I know their entire business relies on DRM's success but every encounter I have had with it ended up being some sort of pain in the ass. How does DRM increase consumer value. Like, why should I be excited that I can't copy media from one format to another without it being a hassle? I wish Macrovision explained that statement.
When Macrovision speaks of cunsumers they aren't speaking of the end users they are speaking of Macrovision's customers. And they are members of groups ending in "AA". You, wanting to format shift what you bought, are the end user not the cunsumer.
He's shifting the blame from himself and his company to the record companies instead. And some people might argue that this is a totally reasonable thing to do, but others, like Norway, seem to disagree. Their response is, "I don't care if the big bad record company men forced you into using DRM, it's still illegal here."
If the RIAA wants, demands, Jobs continue using drm and the Netherlands, er morway keep demanding Jobs don't use drm then the only thing he can do is pull out of that market. If he stays in the market no matter what he does he will be breaking a law, either Norway's or IP laws and the contracts iTunes has with the RIAA.
i would say thats not even necessary.
imho most important is convertibility. so whenever a new format comes available you should be able to convert it to the new media yourself. not being forced to re buy or keep "antique" hardware players just to see a movie/song/album you bought these days again in say 10 or 20 years.
A long tyme ago I did somethng like this. When I bought a new vinyl record, the first tyme I played it on my turntable I'd record it on my reel to reel tape deck, then I'd put the vinyl away for savekeeping and listen to the tape. If I had wanted to I could of recorded it later on a cassette tape so I 'd be able to take it with me. As for "antique" equipment I've noticed new turntables in stores lately, some with usb ports. I've been thinking of getting one however I haven't seen new vinyl records out. There are a few stores within walking distance that sells vinyl but I think they're all used.
Again, name one app that runs on Windows that you can't find an equivalant app for Macs.
A competent PCB design package. A competent Atmel AVR simulator. Games. A half-decent usenet client. At least, that's the stuff that I miss having now that I don't use Windows any more. Oh, to have Agent and AVRStudio and on-line FPS again *sob*.
Spending less than a minute on Google, though I don't know how well they are I found some PCB design apps:
I didn't even look in there because I've tried them out in the store. Too unwieldy for me and I sometimes lie back in bed with my knees providing a rest (kind of like Soyuz launch seats) and if I tilt the 17" forward, the hinge is not strong enough to prevent the screen from falling down and closing on my hands. But that's why you go to the store and test them first. No, I didn't take a nap in the store. Just picked it up and tilted it!
Though I haven't picked one up and tried holding it in various positions I have been to stores selling MBPs. One store is ten minutes walk for me. So as for being unwieldy, I don't know if they are. And weight isn't much of an issue for me. I used to hike with a 50+ pound backpack and when I was a fulltime student I rode my bike 5 days a week 8 miles to campus with 20+ pounds in my backpack. So if I can't carry the weight of a 17" MBP I'm in seriously bad shape. Actually as I want to be able to type while hiking I'm thinking of getting or making a holder for the laptop. What concerns me is battery life, however I'll get one maybe two spare batteries.
Oh well. I can do my image editing just fine on the 15.2".
While I'm using a 17" monitor now I used to use a second monitor that's 21", I had a dual monitor setup until the 21" died. Now I'd like to get at least a 23" or 24" monitor. I'd get bigger if not for my finance.
I only looked at the 17" MBP so I don't know if a 7200 rpm hdd is only available on it. Then again I want a 17" MBP. Heck, if Apple released a 21" MBP I'd want it.
Question- what are the things Windows has that you like that OS X doesn't? Just wondering.
Other than two button mice, which do work with Macs, I like how Explorer works. I don't recall Finder much but it's not quite the same. Admittedly once I start using OSX I may find I prefer it over Explorer.
Yea, I loved the Amiga but Commodore messed things up. Despite it's capabilities, it could run Mac software faster than a Mac and it could run DOS/Windows with an addon board, Commodore's advertizing was a failure. In 1997 when Gateway came out to buy Escom, the new owners of the Amiga, I was hoping they'd revive it. Unfortunately my hopes were dashed.
