Thanksgiving Roundup: Apple Buys Land, New MacBooks in April, App Store Sales, Black Friday Prices

[KnightWRX]

Like a scientist working at a radio telescope or the LHC who wants to send 300 TB of data to other scientists to do data mining. They don't e-mail, they burn tens of thousands of DVDs and physically mail them.

And you're not a Pro either. Otherwise you'd know they don't e-mail 300 TB of data either. They don't even send it anywhere, it just sits there in their storage array and gets accessed through the SAN by the different machines that require access to the datasets.

You do understand that e-mailing 300 TB would be a nightmare right ?

Look, Pro users are users that use their computers for their professions (hence the Pro in Profession). Mine happens to require me to use Terminal.app almost exclusively and I can get away with the MBA for it. Pro in the computer name has nothing to do with the use of the computer, end of story.

 

[Erasmus]

And you're not a Pro either. Otherwise you'd know they don't e-mail 300 TB of data either. They don't even send it anywhere, it just sits there in their storage array and gets accessed through the SAN by the different machines that require access to the datasets.

You do understand that e-mailing 300 TB would be a nightmare right ?

Look, Pro users are users that use their computers for their professions (hence the Pro in Profession). Mine happens to require me to use Terminal.app almost exclusively and I can get away with the MBA for it. Pro in the computer name has nothing to do with the use of the computer, end of story.

You might want to read what I wrote again. I said they MAIL it on DVD. Not e-mail it.

And no, I'm not a pro. I'm a Uni student. And I have been told by scientists running radio telescopes in Canberra that they mail DVDs.

I'm in the boat of needing to do professional work on a MBP (as I will be a professional when I graduate, and start my PhD), as I'm a poor Uni student. That makes me the kind of person Apple does not cater for. Although I do not have use for burning DVDs, and instead need a more powerful CPU and GPU on which to write CUDA/OpenCL code for.

EDIT: In summary, if you're using an MBP for professional work, you can't complain if it doesn't have all the features you need. The "Pro" in MBP is just marketing spin. It's still just a notebook for consumers.

 

[Burger Thing]

I use mine MBP as a portable FCP machine. I would love to have a SSD for the OSX as a main disk and a second internal HD with at least 1 TB as storage for raw video files. In fact I upgraded my current MBP to 1TB and was thinking of replacing the DVD drive with a SSD already.

 

[alfonsog]

I'm still amazed that the iBook has lasted this long!

My mom is using my old iBook G3 600 for email and internet... buying her a new iMac or mac mini this weekend though.

 

[gkarris]

this just in...

Apple find new landfill site for unsold Xserves!

Where?

Near where they buried all the extra Atari 2600 E.T. carts?

 

[URFloorMatt]

april?

arent the macbook and macbooks pros due for an update pretty much now according to the buyers guide?

4-5 more months

I've said this before and few (or nobody) listened, but it's obvious that Apple is interested in extending the life of their products, and the replacement cycle on the MBPs is now roughly a full year instead of 8-10 months. iPhone, iPod, and likely iPad are all on an annual refresh schedule For MBP, the Buyer's Guide is an average of all releases since 2002, but the average from 2002 to 2006 is much, much smaller than the average from 2006 to 2010 because the nature of Apple's business has changed significantly since then.

Look at it this way: Q1: iPad. Q2: Notebooks, iPhone. Q3: Desktops, iPods. I would expect this to be the norm going forward every year.

New MBPs in Q2 2011, and once again it won't be a major revision (mostly because there won't be anything major worth revising until lightpeak is ready).

If Apple does end up pulling the disc drive in 2011, then I will be thanking God I bought a 2010 model.

 

[exigentsky]

This is great! I hate carrying around the optical drive when I use it only once a year. An external drive is a much more elegant solution to the rare times when it's needed.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm gonna go out there and say it (even though I'm gonna get massively flamed) because it's what I believe.

Very few of all you "Pro" users are really "Pro" users. Just because you use FCP doesn't make you a Pro.

It's true that REAL pro's don't use the internet, they burn DVDs. Like a scientist working at a radio telescope or the LHC who wants to send 300 TB of data to other scientists to do data mining. They don't e-mail, they burn tens of thousands of DVDs and physically mail them. But seriously, they aren't going to use a MBP to burn them.

I hate to break it to you, but the MacBook Pro is not made for true Professionals. That's the Mac Pro. The MBP is for consumers to use as their only computer, or semi-pro's to use as their second computer, or maybe true professionals to use as their home computer for generally non-pro things. THAT is why the MBP could very easily lose its internal optical drive early next year, because Apple knows that the vast majority of their customers may WANT an internal ODD, but don't NEED it. And Apple are generally very good at ignoring what people WANT, and giving them what they NEED.

