“In one of his characteristically terse email replies, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has reportedly told one Mac user that changes in video camera technology have reduced the need for FireWire on his company’s 13-inch MacBooks,” Prince McLean reports for AppleInsider.
“The one-line response to a fan complaining over the lack of FireWire on the new entry level aluminum MacBooks is blunt but also points out that technology has changed since the company began including FireWire with Macs in 1999,” McLean reports.
“‘Actually, all of the new HD camcorders of the past few years use USB 2,’ Jobs supposedly wrote in an email, a copy of which was posted to the popular Flickr image sharing website,” McLean reports.
Much more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “pogo” for the heads up.]
Probably fake.
Yes, Steve is correct. He sees the “future” and goes with it.
That’s why he’s such a great leader.
It still doesn’t help those of us who have FireWire drives and cameras, that would like to update our laptops.
Someone needs to come up with a USB/FireWire adapter for Macs.
I budgeted for a new MacBook… but a new MacBook, new video camera and new external drives… NO.
Guess I’ll just have to keep using my old ‘Book and pray the motherboard doesn’t go out on it.
Steve Jobs actually replies to reader email? How much of that must he get in an average day?? I observe he wrote the guy back just over 3 hrs later. Not bad. It seems comforting somehow that ordinary people are able to get replies from the man who’s continuing to revolutionize personal computing, animation and the media industries almost as easily as from the customer service dept.
@eWorldian
“I budgeted for a new MacBook… but a new MacBook, new video camera and new external drives… NO.
Guess I’ll just have to keep using my old ‘Book and pray the motherboard doesn’t go out on it.”
anti up and get the pro then.
or make do with what you have.
or get a pc.. yes, now do you see the big picture?
This could be resolved by finally adding an express card slot to the MacBook. Granted, that is more expensive than Firewire, but it would be forward thinking.
Get the PC, install linux or OS X, the directions are on the web. Have it all at a lower price.
“Someone needs to come up with a USB/FireWire adapter for Macs.”
Give it about a week, if not already.
@Peruchito – OR you could get a decent refurb from Apple with Firewire, three years of warranty, run all three OS’s AND still save cash.
I don’t think it is reasonable to omit FW support completely from the MacBook line. There are several digital cameras Apple Stores carried not even a few years ago that are FW 400 only. How much could it possibly add to the cost to add that port?
No FW 400 and Glossy only options make me hesitate on upgrading my iMac G5 to either a MB or MBP.
Think of the new manufacturing process – Jobs and a dozen bean counters probably ran through all the possible ‘holes’ to punch on the new Al brick and structural integrity plus comparing costs and future alteration costs, and came up with the design they won’t lose. Most new Mac owners from the PC world will have a USB drive. Jobs probably also thinks you should keep your old drive for backing up your old Macs. Maybe he figure sooner or later Mac faithfuls will upgrade to a new book and new external drive that will be compatible. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but you know you will. Or Jobs just made those executive designer decisions, like, that’s that future like I predicted other trends, so just get on with it.
First of all, the email responses from Steve Jobs are not fake. He reads all of his emails, responds to many, and forwards many to department heads at Apple.
Second of all, the guy writing the letter is missing the bigger picture. It’s not JUST about FireWire camcorders here… that would be bad enough! It’s about 4 separate things:
1. FireWire camcorders.
2. FireWire hard drivers.
3. FireWire scanners.
4. Target FireWire mode — this, in my opinion, is the most important one of all!
As a previous poster said, the SIMPLEST solution for all of this would be if Apple would add an ExpressCard slot to the MacBook! Then, we could have the best of all worlds! (Although I’m not sure if Target FireWire mode works if you add on FireWire via an Express Card slot.)
In any case, folks, if you’re as upset as most people are about the lack of FireWire on the MacBook, please be sure to send your comments to Apple at their feedback page:
<a href=”http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbook.html”>
I believe that my Core2Duo iMac still using firewire camera. I have disassembled my iMac upgrading the hard drive and I have found that the connector looks like firewire port.
Oops, here’s the link again — hope this works:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbook.html
This issue doesn’t affect me, thankfully, but I can appreciate the problem for people who have invested in equipment requiring FW.
Obviously SJ doesn’t care (if the email is true.) A better approach would have been to include FW and announce that future upgrades would not. Hopefully for those affected, the “old” Macs work well for their purposes.
The best thing is for people to vote with their pocketbooks. This is one reason, by the way, that corporations have avoided Macs – they know it is best not to depend on one hardware supplier, if possible.
This subject has been kicked around here to death.
The downward spiral of Firewire is depressing, but that’s how it is. Steve Jobs is well aware of what other technology companies are developing. If he sees less support for Firewire in favor of USB 2.0 then he’d be a fool to continue with this technology.
Personally I love Firewire for my external hard drive for back-ups and connecting to other Macs using Target Mode is very cool. If something were to ever happen with my internal hard drive, it’s nice to know that I could boot from my external Firewire hard drive.
@me and Peruchito
Why not just forget Mac and OS X and go back to Windows? We hear Version 7 is just about ready for market; it and a brand new Dell should solve all your problems. The FireWire and glossy screen issues will both disappear, and you can save massive amounts of money in the process. Plus, you get the additional satisfaction of bringing down “His Arrogance-ness” in the process. A triple whammy!
“Someone needs to come up with a USB/FireWire adapter for Macs.”
The problem is that USB cannot replace FireWire because its a weaker and slower and inherently incompatible standard. Even if you can run the signal through USB (there are solutions that are Windows only) it runs even slower than a native USB signal, forget about the faster FireWire standard.
And further forget about it being able to run video cameras at full throttle and capture video without dropping frames, forget about Target Disc mode.
Simply not a solution for *any* of the reasons people care about FireWire for a MacBook, even if there was a Mac compatible solution which currently there is not.
The new MacBook will sell but it won’t sell as well as it could if they’d kept FireWire.
Another example that better technology does not always win. Be carefull Apple.
I’m shaking my head over lack of Firewire in MacBooks and soon-to-be all glossy displays. The Mac world is less interesting these days. I guess Apple executives think since sales are up, they can do anything they want.
@Dave:
Oh yeah, I forgot about that — all glossy displays is a very poor decision on Apple’s part, too. I personally love the glossy displays, but I know several photographers & artists who HATE glossy displays. Now they don’t have a choice at all?! Very bad move, Apple.
how about firewire audio Interfaces, tc’s powercore.
Get over it. Apple is just skating to where the puck is going to be.
“1. FireWire camcorders.
2. FireWire hard drivers.
3. FireWire scanners.
4. Target FireWire mode — this, in my opinion, is the most important one of all!”
#4 is the least important. Without Firewire data transfer can be accomplished easier with a 5′ ethernet cable.
There are just too many FireWire peripherals in the hands of Mac users for Apple to just abandon the format. Sure new Mac users don’t care either way but those looking to upgrade from their last Mac are being forced to buy new peripherals or buy a MacBook Pro. That’s weak tea Mr. Jobs. I hope a revised MacBook appears with FireWire included.
The outrage over this FireWire business is astounding. You nerds sure won’t go quietly into the night.
Don’t listen to people that tell you to get over it. They’re the ones who accept everything that’s handed to them. What Steve Jobs says is best, no questions asked; that’s their mantra. Keep up the fight until your very last breath.