FireWire-to-USB: MacBook Redeemer?
Apple’s decision to axe FireWire from the MacBook line is not sitting well with many users, to say the least. For high-quality audio and video transfers, FireWire is the standard for professionals and hobbyists alike. Though USB is technically capable of faster transfer speeds than FireWire 400 (480 Mb/s vs. 400), FireWire has greater effective speed and power distribution because it doesn’t depend on a computer host port.
So what can be done about, short of severe DIY case-cracking, mother-board soldering changes that could result in death and/or dismemberment? One option shows potential. According to ZDNet.com, Pixela offers a FireWire to USB DV transfer cable, designed specifically with digital video transfer in mind.
Don’t go ordering one just yet, though. Currently, the cable only officially supports Windows XP (no Vista, either). So unless you’re running Boot Camp, or virtualization software, you’re out of luck. That said, given the sheer volume of dismayed MacBook owners (and those unwilling to upgrade until they find a solution), it’s likely that OS X support is on the way. Whether that comes in the form of a third-party driver, or (don’t hold your breath) official support and/or hardware from Apple, remains to be seen. When we contacted Pixela, a representative told us that OS X support has been discussed by their planning committee, but no firm decisions to go forward have yet been made.
There are a few problems with this type of workaround. For one, you give up on the fast transfer speeds and power distribution capability of FireWire. Pixela’s cable apparently uses “micro chip” technology to ensure the quality and integrity of the DV transfer are maintained, but this probably doesn’t entirely make up for FireWire’s high sustained transfer rates. And it looks like Pixela might require you to use their proprietary software to perform any transfers, no desktop mounting or destination application selection. There’s also price, since the cable costs $119 before tax. High price to pay for Apple’s omission.
Still, it’s less clunky than analog-to-digital video converters, and prices could drop if demand is high enough and other companies start making similar devices. Apple may also be less than cooperative if the decision to kill FireWire on the MacBook was meant to force people up to the MacBook Pro. We can only hope that, as with the microphone support finally included in the new iPod Touch, Apple eventually sees that hamstringing lower-end devices isn’t the only way to get people to upgrade.
Would you buy a Mac version of this cable, or will it take more than another peripheral to fix this problem?
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#1 ifargot says:I bet it could match the performance of firewire 400 or maybe 800 if it used two usb ports. That would mean 800 mbs of bandwidth, 10 v. of power etc.
#2 Enduro says:This thing sounds like garbage. And it does nothing for people who have Firewire audio devices or hard drives. I’ve never been more furious with Apple.
#3 Joefromthefuture says:It’s. A. Freggin’. Cable.
Since when do we need driver support for data cables?
#4 marketing meister says:phew.. for a second there I thought this was regarding the new macbook pro, but then I was pleased to see the pro still has firewire…
#5 harknell says:I have actually used the cable mentioned in this article. It’s actually “not just a cable” but a converter unit built into a cable. So it’s not just a cable linking a firewire port to a usb port. Anyone who knows the tech side of these interfaces knows that they don’t easily line up in terms of how data/power,etc go across them, so the converter built into the cable is actually doing work during transfer–work that the driver you install needs to direct it to do.
And unfortunately it only really does the one job of transferring data from a camera. It (the version I had at least) doesn’t work with live video in or hard drives or any other device. It’s literally designed to simply be a connector for getting video out of a firewire cam into Windows XP.
I would guess that they could “easily” add new features to it through a new driver version, but will they? Who knows.
#6 billbates says:@Joefromthefuture:
…Since it is NOT just a cable. It is a USB device that is acting as a bridge between firewire and USB; therefore in NO WAY is it just a data cable.
However; it also isn’t enough. I am pretty disappointed at apples decision to axe FW on the “consumer” models. I have been keeping my boot system and audio video files on an external FW harddrive for the last few years; and that lets me boot up to and use MY SYSTEM; on whatever Mac that I am using. This decision from apple is going to put an end to that. And it is my understanding that even with this bridge we still wouldnt be able to boot off of FW; or use FW target disk mode, etc.
