How would you change Apple's unibody MacBook / MacBook Pro?
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 21st 2008 7:02PM
posted Nov 21st 2008 7:02PM
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MATTE SCREEN.
Somehow I doubt you own one of these. It really becomes a nonissue.
all aluminum color again, drop the black keys, it's starting to look ganky like other laptops.
make the backlit keys blue or some other color than white so you can see the letters against the aluminum color of the (original) keys. This was the reason they changed to the black keys in the first place.
add second (hd) drive option so you can swap out other drives or even create a RAID configuration.
use HDMI rather than miniDisplayPort so we don't have to have a million different adapters and can maximize compatibility between all of our gear.
I agree with you fully. I do not know why they did away with the matte screen. I also don't get why they mixed black and silver/aluminum. The all silver MBP are breathtaking IMO. Should have left it that way.
@David
Somehow I doubt you venture out of your mother's basement where your only light is a 60W bulb. For anyone who works in a brightly lit area or sunlight, glossy screens can be a real hindrance. Apple has yet to invent the magical glossy screen coating that makes glare nonexistant.
Here's another clue...go look at professional LCD monitors used in graphics. Come back when you find one with a glossy screen.
Thank you kindly Kamokazi. My thoughts exactly.
Exactly. If you have to use this in a classroom it becomes a pain. Overhead CFLs are fine for screen glare; but when you start adding mixed daylight with bright overhead CFLs or projectors you start getting glare and screen lighting issues. Also they should include at least a mini Display Port to DVI adapter standard. I can understand not doing that with the consumer MacBook, but not with the pro.
I would never actually work on my projects on a laptop screen of any kind, no matter how matte it was. If there are still no matte screens for the lappies when I need a new machine, I'll have to use an external screen anyway, so it won't really matter to me. Unless I'm trying to surf the web outside or in some extremely lit room.
Admittedly, I have yet to actually see the new screens in real life, so I don't know how messed up the screen is in a well-lit room.
You dont get the the real colors with glossy screens... its more vivid but if you do print or motion design you have to wath the result on another screen before sending to clients.
Light blue and grey will appear totally white and unsaturated colors will be more saturated. (everything you see so colorful will be a bit fade on the client screen.)
Glossy screens are not for pro. End of story. Of course for casual movie watching and internet... no problem!
I'd throw it into an incinerator.
I had a look at the new MacBooks at the Apple Store on Regent Street the day after they were released. For the ones with screens facing the front windows, most of the screen couldn't be seen because of the reflection of the street outside. It was a no-brainer for me to not buy one of those. Hopefully Apple will wake up and release matte versions one day. It seems that their stock price is inversely proportional to the number of glossy screens in their range...
stick iphone somewhere ... wherever ...
You're out of your mind. The new MacBook screen is ridiculously good.
I just got the new MB for my wife. I'm a designer and I am really impressed with the screen. There's a big LCD screens all tend to intensify the colors, putting a sheet of glass over it only seems to make it look better. I really don't know many designers who use the small screen as their primary anyway. I worry about colors, contrast, etc on my 24" external.... not the 15" on my older MBP.
@BoC:
I hadn't realized that (didn't know it actually). I'm glad to see people backing up their demands with rational thoughts.
I just picked up one this week. This was my biggest concern - I go from my couch to the office to my home office. Sunlight, florescent, and a mix. I've always had matte screens - Including the last MBP. I thought the glossy was going to be ridiculous.
It's actually been a complete non-issue. The glare is very similar to my tv - even if it's "glare-y" at a certain spot, adjusting it left or right or up or down a quarter inch and it's gone. And the screen is so bright, clean, and sharp.. it's a great display.
> Glossy screens are not for pro. End of story.
This is ridiculous. "not for 'pro'"? What does that even mean? I'm a professional and it's great.
The trackpad is.. different. On one hand I love the huge area - lots of room. I also *love* the texture - I liked the old MBP, but this is far far superior. Except. If your finger is moist (say you just set your dietcoke back down) it all of a sudden is sort of terrible. Sort of a weird thing to say, I guess. But I drink all day when I'm working. (heh)
The all-encompassing-button is sort of moot to me - I "tap-to-click" 90% of the time anyway.
Most of what I want has been said, matte screen, HDMI...
I also want the old MBP keyboard style w/ a colored backlight. Also on the MBP why not have a real SLI instead. Last would be a option to swap the DVD for a 2nd and possible 3rd HDD/SSD
To anyone here who complains about the glossy screen yet doesn't own a new MacBook Pro: Your opinions on the topic are redundant. Digital garbage, nothing more.
