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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks

If they could make FCP VTR control over USB actually work, this wouldn't be so bad. I don't know about consumer or prosumer devices, but modern pro cameras like Sony's XDCAM or Panasonic's P2 line do all support USB.

But FCP's support for them over USB is a joke.
 
BJMRamage said:
Besides missing FireWire, all the new laptops also are MISSING a 3.5" Floppy Drive!!

OK, it's been gone for a while but look at the uproar that brought about. While I still think FireWire is good, you also do not need to have the latest low-end MacBook either. You can have an older one that has FireWire right?

My lastt PC had FireWire. I liked when my ipod was FireWire but then I bought my wife a Nano (or maybe it was my next ipod) and it used USB, not FireWire. Slower, yes, but maybe Apple thought to just go with USB since a lot of stuff was heading that way.
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Firewire is so important that Apple decided to drop it from the ipod, am sure ipod sales were impacted by this decision. :rolleyes:
 
cube said:
Since when has that been a problem for PCs??
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Those PC's use ugly as hell hinges that make the whole machine bigger. If you want to turn the Mac in to another Dell, be my guest, but I wont be supporting you.
 
He is right of course. Most of the new HD cameras use USB. I have a Canon HG10 (last year's model) and it only uses USB. Still, without a doubt those with tape and DV are left in a bit of a quandry with no Firewire.
 
Artful Dodger said:
If I read your reply(s) correct I get the feeling you don't mind either as your able to have both of best worlds, which is good ;) While I have thought about using some type of solid state recording method (Canons new line-up) I have to consider the reality of what has happened for the below reason.

I actually have a good reason for the FW and non HDD camcorders that use USB 2.0. I film clients that the video footage of their exams almost always end up being used in court and then the tape gets sent out for testing (6 out of 10 times for questions of tampering) and every counter, by the other side that used a HDD based camcorder has been thrown out because there is a chance that the file could have been altered. I'm not saying it's true or not because I only record, make dvd copies for all parties so that's the end result with me removed from said situation. I don't and have never actually edited anything from a HDD camcorder and I would never claim to know more than what has been past on to me. I only find out the end result(s). I have a fine iMac with FW but using a MacBook with FW and using iDVD OneStep on the go has been nice at times. If I or anyone else bought a new camcorder within the last year that has FW but can not use USB 2.0 seems to be a pretty steep thought to ask or have someone re-buy because "ONE" company has a change of plans. Not to mention all the FW drives I bought and I can assume others bought as well.
I'm not saying your either right nor wrong as each has it's own place but one FW got removed from the MBP leaving one FW so why not have one each for a MacBook :D
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You're not reading my post incorrectly, however you might be interpreting it as me meaning that FW isn't important or necessary to anyone. It is just not important to me. Very big difference, and thus I still disagree with its removal from the MB.
 
Evangelion said:
Those PC's use ugly as hell hinges that make the whole machine bigger. If you want to turn the Mac in to another Dell, be my guest, but I wont be supporting you.
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I prefer a usable ugly machine to a useless pretty gadget.
 
Bentov said:
Most of your here need to get a clue. Steve doesn't care about you, only your money. He knows that no matter how much most of you complain, you will most likely do one of two things:

1.) Suck it up and buy a MBP

2.) Keep you old MB, stop buying fw equipment, and at a later date buy another MB.

Win-Win for him and apple. I laugh at all of you who say he doesn't know what he is doing. How much money does he have? More than all of us together 100x over? Do you really think he got it by making bad decisions? Nope, he got it because no matter what he does, you still buy his stuff. You better believe that if MB sales dropped 50% in the next month because of this, there would immediately be another update to address the issue. There isn't going to be, and sales won't drop. Get over it.

A co-worker of mine has a window placard that says "Your silly little opinion has been duly noted" I bet that's how Steve feels about us.
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I chuckled at this post but essentially it tells everything that needs to be said.
 
robanga said:
He is right of course. Most of the new HD cameras use USB. I have a Canon HG10 (last year's model) and it only uses USB. Still, without a doubt those with tape and DV are left in a bit of a quandry with no Firewire.
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He is not right. 3 of 9 Canon HD cams still use FW, and when you account for their entire consumer line SD included, 50% of them still use FW.

