think I saw one of those in the Smithsonian, how did people watch movies in such low resolution on a flat screen?
Oh that comparison makes total sense and isn't ridiculous in the slightest, it's totally the same to compare ancient ports with an Optical Drive running technology still going strong.