Macbook?? -- Apple has let me down.

moe daklight · Mar 9, 2010

(I dunno what happened with my old account. I don't post much, I just read around, but this deserves a rant: )

So I just found out that I'm in possession the last line of macbooks that have a Firewire 400 port. I was lucky enough to unwittingly get one when they brought back Firewire for a while two years ago.

Now I'm looking through the new macbooks and... ***?

Apple has really let me down. Let's look at the comparison between a macbook and a macbook pro (which costs $200 more):

Apple (Canada) - Mac - Which MacBook are you? - Comparison Chart

So now if you want a Firewire port (which I need: USB 2.0 is too slow to run a 7200 drive with live audio for music production [I use my Macbook to record away from home]), you have to go with the Macbook pro.

But what exactly is it those $200 are paying for?

Apparently, a Firewire port, an SD card slot, and 90 GB less of hard disk space. -- O, and an aluminum body, of course.

Seriously? $200 bucks more for the exact same computer, only shiny, with less memory, and a Firewire port -- which any half decent computer should have in the first place!?!

Apple's really dropped the ball on this one. I really cannot get through my head what Steve Jobs was thinking.

This could really be a deal breaker when I buy my next computer. I wouldn't mind having to buy a Macbook pro if it was actually worth the extra $200, but there's no way in **** I'm dropping two bills on the same computer.

SweetCosmicPope · Mar 9, 2010

I'd be willing to bet that the next incarnation of MBP will have the larger hard drive that the white unibody has. In order to still sell the pro, they'd have to.

I was hesitating, myself, over getting the MBP, but I needed the firewire port, and admittedly, the aluminum unibody had my eye.

FWIW, rumors are rampant about i3/i5/i7 processors in the next batch, as well. Throw that in addition to the likely increase in HD, and the more likely repeat inclusion of aluminum unibody, then I think the value will be better for the next incarnation, which could be coming any day now, if you believe all the hype.

My wife has been a little jealous of my recent purchase, but she's comfortable knowing that when I buy her one next year, it'll be much more bada**.

osxx · Mar 10, 2010

Looking at the specs beside what was already mentioned it also has an illuminated keyboard and the ability to upgrade to 8g of ram.

TomTomTuning · Mar 10, 2010

The MBP was released late 2008. - MacBook - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MB was released mid 2009. - MacBook Pro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So like "SweetCosmicPope" said, i'm sure the next revision of the MBP will be better.

6string · Mar 10, 2010

moe daklight, since you say that you are in possession of a MacBook with Firewire, are you actually in the market for a new MacBook, or are you just having a rant!
Mine is late 07 and purring along, and yours is newer so it should be as well. I suspect that by the time you need a new one, that there will be firewire, or even more likely you will want to upgrade to a 15" MBP with all that you want anyway!!!

redwolf4k · Mar 10, 2010

I know what you are saying.

Since the new white unibody just hit the shelves, you can actually get a better spec laptop (the base white unibody) for less then the entry level pro. $200 less. Of course that is if you omit the aluminum body and the few goodies you mentioned in your post.

What I think we will see with the pro revision (hopefully) is the same price points they have now, but with more impressive specs to warrant the $200 jump.

I think fire wire will be gone for good however.

But I totally agree with the price point, as of TODAY. When I bought my white unibody for $899, I was looking at the entry level pro and scratching my head as well, UNTIL i realized the revision was on the way.

DarkestRitual · Mar 10, 2010

moe daklight said:
(I dunno what happened with my old account. I don't post much, I just read around, but this deserves a rant: )

So I just found out that I'm in possession the last line of macbooks that have a Firewire 400 port. I was lucky enough to unwittingly get one when they brought back Firewire for a while two years ago.

Now I'm looking through the new macbooks and... ***?

Apple has really let me down. Let's look at the comparison between a macbook and a macbook pro (which costs $200 more):

Apple (Canada) - Mac - Which MacBook are you? - Comparison Chart

So now if you want a Firewire port (which I need: USB 2.0 is too slow to run a 7200 drive with live audio for music production [I use my Macbook to record away from home]), you have to go with the Macbook pro.

But what exactly is it those $200 are paying for?

Apparently, a Firewire port, an SD card slot, and 90 GB less of hard disk space. -- O, and an aluminum body, of course.

Seriously? $200 bucks more for the exact same computer, only shiny, with less memory, and a Firewire port -- which any half decent computer should have in the first place!?!

Apple's really dropped the ball on this one. I really cannot get through my head what Steve Jobs was thinking.

This could really be a deal breaker when I buy my next computer. I wouldn't mind having to buy a Macbook pro if it was actually worth the extra $200, but there's no way in **** I'm dropping two bills on the same computer.

Um, have you held one of the new MBPs? I mean, I've got an aluminum unibody macbook before they called it a Pro, so I don't have firewire, and I'm still glad I shelled out the extra cash. If you use it to record audio, the aluminum case comes in handy. My drummer likes to throw drum sticks, and beads often come flying off. You should pay the extra 300 for that, firewire, and the fact that it's a really solid machine and still costs less than a comparable windows box when you calculate the average life of a machine.

Quit you're whining and pay the bucks! You'll be glad you did!

grnvlmike · Mar 10, 2010

I only slightly miss the firewire and never used the SD slot in my MBP anyway. I do have to say I feel very fortunate to have the 2.4 Macbook Aluminum..... I do not think I would have ever got a poly macbook. I popped a 640 gig drive and 4 gig memory and it does everything I could ask of it!