#7 John says:Couldn’t you use an add-on card. There are many different types and kinds of add-on cards out there.
#8 Chris says:For all those who are pissed at Apple for omitting the Firewire port, the answer is simple.
DON”T BUY the MACBOOK.
If a firewire port is so damn important to you, pony up the cash and buy the MacBook Pro or an iMac.
I kept asking myself why Apple would do this and the answer is simple. Apple marketing has been trying to differentiate the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines for a long time. Taking out the firewire port do exactly what they wanted.
And I bet the overall cost reduction for removing the firewire was hardly anything. Yes, the firewire conenctors are cheap, but the firewire chip takes up motherboard space. And that is a premium on laptops.
#9 Tim says:Geez, something to get worked up about… Just:
1) don’t buy a new Macbook. It’s not like it affects your current device.
2) get a macbook pro
3) use another solution like an add-on card to connect your stuff
#10 Marco says:I hope they don’t take the firewire port from the iMac too.
#11 Sam says:For those saying to get a Macbook Pro if Firewire is that important dont realize that the major benefit of the Macbook is the 13.3 inch 4.5 pound factor. The Macbook is a strong machine, and there isnt a whole lot of differences in processing power between the Pro and the regular Macbook. Only major difference is the 9400m vs 9600m gt GPUs, and the 9400m is more than capable for almost everyones needs besides the hardcore gamers. 9400m can do some pretty decent gaming, such as run COD4 at 1280×800 and get over 40fps constantly. I dont want to spend $500 more to get a port for a port that should be in every computer, and having to lug around a much bigger 15.4 laptop.
#12 duh says:This really annoys me. I was infact planning to drop $1599 to get the new Macbook(of course I thought the high end model would stay at $1499, thanks Apple) until just a few days before I saw the case and saw firewire omitted. That put a pause on everything. I have two cameras that I use that I need to have firewire ports for, AND Apple, not everyone has the money to go out and buy a new camera(or two). I would just love to have a Pro, but its too expensive for me. And early reviews point to battery life as a problem. I take my black macbook with me everywhere, and I will continue to do so until Apple puts firewire in their macbook or improves the battery life of the pro. Really not happy with Apple at the current moment. I’m going to have to wait for at least two years to afford two new cameras AND a new laptop.
#13 Meh says:I don’t care. Really. I honestly don’t.
I have a MacBook with firewire currently. The lack of firewire on the new MacBook does not suddenly invalidate my old machine. I’ll continue to use it and everything will be just peachy.
When it comes time to upgrade, I’ll probably buy the MacBook sans firewire. Why? Because it does everything else that I want it to and it’s *just a fucking computer* after all. It’s not worth getting this worked up about people.
#14 Boo Hoo says:Its’ the whiners who give Mac users a bad wrap. FireWire 800 isn’t that much faster than USB2, sure the numbers tell you it is capable of being faster, but when you use it you end up going Meh. Besides aren’t most FireWire ports 400 speed and not the 800 anyway?
#15 Matt says:Actually regarding the speed thing, eventhough USB (at 480 Mb/s) has more bandwidth than plain Firewire (400 Mb/s), benchmarks show that Firewire is almost always faster while using less cpu…
#16 John Scott says:Apple hypes up Firewire and then just drops it. So much for supporting a technology you created Apple. Get Mac fans onboard then drop it. Why Apple user’s put up with this crap is beyond me. They are very forgiving.
I personally just invested in a Firewire backup drive for my iMac. Luckily I opted for one with a option of going USB. I guess I will need it. Sorry to say this has caused me to buy a PC laptop again because of the Firewire elimination. I am simply tired of Apple dropping features and raising the price. I could get by without Firewire, but increasingly I am using SD memory cards and again Apple has failed to support this popular format.
When are Mac Fans going to demand more from these expensive products instead of blindly accepting what Apple and Steve Jobs thinks you need.
#17 Gordon says:Please get your facts right.
