Done. The signatures are over 2300 already. Let's submit this to digg, shall we? (search for it first there).
EDIT: Here it is: digg it up so more people can see it:
http://digg.com/apple/Online_Petition_for_FireWire_ports_in_Apple_MacBooks_13
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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks
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Done. The signatures are over 2300 already. Let's submit this to digg, shall we? (search for it first there).
EDIT: Here it is: digg it up so more people can see it:
http://digg.com/apple/Online_Petition_for_FireWire_ports_in_Apple_MacBooks_13
Excellent point.
That's a really good expression of the main issue here. For anyone who will ever need FireWire even for a moment the MacBook is now useless. No "ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it. It cannot be added after the fact. It is not possible to create a USB-based FireWire adapter or replace that function with any other external device. They continue to leave the ExpressCard slot out of the MacBook so there is no possibility of adding FireWire during the lifetime of that computer. If you need FireWire, the MacBook might as well be a doorstop.
This point needs to be reiterated constantly. This situation is so different from things like removing the floppy drive that it's not even funny. This is outright failure of the MacBook to be useful ever again to hundreds of thousands of Mac users.
That's a really good expression of the main issue here. For anyone who will ever need FireWire even for a moment the MacBook is now useless. No "ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it. It cannot be added after the fact. It is not possible to create a USB-based FireWire adapter or replace that function with any other external device. They continue to leave the ExpressCard slot out of the MacBook so there is no possibility of adding FireWire during the lifetime of that computer. If you need FireWire, the MacBook might as well be a doorstop.
This point needs to be reiterated constantly. This situation is so different from things like removing the floppy drive that it's not even funny. This is outright failure of the MacBook to be useful ever again to hundreds of thousands of Mac users.
Clearly this design decision has touched a nerve amongst many Mac fans.
Regardless of any prognostications about FireWire's future, this isn't the same as Apple dropping the floppy drive or ADB. This isn't just a matter of buying a new keyboard or getting a converter: we're talking hundreds of dollars at least for new camcorders, audio interfaces, etc. Many people, including myself, have invested good money in FireWire products that work well today and will continue to work perfectly for years to come. Given Apple's long-term evangelism of the technology, we expected to be able to make use of our investments reasonably far into the future.
If Steve is going to brush off criticisms like this, saying that 'stuff in the last two years has all been USB,' perhaps he should have said, on record, two years ago: 'hey everyone, we're going to be transitioning away from FireWire, so make sure to budget for either a) replacing all your critical hardware in the next year or so, or b) paying $1000k extra to keep using your current hardware.' Why wasn't Apple more upfront with this change?
... or, is it really a change? I haven't read through the whole thread, but take a look at the MacBook's side panel. The Kensington lock apparently locks in the hard drive as well. Perhaps they couldn't put the Kensington lock anywhere else? Maybe all this will be cleaned up in the next rev?
Regardless of any prognostications about FireWire's future, this isn't the same as Apple dropping the floppy drive or ADB. This isn't just a matter of buying a new keyboard or getting a converter: we're talking hundreds of dollars at least for new camcorders, audio interfaces, etc. Many people, including myself, have invested good money in FireWire products that work well today and will continue to work perfectly for years to come. Given Apple's long-term evangelism of the technology, we expected to be able to make use of our investments reasonably far into the future.
If Steve is going to brush off criticisms like this, saying that 'stuff in the last two years has all been USB,' perhaps he should have said, on record, two years ago: 'hey everyone, we're going to be transitioning away from FireWire, so make sure to budget for either a) replacing all your critical hardware in the next year or so, or b) paying $1000k extra to keep using your current hardware.' Why wasn't Apple more upfront with this change?
... or, is it really a change? I haven't read through the whole thread, but take a look at the MacBook's side panel. The Kensington lock apparently locks in the hard drive as well. Perhaps they couldn't put the Kensington lock anywhere else? Maybe all this will be cleaned up in the next rev?
Post of the day quality good sir.
If there was a workaround there wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
Wow. I didn't even notice it wasn't on the new MacBooks. I'm still pissed there is only 800 on the MacBook Pros too. It should be 400 and 800. This is really stupid. No one captures A/V with USB 2.0, it would drop frames like crazy. Can't believe they would take this option out when the friggin thing is not even a 1/2 long. No space? Consumer? Give me a break. Bring it back Apple! 