If you actually own a new MBP, and you hate the glossy, I'd love to hear about it.
Saying that because on the older models, glossy screen MBPs outsold matte by a large margin. Also with most PC notebooks you don't get the option either. Some come in matte, but the VAST majority come with glossy screens. I have a matte MBP, but on my iPhone I am not the least bothered by the glossy screen, it's just fine to use indoors and outdoors. As far as I am concerned, the jury is out on this one.
I'm typing on one now...would love to have a matte screen back...is that a problem nickster??
Exactly... A matte screen option and firewire 400/800 on the MB would be key points for me. And the inclusion of a matching 800->400 adapter in the box (or as a very inexpensive add-on on the order page) would be very nice as well.
I agree with you. I would add a white keyboard with black characters in bold type and a better webcam, as the one I experimented in a Mac Pro was not that crisp.
I will change all mac laptops remove that black and black keys and put white
borders of LCD must be not so wide but narrow thats future not like 80's ! the borders of LCD should be tinner and tinner
definetly change touchpad change proper ports no unnecesarry
1. HDMI
2. 4x USB 3.0
3. eSATA
4. Ex
5. Speaker/Headphone Jack out combined with S/PDIF
6. Card Reader 15 in 1
7. LAN only (no sity modem)
8. Built in Mic
9.Blu-Ray
10.
that new very slim keyboard for desktop is amazing perfect one thing what i like from apple :)
@ Bruno
The Mac Pro has an iSight camera?! Wow! Where is it, I've never noticed it!
Apple is such an innovator! The first to put a webcam on a DESKTOP!
Definitely love the new MBPs (I own one), and I actually prefer the Glossy screen. I do not find it to be a hinderance at all and I think it makes colors look a little more vivid and brighter. Mini Display Port should have either been replaced or have an alternative installed. Everything else is phenomenal. I made the jump from a PC to this and am loving it. One thing though, what about blu ray support? Would have been nice seeing as it is now the standard and the screen resolution would support it. They probably did it as a ploy to get you to buy and rent HD movies from itunes.
Agreed.
stupid voters u dont know what is good and whats running in IT World .!
on apple never will be blu ray or hdmi because it is sony's things thats why !
The MB needs a Firewire port, without it my €400 sound card becomes useless, ahhh Apple if you invent something stick with it!!
drop the price or at least offer a larger screen option!
You can get 17-inch laptops with Vista for half the price!
R U a baby? Stop complaining about non-issues. Have you ever worked on the new pros? NON-ISSUE. I love how people like to complain about NOTHING.
@welchb: Use a stubby holder.
remove the HDCP protection.
Very simple. Why don't you just boycott buying DRM software until your voice is heard? I mean there is plenty of free video's out there instead of having to pay for it. The benefit of paying is to have one place to find everything and download quick. If they want that business plan to succeed then they have to compromise and get rid of DRM all together.
JJ: The cluephone is ringing, and it's for you. The MOVIE STUDIOS are the ones putting HDCP on their movies. If you don't like HDCP, then start a campaign to get the movie studios to remove it. That is all there is to this issue.
It's simple. Buy movies from iTunes that don't enforce HCDP; don't buy the iTunes movies that do enforce HDCP.
Actually, I kinda like it there. Figuring out how to hack it gives me something to do. It my way of telling them that no matter how hard they try, they will never succeed keeping us out. I believe breaking something that took so long to develop is one of my greatest joys. It will be a blessed day once we can dual boot an iPhone into either Android or Mobil OSX.
So Steve Jobs never stuck to his words regarding his hate for DRM? I used to think he was a bit cool.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/06/a-letter-from-steve-jobs-on-drm-lets-get-rid-of-it/
dingdingding.
I don't buy DRM'd content for precisely this reason, but it's still a shit move on Apple's part. Until now they had been pretty reasonable about DRM.
unfortunately even if Apple wanted to get rid of all the DRM and HDCP its not possible right now, because of the high demand by all the bigger business for keeping their content safe. Its not really up to Steve Jobs by himself...unfortunately
Simple solution: Requiem 1.8.2 for iTunes 8.0.1
A freaking HDMI port!
Hooking up to a TV with 2 cables should not be an option whatsoever.
That and the burning of glossy screens.
http://www.teckwave.com/?prodId=354141&twid=0
displayport does audio.
i just noticed thats not MINI displayport. regardless, a cable will come along eventually and the displayport standard does include sound.
and TVs don't do displayport.... so it doesn't matter, does it.
unfortunately the only way to get to HDMI from Mini display port is through DVI then HDMI which would then lose the sound by way of the DVI adapter, but if they do come out with a straight Mini-display to HDMI it would be possible to do sound in one cable. Correct me if i'm wrong.
