I'm not sure why. I guess Apple wants a standard display connecter across their product line, which includes the MacBook Air.
But if you're connecting to a DVI monitor, you'll need an adaptor either way.
Wow, that must be bad.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
With Apple's New Laptop Lineup, is it Leaving Behind the Pro?
- Thread starter termina3
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
But if you're connecting to a DVI monitor, you'll need an adaptor either way.
It's the same issue that happened when Apple dropped the ADC connection that everyone loved. Some will understand it and many won't. Every time Apple chooses a non standard route and claims that it's for the better when there was nothing wrong with the STANDARD an angel looses it's wings and dies.
If we are going to engineer a pro laptop with the Air's features in mind we might as well adopt 1.8" PATA drives instead of the industry standard IMHO. At least that will get me two HDDs in my 17" Nehalem MBP.
And Troyhark, you know Apple will be patenting the USB electric shaver soon right?
I wonder how many of the changes are influenced by the new production technique and the need to reduce the number of holes or simplify/shrink the holes themselves in the chassis?
They were noting in the presentation how much better the new process is, given the way Apple is they aren't likely to say "this new process is the best thing since sliced bread but we can't give you as many ports and we needed to shrink some ports to make it all work"
Maybe at the second revision more ports will be possible as they would have refined the process?
It's probably more of a marketing decision than an engineering one. They carefully calculate what they can get away with and what they need to ensure sales.
Yeah, but they mis-calculated this time, i think they better check the math on the newest laptops
Yeah, but they mis-calculated this time, i think they better check the math on the newest laptops
I feel the same way every other hour. The rest of the time I find myself entertaining the idea of actually buying one of these glossy monstrosities. It's a sickness. Dag nabbit, Apple!!! We used to be such good friends!
I've got mine on order!And Troyhark, you know Apple will be patenting the USB electric shaver soon right?
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/02/usb_electric_sh.html
Not good enough for the finishing work, but certainly better than the alternative until you can get back to your S-IPS display. A matte notebook display may not be perfect, but it is better. That's the point.
Come on down to the Apple Store located in the upscale Waterside Shops in the City of Naples, Florida, where (in 2000) the median income for a family was $117,040. Guess who you will see walking out of the store with these new laptops. It's not the twenty to thirty somethings with jobs in the creative fields. What you'll see is a scene of American consumerism at it's best, and Apple has tapped into the pulse of it - I don't need it, but I want it, so I'll buy it, even if I can't afford it.
Very true, and a lot of the professionals that can afford them are getting the H-IPS panels that are found in the LaCie, NEC, and Eizo models. Not too many Dells and HPs simply because it's a Russian Roulette as to what panel you will get.
The LED backlit displays (talking about the new Cinema Display, not the MBP LCD) are supposed to have a broader gamut. That's not a glossy versus matte thing though.
I prefer matte screens, but I think the whole matte versus glossy argument swings far into hyperbole way too quickly. It gets as bad as the worst of the Canon or Nikon fanboy arguments. But that's as much as I'm going to venture into that subject.
FWIW the MiniDisplay port is apparently royalty-free, which is a plus; and my electrical engineer friends do seem to think it's the "display connector of the future". I do like the connection options on the new Cinema Display - it's now basically a docking station.
I was hoping to see eSATA on a laptop as well...
Anyway, it's all vicarious enjoyment on my part since I'm not on the market anyway.
I prefer matte screens, but I think the whole matte versus glossy argument swings far into hyperbole way too quickly. It gets as bad as the worst of the Canon or Nikon fanboy arguments. But that's as much as I'm going to venture into that subject.
FWIW the MiniDisplay port is apparently royalty-free, which is a plus; and my electrical engineer friends do seem to think it's the "display connector of the future". I do like the connection options on the new Cinema Display - it's now basically a docking station.
I was hoping to see eSATA on a laptop as well...
Anyway, it's all vicarious enjoyment on my part since I'm not on the market anyway.
The LED backlit displays (talking about the new Cinema Display, not the MBP LCD) are supposed to have a broader gamut. That's not a glossy versus matte thing though.
