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Steve Jobs Suggests Blu-ray Not Coming to Mac Anytime Soon

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the waste of space is in your laptop bag

xxBURT0Nxx said:
what's the purpose of having both on a laptop? waste of space to have 2 video outs when display port will support higher resolutions and is compatible with hdmi if you get an adapter. display port is definitely the more universal port, especially now that it doubles as thunderbolt. one port that can carry data, audio, and video.. idk why anyone would prefer hdmi?
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IDK why people think that it's more elegant to carry a laptop bag full of dongles, adapters, hubs, external BD, card readers, ..., than to have a couple more ports on the back and sides of the laptop.

Your "work of art" laptop begins to look like trailer trash once you've plugged in all of the gizmos that you need.

Then there's the "cha-ching" of buying all those dongles, and the pain of forgetting to stuff a needed dongle into the bag.
____________

If Apple would admit that there's no longer any "Pro" in "MacBook Pro", and come out with a true portable professional workstation - they'd fly off the shelves like hotcakes.

Give the "MacBook Workstation":
  • up to Extreme quad Core i7 CPUs
  • up to 32 GiB RAM
  • two full-size 2.5" internal drive slots
  • replaceable battery
  • Quadro and FirePro graphics with up to 2 GiB VRAM
  • WiFi + WiMax
  • 3G modem with GPS
  • Fingerprint reader
  • 8-in-1 card reader
  • ExpressCard 54, PC Card
  • 2 uSB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1394, VGA, DisplayPort, RJ-45, eSATA
  • 2 TBolt ports
  • one-click docking station with ports: serial, parallel, USB, RJ-45, PS/2, VGA, 2 * DVI, 2 * DisplayPort
(BTW, except for TBolt these are the specs of a Dell Precision M6500 laptop)

Note that I'm not suggesting changing the current MacBook Pros - they are fine for people whose professional tools are Word, Excel and Mail. The MacBook Workstation is for the audio/video/photo/design professionals who need serious power while on location.

And forget the big/heavy/short battery life complaints. These systems will seldom be used on battery, and their users will probably check them in the Pelican gear locker with the other equipment - and use an Ipad or MacBook Air for productivity tools.
 
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chevy-jordan said:
to experience full 1080p - blu-ray quality/enjoyment you would need a large monitor, surroundsound thus making the screen sizes of macs larger for some this would be great but for me the current sizes are not to big not to small.
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Uh, no.

First, Apple's high end monitors are actually higher resolution than 1080p (the 30" Cinema Display is 2560x1600, the 27" Cinema Display is 2560x1440, as is the 27" iMac). Secondly, the mid-range displays such as the 21" iMac and 17" Macbook Pro are 1080p.

Secondly, even on screens with smaller than HD resolution, downscaling a 1080p image looks nicer than upscaling a 720x480 DVD image.

Finally, there are those of us who want to hook up a Mac Mini, for example, to our HDTVs, such as Apple suggests in its own advertising.

overview_hero7_20100615.png


MacNewsFix said:
Many instances have shown Apple likes to move two steps ahead of others (ex. dropping the floppy disk) or waits until a market is fully baked (ex. LTE likely in iPhone 6 and not iPhone 5).

Right now, the video landscape is the Wild West. You have DVD sales dropping through the floor. There is slow but steady adoption of Blu-Ray; the same with VOD. At the same time, you have more and more Super HD devices creeping into trade shows. You also have a shifting attitude among consumers away from purchasing and toward "all-you-can-consume/flat rate" plans.
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That's all fine and good, except that as someone who first saw HDTV in a lab in 1990, it will take a decade or more for 4K to find any acceptance. You need media, you need displays, and if they intend to broadcast over the air, that will be a huge ball of red tape. Secondly, if 4K is going to find any acceptance, I am willing to bet that it will be delivered over a derivative of Blu-Ray and not streaming. A new rev on the Blu-Ray technology could yield 100-500gb let alone that hologram technology they were talking about a few years ago, we could be looking at a major boost in storage to go with the major boost in bandwidth required for 4K. Meanwhile on the streaming side bandwidth improves but aside from the delivery infrastructure we have bandwidth caps and net neutrality to deal with.

Steve has said he likes to skate where the puck is going and not where it's been. All fine and good unless you're so early that you're skating there while they're playing a basketball game.
 
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AidenShaw said:
IDK why people think that it's more elegant to carry a laptop bag full of dongles, adapters, hubs, external BD, card readers, ..., than to have a couple more ports on the back and sides of the laptop.

Your "work of art" laptop begins to look like trailer trash once you've plugged in all of the gizmos that you need.