If it's running OSX? Run a whole lot of programs natively that are commonly used in business that aren't available on OSX...
Again, name one app that runs on Windows that you can't find an equivalant app for Macs. MS Office even runs on Macs. The one thing I've heard, I 've never used it so I can't say for sure, in Office for Windows that's not in the version for Macs is I believe Entourage.
...If we're talking about the MBP, which we are, run Linux or Windows with 3d graphics worth a crap, because the Linux and Windows ATI drivers are pure garbage.
This latter complaint applies specifically to the MBP, as I stated in my earlier comment, whose moderation I was complaining about. They do not apply for example to the ordinary macbook, which has intel integrated graphics, which are covered under Windows with competent graphics drivers, and on Linux (etc) with Free, Open Source, and competent graphics drivers.
First I'm not sure what you're getting at in regards to ATI drivers for Windows and Linux when Apple uses neither driver. Also, though I don't know if true, I've heard the graphics drivers for ATI cards for Linux suck as well. As for the graphics capability of ordinary Macbooks versus graphics in MBPs, try telling a designer or photographer they can use the Intel integrated graphics in the Macbooks and they don't need the MBP.
That's cool. I need to run Adobe Creative Suite to do my work, because while they are coming along swimmingly, the Gimp, Scribus, and Inkscape don't substitute for Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
I'd love to get CS3, which Adobe will be releasing a native or fat binary version of for Mactels. However I don't work and am on disability so I can't justify the cost for it, so I've been looking unsuccessfully for cheaper alternatives. I'm hoping to start working as a photographer, and developer, this spring and if so I may be able to afford CS after a few months. Actually because it's so expensive compared to what I can afford, I've been thinking of going ahead and getting a marked down old version of Photoshop then use it to get the CS3 upgrade thus I hope to save money.
I've been using CS2 on OSX 10.3 on a Dual G5. The system has been dramatically less reliable and less consistent than the Windows Laptop (again, this compaq system) that sits right next to it. The system locks up more. The applications lock up more, and are more likely to require a reboot before they will work properly again, and yes, I have some of them on the PC as well and can make a reasonable comparison.
Photoshop CS2 locks up on you while running on a Mac? At least it's CS2 that's locking up. Windows on my PC constantly has problems and I have to frequently reboot, as I should now. While I'm using ME it's not just ME I have had trouble with. I've been using Windows since 3.x and other than Vista I have used all of the versions of Windows except 2003. In that tyme the only version of Windows I have or have used that has not crashed or given me the BSOD is NT 4. Heck the first tyme I booted up a computer with XP installed the computer froze while booting up and eventually ended up holding the power button in to power it down before rebooting. And the PC was a brand new Dell that had just arrived at the college where I was taking a class in Java.
My experience has led me to believe that there are no compelling reasons to run OSX unless you want to run the iLife applications
Stability! See above. If I can't reasonably use a PC with Windows then I'll switch to a computer I can reasonably use. And I am, a few months ago I bought a new PC with Linux preinstalled for my desktop. And for a laptop I plan on getting a 17" MBP.
1) Docking station support. Granted, I could use Belkin's ExpressCard-based high speed dock [belkin.com] when it's released, but that would limit me to Windows as it doesn't support Mac. Call me lazy, but I'd like to just dock it in when I'm at my desk.
I too would like a docking station for Macbooks and MBPs. With one I'd be able to pick it up off the desk and slip it into it's bag instead of having to unplug all of the connectors first. Years ago I had a Gateway laptop with a docking station, and two keyboards and mice, one each connected to the docking station and the others in the laptop's backpack alone with a second power cord.
As far as Belkin's dock not working with Macs, there are other companies that have docks that work with Macs. Check out this, macbook "docking station"
People complain about variety in apple systems but I think the real problem is that OSX is not available on non-apple hardware. This is the complaint I rarely see in Apple discussions. This leads me to believe that Apple is far more about an image than it is about substance.
