> > I assumed that dropping Firewire 800 from the Macbook indicated
>> either a moving away from support for Firewire or a way to force
>> people to buy the Macbook Pro. I'm sure there are many people who
>> have Macbooks who would like it.
>>
>> I found that all the external DVD drives are USB; I'm not sure how
>> much faster the Firewire 800 drive is, let alone what would be the
>> premier external harddrive to get. Firewire drives are more
>> expensive; I have a WD MyBook 500 currently. I see Radioshack is now
>> selling an Iomega one-terrabyte drive for $100.
>
>I _think_ the idea behind dropping FW from the MacBook is that is considered
>a consumer model, and most likely users would have USB drives and USB-based
>cameras.
>
>In simple numbers, FW400 and USB2 are about the same speed, although FW400
>is faster copying large amounts of data.
>
>FW800 is twice as fast, but it always seemed faster to me when copying large
>amounts of data.
>
>eSata is twice as fast as FW800.
>
I found a good price on a slightly used current Macbook Pro, so I was
reading this review:

"Apple has decided to completely omit its own standard from this
model, and the outcry from users has assuredly been heard at 1
Infinite Loop by now. We're not exactly surprised to see a move like
this -- Apple has a history of abandoning technology when it sees fit
-- though we definitely sympathize with with people who will likely
have an entire drawer full of devices rendered useless if they spring
for one of these new models. Along those same lines, the company is
forcing users into a Mini Display Port jack, an all-but unheard of
connector which will require that you spend at least another $30 on
an adapter if you hope to use your existing monitor. Apple used to
include a VGA-to-DVI adapter with older models, and it feels like a
bit of a slight asking buyers to make an additional purchase here. In
fact, we hoped to test the laptops out on with a second display, but
Apple didn't get us our adapter in time."

http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/21/macbook-and-macbook-pro-review/

and

"Along the front we're seeing a merciful end to that annoying latch
-- the laptops now open and close with ease by magnetically locking
the base and screen together. It's a minor touch, but a welcome one
nonetheless."

and

This company has been making billions through nickel and diming
people for years. Only a year's warranty! Always the minimum amount
of memory they can get away with. High prices for peripherals. Covers
to ports that fall off; (they solved this one by eliminating the
covers); AC adaptors that fray at the edges; charging customers more
if you want a black case; charging more for a matte screen; charging
for every update, no matter how minimal. And so on.

and this comment:

"Re: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)
[quote name='dreyfus']
I am a little astonished that nobody is pointing out its severest
annoyance: Every 17" PowerBook/MacBook Pro since 2004 could drive any
external 30" display flawlessly without spending an additional penny.
With the Mini Display Port you need a 100 USD adapter to achieve the
same, and even then you are restricted to using the 30" Apple
display, as most others will not work reliably (or at all) with the
adapter.

"We covered this annoyance a few times when Apple introduced the Mini
DisplayPort adapter, and I mentioned the adapter hassle in the
review. It is indeed unfortunate."

[This makes me worry about whether my screen will work, as it's a
non-Apple brand.]

But Apple computers are still the best choice overall (depending upon
your circumstances, of course) .... I thought some of the G3s were
hideous, but they've learned their lesson in recent years.


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