Why I am *NOT* buying a New MacBook Pro

Why I am *not* buying a new MacBook Pro

Short answers:

1. *STILL* No Blu Ray support
2. *STILL* Only 1 firewire port
3. Mini Display port (as a video output)

Longer answers:

1. What are they waiting for? Apple was one of the first company's to choose to back Blu-Ray. They not only share a good history with Sony and have close ties with Disney, but they actually share a seat on the Blu-Ray consortium, supporting the development of Blu-Ray. Why aren't any of the new Mac's being shipped with Blu-ray support? Especially when the Mac pro can be configured up to $20,000...Yeah, I said it $20,000. Still no option other than a burdensome 3rd party external drive and a false hope that Roxio's toast 9 will seamlessly play Blu-ray. (not to mention various HDCP issue's)

2. STILL ONLY 1 FIREWIRE PORT?? anyone that is buying a macbook pro is most likely using it for professional applications (plural)...and professional applications (plural) often come with or require professional pieces (plural) of gear, and when these professional pieces (plural) of gear need to communicate with a computer... what type of connection do they utilize? So now after spending $2,000+ you have to spend extra money on a firewire hub?... ridiculous.

3. Mini Display port (digital display interface standard)... Now I do wanna say that at least Apple didn't make up some crazy proprietary connection by themselves that they at least (at first glance) give the illusion that they adopted an "Industry Standard." However, no one that I have come into contact with (I work in NYC as an A/V tech) has ever heard of this connection before Apple's unveling...Bottem line: No one knows about this connection... It isn't widely used on displays... and to boot, they continue this pointless trend of varying the connector to make it a *Mini* so... unless your connecting directly to a new Apple Cinema Display (cheepest being $600) you are going to have to...YOU GUESSED IT!!! SPEND MORE MONEY on a dongle that YOU GUESSED IT!!! ONLY APPLE CARRIES. The biggest spit in the face is that Apple doesn't even carry a *Mini* display port cable to Normal Display Port cable (WHICH IS THE SUPPOSED "INDUSTRY STANDARD")...You don't announce that you are adopting an industry standard only to then CHANGE IT...THEY MIGHT AS WELL HAVE MADE UP SOME RIDICULOUS PROPRIETARY VIDEO CONNECTION. and for the masses out there that want to simply connect their new laptop to an HDTV, they can't! There is no such cable as *Mini* Display Port cable to HDMI. So in order to hook up these new laptops to your HDTV, the setup is as follows...*Mini* Display Port to DVI dongle, DVI to HDMI cable...or DVI to DVI cable with a DVI to HDMI adaptor...and we haven't even gotten to audio yet... for audio you would need a 3.5mm Stereo Mini to 2 RCA cable or various adaptors making this possible. For somthing that is advertised as trying to make it *easier* to connect your Macbook to an external display they are only making it *easier* to connect to new Apple Displays ($600+) and making it *harder* to connect to ANY OTHER DISPLAY.

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/su...1705-why-i-am-not-buying-new-macbook-pro.html

I already read it once, i dont need to read it again here. Don't double post.

I thought I was starting to see double.

I think the new MacBooks are ultimate failure...But don't mind me...I'm out of touch..I'm still using PPC.

Ok, so the Macbook Pro isn't for you. Congratulations, we don't care.

I love it when people come on here with a completely pointless rant. So you don't want to buy one...I do (did) and I love it. I don't particularly care about your opinion - if you have a useful application (singular) for it then fine, post. But if it's just a rant then bugger off.

Kash said:

Ok, so the Macbook Pro isn't for you. Congratulations, we don't care.

Click to expand...

Full of win.

Kash said:

Ok, so the Macbook Pro isn't for you. Congratulations, we don't care.

Click to expand...

QFT

PErsonally, I love mine! It is the second MBP I have owned and by far the best one.

1. Blu-Ray is a big bag of hurt.
2. Firewire is being overtaken by USB.
3. Apple is willing to take the risk of being a trend-setter.

And just think, I summed up your whole rant in three simple points. Too bad you couldn't have done the same.....either that, or provide me 2 minutes of my life back I wasted reading your rant.

Have a nice day.

I split it up into short answer long answer, you didn't have to read the latter.

1. As for Blu-Ray being a "big bag of hurt"
Oh, thanks for summing that up for me. I now fully understand why they are not providing Blu-Ray drives.

2. Firewire is being overtaken by USB?!?
Maybe in the consumer markets, but USB cannot hold up in professional applications. In fact, most professional A/V gear dosn't even offer a USB connection.

