“Apple Inc. customers, unhappy that the company dropped FireWire from its newest notebooks, are venting their frustrations on the company’s support forum in several hundred messages,” Gregg Keizer reports for Computerworld. “Within minutes of Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrapping up a launch event in Cupertino, Calif., users started several threads on the company’s support forum blasting the omission of a FireWire port on the new MacBook laptop.”
“‘Apple really screwed up with no FireWire port,’ said Russ Tolman, who inaugurated a thread that by Thursday had collected more than 200 messages and been viewed over 5,000 times,” Keizer reports. “Ironically, Apple has been one of the biggest boosters of the spec and was one of the primary drivers of the technology when it began development in the late 1980s.”
“Although the upper-end MacBook Pro — which Apple also revamped and relaunched Tuesday — includes a FireWire 800 port, users,” Keizer reports. “Others pointed out that the previous-generation MacBook, which Apple is still selling at a reduced price of $999, includes a FireWire port.”
“Apple has ditched technologies before, most notably when it was one of the first computer makers to abandon the 3.5-in. floppy drive in favor of an internal CD-ROM drive,” Keizer reports.
Full article here.
As we wrote yesterday, in a paragraph some seem to have missed (we suspect temporary rage-induced blindness):
“We’re still trying to figure out how Apple, among other concerns, plans to resolve the dichotomy between MacBooks that ship with iMovie and the lack of a FireWire port for DV cameras; the few relatively expensive solutions we’ve found so far (USB to FireWire DV Adapter) are all Windows-only. Surely Apple doesn’t expect hundreds of thousands of potential MacBook buyers who also own cameras equipped with FireWire to go buy new USB 2 cameras, right? Some other solution must exist or be in the works, right, Apple?”
To say nothing of existing FireWire drives and other peripherals.
Hello, Apple?
Real Macintosh computers don’t have vampire video.
Real Macs do not have cheap polarized, glossy screens like a Dell or Gateway.
Real Macs have a stinking FireWire port.
If I wanted a cheap intel laptop without FireWire, I ‘d buy a Dell.
Apple, your chintziness and chiseling soul has no end. You effed up.
Some people here have suggested that Firewire had not “caught on” with consumers. No, the only people who decide what has “caught on” are the makers of products. They, for whatever reason (almost surely it has to do with money at some level, no?), decide which technology is the one that they demand consumers “catch up” on, and then go ahead and drop whatever it is that they want to drop.
I’m glad Apple customers are pissed off about the lack of a Firewire port and making a big noise about it. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s nice when the buyer says loudly: “Uh, oh, not so fast, bud . . . . . . . .”
Thing is, it all boils down eventually to trust. After Apple jigged around big-time with iMovie after having heavily promoted a previous version, I have become wary about each new product they put out. What is going to be missing the next time? It seems almost certain that within a short period of years, USB 2.0 may go the way of the dodo – and then it’s off to the store again to buy a whole new slew of devices that connect via Watchamacalit 3.0?
Inexcusable. Obviously Steve Jobs never intends to use a MacBook so he never realized that no Firewire should have meant an extreme price cut. When did Apple become Dell?
@derekcurrie
“To those who don’t understand Apple’s current MacBook lineup:
The LOW END MacBook STILL HAS FIREWIRE 400! And the cost now is only $999!”
This is an overstock item. My guess is they had a bunch in stock, they’re clearing them out, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Look at the rest of the lineup — it’s all aluminum. The white Macbook is a white elephant. Why would I want to go out and spend $1000 on a 2-3 year old model that’s about to be discontinued? Would you do that? (Apparently you would)
There are no Mac OS X-compatible adaptor cables or universal hubs that will provide Firewire over USB. And even if there were, you’d still be limited to the throughput of the USB port, which is the very reason that Firewire is essential for audio/video — it has a greater sustained throughput than USB 2.
And finally, what about Target Disk Mode? There’s no solution for that going away.
To all you people for whom this is not an issue: stop telling people to stop “whining.” It’s not whining, it’s expression of legitimate concern. Just because it’s not important to *you* doesn’t mean that it’s not important.
I hate the argument being made by some that if you are a “professional musician” you should be able to afford a pro machine that will enable you to use the superior audio interfaces which use firewire. That argument basically says you have to be rich to achieve professional results.
What about the person who understands that a Macbook has a the power to handle recording but would like to invest their money into a professional sounding interface (and all the other things that go into recording). Once the macbook “classic” is out of inventory those users will have no choice but to buy old hardware or go to the pro line.
Of course there are significant advantages to moving to the pro line but it is not always practical or possible. Now the apple line is less democratic.
I understand Apple’s reasons.
This probably won’t hurt apple.
I understand MOST users probably won’t even miss Firewire.
Those who do need it I think have a valid argument.
