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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks

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Eidorian said:
If we had a backward compatible successor then then we wouldn't be so concerned.
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I want a new petition, to demand that Apple's glossy displays also support "matte mode" for compatibility with previous users. Just set a software preference and those on-screen reflections disappear! :)
 
After some thinking I was wondering if Apple ever planned on fixing/updating Logic. The current version is not usable because crucial features are buggy and it will eventually destroy all the work you've done on a project. Oh and it loves to choke during recordings (no effects on) that are longer than a few minutes. I ended up recording a live session with Quicktime Pro... in stereo :)

Garageband is a toy, but perfectly fine for what it is and it works well with small USB interfaces if you just need 2 audio channels and latency is not that important.

So I was wondering, is there any good DAW for OSX right now?
I really like Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit), but there's no Mac version.
 
Crazy how firewire has simply been a staple of Mac notebooks for so long. Now it's just a pro feature. It doesn't make sense... 1984 pulled tactics like this where they would forget all they previously said and marched forward with a conflicting slogan.

I have a portable firewire hard drive. I bought it when I had a Powerbook that did not have powered USB ports. So... if I want to use this portable, 100 gig hard drive on a new Macbook, I can't because that would be utilizing a pro feature? Suddenly pro? Whatever.
 
MrCrowbar said:
... Garageband is a toy, but perfectly fine for what it is and it works well with small USB interfaces if you just need 2 audio channels and latency is not that important. ...
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True. USB will work w/something like Garageband, 2 channels, etc.

FireWire is just so much more efficient than USB, which in-general, means the likelyhood of glitches happening is lower. And as anyone in audio knows just one tiny little POP can ruin an otherwise perfect take.
 
Looks like we don't need a petition. I was taking a look at the macbooks in the apple store in the regent street and there was bunch of folks talking about the firewire issue on the macbooks. Basically there was a switcher who had a firewire camera and the wanted to get a macbook to use imovie. He wanted to start doing a lot of home movies. I thought the apple store's employees or should i saw corporate zombies were just trying to talk to him up to a pro. He left unimpressed.

What don't you understand Apple, we just want an entry level decent portable that has the connectivity we need. You take away firewire, the fastest way to send data over a cable apart for ethernet. As for Walt Mossberg, I just lost all respect for you.

macpanda.
 
myca said:
...

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.
...
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And here's some more
(if anyone is keeping score)

Allen and Heath
Alesis
Behringer
Echo
Edirol
Focusrite
Korg
Phonic
Tascam
TC Electronic
Yamaha
 
Doctor Q said:
I want a new petition, to demand that Apple's glossy displays also support "matte mode" for compatibility with previous users. Just set a software preference and those on-screen reflections disappear! :)
Click to expand...

Now *that* would be a Pro feature!

They probably already have a prototype in the labs (along with FireWire 3200, a usable Finder, and all the other useful projects that will never see the light of day...) :p
 
It's sad, but simple (from Steve Jobs perspective).

The Macbook performance is too close to the Macbook Pro performance so they need another way to differentiate the products. Removing firewire is one way to do it. Look at the response its caused.

Apple's mistake? Not introducing a 13" Macbook Pro. Look for one coming sometime in the next 12 months... (my guess)



localoid said:
Anyone tried to get some of the blogs to write something about the petition? Ideally, blogs geared towards content creation, who understand the problem?

Audio related blogs surely would understand the issue...
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claykin said:
It's sad, but simple (from Steve Jobs perspective).

The Macbook performance is too close to the Macbook Pro performance so they need another way to differentiate the products. Removing firewire is one way to do it. Look at the response its caused.

Apple's mistake? Not introducing a 13" Macbook Pro. Look for one coming sometime in the next 12 months... (my guess)
Click to expand...

Unlikely. That would take too many sales away from the 15" MBPs too. Plus they probably couldn't fit all the ports the MBPs have into a 13" model, so they'd most likely still leave FireWire out.
 
claykin said:
...
Apple's mistake? Not introducing a 13" Macbook Pro. Look for one coming sometime in the next 12 months... (my guess)
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If it really had the "pro" features I needed I'd probably bite... After hearing how its track record for 3-months of use in the real world had been, that is.

Apple's record on its choice of Firewire chipsets is yet another problem in the world of audio production however. They really need to clean that mess up before I'd consider buying another Mac laptop. Until they do (go back to using the TI chips) I'll hang on my black Macbook, which can still handle its main task of remote recording very well.
 
Not sure if this has been suggested yet or not, as I've not read all of the posts, but wouldn't it be possible to eliminate one of the USB ports in favor of a firewire, since the logic board real estate is at a premium.

After all, the MBA only has 1 USB port and I don't hear anyone saying they won't buy one because it only has 1.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe Apple made a mistake in omitting firewire. I use firewire on a daily basis and find it invaluable. It's fast, it's easy and the benefits far outweigh USB only ports.

