Apple MacBook

[Sputnik]

Yes but that's not what it is designed for... thats my point. Everyone is bitching about the fact the macbook doesn't have firewire; people for whom the Macbook is designed for do not use firewire, so Apple Got rid of it. simple.

rubbish and you know it.

I'm not planning to replace my camcorder, countless hard drives, canopus etc.
Target mode is just the coolest feature

Job's reality distortion field working at full tilt.
Like the air and no optical drive.

 

[koffiejunkie]

Job's reality distortion field working at full tilt.
Like the air and no optical drive.

No, it's not like the Air. Removing the Optical drive was necessary to get it that thin. And they still pride an optional external drive. There were also not the first to do this - my Compaq n410c does not have an optical drive either, for the same reason.

 

[Sputnik]

that's fine with the air.

I just find that the macbook is crippled without firewire 400.
I can live with express card slots and what have you but the six pin firewire is soooo much better than usb.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I just find that the macbook is crippled without firewire 400.
I can live with express card slots and what have you but the six pin firewire is soooo much better than usb.

I think all macs should have at least one FW port. They can lose one USB port if space or cost is an issue.

 

[VertigoZA]

OH MY SOUL... are you people even reading what I'm posting! TELL ME, which TYPICAL (note again I say T.Y.P.I.C.A.L) end user will ever use firewire??? If you are posting in this forum then you are not a typical end user... If firewire were such an essential piece of hardware then why don't all computers come standard with it... why, cause it's not needed for HOME USERS... its a nice to have, not a NEED to have. *and one more time, before you start screaming, stop and think about, put yourself in a typical end users shoes... see, no need for firewire

Besides, Apple could have kept the firewire if they wanted to? you know how expensive macs are, do you really think they needed to "cut costs"

 

[koffiejunkie]

OH MY SOUL... are you people even reading what I'm posting! TELL ME, which TYPICAL (note again I say T.Y.P.I.C.A.L) end user will ever use firewire???

What OS does the majority of typical end users go for? Oh wait, what's that? Windows?

why, cause it's not needed for HOME USERS... its a nice to have, not a NEED to have. *and one more time, before you start screaming, stop and think about, put yourself in a typical end users shoes... see, no need for firewire

Unless that home user happen to own an external firewire drive. I know enough non-tech-savvy users who have had some exposure to firewire and are quick to tell me they think it's much better.

Besides, Apple could have kept the firewire if they wanted to? you know how expensive macs are, do you really think they needed to "cut costs"

Economies of scale. Save $4 on a couple of million laptops - you do the math.

 

[PeterCH]

OH MY SOUL... are you people even reading what I'm posting! TELL ME, which TYPICAL (note again I say T.Y.P.I.C.A.L) end user will ever use firewire??? If you are posting in this forum then you are not a typical end user... If firewire were such an essential piece of hardware then why don't all computers come standard with it... why, cause it's not needed for HOME USERS... its a nice to have, not a NEED to have. *and one more time, before you start screaming, stop and think about, put yourself in a typical end users shoes... see, no need for firewire

Besides, Apple could have kept the firewire if they wanted to? you know how expensive macs are, do you really think they needed to "cut costs"

Typical Mac users are often video editing and graphics (incl photo) editing people. For some of those people at least, FW allows video capture to HD from camcorder and the ability to connect via FW400 or even FW800 to very fast HDs and RAID volumes. FW speed as you know is much better than USB 2.0 and less dependent on CPU resources.

Anyway the Macbook is not a professional piece of Apple HW but home users could still find benefit from FW. Probably more benefit than the WiFi or the extra US port.

 

[PeterCH]

Jobs actually replied to someone about the FW issue. From the way he replies and his unsympathetic tone, he seems like a total a*shole.
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...o_outrage_over_macbooks_missing_firewire.html

 

[d0b33]

I don't have any firewire devices, the new models are for mac converts like myself who never bought firewire before.

 

[PeterCH]

I don't have any firewire devices, the new models are for mac converts like myself who never bought firewire before.

Well I don't have Wifi at home either....nor do I use Wifi. I also don't use the Express card interface. So.... what?

You should try FW, it's superior to USB 2.0

 

[koffiejunkie]

Jobs supposedly wrote in an email...

As far as I know there is no evidence that he actually wrote that.

 

[PeterCH]

As far as I know there is no evidence that he actually wrote that.

1. There are headers.
2. Lots of people on the internet have said that he occasionally replies. Whenever he or someone at that address replies, the tone is somewhat patronising.
3. Apple did not deny anything.

 

[koffiejunkie]

1. There are headers.

Those can be forged easily. As easily as writing someone else's name on the back of an envelope.