Although of course that doesn't always work for everyone, and there are always a few random professionals for whatever reason need to use an MBP, or need things that others do not. Like I need to play Crysis on Very High at 1080p on my MBP. But Apple does not cater to these people.

Fine. I am someone who, in addition to using a MacBook Pro as their personal computer, uses it for their personal and professional work, which happens to be of the video variety. I don't want to have to own either an iMac or a Mac Pro just to burn DVDs solely so that ol' Steve-o can further his obsession with thinness. Keep the damn MacBook Pro where it is and no one will complain that it's too thick. And clearly, if enough people care about the loss of a DVD drive, and if that and its thinness are both the staples of the MacBook Air, I don't predict it happening on the Pro anytime soon, one, and two, I don't predict Apple pissing off their Pro user base. They, as of 2009, started giving me an SD card, which I won't use, but in case I do, it's there. I'm sure photographers who use a MacBook Pro on the field feel the same way about the FireWire 800 Port and optical drive. Sure, they don't need it, but if they do, it's there because someone will. The same won't apply to the white MacBook customers, hence why there is no FireWire 800 port or SD card slot there now; its audience doesn't care. That simply isn't the case with the MacBook Pro.

 

[Yebubbleman]

This is great! I hate carrying around the optical drive when I use it only once a year. An external drive is a much more elegant solution to the rare times when it's needed.

Troll.

 

[Erasmus]

I don't want to have to own either an iMac or a Mac Pro just to burn DVDs solely so that ol' Steve-o can further his obsession with thinness. Keep the damn MacBook Pro where it is and no one will complain that it's too thick.

Right. Clearly a Mac Pro or iMac wouldn't have any other benefits, such as faster encode and filter application speeds.

And considering the MBP is SUPPOSED to be portable, if you bought one instead of an iMac, intending for it to sit on a desk and never be moved...
A fool and his/her money are soon parted.

And clearly, if enough people care about the loss of a DVD drive, and if that and its thinness are both the staples of the MacBook Air, I don't predict it happening on the Pro anytime soon.

Most people DON't care about the loss of the DVD drive:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1039994/
This also ignores the fact that MR members are generally far more tech savvy than most MBP users, who just want something to surf the net, write some documents and powerpoint presentations, play the odd light game, etc, which an MBP is overkill for.

I don't predict Apple pissing off their Pro user base. They, as of 2009, started giving me an SD card, which I won't use, but in case I do, it's there. I'm sure photographers who use a MacBook Pro on the field feel the same way about the FireWire 800 Port and optical drive. Sure, they don't need it, but if they do, it's there because someone will.

So where did the PC card slot go? And before it disappeared, why did Apple move to the 34mm slot, instead of the full size one, requiring so many people to go out and buy new PC cards?

The same won't apply to the white MacBook customers, hence why there is no FireWire 800 port or SD card slot there now; its audience doesn't care. That simply isn't the case with the MacBook Pro.

SD card slot is a consumer port.

Troll.

No... Perfectly sensible statement...

I think maybe, just maybe, you might be the troll. Or maybe it's me. But it's not 'exigentsky'.

 

[Laird Knox]

Eh, how could you not? Ever actually used a 4G device? My EVO is faster than my home DSL using wireless tether.

As a matter of fact I do and I love it. However, 3G is capable of so much more than what you currently see. Some carriers are offering upwards of 14Mbps and it can go substatially higher. Heck, even on my AT&T account I'm getting over 3Mpbs service.

3G and 4G both have a lot of potential they aren't reailizing. Right now there are a lot of places you can't use 4G. I'm lucky that I'm in one you can. 3G isn't a bad technology - it is just the carrier's implementation of it.

 

[Perdification]

Would the buyer's guide still be accurate in saying "Don't buy" for the MBP then? It seems like we should still be buying them until Feb next year or something before the don't buy sign comes up.

 

[coochiekuta]

a person doesnt NEED arms to live however having them makes life more pleasant i promise you.

taking away the disc drive does not add function. if you all just want the ability to decide if you want one installed or not is another matter. other manufacturers offer this option.

some of us like our "arms", although we can live without them, we would rather not.