What many people, especially those who say they want Mac OSX to run on non Apple computers, don't know is that Apple is as much if not more of a hardware as a software business. Apple once did allow Mac clone makers however they quickly found out that the clones ate into Apple's bottum line, Apple lost more from lost hardware sales than they made from licensing the Mac OS to clone makers. While I too would like to see Mac clones, I don't see how Apple could make a profit from them. On top of that, if Apple were to license OSX, then Apple would run smack dab into MS. And MS has shown it will stop at nothing to prevent OEMs from preinstalling OSes that compete with Windows.
Also if Apple were to allow Mac clones then Apple would have to make sure OSX was able to work on more hardware or it wouldn't "just work". It would then get a bad rep.
Get the space you need now, and if you can hold out for a year, replace it with a bigger drive then. I'm sure I'll run out of space on the 120G drive, but not for a while. When I really do need the extra space, I'll buy it.
The 160 GB 5400 rpm hdd should provide enough space for now as long as I use my Linux box for storage, I installed a 750 GB hdd as a second drive in it. The files I transfered to it from my Windows box took 160GB. However if and when I get a dslr the space will be eaten up pretty quickly.
I just got a MBP with 1G, because you can upgrade the memory for $80 to 2G if you buy from a 3rd party, which is half the price of Apple's memory.
Yea, I'd rather get the MBP with 3GB ram instead of the two it comes with but I don't like that the third GB costs $575. Especially when third party ram is so cheap. What I'm concerned about with third party ram though is if using it will invalidate the warranty, when I get it I'll also be getting Applecare. I suppose what I may do is go ahead and get just 2GB then if I end more later let them add more at the Apple store.
. The Apple is cutesy and has eye candy. The PC system is more suited to doing actual work. I didn't even bring up the fact that less work is actually done on OSX than on Windows...
Vista's Aero isn't eye candy? As for getting work done, name one thing a Windows PC can do a Mac can't do? That is other than display the BSOD, or phone home, require Activation, or WPA/WGA! Because of MS's policy of rewiring these I am switching from Windows PCs to both Linux on my desktop and the Macbook Pro for a laptop. I've checked into whether I can use a Mac, and Linux, to do everything I use Windows PCs for and I haven't found one thing I will not be able to do that I actually want to do. One of the hardest was to find a Mac replacement for XLMSpy however a few slashdotters have pointed out some Mac apps, some if not all of which are FOOS, that can do what XMLSpy does. Now only if I could find a cheap(er) photo editor with the capabilities of Photoshop.
The differences between the MacBook and MacBook Pro are very few and certainly not worth the $.
There's a very big difference between Macbooks and Macbook Pros! It's call screen real estate. There 4" more with the MBP 17" than with a 13" Macbook. Also it has dedicated graphics versus the MB's Intel integrated graphics. And there's the firewire 800. For a graphics developer or photographer the larger screen is very much worth the higher cost, as it the firewire 800 when using a dsrl.
Now their strategy has abandoned low end small machines. Ooops. So now we'll see one. This comes as no surprise. They have nowhere to go. Frankly, I am looking forward to this, because my G4 iBook is getting a bit long in the tooth...
Now, it may help Apple if they were to not only bring out a lower end portable, subnotebook, but also a midrange desktop. A computer holding the middle ground between the iMac or Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. I'd also like to see a Mac Tablet, say 17".
Yeesh, if you're going to get something that big, just get a 21" iMac and drag around a generator or something. It won't be THAT much less convenient.
Dragging a generator, and the fuel, would be very inconvenient. Besides the size of one, I woudn't be able to carry one in a backpack, it would be another thing to carry. The weight alone would be more than a 21" laptop and my camera equipment. Now a sterling generator that can be stuck in a fire wouldn't need to be as big or heavy, but would it provide enough power?
I just cut and pasted these optoons from Apple's online store for Macbook Pros. Now the Macbooks maybe not have the same options but the MBPs do have a 7200 rpm hdd option.
I agree that the first ones were shit. We have one here at the office that is absolute shit - and it has had a motherboard replacement and it still is shit.
This is usually the case with new Apple hardware models. I've had problems with buying just after a new model comes out on the following models: PowerMac 7200, PowerBook 5300 cs, PowerMac G4, PowerMac G4 Cube, MacMini Intel Core Duo.