“Though USB is technically capable of faster transfer speeds than FireWire 400 (480 Mb/s vs. 400), FireWire has greater effective speed and power distribution because it doesn’t depend on a computer host port.”
USB is NOT technically capable of faster transfer speeds because the number 480 is larger than the number 400. USB is capable of 480 in ONE direction at a time. Firewire is capable of 400 both ways, and both ways simultaneously. Which means that USB 2.0 is effectively half as fast as Firewire for any heavy bi-directional data transfer, such as audio, video, etc. Just copying a file though, USB MAY be faster on paper. It’s only MAY because in truth, all transfers are two way. Data goes one direction, is validated, the “ok” is sent back, and the next packet goes. Which means that for USB, it sends data one way, has to stop for the validation to come back before it can send. Firewire keeps the data flowing and uses the second channel for the validation communication.
In actual tests, it ends up depending on lots of subtle factors (like speed of memory, hard disk cache, etc.) for just copying files one direction, but for bi-directional data transfer, Firewire is FAR ahead in speed (throughput).
Additionally, Firewire has the added benefits (beyond providing power) of including it’s own hub in the architecture, which means you can “daisy chain” lots of devices together while only using a single port on your laptop with little noticeable depreciation in speed. USB on the other hand, you have to have a port, and typically a powered port for the highspeed USB devices. Which means if you are travelling, and need more than a few USB peripherals hooked to your laptop, you may be stuck without. Firewire also has one other significant benefit over USB.
1. It can be used in Target Disk Mode (other computer shows up as a hard disk)
#18 Arie says:Its a shame there is no firewire in the 13.3 inch Macbook. The new models are actually really nice upgrades with the led screens, 9400m GPU, Montevina Centrino 2 platform, along with the unibody 4.5lb construction. The addition of 1 lousy firewire port could have gotten alot more people to upgrade and not have to worry about making their peripherals obsolete.
#19 Mackenzie says:Weird. It used to be that the only way to get a IEEE 1394 port was to buy Apple hardware. Nowadays it’s pretty common to find them on non-Apple hardware as well. My two laptops made in the last 3 years have IEEE 1394, and I don’t own any Apple hardware. I guess there’s no point in buying Apple hardware at all anymore.
Oh, I use E-SATA for my backup hard drive. As far as I’m aware, no Apples support that either.
#20 mark3009 says:No, I would not buy this cable. It can never fully replicate a true firewire port. I’m also fed up with some people who suggest that the whining stops and just get a MB Pro. That’s all very well if you can afford to stump up the extra $500 over the MB price. And I don’t want to be told to go and buy a new camera. Personally, and I guess many others, my core use for the Mac and Firewire is the connectivity to my audio hardware interfacing with the software I choose to use. And I choose to use it because it works well. As is well documented, USB cannot maintain the bi-directional data throughput like Firewire does, which is exactly why most multi-channel audio interfaces use Firewire. So not only will I not buy this cable for the reasons stated, nor will I buy a new MacBook until Apple realises the mistake they have made and put it back the next version.
By the way, Just received this from Apple Support RSS - Mac OS X 10.5: “Blue screen” appears after installing Leopard and restarting - Updated October 30 2008 - Full article here; http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1545
And the suggestion starts off;
“Option A: Use another Mac to remove application enhancement software
If you have a second Mac that has a FireWire port (even if it’s not running Leopard), and a FireWire cable that you can connect to both computers, use this solution:
Start your original, affected computer in Target Disk Mode by holding the T key, and connect it to your second computer. Your affected computer’s hard disk volume(s) should appear on the desktop of the second computer.”
So that won’t work on new MacBook!
#21 Jay says:Wow. I think it’s a bad move to omit the FW port on these machines, but honestly Apple can do whatever they want as a business. You as a consumer have a choice. As a web and media designer, I use macs and pcs. They all do the job and I like both for different reasons. Right now I know I will not be using a MacBook as a video editing machine. Choice made; no hard feelings. Apple wasn’t expecting me to be a customer this way. See, Apple isn’t your buddy who’s doing you wrong, they are a company offering a product. Just because you hate pcs doesn’t mean Apple is bad for not meeting your every need in all of their product lines. It amazes me the Apple fans expect such loyalty from a corporation just because they are loyal to the products. Apple will step all over your loyalty every time if it means they will make more money. Hint: that’s what companies do. They make money; they aren’t there to give you a shoulder to cry on or hold your hand through every product launch.
