If there was a better alternative for FireWire, there would be a lot less of us protesting. When floppy drives disappeared, there were better alternativesnot the case in this instance. Apple is not dragging us forward, they are kicking many of us down the damn stairs.
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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks
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If there was a better alternative for FireWire, there would be a lot less of us protesting. When floppy drives disappeared, there were better alternativesnot the case in this instance. Apple is not dragging us forward, they are kicking many of us down the damn stairs.
I doubt all the switchers would buy a laptop and be ignorant of the port sandwiched in between the USB and ethernet ports. They know what it is and not doubt reacted like my fellow student photographer friend did.
My other Macbook using friend knows what it is but couldn't justify spending more on an external hard drive just for faster speeds. To him USB 2 is good enough, for me, I bought my external drive because I wanted to use to firewire port for its abilities but also to stop hammering the 2 already busy USB ports I have.
My next machine will be the 17" MBP and I'll buy the last matte revision if I have too because it also has 3 USB ports and 2 firewire with the HD screen.
On the argument that Apple saved money by leaving firewire out, how come they raised the prices of the MB's in the UK (not sure on other countries but feel free to tell me if they have or haven't)?
Sometimes Apple is just plain weird/dumb.
My other Macbook using friend knows what it is but couldn't justify spending more on an external hard drive just for faster speeds. To him USB 2 is good enough, for me, I bought my external drive because I wanted to use to firewire port for its abilities but also to stop hammering the 2 already busy USB ports I have.
My next machine will be the 17" MBP and I'll buy the last matte revision if I have too because it also has 3 USB ports and 2 firewire with the HD screen.
On the argument that Apple saved money by leaving firewire out, how come they raised the prices of the MB's in the UK (not sure on other countries but feel free to tell me if they have or haven't)?
Sometimes Apple is just plain weird/dumb.
There is one. It works only in Windows XP and its slower than FW (due to limitations of USB). Its $100.
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In any case, the damage is limited to inconvenience, since the new MacBooks aren't incompatible with Firewire. If it's a serious enough inconvenience that it changes what some of us decide to purchase, that's fine. As consumers, we each shop based on our own priorities.
I think the question is WHEN, not IF, a given technology should be dropped in favor of whatever is coming next. USB, 802.11, DVI, and all of other interfaces we use will no doubt be supplanted by new generations of standards. I don't see the elimination of builtin Firewire ports as a step backward, but I am concerned that it could be a premature step forward.
In any case, the damage is limited to inconvenience, since the new MacBooks aren't incompatible with Firewire. If it's a serious enough inconvenience that it changes what some of us decide to purchase, that's fine. As consumers, we each shop based on our own priorities.
non-existent.
Sort of. There have been suggestions of one from some no-name place. It only works with Windows but that is besides the point. Even if it did work, there would still be the USB speed bottleneck and data rate inconsistencies, thus rendering it useless for most FireWire devices.
I like many others here am sickened by this move.
I've signed the petition, sent feedback, posted on Apples forum, even sent Steve Jobs 3 email, 2 which got responses, the first of which was word for word the same response that this thread is about
I urge all other people who are upset to do likewise. But I think we should also email our disappointment at the peripheral manufacturers, and if they get enough complaints maybe they can lend a shoulder by telling Apple the situation.
I'm thinking of manufacturers from an audio perspective, cause that's what I do, I can think of quite a few that use firewire heavily (or solely) such as.
Digidesign
M-Audio
Presonus
MOTU
RME
Mackie
Lexicon
Focusrite
TC electronics
SSL
and others like Lacie and so on.
Also maybe send an email to bloggers and tech reporters, I've emailed Walt Mossberg and this was his response.
That reply really makes me think that he too, like many on this thread are just Apple apologists who can see no wrong.
Now for a company that has given me so many amazing pieces of design, hardware and software, all that I have worked hard to pay for, I can and will not take this blunder lying down.
I've signed the petition, sent feedback, posted on Apples forum, even sent Steve Jobs 3 email, 2 which got responses, the first of which was word for word the same response that this thread is about
I urge all other people who are upset to do likewise. But I think we should also email our disappointment at the peripheral manufacturers, and if they get enough complaints maybe they can lend a shoulder by telling Apple the situation.
I'm thinking of manufacturers from an audio perspective, cause that's what I do, I can think of quite a few that use firewire heavily (or solely) such as.
Digidesign
M-Audio
Presonus
MOTU
RME
Mackie
Lexicon
Focusrite
TC electronics
SSL
and others like Lacie and so on.
Also maybe send an email to bloggers and tech reporters, I've emailed Walt Mossberg and this was his response.
That reply really makes me think that he too, like many on this thread are just Apple apologists who can see no wrong.
Now for a company that has given me so many amazing pieces of design, hardware and software, all that I have worked hard to pay for, I can and will not take this blunder lying down.
quarx- Thanks! Very professionally executed. Very elegant and well rounded. Including all uses of FW and not just the DV crowd.
Much more useful then writing "Apple I hate you I want FW. You sucK!"
