[jszrules]

A New York Times article raves about the MacBook Pro except for the following two paragraphs. What do you guys think of Apple getting rid of these features? A big deal? Seems like it to me. Do you think they will return in future MBP revisions or the 17'' model?

Now, Apple always giveth and taketh away. This time around, though, Apple hath taken away quite a few PowerBook features. The S-video connector, for high-quality TV playback of movies, is gone — a weird omission, considering the multimedia emphasis implied by the new remote control. (You can restore the S-video jack with a $20 accessory cable.) The FireWire 800 connector, for high-speed hard drives, is also missing. The DVD burner is only half as fast as the previous model (4X instead of 8X) and can no longer burn dual-layer DVD discs. Current PC expansion cards (including high-speed cellular Internet cards) don't work or fit in the new narrow-format ExpressCard slot.

Most mystifying of all, Apple has removed the laptop's dial-up modem, so you can no longer send or receive faxes. You can't go online in hotels that don't offer high-speed connections (or that charge way too much for them), either. Apple points out that you can buy its tiny external modem for $50, but that's another piece to pack, track and lose.

[uicandrew]

every possible point of view related to this has been discussed to death in this thread

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=281360

i read every thing post up to page 11 or 12

modem will not come back since it has disappeared in all the intel models so far.

[f1000]

As uicandrew said, we've already discussed these points ad nauseum. In any case, I think the NYT article is wrong. The future is DVI/HDMI and cellular modems. Most people in the U.S. can at least access GSM EDGE, which is several times faster than a 56k modem, and people in many major urban centers can now get EV-DO or UMTS wireless broadband for only a little more. The POT modem is dead and I've been recommending that Apple take them out of its laptops for awhile now. Hallelujah, my prayers were finally answered!

[Maflynn]

I agree its mystifying that apple would seemingly hamstring what would be a top notch laptop by excluding so many components we have gotten used to. The modem is the most confusing because when I'm traveling and I need internet access its the modem most of the time. I'd love to have wireless or ethernet access while traveling but just doesn't happen.

As fir FW800 I think apple is giving up the ghost on it.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I agree its mystifying that apple would seemingly hamstring what would be a top notch laptop by excluding so many components we have gotten used to. The modem is the most confusing because when I'm traveling and I need internet access its the modem most of the time. I'd love to have wireless or ethernet access while traveling but just doesn't happen.

85% of Americans and 93% of Canadians have access to GSM EDGE service, which can be up to four times faster than 56K dial-up and cost no more than $20/month (with a suitable voice plan). The 15% of Americans who don't have access to EDGE service probably aren't Mac customers anyway.

http://www.3gamericas.org/English/PDFs/tech_stats.pdf

[Drakino]

Much like people made a big fuss about the missing floppy disk in the iMac, people are making a fuss about some things likely to be standard in most laptops in a few years. The modem for example adds complexity to the internals of the system due to all the needed shielding. Move it to an external USB device, and those problems go with it.

As others have said though, this has been discussed to death here already. Some people think it is the end of the world for these ports to be missing, but most of us don't care and are choosing to upgrade our Macs to a much faster machine instead of posting again and again about how a missing SVideo port is a dealbreaker.

[mrmister]

"As others have said though, this has been discussed to death here already. Some people think it is the end of the world for these ports to be missing, but most of us don't care and are choosing to upgrade our Macs to a much faster machine instead of posting again and again about how a missing SVideo port is a dealbreaker."

There is a third point of view: that Apple is taking away more than usual in an attempt to cut costs with the Intel transition, and has no intention on passing any of those savings on to its customers. But if it makes you feel better to draw it in black and white, go right ahead.

[analogika]

*sigh*

[photoeditor]

I favor the modem dongle because my gut reaction is that it lowers the risk of getting fried by a power surge -- and removes a generally finicky component from inside the case. And I would say that FW800 in general is on the way out with the move to PCIe expansion that can support much higher bandwidth like external SATA.

But only two USB ports and ExpressCard34 instead of 54? Now, that's brain dead. If that's the price we pay by losing a tenth of an inch of thickness (and judging by how tightly packed the case is, I suspect it may be), then I'd rather go back to a thicker computer.

[analogika]

My 15"-Powerbook only has two USB ports.

[mrmister]

Mine does as well...along with two FW ports. If I lost one of the FW ports, I'd like another USB port. I have a small portable hub I carry with me, and if I had 3 USB ports, I wouldn't ever need it when mobile.

[photoeditor]

Granted, two ports is a pattern, but in view of the improvement in Apple's USB drivers, along with the loss of the internal modem and the FW800 port, it really is time for a third USB port on the laptops.

[TypeMRT]

Thanks great and all but with Apple poised to grow marketshare it is important to consider that about 47% of all Americans are still on dial-up (BROADBAND ADOPTION AT HOME IN THE UNITED STATES: GROWING BUT SLOWING, Pew Internet, 2005). And the folks that are looking for an easy to use first computer would do well to get a Mac.
As for the MacBook Pro, an analog modem might be slow as molasses but it's better than nothing when you're travelling outside of the top 100 cell phone markets offering EDGE/EV-DO/etc.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by TypeMRT

Thanks great and all but with Apple poised to grow marketshare it is important to consider that about 47% of all Americans are still on dial-up (BROADBAND ADOPTION AT HOME IN THE UNITED STATES: GROWING BUT SLOWING, Pew Internet, 2005). And the folks that are looking for an easy to use first computer would do well to get a Mac.
As for the MacBook Pro, an analog modem might be slow as molasses but it's better than nothing when you're travelling outside of the top 100 cell phone markets offering EDGE/EV-DO/etc.