It is a big turn off to see display port in place of the traditional DVI - I don't know many monitors that run on display port at the moment (maybe i am just out of touch) but when i need to connect to a projector or another monitor for a presentation i shouldn't have to bring multiple cords - that is just nuts. Sure - it is progressive but what the hell is progressive without technology to back it up? DVI is pretty much standard on everything... HDMI is even getting there (sure it is a premium because of royalties but still - it is a 2000$ laptop) but display port? Give me a freaking break.
Glad i bought myself a macbook pro over the summer - i do like the new case but the rest of it... i don't know.
How about not charing $29.99 for the display adapter !!!
I really wouldn't mind the lack of DVI or HDMI if adapters for the mini display port weren't so ridiculously expensive.
ummm, price
you said what I was going to say, but you weren't witty or sarcastic :(
Yet, you were very much both of those.
I know right, TOTAL departure from any comment YOU'D leave.
Enough sarcasm for ya?
I like the shiny screen more than I thought I would...
but the edges of the body are very sharp and kinda uncomfortable for the wrist when writing for a long time!
You shouldn't write on your Mac. I hope you're using a dry-erase....
I've never understood why Apple did that. It's the purest example of putting form over function. Those sharp edges are just plain uncomfortable.
yeh, the edge down by the trackpad gets painful after awhile, along with the 2 points on the thumbscoop. all edges and points could be a little softer.
I completely agree that the edges are sharp, but it then reminds me that I should get my butt out of bed and to an actual desk to do work.
I really haven't noticed the glare from the screen either, but I'm a music dude, not a visual-maniac.
I totally agree with you on the sharp edges...after typing about four exams on it in a row, my palms felt like they were going to split into two.
Edges can feel sharp, they don't cut; alt, they make is seem as if I am being cut sometimes!!! It is a great product otherwise!
Apple is doing you a favor here, actually: proper typing posture does not include resting your wrists on the edge of your laptop. I'm sure Steve just thought that he'd try to save us all from the evils of carpal tunnel syndrome (which is like ADD for adults; does anyone even gets this anymore?).
3G/HSDPA Modem
iPhone+Netshare... yeah.
Get your own name
James, are you talking to yourself again?
Firewire.
Amen...
No, no, no, Ed. His avatar is Ramen.
FSM follower?
why is this guy not highest ranked yet for saying "firewire" jesus, that was one of the stupidest things apple has ever done. They pushed firewire for so long and everybody was loving it - then they decide that nobody's gonna use FW400....thanks d*cks....
Leo: Every other model Mac they make has Firewire except the Air. Anybody using professional audio interfaces or doing anything you would actually need the speed for won't be using a Macbook to do it, they'll be using an MBP or a desktop. So while I don't think they should have removed it, I also don't think this is going to be the world-breaker a lot of you are making it out to be.
@leo:
What about college students in those fields, eh? Especially since now, Apple has reduced the student discount even further (for whatever stupid reason).
I went to a college which has a large specialization in media production (audio, film, etc), and it wasn't cheap going there (there were also several others nearby that did the same job, and only one of them (a tech school) was cheap). To force students to spend several hundred more just to get FW is inexcusable. Yeah, it may seem like a small niche, but if they want people to use them for pro purposes and maintain that audience, cutting off the next generation of media pros is never a good idea. Further, it's a bad time to be cutting back on the student discount. They'll lose more students and more revenue as a result of this than if they simply maintained it.
I meant @zak, apologies.
I agree, I never used Firewire much, but working in industry you realize that in some fields it is EVERYWHERE. I'm not really understanding this either. They should at least give you the option of paying more to get one. It's stupid to just say "no, you can't have it."
nixing firewire from the macbook was idiotic... and to the tards who claim macbooks can't be useful for pro apps, BS. the low end macbook with a 7200 rpm hd can comfortably run pro recording software and interfaces via firewire... half the price of the pro. up yours apple.
I don't think removing FireWire 400 was a horrid idea, maybe not smart but not horrible. Though when they removed FireWire400 they could have thrown on 2 FireWire 800 ports so you could use an adapter for one of the 800 ports to make it 400 when you need. (
I work in IT looking after macs especially old macs, you need firewire for target disk mode. it fixes the multitude, and let me use my old macbook as an external dvd drive more than once.
Completely agreeing here.
