Comments on: MacBook Gets New Display, Trackpad, and Built-in Battery for Old Price

By: Apple Event Predictions: The Next Macs: Apple «

Apple Event Predictions: The Next Macs: Apple « — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:01:20 +0000

[...] time last year, the entry-level MacBook got a unibody design. But it wasn’t an aluminum one, like its Pro cousins. Instead it got a polycarbonate unibody [...]

By: michael

michael — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:20:53 +0000

Overpriced? the same as a BMW or even a Bentley is “overpriced” however, ask an owner if its worth it and they’ll say YES. I’ve had my Black macbook since 12/07 and its still running strong, has no viruses, starts up, shuts down and wakes up incredibly fast and in a fraction of the time of a PC. As for Apple taking away the firewire port well I’m not a fan of that but think about it this way… how much does the “average” user use firewire? not much, in fact all but one of my archive drives is USB. all my peripherals are USB. I’d say give me an extra USB not a fire wire. Now on the other side as a Video Editor I do use Firewire when I get jobs that require capturing footage I NEED the fire wire drive. but as many editors and media and arts people that bought the macbook will tell you, they would upgrade to the macbook pro even if the macbook still had firewire. I’ve planned on upgrading to the pro since i starting planning to buy a new mac 3 years ago. I love the macbook but need more power.

As for garage band users… you can get an mbox or some other type of USB audio in device, this way you have more control over the input. I’ve used garage band and soundtrack and not once have used the audio in. In fact I’ve used it once and if I were to need it again I’d go buy a USB mic.

I suppose what I’m getting at is half of the bells and whistles that people bitch about that are missing are features that most of the consumers do not use enough to warrant them being on the new macbook. If you really need them save for another month and go Pro or go buy a “Chevy” PC and deal with all the added crap but hey…. enjoy those extra ports!!!!

By: ipsec

ipsec — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:35:05 +0000

Yes… Overpriced.

By: FireWireLuver

FireWireLuver — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:54:48 +0000

Overpriced.
Bring back Firewire…

By: Wellu

Wellu — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:21:45 +0000

You can buy the old models refurbished on the Apple site. I’m not sure how long those will last though.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:41:08 +0000

Macuser may well be right about it being a hideously overpriced netbook. It’s use as a multimedia device is shrinking with each vanished socket.
I’m buying the old model… I physically wouldn’t be able to capture / edit / USE this new Mac.
The perfectly serviceable MiniDV and HDV Cameras I use for animation / education aren’t going out of the window for a long while yet. The other shame is that i can no longer find the model on the Apple site so i’ll have to buy it elsewhere.

By: Raiden

Raiden — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:42:27 +0000

Actually Apple’s netbook is the iPhone/iPod Touch. Steve Jobs said in his September keynote that “the iPod Touch is a great portable computer”.

By: mxs

mxs — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:49:38 +0000

They keep dumbing it down, don’t they??

By: Eric Knibbe

Eric Knibbe — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:53:27 +0000

Ok, so I looked more closely, and it’s a combined audio in/out port. But that’s still an annoyance for, say, GarageBand users.

By: Eric Knibbe

Eric Knibbe — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:43:26 +0000

Don’t forget its new lack of an audio-in port.

By: crander

crander — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:08:08 +0000

I do love mac and I love my Mac Mini, but the white macbook is not a netbook because it is too big to be at netbook. Netbooks are a form factor as well as a price point and an Air while an ultraportable, is too expensive and port limited.

There are new super-netbooks with Nvidia ION chipsets running Windows 7 that are really ultraportables with weak CPUs and strong GPUs (instead of the typical other way around).

I just bought the HP 311 Mini which has the same Nvidia graphics (WoW at 35 FPS) as a Macbook and similar specs otherwise except for an Atom processor sucking up less than 5 Watts instead of a Core 2 Duo taking much more power than that. Windows 7 is OK for me as well.

The price isn’t a big deal, a 12″ Macbook mini with ION work fine for me at $800-900. Its the 12″ and ~ 3 pounds I want.

If Apple is used to having crappy marketshare in PCs then I guess they can stay used to it and not embrace smaller cheaper systems.

By: Nuno Campos

Nuno Campos — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:49:32 +0000

And the aluminum enclosure.

By: MacUser

MacUser — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:17:27 +0000

The white Macbook *IS* the Apple “netbook”. Get used to it. And, yes, it’s more expensive than the under-$400 windows netbook. You should have known this already that Apple is NEVER EVER going to come out with an under-priced netbook. The profit margins on netbooks are not worth it for Apple compared to how much more they make with their standard higher priced Macbooks. Get used to it.

SD slot? Go get a USB SD card adapter. No removable battery? So what. You get seven hours on the new non-removable battery. And how often do you actually remove the battery? How about the no Firewire? Go get an older Macbook if you really want Firewire. Or dump your firewire devices.

So, if you really want *NEW* which is what all the Apple FANBOYS seem to crave, then get used to Apple taking away features and keeping up the same higher price. Yup. Get used to it. You should be used to this by now.

By: Marl Crump

Marl Crump — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:11:44 +0000

Backlit keyboard, up to 8 gig ram, glass trackpad, SD card, firewire.

By: Janko

Janko — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:54:31 +0000

Wait … so the only real difference between an entry-level Macbook Pro and the new Macbook is Firewire, an SD card slot … and 200 bucks? That’s a pricey Firewire port right there.

By: MacRat

MacRat — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:06:34 +0000

This is a new model.

It replaces the 13″ plastic MacBook.