This reminds me of ZDS, Zenith, PCs years ago. There was a joke with some validity that if your new ZDS PC didn't have any hardware problems in the first week it never would but if it did then it would always have problems.
One thing I love about Mac people is how they always find some way to let you know that how you use a computer is wrong, and the only true way is the Jobs way. I like Macs, but damn if I'm not tired of the community.
I find Windows people are the same, as are Linux people. There are things Windows has I like that OSX doesn't, at least to my knowledge then again I haven't used really Macs in years, however in general I prefer Macs. Then again the OS I've used that I liked or loved the most was AmigaOS. Computers however are tools and you use the appropriate tool for a given job.
That doesn't cover all right-button uses; for instance, you can't right-click-and-drag with the two-finger method. I use this all the time, and I have to carry a mouse with my ($2800!!!) Macbook pro so that I can actually do it. And I use the two-finger trick all the time, as well as the control button trick. It's just not the same, and it is long past time for Apple to simply say "ooops" and fix the darned thing. Two buttons are considerably better than one; and so on for a reasonable number of buttons, for that matter. It really is just that simple.
While two buttons are better than one I don't like the trackpads on laptops so I always carried and used a mouse with my laptops. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems you don't like carrying a mouse with your Macbook Pro, I however will gladly carry one when I get my MBP. I've had two laptops and I never did get used to using a trackpad which is why I started carrying a mouse..
On Macs alone, it might be a different thing - but when you dual boot, I just need that second mouse button. Until the day Apple changes and introduces that - at the very least as an option - I am not buying an Apple notebook.
Apple does sell two button mice, the Mighty Mouse has two buttons. Now I wish the trackpad had two buttons however I use a mouse instead of trackpads and Macs also work with third party mice. And I am planning on getting a Macbook Pro, because of MS's policy of requiring Activation and WPA/WGA I am switching to Macs from Windows.
It's silly that InkWell (nee Rosetta, the print recognizer from Newton OS 2.0) is bundled w/ every copy of Mac OS X, yet is only enabled when one plugs in a graphics tablet (and only fully usable if one shells out for a Wacom Cintiq).
I'd love to see a Macbook with a builtin graphics tablet, maybe Apple can work with Wacom to make one. Of course knowing Apple, if they were to design one they do it themself. RSN I plan to get a Macbook Pro and I've been thinking of getting a Wacom also.
I asked for the 200GB 4200 rpm hard drive instead of the smaller 5400 rpm choices. I'd like to be able to enjoy longer battery life, and while I expect the machine to run City of Heroes (via Boot Camp) most of the time I can't foresee 4200rpm causing any problems for me. Any slowness coming from the drive will be more than offset by the increased speed of Photoshop -- the app I do 90% of my work in.
With a 4200 rpm hdd Photoshop isn't slow? I plan on getting a Macbook Pro rsn. I'd like to get a 7200 rpm hdd however 100 GB is too small for me whereas I think the 200 GB 4200 rpm 200 GB drive is slower than I'd like so I think I'll split the difference and get the 5400 rpm 160 GB hdd. Then if I need more storage I coud get an external firewire or usb2 hdd.
I'm a Mac user and I really like my MacBook Pro, but I also like really small subnotebooks. So, I'd love to see a super miniature version of the MacBook. It would be bitchin. I keep looking at a friend's Sony subnotebook and saying that it must be nice to have such a small book and I wish it could run MacOS X.
What I'd like Apple to release is a tablet. They also need to come out with a midrange computer, something between an iMac or Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. One that while not highend is expandable and upgradable.
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I know their entire business relies on DRM's success but every encounter I have had with it ended up being some sort of pain in the ass. How does DRM increase consumer value. Like, why should I be excited that I can't copy media from one format to another without it being a hassle? I wish Macrovision explained that statement.
When Macrovision speaks of cunsumers they aren't speaking of the end users they are speaking of Macrovision's customers. And they are members of groups ending in "AA". You, wanting to format shift what you bought, are the end user not the cunsumer.
