Also a
-extra USB
-Matte screen.
But i think the worst problem is not the lack of features but the recurrent problems with the latest models (specially with the 8600m gt card).
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Where is Apple ultimately going with their laptop line?
- Thread starter waywardsage
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Also a
-extra USB
-Matte screen.
But i think the worst problem is not the lack of features but the recurrent problems with the latest models (specially with the 8600m gt card).
I've got a belkin sd card reader permanently in my express slot, so that's about as close to a "built-in card reader" as it can get.
Blue-ray, I'm not so concerned about, because I'm not a fan of optical storage. I've got a decent connection with unlimited bandwidth, so 1080p MKVs stored on a ubuntu home server are fine for now.
Don't really care about hdmi, I've got a Popcorn Hour A-110 streaming those MKVs to my TV over the network. Every projector in the world has VGA port, so I just use my VGA adapter for presentations.
I am a bit jealous of cheap esata supporting PCs though... I would gladly use that fancy fw800 port Steve Jobs wants me to use, but I can't find any cheap fw800 hard drive enclosures. So I use Gigabit LAN for big file transfers at present...
Hopefully Apple will adopt usb3.0 when that comes around.
Blue-ray, I'm not so concerned about, because I'm not a fan of optical storage. I've got a decent connection with unlimited bandwidth, so 1080p MKVs stored on a ubuntu home server are fine for now.
Don't really care about hdmi, I've got a Popcorn Hour A-110 streaming those MKVs to my TV over the network. Every projector in the world has VGA port, so I just use my VGA adapter for presentations.
I am a bit jealous of cheap esata supporting PCs though... I would gladly use that fancy fw800 port Steve Jobs wants me to use, but I can't find any cheap fw800 hard drive enclosures. So I use Gigabit LAN for big file transfers at present...
Hopefully Apple will adopt usb3.0 when that comes around.
waywardsage > "This is such a wired time in the computer world. We have hard drive manufacturers releasing external drives that have eSATA ports that few people will use. And we have Apple selling computers with a port selection from 2003".
Asked and answered several times - the Expresscard/34 slot allows esata speed with external drives.
Professionals who make real money with their Macs won't spend a lot of time bashing the lack of a dedicated esata port - it is too easy and inexpensive to resolve.
Asked and answered several times - the Expresscard/34 slot allows esata speed with external drives.
Professionals who make real money with their Macs won't spend a lot of time bashing the lack of a dedicated esata port - it is too easy and inexpensive to resolve.
Also - the Expresscard/34 slot is highly versatile - one port allowing many interfaces:
esata
firewire
usb
etc.
This is part of how Apple keeps the line sleek, thin, lightweight, etc. Many people disagree with that design philosophy - but it is what it is.
When I purchased my last car I knew I was losing some of the utility that my SUV had - but getting other things in return.
You gotta make your choice and get on with using it.
esata
firewire
usb
etc.
This is part of how Apple keeps the line sleek, thin, lightweight, etc. Many people disagree with that design philosophy - but it is what it is.
When I purchased my last car I knew I was losing some of the utility that my SUV had - but getting other things in return.
You gotta make your choice and get on with using it.
RKpro - +1 on your comments.
I believe that Apple will be fully supporting usb 3.0
An earlier post questioned why "they" (Apple?) designed the higher speed Firewire specs if "they" (Apple?) were not going to support it. I'm not sure Apple developed those higher specs. My belief is that Firewire is on its way out - especially with usb 3.0 specs.
Forgot to mention - on the "professional" front - one can connect their HD - sdi out HD camcorder via an Expresscard/34 sdi card - talk about versatility.
I believe that Apple will be fully supporting usb 3.0
An earlier post questioned why "they" (Apple?) designed the higher speed Firewire specs if "they" (Apple?) were not going to support it. I'm not sure Apple developed those higher specs. My belief is that Firewire is on its way out - especially with usb 3.0 specs.