If Apple would hook me up with the SSL Matrix that uses Ethernet for audio and USB2 for machine control I might stop complaining . It's only what, $24,000.
Much more useful then writing "Apple I hate you I want FW. You sucK!"
If Apple would hook me up with the SSL Matrix that uses Ethernet for audio and USB2 for machine control I might stop complaining . It's only what, $24,000.
USB, 802.11x, and DVI are still backward compatible with the technologies that they supplanted though. Not to mention that their successors are as well.
If we had a backward compatible successor then then we wouldn't be so concerned. While it is annoying to only have a single FireWire 800 port on the MacBook Pro it is still backward compatible.
That is the problem, isn't it. They dropped it BEFORE the new technology was available (and before many of the peripherals have made the move over). It would have been better to stick with FW until either USB3.0 or FW3200 was available but instead they stepped backward.
Its slightly more than inconvenience to those who have lots of FW equipment, Mac only software and a limited budget.
Me too
but with my budget I was thinking more about the much more affordable Duende mini (I Love mine)
You've got ethernet though. That's as fast as you get. Depends on how you're copying your files or indeed what you're copying them on to.
Me too
Yeah, if I have to pay any of it I would not be able to get it. I am still undecided between the Duende or the Universal Audio UAD2. The Duende would allow me to take my work on the road provided I don't get a new macbook. However with the UAD2 I can have the Techtronix limiting amp and the Neve EQs
Yeah, if I have to pay any of it I would not be able to get it. I am still undecided between the Duende or the Universal Audio UAD2. The Duende would allow me to take my work on the road provided I don't get a new macbook. However with the UAD2 I can have the Techtronix limiting amp and the Neve EQs
Well I've not heard that many good things about the UAD2 as yet, apart from it's a beast compared to the old models, but it's new, so give it six months and they'll have most of the problems ironed out. Personally I'd go for URS native plugins and a Powercore X8, that's if I had the money spare
Unfortunately most tech reporters (even Mossberg) won't have any in-depth knowledge about creating audio or digital content. Anyone that actually creates audio/video content would understand. But others probably won't.
Writing or e-mailing music and/or video content creation specific magazines, blogs, etc. is probably the best route.
Hmm I guess, but it was worth a shot, I'm still disappointed at Walts reply, as I think that firewire has alot to offer the general consumer, and it could if Apple continued to push it.
But maybe some irate emails to Sound on Sound and future music, and other such magazines wouldn't go amiss.
Wow! He seems out of touch. Since you already have an exchange with him, could you politely email him back and ask if its not "average" users, then just who Apple has been targeting with iMovie for the last 8+ years?! (It was firewire exclusively for movie imports until very recently.)
His perspective on average users not using firewire means they haven't been using iMovie, which says that iLife / iMovies has been nothing more than a marketing farce to get people buying machines that they won't really use.
Well I've not heard that many good things about the UAD2 as yet, apart from it's a beast compared to the old models, but it's new, so give it six months and they'll have most of the problems ironed out. Personally I'd go for URS native plugins and a Powercore X8, that's if I had the money spare
I would totally love the Powercore. I don't like though that for some of the plug ins you only get one instance per license. I think that is kind of weak.
Well my response to him hasn't received an answer yet, I think my first email was bordering on a rant, but he was kind enough to answer, my second email was a little calmer, but it still pointed out valid reasons (at least personally) as to why firewire is needed, even on the low end portables. I may as well post the response I gave here
Well thank you for the reply, even though I guess our opinions differ somewhat.
I can see the logic in not needing firewire for new consumers who have nothing invested in firewire peripherals. Although those that have, and many will, from older (or newer in some cases) Camcorders and Hard drives, will berate the loss of, arguably for some tasks, a far superior interface than USB 2.0. And I think that loosing target disk mode is a mistake, although not often used it can be a valuable feature to have, even for the non tech savvy.
Now my opinion will definitely be biased, especially seeing as I recently purchased a new audio interface that is firewire (USB audio interfaces just don't cut the mustard), and besides the lack of firewire I can see that the updates have some very nice features.
Of note, and I know that this is purely anecdotal evidence, I have a friend who teaches at one of England's most popular music colleges (BIMM), and in discussion with him he's told me that he can't recommend the new macbooks to his students and the MBP is out of reach of most college go-ers, and this is from some one who teaches the students Pro-tools and Logic Pro.
So I guess at least for any audio use, pro, hobby or educational the choice is either the plastic macbook, or a refurbed macbook pro as I don't see the point in paying more for something that has less expandability than the previous model.
Thanks again for responding. And apologies for the original rant
I would totally love the Powercore. I don't like though that for some of the plug ins you only get one instance per license. I think that is kind of weak.
Really one per license? I thought that the only plug in that suffered that fate was the Virus plugin, which I've heard isn't up to par, at least comparing it to the hardware Virus, plus instruments on DSP platforms aren't going to work too well in real time due to the added latency. But then IIRC the Virus was one licence per DSP, which still sucks
Yes. Worth trying, and great work on your part to do so. Production-centric online forums are probably another route to explore...