FalconHe's shifting the blame from himself and his company to the record companies instead. And some people might argue that this is a totally reasonable thing to do, but others, like Norway, seem to disagree. Their response is, "I don't care if the big bad record company men forced you into using DRM, it's still illegal here."
If the RIAA wants, demands, Jobs continue using drm and the Netherlands, er morway keep demanding Jobs don't use drm then the only thing he can do is pull out of that market. If he stays in the market no matter what he does he will be breaking a law, either Norway's or IP laws and the contracts iTunes has with the RIAA.
Falcon"comes in many formats"
i would say thats not even necessary.
imho most important is convertibility. so whenever a new format comes available you should be able to convert it to the new media yourself. not being forced to re buy or keep "antique" hardware players just to see a movie/song/album you bought these days again in say 10 or 20 years.
A long tyme ago I did somethng like this. When I bought a new vinyl record, the first tyme I played it on my turntable I'd record it on my reel to reel tape deck, then I'd put the vinyl away for savekeeping and listen to the tape. If I had wanted to I could of recorded it later on a cassette tape so I 'd be able to take it with me. As for "antique" equipment I've noticed new turntables in stores lately, some with usb ports. I've been thinking of getting one however I haven't seen new vinyl records out. There are a few stores within walking distance that sells vinyl but I think they're all used.
FalconAgain, name one app that runs on Windows that you can't find an equivalant app for Macs.
A competent PCB design package. A competent Atmel AVR simulator. Games. A half-decent usenet client. At least, that's the stuff that I miss having now that I don't use Windows any more. Oh, to have Agent and AVRStudio and on-line FPS again *sob*.
Spending less than a minute on Google, though I don't know how well they are I found some PCB design apps:
- PCB 123
- Pad2Pad
- DesignWorks Professional for the Macintosh and iMac
- AutoTRAX EDA
FalconI didn't even look in there because I've tried them out in the store. Too unwieldy for me and I sometimes lie back in bed with my knees providing a rest (kind of like Soyuz launch seats) and if I tilt the 17" forward, the hinge is not strong enough to prevent the screen from falling down and closing on my hands. But that's why you go to the store and test them first. No, I didn't take a nap in the store. Just picked it up and tilted it!
Though I haven't picked one up and tried holding it in various positions I have been to stores selling MBPs. One store is ten minutes walk for me. So as for being unwieldy, I don't know if they are. And weight isn't much of an issue for me. I used to hike with a 50+ pound backpack and when I was a fulltime student I rode my bike 5 days a week 8 miles to campus with 20+ pounds in my backpack. So if I can't carry the weight of a 17" MBP I'm in seriously bad shape. Actually as I want to be able to type while hiking I'm thinking of getting or making a holder for the laptop. What concerns me is battery life, however I'll get one maybe two spare batteries.
Oh well. I can do my image editing just fine on the 15.2".
While I'm using a 17" monitor now I used to use a second monitor that's 21", I had a dual monitor setup until the 21" died. Now I'd like to get at least a 23" or 24" monitor. I'd get bigger if not for my finance.
FalconI suggest you look at "Path Finder", which is a very nice Finder replacement, when and if you get around to OSX.
Thanks, I'll check it out. Hopefully I'll be getting a MBP by the end of the month.
Falcon17".
I only looked at the 17" MBP so I don't know if a 7200 rpm hdd is only available on it. Then again I want a 17" MBP. Heck, if Apple released a 21" MBP I'd want it.
FalconThat's weird. Were you in the educational store, and which model was that? I went for the 15" 2.33.
The regular store, and I selected the 17" MBP.
FalconQuestion- what are the things Windows has that you like that OS X doesn't? Just wondering.
Other than two button mice, which do work with Macs, I like how Explorer works. I don't recall Finder much but it's not quite the same. Admittedly once I start using OSX I may find I prefer it over Explorer.
Yea, I loved the Amiga but Commodore messed things up. Despite it's capabilities, it could run Mac software faster than a Mac and it could run DOS/Windows with an addon board, Commodore's advertizing was a failure. In 1997 when Gateway came out to buy Escom, the new owners of the Amiga, I was hoping they'd revive it. Unfortunately my hopes were dashed.