Forgot to mention - on the "professional" front - one can connect their HD - sdi out HD camcorder via an Expresscard/34 sdi card - talk about versatility.
Get bothbut seriously, if you can afford it you can get a cheap pc laptop and have a nice expensive mac and a cheap pc or in my case a cheap mac and an expensive pc
Sorry if the wording on that is not the best
Or a couple of mid-level Mac & PC laptops for specific uses, however, that really is annoying when I travel. It would be nice if I could buy a 16" MBP with all the features mentioned above and a 1080p display so I only needed to have one laptop.
Cheers,
They might update the ports on their lineup and features.
Didn't PowerBooks have FW800 and the earliest MBP had only FW400? I know the Early 2008 model I have now has 400 and 800.
Didn't PowerBooks have FW800 and the earliest MBP had only FW400? I know the Early 2008 model I have now has 400 and 800.
The first 15" MacBook Pro only had FW400. They added FW800 when they updated to Core 2 Duo processors.
Oh good lord people. I do a lot of programming, some graphics work, web development, etc. I have never, EVER felt my computer was underpowered (Macbook Pro, Pre-Unibody), and I am perfectly satisfied with the ports I have.
Do I want bluray? No thank you, I will leave that to my TV Entertainment Area. Do i want ESATA? No, I will never use that. Do I want a card reader? No, they are ugly and I can get a expansion card if I so desire. I paid $1800 for the laptop I wanted, simple as that. I don't give a rats ass if you paid $3000 and am bummed that you didn't get all these expansion things. If you can afford to drop $3000 on a 17" MBP, just buy that cheap Windows system you were going on and on about and use it for those few features the Mac is lacking in your book.
That is a perfect example of saying one thing with your mouth and saying another thing with your wallet. You complain because the Mac you have is lacking some expansion ports, but you spent $3,000 for your system. Where is the logic behind that? Clearly if it was THAT big of a deal to you, you would have forgone the purchase and got a more suited system. Or maybe a budget Windows PC with ZOMG BLURAY!!!! and all that other crap you want so bad, then just spend the other half of your money on a white Macbook if you really want OS X.
You knew what you were getting into, don't start complaining now.
If the computer doesn't have what you need... DON'T BUY IT. Nobody is forcing you to purchase something. Were they?
Do I want bluray? No thank you, I will leave that to my TV Entertainment Area. Do i want ESATA? No, I will never use that. Do I want a card reader? No, they are ugly and I can get a expansion card if I so desire. I paid $1800 for the laptop I wanted, simple as that. I don't give a rats ass if you paid $3000 and am bummed that you didn't get all these expansion things. If you can afford to drop $3000 on a 17" MBP, just buy that cheap Windows system you were going on and on about and use it for those few features the Mac is lacking in your book.
That is a perfect example of saying one thing with your mouth and saying another thing with your wallet. You complain because the Mac you have is lacking some expansion ports, but you spent $3,000 for your system. Where is the logic behind that? Clearly if it was THAT big of a deal to you, you would have forgone the purchase and got a more suited system. Or maybe a budget Windows PC with ZOMG BLURAY!!!! and all that other crap you want so bad, then just spend the other half of your money on a white Macbook if you really want OS X.
You knew what you were getting into, don't start complaining now.
If the computer doesn't have what you need... DON'T BUY IT. Nobody is forcing you to purchase something. Were they?
There's nothing wrong with raising legitimate points, geez not everyone is a mac fanboy and not everyone is a mac hater. some people just think outside of what apple feeds them, myself included.
You don't have to defend a product as if it were your own child.
You don't have to defend a product as if it were your own child.
There is a difference between bringing up points, and complaining because you spent $3000 to get something that a $800 Best Buy PC would have been better for. I'm all for people suggesting the addition of things, as long as they don't sit and complain about the piles of money they spent and act annoyed because they didn't get the features.
