New Apple Lust Objects

maybe steve doesn't think a macbook is worthy of FC pro?

There's still Final Cut Express... and that requires FW.

I have mixed feelings about this. I wonder if they'll add it soon enough on later models, like what happened with the very first iBook (the "toilet seat" ones). FW800-only on the MBP isn't a big deal. I'd rather have that than a FW400 port.

fwiw, screamin' deals on yesterday's MBPs in the refurb section - firewirez for days!

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB488LL/A

refurb macbook air w/SSD £999 (RRP £1799) - that's some saving

The scarier thing is that by taking FW out of their #1 selling computer (well, they took out FW syncing in iPods a while back as well) they're gradually phasing it out... Then again the majority of PC laptops probably still have FW, right?

They do?

I don't think firewire is an issue for 90% of Macbook customers. People go for the USB hard drive because it is cheaper, rather than the firewire drive because it has better performance. Most other peripherals are USB, if you need firewire for cameras, audio interfaces, fast disks then you must be a pro so please fork over an extra $500.

i would say that most PC laptops do not have firewire. Sony and Samsung being about the only brands I can think of where it has been nearly universal.

Woah that MacBook Air is kinda tempting

looks like they're gone. £899 for the 1.6 no-SSD model.

Now I get to spend 2 grand instead of 1500 bux on a new computer. I'll be doing a hard disk upgrade via newegg though. Also, switching between the two video cards in the higher end model requires a logout. Two videocards should be cool with that general purpose computing on GPU stuff in Snow Leopard.

Are the MBPros in stores yet? Y/N?

Y

WTF, 4 drunk apple employee friends of mine LIED to me.

64GB SSD airs still available for £999 on my mac refurb store

Shame about the lack of firewire on the Macbook, its mightly convenient just for the target disk mode. Nice to be able to power stuff like external hard drives too, but I guess the vast majority of Macbook buyers aren't really doing this stuff. For those talking about the only Firewire 800, it is backwards compatible with an adapter...

Besides giving me another reason to curse my lack of a new 17" for work, which through the magic of multinational product sourcing might be in fucking Hungary of all places right now, I don't really care for these updates. I will buy a new laptop when Apple adds an option for 4GB or more on the Macbook Air -- a HSDPA radio would be nice too -- and until they do I will lug my 15" around with its dying battery and worn keyboard.

You know, you can replace the battery...

My audio interface is firewire 400, looks like I'll have to spring for the MacBook Pro when it's time to get a new computer and get something like this. Or get a new audio interface (the problem is all the good ones are firewire).

My audio interface is firewire 400, looks like I'll have to spring for the MacBook Pro when it's time to get a new computer and get something like this. Or get a new audio interface (the problem is all the good ones are firewire).

FireWire 800 is backwards-compatible with 400. Just pick up a cheap adapter.

Somewhere around here is where I point out that it's usually better to wait for the first minor revision of a new product.

Kthxguy for ripping off Australians because our dollar has dipped. Seriously fuck your price rise because a brother is gunna get a PC laptop with Linux instead now of spending a MacTax on the fact that I'm not American.

how long until there's an Apple TV that can do blu-ray?!?

Eternity?

Jobs doesn't want you renting Blu-Ray, he wants you downloading HD content from iTunes.

yeah but i bought a sony bravia and i want to make full use of my $2000 and see 1080p content

i mean i guess the other question is when can i download 1080p movies from itunes

damn waited too long on the clearance Macs, they're all gone now

appletv is a major dud

isjohngruberajerk.com

yep.net

Painful watching this my-leak-source-was-better-than-yours snobbery as if any of it is "journalism". Guy never publicly asks anyone for comment. Just heckles and waits for someone else to report. He's mad about app store but hasn't once asked Apple for comment, yet gets haughty about "journalism"? Ha.

also runs blurb ads for products he has slated roundly

regarding the asking for comment thing, i don't think there's anything wrong with not wanting to have a relationship with the subject you're covering. don't see the problem with running ads for products you've given bad reviews to, either. wouldn't it smell weird if he only ran ads for products he gave good reviews to?

asking for comment isn't having a relationship, it's basic journo ethics and also makes for better stories. Sure if he wants to be a blogger that's fine, but he's slagging all the rumour blogs for sloppy journalism.