#22 Sky says:“FireWire-to-USB: MacBook Redeemer?”
Not for my digital audio recording application. The adapter is fine for asynchronus file transfers, but for realtime recording and playback all bets are off.
Apple can resolve this debate simply by releasing a smaller Macbook Pro for perhaps $300 more than the Macbook. This is just the Macbook with Firewire and Cardbus ports added. Some media people want better portability than the 15″ MBP without having to sacrifice key features and performance.
#23 Ben Powers says:Wow, no way dude that is just WAY too cool.
Jiff
http://www.online-anonymity.kr.tc
#24 mark3009 says:Jay,
I absolutely take your point, however I am not a PC hater, indeed I make a living out of using Windows. My key point, which may not have come across, is that I believe that Apple have crippled this new MB for a significant number of users who have invested in audio / video firewire peripherals. What it comes down to is I want to buy this new more powerful MacBook to use as I do now with the older machine that it replaces. If I did not need Firewire, I would have bought it already. As I say, I think this is a short sighted move on Apple’s part.
ATB
#25 shdwsclan says:Your data is wrong.
USB isnt capable of sustained transfers of 480. At best, its capable 320, 80 mbps less than minimum required for a firewire transfer.
This adapter will not work with synchronous and sustained transfers. You are going to get dropped frames.
#26 Jake says:So Apple’s charging $100 for a mini display adapter to dvi, and now new macbook owners may be forced to pay more than that for an additional cable just to make their new computers work almost as good as the previous models? This is crazy. I’ve organized a website to gather comments regarding firewire, sign the petition if you want apple to bring back firewire..
http://www.bringbackfirewire.com
#27 Sam says:it’s all about USB 3.0!!!! I will buy a MacBook when the technology is out there. Don’t want another 15″.
#28 suresh says:Just way cool…
#29 Bored says:rofl if you were upset about the firewire don’t buy a new macbook. problem solved.
#30 Sky says:I finally got to see the new laptops today and think they’re fantastic. But here are my conclusions.
The 15″ Macbook Pro is much too big. I want a laptop that I will carry everywhere and this is definitely not it.
The 13.3″ Macbook is just small enough that I would carry it everywhere in a sleeve. But without firewire, there is no way for me to connect my Digidesign interface and approved recording drive when I want to use it for field recording. The USB-to-FW convertor unfortunately is not a workable option for technical reasons.
There is no valid comparison between old and new Macbooks. I would not buy the old model just for firewire as the new machine is so much better across the board.
Conclusion: I might buy the new Macbook for non-recording uses like email, web, presentations, remote photo and website editing. It’s too bad about the glaring omission of firewire though.
Fyi, I was surprised to see that glare is no big deal with the Macbook, given that the iMac sitting right next to it was unacceptable. Also, the new buttonless track pad works very well in my opinion, and even the base model felt snappy too me.
#31 Andrew says:I just bought the outgoing MacBook Pro, not for the firewire, but for the matte screen, which is my preference. Funny thing is, I, and everyone else it seems, got all worked up when the original MacBook came out glossy only, but after buying and using one for over a year, it wasn’t the end of the world and while often annoying, was also often a real improvement from my (matte) 12″ PowerBook.
When this MacBook Pro wears out or I need a performance boost I will likely buy the new model. I will miss the matte screen, but the glossy won’t be a deal-killer. I will miss the speed and convenience of FireWire 400, but I could always buy an 800-400 cable or connect my drives with the slower, though still adequate USB2. I often use USB2 anyway, and usually choose between the two protocols based more on which cable happens to be handy than any preference for one over the other.
