What as network to do with it? If someone can access the firewire port they have root access to the computer. If you don't care about security that your problem. I dont think it's a big issue since it requires access to the machine. But still its a bad design feature of firewire that USB dont have.
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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks
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What as network to do with it? If someone can access the firewire port they have root access to the computer. If you don't care about security that your problem. I dont think it's a big issue since it requires access to the machine. But still its a bad design feature of firewire that USB dont have.
They haven't ditched firewire, they include firewire on all their computer models except the Macbook Air and the new Macbooks, the old Macbook still has firewire, so they haven't ditched it, they've just removed it from some machines because they see that the general trend is moving away from firewire, you can still get firewire on Apple products.
Right a cost which more and more people are willing to pay for. These days people aren't just paying for their computers just based upon specs, Apple compters are loaded with features, you just choose to pick the ones that matter to you while ignoring everything else and labelling that they don't have any features. How many other computers out there can you run Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux on.
They all could run all three, if only Apple would allow it. As it is, any PC can run Windows or Linux, and if you make a Hackintosh, you'll have all three.
Apple shouldn't allow anything, they use their software to sell their hardware. Right now I can use windows, linux, and mac osx all on my apple laptop. Good luck with the hackintosh, let's see how stable that is.
That's valid, but most organizations who have their computers open for anyone to use take security precautions. For most of us at home and at work, we usually trust those who use our machines.
Also, the benefits of FireWire would be crippled if this potential security vulnerability was patched.
And that goes back to my previous posts. Several of us are worried that the lack of FireWire from the MB is a sign of a future trend in which Apple ditches FireWire.
That's not Apple's fault, that's the general trend the industry is in, I keep on seeing more and more USB devices out there, but not firewire. Apple is just preparing it's customers for the future, they can't keep on supporting firewire forever, we all saw this when they dropped firewire from the ipod, then the Macbook air, and now the macbook, if you have a lot invested in Apple, it's time for you to start preparing yourself, Apple is preparing to ditch firewire.
I understand all that. So what are users who depend on FireWire to do then? Several devices cannot be accommodated with USBit lacks capabilities.
I will not buy a mac with out proper firewire. But that's my choice, the benefits for my applications is far greater than my security concerns.
Apple shouldn't allow anything, they use their software to sell their hardware. Right now I can use windows, linux, and mac osx all on my apple laptop. Good luck with the hackintosh, let's see how stable that is.
Mine is stable. Have you tried one? Read about them?
It's quite fun to test, it's easy and after 30mins reading you'll probably have your head right round how it all works and understand a lot more about what goes under the hood.
I think apple should allow it
They have the potential to put their OS on every home desktop - I don't think 99% of users care/know/understand the hardware and os on their machines, they just want to work and play.I can get a machine with faster/better/whatever hardware I want, so many choices. If I can run osx (assuming I need to) I won't be buying apple computers until they release a product that matches the others on the market. I'm sure apples (innovation? in) hardware and os would improve if everyone was like me - a 'better kind of fanboy' than one that buys into something because of the look, marketing and some kind of retarded loyal hatred towards the competition
Still holding on to my 12" powerbook, would've loved the new macbook, but I have 2 old ipods, a lightscribe lacie dvd burner, and an external HD that's allfirewire only. So maybe I'll sell all the accessories or just hold up till SJ goes back on his word....
Who cares about potential, Apple is out there to make money like any other company and they have found the model which is making them the most money. Why should they jeopardize that? Why does Apple need to be like everyone else, they are different, they make their own software and use that to sell their hardware, this is what the likes of Dell and HP should be doing, but since they don't have their own software they have to depend on Microsoft which is why Vista has so many problems since they need to depend on so many different hardware configurations. Apple's hardware, innovation, and software is of the highest quality which is why they are constantly rated the highest in how satisified their consumers are compared to their competitors. And by the way the way a product looks has a lot to do with how much people are willing to pay for it.Mine is stable. Have you tried one? Read about them?
It's quite fun to test, it's easy and after 30mins reading you'll probably have your head right round how it all works and understand a lot more about what goes under the hood.
