[Macworld.com]

Highlights from the live chat session featuring Jason Snell and Jonathan Seff fielding your MacBook questions. [more]

[sigma8]

A strange chat. More questions than answers. But I'll add my own concern.. I saw you say you think the 15" burner will eventually be dual-layer. I'm equally interested in the firewire 800 port making its way to the 15" model. I have a 17" PowerBook G4 now, and I like it, but in some ways I'm getting sick of lugging such a huge laptop around all the time. It's not the weight so much as the bulk (most laptop backpacks won't even accomodate it, I have to use a Nike bookbag or the custom Willow backpack I bought...which is also the size and shape of a jetpack).
Anyway, I'd really like to see FW800 make it to the 15". FW800 ports are backwards compatible to FW400, using FW800 cables that have FW400 connectors on the terminal end. Why didn't they just dispense with the FW400 port and use FW800 with included cable adapters? When FW800 wasn't included on the MB15", many thought FW800 was getting the shaft...but now it has reappeared on the 17", so maybe that's not the case.
It's possible to use an ExpressCard for the FW800 though. Of course, it's also possible to use an external dual-layer DVD-ROM (I own one). They beauty is when no external solutions are required.

[ramblingman]

What is the wireless range on the new MacIntel laptops, both MacBook and MacBook Pro? How do they stack up against the old iBook and PowerBook?
What are the built-in speakers like in the new MacBook and Pro? What kind of external speaker options are available to take along (easily) for a mass presentation?
What kind of connectivity issues should one expect when using a MacBook (or Pro) with digital projectors? Are Apple's adaptor accessories enough to assure connectivity?
What kind of specs should buyers of the MacBook (or Pro) look for if they want to buy a ciggie-lighter-type power inverter to power/charge a new MacIntel laptop on the road?

[joesporleder]

How much do you suppose heat will have a factor in the longterm reliability of the MacBook (the pro is outside of what I can afford)? I'm one of those that suffered through the problems with an iBook G3 900mhz machine. I realize that particular line had some other problems. I've read Apple's knowledge base articles on how to keep notebook heat problems to a minimum.
I'm looking forward to upgrading to a white MacBook, I just don't want the little guy to fry his innards! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Joe

[rjlaue]

How hard would it be to install a dual-layer DVD burner into the MacBook? Everybody is talking about the easy access to the hard drive, but nobody has mentioned the optical drive yet.
I've got a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-K05 installed in my 1.33 G4 12" iBook. It required total disassembly of the iBook, which as we all know is a major undertaking. I'm hoping it won't be such a hassle on the MacBook.
Cheers -
RJLaue

[Islandgirl]

Perhaps someone can answer a question I've had ever since I began reading about the heat/whining issues with some Macbook Pros, and perhaps some of the new Macbooks.
1. Does anyone know what percentage of Macbook Pros already shipped are afflicted with whining and overheating?
2. Is there an idea yet of what percentage of Macbooks look to have the same problems?
3. Is the 17-inch Macbook Pro largely unaffected by the whining and heat problem?
4. Since Apple is now using the same dual-core Intel chips as PC makers, why aren't we hearing and reading lots of articles about PC laptops overheating and whining, too? Are the Dells, Thinkpads, HPs, Sonys and others affected in the same manner?
I thought about getting a Macbook myself, my first foray into the world of Macintosh, but really don't want to spend a sizable amount of money on an early adopter problem I would regret.

[Jason Snell]

Have you been to many online chats? It seemed to be pretty normal to me. And we gave an answer to every question.
Anyway, I doubt the FW 800 port will return to the 15-inch model. If Apple wanted it there, they would've put it there. If you want FW800 on a 15-inch, you'll need to buy an ExpressCard.

[Jason Snell]

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What is the wireless range on the new MacIntel laptops, both MacBook and MacBook Pro? How do they stack up against the old iBook and PowerBook?

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The wireless range is better on both systems. The new MacBook has better range than the old iBook, as far as we can tell.

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What are the built-in speakers like in the new MacBook and Pro?