#32 Louis says:This is a sad and unfortunate day for MacBook Pro users. If the Firewire 400 is omitted from the MacBook Pro 17″ as well as the 15″, upgrading to another Mac is going to be out of the question on several fronts. I haven’t looked into the possibility of a Firewire 400 to 800 converter of some type, but just losing the 400 port kills how I transfer data from my DV camera to my 1TB Firewire 800 drive. What’s worse is that even if this cable eventually does convert DV video from Firewire 400 (in other words IF it runs under OSX in the future) it’s going to use another USB port and is further going to bottleneck the 3 USB devices I currently have hooked up including a mouse, headset and a data backup drive.
My current MacBook Pro 17″ does anything and everything I want it to. Why the hell would I want to upgrade to a machine that won’t?
I’m sending my gripe to Apple. Maybe they won’t screw up the new 17″ Pro which hasn’t come out yet. If they do, I may have to go back to using a PC. (Noooooooooooooooo!)
#33 Darrell Etherington says:@Louis Don’t go back to PC just yet, if you’re still looking at the Pro line: http://www.amazon.com/Sonnet-FireWire-400-Adapter-FAD-824/dp/B0000CDJPQ
#34 Mackenzie says:@Darrell:
What do you mean “back to PC”? You make it sound like Apple’s PCs aren’t PCs, just because Apple makes them. Yeah, right!
#35 Walker says:God, what a bunch of whiners, if you dont like the fact that it doesnt have firewire, DONT BUY IT. And quit crapping up the internet with your incessant bitching. I mean, if firewire is that big a deal to you then just keep your current one.
I am on a damn Powerbook G4, I WISH I had the money to get the new Macbook.
Standards die, live with it, I mean, do you think I cried like this when they got rid of the floppy drive?
#36 Sky says:Um, Walker, this is a technical thread in a technical blog, and hopefully Apple will pick up on the opinions stated here for their future products.
If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read it.
#37 Walker says:To be perfectly hones, Apple doesn’t care.
They are a corporation, they sell computers, they make money.
And there isn’t enough room on the logic board for a firewire port.
Go to ifixit if you don’t believe me.
I don’t really care that Apple dropped firewire from the consumer model, I almost never used it.
USB 3.0 is soon going to replace firewire anyways.
Not to mention USB devices are cheaper.
The last firewire cam I used was over 3 years ago, all the new ones have USB.
Hell, the one I have outputs motion jpeg quicktime movies directly onto the SD card, easy to import into iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
And once again, if its that big a deal, keep your current one for a little while longer and save up some more for the Pro model.
#38 Emre Y. says:If apple decided that they will cut firewire from macbook, they have the option of allowing any workarounds or not. This is simply because they build the operating system and the machine. Its the same resason they don’t allow pcmcia. APPLE is THE MOST EVIL, MONEY SUCKING, USELESS COMPANY I have ever seen…They are not computing company, they should call them design and marketing company. I hate the apple-land (not that I am too big on microsoft either…)
#39 Walker says:Hold on there for just a second.
Powerbooks have had PCMCIA ever since the standard existed.
Apple dropped it in the new Macbook pros in favor of Express card 34, which is faster and does the same stuff, the cards are even backwards compatible with PCMCIA slots (there are some nice adapters too) and Express card 34 is compatible with PCMCIA as well (in spite of size differences). The reason the non pro models dont have said ports is because there isn’t enough room in a laptop of that size and thinness for such an expansion port.
If there was im sure Apple would have included one.
And yeah Apple is evil, but no more so than any other company.
It doesn’t stop me from using my Powerbook.
#40 Emre Y. says:Not enough room for that thinnes? I would recommend you to check out Sharp Actius MM10 which is as thin as the macbook air (maybe even thinner) and HAS a PCMICA port. Its purely marketing decision that apple took out both firewire AND PCMCIA from macbook’s. I do appreciate your comment on powerbooks. They were good laptops. Apple has turned into this design freak and forgot about the real use of computers.
#41 Walker says:Oh yeah im sure Apple could inculde a PC card slot in the air, but it would be at the cost of battery life, capabilities, or something else.