I think apple should allow it
I can get a machine with faster/better/whatever hardware I want, so many choices. If I can run osx (assuming I need to) I won't be buying apple computers until they release a product that matches the others on the market. I'm sure apples (innovation? in) hardware and os would improve if everyone was like me - a 'better kind of fanboy' than one that buys into something because of the look, marketing and some kind of retarded loyal hatred towards the competition
Maybe Apple know something about USB 3.0 that we don't yet. Intel have (apparently) made great strides in streamlining and synchronizing the new standards to their chipsets, and if the rumors of a 4.8Gbps data transfer rate are true, FireWire--in any incarnation--will soon become a curious footnote in the history of computing. Give Steve Jobs a bit of credit--he generally knows what he's doing!
FWIW a small converter-box might be all that's necessary to keep those few remaining FireWire dinosaurs going until the inevitable happens.
I admit this post may sound slightly inflammatory if you're not hearing what you want to hear, but the writing is on the wall for FireWire, and Apple is giving you fair warning...
Evolve or die--same as it ever was...
USB 3 is not here yet, but FireWire is. Why dump a protocol that is still current technology while hoping that newer technology will come soon. I may love USB 3 when compared to FireWire, but at least frickin wait til the technology is available. And FireWire is not a dinosaur. It is faster and more reliable than USB 2.
There is no converter box. Even if FireWire could be converted into USB 2, there would still be a vast array of devices that would not function due to USB's bottleneck and inconsistencies.
It's no hope. USB 3 is virtually upon us.
I didn't say it was a dinosaur. I said it would become one if the specs for USB 3.0 are correct. FireWire as-is is better that USB as-is, but we (mere mortals) are not privy to what may be around the corner. Steve Jobs knows what he's doing, no matter how bad it looks at the moment. Think Intel; think OS X; think Mac brought back from the dead!!
No, there is no converter-box: that was my ray of hope for the hopeless. But just because you can't envision one, doesn't mean specialists could. Incidentally, I was thinking of a USB 3.0 to FireWire converter, not USB 2.0.
USB 3 is not here yet, but FireWire is. Why dump a protocol that is still current technology while hoping that newer technology will come soon. I may love USB 3 when compared to FireWire, but at least frickin wait til the technology is available.
I'm all for movement forward. But dumping FireWire while we wait for the new technology is just plain idiotic.
A Trabant is still a Trabant even if you push it to 300 mph. If it is releated to the old usb it is still usb.
If someone has physical access to your computer, they could remove the Hard drive or boot from an OS X CD too. If security of the firewire port was that much of a concern, you could protect the computer by encrypting your hard drive or setting a firmware password ( see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352 ). So that argument is flawed.
Any device to which one has physical access has NO meaningful security.
Use FileVault if you're that worried.
i find it weird for apple to stop something they created!
something that has gone so cross platform.
and when they introduced it with the ipod they SUCH a big deal.
i can see maybe no firewire on the macbook to distinguish it from the mbp, but ppl they play with video cams for fun still would use the firewire.
something that has gone so cross platform.
and when they introduced it with the ipod they SUCH a big deal.
i can see maybe no firewire on the macbook to distinguish it from the mbp, but ppl they play with video cams for fun still would use the firewire.
B/c the design of the physical notebook made them have to choose what would work best for ~80% or more people. They choose 2 USB vs 1 USB and 1 FireWire. I don't think apple sees FireWire as dead in the bigger picture, they just don't see it as that important to include on they low end macbooks over USB which makes perfect sense to me.
I agree from our current point of view, this looks like a foolhardy decision, but we know that Steve Jobs is no fool, much less is he idiotic. It's so outrageous a choice to dump FireWire, that I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.... until Xmas at least!
I would agree with you except for Steve's incredibly out of step with regular people.
Regular people have older camcorders with lots of legacy DV tapes, and many regular people cant afford the Macbook Pro.
The regular people who do have the cash for a new HD camcorder, and a new Macbook Pro would like to output their new HD footage to Blu-Ray, or use HDMI, but Steve refuses to give those options.
In my opinion he doesn't understand either set of regular people.