 

[iJoeB]

It makes sense, because they would celebrate the one-year anniversary of the announcing of the iPad with a new iPad. I read the article, and the guy mentioned that the entry price of the new MacBook Pro would be around 1799$ and 1999$, that would be ridiculous!!! It would leave a lot of people wondering, "Why would you take a MacBook Pro, turn it into a beefier MacBook Air, and up the price 400$ or 500$"?

 

[skiltrip]

I realize that Apple could very well decide the optical drive is no longer needed. They make lot of decisions for us and we just roll with it. The elimination of that opens up a host of possibilities for other hardware upgrades inside the MBP. It also guarantees a whole lot of extra revenue from the sale of external hard drives. I know I'd be picking one up if and when I get a MBP with no optical drive.

I use my optical drive pretty often. For installing audio software, and for running off mixes onto audio CDs. Until I start seeing software companies including a memory stick with all the necessary install files on it in their boxes instead of DVDs, I'm not going to be a fan of lugging around another piece of hardware in my laptop bag (the ext. opt. drive). So far, I haven't seen a single software company opt for a USB stick installer, so I don't want to see the optical drive eliminated yet.

I can say that if the new MBPs DO have optical drives in them, I may very well be upgrading my 2010 13" for an upgraded 13" or possibly the 15". If there are no optical drives on-board it may very well be a deal breaker. If that's the case, I'll probably look to get my hands on a new 2010 15" model.

 

[Erasmus]

a person doesnt NEED arms to live however having them makes life more pleasant i promise you.

taking away the disc drive does not add function. if you all just want the ability to decide if you want one installed or not is another matter. other manufacturers offer this option.

some of us like our "arms", although we can live without them, we would rather not.

Fantastic comparison. Perfectly reflects the similarity between an optical disk drive and human appendages.

Might I suggest that if we are comparing ODD's to human appendages, it might be better to do so with a paraplegic's legs. They are sometimes useful, if for example one wants to look good in a suit, or be pulled along in a wheelchair by some other person like a rickshaw.

But they take oxygen, energy and blood to maintain, add extra weight making mobility more difficult, and cost money buying irrelevant shoes and socks. Surely it would just be better to get rid of them?

Some people like having their "legs", even though they are a detriment almost always. Others would rather have them amputated.

Apologies to any paraplegics who take offence to this simile.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Right. Clearly a Mac Pro or iMac wouldn't have any other benefits, such as faster encode and filter application speeds.

And considering the MBP is SUPPOSED to be portable, if you bought one instead of an iMac, intending for it to sit on a desk and never be moved...
A fool and his/her money are soon parted.



Most people DON't care about the loss of the DVD drive:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1039994/
This also ignores the fact that MR members are generally far more tech savvy than most MBP users, who just want something to surf the net, write some documents and powerpoint presentations, play the odd light game, etc, which an MBP is overkill for.



So where did the PC card slot go? And before it disappeared, why did Apple move to the 34mm slot, instead of the full size one, requiring so many people to go out and buy new PC cards?



SD card slot is a consumer port.



No... Perfectly sensible statement...

I think maybe, just maybe, you might be the troll. Or maybe it's me. But it's not 'exigentsky'.

Not a troll. Also, I'm as big of an iMac fanboy as they come, it just doesn't make sense for me to use one when I tend to need to do what I do in multiple places. Plus I'm waiting for Blu-Ray before I next buy one (and I understand that'll be quite a while). I don't mean to say that the iMac and Mac Pro are only useful for disc burning; I just don't want to be required to own one for that purpose. I'll grant you your point on the PC card slot and the ExpressCard slot, though I can safely say that less MacBook Pro customers will miss the ExpressCard slot than will miss the optical drive if removed in the next Rev. Though the only reason that killing the optical drive on the MacBook Pro line is at all necessary to make the damn thing thinner and really, do we need that? Again, that's what the MacBook Air is for. Sure, an SD card slot appeals to consumers, though that argument loses weight when it arrives on the MacBook Pro line (and is advertised as a Pro feature at the keynote where it is introduced) not the MacBook line. As for the tech savy-ness of most Mac fans, I get the feeling that if Apple is taking away the optical drive on the MacBook Pro, there'd better be a damn good reason for it and I don't see one while there's even a small group of people with a need for it.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Fantastic comparison. Perfectly reflects the similarity between an optical disk drive and human appendages.

Might I suggest that if we are comparing ODD's to human appendages, it might be better to do so with a paraplegic's legs. They are sometimes useful, if for example one wants to look good in a suit, or be pulled along in a wheelchair by some other person like a rickshaw.

