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Thinner 15-Inch MacBook Pro Coming with Retina Display and USB 3.0?
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Unless you're doing a lot of photo or video editing I don't really see the point of the MBP anymore.
I've actually found the USB-ethernet connection is so far inferior than using wifi; I don't bother plugging in with my MBA anymore, I just use wifi at work.
Losing the ethernet and optical drive puts the decision all down to processing capability. Retina display is great, but the resolution on a MBA is almost there anyway IMO.
I've actually found the USB-ethernet connection is so far inferior than using wifi; I don't bother plugging in with my MBA anymore, I just use wifi at work.
Losing the ethernet and optical drive puts the decision all down to processing capability. Retina display is great, but the resolution on a MBA is almost there anyway IMO.
USB Dongle for ethernet would be fine with me -- I really only need ethernet at home to jack into my corporate hardware-based firewall/router/VPN.
Also at home and at work, docking with a 27" Cinema Display over Thunderbolt provides a Thunderbolt pass-thru, Firewire 800, Ethernet and three more USB ports, so that's the route I would go (with my existing FW-based TimeMachine drive hooked into the back of the 27" Cinema Display along with the ethernet to the corporate VPN).
In otherwords, I don't mourn the loss of ethernet or firewire, if that part of the rumor turns out to be fact.
Also at home and at work, docking with a 27" Cinema Display over Thunderbolt provides a Thunderbolt pass-thru, Firewire 800, Ethernet and three more USB ports, so that's the route I would go (with my existing FW-based TimeMachine drive hooked into the back of the 27" Cinema Display along with the ethernet to the corporate VPN).
In otherwords, I don't mourn the loss of ethernet or firewire, if that part of the rumor turns out to be fact.
Exactly, I wondered myself why they didn't/don't go that way.
I've seen tiny RJ11 to RJ45 Adapters so if an internet jack RJ 45 is needed then just plug in that tiny Adapter and still be able to use wired network.
similar to this.↓↓↓
I agree. I prefer the monitors that I have already too, hence why I linked to the Belkin adaptor that will solve our problems.
As well you should. It is a two year old Mac. You shouldn't have to upgrade.
I will be weighing the pro against the air for my next laptop and this thinner form factor for me might literally tip the scales in favor of the pro.
Hold your horsesThis is a rumor after all. I can't see Apple abandoning FireWire quite yet. Not on the Macbook Pro – after all, it's way too important for quite a huge number of pros:
Music, Photography, Video.
I know, there's thunderbolt. But there's not many devices so far which support thunderbolt (for example digital cameras & audio devices).
It is not primarily Thunderbolt that that is killing off Firewire. It is USB 3.0 also.
Name a new camera that hit the market in the last 2-3 years with Firewire 800 on it? In the consumer/prosumer sprectrum I don't think there are any. You may be able to dig up a handful of niche cameras, but the overall trend with cameras as they have largely converted to "file storage" devices ( they have drives and transfer is a file transfer problem) is to dump FW.
In contrast, the new Nikon D800 has USB 3.0. The first of probably many "pro" DSLR to make that move.
Similar trend on the audio products market. New products introduced over last 2-3 years that are not just warmed over update have increasingly used USB.
Blackmagic rolled out USB 3.0 stuff two years ago and several Thunderbolt devices this year at NAB.
There is a large amount of legacy equipment with Firewire 400 and 800 interfaces, but it peaked several years back. There is huge wave of USB 3.0 products coming. If there are more than one USB 3.0 sockets on these new MBP they are more than aligned with those.
There is a smaller wave of Thunderbolt devices coming also. But it combination of the two waves that FW is loosing ground to.
It isn't really a "converter". There will be a devices with a FW controller in it. That controllers PCI_e interface will be hooked to the TB controller. You will still be buying a FW controller; it just isn't bundled.
FW in the personal computer context is a "dead ender" technology. It is stuck at 800 and has been passed up on the track. There is "enough" FW features that Apple approximates with Thunderbolt (e.g., 'Target DIsk Mode' ) that FW will just get passed by. There is no need for TB to exactly duplicate FW.
Folks that need a FW controller will just have to buy it separately if want it on a Mac laptop. It isn't like that isn't already the case for FW800 on Windows laptops. There may be a FW400 socket but there was no widespread deployment of FW800. Folks who wanted it have to jump to a ExpressCard solution. Going with Thunderbolt isn't that different.
Apple isn't going to include an optional connector. Doesn't line-up with their 'Green' packaging moves to reduce the number of things in the box that many aren't going to use.
It would not be surprising if Apple comes out with a combo "FW + 1GB Ethernet" , "FW + 1GB Ethernet + HDMI " or "FW + 1GB + Superdrive" Thunderbolt device. If not some 3rd party will. The problem with having dedicated single use dongles for both Ethernet and FW is that the cost is going to be painfully high for those that need a more than one of these.