I agree about the ads but he writes little puff blurbs for them too. It's upfront, but it's still a bit close for comfort. Only running ads for products you approve of is every outlet's dream btw. It's how The Deck works, for one thing. Gruber also runs Deck ads.

Also he's forever asking Apple insiders for tips and hunting for tidbits, like Monday's MacBook leaks. There's a relationship there, it's just not upfront.

still like his linked list miles above any other mac news feed tho

regarding the asking for comment thing, i don't think there's anything wrong with not wanting to have a relationship with the subject you're covering

riiiiight. so the westminster correspondent for a newspaper shouldn't ever go near westminster, or talk to MPs?

the crime correspondent should never speak to the cops?

even traditional commentators and columnists -- good ones -- don't just sit there waiting for other people to gather the information; they're in there finding out information for themselves. as stet says, it's really simple: if arseholes like this want to be taken seriously as "journalists", they need to do some "journalism", not some "fannying about".

if they don't want to do that -- fine! nobody's making them. but in that case STFU about journalism etc.

Somewhere around here is where I point out that it's usually better to wait for the first minor revision of a new product.

― Chris Barrus (Elvis Telecom), Thursday, 16 October 2008 07:17 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Very true. the first intel MBPs were dogged with all kinds of problems and I am glad I waited a couple of months before I got mine. As it is I can wait as 1) education discount and dollar price when I get to pittsburgh 2) apple care on the current one doesn't run out till May 3) Aperture slowness, lack of RAM when running XP in parallels and slight smudges on the screen aside my current one still does much of what I want, even when I am done with it. 4) MWSF.

The first LED-lit screen-having MBPs have had no problems,. That was really the only thing different with that model from the previous one, though.

riiiiight. so the westminster correspondent for a newspaper shouldn't ever go near westminster, or talk to MPs?

the crime correspondent should never speak to the cops?

even traditional commentators and columnists -- good ones -- don't just sit there waiting for other people to gather the information; they're in there finding out information for themselves. as stet says, it's really simple: if arseholes like this want to be taken seriously as "journalists", they need to do some "journalism", not some "fannying about".

if they don't want to do that -- fine! nobody's making them. but in that case STFU about journalism etc.

― easy, lionel (grimly fiendish), Friday, October 17, 2008 11:50 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

since when does he call himself a journalist? gruber doesn't break stories, he does analysis/commentary. just because he criticizes other people's journalism doesn't mean that's the line he's in himself.

and i do think there is a different relationship between hard news reporters and people writing about consumer products. the PR game is very different and i can understand wanting to keep out of that. like it or not, if you're soliciting comment from apple, you're going to need to have a relationship with their PR department, and that can muddy things.

i don't think that transparency is particularly needed to review laptops.

just because he criticizes other people's journalism doesn't mean that's the line he's in himself.
He's criticising somebody for how he handled a leak on the new MacBooks, which he also did himself. It's not "commentary on journalism" it's "I did it better than yoooo". Also, Gruber has broken a fair few stories.

if you're soliciting comment from apple, you're going to need to have a relationship with their PR department, and that can muddy things.
You'd think that as he has a huge presence in the Mac media, but isn't dependent on review machines, on special access or Apple advertising the PR relationship would be all in his favour. He's practically unthreatenable.

i don't think that transparency is particularly needed to review laptops.
Yeh, because people reviewing expensive equipment should definitely be allowed to have relationships with manufacturers on the quiet.

I think taking down a random site like whatever-the-fuck this inquisitr one is when the mainstream media uses them for a tip is what Gruber is considering a public service. I mean, there were a handful of headlines about how disappointing it was that Apple didn't lower prices and their stock shorted a little bit every time one of those articles was published.

