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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Apple destroys MacBook Pro

David Mullen ASC said:
So if I got a Sony EX3, for example, how could I get the footage onto the new 15" Macbook Pro?
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Best bet is to pick up a late model 'old' MBP. Save some cash and there is nothing that significant between the old and new machines.
 
sent.

ExpressCard, graphics, keyboard
 
If only stuff like this made a difference. At most, they'll introduce an "ultimate" 15" MBP with a 2.0 spec EX slot and a few extra niceties... to the tune of about $3,500.
 
David Mullen ASC said:
So if I got a Sony EX3, for example, how could I get the footage onto the new 15" Macbook Pro?
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When I hired an EX3 we just plugged the camera into the computer via USB to ingest. You could use an external reader too, but they're very expensive ($250).

CraigWB said:
what is your beef with the graphics and keyboard?
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I'm wondering too - I have a MacBook, and I really like the keyboard...
 
CraigWB said:
what is your beef with the graphics and keyboard?
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graphics - integrated graphics in a "Pro" named device for multimedia content creation deserves ridicule (not to mention display in 13" versions)

keyboard - new design is distracting and impractical:

a) Visually distracting - too much details and shapes.
Design wise - less minimalistic, breaks the unibody appearance and sleek form of new MBP's.

b) Impractical - they have put space between keys which now has no function and actually takes up space which previously had function. You don't have to be a genius to understand the logic, but Apple seems to have missed that.

You shouldn't need to aim for keys, you should press them without fuss. I'm always for creative design, but this is just plain stupid, IMHO. Like they didn't know what else to do design wise, so they came to a brilliant decison: "Hey, let's make keys smaller". Moving in this design direction, next generation might have little round keys like accordion.

At first I thought it was just me and my subjective nitpicking, but then I found out that my colleagues also type slower on new keyboards.

When you do heavy multitasking and work in a fast tempo you get allergic to unnecessary little stupid things that slow you down.
New keyboard design is one of those unnecessary little stupid things.


Plus I hate the design.


When speaking about laptop keyboards, seems like Dell didn't have a problem with merging design and functionality with Adamo.
 
I love the new keyboard and have no problems typing on it the design is just fine as well so I for one can't agree that it's poorly designed from a functionality point of view.
I don't understand your beef with the 13inch displays they're perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned 1280x800 or whatever the resolution is perfectly acceptable for the screen size it portrays.
And the Graphics are fine, the 9400m is a perfectly capable chip and the higher and models have the dedicated graphics chip AS WELL AS the 9400m.

I'm not too bif on that Dell design as well I think its kinda crap
 
acehole said:
This is why i predict (and have always predicted) that all you mac users will soon be crossing over to the dark side.. Where options are abundant!
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You mean Linux?:thumbsup:

EDIT: But yeah, the Expresscard loss is a bad sign.
 
CraigWB said:
I love the new keyboard and have no problems typing on it the design is just fine as well so I for one can't agree that it's poorly designed from a functionality point of view.
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I have no problems, it just isn't as practical and left to automatism as normal key sized keyboards.

CraigWB said:
I don't understand your beef with the 13inch displays they're perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned 1280x800 or whatever the resolution is perfectly acceptable for the screen size it portrays.
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Well, dithered 256K colours and viewing angle.

CraigWB said:
And the Graphics are fine, the 9400m is a perfectly capable chip and the higher and models have the dedicated graphics chip AS WELL AS the 9400m.
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I'm not saying that the chip is not capable, it's just that cheaping out important options, such as a dedicated GPU, while putting a device in "pro" branding seems totally lame.

CraigWB said:
I'm not too bif on that Dell design as well I think its kinda crap
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Naturally, tastes vary. Without that world would be a pretty boring place.
 
Hrvoje Simic said:
I'm not saying that the chip is not capable, it's just that cheaping out important options, such as a dedicated GPU, while putting a device in "pro" branding seems totally lame.
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The 15" 2.66GHz / 2.8GHz and 17" 2.8GHz models all have dedicated 9600M GT GPU's. For professional video work who would seriously look at the 13 inch models with their limited screen size and resolution?

Apple dropped the price of the 17 inch model by $300... I say it's a simple decision... video pro's have to go with the 17 inch model for its 17" screen size, 1920x1200 res, ExpressCard|34 slot and 8 hour battery life. The slim form factor and light weight negates any of the... oh its too big argument. I personally think the new 17" unibody model feels like a 15 inch.
 
Guys, I think this is a bit blown out of proportion. Phil Schiller mentioned the percentage of their customers using the express card slot was a single digit number. Lets be generous and say 9% of their customers were using the express card slot. There is a limited amount of space on the machine and when only 9% of your customers are using that very valuable real estate space, it makes total sense to swap it out for something more useful to the majority of their customers.

If you are using your MacBook for "professional" use, as in a kit rental on set, then charge a little more when you have to buy the 17". You'll make your money back in a couple months, and have a much nicer screen for evaluating your 4K images. They also dropped the pricing across the board which makes it more affordable.
 