I do video editing all the time - in my case apple go "oh yes, well every camcorder uses USB nowadays!"
Err.... I use a tape-based one.... it gives less compression so better results.... Can't use USB to get that off!
I still want the macbook as the battery is just so much better aside from anything else!
So now we pay more money, for a laptop which offers no firewire, wrist-slicing capabilities, and also worse performance.... Run that by me again apple? If they only listened to what the customers wanted, rather than dictating what they use! I don't want a display port, I want VGA! And I want firewire 400!
What gets me the most is how they don't replace it with something else! If you had the PCI Express slot, then you could whack firewire in and i'd have been really happy!
Thank god I got the macbook when it was sensible!
Lower the price
Why not ask Ferrari to lower it's price. The Ford GT has an engine with just as much HP for a fraction of the price.
Kyle, you are a fool.
That's comparing Apple's to oranges.
@Kyle actually
Well, if Ferrari was using the SAME PARTS as a Ford GT, with less service, support and warranty - then yeah, I'd say they should.
However, they aren't. You walk in with a Ferrari with a problem and people are stepping on themselves to help you. You call Apple and are told to "get another one" if its broken. Or, pick it up and bring it into a store where some guy getting paid barely above minimum wage and minor working knowledge (in apple's world, they call them a 'Genius') of a mouse is going to 'diagnose' your 'Luxury' PC.
Oh yeah, and I would be pretty pissed if the guy running the Ford GT had the same exact Engine (processor) as my Ferrari and 99% of the other cars on the road (Intel Core 2 Duo processors - like in HP, Dell, Compaq, Alienware, E-Machines, Sony, etc). Also had a lot of the same other parts like - oh, seats, steering wheel, etc (ram, hard drive, chipset, video card) and charging a shit-ton for them..
No, no, no, puck! You just don't get it. Have you ever heard of R&D? It stands for something fancy that costs Apple a lot of money to do. Maybe if you knew that you would realize that Apple has to charge lots extra for all of their R&D's.
my blackbook broke and they game me a new aluminum one... Apple is the best company when it comes to customer service. They sent me a new one within 48hrs. I dont think Ferrari can even do that.
Price is only an certain value to each person. I'm typing this on my brand new 2.4GHz MacBook, and I think it was absolutely worth the $1,600. And there's always the $1,000 white MacBook if you want to save some money.
@BJ is gooder
what, you think other companies don't do R&D? Their R&D departments may not be as good as Apple's but their designs have to come from somewhere, right?
Puck, if 99% of your Ferrari's parts were the same as a Ford GT's, then you were a dumbshit to spend the money of the Ferrari. No one is forcing you to buy the Ferrari either. Therefore, you only have yourself to blame.
@wickedphienix
Sorry - would have edited or laid it on more thick but I couldn't... That was \sarcasm.
Backlight keyboard on all models
And how about a light sensor that really works? My screen doesn't change the brightness very much, and it never goes as low as it can. My Dell Latitude D630 has a light sensor, and it makes the screen really dim (still usable) to save battery life. This goes for the keyboard too (on the MacBook); it hardly ever changes brightness and never turns off.
It's happen eventually.
love the screen, hate the fact that its missing HDMI and fingerprint scanner
Fingerprint scanner? Seriously? They're a crappy gimmick at best
god, the finger print scanners are ugly, im not saying that they are not cool, but it would mess up the whole look and flow of it
There are too many flaws hardware as well as software....
and yet you still bought it......
Firewire for sure. I was all set to upgrade and it blew my mind when I found out that there was no firewire port on the macbook. Definitely a step in the wrong direction.
same.
I'd probably pick one up in a month or so if the 15" Macbooks had Firewire.
Now it's looking like it'll be another half a year.
Small paychecks.
Need to run Logic Pro though.
Matte screen for me too. I hope the new Pro displays aren't going gloss as with the case of the new 24"
there are frakking companies that sell a matte film that is basically a bigger version of the ones for the iphones. wasn't that expensive to get and now I have the best of both worlds. I can matte screen for when I'm on the balcony in the afternoon and don't want sun glare and I can glossy for when I'm working with photos and like to see that color pop.
I'll bet anybody (5 people maximum) $20 that they'll go glossy across the entire line, including the 17" MBP and 30" Display at either MacWorld or NAB. Also, it looks to me like they're is merging the consumer and Pro lines. I would guess (but not bet) that by WWDC '09 they'll drop the Pro tag, and just call the 15'/17' notebooks MacBooks, and call the MacPro the MacTower.
make the new pro have the same dimensions as the old one....why does it have to be wider!