Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-on
By Ryan Block 
posted October 14th 2008 2:14PM
posted October 14th 2008 2:14PM
posted October 14th 2008 2:14PM
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No FireWire... deal breaker for me :(
What's with the missing FireWire port???
The glossy screen isn't that big a deal to me (my current MacBook has it, and is rarely an issue), but the lack of FireWire is a dealbreaker. It seems like a consumer laptop would have a way to hook up to a video camera to use iMovie.
Plus, I use a FireWire drive for Time Machine backups. I realize that it's always a trade-off between features and cost/weight, but FireWire is not negotiable for me. I won't be replacing my current MacBook with the new ones.
I'm guessing the updated graphics supports the dual-monitor adapter? Still miss firewire, though.
OK, all the ports on the left hand side..
If I'm right handed and want to plug in a mouse i have to run the cord all the way around?
and then I only have 1 usb slot open?
and then I realize I have much less money in my account than I should for an average unit and shit my pants?
Macbooks have always been like this. P.S. - try Bluetooth.
or even a plain RF wireless mouse... I've been using BT travel mice with my Mac laptops for 5 years.
Seriously. Who uses a wired mouse with a Mac? Bluetooth is built in.
Fucking stooges raised the price of the baseline MAC bookwhite in Australia, wow they gave it a superdrive, it's 2008..
$1650 for
1GB DDR2 Memory
120GB hard drive
Intel GMA X3100 graphics
Get the fuck out apple.
Australia got shafted. $150 on the base Macbook, and over $500 more for the top end Macbook Pro.
Wow, any user who pays that much for that little truly exemplifies the term fanboy .... and idiot might I add.
UK prices - £949 and £1149... Oh Apple, you've just shafted us again :(
This is bullshit! I love apple, but not including any firewire in the 13 inch is just CRAP!!!!! I'm a musician and I need a firewire port for my Sound card! USB would just be too slow and horrible to work with when recording! I had my money ready to buy this laptop as soon as it was in the shops! I won't be parting with my cash anymore!
What the hell. The old Black Macbook maxed at £949, but this one is £200 more expensive. I am really finding it hard to find a justification for this price.
Am I the only one that was hoping for an hdmi port. My $500 hp lappy has one.
Maybe the display port is the way of the future, but my huge ass brand new HDTV doesn't have one. And I doubt any huge ass hdtvs will have one anytime soon, if ever.
UPDATE THE FREAKING RESOLUTION TO 1440X900 ALREADY GAWDAMMIT.
A touch pad that big and it isn't even a screen? Lame. You need to have wrists about a mile long to reach the keyboard from the edge. All this fuss over a giant button on the thing? You can have it.
Firewire, schmierwire, it still is a heavy pig, it weighs 4.5 pounds according to the specs. Maybe if you put some lipstick on it.
Glossy... and a huge chin. I cant stand that much dead space on a laptop.
Welcome to the 21st Century Apple! Removable battery compartment and self-upgradable disk drive.
Two steps forward, one step back, eh?
The MacBook had a removable hard drive and battery in it's previous version.
Apple has had this for years. Google before you make yourself look stupid.
I was drooling until I noticed the absence of Firewire. WTF? I don't know if improved graphics is worth that sacrifice.
And yet another graphics port connector. It seems like they change it every revision. It's why the university I work for won't support Macs on classroom projectors: too many adapters to stock at $18 a pop, and they're afraid they'll "walk away". (We'll support if teachers bring their own adapter.) So, meh. I guess I'll stick with my current MacBook.
The adapters for this new video connector cost THIRTY dollars each from the Apple Store. And there is no HDMI adapter.
Noticed that the dimension of the Macbook white and the new Macbook in terms of depth is different by 0.02 inches.
White has 8.92 inches and New has 8.94 inches...typo error? Seems in cm is the same...what gives? QC Apple...
It still looks uglier.
It's a HP Notebook clone. What a shame Appple.
Are those chrome bezels inside the USB/video/audio ports? nice touch.
I guess they didn't read engadget complaining abou the frame on the eee 7 inch... If the screen is not big, make the case smaller... the only reason laptops are big is because of the screen size and keyboard size, and one of these factors should limit the size of the laptop.