That little laptop you pointed out to me has a meager 256 MB of ram (compared to 2 GB for the air) and a single core 1 Ghz processor (compared to the Air’s dual core 1.6 GHZ processor), and only a 15 GB hard drive (compared to a 120 GB hard drive for the air).
I for one do not think people are willing to buy something like that, it certainly wont run any modern OS except for a minimalistic linux distro im sure. And a firewire port draws 7 watts of power, dropping it allowed apple to keep the same battery life with a smaller battery, which reduced weight.
And the Macbooks have never had PC card slots, so Apple could have never “taken them out”.
And once again, Express card 34 is faster than PCMCIA and is a more modern interface, being based on PCIE instead of PCI.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
#42 Sky says:@Walker:
I need to respectfully rebut a few of your points:
First, Apple does listen to their customers, which is why they have feedback forms on their website. Can they do better? Sure. But they certainly understand the risk of not paying attention. Can you say “mid 1990s”? If you honestly believe that Apple doesn’t care, then I understand why you would not buy their products.
Second, for pros this is not a money issue, it’s a size issue, so your comment about saving up more money for a Macbook Pro is not valid. I want a 13.3″ Macbook Pro (or smaller) that’s basically the Macbook + FW + express card for $300 more. I don’t want to hear about whether or not there’s room for a FW port in the current model. This is a technical discussion about what Apple may or may not do in their next release. I am commenting in this thread as a technologist and not as a consumer.
Third, your rationale for not needing firewire suggests that you do not have an application requiring synchronous A/V recording and playback. You are correct that firewire is not needed for file transfers but that is a different issue. I am prepared to give up my firewire-only backup drives, but unfortunately there is no viable option for my firewire-based DAW.
Regards.
#43 Walker says:Allright, I tried to explain the logistics of power consumption and physical space to you guys.
I quit.
I know Steve Jobs wont listen or care.
I use a Mac because I like the software, and a 15 inch laptop is not that big, I have a PowerBook G4 Titanium that I carry around with me.
I don’t even use the firewire port on it.
And once again, if its that big a deal, just keep your current one, I mean, its not going to kill you to NOT have the latest Macbook doodad.
#44 Sky says:@Walker:
Here’s my last comment and then I quit too. The 12″ Powerbook had ac power, modem, ethernet, firewire 400, 2X USB, mini-DVI, audio in, headphone out and a security cable lock slot. There is no reason why an upcoming 13.3″ or smaller Apple product cannot have a firewire port. If Apple implements ethernet-based firewire, I’m fine with that too as long as the DAW companies jump on board. And as for Steve and Apple not caring, I respectfully disagree. That’s all.
#45 Emre Y. says:Walker, smart pants:
1) I didn’t say the sharp has better specs, I just pointed out that something can be thin AND has a PCMCIA.
2) Where is the express card, you are mentioning????
Taken directly from apple macbook website:
Connections and Expansion
* MagSafe power port
* Gigabit Ethernet port
* Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
* Mini DisplayPort
* Audio line in
* Audio line out
* Kensington lock slot
i can’t see anything that resembles what you are saying
3) Where did I say PC port? and what the hell is a PC port? I am talking about PCMCIA.
#46 The Groke says:RE all the complaints about whiners: I agree that part of the solution is to not buy the new macs. But complaining on the net and emailing Apple etc are also valid ways to let the company know that we, the consumer, are not happy. Especially given the fact that a lot of people might end up buying it anyways, which would drown out any dissent voiced via non-purchase.
As for those that say it is “not a big deal, it is just a computer” etc. The fact is that for many of us, it is not just a computer, it is a device which interfaces (via firewire) with hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of other equipment. So, “just a computer” does not quite float. That’s like me cutting the cables off someone’s car battery and saying “big deal, it’s just a cable”. Yeah, it’s just a cable, but it supports an extended network of other, expensive stuff.