Then there's the "cha-ching" of buying all those dongles, and the pain of forgetting to stuff a needed dongle into the bag.
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I think apple would tend to disagree as their computers are selling like hot cakes now more than they ever have before, mostly for the sleek style, great battery life, high build quality, and low weight... making some huge clunky laptop with every port imaginable that really less than 5% of consumers would use on a regular basis is not "making a laptop that will sell like hotcakes"

I know you will want to say but there are so many people on these forums that would buy a macbook pro like that if apple made it.... news flash this website contains a very very very small percentage of mac users across the world, and an even smaller percentage of members on this site would need or want a 10 lb laptop with every port you could want.

You also complain about a dongle to adapt to hdmi but arent you going to need to bring an hdmi cable with you to ensure you can connect to some tv or projector? The adapter could stay on your hdmi cable at all times... it's just like a 6" extension of the cable with a different port (mDP) on the other side. Also I'm sure people who plug their laptops into a lot of things are used to bringing adapters as they aren't going to know if a specific projector is going to want a dvi, hdmi, vga, maybe even a display port connection.

So buy a Dell Precision Laptop that weighs 10 lbs and has 3 hours of battery life if that's what you are looking for, but that is simply not what apple makes, and they probably never will so complaining will get you nowhere. The pros are also plenty powerful for more than someone who uses word and excel give me a break just because it doesn't have bluray or hdmi you think "pros" suffer from that?

Bluray has never been and probably never will officially be supported by apple, get over it... HDMI is useful for connecting your laptop to a television, i doubt that many "pros" are constantly needing to connect their laptops to a television set when they're out in the field working.

janstett said:
That's all fine and good, except that as someone who first saw HDTV in a lab in 1990, it will take a decade or more for 4K to find any acceptance. You need media, you need displays, and if they intend to broadcast over the air, that will be a huge ball of red tape. Secondly, if 4K is going to find any acceptance, I am willing to bet that it will be delivered over a derivative of Blu-Ray and not streaming. A new rev on the Blu-Ray technology could yield 100-500gb let alone that hologram technology they were talking about a few years ago, we could be looking at a major boost in storage to go with the major boost in bandwidth required for 4K. Meanwhile on the streaming side bandwidth improves but aside from the delivery infrastructure we have bandwidth caps and net neutrality to deal with.

Steve has said he likes to skate where the puck is going and not where it's been. All fine and good unless you're so early that you're skating there while they're playing a basketball game.
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It's not the tech that will take a decade for acceptance... people would buy 4k right now, but the price would be simply too outrageous for your average consumer. People wou.d have bought into hdtvs and flat panels in the early 90's it wouldn't have cost $10k plus for a flat panel tv. It seems that technology might take a while to catch interest but it has more to do with when a technology can become affordable for the average consumer... as soon as that happens people go crazy for it (ipad for example).

Also 4k has been available in Japan for a while now, also youtube has some 4k videos on it, so the tech is already out there and already being streamed, although to a very limited audience because the price of 4k is not yet at a "mainstream" level.
 
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janstett said:
That's all fine and good, except that as someone who first saw HDTV in a lab in 1990, it will take a decade or more for 4K to find any acceptance. You need media, you need displays, and if they intend to broadcast over the air, that will be a huge ball of red tape. Secondly, if 4K is going to find any acceptance, I am willing to bet that it will be delivered over a derivative of Blu-Ray and not streaming. A new rev on the Blu-Ray technology could yield 100-500gb let alone that hologram technology they were talking about a few years ago, we could be looking at a major boost in storage to go with the major boost in bandwidth required for 4K. Meanwhile on the streaming side bandwidth improves but aside from the delivery infrastructure we have bandwidth caps and net neutrality to deal with.
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A major difference is that much of that technology in its infancy back in 1990 (not to mention, as you point out, had no content from TV networks with the switch not occurring until summer 2009) is being incorporated into 4K displays. In other words, they are not having to go back and reinvent the wheel for 4K.

James Cameron just bought a boatload of 4K cameras. In fact, I'd be shocked if more films are being shot in 4K than 3D with many soon to be shot in a combination 4K and 3d (ex. Avatar 2).

You already have numerous audio manufacturers putting out 4K products. Now it is just a matter of getting video manufacturers to get their 4K devices' prices down. Manufacturers will be eager to push prices down on them to get consumers to upgrade from their 720p and 1080p televisions as sales cool. You can already get 4K video solutions from B&H.

But hey, don't take my word for it. See for yourself.

Just a few other examples: LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK.