I prefer matte screens, but I think the whole matte versus glossy argument swings far into hyperbole way too quickly. It gets as bad as the worst of the Canon or Nikon fanboy arguments. But that's as much as I'm going to venture into that subject.
I agree with many comments you make in this post. It is silly arguments like this, and the constant Canon / Nikon debates that make me feel almost ashamed to be one of the many semi-professional photographer members of this forum. I rarely post in, or read this section of the forum, but stumbled upon this thread while looking for discussions on Lightroom / Aperture.
I really don't have any qualitative input in this thread, and expect to be thoroughly thrashed for my conflicting opinion. But that is a part of life here on the Digital Photography forum on Macrumors.
Judging by the responses and comments in this thread, I dare not consider myself a professional photographer, so I won't. Regardless of that fact, I still really like my new 15" MBP. I was (and still am not) overly thrilled that I am limited to only buying a glossy screen equipped system, but when I poked around the net, and thought about it, it really isn't that big of a deal to me. At this point the reflection (to me) is no worse than the Macbook it replaced overall.
While many will jump on that comment stating that I am the "perfect customer" because I moved up from a Macbook, I want to add that I have also owned a Powerbook before that, and an iBook for a period before the Powerbook. Two of which had matte screen finishes, and all of which (including the "glossy" MacBook) produced images good enough for me to gain credibility as a credentialed photographer.
I will admit reflections did get annoying at times (talking in context of my old Macbook since my MBPs only hours old to me), but it is something I have actually gotten used to. Quite honestly, after attending some local classes, and reading some literature on the subject, I never considered the Macbook, or even the recently replaced MBP, to be exceptionally accurate when it came to color representation (this issue was touched on by SimD). The old panels were great, but they pale (IMO) in comparison to high end LCD or CRT screens that I had the opportunity to play with in the past.
If you need a mobile powerhouse that runs OS X naively, I highly suggest looking at these systems. I am amazed how well the GPU handles some of the tasks I am throwing at it. I can also honestly say that I have never owned or operated a more structurally sound laptop. The solid feeling of this device reminds me of my long gone, but much missed Powermac G5. I don't miss the plastic gasket that framed in the old Powerbook (and MacBook Pro) aluminum, and I am no longer worried about chassis flex if I ever need to pick this thing up with one hand.
Just my $0.02
Fancy laptops may not sell great for a while.
You're right, an increasing portion of Apple's sales are driven by its cachet as a brand, and an emphasis on form over function can be seen as Apple's effort to capitalize on being "hot" right now.
But with the current economic situation, being a luxury brand may not be a great strategy for the next year or two. Household spending has been flat most of this year, and I can't imagine people will rush to make major purchases until the financial crisis sorts itself out. At least.
You're right, an increasing portion of Apple's sales are driven by its cachet as a brand, and an emphasis on form over function can be seen as Apple's effort to capitalize on being "hot" right now.
But with the current economic situation, being a luxury brand may not be a great strategy for the next year or two. Household spending has been flat most of this year, and I can't imagine people will rush to make major purchases until the financial crisis sorts itself out. At least.
Of course that's what any prudent, financially pinched person would do, but Americans have a bad habit of spending beyond their means when it comes to shiny new toys. They might put off buying that new refrigerator or memory foam mattress or whatever, but still have a knee-jerk reaction to whip out the credit card for an overpriced, glitzy computer; at least with the computer they can try to rationalize the purchase as something that could increase their productivity and make them more money.
I think the Mac Pro is/will become the only Pro Mac. It's a sad thing. I hoped that the aluminum redesign of the MacBook would put it front and center (like the iMac), while the MacBook Pro would become basically a power notebook for the Mac Pro audience. But no. It was hinted at before this redesign, but it's very apparent now. The MacBook Pro is basically a glorified MacBook.
Wait I thought the MacBook Pro was supposed to be thin and light, but with a certain amount of power!*
* According to some people on these forums
What a lot of people fail to realize is that 5.5lbs isn't so light. In that regard, the MBP is completely average these days. That leaves us with thin, since the power is no greater than the competition, either.
Since the switch to Intel, when was the power in a MacBook or MacBook Pro greater than the competition?