“And if Firewire is going away, period, I think there are a *lot* of audio and video professionals who would appreciate advance notice of that.”
You can’t be serious, someone had to tell you FireWire was losing in the marketplace? You’d be one of those cigarette smokers going for compensation and saying “Well judge, despite all the evidence around me the company never told me they were dangerous”
@ Personal Responsibility
“You can’t be serious, someone had to tell you FireWire was losing in the marketplace? You’d be one of those cigarette smokers going for compensation and saying “Well judge, despite all the evidence around me the company never told me they were dangerous”
That is the most moronic comment I’ve yet seen on this topic. It shows that not only are you unable to read previous posts, but that you know absolutely nothing about the topic you’re criticizing.
Go look here:
http://www.sweetwater.com/c683–FireWire_Audio_Interfaces
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=firewire+video+interface&go=Go!
http://shopping.msn.com/specs/avid-mojo-video-input-adapter-firewire/itemid24773411/?itemtext=itemname:avid-mojo-video-input-adapter-firewire&fulldesc=1
These are just a few examples of pro-level audio and video interfaces that are used in every pro and semi-pro recording studio and video house in the nation. They are ALL Firewire. The audio and video industries DEPEND on Firewire. USB does NOT cut it.
If Firewire goes away on the Mac product line, I can <u>guarantee</u> you it’ll have a negative impact on the Mac’s popularity in these former Mac strongholds. Firewire won’t vanish on the PC. It’s a lot easier to replace the computer and get a Firewire card for a Windows box than it is to replace thousands of dollars of Firewire-only peripheral equipment.
Sheesh. Is this really so hard to understand.
OMFG: I can’t believe the devoted IGNORANCE about this sad subject. It is getting terribly boring:
‘oh no my shorts’ gets it wrong:
@derekcurrie
“”To those who don’t understand Apple’s current MacBook lineup:
The LOW END MacBook STILL HAS FIREWIRE 400! And the cost now is only $999!””
‘This is an overstock item.’
No. It’s not. I was just at the local Apple Store today. They reiterated to me what was already obvious: No. The white MacBook is not an overstock item. To believe so is PURE INVENTION. You probably believe in little green faeries that come in the night and sprinkle your eyes with sand.
READ READ READ! Cure your ignorance kids!
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/specs.html
http://www.applestore.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTE3MjA
“The does-everything-you-want MacBook. Just $999.”
“MacBook also includes two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port…”
“Connections and expansion: …FireWire 400 port (up to 400 Mbps)”
There, I fed you babies your bottle. Now shut the f*ck up and buy a WHITE MacBook instead. Apple has NOT abandoned you. Social Services is NOT taking you away so you’ll never see Firewire again. Got it yet? Or do I need to repeat myself ANOTHER THREE TIMES?
Whiners.
White plastic iMac: gone. Replaced with aluminum.
White plastic eMac: gone, not replaced.
White plastic iBook: gone
White plastic Macbook: replacement aluminum Macbook is available now. Going, going…
It’s old technology. It’s the old style. It <u>is</u> on its way to being discontinued. I give it until MacWorld 2009. iCal it!
HEY!
Get the WHITE MacBook.
NOT the Aluminum MacBook.
Get the one with FIREWIRE.
That’s the WHITE MacBook.
I said the WHITE MacBook.
Yes, the W H I T E one.
W-H-I-T-E.
Get it?
Then get it!
oh I wet my short is so fricking stoopid.
FUD FUD FUD FUD FUD
Just shut the hell up you moron.
“It is on its way to being discontinued.”
And you have ZERO data to backup your idiotic piece of FUD.
Why does it take RANTING AND SCREAMING to try to get through to few total fools who hang around here.
*Apologies to the majority or people here who bother to use there intelligence*
No ‘shorts’, I said SHUT THE F*CK UP!
Look, derekcurrie. Go here:
http://www.apple.com/
And look at what they’re showing. It’s the two new aluminum Macbooks, with the text, “Meet the <u>next</u> generation of notebooks.”
From that simple sentence, can you figure out that the white Macbook is the <u>last</u> generation of Macbooks? Which means that it’s old technology. It’s been around for years. It’s not an upgrade. And it’s going to be discontinued soon.
MDN, thanks for being patient. I’m not going to respond to derekcurrie any more.
oh no my shorts are leaking turd
sez:
FUD FUD FUD FUD
IGNORANT
BORING
FUD FUD FUD FUD
yawn yawn yawn yawn
“So please folks, stop your whining! You can still get the most excellent white MacBook, one of which I am joyfully typing on right now, and have Firewire 400. $999! OK?”
Sounds like someone just bought their first Macbook and doesn’t like being told that it’s obsolete.
Never bought a Mac, just to have it discontinued three months later, have you, son? Yawn. Stick around. Once that happens to you three or four times, you’ll learn how it works.