As one story puts it:
Get ready to recycle your current state-of-the-art 2K home theater and make way for the next wave of images that push the envelopes of perception, resolution, clarity and reality. Oh, and can you tell the difference? Yes, absolutely.

Also, YouTube already has a 4K option, and another company is reportedly working on their own 4K streaming codec.

janstett said:
Steve has said he likes to skate where the puck is going and not where it's been. All fine and good unless you're so early that you're skating there while they're playing a basketball game.
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LOL. I don't agree with you in this instance, but props for that analogy.
 
AidenShaw said:
That's why the docking station on the Dell above has five video output ports ;) !
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Your argument is that, essentially, Windows is superior because has a million manufacturers and thus a million offerings when it comes to option, therefore it must be superior. So, if I want neon ground effects on my PC or laptop, I can get them.

LOL
 
MacNewsFix said:
Your argument is that, essentially, Windows is superior because has a million manufacturers and thus a million offerings when it comes to option, therefore it must be superior.
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No, my argument is that Apple computers could be better if their engineers were allowed to consider "how can we make it more functional and useful" instead of just "how can we make it thinner". The "minimalist" approach is overdone (both in styling and product depth).

The alternative is to think that ACE is getting out of the computer business except as high-priced accessories to download and backup the Itoys.
 
PeterQVenkman said:
Why stop at 1 if you can't hook it up without another PITA dongle? it's just like another port, except you can lose it.
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Don't forget, you can also lose the HDMI cable. You might also lose your power cord, your Blu-Ray disk (unless you are carrying your digital copy - LOL), your laptop bag, your laptop, your hotel reservation, the keys to your car, your plane ticket......

Rather than festoon your laptop, computer, or tablet with numerous ports the vast majority of people will never use, there are typically better options for those few with unique needs.

Example

AidenShaw said:
No, my argument is that Apple computers could be better if their engineers were allowed to consider "how can we make it more functional and useful" instead of just "how can we make it thinner". The "minimalist" approach is overdone (both in styling and product depth).

The alternative is to think that ACE is getting out of the computer business except as high-priced accessories to download and backup the Itoys.
Click to expand...

As someone that has carried a laptop since 1992 until recently (Thank you, iToys!), I find thinner very functional and useful.

Have you ever considered you may have different needs that may just not fit the Apple approach? I know a lot of people that ditched Windows for Linux because they wanted more control over their computer experience, and I don't necessarily fault them for switching to an Apple solution.

I think Apple's continued success, not just with "iToys," but also their computers, proves that there is a decent amount of people out there willing to pay for excellent customer service and a computing experience where the computer just gets out of the way.

This current debate over video out options reminds me of a certain tech pundit who has a daily podcast and complains whenever an Apple device comes out without an HDMI port. However, when she was pressed how often she has used said ports on her devices, she confessed "never." LOL
 
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AidenShaw said:
No, my argument is that Apple computers could be better if their engineers were allowed to consider "how can we make it more functional and useful" instead of just "how can we make it thinner". The "minimalist" approach is overdone (both in styling and product depth).

The alternative is to think that ACE is getting out of the computer business except as high-priced accessories to download and backup the Itoys.
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better for who? you? better is subjective and based on apples sales i don't think that they would agree with you. Function and use to you is apparently as many ports as one could possibly ever need in their life time. I'll quote part of my reply to you earlier...

making some huge clunky laptop with every port imaginable that really less than 5% of consumers would use on a regular basis is not "making a laptop that will sell like hotcakes"

I know you will want to say but there are so many people on these forums that would buy a macbook pro like that if apple made it.... news flash this website contains a very very very small percentage of mac users across the world, and an even smaller percentage of members on this site would need or want a 10 lb laptop with every port you could want.
Click to expand...
 
MacNewsFix said:
I think Apple's continued success, not just with "iToys," but also their computers, proves that there is a decent amount of people out there willing to pay for excellent customer service and a computing experience where the computer just gets out of the way.
Click to expand...

3.76 million agreed last quarter.
 
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xxBURT0Nxx said:
better for who? you? better is subjective and based on apples sales i don't think that they would agree with you. Function and use to you is apparently as many ports as one could possibly ever need in their life time. I'll quote part of my reply to you earlier...
Click to expand...

Did you miss where I said?
Note that I'm not suggesting changing the current MacBook Pros
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There's a big difference between "port-challenged" like most of the current Apple laptops and "every port ever needed" - and you know that. I know people who have to carry an extension cord and powered USB hub around with their Apples - and they look at the 4 USB ports on my Dell with envy.

