Comments
Comment by carl:
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I’m not a “switcher” b/c I still use Windows (via VMWare) (and I’ve been using Macs for about two years), but you make a number of very valid points about how Apple does business — points which have me seriously debating whether my next purchase should be a Dell or something (I’ve used Dell before and it’s always been great). When I examine the new MacBooks, I am underwhelmed by all the focus on the new manufacturing process; the process might be a great advance, but I don’t really care how a company does the work as long as the machine works. It seems that the price increase — other than the new video chips — is mainly due to the new manufacturing process (as far as MacBooks, not MB Pros, are concerned) … and while I’ve read some people rejoice that the 12-inch Powerbook has returned in the form of the new MacBook, the lack of Firewire belies such a belief … your point about yet another video connector is well-taken: I find myself a bit confused, having to wonder what’s the purpose of the new connector and why it’s needed. I like my Mac and some of the Mac-only, third-party software; but I find myself worrying that the deeper I get into the Apple world the more likely I’ll be trapped by some change that simply makes it more difficult to use anything but a Mac or transition smoothly to the next generation of Mac. One final point: Macs are a product and if you can’t afford it then don’t buy it, or if you think it’s too expensive don’t buy it … BUT … the MacBook price increase, to me, almost feels like a slap in the face (I don’t count the $999 b/c, let’s face it, everyone now knows that that’s the old model, the discounted older version). $200 or $300 increase? I was not one who bought into the $800 rumor; actually, I thought they’d try to keep the price the same. Anyway, that’s my .0002 cents.
Comment by g:
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Don’t go for the big burn, again. Go for the small flaws… Revision B. Always.
Comment by maurits:
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The Chinese actually require USB-compatible chargers for mobile phones these days:
http://www.wirelessnetdesignline.com/howto/broadband/202800278
Regarding the video connector — DisplayPort is not something that Apple cooked up just for fun, it’s instead backed by major industry players, and there are sound technical reasons why one would want to replace DVI by something more capable. So while your bitching about user hostility is understandable from a superficial point of view, I doubt that it’s justified if you look at the issue in depth. See, e.g.,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#AdvantagesoverDVI
http://www.edn.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6594089
Comment by LKM:
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The two main reasons for the new connector are probably that it costs Apple no licensing to use it, and that they don’t need dual-DVI to drive high-res displays. I’m pretty sure that within a few years, most computers will use DisplayPort instead of DVI.
I don’t mind the lack of Bluray. Not having Firewire on the MacBook, though, that sucks.
Comment by bec:
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“when you need to copy a load of data quickly, FireWire always seems to win hands down”
this isn’t because of the OSX implementation, it’s actually based in the architecture of USB 2.0 and Firewire. There are bunches of benchmarks supporting you here :)
Comment by ssp:
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@maurits:
The Chinese actually require USB-compatible chargers for mobile phones these days:
That’s great. Now the ‘developed’ world just needs to catch up :)
Regarding the video connector — DisplayPort is not something that Apple cooked up just for fun, it’s instead backed by major industry players, and there are sound technical reasons why one would want to replace DVI by something more capable.
I guess there will always be a better potential future standard. Still, it seems unclear why Apple managed to use ‘mini-DVI’ on the MacBooks, ‘micro-DVI’ on the MacBook Air and now ‘Mini DisplayPort’ on their new machines. One would expect a company with a bit of foresight to have found a better way there.
Also, Google suggests that the ‘Mini DisplayPort’ Apple use is in no way a standard that is publicly documented and available in a wide range of devices of different companies. All this while the DisplayPort web site suggests that the normal DisplayPort connector has already been designed to be particularly small so it can be fit into tiny devices. Which suggests that either the DisplayPort design isn’t all that great – if they have to be second-guessed to get a reasonable result in the first generation of machines already – or that Apple just needlessly invented an incompatible adaptor.
So while your bitching about user hostility is understandable from a superficial point of view, I doubt that it’s justified if you look at the issue in depth. See, e.g.,
I guess that depends on your interpretation of the term ‘justified’. I can’t judge the technical details, but I suppose you mean ‘technically justified’. Which is at most half of what justified means. Particularly when it comes to screen connectors, the last time I checked everybody but Apple was still using VGA, not even digital ports on their portable machines. Is there really any practical advantage that the DisplayPort connector gives people?
@bec:
this isn’t because of the OSX implementation, it’s actually based in the architecture of USB 2.0 and Firewire. There are bunches of benchmarks supporting you here
I certainly read such reports, but my – very limited and vastly unscientific experience also suggests that OS X’s USB support seems less than idea speed wise. When having to transfer some large files to a Windows machine, my impression was that FireWire won speed-wise but that on a USB connection Windows’ speed with the same drive was significantly higher than the Mac’s speed on that drive.
(lovely icon, BTW)
@LKM:
The two main reasons for the new connector are probably that it costs Apple no licensing to use it
Interesting point, never thought about this. (Cheapskates!)
I’m pretty sure that within a few years, most computers will use DisplayPort instead of DVI.
Let’s hope you’re right about this. People said the same about DVI a few years ago. Apple just seem to be a bit too keen to bet their customers’ money on such future speculations. If it’s going to be a big standard it would still have helped if Apple used the standard connector as well.