Emery Wells said:
There is a limited amount of space on the machine and when only 9% of your customers are using that very valuable real estate space, it makes total sense to swap it out for something more useful to the majority of their customers.
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It all makes sense when put in that perspective, but I'd be interested to see the percentage of customers constantly using DVD drive. Personally, I'd rather use this space for additional storage or graphics and use external portable DVD drive when I need it, which is very rare.

Andrae Palmer said:
The 15" 2.66GHz / 2.8GHz and 17" 2.8GHz models all have dedicated 9600M GT GPU's. For professional video work who would seriously look at the 13 inch models with their limited screen size and resolution?
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People who want to have a fast and multifunctional media machine in lighter and smaller package. People who can connect it to external high resolution monitor on location an want more practical gear on the go.

I understand your point, though.
 
Just have to chime in on the keyboard thing... I don't mind the newer keyboard. I still prefer the keyboard on my older pre-unibody MBP though. Where I have my biggest complaint with keyboards on the MBP is with the 17". There's enough real-estate there, they could put a numeric keypad on there as many PC notebooks do as I would find it very usefule. OTOH, it doesn't bother me that they don't include the keypad. Because leaving it off allows the keyboard and physical typing position for the user to remain centered with the system. Apparently the centered positioning is also why their newer desktop wireless keyboards have omitted the keypad as well. That's truly a pain though.

Now I'm way OT...
 
Emery Wells said:
Guys, I think this is a bit blown out of proportion. Phil Schiller mentioned the percentage of their customers using the express card slot was a single digit number. Lets be generous and say 9% of their customers were using the express card slot. There is a limited amount of space on the machine and when only 9% of your customers are using that very valuable real estate space, it makes total sense to swap it out for something more useful to the majority of their customers.

If you are using your MacBook for "professional" use, as in a kit rental on set, then charge a little more when you have to buy the 17". You'll make your money back in a couple months, and have a much nicer screen for evaluating your 4K images. They also dropped the pricing across the board which makes it more affordable.
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Pretty much this. Mind you, if I owned an EX1 I'd be pissed.
 
I worked selling macs for a while. As an in-store rep at a reseller. Ninety-nine per cent of people did not care much about the express card slot. But often mentioned a lack of an SD slot.

Also if you are editing video with the MacBook Pro – such as at ringside at a boxing event, where you may be editing the highlights that are played between rounds – you'll either be using the 17" or will have the budget for the express card slot option.

Some poor indy people like me will suffer, but until Avid starts making their editor for Linux, or someone else steps up to the plate, we'll be stuck between being broke and using the poorest OS on the market (windows).

I don't like the change, but it makes sense for Apple and the majority of their customers.

:violin:
 
Those who missed SD slot could just buy these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-SDAD109A11-Digital-Card-Express/dp/B000W3QLLW

You can not go the other way around.


Those who miss the highest speed and multi-functionality of ExpressCard are neglected, IMO.
This is a downgrade, no matter how Apple wraps it up for PR.

What's interesting is discontinuing aluminum MacBook, transferring a large part of MacBook buyers into MBP segment.
 
Retail store customers are most likely not going to care about the ExpressCard option, that's true. Some will, most won't. There are a lot more applications to having the ExpressCard than just editing, the 17" MBP is not the best option for many as the screen size and extra bulk of the system are not necessary or may even be counter-productive in other ways.

The numbers being tossed around, about ExpressCard users falling into a single percentage, are complete bull. How does Apple even come up with that number? Or is it that only single-digit percentage of their MBP customers buy ExpressCard peripherals through the Apple Store? When the Apple Store has very few to pick from and at terrible prices.

What about all the ExpressCard peripherals out there from a variety of manufacturers that Apple can't keep tabs on? What about those still depending on legacy PCMCIA devices? I have a client who does just that. They have automated control systems that use PCMCIA cards interfaced to a proprietary connection. Programming and control software was ported to OSX about 3 years ago, they were planning to buy new notebooks later this year -- 15" MBP systems. But now they would have to go to the 17" systems at higher costs or switch to PC and turn them into Hackintosh systems or port the software or buy a few of the 'old' 15" MBP's now. And that's actually what they did, got a nice discount on them too. I'm just saying that not all applications warrant the 17" in addition to the EC34 slot. That's a fine argument for video editing, but not good for many other professional / commercial / industrial purposes. I have a hunch that the resale value on my 15" MBP just went up... Although I don't want to sell it if I can't replace it with something that can still connect to all my stuff.

For Sony EX users, most of them are not taking the alternative suggestions very well. That is USB2 reader from Sony for $250 or connect the USB2 directly to the camera. Both solutions are terribly slow. The direct camera connection makes absolutely no sense for professionals under the pressure of a realistic production schedule.

It seems to me, the only people not complaining are those who have no use for the ExpressCard slot, and therefore don't understand the significance, and those who prefer the 17" or simply shrug it off as an acceptable compromise.

To me, being a "Pro" product means that the system is open enough to allow connection to other "Pro" devices such as storage and network systems. Apparently Apple thinks "Pro" just means a shiny aluminum case. Connectivity on the Macbook Pro systems has always sucked. Now Apple has gone and completely ruined the 15" MBP. No way to connect it to an eSATA disk == worthless to me, and not "Pro".
 
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