Anyway, I can't wait for the about-face that some here will make when Apple releases a TBolt docking station/port replicator that's "port-rich". I wonder if it will have USB 3.0 though, or if pig-headedness will prevail.
 
AidenShaw said:
There's a big difference between "port-challenged" like most of the current Apple laptops and "every port ever needed" - and you know that. I know people who have to carry an extension cord and powered USB hub around with their Apples - and they look at the 4 USB ports on my Dell with envy.
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The baristas and other customers at Starbuck's must hate you guys. Seriously, who has the need for a powered USB hub when carrying a laptop? Unless, of course, your real name is Peter Jackson and you are currently somewhere in New Zealand (in which case I hope you are also either carrying a portable generator or a very long extension cord).

AidenShaw said:
Anyway, I can't wait for the about-face that some here will make when Apple releases a TBolt docking station/port replicator that's "port-rich". I wonder if it will have USB 3.0 though, or if pig-headedness will prevail.
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LOL! See post 5729.
 
AidenShaw said:
Did you miss where I said?


There's a big difference between "port-challenged" like most of the current Apple laptops and "every port ever needed" - and you know that. I know people who have to carry an extension cord and powered USB hub around with their Apples - and they look at the 4 USB ports on my Dell with envy.

Anyway, I can't wait for the about-face that some here will make when Apple releases a TBolt docking station/port replicator that's "port-rich". I wonder if it will have USB 3.0 though, or if pig-headedness will prevail.
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I didn't miss that, but it's not a big enough market for apple to care about releasing that computer. Do you not realize you are in the vast minority of users who would need all of these ports? And for the people who do they typically don't mind carrying a usb hub if it's needed.. not like its some huge thing for goodness sakes.

I realize what you want, but apple is never going to make it, and the only type of "dock" apple is likely to release is a cinema display with all of the ports on the back powered through a single cable... Thunderbolt.
 
xxBURT0Nxx said:
...and the only type of "dock" apple is likely to release is a cinema display with all of the ports on the back powered through a single cable... Thunderbolt.
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Most likely you're right - Apple wouldn't sell a $129 port replicator like Dell, they'll bundle it into a monitor and sell it for $1129. (Note that I've said that a "CPU-less" Imac-like docking station with disks and ports would be nice for those who also want to buy an Apple monitor, but a simple port replicator would be nice for the rest.)

I wonder if Apple will try to block 3rd parties from selling simple port replicators, or from selling TBolt disk expansion units with port replication (a two disk or four disk RAID box with a full set of ports would be sweet).
 
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MacNewsFix said:
Don't forget, you can also lose the HDMI cable.
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Ah, but chances are there is an HDMI cable already attached to the TV, right?

You might also lose your power cord, your Blu-Ray disk (unless you are carrying your digital copy - LOL), your laptop bag, your laptop, your hotel reservation, the keys to your car, your plane ticket......
Click to expand...

You so crazy.
 
AidenShaw said:
The baristas hate them for occupying a table for 3 hours and only buying one small coffee. ;)
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You guys must get some fierce looks when walking through the door. As a former barista, I highly recommend you don't drink the coffee or make sure to tip very well. :p

AidenShaw said:
Anyone with a MacBook, two external drives, and a USB mouse or card reader or any other USB device.
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That doesn't require a powered USB hub on any Mac. Also, most Macs now have card readers.

Confess: what do the other Starbuck's customers say when you are hooking up the flatbed scanner, ink jet printer, and external monitors? And don't simply answer "Nothing. We go to Peet's." LOL
 
It's been a couple hundred pages since I posted in here, and figure I would add my 2 cents again. I enjoy Blu-ray and watch it all of the time on my PS3. If I feel the need to watch them on my laptop, I use the digital copies or just rip and encode the DVD that comes with most Blu-ray movies now. I know it is inferior quality, but if I wanted quality I'd watch it on my TV at home.

It would be good to have the option to watch and burn to Blu-ray on my laptop.
 
MacNewsFix said:
That doesn't require a powered USB hub on any Mac.
Click to expand...

Please explain how you can provide two standard-powered USB ports and one low-power port from a current MacBook of any flavor.


MacNewsFix said:
Also, most Macs now have card readers.
Click to expand...

Apples have SDHC or SDXC readers. Compact Flash is still very popular in high end cameras, and you'll probably want a USB reader for those.


MacNewsFix said:
Confess: what do the other Starbuck's customers say when you are hooking up ....
Click to expand...

I wouldn't know - I don't hang around coffee shops with my laptop. And, incidentally, I do get coffee at Peet's, I avoid Starbucks if possible.
 
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