So how the hell have I been able to cut, color and output material from macs without ever using firewire capture from camera. (I will admit that a FW800 card reader was used, as it was lying to hand). The current darling of the DV crowd, the HVX200 puts wonderful images onto P2 cards, so I can access that on a macbook (if I was using one) with a USB PCMICA reader. The new Sony XDCAM EX does the same, but on Ex34 cards, so again I can just use a USB again or slot it straight into a MBP. Shoot it on a SD9 then I can just use a SD reader, again with a reader or go straight to camera, both times with USB.
As an aside I do feel for those who went with the Canon HV30. Actually canon are getting worryingly behind in this field.
My Canon HV20 is a consumer camera and it has only FireWire. "Only consumer cameras have USB" is not the same thing as "All consumer cameras have USB".
And a Dell Inspiron 1525 is a consumer notebook (which should be the class I target with a consumer camera, no?). It has FireWire (only an unpowered 4 pin one, but at least it has it). It is also 1/2 the price of the legacy white Macbook with almost identical specs. And it is well supported by the Hacintosh community. Steve may think he is maneuvering to get people to spend an extra $700, but they may end up spending $400 less, all to a different company and still end up with OS X (which they will probably not even spend the $130 to buy).
He thinks it's ok to expect people to buy the 2 grand macbook pro if they are that upset about the situation.
Panasonic SD9, listed as one of the top 10 HD camcorders earlier this year has no firewire connectivity at all. Period. End of statement.
It frustrated me at first that, despite having a firewire capable computer, I had to either transfer the data through the USB2 connection taking over 2 hours, or--much more quickly--just pull the SD card and use a card reader to transfer the data to hard drive in a matter of moments.
FCE, through the "Log and transfer" method of importing, had no issues pulling selected clips from the raw files.
The lack of FW on the macbook means my wife wont be getting one in her christmas stocking. She wants to use our fanstastic camcorder to do some basic home movie stuff *ahem!* , but as the new macbook cant connect to the camcorder... No sale.
Also, people keep saying that iMovie doesnt even work with USB properly for camcorders (quite a few have said it doesnt import)...
Its an absolute joke. Trying to con home users into buying pro $$expensive$$ laptops just to play around with home movies.... Apple should be taken to court for extortion.
We aint buying. (Wife is now looking at a Sony model)
Also, people keep saying that iMovie doesnt even work with USB properly for camcorders (quite a few have said it doesnt import)...
Its an absolute joke. Trying to con home users into buying pro $$expensive$$ laptops just to play around with home movies.... Apple should be taken to court for extortion.
We aint buying. (Wife is now looking at a Sony model)
Add to that list this fact:
Consumer level users do download video from camcorder once in a while and most require FW for this task. Because they are consumer level users they will not go out and buy the latest camcorder that doesn't require FW to transfer video. And because they are consumer level users they will not shell out extra $700 for a PC that may be an overkill for 'consumer' level users.
Only choice they have is getting that 'white' plastic macbook at $999. Really Apple, must you punish the vast majority of users only because they are at consumer level??
You forgot Logic Express and Logic Pro. They rely on Core Audio to get the audio in and Firewire for control surfaces. And Core Audio makes no sense with USB, best thing you can get is 2 channels with 24 bit..
Nevermind, MOTU actually offers one (1) decent USB audio interface: http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828mkII/
Yea but, I don't care about FW800 right now. I want at least the 400 on the MacBook Pro as well. 800 is not around enough yet. They should have put both on the Pro, not just the 800.
I'm late to the show but anyway...thanks Steve, aka Mr. Moneybags, for clearing up how to resolve this. We'll just throw out our GL-2's and buy something new.
Fail.
Totally irrelevant. Some pros actually LIKE the Macbook better than the Pro. They're not much different in terms of speed, and some people simply prefer the portability, look and feel. They're really not all that different, and some people don't want to spend $2000 to get what they should be able to accomplish with $1000.
Fail.
Wow, P2, XDCAM. Certainly a MacBook consumer.
Totally irrelevant. Some pros actually LIKE the Macbook better than the Pro. They're not much different in terms of speed, and some people simply prefer the portability, look and feel. They're really not all that different, and some people don't want to spend $2000 to get what they should be able to accomplish with $1000.
It sucks and so what, that's what the majority of the public is using.
So is Windows. Should we dump OSX?
I connect my external HD which has FW 400 to FW 800 on my Macbook Pro (pre Oct 2008 update). I bought a FW cable with FW 400 connector and FW 800 connector. And I actually get faster speed compared to using FW 400-FW 400 cable.
Interesting. So is that a single cable with both connecters on each end? and you can mix and match the inputs?
Edit - Aw nice, I can buy one for 20 bucks. Rock n Roll.
Which for the expensive highest quality would cost you $20. A 3ft. cable of the same grade would cost you $40.