Just playing the statistics, the people dropping $2000+ on a laptop probably aren't the ones unwilling to pay $25/mo for broadband.
It's not as if a modem isn't available; it's just an external peripheral now.

[mintcake]

The vast majority of Apple's target market with the MBP have broadband. I don't know about the US, but in Europe and Asia there's virtually 100% coverage. Those that don't, have bluetooth data-capable cellphones. For the tiny remainder who have neither, they can buy the USB modem. I honestly can't see why people are worried about its loss, I never used it on the powerbook and I never use it on my Mini.

The shortage of ports is much more of an issue. People do not want to lug powered hubs around with them. But I lived with 2 USB2/ 1 Firewire 400 on my 12" powerbook so I guess I will on my MBP.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by TypeMRT

Thanks great and all but with Apple poised to grow marketshare it is important to consider that about 47% of all Americans are still on dial-up (BROADBAND ADOPTION AT HOME IN THE UNITED STATES: GROWING BUT SLOWING, Pew Internet, 2005).

According to that study, moderately experienced dial-up users are:

• Older – the average age in this cohort was 39 in 2002 and is 43 in 2005.
• Lower income – in 2002 23% percent of these dial-up users had household incomes under $30,000 annually and 22% had household incomes over $75,000 annually. By 2005, the distribution had changed to 36% of this group having household incomes under $30,000 annually and 13% having household incomes over $75,000 per year.
• Less educated – 28% of moderately experienced dial-up users were college graduates in the 2002 sampled versus 24% in 2005.
• Relatively apathetic about their internet use. In 2002, moderately experienced dial-up users had tried at one time 38% of the online activities asked about; in 2005 that number fell to 28%.

"...this group’s relative lack of engagement with the internet and its advanced age might mean that a relatively smaller number of them will convert to broadband than their predecessors."

These people aren't likely to start buying Macs in droves whether or not Apple eliminates the POT modem from its computers, and those that do happen to buy a Mac aren't going to blanch at paying a few dollars more for an external dongle.

Most of these individuals, if they're not retired, probably have high-speed internet access at work anyway, so there's no need for them to have to drag their POT modem along inside their laptops.

[Mr49er]

Originally Posted by f1000

As uicandrew said, we've already discussed these points ad nauseum. In any case, I think the NYT article is wrong. The future is DVI/HDMI and cellular modems. Most people in the U.S. can at least access GSM EDGE, which is several times faster than a 56k modem, and people in many major urban centers can now get EV-DO or UMTS wireless broadband for only a little more. The POT modem is dead and I've been recommending that Apple take them out of its laptops for awhile now. Hallelujah, my prayers were finally answered!

Amen to that! I too have been wondering when this component would die and in true Apple fashion, they were the first to do it. As I recall they were also the first to be brave enough to get rid of the dreaded floppy drive and look at us today, no one even remembers it. Good riddance to bad componentry, making way for room for better technologies.

[mactopsuit]

Originally Posted by photoeditor

Granted, two ports is a pattern, but in view of the improvement in Apple's USB drivers, along with the loss of the internal modem and the FW800 port, it really is time for a third USB port on the laptops.

Good move to remove the modem, but YES an additional 1-2 more USB / FW ports in replacement is due!

[Super Mario]

eSATA and HDMI/DVI is the future. Apple got rid of the old stuff just like they were the first to get rid of the floppy. eSATA drives like the one by Lacie are already becoming available. There should also be external breakout boxes with eSATA connectors for future digital HD video cameras with tape or HD/flash storage. If anyone wants S-Video it's easy to fit. FW800 will also be available on eSATA with extra USB connectors.

The DVDRW has only been temporarily downgraded which is bad but the time you loose writing large videos to disk you know save on faster rendering to file. When faster slimmer drives come out Apple will fit them in the next rev.

[pete]

I don't agree that it was a good idea to eliminate the modem. Not because most mac users will need it at home, but because a laptop should be able to connect under a wide variety of circumstances - even outside the safety and comfort of the US and Europe. To say that only poor people with low education and the old are using dial-up and therefore not the prospective buyer of a powerbook anyway is silly. It may be the case that statistically that is true, but it doesn't mean that mac users never come into contact with situations where modems would be useful - for example when they visit their poor cousins in the economically disadvantaged part of town : ) Or do mac users not have poor cousins or visit remote areas? It's so narrow-minded of Jobs et al.

I guess i just think it is premature to do this when broadband is still limited. I seldom use a modem, but I would not want to travel without one just in case. And I don't want to pay $50 bucks more, nor do I want to carry more wires and stuff in my already full electronics bag (laptop, cell phone, digital camera, ipod plus all the adapters, wires etc). Removal of the floppy was a good move and I could see immediately that it was. I don't think this was a good move though and it annoys me that Apple is charging $50 more for something that was included for free last month.

[john h]

Originally Posted by mrmister

Mine does as well...along with two FW ports. If I lost one of the FW ports, I'd like another USB port. I have a small portable hub I carry with me, and if I had 3 USB ports, I wouldn't ever need it when mobile.

How about using a USB 2.0 CardBus that will just snap in and out of your card slot. Works great for me and at $40 a good buy. (2 additional 2.0 USB slots)

[mrmister]

Certainly the modem should be included with the PowerBook gratis, and charging $50 is just arrogant greed.

"How about using a USB 2.0 CardBus that will just snap in and out of your card slot."

Sounds like an attachment I need to buy seperately, remember to bring with me and takes up my one precious expansion slot...so it works, kind of, but not so well that it doesn't just make me wish they'd put an extra port or two on the laptop.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Super Mario

FW800 will also be available on eSATA with extra USB connectors.

What the heck does that mean?
eSATA is a totally different bus than FW800 or USB.