2. Lots of people on the internet have said that he occasionally replies. Whenever he or someone at that address replies, the tone is somewhat patronising.
3. Apple did not deny anything.

I'm just airing my scepticism.

 

[Sputnik]

Typical Mac users are often video editing and graphics (incl photo) editing people. For some of those people at least, FW allows video capture to HD from camcorder and the ability to connect via FW400 or even FW800 to very fast HDs and RAID volumes. FW speed as you know is much better than USB 2.0 and less dependent on CPU resources.

Anyway the Macbook is not a professional piece of Apple HW but home users could still find benefit from FW. Probably more benefit than the WiFi or the extra US port.

I was about to rejoice in somebody having some sense, but that last sentence mad me really laugh, thank you for that.

 

[PeterCH]

I was about to rejoice in somebody having some sense, but that last sentence mad me really laugh, thank you for that.

Hehe. I'm speaking from own experience. While I do have 5hrs of free Wifi per month, I don't take any of my laptops out with me to coffee shops for fear of being mugged or them being stolen. I would probably do it with a cheap Netbook but not a R13K+ piece of HW. On the other hand I have used FW on a daily basis. Couple that with poor Wifi coverage in SA and the fact that you can easily plug in an ethernet cable into your laptop and you're set.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I am extremely miffed about the lack of FW. I had my heart set on the new MacBook. I like the idea of a MacBook Pro, but I want something lighter. The new MacBook is about half a kilo lighter than the MBP, and 270g less than the white MacBook.

I also looked forward to the nVidia graphics - speed up Aperture. But as I found out, it's not much (if any) faster than the Intel stuff in the White Macbook. I guess for whatever Aperture does with it, the shared ram speed must be the bottleneck.

Either ways, the thing about FireWire is the much lower latency. And it's better sustained data rate. I have owned several enclosures that can do both USB2 and FireWire. Using them on FireWire have always provided a more responsive experience.

I wonder how mounting a share (SMB or NFS) over gigabit ethernet would compare to USB2?

 

[Sputnik]

Hehe. I'm speaking from own experience. While I do have 5hrs of free Wifi per month, I don't take any of my laptops out with me to coffee shops for fear of being mugged or them being stolen. I would probably do it with a cheap Netbook but not a R13K+ piece of HW. On the other hand I have used FW on a daily basis. Couple that with poor Wifi coverage in SA and the fact that you can easily plug in an ethernet cable into your laptop and you're set.

Wouldn't know, I have not gotten round to cabling my house yet. I seem to be getting a strong enough wi-fi signal everywhere...

 

[d0b33]

Well I don't have Wifi at home either....nor do I use Wifi. I also don't use the Express card interface. So.... what?

You should try FW, it's superior to USB 2.0

I'm speaking for myself and all the NEW Mac converts, we don't need firewire and there are a wave of us, Apple in my opinion understand their market and have catered for us. The new users are esata and Wifi users btw and with USB3 on it's way we don't need firewire.

You should try wifi, I use it to share music between my PC and Mac and have the internet a click away no cables needed.

I actually had a firewire+USB drive a few years ago and my PC had firewire. Transfer rates were the same since that drive could not exceed the bandwidth of USB2.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I'm speaking for myself and all the NEW Mac converts, we don't need firewire and there are a wave of us, Apple in my opinion understand their market and have catered for us.

That's a silly argument - cater for someone buy not providing something they don't need while ignoring the needs of your existing userbase? Would it have bothered you if it did have a FW port?

The new users are esata and Wifi users btw and with USB3 on it's way we don't need firewire.

eSata, sure. USB3 doesn't address the shortcomings of USB2 vs FireWire.

You should try wifi, I use it to share music between my PC and Mac and have the internet a click away no cables needed.

Wifi is convenient but it definitely doesn't compare to FW (or even USB2) in terms of sustained transfer or latency.

I actually had a firewire+USB drive a few years ago and my PC had firewire. Transfer rates were the same since that drive could not exceed the bandwidth of USB2.

Your drive is the slowest common component. Anyway, again, it's not just about transfer rates.

 

[Ou grote]

I'm speaking for myself and all the NEW Mac converts, we don't need firewire and there are a wave of us, Apple in my opinion understand their market and have catered for us. The new users are esata and Wifi users btw and with USB3 on it's way we don't need firewire.

You should try wifi, I use it to share music between my PC and Mac and have the internet a click away no cables needed.

I actually had a firewire+USB drive a few years ago and my PC had firewire. Transfer rates were the same since that drive could not exceed the bandwidth of USB2.

I'm also a MacNoob, just a year or two.
I need firewire, won't use an USB on an external drive if I can help it.