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Also reviewed: God. He got a 7.2 for being too good.

does the c in cnet stand for crazy ?

CNET= Computer Neophytes that Excel in Turd journalism

What is it going to take to get CNET on board with Apple - ongoing blowjobs for the staff or what...

These guys are only hurting themselves - what wrong with them did someone get turn down for a job 20 years ago and had to settle for the PC world or what?

Modem? Who in the hell uses a modem anymore? God, it doesn't have PS/2 ports either. Or Serial port.

S-Video? Who uses that anymore? Seriously.

God, PC users and reviewers are so stuck with their legacy support issues......they feel naked without them.

CNET:

Computing Nerds Excreting Tedium

This modem issue reminds me of when Apple ditched the floppy drive. It's called foresight not oversight.
I travel with my iBook G4 (soon to be a MacBook Pro 15") everywhere I go and have no problem connecting with my built- Airport card. Usually for free. Occasionally, I am forced to use the built-in modem when I visit people so deep in the country that there is no wifi.
For the low price and low weight of a tiny Apple modem I will not hesitate to buy one when I upgrade.

I also agree with MDN with their take on USB ports. At home, I have my own hub and only have to make one connection to get access to all my devices. That still leaves me one free to connect my iPod for quick recharging. Six is ridiculous!

"Only Apple Macs can run both Mac OS X and Windows, how many points is that worth?"

Well, you see, that's just the problem... they took off points just because of Windoze XP. Kind of a Freudian slip...

Collaborating Nitwits Eschew Truth . . .

CNET!

Can Not Explain Truth

cnet

I even get by with the two USB ports on my G 4 Mac mini.
Three would be nicer but you can plug and replug quite quickly.
I don't use a hub.

I don't understand why people keep harping on the design not changing much from the powerbook design. Why does it need to its the nicest design on the market and always will be. Why would I want plastic over a sleek aluminum shell.

I meant "Why does it need to change its the nicest design on the market and always will be"

But no one needs 6 USB 2.0 ports on a laptop. Get a hub, it's the same thing.

Most of you guys really sound bad! If the Mac had 6 USB ports and the pc didnt't you would fault the pc for having so few. If the MacBook Pro had an internal 56k modem and the pc didtn't you would say how important it is to have the built in modem for those times you have no WiFi access. You would also point out that almost half the population of this country still uses dialup.

You really are showing your true colors on the one.

MDN is on the money. I laugh when I read rave reviews that then have the obligatory negative factor -- meaningless in this case -- and an utterly inexplicable negative rating. A 7.3 out of 10 or 73% for a product the author raves about? A C- or D grade? This is a classic of a publication that depends economically upon the success of one vendor, reviewing the product of a competing vendor. It is often the copy editor who does this, forcing down the rating of the author at the insistance of the management.

Boooo CNET, Boooo!

cnet = reviews for sale

CNET:

Computing Nerds Excreting Tedium

hahahahaha

you rule , baby

:D

What's the fuss? My dream girl is only a 7.3 out of 10.

There was a time, during the late 90's when CNET was an amazing company and did some great work. They had their finger truly on the pulse of technology and proved it... Since then they've grown increasingly irrelevant and out of touch. It's sad because Brian Cooley is a talented intelligent guy and others who have come and gone were worthy people. I can barely read anything from them anymore. They piss me off or bore me alternately almost anytime I do...so mostly I just ignore them...and I strongly recommend you do the same. Why pay attention to a group that has only a few reviews of current products and gets wrong the ones they DO have?

do you guys think CNET really cares about what apple users think?

I gotta agree with jay.

Anyone higher than a 7.3 is too damned high maintenance for me.

That's the cutoff point. Above 7.3 you may as well pay for a premium hooker as the need arises. It's cheaper and they swallow.

I have not used a modem in five years, I'm glad its gone.

And S-video really get a new TV, if you can afford a MacBook Pro you can buy a new TV/Monitor/Projector that uses DVI and if not buy the one adapter you will need to hook up your legacy equipment. I don't want three different video ports on my notebook. The adapter solution is Apples elegant way of keeping its award winning design looking clean and sleek.

Toshiba Qosimodo G35?

I think they've topped even Sony's MP3 players in the category of worst product name ever.

Then again, I saw one that was WAAAY better in the early '90s when I lived in Japan. There was a sports drink on the market for just a few months for reasons that will become immediately obvious when I tell you that the name was - I am not making this up -




"Mucus".

Did the Dell have Gigabit ethernet? And, did it only have a 4-pin FW port, and not a 6-pin one? Does it have Dual-Link DVI?

It gets a "very good" rating and you whiners whine.

I know you all thought it should get an 11....because you can also use it as a portable heater, too.

if I were CNET, I would give it a 5.4 out of 10 because there's no 3.5" (or 8") floppy support....what's Apple's deal? Why are they locking us into new technology? Windows supports floppy disks. Bastards.

MW: Really, why do people give such stupid reasons for things

Ooh, someone dared to be critical of an Apple product!

Anyone ever heard of the word "sycophant"?

Yes, it's a perverted pachyderm, no?

'...you pick one up and put it over there, all day long. You pick it up here and you put it over there..you pick it up there and then you put it over there. You pick it up...there, and you put it over there...it's a great job! You pick it up there, and then you put it over there...you pick it up there and put it over there...'
TV

The one bright spot at Cnet is Veronic Belmont, she's smokin' hot, smart, and a Mac enthusiast, au yea.