FalconIf it's running OSX? Run a whole lot of programs natively that are commonly used in business that aren't available on OSX...
Again, name one app that runs on Windows that you can't find an equivalant app for Macs. MS Office even runs on Macs. The one thing I've heard, I 've never used it so I can't say for sure, in Office for Windows that's not in the version for Macs is I believe Entourage.
...If we're talking about the MBP, which we are, run Linux or Windows with 3d graphics worth a crap, because the Linux and Windows ATI drivers are pure garbage.
This latter complaint applies specifically to the MBP, as I stated in my earlier comment, whose moderation I was complaining about. They do not apply for example to the ordinary macbook, which has intel integrated graphics, which are covered under Windows with competent graphics drivers, and on Linux (etc) with Free, Open Source, and competent graphics drivers.
First I'm not sure what you're getting at in regards to ATI drivers for Windows and Linux when Apple uses neither driver. Also, though I don't know if true, I've heard the graphics drivers for ATI cards for Linux suck as well. As for the graphics capability of ordinary Macbooks versus graphics in MBPs, try telling a designer or photographer they can use the Intel integrated graphics in the Macbooks and they don't need the MBP.
That's cool. I need to run Adobe Creative Suite to do my work, because while they are coming along swimmingly, the Gimp, Scribus, and Inkscape don't substitute for Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
I'd love to get CS3, which Adobe will be releasing a native or fat binary version of for Mactels. However I don't work and am on disability so I can't justify the cost for it, so I've been looking unsuccessfully for cheaper alternatives. I'm hoping to start working as a photographer, and developer, this spring and if so I may be able to afford CS after a few months. Actually because it's so expensive compared to what I can afford, I've been thinking of going ahead and getting a marked down old version of Photoshop then use it to get the CS3 upgrade thus I hope to save money.
I've been using CS2 on OSX 10.3 on a Dual G5. The system has been dramatically less reliable and less consistent than the Windows Laptop (again, this compaq system) that sits right next to it. The system locks up more. The applications lock up more, and are more likely to require a reboot before they will work properly again, and yes, I have some of them on the PC as well and can make a reasonable comparison.
Photoshop CS2 locks up on you while running on a Mac? At least it's CS2 that's locking up. Windows on my PC constantly has problems and I have to frequently reboot, as I should now. While I'm using ME it's not just ME I have had trouble with. I've been using Windows since 3.x and other than Vista I have used all of the versions of Windows except 2003. In that tyme the only version of Windows I have or have used that has not crashed or given me the BSOD is NT 4. Heck the first tyme I booted up a computer with XP installed the computer froze while booting up and eventually ended up holding the power button in to power it down before rebooting. And the PC was a brand new Dell that had just arrived at the college where I was taking a class in Java.
My experience has led me to believe that there are no compelling reasons to run OSX unless you want to run the iLife applications
Stability! See above. If I can't reasonably use a PC with Windows then I'll switch to a computer I can reasonably use. And I am, a few months ago I bought a new PC with Linux preinstalled for my desktop. And for a laptop I plan on getting a 17" MBP.
Falcon1) Docking station support. Granted, I could use Belkin's ExpressCard-based high speed dock [belkin.com] when it's released, but that would limit me to Windows as it doesn't support Mac. Call me lazy, but I'd like to just dock it in when I'm at my desk.
I too would like a docking station for Macbooks and MBPs. With one I'd be able to pick it up off the desk and slip it into it's bag instead of having to unplug all of the connectors first. Years ago I had a Gateway laptop with a docking station, and two keyboards and mice, one each connected to the docking station and the others in the laptop's backpack alone with a second power cord.
As far as Belkin's dock not working with Macs, there are other companies that have docks that work with Macs. Check out this, macbook "docking station"
FalconPeople complain about variety in apple systems but I think the real problem is that OSX is not available on non-apple hardware. This is the complaint I rarely see in Apple discussions. This leads me to believe that Apple is far more about an image than it is about substance.