3. Apple is willing to take the risk of being a trend-setter?!?
So please explain to me why they would back Blu-Ray, which was at least known about at the time, but not offer it in there machines. But then back something that isn't known about and offer it in their machines?

oddtimer said:

1. As for Blu-Ray being a "big bag of hurt"
Oh, thanks for summing that up for me. I now fully understand why they are not providing Blu-Ray drives.

Click to expand...

Google it and you'll get your answer.

oddtimer said:

2. Firewire is being overtaken by USB?!?
Maybe in the consumer markets, but USB cannot hold up in professional applications. In fact, most professional A/V gear dosn't even offer a USB connection.

Click to expand...

But we're talking about consumer electronics here, not professional A/V gear.

oddtimer said:

3. Apple is willing to take the risk of being a trend-setter?!?
So please explain to me why they would back Blu-Ray, which was at least known about at the time, but not offer it in there machines. But then back something that isn't known about and offer it in their machines?

Click to expand...

Just because someone backs a product/technology, doesn't mean they automatically have to start shoving it into their own product.

Kash said:

Ok, so the Macbook Pro isn't for you. Congratulations, we don't care.

Click to expand...

Epic Win!


Seriously though, Blu-Ray is FAILING right now. Recent reports put it at below 12% of market share, why in the world would Apple make their devices cost more for something that might not make it at all (which some analysts are saying). Seriously, we have had this discussion 800 times already. Not to mention that if you look at the way Blu-Ray is being licensed, it is a total joke and would be a headache for Apple, and add too much extra (read UN-NEEDED) cost to the MBP line.

And, if you are a pro, and know about Firewire, then you would know that Firewire can be chained, just like our other good ole' pro standard, SCSI. I have more than a few high end audio devices chained through a single Firewire port with no noticeable decrease in speed.

lifeafter2am said:

Epic Win!

Click to expand...

I didn't realize this was a contest. Sounds like someone just expressing strong opinions about Apple's new line-up. Please keep it civil, folks.

1. I googled "big bag of hurt" and thank you for it, didn't realize the complexities of the blu-ray licencing, however I'm sure the fact that they want people buying all their HD movies and shows from iTunes has a bigger influence on the decision.

...as far as blu-ray doing poorly in the markets, What exactly is doing well right now? I'm sure the state of the econemy is a big reason for this and that once blu-ray comes down in price (whenever that may be) it will ultimately replace dvd's.

2. As I am aware of the Chaining capabilities of Firewire, I guess my issue is more of a signal purests opinion than an actual functional complaint.

3. Still The Display port technology (according to Wikipedia) has been approved since 2006...and still hasn't shown itself 2 years later... Will Apple alone be able to push this new connection? I guess we will just have to wait and see...

oddtimer said:

1. I googled "big bag of hurt" and thank you for it, didn't realize the complexities of the blu-ray licencing, however I'm sure the fact that they want people buying all their HD movies and shows from iTunes has a bigger influence on the decision.

...as far as blu-ray doing poorly in the markets, What exactly is doing well right now? I'm sure the state of the econemy is a big reason for this and that once blu-ray comes down in price (whenever that may be) it will ultimately replace dvd's.

2. As I am aware of the Chaining capabilities of Firewire, I guess my issue is more of a signal purests opinion than an actual functional complaint.

3. Still The Display port technology (according to Wikipedia) has been approved since 2006...and still hasn't shown itself 2 years later... Will Apple alone be able to push this new connection? I guess we will just have to wait and see...

Click to expand...

Actually no, that is incorrect. The 12% figure actually came BEFORE the market crash, and I am hard-pressed to find any new figures on this. We had this discussion in another topic, but as some else pointed out (I think it was one of the mod's), the switch to DVD was for multiple reasons (physical size, shelf-life, etc), not just quality. One thing that may hurt Blu-Ray, at least for a while, is that there is no reason to switch besides quality. There are numerous people who are perfectly fine watching movies on DVD and do not need nor want the quality difference. Obviously bigger discs are better, but as far as the normal consumer market for movies, this makes zero difference if one is not looking for more quality anyway.

In short, I really don't think that Blu-Ray is going to hit off anytime soon. I will search around for that other post, because there were some really great points made in it .... but generally a lot of people agreed that it is possible that Blu-Ray will fail for multiple reasons.

oddtimer said:

1. I googled "big bag of hurt" and thank you for it, didn't realize the complexities of the blu-ray licencing, however I'm sure the fact that they want people buying all their HD movies and shows from iTunes has a bigger influence on the decision.

...as far as blu-ray doing poorly in the markets, What exactly is doing well right now? I'm sure the state of the econemy is a big reason for this and that once blu-ray comes down in price (whenever that may be) it will ultimately replace dvd's.

Click to expand...

I may eat my words on this, but I highly doubt Blu Ray will replace DVDs anytime soon - not unless the price points undercut DVD (unlikely) or command just a very slight premium over it.

