[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by torsoboy 

Same functionality, on the same device. You just have to press harder now. Which you could always set on a regular trackpad anyway. So, like I said, every PC notebook in the last 10 years already had the functionality.

You are still wrong. This is the difference between a real button and a virtual one: Tactile feedback.

Refer to iPhone keyboard vs. a real keyboard. While I have no problems with the iPhone keyboard (it solves a lot of problems in software), I would prefer the tactility and accuracy of a physical keyboard.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Did Steve appear to be in good health?

I already answered that, but you can just look and judge for yourself can't you?

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by torsoboy 

Same functionality, on the same device. You just have to press harder now. Which you could always set on a regular trackpad anyway. So, like I said, every PC notebook in the last 10 years already had the functionality.

Getting rid of the button altogether is "different", but I haven't used the left-click button in a long time anyway.

So either you use a left handed mouse or you're confused. And I'd venture to say that if you're not "alternate" clicking stuff, you could be a bit more productive than you are.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by torsoboy 

So, like I said, every PC notebook in the last 10 years already had the functionality.

Macs have also had the tap-to-click functionality for the same amount of time, so I really fail to see your point about "PC notebooks" having this functionality.

Are you really that desperate to downplay Apple innovation?

[Rob van dam]

Looking at the store in Australia which got price hiked substantially how come when you configure the entry level macbook the 128gb ssd drive is A$ 1,120.00 but when you go up the next macbook model and then the macbook pro 15" to the 17" its scales down from A$ 960.00, A$ 880.00, A$ 800.00.

Why not just keep a standard price across the line for the ssd upgrade?

[CharlesS]

Because one is upgrading from a 160 GB drive, one is upgrading from a 250 GB drive, and one is upgrading from a 320 GB drive. They're all upgrade prices, not the prices of the drives themselves, which is kind of silly since the drives themselves often cost less than the "upgrade" prices on Apple's site if you buy them somewhere else.

The caveat is that I don't know where to buy standalone 2.5" solid-state drives on the Web.

edit: uncaveated - I found one. Surprise, it costs $379.99, which is only slightly more than half of Apple's $700 upgrade price. No idea if it's a good brand, since I don't know much about solid-state drives, although I bet if someone finds out what brand of drive Apple's using, they'll be able to find that exact drive for significantly less than Apple's upgrade price.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...016&name=128GB

[- - e r i k - -]

Would this be a good place to start?

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts...Index,730.html

[CharlesS]

Only one of the drives benchmarked there appears to be 128 GB - the others are all 32 GB and 64 GB, which seems too small to me.

[CharlesS]

You know, I've gotta wonder why I didn't think of checking Newegg right away. <kicks self in head>

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...849&name=128GB

They've got a nice selection of solid-state drives, ranging from $300 to $500, all of them being far cheaper than Apple's upgrade. Some of them have user reviews. For the others, one may be able to find benchmarks via Google. Unfortunately, I'm really tired right now, and about to go to sleep.

[- - e r i k - -]

This article seem to echo my own feelings about this event presentation:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/10/is...arewell-2.html

Seems to be the beginning of the end of the Steve Jobs era.

[OreoCookie]

Whether there is a Steve note or not is really overrated: his skills are not centered around marketing, his skills lie in the operation of the company. You cannot turn an ailing company into a thriving business just by marketing. Also, it's not such a bad thing he is preparing some successors, and I guess that's one of the lessons he has learned from his bout with cancer: there should be a Plan B, just in case something happens.

I don't think he'll leave anytime soon, but rather that he prepares his company for the `distant' future (read: in several years). In ten years, he'll be in his mid-sixties and I guess he wants at some point.

[imitchellg5]

I don't think Apple really needs Jobs anymore, as long as a bunch of jerks don't take over again. My gut says both Schiller and Ive are going to replace him.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

I'm lost. What does a graphics card have to do with a FW controller?

The 9400M isn't just a graphics chip. It's the mainboard chipset and graphics chip combined in a single chip. I suspect that the chipset portion doesn't support FW, and Apple decided not to add a dedicated FW chip for cost reasons.

[- - e r i k - -]

Ah. That clears things up a bit.

[lpkmckenna]

Take a look at this pic:


Notice that USB2 is natively supported, but not FireWire?

Read about the 9400M at Ars Technica.