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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 31, 2008 17:17:38 GMT
No Firewire on the new MacBook. A bit of a deal breaker for me as I have a FW audio interface for my home studio. Does anyone else care?
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Post by timark_uk on Oct 31, 2008 17:34:33 GMT
Yes. I was looking for a laptop for when I go out and about photographicing. I have a FW800 CF card reader and now it's useless for field work, unless I get one of those ExpressCard thingies that has a FW 800 connection on it. Which is extra cost. I'm now seriously considering getting a Windows laptop with a CF card slot built in. It's a big disappointment for me to have no FW on the MacBooks any more. Mark
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Post by HeatherKay on Oct 31, 2008 18:50:41 GMT
I'll miss it. I've got lots of external bus-powered storage I use with my MBP. I have to say I don't think it'll be dropped from the "pro" level machines for some time to come, and it's no real hardship to only have the 800 socket. There are adapters, and FireWire devices can be daisychained happily.
I seem to recall an almighty stink about the fact that FireWire had been dropped from the new Intel PowerBook replacements. Guess what? By the first revision, FW was back.
In this case, though, I don't see Apple adding it back to the MacBook range. It'll probably stay in the MacBook Pro - after all, it's about the only defining feature between the two models now.
Does anyone know what the next gen FireWire standard connector will look like? I wonder if it will be different again from the 800 style.
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 31, 2008 19:41:16 GMT
Does anyone know what the next gen FireWire standard connector will look like? I wonder if it will be different again from the 800 style. Yeah, it is the same as the 800 See HERE
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Post by Ian Moffatt on Nov 13, 2008 0:04:02 GMT
Yes! I have a 2.5" FW HDD as a Time Machine drive for my iBook and a FW 'test rig' for checking 3.5" drives on my G4 MDD. I have a couple of USB ones but the FW is big and chunky and open. I'm due a new machine next year and will probably go for a MacBook so it's USB for me then matey Ian
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gavin
Senior Member
Posts: 139
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Post by gavin on Nov 13, 2008 1:52:34 GMT
I won't personally miss Firewire as I have no devices that need it.
Having said that, anyone with a NEED for Firewire is probably not going to let the £400 price difference between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro get in the way. I hear what you're saying about your home studio, Mr Cat, but when you factor in the cost of replacement software for a Windows machine for example, or swapping for your existing hardware for USB hardware, Apple really have you over a barrel; you either buy an iMac or a MBP.
Tim, why do you need to read your compact flash card via Firewire? Are you downloading several Gb of photos, several times a day, while out and about, in a time critical environment? Won't a USB card reader cut it?
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Post by Forum Cat on Nov 13, 2008 5:04:30 GMT
Tim, why do you need to read your compact flash card via Firewire? Are you downloading several Gb of photos, several times a day, while out and about, in a time critical environment? Won't a USB card reader cut it? Mr Ark I was wondering this myself, FW card readers are a bit rare are they really that much faster?
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Post by timark_uk on Nov 13, 2008 8:32:31 GMT
Tim, why do you need to read your compact flash card via Firewire? Are you downloading several Gb of photos, several times a day, while out and about, in a time critical environment? Won't a USB card reader cut it? Mr Ark I was wondering this myself, FW card readers are a bit rare are they really that much faster? It had to happen CC, sooner or later it had to happen. (8+) For those enquiring, I already own a FW800 CF card reader. I have two 8GB CF cards and I'm planning on buying a larger capacity one soon, so yes, I'll be downloading several GBs worth of images at a time. The time it takes to read a full card from the FW reader compared to USB is noticeable. I haven't done a comparison, maybe I should, but the point is I don't want to have to buy a USB reader when I have a perfectly good (and faster) FW reader. Why should I? That's not the sole reason, size is another consideration. Though 13" is just okay for the laptop to fit in my camera bag (it's a rucksack style bag) 15" is too big. Software isn't a problem as Lightroom runs on both Mac and Windows machines. Mark
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Post by petermillard on Nov 13, 2008 22:20:46 GMT
I have an old Firewire hard drive knocking about that I use for occasional backups, and I also have a Firewire card reader - somewhere; haven't used it since I stopped taking pictures for a living, to be honest. I like Firewire, but I really don't have the need for it any more, and with the apparent increase in USB speeds on the new MacBooks - here - it's not a big deal for me, crippling costs of a USB card-reader aside, of course, lol. Obviously it's a different story if you have a big investment in firewire-only sound/instrument thingies, but would you really be using a (consumer, not 'pro' remember) MacBook for that kind of work? Peter
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Post by Forum Cat on Nov 13, 2008 22:54:51 GMT
Obviously it's a different story if you have a big investment in firewire-only sound/instrument thingies, but would you really be using a (consumer, not 'pro' remember) MacBook for that kind of work? Peter No, I use a 24" iMac for that kind of work. However I make a Super Duper backup and if the iMac fails I want to be able to slot in my MacBook and then boot from the clone. This would only be a temporary measure but it would mean I could continue to earn money whilst the iMac was being repaired. Without FW I could still boot from the clone but I could not connect to my studio.
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Post by petermillard on Nov 14, 2008 7:11:14 GMT
Ah, yes, I see; tough call. Though I guess if it keeps you working/earning then Firewire's a must, so it has to be a MacBook Pro - or a spare iMac, of course
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Post by Forum Cat on Nov 14, 2008 10:22:15 GMT
Ah, yes, I see; tough call. Though I guess if it keeps you working/earning then Firewire's a must, so it has to be a MacBook Pro - or a spare iMac, of course Pesky Apple don't make it easy for me. I do have a spare iMac. Sadly though it is a G5 and won't boot from my Intel Mac cloned drive. I do have an intel Powerbook with FW and they still make one (the white one). Maybe I will sell both of my old G5 and my newish Macbook and replace them both with a Macbook Pro. For me this would probably be the best solution. I have just been reluctant to part with the G5 because it can still run OS 9 and though I have not used OS9 in many months there is still that little nagging voice that says what if you find a file that you can't open with an OS X app?
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jock
Full Member
Posts: 50
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Post by jock on Nov 14, 2008 10:46:39 GMT
I was about to buy the new Macbook, but as it doesn't have Firewire, I'm having to hold off until I've saved for a 'Pro because I need the firewire for control of my video camera and some external storage.
OK, Apple will "win" in the end because I'm going to have to buy a more expensive laptop, but they'll have to wait until I save which will take another couple of months.
Meantime I will be slightly irritated because I was looking forward to getting the new beastie before Christmas.
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Post by Dr Miles on Nov 14, 2008 20:07:46 GMT
Bought a 6-4pin FW cable when I got my Black MacBook and more than a year later the cable still hasn't left the Cellophane wrapper it arrived in. Firewire seems to be just that port that I try to stick my usb plugs into. shame they didn't add another USB to the new macbook to make up for it
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Post by wierdostomps on Nov 16, 2008 8:17:16 GMT
I have a laCie Triple interface HD which I suppose I could connect via USB 2, although I don't. But the key for me is my camcorder. All the USB camcorders I have come across seem to have problems connecting to Macs. I rarely use it, but I like the security blanket of being able to use FW Target Disk mode - and as far as I know you still can't boot a Mac from an external USB disk.
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