Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook Pro

[Timby]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Removing Firewire is fair enough as almost nobody uses it (though you'd still expect a product commonly used by professionals to have it, given how many pro quality peripherals such as external soundcards use it).

Yeah, FireWire's removal confuses me -- it means that I had better stop using my old HDR-FX1 as a backup or B-roll video camera if I plan to buy a new MacBook, since there's no longer a simple way to capture the footage.

But removing ethernet? SERIOUSLY? Are they retarded? Sure, you don't need it when you're on the move (with portability being one of the original selling points of laptops), but the vast majority of people use their laptops in fixed positions within reach of a wired switch/router much of the time, and a great number of those people have the common sense to use wired over wireless whenever and wherever possible.

Yeah, no kidding. Most offices have wireless networks, but in terms of reliable connectivity, you can't beat a hardwired connection. Very, very strange move.

Think the software manufacturers will like it as well. Sure their internet connectivity isn't totally cheaper but for companies such as Microsoft and Adobe it's probably a lot cheaper to provide the software via download then produce CDs or DVDs.

The problem is that we're still a few years away from digital distribution being a completely viable alternative to physical media, especially now that hard bandwidth caps from ISPs are here to stay. Max Payne 3 was a 29-gigabyte download, for heaven's sake, and the Adobe Creative Suite tends to be around 6 - 8 gigs. Apple's moving just a little too far, too quickly, on this one.

 

[ngc7293]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

If anyone noticed, Apple is selling the optical drive separate like my old IBM laptop.

Buying software online is a waste of time because there is always the chance of getting a virus that will wipe out your drive or your drive will go bad by itself (the latter happened to me with my emac). Apps are fine. I will still burn my software that I download to CD or DVD. If I am going to purchase an expensive piece of software like Photoshop, I am not going to trust it to a download. I would rather own the CD/DVD.

 

[brian577]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Removing the optical drive is fair enough as most people don't rely on them on a day-to-day basis any more, and it simplifies chassis design in terms of cooling.

Perhaps, but I still don't appreciate having to pay 80 extra bucks for a device that was built into previous models at apparently no extra cost.

 

[Data Holmes]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Removing the optical drive is fair enough as most people don't rely on them on a day-to-day basis any more, and it simplifies chassis design in terms of cooling.

Removing Firewire is fair enough as almost nobody uses it (though you'd still expect a product commonly used by professionals to have it, given how many pro quality peripherals such as external soundcards use it).

But removing ethernet? SERIOUSLY? Are they retarded? Sure, you don't need it when you're on the move (with portability being one of the original selling points of laptops), but the vast majority of people use their laptops in fixed positions within reach of a wired switch/router much of the time, and a great number of those people have the common sense to use wired over wireless whenever and wherever possible.

I guess they're just trying to replace as many connectors as possible with their general purpose proprietary one so that they can make money from selling overpriced adapters. Typical Apple. I guess if somebody is willing to spend a few grand on an Apple product, they're probably either able to afford all the overpriced accessories to go with it anyway, or they're just gigantic Apple fanboy hipster morons that don't realise or don't care that they're being ripped off.

For "on-the-go" situations there is the thunderbolt adapter for both ethernet and firewire.

For stationary use at home there is the Apple Thunderbolt Display, which connects the macbook to power, monitor, and a hub containing ethernet, usb, firewire, and an additional thunderbolt port, with a "single" cable.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Buying software online is a waste of time because there is always the chance of getting a virus that will wipe out your drive

Not if you buy from the App Store.

OTOH, boxed software is just as likely - that is to say, not very likely - to have a virus as downloadable software would be. Meaning: The method of delivery is irrelevant. Viruses go where their writers put them.

In any case: While OSX is certainly not *immune* to viruses (no OS ever will be), it's unlikely to be a threat, provided the user knows not to do dumbass things like click on a link in spam or phishing email - which is how most viruses spread these days.

or your drive will go bad by itself (the latter happened to me with my emac).

You do have a backup, don't you?

 

[Candlelight]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook-Pro-with-Retina-Display-Teardown/9462/1#.T9j-nJg2eF9

Don't expect to do any DIY upgrades or repairs on the thing...

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Outside of RAM, how many people upgrade their Laptop? And how many people actually upgrade RAM? I don't think it is a significant number, so they are tailoring their line to majority who don't do this. If a Professional is buying this, like me. I'm getting the 16GB version. If your a hipster who just wants the shiny new Next Generation MacBook Pro, your getting the 8GB version and don't realize or need the difference in RAM.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

they are tailoring their line to majority who don't do this.

Exactly. That is also the reason for the trend re: abandoning the optical drive. There is a definite trend to buying software online, whether it be from the App Store or the software vendors' own sites. For those who insist on a drive, there's one available. But if most people buy online, why have the drive? Seems that it'd be cheaper to put forth an external unit for those few that need it, rather than have one on every Mac and thus a lot of them go unused.

 

[Mooch]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Outside of RAM, how many people upgrade their Laptop? And how many people actually upgrade RAM? I don't think it is a significant number, so they are tailoring their line to majority who don't do this. If a Professional is buying this, like me. I'm getting the 16GB version. If your a hipster who just wants the shiny new Next Generation MacBook Pro, your getting the 8GB version and don't realize or need the difference in RAM.

I've never upgraded my current laptop, and I only upgraded the HDD in my old laptop because the original one died. I think the last time I put in a DVD in my laptop was when OS X 10.6 came out.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Outside of RAM, how many people upgrade their Laptop? And how many people actually upgrade RAM? I don't think it is a significant number, so they are tailoring their line to majority who don't do this. If a Professional is buying this, like me. I'm getting the 16GB version. If your a hipster who just wants the shiny new Next Generation MacBook Pro, your getting the 8GB version and don't realize or need the difference in RAM.

