You'e right, its not the be-all and end-all, it is just a standard. Apple learned its lesson from SCSI, standard parts on PC's. Blu-ray is the standard now, does Apple with all of it's video production professionals want to be the last to integrate it? Oh yeah, they already are.
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Resellers Getting Signals for a Wide Range of Apple Updates?
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You'e right, its not the be-all and end-all, it is just a standard. Apple learned its lesson from SCSI, standard parts on PC's. Blu-ray is the standard now, does Apple with all of it's video production professionals want to be the last to integrate it? Oh yeah, they already are.
I prefer flash drives for smaller data storage and hard drives for larger data storage.
Absolutely wrong on all counts.
1. Wal-Mart has a Magnavox Blu-Ray player that is sub $300.
2. Target player is being discontinued, sony has a new bdp-350, better specs, faster loading time, and upgradable to the Blu-Ray 20. profile via firmware.
3. Not true, see above.
4. The studios are literally racing movies to blu-ray, have you walked the aisles of BestBuy recently? just wait until this christmas season (4 months away)
5. Yes pricey, but as you said coming down, available in Dell laptops at less than $1000 (Blu -ray reader)
6. Microsoft just had a news release that they are building Blu-ray support into the OS, if Apple, 'the Media people' dont do it soon, I would say this is a sign of armageddon.
We all like bargains, and those bargain DVD's will play just fine in your Blu-ray equipped Mac. Steve's Keynote at Macworld in 2005 proclaimed the year of HD, its 3 years later and nada.
Well, I do not know if it is going to happen, but here is an alternative. I high-end mini with an HD-LCD TV. Most HD-LCD TV have a PC (VGA) port on the back... Can't record shows with it, but you can watch. I may do that for my office when my wife's 15-inch KDS LCD dies (but LCD's do not die as quickly as the old boat-anchor style). Why spend $200-$500 on another monitor when I can spend that money and get a monitor and TV.
And it's not about it being discontinued!
Maybe we'll see it redesigned like the rumor back in March. So maybe Apple's trying to revise all remaining old case designs at one time this year into the new style. If so, I can't help thinking that maybe Apple's trying to have a unified case design in preparation for something big soon after.
I would have said "stick a fork in it, it's done" about the Mac Mini, but never say never w/ Apple (MS Office, Intel chips... hopefully, Blu-ray). Now if only Apple would see the light about watching and recording TV on your computer and using Slingboxes.
Where do you live:
1. Have not seen one in my WalMart.
2. Probably why they are discontinuing it, but there is no mention in Target of a new one. Just says Discontinued and most of the blu-ray movie slots in the case were empty - there were only 4 movies.
3/4. I tend to not frequent Best-Buy much. if I do, it is because I can't get something somewhere else. I hate their high-prices and the fact that 1/2 the people don't have a clue. Well, except for 2 things - they feel the same way about Dell and Vista as most people - its crap. But seriously, I do not see many stores stocking blu0ray recordable media or movies much. Oh, I think by Christmas more will be out.
5. Reader - most people want to burn blu-ray due to the high data storage and to create high-end movies (of course provided the source is any good). But hey its a start.
6. Arg. MS. But, since Gates is Gone, Ballmer is nuts, and MS says they are changing strategy - looks like some interesting times ahead. I think the Apple vs MS war is gonna go from ballistics to nukes in terms of what each tries to offer.
Wal-Mart
Blu-ray player search:
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=blu-ray+player
Here in Canada: None at Wal-Mart... at least online, or at Zellers... ditto (our low-rent version of Target).
Blu-ray player search:
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=blu-ray+player
Here in Canada: None at Wal-Mart... at least online, or at Zellers... ditto (our low-rent version of Target).
Will the new Cinema Displays use LED's?
Here's what I am puzzled about: if Apple doesn't use LED's in their new Displays, they may be obsolete in less than a year. However if they use LED's, the 30 inch model would be ridiculously expensive! Currently these are above $4k, see e.g. the Samsung XL30. Even a 23 inch one would probably be at least $2k, putting it out of reach for most of us.
So what, besides a mere design upgrade (including maybe an internal webcam), should we anticipate?
Here's what I am puzzled about: if Apple doesn't use LED's in their new Displays, they may be obsolete in less than a year. However if they use LED's, the 30 inch model would be ridiculously expensive! Currently these are above $4k, see e.g. the Samsung XL30. Even a 23 inch one would probably be at least $2k, putting it out of reach for most of us.
So what, besides a mere design upgrade (including maybe an internal webcam), should we anticipate?
Lets hope an update for something other then the iPhone comes. I am waiting for a new lap top and this should be about the right time for that!!!!