Although DVD ultimately replaced VHS, it took nearly 10 years to do so - and that was mostly due to the fact that it had dramatic advantages to VHS (i.e. longevity of media, physical size, tremendous quality differences and elimination of inconveniences like rewinding, and convenient skipping through content).

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'd be willing to bet that on identical TVs of less than 50" in size, most consumers won't know the difference between a Blu Ray movie and a DVD - and if they do, I highly doubt they'd pay the 30% or more markup Blu Ray discs currently demand over DVDs. Also, as consumers start to realize the DRM implications that surround Blu Ray discs, they will be less apt to want to switch. As I understand it, some HD content will only play over HDMI and DisplayPort connections. In my opinion, Blu Ray will likely be the LaserDisc of this decade and will never completely replace DVDs - it will be relegated to home theater enthusiasts and tech savvy consumers. As a data storage medium, it might be a different story - but I can certainly see why Apple and most other mainstream computer manufacturers haven't adopted Blu-Ray drives, particularly in notebooks.

2. As I am aware of the Chaining capabilities of Firewire, I guess my issue is more of a signal purests opinion than an actual functional complaint.

Click to expand...

Can you explain this? Are you implying that there is a degradation of signal in chaining Firewire?

3. Still The Display port technology (according to Wikipedia) has been approved since 2006...and still hasn't shown itself 2 years later... Will Apple alone be able to push this new connection? I guess we will just have to wait and see...

Click to expand...

Displayport will become mainstream when DRM-protected Hi Def content becomes more commonplace. If anything, Apple is setting the stage for a Blu Ray implementation and to protect their own Hi Def downloads. Right now, not too many monitors and graphics cards have been released for it because DVI has been adequate for the vast majority of consumers. Apple is just pushing an agenda.

cwa107 said:

I may eat my words on this, but I highly doubt Blu Ray will replace DVDs anytime soon - not unless the price points undercut DVD (unlikely) or command just a very slight premium over it.

Although DVD ultimately replaced VHS, it took nearly 10 years to do so - and that was mostly due to the fact that it had dramatic advantages to VHS (i.e. longevity of media, physical size, tremendous quality differences and elimination of inconveniences like rewinding, and convenient skipping through content).

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'd be willing to bet that on identical TVs of less than 50" in size, most consumers won't know the difference between a Blu Ray movie and a DVD - and if they do, I highly doubt they'd pay the 30% or more markup Blu Ray discs currently demand over DVDs. Also, as consumers start to realize the DRM implications that surround Blu Ray discs, they will be less apt to want to switch. As I understand it, some HD content will only play over HDMI and DisplayPort connections. In my opinion, Blu Ray will likely be the LaserDisc of this decade and will never completely replace DVDs - it will be relegated to home theater enthusiasts and tech savvy consumers. As a data storage medium, it might be a different story - but I can certainly see why Apple and most other mainstream computer manufacturers haven't adopted Blu-Ray drives, particularly in notebooks.

Click to expand...

I could not agree with this more. Very well put. (I guess it was you and I that were having this conversation in the other topic.)

1. I do understand that Blu-Ray will take some time to be adopted widely, as long as the prices stay where they are. I could also see how blu-ray as a hi-def movie medium could be viewed as just braging rights for the people that can afford it however, as a storage medium it cannot be disbuted that blu-ray reigns supreme.

2. Although I am not implying actual degeneration in signal, I am referring to device ID issues that I often encounter in the field while using the chaining method, as apposed to dedicated firewire bussing.

3. Apple is definately pushing an agenda, I just can't stand when they try to pass it off as otherwise.

oddtimer said:

1. I do understand that Blu-Ray will take some time to be adopted widely, as long as the prices stay where they are. I could also see how blu-ray as a hi-def movie medium could be viewed as just braging rights for the people that can afford it however, as a storage medium it cannot be disbuted that blu-ray reigns supreme.

2. Although I am not implying actual degeneration in signal, I am referring to device ID issues that I often encounter in the field while using the chaining method, as apposed to dedicated firewire bussing.

3. Apple is definately pushing an agenda, I just can't stand when they try to pass it off as otherwise.

Click to expand...

I absolutely agree, but we are not there yet with needing it, especially at the consumer level. With dual-layer DVD's there is more than enough storage for 95% of programs that are distributed right now. Even at the pro-level unless you are working with MASSIVE video files, it just isn't needed. Even using my MBP for audio production there is no way I need more than 7.9GiB.

Unless I read the specs available wrong, Display Port has a higher bandwidth
than hdmi and would be more geared for the future editing and raw camera
read larger sensors and full frame also medical applications that use 4k video.