[LSlugger]

myramoki said:

the fact of the matter is that OS X, which I imagine is the biggest reason most people use Macs, is being held hostage in hardware that is built at the whim of Apple.

More than anything, I think this explains the frustration people have with the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. I knew I was taking a risk investing in a closed platform, but this launch is the clearest signal yet that I may have made a mistake. If Apple doesn't offer FireWire and a matte display the next time I'm looking for a laptop, my next laptop will probably not be a Mac.

[smphoto]

While I Peter says that expensive DSLR backs for Hasselblad and Mamiya would likely be connected to a Mac Pro, this is not the case for location photographers. Often, we are photographing in parks, buildings, offices and people's homes. The Macbook is a perfect companion to shoot tethered so that the shots can be previewed immediately. While a Macbook Pro is good for this, the extra weight is a hindrance. It would be nice if Apple would produce a 13" Macbook Pro or add firewire back in to the Macbook.

In my case, I used to be a professional, but now I only take photos for myself or family. I no longer get paid for photography. As a result, if I need to do a shoot, I will rent a PhaseOne system with a Hasselblad. I would like to be able to use my own Macbook with it instead of having buy a Macbook Pro for these occasional shoots.
Also, the firewire port can be used with my old SCSI Nikon slide scanner with a SCSI to firewire converter. I am not about to go a buy another slide scanner for occasional use just because Apple decided to not include firewire on their latest Macbook.

I was in the market to update my current Macbook, however, I will now have to wait to either afford new peripherals or a Macbook Pro.

It just delays the buying process, which in these trying economic times is not good for Apple or the economy.

[PAddams]

I'm actually considering the Black MacBook. Even with the old graphics card, it should be superior to my 2004 PB 12", right? The black MB has the 2.4 ghz processor. Is the "new" white MB really new? Looks like the same specs - 2.1 ghz, intel graphics....

[hayesk]

USB was superior to parallel and serial ports. USB2 is inferior to Firewire, and eliminated a valuable feature - target disk mode. It's too soon to drop Firewire because there's nothing better to take its place. This isn't moving forward, it's moving backward.

[tony_d]

If memory serves me right, when the MacBook Pros (weren't they the first with the Intel chips) first came out they lacked FW 800. I remember the same attitude on the forums then, too. Then later when the machines where refreshed Apple brought it back. I won't be surprised if next year the Mac Books have at least FW 400, especially if they don't sell as many (including the Pros) as they expect to.

[Morrick]

I didn't know the end of the world would come with a small new Apple laptop lacking an interface.
Cheers,
Rick

[gandhi]

uh, you can boot from usb... all intel macs can.

[DreamweaverMM]

I teach at a graphic design school and we have two major requirements for a computer.
1. It must be a matte screen, glossy screens hove major problems from a color correction issue to being able to see what the student is doing when reviewing their work.
2. Must have firewire 400 or 800 ports. We use Canon professional HD camcorders and Final Cut Pro as well as blu-ray burners which require firewire
If Apple doesn't fix this in the next 6 months, it will cost our school over $100,000 to switch to a windows solution.
Thanks a lot Apple, you're killing us!!!!

[SSGoku]

Instead of dropping FireWire, Apple should have just replaced FW 400 with FW 800. With FW 800, the MacBook would be more future proof while still being backward compatable with FW 400 albeit with an adaptor.

Not only is FW 800 backward compatable. It is also forward compatable with FW 3200. FW 3200 uses the same port design as FW 800.

[bynkii]

DreamweaverMM said:

I teach at a graphic design school and we have two major requirements for a computer.

1. It must be a matte screen, glossy screens hove major problems from a color correction issue to being able to see what the student is doing when reviewing their work.

2. Must have firewire 400 or 800 ports. We use Canon professional HD camcorders and Final Cut Pro as well as blu-ray burners which require firewire

If Apple doesn't fix this in the next 6 months, it will cost our school over $100,000 to switch to a windows solution.

Thanks a lot Apple, you're killing us!!!!

How much will it cost to delay purchases for a year?

How much will it cost to buy new plastic macbooks?

how much will it cost to buy low end Macbook Pros?

[Schneb]

This reminds me of the iMovie debacle. Abandoning iMovie HD for iMovie 08 now means that my $300 worth of SPFX plugins are now useless, and all those that created companies around iMovie plugins are now out of business.
Apple praises their relationship with developers, but screws them every time they turn around.

[DreamweaverMM]

My problem is that I need 10 iMacs right now, but am having problems finding the older ones with matte screens. The new macbook pro is also useless as it has a glossy screen.

We have new students coming into the school who can get the older macbooks and macbook pros. but those will dry up. I feer that the next release of the 17" Macbook Pro will also have a glossy screen which will completely kill us from using Macs.

We've been using Macs for 20 years and the cost of a switchover from new computers to new software to retraining staff may kill our school when all we want are computers with matte screens and firewire ports.

Why are you doing this to us, Apple?

[kboone34]

To some degree I understand Apple's move. However in this case, I'd just have to call it bad/horrific timing. In a world where we are trying to do everything smaller, faster, cheaper, cleaner and usually in Apple's case much easier, this is clearly a swing and a miss. So; is Apple also telling budget minded people (the majority of customers who wonder into the Apple store) Grandparents, skate boarding kids and starving college students too bad.
To use this machine to make and or use iMovie, you have to spend an additional $700.00 to move up to the lager machine they don't want. Or maybe you could convince that same person in this current U.S. economy, that perhaps they should just find a way to upgrade (somewhere in the range of $1,200.00 & up) to a new camera, I'll call this one, strike two.
Steve mentioned that the Macbook was one of the best selling Mac's of all time, so to show our appreciation, we'll take away one of the key features, (that unknowingly to most who purchased the Firewire equipped machine) that truly made is so successful. I hope that the outrage grows so loud, to the point that Apple will do an about face, and bring back the FW/400 port. I't happened before. If it's only a real-estate issue, then just have one USB/2 and one FW/400 port. Some may gripe about only having just one USB connection, but buying a USB hub (about $15.00 bucks and up) is way cheeper than moving to a larger machine, starting at $2,000.00. Apple, on this one, you're standing at the plate, bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs and 2 strikes, what do you do. Easy, PUT IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in. This machine (while it may have some success this holiday season) would have sold twice the amount if it had not dropped the FW port. I was on my way to purchase two of them. Not now. And I won't move up to the 15' and it's not the price. I Just don't want a big machine.

[Bubowski]

Fatal Flaw (or as the kids say, EPIC FAIL)

Can anyone say EDUCATIONAL MARKET? There are many (many, many) schools that have adopted MacBooks into their everyday curriculum. Most of them have decided this on the basis of cost/functionality; and connectivity is one of the core functions they are looking for.

Apple educational sales has been selling bundles of MacBooks with firewire based video cameras, and many schools have also purchsed these on their own. This investment will now be forfeit and academic buyers may start looking at alternatives (even the Dell Vostro has firewire at $499).

Dropping Firewire is a huge mistake for the educational market as it negates their investment in peripherals for their existing systems. When it come time to replace their computers, they will have a far more difficult time making the argument for Apple when they now need to replace their cameras as well.

I have been on the technology board of two school districts and know what it's like to fight to keep Macs in the classroom. Apple is cutting off it's nose to spite it's face on this one.

For Education's sake, Apple, bring back Firewire on the MacBook!