I wouldn't buy an XBOX then complain because it can't play PS3 games. I might say it would be cool if Microsoft added the ability, but I wouldn't start complaining about the 'lack of functionality' of my purchase. See the difference?
I do actually, you have a valid point.
Complaining about a purchase you've already made is dumb when you knew in advance it lacked certain things you were looking for.
But just arguing that they should be incorporated as time goes on and as there are more upgrades to the lineup is a valid point too.
I guess we're arguing the same thing essentially, I just misinterpreted where you were going with things.
Complaining about a purchase you've already made is dumb when you knew in advance it lacked certain things you were looking for.
But just arguing that they should be incorporated as time goes on and as there are more upgrades to the lineup is a valid point too.
I guess we're arguing the same thing essentially, I just misinterpreted where you were going with things.
I agree with most of the things you said although I didn't quote them but I don't at all agree with this paragraph. Okay, first you need a reality check. The average customer (which is more than 90% of the world) knows nothing about Blu-Ray disc drives being built in laptop computers, let alone computers at all. Many people don't even know what Blu-Ray is, heck some people haven't even upgraded to a DVD player to accompany their aging TV.
When the average customer goes to buy a computer (especially a laptop) they are looking for portability, decent speed and decent battery life, those are what customer's WANT.
They don't give a rats ass about Blu-Ray disc, HDMI ports, eSata ports or what GPU ships with the notebook they are looking at. The only people that care about any of this crap are US, the geeks that post on MR or Notebook Review or any other computer forum and I can assure you WE hardly make up 1% of the computer community.
I'm not backing up Apple or making excuses however I do feel that Apple is giving what most customer's want and although Macs are expensive the price includes good service and good build quality because you hardly get that with the other companies that are offering all of those features that are not on a Mac.
Amen. If my mom or sister were going laptop shopping, they could care less about HDMI, Blu-Ray eSATA, or a card reader. Even throwing those words at them would make them think they were paying extra for things they didn't need and chances are they would look at a different system.
This has been talked about many times before. Bluray is a dead end. I don't want or need one. I can download perfectly fine HD content from many sources. If I skip this media altogether I don't think I'll be missing anything except a few extras here and there.
As for memory cards, this is SOOOO silly. Use the expresscard slot. There are a million formats and no one uses the same one. The most prevalent is SD, but that spec changes every 2-3 years, so your SDHC reader today won't read the SDXC tomorrow. Just pay the extra 15-25 bucks, mkay?
As for memory cards, this is SOOOO silly. Use the expresscard slot. There are a million formats and no one uses the same one. The most prevalent is SD, but that spec changes every 2-3 years, so your SDHC reader today won't read the SDXC tomorrow. Just pay the extra 15-25 bucks, mkay?
So in one thread you'd like blu ray in your mini, but in another you completely bash blu ray?
So because these issues do not matter to you, the rest of us who would like more functionality (which Apple is more than capable of providing) should just accept whatever we are offered or buy a PC. Very short-sighted.
Cheers,
Many of us have done exactly this, however, there is nothing wrong with trying to help Apple understand that additional options would satisfy the needs of many of their customers. Having previously owned a PB and 2 MBPs, I downgraded my latest Mac to a 09 MB. I prefer OS X for all my work but cannot live without the Blu-ray and gaming capabilities of a Windows laptop. So instead of giving Apple $2000 for a MBP that could/should have all the features I want, I gave them $1000 for the MB and Sony got the other $1000.
However, even the most narrow-minded Apple fanatic can understand that this is not an ideal solution for either the customer or Apple. There is nothing wrong with expanding the product line a bit. Apple profit margins are massive and we all know Apple customers are willing to pay more for OS X. I'm sure the few dollars it would cost to add card readers, eSata amd Blu-ray could be passed on to customers on the low-end and incorporated on the high-end.
You can make arguments all day about the what a computer is designed for and whether other products might better handle a particular task. Such arguments are not relevant to the customers who desire OS X + newer tech features. Offering bootcamp makes such arguments moot.
