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Steve Jobs on Lack of Firewire in MacBooks
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My MacBook is my main Mac.Some people use their Macbook as their only computer (like me).
I did build a quad core Windows desktop as well.
Some people use their Macbook as their only computer (like me).
Yeah, that's a valid point. I have a feeling in about 10 years the amount of people that have home computer that isn't "mobile" (notebook, tablet, ipod touch, etc) will be far less than it is today.
I wouldn't call it whining. It is a legitimate objection when an interface as big as FireWire is taken out of a Mac that previously had it. Part of the purpose of this thread (and the petition) is to gauge just how much FireWire in a small form-factor means to Apple customers. As for FireWire not having a "real purpose," well I think that many here have expressed why they use FireWire gear. In many cases, it is the superior option. In some cases, it's the only viable option.
As others have said ad nauseam, it's not just video editing. It's video capture, audio work, peripheral use, etc, etc. Some of this stuff has to be done on location with small form-factor devices. Is it unreasonable to want to use Mac OS X in these situations?
So, evidently, the release of the new consumer laptop has made your current laptops break down and thusly destroy all hope of getting a Mac with Firewire. Surprisingly all 3 of the Apple machines I have at the house that currently have firewire continue to function!
Its just sad to see all the whining about the lack of firewire support. The excuses for the professional who needs the support are without merit. Writing off $1500 versus $2000 and the 2" extra form factor and 1lb of weight is obviously the end of the world. The school who is paying 3x the price of a PC for their school lab? Why? Why would you use a laptop in a school? Because its easy to steal? An iMac is a far better value. Period.
Vote with your dollars - just quit calling in the apocalypse if the consumer laptop doesn't have firewire.
Its just sad to see all the whining about the lack of firewire support. The excuses for the professional who needs the support are without merit. Writing off $1500 versus $2000 and the 2" extra form factor and 1lb of weight is obviously the end of the world. The school who is paying 3x the price of a PC for their school lab? Why? Why would you use a laptop in a school? Because its easy to steal? An iMac is a far better value. Period.
Vote with your dollars - just quit calling in the apocalypse if the consumer laptop doesn't have firewire.
But whining about others whining is ok?
Your "solutions" aren't real world solutions. But that's because you doesn't understand the issues or how people use Firewire. And apparently never considered location and/or mobile recording when you made your "I wouldn't be working on video stuff anyway on a notebook" recommendation. And since you said "video" you never considered audio production.
Here in the real world, I use a Firewire audio card with a laptop to make mobile recordings and at remote locations. You know, places where there may not be 120 AC.
That's as mute a point as the people comparing this to the loss of the floppy drive. People complaining about functions that haven't ever existed on the iPhone doesn't really compare to peoples unhappiness that a solid feature throughout the mac line has been dropped, in what looks to be a cynical money grabbing way.
You could argue that with firewire being dropped on these models that they shouldn't include half of iLife, as most iMovie users who haven't purchased a more recent USB camera will still be using firewire cameras.
Garageband now seems pointless, after all the only audio interfaces that you can control through the program are Apogees, which Apple partnered with, firewire only audio interfaces, theses interfaces include a more pro multi channel one, and the more hobbyist one (a lot cheaper, but still quality).
And wasn't one of the beauties about owning any mac the ability to do all this creative stuff without any fuss or hassle, with these new alu macbooks that just isn't the case anymore.
So who is the new macbook aimed at, it's overpriced and under-specced in the I/O department, granted there are some nice features, but not enough to counter the lack of FW for many end users.
No there isn't any room. Take a look at the dissecting photos of the macbook before making up statements such as "there is room for extra ports".
There would be plenty of room if it were not for their stupid "form over function" mentality. If a small netbook has room for more ports, the MB most certainly can have even more room. The shiny new case is an excuse, not a reason.
they would just have to redesign the logicboard which wouldn't be a huge deal anyway. So don't talk unless you know what you're talking about.
What's wrong with form over function, these laptops seem good for the general consumer, whom Apple seem to be targeting these days?
Yes you're right, form over function has always been Apple's mentality, but it seems to be getting worse. At least the previous Macs gave users the ability to actually DO things that Apple has been touting for years. Now they have removed features before there are valid replacements, and many of those things you can no longer do except in certain circumstances.
Some of us were waiting for these notebooks to replace are aging PPC based Macs.
Also, several of us are concerned that the lack of FireWire in the new MB is a hint at a future trend for Apple. When someone has accumulated a large array of FireWire devices over the past few years, its' disconcerting to see the possible death of FireWire when no suitable alternative exists in the market.
What's wrong with form over function, these laptops seem good for the general consumer, whom Apple seem to be targeting these days?
So you're saying Apple should only target its products for content consumers instead of targeting people who create content (along with content consumers)?
You'll probably never understand the issue unless you're been involved in audio or video production. Have you ever been? Other than using an iPod, I mean...
If you listened to Jobs yesterday they said they can't be everything for everyone. Its not like they dropped FireWire, they just dropped it on the specific model that you want. If FireWire is the deciding factor for you there are other options you know. Apple is in it to make money, if dropping FireWire would cause considerable damage to their business they wouldn't drop it.
No just saying they have been dropping FireWire from their products so you should be seeing some pattern now. I doubt if Apple thought the future of FireWire was strong they would drop it.
yes, because dropping fw from a mp3 player is clearly the harbinger of removing fw from a productivity station. but those stupid av guys wouldn't see the sign even if it hit them on the head, so they have noone else to blame but themselves now.
seriously, some of the posters in this thread baffle me. if you, people, don't care about fw (and particularly those of you easily annoyed by whining) what exactly are you doing in this thread again?
Im guessing you missed when they droppied it on the Macbook Air and we have as much right to be on thiscthread as you.
Considering it's also just a perforation in the side of the case as well and not attached to the motherboard...
so first it was an mp3 player, and now it's the macbook air which is a public image product (as in 'look what we can do! cool, eh?'), and as such has little relevance to the discussion in this thread which, low and behold, is entirely about features & productivity in a workhorse model. also, i didn't say you didn't have the right to be here - you may want to read what i said again (hint: i asked about your incentives). generally, there are those people who go into threads because they discuss subjects those people care about. then, there are those who go into threads to wield their e-peen; 'cause it's 'their right too'.
USB 3.0 is eventually going to crowd FireWire out. But as in other actions of this type in the past, Apple is about a year too soon in dumping a viable technology.
iPods are different because it's important to market them for PCs as well as Macs. The FireWire decision has nothing to do with PC compatibility though.
Is the Macbook Air a real computer?
In any case it's designed to be more of a wireless platform.Well put it somewhere else on the case but don't remove it. I use my Macbook at work and if I couldn't lock it I wouldn't buy it.