Being able to daisy chain drives, or start up external OS drives and use target disk mode are just some of firewire's many uses. This does not even take into account the many "Pro" uses for firewire hardware.

I did purchase one of the new MB's and love it, but was cautious in my decision to do so for many reasons. This is a secondary Mac for me so was able to "figure" out how this would work and integrate in my lifestyle. Your reasons and decisions may be different. I still would have like to see firewire in the Macbook down the road.

My fear is that Apple will remove firewire altogether at some point, which would not be good at all. My hope is that Apple is planning to replace firewire's functionality with something even better :D
 
FrankieTDouglas said:
Then wouldn't they, as a result, realize that people like the compact size and offer more of it? That would only make sense.
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Frankly, I don't think they care what we want. The want to charge a premium price for their notebooks. As nice as the MB is, it's not priced as an entry level notebook. And a 13" MBP would probably only add firewire and perhaps discrete graphics. But it wouldn't have an expresscard. So would it really be a part of the so-called 'pro" lineup. And where would they price it? There's reallly no room in their lineup, pricewise, for a 13" MBP. It's a nice thought, but I would be shocked to see it happen.
 
so why have Firewire in the plastic Mac Book

The really cynical move was leaving the Firewire in the Plastic MacBook - knowing they needed it to sell the orphan model !!

Get'em while they're still available...
 
myca said:
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.
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And how long has it taken us to get Firewire back into the consumer grade external drives (My Book etc.)? Makes me wonder if they'll drop it for good now. Thanks Apple !
 
adapter

I went to the apple store saturday night to buy my macbook. I asked the guy that was helping me how I was going to transfer my files from my old macbook without firewire. He told me that they had a meeting the night before about the macbook firewire issue and that apple is coming out with a firewire to ethernet adapter. He didn't say when they would get it. This was not the manager and he could have been totally confused (after all he had to have help and redo my ticket 3 times). But it would make sense, so maybe he knew what he was talking about with this anyway.
Has anyone else heard anything similar?

BTW- firewire or no firewire this is my favorite mac laptop so far! It reminds me of my old 12' powerbook, but better!
 
colecole said:
I went to the apple store saturday night to buy my macbook. I asked the guy that was helping me how I was going to transfer my files from my old macbook without firewire. He told me that they had a meeting the night before about the macbook firewire issue and that apple is coming out with a firewire to ethernet adapter. He didn't say when they would get it. This was not the manager and he could have been totally confused (after all he had to have help and redo my ticket 3 times). But it would make sense, so maybe he knew what he was talking about with this anyway.
Has anyone else heard anything similar?
Click to expand...

In order for this to work, OS X would have to support the 1394c protocol, which it currently does not (and I'm not sure that any computer does). It's possible Apple may provide this at some point, but I wouldn't expect it before Snow Leopard at the earliest.

But you can migrate your files over ethernet, if that's the concern.
 
A path to redemption?

colecole said:
I went to the apple store saturday night to buy my macbook. I asked the guy that was helping me how I was going to transfer my files from my old macbook without firewire. He told me that they had a meeting the night before about the macbook firewire issue and that apple is coming out with a firewire to ethernet adapter. He didn't say when they would get it. This was not the manager and he could have been totally confused (after all he had to have help and redo my ticket 3 times). But it would make sense, so maybe he knew what he was talking about with this anyway.
Has anyone else heard anything similar?

BTW- firewire or no firewire this is my favorite mac laptop so far! It reminds me of my old 12' powerbook, but better!
Click to expand...

If true, and they're going to come out with an Ethernet to Firewire solution, then Apple may be starting to get the message. They totally underestimated the negative publicity this has brought them. Perusing the forums, everybody is talking about the lack of Firewire instead of the new features of their current lineup. That is not good and not the publicity they want.

I really hope this is true, and that Apple will develop 1394c for inclusion in a future version of Mac OS/X. They HAVE to announce this at the upcoming MacWorld to redeem themselves quickly.
 
Let's try it with Apple Talk:

Cannot iBuy new Macbook without Firewire.
Because iMovie a lot with Final Cut Pro and cannot iLink Macbook to my new HDV camcorder.
Cannot iRescue Mac with target disk either.
Cannot iWatch screen without Ray Ban.

Please Mr. Jobs, Think Different!
Yes, u Can!
 
localoid said:
Anyone tried to get some of the blogs to write something about the petition? Ideally, blogs geared towards content creation, who understand the problem?

Audio related blogs surely would understand the issue...
Click to expand...
To be honest, I am not familiar with the blogger scene. Which concrete blogs are you talking about, actually?
 
Did pre-production MacBook have a FW port?

I took the liberty of Photoshopping an ifixit (www.ifixit.com) macbook logic board photo. It looks to me there WAS a FireWire port on (at least some) pre-production models. Check the photo's at http://gallery.me.com/adamyoung#100032.

Conclusion (as many have said before): upselling...

(and no, I'm not going to sell my current BlackBook for a USD 1999,- machine just because I NEED the FireWire connectivity).
 
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