But they take oxygen, energy and blood to maintain, add extra weight making mobility more difficult, and cost money buying irrelevant shoes and socks. Surely it would just be better to get rid of them?

Some people like having their "legs", even though they are a detriment almost always. Others would rather have them amputated.

Apologies to any paraplegics who take offence to this simile.

That is an absurd argument that is in no way applicable in any logical or rational fashion. Otherwise I love it.

 

[paulisme]

I still buy CDs on a regular basis and rip them using my MacBook Pro. I won't be buying a laptop without an optical drive in the foreseeable future. As much as I like Apple products, they may lose me on this one if they don't give me the option of a built-in optical drive.

 

[skeep5]

please bless solid state drives for macbook pros!

 

[Erasmus]

That is an absurd argument that is in no way applicable in any logical or rational fashion.

I agree. But it's more logical than a comparison to a person's arms, which is all it needed to be, and all it was intended to be.

Though the only reason that killing the optical drive on the MacBook Pro line is at all necessary to make the damn thing thinner and really, do we need that? Again, that's what the MacBook Air is for.

The reason Apple should remove the Optical Drive and/or Hard Disk has nothing to do with weight or thinness, and everything to do with the huge amount of extra space this would free up. This would hopefully be used to provide a better cooling system and extra battery to support a quad-core CPU and better graphics card. Which is why there is no comparison between an ODD-less MBP and the MBA. They would still be miles apart in specs.

 

[kingtj]

re: optical drive removal

I don't know about that? I think the truth is, flash drives have become cheap enough that it's no big deal for a vendor to switch to selling retail software products on a 4 or 8GB USB stick instead of on CD/DVD. If Apple starts offering multiple models of machines with no optical drive included, I imagine most of the software vendors would switch over pretty quickly to accommodate.

A switch like this is easier for Apple to do than a Windows PC maker, since the Windows software market is so much more vast.

And surely, there's nothing stopping you from putting an external USB optical drive on your Macbook Pro if you want/need to....

There is absolutely no way they are taking the optical drive out of the MacBook Pro so soon. Personally, I would love to get rid of optical media for good - but it's not yet going to happen.

Maybe as an option, though. Might be convenient to use the space for an additional battery.

 

[tigress666]

"MacBook Pro will follow the MacBook Airs move to Solid State Storage and removal of an optical drive." ???

Then the 13'' MBP will be discontinued!

Then I'm glad I didn't wait a year to see if the macbook would get an upgraded processor. I'll take this one with a backlit keyboard, a CD/DVD drive, ability to put in my own Solid State Drive if I need it (basically you aren't stuck with the non SSD drive with the MBP), and two USB ports and a firewire port (or basically three ports total), over a macbook air.

I like the MBA, but it's not for my purposes (which is to replace my desktop but also to be portable). And honestly I really don't see why I'd pay more for the 13" MBA over the MBP which may be slightly bulkier but not enough to make up for what you lose (and certainly not enough to make up for the price difference). I can see the advantages of the 11" and why some one might pick that over the 13" MBP but the 13" MBA really isn't that much more portable than the 13" MBP. I like it but I still think it's not a good deal and I see it doing just as well as the previous MBA because it really doesn't offer anything over the MBP (and pretty much competes with it) except portability and it really isn't that much smaller to make up for not just loss of features, but price. The 11" though I can see doing well.

 

[tigress666]

Most people DON't care about the loss of the DVD drive:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1039994/
This also ignores the fact that MR members are generally far more tech savvy than most MBP users, who just want something to surf the net, write some documents and powerpoint presentations, play the odd light game, etc, which an MBP is overkill for.

You know, I mostly use my computer to surf the net, listen to music, write some documents, play games and I still want my DVD drive. I load my CD's that way and when I travel it becomes a DVD player for me (so no, I don't want to have to rely on an external drive, in fact the travelling aspect is what I use the DVD drive the most for!!!).

 

[athens]

Loss of optical Drive debate

I have not read to many comments on here because the few I did see are ridiculous at best. Any one with common sense will ignore this idea of Apple dropping optical drives from the Macbook Pro line. The "Pro" in the name signifies something more. More capability, more power, more expensive. At the very least they might drop the optical drive from the Macbook line which has already lost the firewire port too. In this line it makes sense. In the Pro line it does not. The DVD drive is not just for loading software and watching movies. Professionals also create DVD's with software that Apple sells for DVD authoring. I highly doubt they will remove the optical drive in the Macbook line but it would not surprise me as a method to force even more people to buy the most expensive Pro line to keep a optical drive built into the laptop.

Thats my 2 cents.