Apple is capable of offering more choices in their laptop and desktop (mini-MacPro) products. It's about time they do.
Cheers,
Steve's bag of hurt is not the cost of the drive
He is referring to the software licensing system for blu-ray and the cost of developing that critical path (from media to screen) required for blu-ray playback. Not to mention the cost to license HDMI.
It is unclear if displayport supports the handshaking necessary for blu-ray playback.
I have a blu-ray drive external and will test it later under windows.
He is referring to the software licensing system for blu-ray and the cost of developing that critical path (from media to screen) required for blu-ray playback. Not to mention the cost to license HDMI.
It is unclear if displayport supports the handshaking necessary for blu-ray playback.
I have a blu-ray drive external and will test it later under windows.
Hdmi
But time moves on and so does technology.
And Apple needs to re-evaluate their decisions once new technology comes along.
The HDMI standard has been updated to version 1.4 which supports up to 4K x 2K resolution - more than any Apple monitor will support in a long time.
There are also a lot of different cable sizes available, some as small as miniDisplayPort.
And no one can tell me that in a $2,000 laptop the licensing cost of HDMI can be any factor of relevance.
Apple, it is time to ditch DisplayPort!
HDMI 1.4 is good enough. And a much wider standard.
That's all good and I'm sure it was true with HDMI 1.0.
But time moves on and so does technology.
And Apple needs to re-evaluate their decisions once new technology comes along.
The HDMI standard has been updated to version 1.4 which supports up to 4K x 2K resolution - more than any Apple monitor will support in a long time.
There are also a lot of different cable sizes available, some as small as miniDisplayPort.
And no one can tell me that in a $2,000 laptop the licensing cost of HDMI can be any factor of relevance.
Apple, it is time to ditch DisplayPort!
HDMI 1.4 is good enough. And a much wider standard.
Not minding it in my home theater in case someone brings a disc over one over one day or the wife wins the netflicks argument is one thing. Needing it in all my computers is another. There's nothing I want I can't get by downloading. That's a fact. And I prefer that format to a disc that is locked with DRM, has a screwy menu system and bizarre navigation system based on VCR style button controls.
Yes, if you read my statement or several other peoples statements this has been said before. But your all using the same argument and not understanding my original point:
The MACBOOK is for those people. The MACBOOK PRO is for...not those people. If you call something pro, most pro users expect to have pro options.
Seriously, i addressed this earlier. Your using the "nobody even knows what that stuff is" argument. But i'm not saying put it in the CONSUMER MARKETED MACBOOK. I'm saying, offer it in their Pro line of laptops.
I'm not denying i can go out and find A-Z express card adaptors. In fact, i have several. I'm just saying, as a mac fan, and as a professional I'd like it if apple included more options in the future and not less options as time goes by.
Thanks for being polite.
With that being said. Your using it for "a lot of programming, some graphics work, web development.." and not needing eSATA or Blu ray is no justification against those who DO need it.
Many of us Macbook Pro users are professional video content producers. So, high bandwidth eSATA would be very helpful in storage, editing and file transfers. Blu ray would be awesome for archiving HD footage. In fact, i just had a conversation with my camera dealer on how to archive my P2 footage and he suggested a Blu ray burner. A massive external blu ray burner. I would just like the option to have an internal drive. They exist. Apple is just holding back the technology.
And, as someone earlier pointed out. Once we've invested our money into an editing system it is very expensive to change to a different option. I'm a final cut pro editor. If they offered it for Windows i might have had a choice. Since they dont. I DON'T have a choice but to use OSX.
And the "if you don't like it, shut up and don't buy it" is such a trite argument. Its just simply ignoring the discussion at hand.
Please remember my original topic for this thread was: Where is Apple ultimately going with their laptop line? Not F@#K apple for not including Blu ray and eSATA!!!