What many people, especially those who say they want Mac OSX to run on non Apple computers, don't know is that Apple is as much if not more of a hardware as a software business. Apple once did allow Mac clone makers however they quickly found out that the clones ate into Apple's bottum line, Apple lost more from lost hardware sales than they made from licensing the Mac OS to clone makers. While I too would like to see Mac clones, I don't see how Apple could make a profit from them. On top of that, if Apple were to license OSX, then Apple would run smack dab into MS. And MS has shown it will stop at nothing to prevent OEMs from preinstalling OSes that compete with Windows.
Also if Apple were to allow Mac clones then Apple would have to make sure OSX was able to work on more hardware or it wouldn't "just work". It would then get a bad rep.
FalconGet the space you need now, and if you can hold out for a year, replace it with a bigger drive then. I'm sure I'll run out of space on the 120G drive, but not for a while. When I really do need the extra space, I'll buy it.
The 160 GB 5400 rpm hdd should provide enough space for now as long as I use my Linux box for storage, I installed a 750 GB hdd as a second drive in it. The files I transfered to it from my Windows box took 160GB. However if and when I get a dslr the space will be eaten up pretty quickly.
I just got a MBP with 1G, because you can upgrade the memory for $80 to 2G if you buy from a 3rd party, which is half the price of Apple's memory.
Yea, I'd rather get the MBP with 3GB ram instead of the two it comes with but I don't like that the third GB costs $575. Especially when third party ram is so cheap. What I'm concerned about with third party ram though is if using it will invalidate the warranty, when I get it I'll also be getting Applecare. I suppose what I may do is go ahead and get just 2GB then if I end more later let them add more at the Apple store.
Falcon. The Apple is cutesy and has eye candy. The PC system is more suited to doing actual work. I didn't even bring up the fact that less work is actually done on OSX than on Windows...
Vista's Aero isn't eye candy? As for getting work done, name one thing a Windows PC can do a Mac can't do? That is other than display the BSOD, or phone home, require Activation, or WPA/WGA! Because of MS's policy of rewiring these I am switching from Windows PCs to both Linux on my desktop and the Macbook Pro for a laptop. I've checked into whether I can use a Mac, and Linux, to do everything I use Windows PCs for and I haven't found one thing I will not be able to do that I actually want to do. One of the hardest was to find a Mac replacement for XLMSpy however a few slashdotters have pointed out some Mac apps, some if not all of which are FOOS, that can do what XMLSpy does. Now only if I could find a cheap(er) photo editor with the capabilities of Photoshop.
FalconMacbook Pros?
The differences between the MacBook and MacBook Pro are very few and certainly not worth the $.
There's a very big difference between Macbooks and Macbook Pros! It's call screen real estate. There 4" more with the MBP 17" than with a 13" Macbook. Also it has dedicated graphics versus the MB's Intel integrated graphics. And there's the firewire 800. For a graphics developer or photographer the larger screen is very much worth the higher cost, as it the firewire 800 when using a dsrl.
Now their strategy has abandoned low end small machines. Ooops. So now we'll see one. This comes as no surprise. They have nowhere to go. Frankly, I am looking forward to this, because my G4 iBook is getting a bit long in the tooth...
Now, it may help Apple if they were to not only bring out a lower end portable, subnotebook, but also a midrange desktop. A computer holding the middle ground between the iMac or Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. I'd also like to see a Mac Tablet, say 17".
FalconYeesh, if you're going to get something that big, just get a 21" iMac and drag around a generator or something. It won't be THAT much less convenient.
Dragging a generator, and the fuel, would be very inconvenient. Besides the size of one, I woudn't be able to carry one in a backpack, it would be another thing to carry. The weight alone would be more than a 21" laptop and my camera equipment. Now a sterling generator that can be stuck in a fire wouldn't need to be as big or heavy, but would it provide enough power?
FalconFrom the Apple store:
I just cut and pasted these optoons from Apple's online store for Macbook Pros. Now the Macbooks maybe not have the same options but the MBPs do have a 7200 rpm hdd option.
FalconI agree that the first ones were shit. We have one here at the office that is absolute shit - and it has had a motherboard replacement and it still is shit.
This is usually the case with new Apple hardware models. I've had problems with buying just after a new model comes out on the following models: PowerMac 7200, PowerBook 5300 cs, PowerMac G4, PowerMac G4 Cube, MacMini Intel Core Duo.