Weight savings would be nice, however even this pro is much lighter than all of the camera equipment I carry with in my bag. The slight weight difference between this laptop, and my old MacBook is hardly noticeable. I actually like the lack of "thickness" as my previous setup made it feel like my MB was being pressed into my back. It is still somewhat true today, however this laptop doesn't flex, so I don't worry about cracking my LCD nearly as much as my previous system.
![image.php]()
Weight savings would be nice, however even this pro is much lighter than all of the camera equipment I carry with in my bag. The slight weight difference between this laptop, and my old MacBook is hardly noticeable. I actually like the lack of "thickness" as my previous setup made it feel like my MB was being pressed into my back. It is still somewhat true today, however this laptop doesn't flex, so I don't worry about cracking my LCD nearly as much as my previous system.
In my opinion, yes - Apple is leaving Pros behind.
I'm fortunate enough to have a Mac Pro with two 23 ACDs to do my work on.
But I bought a Macbook Pro about a month ago so that when I was on shoots hundreds of miles from my office, I could download images and get some edits going. I was surprised at how powerful this machine was, and in a pinch, I could run my entire business from it, processing and all.
With these new MBP's, they came so close to making a really great machine. The thing seems to be a beast. But that was all for naught once they slapped a glossy only screen to it. I won't buy a machine with a glossy display.
They have the consumer line - the iPhone, iMac, and Macbook, which I think all really work. But to tie the MBP into that space too, I don't understand.
I'm fortunate enough to have a Mac Pro with two 23 ACDs to do my work on.
But I bought a Macbook Pro about a month ago so that when I was on shoots hundreds of miles from my office, I could download images and get some edits going. I was surprised at how powerful this machine was, and in a pinch, I could run my entire business from it, processing and all.
With these new MBP's, they came so close to making a really great machine. The thing seems to be a beast. But that was all for naught once they slapped a glossy only screen to it. I won't buy a machine with a glossy display.
They have the consumer line - the iPhone, iMac, and Macbook, which I think all really work. But to tie the MBP into that space too, I don't understand.
Having used a lot of different laptops of this type (15" screens), I've got to disagree. My MacBook Pro feels significantly lighter than most others I've carried around. Not all, but most.
Unfortunately my boss prefers Windows laptops, so that's what I usually end up using when we're demoing something.
You also have to realize that some others - particularly Dell - sometimes cheat when reporting the weight of their mid-range laptops. They'll report the weight sans CD/DVD drive (the fine print will mention an insert of some sort).
But new, lighter PC laptops are coming out all the time. How many of the laptops you've used are the latest and greatest that the PC world has to offer? I'm not interested in the state of affairs six months ago. I'm talking about right now.
That's not the case with this HP, which is exactly 5.5lbs with everything in it (including an eSata port and HDMI).
Well, we seem to buy a new laptop for our department 2 or 3 times a year - so frankly I'd say I am seeing generally the "latest and greatest" (although I don't *think* we've got the one you've linked to). We seem to have a predilection for HP and Toshiba laptops BTW. I wish we'd buy more Sony's - I dislike the company, but they know how to make sleek PC hardware.
Have you held the laptop you linked to, or are you just looking at specs?
No, I haven't held the HP dv5t, and I can't even believe I'm studying its specs. I've been a Mac user since 1986 and had never seriously looked at PC offerings until now. However, it's sobering to think that I could have a laptop that outperforms, weighs the same as, and costs about $800 less than a new MBP; and it would have an eSata port as icing on the cake. (It would also have more USB ports, HDMI, a fingerprint reader, and a media card reader...the list goes on.) ::::sigh::::
Alas, what the heck do I know about PC laptops? Zilch. I've never owned one and rarely ever have to use one. And since I'm heavily invested in Apple software and have about 25,000 photos organized in Aperture, I'm stuck with Apple. What's more, I'm now stuck with an 8-month-old MBP that has a doomed NVidia GPU. So I'm back "in the market", since I feel I should unload it before it goes south on me. And I'm really irritated that I have so few options with Apple; I'm stuck having to buy what is essentially a really nice toy.