Hard drives swaps are fairly common. I've installed internal bluetooth modules, personally, but I get the Apple crowd isn't likely to care. Who else would tolerate paying another $30 for an ethernet adapter after coughing up $2100 for a laptop?

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

You do realize that the future is wireless and thats what THIS machine is about, The Future of Computers. Apple has always been about pushing forward the PC. I remember the uproar when they removed the Floppy, same antiquated arguments were made about that.

Hard drives swaps are fairly common. I've installed internal bluetooth modules, personally, but I get the Apple crowd isn't likely to care. Who else would tolerate paying another $30 for an ethernet adapter after coughing up $2100 for a laptop?

 

[ngc7293]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Buying software online is a waste of time because there is always the chance of getting a virus that will wipe out your drive

Not if you buy from the App Store.

Not if the software you by is something like Photoshop. I agree that apps that are purchased for my iphone can just be redownloaded.

OTOH, boxed software is just as likely - that is to say, not very likely - to have a virus as downloadable software would be. Meaning: The method of delivery is irrelevant. Viruses go where their writers put them.

Maybe I don't understand. It sounds like you are saying viruses could be found on DVDs?!?

In any case: While OSX is certainly not *immune* to viruses (no OS ever will be), it's unlikely to be a threat, provided the user knows not to do dumbass things like click on a link in spam or phishing email - which is how most viruses spread these days.

That is what people have told 'PC' users and they go to those sites anyway. I have always thought that Macs were "immune" to viruses, but I saw something on TV about some guy who said he could hack any Mac. I don't know about the new Apple OS, but the computers are getting popular now (even if they are still expensive) and they are not immune to average or stupid people.

or your drive will go bad by itself (the latter happened to me with my emac).

You do have a backup, don't you?

See, that was the wonderful thing about having a CD/DVD drive. I could back up to it. (actually, the eMac could only backup to CD. At one point I was networking with my PC that had a DVD-RW (bad idea, I know). After getting the backup drive, I did back up everything and then the drive crashed, but I didn't have the money to take the out of warranty machine in to get the drive replaced. I had the "Take-apart" manual for the eMac and that didn't look fun.

To make a long long story.... well too late I'd still save to CD/DVD, because that backup drive died on me to because the power supply died.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

See, that was the wonderful thing about having a CD/DVD drive. I could back up to it.

And now they have cheap hard drives that you can buy and have Time Machine do *automatic* backups.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Also a Hard Drive overall is more stable then a perishable item like a CD/Rom. You have a greater risk of loosing your data on a CD/Rom then on a HD.

See, that was the wonderful thing about having a CD/DVD drive. I could back up to it.

And now they have cheap hard drives that you can buy and have Time Machine do *automatic* backups.

 

[Candlelight]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Also a Hard Drive overall is more stable then a perishable item like a CD/Rom. You have a greater risk of loosing your data on a CD/Rom then on a HD.

See, that was the wonderful thing about having a CD/DVD drive. I could back up to it.

And now they have cheap hard drives that you can buy and have Time Machine do *automatic* backups.

Providing it's spun fairly regularly. Put it on a shelf in a cold room for 6 months and we'll see how well the back up works then.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

And now they have cheap hard drives that you can buy and have Time Machine do *automatic* backups.

Providing it's spun fairly regularly.

Time Machine does hourly, daily and weekly backups, so I'd call that 'fairly regularly.'

 

[spinnerlys]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Do you use HandBrake? I can't get it to work with any DVD I have, it bitches about copy protection.

I use a separate program to rip the DVD, then Handbrake to compress the video. (Handbrake used to have the functionality to strip CSS protection from discs, but that was removed a few years ago.)

HandBrake is capable of ripping video DVDs if one has VLC Player installed.

How to backup/copy/rip video DVDs to your HDD and transcode them to another format in Mac OS X.

How-To: Automating DVD & Blu-Ray (Backup, Encoding & Tagging) for Mac OS X 10.6​

 

[spinnerlys]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Providing it's spun fairly regularly.

Time Machine does hourly, daily and weekly backups, so I'd call that 'fairly regularly.'

Candlelight meant, that if you don't use HDDs regularly and spin it up every once in a while (once or twice a year), HDDs might die sooner due do non-usage, though I haven't experienced that yet with some ATA (IDE) HDDs from 2002, which only get spun up every two or three years.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

I use MacX DVD Video Converter Pro Pack. Its $29.95 and WELL worth the price. You can even rip Disney DVD's with it, they have their own encryption technology.

http://www.macxdvd.com/special-offer/2012-summer-holiday-promotion.htm

Do you use HandBrake? I can't get it to work with any DVD I have, it bitches about copy protection.

I use a separate program to rip the DVD, then Handbrake to compress the video. (Handbrake used to have the functionality to strip CSS protection from discs, but that was removed a few years ago.)

HandBrake is capable of ripping video DVDs if one has VLC Player installed.

How to backup/copy/rip video DVDs to your HDD and transcode them to another format in Mac OS X.

How-To: Automating DVD & Blu-Ray (Backup, Encoding & Tagging) for Mac OS X 10.6​

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Apple ditch optical drive, ethernet, firewire ports in new Macbook

Providing it's spun fairly regularly.

Time Machine does hourly, daily and weekly backups, so I'd call that 'fairly regularly.'

Candlelight meant, that if you don't use HDDs regularly and spin it up every once in a while (once or twice a year), HDDs might die sooner due do non-usage

But the backups I just described, those *are* usage.