The thing is, I don't think anyone in the actual bullshit-gathering sphere cares about Gruber so he's preaching to the choir. He's discrediting those that shouldn't have had any credibility to begin with, but the thing is that most of these sites know it's a one-off gimmick to make up shit about upcoming Apple releases to get a bunch of traffic and pump up your site traffic. I don't know if any site consistently gets traffic for fabricated rumors, I think that there are actual sound bite "pundits" that make a living off that already.

He's criticising somebody for how he handled a leak on the new MacBooks, which he also did himself. It's not "commentary on journalism" it's "I did it better than yoooo". Also, Gruber has broken a fair few stories.

how is not a commentary on how the other site handled a story?

You'd think that as he has a huge presence in the Mac media, but isn't dependent on review machines, on special access or Apple advertising the PR relationship would be all in his favour. He's practically unthreatenable.

i don't understand your point here. i'm saying there's a chance he doesn't want to cozy up to apple because it might impinge on his integrity. i think that's a fair stance.

Yeh, because people reviewing expensive equipment should definitely be allowed to have relationships with manufacturers on the quiet.

aren't you criticizing him for NOT having a relationship with apple? my point is that apple is not accountable the same way a "westminster MP" or other valid subject of news coverage would be. they don't have a responsibility to give comment.

I went and looked at the new models - I think I can live with the glossy screen (and buy a better external monitor w/ proceeds from selling current MBP and Mac Pro, now that I can increase HD size as technology improves in the MBP).

But my first-gen Intel MBP did have a godawful high-pitched CPU whine at all times not under a heavy load, so I should probably listen to the "don't buy these 'til the next revision" folks.

aren't you criticizing him for NOT having a relationship with apple? my point is that apple is not accountable the same way a "westminster MP" or other valid subject of news coverage would be. they don't have a responsibility to give comment.

Yeh, but he has a responsibility to ask. Or actually, he doesn't, but he whaps on about journalistic ethics, implying strongly that he has them, so much that he *should* be asking. And since he's in such a strong position, he'd be more likely to get an actual answer than not.

I don't think there's any conceivable danger of his integrity being compromised by asking Apple for comment; at any rate a far lower danger than the one brought about by his sponsored ad blurbs.

still mh also otm

new MB's are really, really nice. PLayed with one earlier.

Really, I don't know that Gruber is a pundit as much as he's a professional curmudgeon.

I think the comment that the new MBP/old MBP comparison is like having a Toyota and moving to a Lexus. I think I can hold on to my current one for another 3/4 year though.

hi guys

-- posted from my iPhone 3g

Yeh, but he has a responsibility to ask. Or actually, he doesn't, but he whaps on about journalistic ethics, implying strongly that he has them, so much that he *should* be asking. And since he's in such a strong position, he'd be more likely to get an actual answer than not.

I don't think there's any conceivable danger of his integrity being compromised by asking Apple for comment; at any rate a far lower danger than the one brought about by his sponsored ad blurbs.

still mh also otm

new MB's are really, really nice. PLayed with one earlier.

― stet, Friday, October 17, 2008 8:50 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

to ask what?? all he does is give his opinion on whatever apple is up to or whatever people are saying about it? what do you want him to ask?

For comment. eg he's perpetually bitching about the App Store and wondering aloud at the thinking behind app rejections, but hasn't once asked them "why was Podcaster rejected?"

I mean, that's standard blogger fare, so who cares? I only bring it up because he's so fucking hoity-toity with everybody else's blogging

I don't really read his blog, but does Gruber himself have a history of putting unsubstantiated rumors that turn out to be false?

no hardly ever

he doesn't break rumours.

Somewhere around here is where I point out that it's usually better to wait for the first minor revision of a new product.

― Chris Barrus (Elvis Telecom)

OTM, but based on my PowerBook's current state I don't think I'll be able to wait 'til revB to take the plunge...