New Macbook – Deliberately hobbled?

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Ben Holmes] “Why haven’t Apple updated the tech specs on FCS to state whether or not the new MBs will run it? “

I don’t know.

[Ben Holmes] “then equipping it with nothing more useful than USB2 is anything other than a cynical and calculated move by Apple. I imagine they have costed the impact of this decision, and made it for the best business reasons possible, but I think they underestimated the value of the goodwill already lost by their actions. “

Yeah maybe. They did it with fw800 and the first 15″ Macbook Pro with intel. Remember that fiasco? That didn’t go down so well either. There’s a reason they are leaving the white MacBook out there dangling. At least it’s still an option.

Also, the NEW 13″ MacBook is not a MacBook Pro. It’s a MacBook. I don’t think it should run FCP.

[Andrew Kimery]

[Jeremy Garchow] “So if you need firewire on a MacBook, it sounds like they just made it cheaper for you. And seriously, the Macbook shouldn’t be used as an editor anyway (in my opinion). You can get the new 15” macbook Pro for $600 or $800 more and have a computer that really works instead of one that limps along. In the Pro market, I would call this the cost of doing business and also a smart thing to do if your business depends on owning the right tools to get the job done. “
Like I’ve said before, the lack of FW hampers the new MacBooks for everyone, not just Pros budget on-the-go machine. Jobs’ statement of, “Actually, all of the new HD camcorders of the past few years use USB 2” is just flat out wrong. In fact, the most popular consumer HD camera over the past few years have either been Sony or Canon HDV cameras. If someone wants to cut together their vacation videos should their only laptop option be a MacBook Pro? Would you recommend editing a 100Mbit codec on a laptop’s interal 5400 RPM drive or via a USB 2.0 HDD? The iMacs and iBooks/MacBooks have been a capable consumer editing machines for years and this revision is a major step backwards.

Given the amount of disappointment on this board, and others like it, that the new MacBooks don’t have FW I think there were a number of people who used MacBooks ‘beyond’ what Apple intended and they felt it was cutting into their MacBook Pro sales too much. As long as you have fast enough storage (i.e. FW based) and a way to connect the camera there is no reason why a MacBook can’t easily handle DV, HDV, AIC, or DVCPro HD. CPU speeds have increased so much that consumer laptops today are faster than pro towers of just a few years ago so there is plenty of ‘muscle’ in the MacBook and that’s the ‘problem’ Apple faced. Overall system speed didn’t put enough distance between the MB and the MBP in their minds so they pulled FW (which have been on their consumer laptops since ’01).

I don’t own a laptop nor am I planning on buying a laptop in the near future so I don’t have a horse in this race I just think it’s unfortunate that Apple crippled the new MB in this fashion.

-A

[Ben Holmes]

[Jeremy Garchow] ” I don’t think it should run FCP.”

Ah – Betcha it will. And – neatly wrapping up this thread – betcha that’s why they dropped the FW….

Ben

Edit Out Ltd
—————————-
FCP Editor/Trainer/System Consultant
EVS/VT Supervisor for live broadcast
RED camera transfer/post
Independent Director/Producer

[Chris Borjis]

[Jeremy Garchow] “Just curious, how many people on this thread have had their clients actually ask for BluRay?”

I usually get a “gut feeling” when a client is about to ask about something new, so
I did all my homework (which drive and software to purchase) and sure
enough within a month I had my first client inquiry for Blu-Ray disc.

It was for a feature length film at a festival in L.A. Everyone else
brought in DVDs for playing on the projector, my client brought in a BD
disc and blew everyone else’s presentation away in picture quality.

I sure hear a lot of complaints about Encore (I don’t use it as it was unstable enough with dvd authoring)
but I don’t hear a lot about DVDITPRO-HD which is what I use. Sure it’s a little quirky (all bd authoring is pretty much at this point), but
it works (menus actually do work) and as of 6.4 it is certified for BD replication as well
as dual layer functionality. It also accepts VC-1 and H.264 streams just like the big hollywood discs. It also rejects anything but compliant video streams and its made by the same company
that makes Scenarist.

I’m quite satisfied with it at this point. But If I needed all the bells and whistles of the
full spec, Do Studio is where I would go.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Andrew Kimery] “The iMacs and iBooks/MacBooks have been a capable consumer editing machines for years and this revision is a major step backwards. “

The MacBook with firewire is still out there if you need it. Macbooks were not recommended with FCP due to the integrated instead of dedicated graphics chip.

[Andrew Kimery] “Would you recommend editing a 100Mbit codec on a laptop’s interal 5400 RPM drive or via a USB 2.0 HDD?”

Nope, but I bet 95% of consumers do just this. Consumers, not Pros.

[Andrew Kimery] “I don’t own a laptop nor am I planning on buying a laptop in the near future so I don’t have a horse in this race I just think it’s unfortunate that Apple crippled the new MB in this fashion. “

Well this just cracks me up.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Chris Borjis] “It was for a feature length film at a festival in L.A. Everyone else
brought in DVDs for playing on the projector, my client brought in a BD
disc and blew everyone else’s presentation away in picture quality. “

Nice one. Flim festivals. That’s a good use.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I’m sorry, I misspoke, I didn’t mean it won’t run, I meant the user shouldn’t run it.

It is plenty powerful enough to run FCP.

Jeremy

[Walter Biscardi]

[Ben Holmes] “Yup – a Macbook that won’t run FCS. “

The MacBook has NEVER been recommended to run FCS. Why should it now?

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

Read my Blog!

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[David Smith]

Apologies if this was mentioned, I didn’t have time to read the entire thread, but thought this device might interest you:

https://firmtek.stores.yahoo.net/spyderhub.html

[Bob Cole]

David Pogue’s review in the NY Times quotes Jobs and says that Apple is simply adjusting to the facts of life: FW will at some point be dead and is already archaic.

https://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/10/30/technology/circuitsemail/index.html?8cir&emc=cir

For me, FW is “not quite dead yet.” But creative destruction is part of the game.

I was too intimidated by the size of this thread to read it all, but is there a way with the new MBP to use a FW express card?

Bob C