" 90 days of toll-free technical support"

for a nearly 3k laptop?

"there's one born every day"

"Modem? Who in the hell uses a modem anymore? God, it doesn't have PS/2 ports either. Or Serial port.

S-Video? Who uses that anymore? Seriously. "

Ever heard of fax? Yes, still very necessary for a lot of people. And not every home or hotel has wifi or broadband yet.

And you know some people actually leave their parents' basement with their laptops (not many who read MDN, apparently), and don't have control over what interface the television or projector they will be using will have.

You're just another short-sighted person who can't see beyond your own small experience. Grow up and realize there are other people in the world.

Dennis. Stuff it. S-Video is old tech. People who buy Apple have the new stuff. DVI. Fax? That is another thing that is old tech. You can fax from the internet. I have YET to be in a Hotel that does NOT have internet. Unless you are staying at Joe Blows on route 519 in the Outerlimits.

Apple is responding to what the users want.

MDN Magic Word: South, as in "Dennis is a product of too much inbreeding that occurs in the south"

The user ratings on Apple products are usually biased by the fact that Apple is a religion to some people

I can't remember the last time I used a modem. It was either on CompuServe or AOL.... sometime last century (literally).

I agree with the media card criticism though. If you're a serious photographer you're probably using Compact Flash cards. With the new laptops you now have to use an external reader. Certainly not a deal breaker but annoying as it would have been cheap and easy to implement, especially as the chipset probably supports it.

I am a high end user (PC and Mac) of graphics, video and DVD authoring and I have never used a media reader card in my life.

I also have a high end digital camera, camcorder and truck loads of other equipment which connect via USB, USB 2, firewire or firewire 800, or ethernet.

I'd prefer manufacturers keep their equipment lean and let me, the consumer, decide what options I want.

So I have to agree on this occasion, that I don't see the big deal.

I'd prefer a modem to still be included.

CNET RATINGS EXPLAINED:

People get off of your high-horse, this is a not a bad review by any means. Actually it is pretty fair.

(from CNET)
7.0 to 7.9 (Very good):
While the strengths of a product scoring in this range certainly outweigh its weaknesses, it has some minor faults that certain users should be aware of.

The faults pointed out are:

1. Keyboard is not centered and is slightly non-ergonomical.
2. No built in media reader compared to competition.
3. No built in modem, still necessary at times when traveling.
4. No S-video. - usesful when traveling or using tv's for office presentations.
5. Pricey.

Other than those points, the review praised the 17"s performance, design and software package. The machine is NOT PERFECT, and it's not a stretch to call it VERY GOOD. Get over yourselves.

I'm always amazed at the number of PC trolls who feel compelled to post here and try to rattle the fanboys. Maybe they would be willing to be subjects for a psych paper I'm writing?

Anyone that has $2,800+ to spend on a high-end professional laptop is going to have high speed at home and most likely, when traveling, will stay in a hotel that has wifi. It is the $599 Dull laptop user that may still have dial up at home and staying in motels that do have broadband.

CNET?

What a bunch of CNUTs!!!!

I don's see $599 Dull laptop users stay in anything but a Motel or sleeping in the car to match the meager per-diem they receive from their company for personal meal: usually 5$ worth McDonalds meal.

Indeed, $599 Dull laptop without a modem would be an heresy: its users could not afford broadband anyway.

MDN "audience" as in you need to give the right thing to the right audience.

Have a tantrum already, MDN. Your Take lacks substance and just sounds like a whiney, spoiled child.

I agree with Joe.

I am an Apple user, but MDN is becoming a platform for zealots who lack objectivity.

If Dell rather than Apple, dropped modems, then they would be heavily criticized.

The 17" is great, but it was a little arrogrant for Apple to drop S-Video and modem and then bump up the price.

MDN - you guys suck now.

Care to learn how to read without omitting words?
"But for graphics professionals and other Mac users who have money to spare, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream."
Maybe it's a wet dream for and MDN writer, but not for an avarage JD...
(not mentionin it's sub-par scren resolution).

Well. I would like to attempt some measure nof objectivity...

I think if these extra items are essential - media card reader, S Video Out and 56K modem are essential (none of which I would ever use by the way and don't want) - then they would merely become a function of price.

You find out how much extra a MacBook Pro would cost with these "upgrades", you add the extras the Macbook Pro offers to the Dell, and you compare price.

So, trying to be objective, adding $100 to a $3000 unit, or 0.033%, is not alone worth a 0.17% reduction in score. Of course, CNET did have some other criticisms.

But on top of this, remember most users, like me, don't even want these extra features, we'd prefer a thinner laptop and freedom to choose our own accessories.

The above rational economics approach probably explains in large part, the discrepancy between user ratings and CNETs.

Media Card Reader??? Seriously people spend the extra $50 and get the camera with a usb port ON IT .. then PLUG IT INTO the USB PORT on the Mac.. Wow it just pops up on the desktop look at that! As for S-Video yes it sucks but use the DVI-VGA connector? Seriously Jim Bob from KFC won't know the difference in quality on his $50 projector from wal-mart. Modem $19 ... Christmas present from mom,dad .. wife...kids...? Seriously people wtf..

MW:Some .. some people need to chill out.

Hey unfortunately my house doesn't have DSL service. After getting together all my neighbors and signing a petition to SBC (AT&T;), they haven't done anything and I'm stuck with 26.4kbps speed!!! And I'm only 8 minutes from the nearest city!!! What's worse is that the street next to me has Comcast cable!