“If Firewire goes away on the Mac product line, I can guarantee you it’ll have a negative impact on the Mac’s popularity in these former Mac strongholds.”
It’s going away in the consumer space. Heck there’s still people who use IEEE-488 for some specialized applications and how long since you saw an IEEE-488 printer or disk drive? But you can still buy an IEEE-488 expresscard.
Perhaps you should be whining for Steve to add an Expresscard slot to MacBooks. At least that has a future.
You’ll be able to find a FireWire expresscard for a long time after FireWire disappears from the MacBook Pros. That’ll work for those niche applicaitons you mention.
… should shut the hell up.
@Compromised said:
“So stop whining and buy a PC. You can still find many models with FireWire at all price points. Just how compromised does your Mac experience have to become before you realize that you do have a real alternative? And if you want Mac OS X and FireWire, well just shut up and pay the higher price.”
For starters, switching from OS X to Vista is WAY too much of a compromise to justify a hardware platform switch.
Second, I have built an entire multimedia workflow – web, audio, video editing, presentations, photo, illustration, DTP, file management – on the OS X platform and can say with confidence that the same value / quality tools do not exist on the Windows side. I say this after many years working with Windows-based multimedia tools and workflows, including consulting in tools development with the big players. We did some amazing things in Windows, and at the end of the day I went home to my Mac workstation and got my creative work done.
Today, having no Firewire on the Macbook is only an issue because some of us have been hoping for a 12″ Powerbook replacement – small, mighty and suitable for Pros. I walked by a coffee shop just yesterday and saw a dude typing away on his 12″ PB with a self-satisfied smile on his face – go figure.
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The right answer for pros buying today is the Macbook Pro, which offers Firewire plus cardbus expansion, and thankfully it’s only a bit larger than the Macbook.
But as others have noted, the long term picture is cloudy. Firewire is vanishing from new mac laptop models faster than the industry is letting go of Firewire. For one, Digidesign certifies only Firewire and eSata drives for recording, and strongly advises against recording onto the system drive. So unless Apple plans to support FW or eSata on its roadmap, engineers with big Firewire audio investments are right to be concerned that even the 15″ MBP may not be viable in the future. A clear statement of support from Apple would be much appreciated.
For audio, it would be nice if one eSata port becomes a Mac laptop standard, and if Apple implements Firewire over ethernet, or else something like Uniwire as Muse Research is doing on Receptor.
In any case, Apple dropping Firewire from its 2008 Macbooks feels a bit premature to me.
“For starters, switching from OS X to Vista is WAY too much of a compromise to justify a hardware platform switch.”
So as I said, shut up and pay the higher price.
“The right answer for pros buying today is the Macbook Pro, which offers Firewire plus cardbus expansion”
So as I said, shut up and pay the higher price.
@Compromised:
The new 15″ MBP is a good option which I and many other Mac-based engineers will likely go with. But again, for me it’s a mobility issue and not a price issue, so I don’t know why you keep tossing out your “higher price” comment. I dig the 13″ MB form factor and am disappointed that FW was left out, by design, in 2008, while so much of the audio / video industry still relies on the standard. We’re not talking SCSI here, and we should be talking eSata in my opinion.
Likewise, OS X versus Vista is a workflow issue and not a price issue, so same comment as above.
“I dig the 13” MB form factor “
But the MacBook is a colossus, a beast carved from pure aluminum, probably the heaviest 13″ notebook brought to market this millemium. The MacBook is the fat girl at the portability prom. The Air is there too as the MacBook’s slightly less chunky sister, standing there in her 3lb glory next to her 2lb classmates.
Both are held in by highly tensioned corsets of pure aluminium which disguise their true weight from the onlookers. But fat heavy pigs they are.
I’m not fat, I’m just big boned!
LOL, touche Weight!
Sky
Macs have always been on the leading edge of change and innovation, from the first computer called “portable”. At 17 lbs it wasn’t that portable but it was a start. The first computer with ONLY an optical drive. The first computers with Firewire and the first mainstream computer with OUT Firewire. You “professionals” sure are not that innovative. I have a few items that are firewire only products, but I will do what all dedicated mac users and all people that are interested in NEW technology do when NEW things come out. Ill adjust, ill change. For those a$$holes that can’t get over a MINOR inconvenience, Get A PC and talk to Dirka Dirka Mohammad when it breaks.
Here is a link to a adaptor, that WILL work with Mac.
http://www.buy.com/prod/trendnet-usb-firewire-adapter-for-tc-nt2-usb-firewire-trendnet-usb/q/loc/101/205852397.html
It plugs into the ethernet port. Hope that helps you fools.
Its not just the camcorder issue, its Audio issue. Multitrack recording on a computer is firewire. The usb versions cant handle the load of all that audio. Macbook was a great mobile recording studio for a great price with firewire….no more.