They copied sony, I have theVGN-FW139E and it has the same keyboard
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8907061&st=FW139E&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1213046783513
and its been out sence the start of the summer
Except Apple had this keyboard type on the Core Duo MacBooks back in the summer of 2006? Sony just saw a good idea and lifted it. Shame it has taken Apple this long to roll these keyboards across the whole line.
The keyboard design goes all the way back to the Sony VAIO X505 over 4 years ago...
Um, does anyone know what resolution the screens are on the $1299 and $1599 macbooks, and the $1799 macbook air? It would be nice if Apple included that kind of thing in the specifications. I'm tempted to buy, but if they're 1024x768, never mind.
Damn, my hair looks like shit...
I have the macbook they sold last month and i really dont like new design of the new one. i looked at the video on apple.com about the macbook and the dude pitching it is making it seem like its "revolutionary" "amazing" "gorgeous" "the best thing since sliced bread". come on now? how many people are gonna eat this horse shit? its a fugly macbook with black trim, gross. of course the apple fanboys will call this blasphemy but its true. its a fugly piece of hardware. and why is it that apple calls everything they make "revolutationary"? i.e. iphone. the iphone want revolutionary but a knock off of something else, but bc steve jobby jobs says it is everyone wets their panties about it. i have a mac simply bc i hate windows, not because i love the innoscence and beauty of the mac.
I've been tempted by Macs before but the value just has not been there.
Two usbs? Ouch
No card reader? Ouch
Screen Resolution? Ouch
Paying at least $400 for less.....ugh
If Apple really wants to take EVEN more market-share....they need to make the price reasonable for the Macbook.
This is the part where sad little fan boys say "What's not reasonable??! Don't you KNOW how much R&D costs?!?"
Because R&D project managers apparently drink dom perignon and moisturize with black truffle oil imported from Atlantis. Duh.
@ BJ
That is the dumbest, most uninformed comment I've ever heard. Period.
EVERYONE knows that Atlantis does not produce black truffles, and thus is incapable of exporting black truffle oil. And besides, black truffle oil is far to acidic to be a worthwhile moisturiser.
apple store lists 2.0ghz model as having a backlit keyboard
What ? No black color option ?
no firewire?
EPIC FAIL!!!
No firewire + no HDMI + no blu-ray + no meaningful change in price = no macbook for me.
The graphics upgrade is sweet and the new machining process is not only cool, it has end-user benefits. But these things are secondary to the above concerns. Mac got this one seriously wrong. I now have to spend two thousand bones to get a mac laptop with a firewire port? C'mon, Apple, you're better than this.
why did apple go back to the 2.0ghz processor!! Why not stick with the 2.1ghz, that thing isnt going to be that fast!! Ahh and they raised the prices quite a bit too.
UK got shafted on the price too!
Original Macbook £699, now £719
It dropped $100 in the states and RAISED £20 over in the UK!
Thats bloody insane! How does that work out?
The new MB and MBP have been way over priced too!
Maybe there's been some changes happening in the exchange rate between the dollar and the british pound since they last updated their prices. In Denmark the price's gone down about 70 bucks.
What's with the no firewire?
It used to be I had to buy a Pro if I wanted to add expansion cards like a 3G modem. Now I have to buy a Pro to rip video from my $1500 (or even $200) camcorder?
Unless they're also introducing some kind of USB-to-MiniDV adapter on the cheap, looks like I won't be upgrading my mac anytime soon :(
Why is Apple the only manufacturer out there who thinks that when it comes to ports, less is more? Less is not more. Less is less.
no kidding, for edit video on a budget, nothing beat a cheap pc with 2 cheap 20inch screens.
And a fresh copy of Vegas, premiere pro or Edius... dont go spend 2000$ on a computer, you'll need the budget for your movies!
Oh no the whole thing looks like a toy! And what's with the black keys, totally out of place. The trackpad is huge. Why? For sausage fingers to better get confused with?
And pricing is still above what it should be.
Man I'm disappointed.
The whole shiny screen thing will never go away, and no wonder cover from 3M will solve it either.
Apple now use cheaper TFT screens, the reflective glass front is to help increase contrast ratio, if you stick an anti-glare cover on it you lose contrast ratio. the days of Apple Macs having design quality displays is over. Mind you the shiny ones are still pretty good and it's a pity they don't add an expensive matt option for designers etc.
Exactly why do they need an "expensive matte [sic] option for designers"? I love all the misinformed people out there who think this screen is somehow inferior to a matte screen with color reproduction.