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Pretty much like their predecessors. They're passable, but you'd never want them to be your only audio source for music, for example.

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What kind of connectivity issues should one expect when using a MacBook (or Pro) with digital projectors? Are Apple's adaptor accessories enough to assure connectivity?

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Yes. VGA and DVI adapters, and you're set.

[Jason Snell]

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How much do you suppose heat will have a factor in the longterm reliability of the MacBook

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I suspect none.

[Jason Snell]

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How hard would it be to install a dual-layer DVD burner into the MacBook?

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Hard. I wouldn't recommend it.

[leicaman]

Even better, I think it would be smarter to get an SATA external drive and forget Firewire 800. I leave the Firewire 800 on my G5 at home, and then for the MacBook Pro I plan to get, I'll get an SATA card and use that for my external drive. Way faster.

[Jason Snell]

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1. Does anyone know what percentage of Macbook Pros already shipped are afflicted with whining and overheating?

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I don't think anyone knows about the whining issue. As for overheating, I've read a lot of complaints, but Apple's laptops have always been very warm. I'm not sure the MacBook Pro is much warmer than the previous generation of PowerBooks.

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2. Is there an idea yet of what percentage of Macbooks look to have the same problems?

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There's no processor whine on the MacBook, so far as we can tell. As for heat, same deal as above -- they're warm, but in my opinion no warmer than previous models. And quite tolerable.

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3. Is the 17-inch Macbook Pro largely unaffected by the whining and heat problem?

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again, all we have are anecdotes to go on.

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4. Since Apple is now using the same dual-core Intel chips as PC makers, why aren't we hearing and reading lots of articles about PC laptops overheating and whining, too?

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Either a) The issues are not related to the chips, or b) Dell users don't congregate and post like Mac users do, or c) Both.

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I thought about getting a Macbook myself, my first foray into the world of Macintosh, but really don't want to spend a sizable amount of money on an early adopter problem I would regret.

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To be blunt, it sounds to me like you're reading too much stuff on the Internet and letting it scare you. I think many of the issues discussed out there are wildly overblown. Some are real, but many are not. The "flaky black MacBook" rumor, for example, seems to come from a single source. I've yet to see a black MacBook with a flaky pie-crust exterior, and all the ones I've seen have looked great. But if you listen to the feedback on the net, it's as if all black Macbooks are sloughing off their skins right now.
All I'm saying is, sometimes if you listen to everything posted on the Mac web and believe it all to be true, and extrapolate it all out to every single Mac sold, it's enough to scare you silly. And it's not true. Just because some of it is true in some cases doesn't mean that all of it is true in all cases.

[Philbert]

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How hard would it be to install a dual-layer DVD burner into the MacBook?

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I'd tend to agree with Jason but you can judge for yourself.
http://www.ifixit.co...ide/86.1.0.html

[montgomery_burns]

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How hard would it be to install a dual-layer DVD burner into the MacBook? Everybody is talking about the easy access to the hard drive, but nobody has mentioned the optical drive yet.

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The biggest problem with the DVD drive is that the DVD slot is part of the laptop casing rather than a faceplate attached to the DVD drive. So whatever drive you put in, the drive opening has to line up with that narrow slit in the laptop case. If the drive sits too low or too high, then you will not be able to insert disks properly.
From a service perspective, it makes repairs more costly and time consuming. Damage to the slot opening can occur if the laptop is dropped. It can also occur over time if people put too much pressure on the laptop. Over time, the pressure can cause the area around the slot opening to warp and interfere with inserting or ejecting disks. Any damage to the drive opening would require replacing the bottom half of the laptop, which involves removing the screen and every single internal component. This applies to the 15 inch MacBook Pro as well. At least with the 17 inch MacBook Pro, the DVD slot opening is part of the top half of the laptop. Replacing the top half of the laptop is much cheaper and easier than replacing the bottom because you don't have to remove every single internal component. But it's still more difficult than being able to simply slide the DVD drive out the side of the laptop as a modular unit.