[fisherKing]

just need to get this out...

have been a macuser for about 13 years, since the 6100/60 (!); owned a 2400c (an AMAZING powerbook), a couple of pismos, and 2 12" powerbooks. was disappointed when apple moved to intel processors, and abandoned the 12".

now we have a new line: 13", 15", (17" coming). i don't understand why they all aren't 'pros', ie different processor speeds, storage space, etc... but acknowledging their shared qualities. sure, the 13" could 'lose' the card slot, but firewire??

basically, what i'm on about is this: i want a small, light, pro laptop. i need firewire. (and, really, i'd at least prefer the option of a matte screen).

i like the new macbook, but no firewire is the killer. so apple is telling me if i want a new-gen macbook, i have to get the 15"...which defeats the "small & light" preference.

i have a chance to buy my friend's 15" macbook pro (last gen, matte screen) and will probably do that; this way i am not giving any $ to apple. choices have disappeared, and apple, who introduced us to firewire, has now literally pulled the plug.

end rant, thanx for reading

[BoingoBongo]

I absolutely understand your points (and I agree with them), but at the same time, there's not a lot that can be done about it.

Apple pioneered the 3 1/2" floppy, and then was the first to kill it. Maybe if you do buy your friend's computer (which sounds like a great machine), things will have moved further away from Firewire by the time you need to upgrade again, and the need for it wont be as great?

I agree about the matte screens, but I've given up on that battle.

[mduell]

If you want small and light with Firewire, you'll have to look beyond Apple.

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by mduell 

If you want small and light with Firewire, you'll have to look beyond Apple.

too bad i prefer os x...

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by BoingoBongo 

Apple pioneered the 3 1/2" floppy, and then was the first to kill it. Maybe if you do buy your friend's computer (which sounds like a great machine), things will have moved further away from Firewire by the time you need to upgrade again, and the need for it wont be as great?

You guys are really starting to bother me with this analogy. Firewire being removed from the MacBook is completely different from the 1.44MB floppy being removed from the original iMac. Additionally, while external USB floppy drives could replace the lack of an internal drive, there's no way to replace the missing Firewire port. Firewire is a completely different serial interface from USB, and there are many consumer and professional products that rely on it. On the consumer side, there are many people who use Firewire hard drives. Now granted, a lot of those drives also are USB capable, but many of us prefer to run them using Firewire; many of us don't think USB should be used for high data throughput devices. There are also many potential MacBook consumers who own miniDV camcorders, which absolutely cannot be run through USB. Then there's Target Disk Mode, which USB will never replicate. Apple used to promote even low-end Macs as non-linear video editors using miniDV and Firewire, but for the first time in 8 years one of their lines don't have Firewire. Apple should not be rewarded or apologized for over this terrible, anti-consumer choice.

[Eug]

I wouldn't mind it as much if they dropped AluMacBook pricing by a few hundred $. Specs-wise, the new MacBooks are really overpriced.