This reminds me of ZDS, Zenith, PCs years ago. There was a joke with some validity that if your new ZDS PC didn't have any hardware problems in the first week it never would but if it did then it would always have problems.
FalconI've said it before and I'll say it again.
Just make a 13.3" MacBookPro already! I don't want a MacBook and I don't want a 15.whatever laptop.
I love my 12" Powerbook but it's getting to the point where it's just too underpowered, and I don't have an upgrade path that I'm happy with.
A few months ago I saw a 21" laptop in a store and I about started drooling at the thought of Apple releasing a 21" Macbook Pro.
FalconOne thing I love about Mac people is how they always find some way to let you know that how you use a computer is wrong, and the only true way is the Jobs way. I like Macs, but damn if I'm not tired of the community.
I find Windows people are the same, as are Linux people. There are things Windows has I like that OSX doesn't, at least to my knowledge then again I haven't used really Macs in years, however in general I prefer Macs. Then again the OS I've used that I liked or loved the most was AmigaOS. Computers however are tools and you use the appropriate tool for a given job.
FalconThat doesn't cover all right-button uses; for instance, you can't right-click-and-drag with the two-finger method. I use this all the time, and I have to carry a mouse with my ($2800!!!) Macbook pro so that I can actually do it. And I use the two-finger trick all the time, as well as the control button trick. It's just not the same, and it is long past time for Apple to simply say "ooops" and fix the darned thing. Two buttons are considerably better than one; and so on for a reasonable number of buttons, for that matter. It really is just that simple.
While two buttons are better than one I don't like the trackpads on laptops so I always carried and used a mouse with my laptops. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems you don't like carrying a mouse with your Macbook Pro, I however will gladly carry one when I get my MBP. I've had two laptops and I never did get used to using a trackpad which is why I started carrying a mouse..
FalconOn Macs alone, it might be a different thing - but when you dual boot, I just need that second mouse button. Until the day Apple changes and introduces that - at the very least as an option - I am not buying an Apple notebook.
Apple does sell two button mice, the Mighty Mouse has two buttons. Now I wish the trackpad had two buttons however I use a mouse instead of trackpads and Macs also work with third party mice. And I am planning on getting a Macbook Pro, because of MS's policy of requiring Activation and WPA/WGA I am switching to Macs from Windows.
FalconIt's silly that InkWell (nee Rosetta, the print recognizer from Newton OS 2.0) is bundled w/ every copy of Mac OS X, yet is only enabled when one plugs in a graphics tablet (and only fully usable if one shells out for a Wacom Cintiq).
I'd love to see a Macbook with a builtin graphics tablet, maybe Apple can work with Wacom to make one. Of course knowing Apple, if they were to design one they do it themself. RSN I plan to get a Macbook Pro and I've been thinking of getting a Wacom also.
FalconI asked for the 200GB 4200 rpm hard drive instead of the smaller 5400 rpm choices. I'd like to be able to enjoy longer battery life, and while I expect the machine to run City of Heroes (via Boot Camp) most of the time I can't foresee 4200rpm causing any problems for me. Any slowness coming from the drive will be more than offset by the increased speed of Photoshop -- the app I do 90% of my work in.
With a 4200 rpm hdd Photoshop isn't slow? I plan on getting a Macbook Pro rsn. I'd like to get a 7200 rpm hdd however 100 GB is too small for me whereas I think the 200 GB 4200 rpm 200 GB drive is slower than I'd like so I think I'll split the difference and get the 5400 rpm 160 GB hdd. Then if I need more storage I coud get an external firewire or usb2 hdd.
FalconI'm a Mac user and I really like my MacBook Pro, but I also like really small subnotebooks. So, I'd love to see a super miniature version of the MacBook. It would be bitchin. I keep looking at a friend's Sony subnotebook and saying that it must be nice to have such a small book and I wish it could run MacOS X.
What I'd like Apple to release is a tablet. They also need to come out with a midrange computer, something between an iMac or Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. One that while not highend is expandable and upgradable.
Falcon