In short, I think for the common "missing port combinations" if there is large enough market a "one port" TB dongle is probably going to spring up to keep the costs as low as possible.
That's another motivator for the two TB port set up. One port for either a single TB port, bus powered dongle or a legacy Disport Port device. The other TB is free to handle other pure TB chains without having to worry about device placement in the chain. (or worry as much about placement.).
An Ethernet only dongle would be some like a 10GbE one:
http://www.attotech.com/products/category.php?id=15&catid=16
Which is expensive but definitely addresses the "faster than wireless" network speeds when working in a high speed NAS/SAN.
It's weird to see complaints about the ethernet port. We have known from the beginning that the next case design would be thinner, and everyone with a Pro can already see that the ethernet port is the full thickness of the existing case design. It was DOA.
Because such a contraption has been mentioned about 100 times in this thread. And it exists!
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I can't understand the surprise either. In the MBP sub-forum I've mentioned it a couple of times that if the thinner rumours are true, then Ethernet will have to go. Look at the side of your current MBP and tell me if it's possible to make it thinner without losing the Ethernet port.
Belkin has been talking about their dock for at least a year, but as far as I know it isn't shipping yet. It is rather limited in the variety of connectors it offers too.
All in all, this seems to become an update with mixed feelings...
+ Thinner
+ Lighter
+ More Power
+ Better (Retina?) display
No Ethernet
No Superdrive
No real power button. This is annoying.
Connector on both sides. Cables hanging out from both sides and other things sticking out? Cable clutter! One of the things I dislike about my Air, just like the point before.
+ Thinner
+ Lighter
+ More Power
+ Better (Retina?) display
No Ethernet
No Superdrive
No real power button. This is annoying.
Connector on both sides. Cables hanging out from both sides and other things sticking out? Cable clutter! One of the things I dislike about my Air, just like the point before.
I always buy the 17" model that has three USB ports and I only ever use two at once (iPhone + Display Adapter for Mini-Display Port to Dual-Link DVI)
I wouldn't mind losing one USB port to use an Ethernet adapter as a result. Or a Thunderbolt connector even whichever they decide to use for the adapter when the time comes.
2 TB ports is what I need the MOST. Many TB devices don't allow daisy chaining. A little bummed about FW800 being removed, because that creates new problems, but I'll figure things out.
What?
So you're going to be using all 3 USB ports, both Thunderbolt ports, the MagSafe port, the SD card slot and more at the same time?
Oh yeah - we're all Pro Users.
Do you want a sticker that says Macbook Pro??
Seriously..the title MacBook Pro is nothing but a title. Get over it. A computer running an ivy bridge processor is certainly up to "pro"standard. Perhaps Apple can include a sticker saying pro on it to make you goofs satisfied. As for firewire...as far as no Firewire..you need to really understand what Thunderbolt is. Firewire will work just fine with an adapter cable...and Firewire 800 on a laptop..seriously?
Seriously..the title MacBook Pro is nothing but a title. Get over it. A computer running an ivy bridge processor is certainly up to "pro"standard. Perhaps Apple can include a sticker saying pro on it to make you goofs satisfied. As for firewire...as far as no Firewire..you need to really understand what Thunderbolt is. Firewire will work just fine with an adapter cable...and Firewire 800 on a laptop..seriously?
USB 3.0: nice addition, but Firewire is a MUST HAVE requirement for a device carrying 'Pro' in its name.
A 1Gb Ethernet Port is also necessary to have, unless it is going to be replaced by a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.
Consider that many people use their MBPs for video editing on-the-go, so they need the convenience, speed and reliability of Firewire. And Gb Ethernet is also needed to efficiently join a rendering farm.
Optical drive is needed, but not all the time, so an external SuperDrive should do the trick. Now most people carry USB Flash Drives, so a SuperDrive would be needed to specifically clone or create a DVD.
A 1Gb Ethernet Port is also necessary to have, unless it is going to be replaced by a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.
Consider that many people use their MBPs for video editing on-the-go, so they need the convenience, speed and reliability of Firewire. And Gb Ethernet is also needed to efficiently join a rendering farm.
Optical drive is needed, but not all the time, so an external SuperDrive should do the trick. Now most people carry USB Flash Drives, so a SuperDrive would be needed to specifically clone or create a DVD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o92BIYCbAQc
Sorry. Made me think of that and no, it's nothing pornographic.
Firewire, Ethernet and some other junk. That's all we need, surely? There are economies of scale to think about for a company before simply releasing a product. They knew that TB chip prices would be going down once Apple exclusivity deal was finished and they knew that PC manufacturers would be including TB. More customers = more win for Belkin. Besides, the thing was unveiled at CES at the beginning of this year and they mentioned they were planning to start shipping in August / September 2012. I don't think they plucked those dates out of thin air.
What does this mean? Lots of us making plenty of $$$ off our Macs and wouldn't really miss the Ethernet jack. Plus there is the dongle if it is needed.