#47 John Bosnitch says:The suggestion that there is not enough space on the MacBook motherboard for FireWire could only be the result of a purposeful decision to eliminate that port. And I don’t see anyone here mentioning the fact that there is still a much smaller four-pin unpowered version of FireWire 400 that could have been used (even though I would counsel against it as you could not run external unpowered 2.5 inch drives in such a case).
The decision to eliminate the FW port probably originates in the finance department, where they are always trying to cut features to raise profits. But the finance department does not have the final say as we all know from the first version of the iBook (toilet seat/purse case design, which did not have FireWire either) on which FireWire was provided in the next revision. The fact is that some people WILL buy the 13″ MacBook without FireWire and as soon as that market is satisfied, it would make good business sense (even for the finance department) to then reintroduce FireWire on the MacBook. The problem probably is that a new feature set expansion was planned for the MacBook Pro (perhaps the addition of an e-SATA port) but was not ready in time and there would not therefore have been enough of a feature differentiation between the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Indeed, we should absolutely NOT buy the MacBook if we want the most capable machine available for the money. And I would not even be happy with the return of mere FW400 after having witnessed the amazing increase in speed achieved by moving up to just FW800 (which slashes the time needed for large multi-GB transfers by over 40%). No, we should instead see FW3200 and maybe e-SATA on the MacBook Pro in January and then the MacBook should swing back into action with at least FW800 (to stay pin-compatible with FW3200).
FireWire is a Mac signature capability. It is a huge waste of potential to strip it and it is a sign of weakness to yield the entire high-speed data transfer field to the upcoming inferior USB 3 technology.
Message to Steve Jobs: It is time for you to hire and listen to some more-dedicated evangelists. After all, you inspired us yourself!
Sending out a positive spin and hoping to get a similarly positive response…
John Bosnitch
john.b@imcnews.com
#48 karen says:I’m waiting for an eSATA port on an Apple laptop before I buy a new one. I’ve got a USB 2/SATA back-up drive thinking surely Apple will go that direction. Anyone heard when an eSATA port is coming out on Apple computers?
#49 harrisonjb says:I think apple have been short sighted. I have just got a new macbook and it looks like ill be taking it back because it has no firewire. No one wants to pay a load of money for a macbook and then nearly 100 more dollars/pounds for some crap cable that may or may not work. I think mac, are deliberately excluding a market segment to force users to buy MacBook Pro. Mac has really lost my vote.
Screw you mac! Ooooo now i feel better…
peace
#50 Alex Varney says:I just cant believe we’re shit outta luck.
youd think there would be something out there to solve this problem, but it cant be found.
i need to find a mac with a fire wire port and just save it to a disk to transfer to my macbook…thats all i can think of.
#51 JB says:“Just by the MacBook Pro” This is ridiculous. We’re talking about a very expensive jump, significant for many at the end of 2008 (seen the layoffs in the news?). We’ve been buying Firewire devices for years because Apple was pushing Firewire. My desk is littered with Firewire devices. Its as if the rug has been pulled out from under us. What’s next? No support for DVD’s, oh, wait, that’s the MacBook Air. I finally saved up enough for these “amazing” new MacBooks and now I’m just pissed off.
#52 Mary Ann Harrington says:I am so angry that Mac has taken away the firewire port. I have been waiting six months for the new macbook to come out. My old one bit the dust. I don’t have the money to buy a new video camera too. As a stock holder, it is an incredibly stupid move to anger anyone as much as I am right now.
I don’t know whether to switch to a PC or buY an old or plastic Macbook.
Has anyone heard any rumors that they will rectify the situation?
#53 Mackenzie says:Mary Ann Harrington:
What do you mean “switch to a PC”? Since when is a Macbook not a PC?
#54 Hello says:I wonder how many cents/pence a ‘top quality’ TI firewire chipset costs for a company like apple - it’s also a shame how the new macbook pro has switched to the (cheaper?) agere chipset (with known issues), and how hard it is to find out off apple what’s actually inside the machine.
Don’t just buy a new macbook pro. Vote with your wallets and switch to a different pc manufactuer for a generation.
#55 Negrini says:The new MacBook without Firewire…incomprensible!!! It’s a very big problem.
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