It seems Steve is as good at broad generalizations as many posters here at Mac Rumors. ;)
 
corinhorn said:
There is another option—screw Apple and buy a Dell.
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Or some other good options. Last spring I bought an Asus 12.1 " to run CS3. It had the same processor specs as the lowest oriced MBP at the time, but it had a better video card, express card, 5 usb ports, firewire ports, 7 card reader, dvi/hdmi video out, eSATA, 16x DVD burner and a very efficient fingerprint reader. On top of that is was $500 less that the MBP. It's a really nice, reliable laptop and apparently I'm going to have to leave FCP behind and go with another one CS3 and Avid and Grass Valley Edius like I'm running on the one I have now. I didn't want to because there are things that I will miss, like Live Type, but It's a business decision I may just be forced to make.
 
Read Slow? Or Read Between The Lines?

techpr said:
Please READ SLOWLY, I know that the old MB does not have FW800 but I can use FW400 mode. My complain in that I can't use my Drobo FW800 with the new MB.
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You never mentioned your Drobo FW800 also had a FW400 connection. So, sorry, it's kinda hard to read slow something that wasn't there in the first place.
 
Evangelion said:
What SJ says is right. Sure, there might still be some FW-only cameras out there, but those are in the minority. Cameras that use tape do use FW, but why mess around with tapes?
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Totally false. There are millions of DV firewire out there. There are thousands in my school district alone.
 
I agree, removing Firewire was a really, really bad idea. There are still regular resolution DV camcorders being released that use it, not everyone can afford a new HD camcorder. Not to mention the tons of older DV camcorders out there.

And of course there are a lot of pieces of musical equipment being sold that use it.

This was such an incredibly bad move. Hopefully they'll realize their mistake and bring it back in the next revision.
 
Evangelion said:
So the lack of Firewire renders the entire computer utterly, 100% useless? It can't be used for anything anymore?

Um, OK :rolleyes:.....
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Yes, it's a useless machine. Not a "Digital Hub".

The MacBook Air is even worse, with the additional lack of gigabit ethernet for network backups.

Apple just didn't want people interested in the Air to spend less money on a MacBook because the MBA is so stupid, so they crippled the MacBook too.
 
dejo said:
You never mentioned your Drobo FW800 also had a FW400 connection. So, sorry, it's kinda hard to read slow something that wasn't there in the first place.
Click to expand...

Don't you know you're supposed to know everything about tech? Where are you from... a cave?!
wink
 
dejo said:
You never mentioned your Drobo FW800 also had a FW400 connection. So, sorry, it's kinda hard to read slow something that wasn't there in the first place.
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You don't need a FW400 connector. FW400 and FW800 just connect at 400 speed when you plug them with the appropriate cable.
 
RubberShoes said:
The Lack Of Firewire 800 Is The Only Thing Keeping Me From A New Macbook, The Single Only Thing

Why Apple Why!?!?
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And for me and many others the issue is the glossy screen, which to me seems more like a mirror than a screen. Even the black bezel is glossy. Take a look at the attached photo from an Apple store. I snapped this photo with an iPhone so the glare you see is not from a flash, but simply the overhead lights in the store.

Here's my take on Apple's research. A small minority favor glossy and a small minority favor matte. But most people don't even know that two possible screen types exist. So Apple figures it can ignore the minority and instead just focus on the clueless mainstream. Apple's financials suggest this strategy is sound.

That said, Apple has lots of expertise in build-to-order sales. Apple should IMHO offer a BTO matte screen. By keeping enthusiasts happy we will continue to evangelize the Mac as we've always done. Plus since maybe 50,000 people on the entire planet care about matte screens, any additional costs would be a blip on Apple's financial statement.
 

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Basically, Steve just said...

"Let them eat cake..."

Steve - ask Marie Antoinette how that one worked out for her.

MadCow.
 
the 3 downsides for me are

1. i can no longer import video into the new macbook.

2. can't use a firewire hard drive. not such a big deal.

3. can't use some audio equipment.

i will just do audio and import video into my imac now and transfer it to my external hard drive now if needed.

just stinks that i will not be able to import video while on vacation now.
 
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