H-IPS, HDCP-certified, 24" model replaces 23" model and a black frame around the display like the aluminium iMac.
If you are serious about using optical storage for back-ups, you really need to be using DVD-RAM and HD DVD-RAM. True random access reading and writing and built-in error correction.
I no longer backup to optical (portable HDD is so much cheaper, faster and easier), but when I did, I used DVD-RAM.
I no longer backup to optical (portable HDD is so much cheaper, faster and easier), but when I did, I used DVD-RAM.
About fifteen years ago, the floppy drive in my Mac at work broke. So I removed the drive, I was supposed to get a replacement, but somehow it never happened.
About a year later, for some reason I got a floppy disk that I wanted to read. Put it in the hole where the floppy drive was (which never had been replaced), and it dropped right through. Had to open the case to get the floppy out
Blu-ray player search:
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=blu-ray+player
Here in Canada: None at Wal-Mart... at least online, or at Zellers... ditto (our low-rent version of Target).
Followed your link, and 15 results at Walmart.com, 5 of them are standalone players, mine went to the U.S. Store.(not Canada)
Also Costco has one right now for $379, with Hundreds of boxes below it.
By the way I live in California, near Sacramento. I would bet that the Black Firday sales will have Blu-Ray players for $250, maybe even $199 for a few hours.
I am still using the DVD player I bought for $250 when they first came out.
Blu-ray will be one of the longest lasting standards, because of 2 simple numbers 1920 by 1080. It will take the government FOREVER to change that standard again. We have had 640x480 since almost the beginning of broadcast TV.
I was thinking the same, whilst there is no major software or online stuff involved this time it still seems a real bad idea to me.
They reduce the number of days press coverage - two launch events means twice as much coverage as one launch event. Apple have always been good at this before and milked the coverage by spreading out product launches.
It must really strain their resources rather than spreading them out as well across the entire organisation - marketing, manufacturing, design, engineering and so on.
I know its a bit of a jump but its getting more and more like a company spinning out of control as a result of their success and not being able to cope with the work load. If this is the case things could go badly wrong if they don't get it under control.
Blu-ray player search:
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=blu-ray+player
Here in Canada: None at Wal-Mart... at least online, or at Zellers... ditto (our low-rent version of Target).
Yep, like most things are getting - online only. Most that say in-stores, return the following though:
Model #: BD-1500/XAA
We found no stores within 100 miles of 27217 that carry this product. Please try a new search. (In-stock status is approximate and was last updated on 08/26/2008 at 10:38 AM, E.T.)
Panasonic DMP-BD30PP-K Blu-ray Disc Player, Black
Model #: DMPBD30K
We found no stores within 100 miles of 27217 that carry this product. Please try a new search. (In-stock status is approximate and was last updated on 08/26/2008 at 10:38 AM, E.T.)
I found 2 of the blu-ray players on the list for Wal-mart that were close (well about 30 miles away and some of those stores say limited stock).
Target - only 2 players show available in stores, 1 of those is out of stock at stores, the other is 25 to 40 miles away
If you rate the difficulty, I'd say on a scale from 0 to 10 replacing the MacBook hard drive is a 2, and MacBook Pro more like 7 or 8.
Well neither is really a 'user replaceable' hard drive, since they are sealed in and I believe replacing either voids warranty.
What I would consider user replaceable would be something you can access and remove with minimal tools and difficulty. It would be nice on a laptop, but Mac has never had those kinds of drives on laptops, that I remember. Don't think they will any time soon, despite the obvious benefit to the laptop owner.
Hate to bring up PC laptops, but what the above guy is talking about:
1. Had a toshiba - popped of the snap on plastic cover and pulled the tab; out it came.
2. Had a Dell - removed 4 screws to take off a cover and exposed the drive.
My macbook - well, I bought a 250 drive so not something I plan on doing anytime soon, but looks like I have to dis-assemble a lot.
About fifteen years ago, the floppy drive in my Mac at work broke. So I removed the drive, I was supposed to get a replacement, but somehow it never happened.
About a year later, for some reason I got a floppy disk that I wanted to read. Put it in the hole where the floppy drive was (which never had been replaced), and it dropped right through. Had to open the case to get the floppy out
Well, you could've got some use out of that broken drive...
Can you even buy floppy disks anymore (well, maybe online - you can get anything on line)? I see TigerDirect still sells internal and external drives, but I have not seen a floppy in stores in years.
Maybe a good thing... I had an old IBM once, I could not get a replacement or larger drive. It was one of the first machines that used smaller height drived, most laptop drives then were thicker.
Dell, I had to get a drive from them; most would not plug in. It was not the pin configuration, it was the way it went into the case - the pins would not line up correctly when you slid it in.
I also had other laptop drive compatibility issues.