[st1mps]

"You know what I mean, Apple was good to us while we remained loyal to Apple. But with iPods and iTunes and a surge in interest in the Mac machines by the proletariat, nerds and geeks like you and me have been left behind. Those few of us who early on realized the high quality computers and service that are still the core (ha, ha!) of the organization have recently been shocked by Apple Computer's devolvement into "just another computer company".

QED

PS: Ask yourself these questions: Do I own a new Macbook Pro? Do I know anyone who does? Have I worked with one to actually do any complex tasks (and this doesn't include playing with one in the shop)? If all the answers to these questions are no (and I suspect they will be), how on earth do you naysayers know these machines are the worst thing since the last time the MPB was jiggered with, a move that was similarly greeted by a chorus of disapproval from the self-same people who are now bewailing its decline...

sigh

[paulmcisaac]

You are right, I do not have "deep"involvement with the MBP. However, I am in the market for a new computer and can only gauge Apple's current performance by my experience with them over the past three years with my iBook. The first time I used it was the first time I experienced the "dreaded blue screen" on a Mac. The symbolism was not lost on me, especially since the appearance of the blue screen coincided with the purchase of 25% of Apple shares by Bill Gates. You know Bill Gates, he's the one who brought the "dreaded blue screen" to the world of computers in general.

[zozocalypso]

st1mps said:

It's odd. Very odd. As a long time mac user (my first machine was a classic 2) I really don't get the level of despair I seem to read in virtually every comment on virtually every review site, a negativity which, I note, seems at odds with virtually every professional review.

Which 'Professional' reviews do you refer to? There are actually very few unbiased, thoroughly honest, technical reviews online. The level of despair in this forum is a reflection of valid complaints about the Macbook's shortfalls.

st1mps said:

Maybe I am cynical, but I wonder whether the increasingly shrill reception that every new piece of Mac hardware gets is in proportion to Apple's increasingly successful marketing - back when we Maccies were a hardcore of holdouts against Windows we used to gasp at every innovation, now we seem to curse every time Steve Jobs appears in public. That is not suggest that we should be uncritical of the new machines, or that we should ignore it when Apple doesn't deliver the quality we expect for our buck (wonky keys, bad battery fitting...), but we might also remember that a vast number of mac innovations have turned out to be farsighted rather than failures - anyone still have a laptop with a floppy drive?

A new model with slower connectivity than it's predecessor is Not Innovation. Providing only a reflective glass display is not innovation .

st1mps said:

So basically carp all you like, but to be honest until these things have been thoroughly test driven by pros and more general users we should recognize that most of the comments on sites like this are based on prejudice and neophobia rather than knowledge or experience (no offense anyone).

Not, most of the comments in this forums are regarding perfectly valid issues based mostly on knowledge and experience.

[robogobo]

I just read that the new MB and MBP have something built in (to their firmware, I assume) to keep their owners from jailbreaking their iPhone. If so, this pretty much crosses the line for me. That kind of paranoia is going to dig a big hole for the company. I'm planning on replacing my Powerbook next year, and I'll be looking for an older MBP on ebay. As with the first generation iPhone, Apple is doing a great job of making their older products more valuable than the new.

[rickcarl]

linkypoo?


Edit: Here's one link. Another. This one. And for those who want to know, the MB(P) runs slower on just AC according to this report. That plus an Apple only mini DisplayPort design in this [thread|t-106207] makes an interesting combination for Apple's latest.