This last week has brought a lot out of Mac users, at least the group that follows things such as the Macworld Expo and WWDC. Last week, Apple surprised everyone with new-ish MacBook Pros at lower prices. The “new” 13 inch model is essentially an updated version of the prior Unibody MacBook, but with FireWire 800, an SD card slot, and a nonremovable battery. The 15 inch model was similarly updated to include an SD slot and battery, but lost its ExpressCard slot. This has led to numerous complaints from people around the Web.
I know that there are groups of people that would buy just about anything with an Apple logo on it and there are groups of people who would complain about every minor change Apple made to its product line. If the first group was the majority, we’d probably see FireWire disappear from the Mac lineup, rather than ending up on the new 13 inch MacBook Pro. If the second group was the majority, our Macs would still be using things such as the round serial ports, ADB, and SCSI (If you don’t know what these are, go do a search about Apple’s Macs before the iMac).
Thankfully we have both groups to keep legacy (and almost legacy) technology around just a bit longer, but also not hinder development. Personally, I have 3 FireWire hard drives (2 400, 1 800), numerous USB devices, and that’s about it. I do some “pro” level things, such as video editing and graphics work, so I’d like to think that I can speak with enough background that I am looking at things fairly. Therefore, I’m encouraging the other so-called power/professional users to quit whining every time Apple changes the technology.
But they took away my ExpressCard slot!
Check the side of your MacBook Pro. It’s still there. Obviously if you want to buy a new one, it’s a feature that is now unavailable, but that’s part of the reason why the new 15 inch MacBook Pros are a bit cheaper. If you’re doing work with eSATA, you probably should be looking at a Mac Pro for that kind of work and the MacBook Pro for taking it with you. Other than eSATA, the only other things that I’ve seen ExpressCard slots used for are card readers or wireless devices. Apple’s SD card slot is obviously a card reader, although limited to one format. Everything else can be taken care of with USB. If you really need an ExpressCard slot, there’s always the 17 inch MacBook Pro which also dropped in price (think of it as getting a 15 inch MacBook Pro with 2 inches of screen real estate for free).
But Apple is ruining the MacBooks—I can’t get a matte screen except on the 17 inch model!
Personally, I’m a fan of the matte screen—I have an external LCD and part of the decision when I bought my MacBook Pro about 10 months ago was to get the matte option. If it wasn’t available, I probably would have lived with it. Instead people now can get a computer with a glass plate over the display that won’t scratch or have permanent scars from dirt on the keys. Obviously, the glare could be annoying for some work, but just adjust the angle of the screen. The fact that there are some tradeoffs will always happen with new technologies and the public seems to like these new glossy displays. Remember, Apple did offer it as a choice for awhile on the previous MacBook Pros. I’m surprised it’s not a built-to-order option on the 15 inch model, but the demand may not dictate it.
I can’t remove the battery – Apple is just trying to get extra money from me!
Again, it seems like the 17 inch model was a test to see if the public wouldn’t mind longer battery life in trade for a nonremovable battery. The battery can be removed, but like the iPods and iPhones, is recommended to be an Apple-authorized job. Pricing seems to be the same as a replacement battery for the prior models, but if Apple’s claims are correct, you may not have to do it at all, and recycling the old battery is included in the process. Sounds like a good deal to me.
They took away line in!
Yes, the 13 inch model lost the digital optical audio in jack, instead moving analog line in to the audio out jack. This is a bit interesting, but it saves on space and if someone really would be doing audio work as a professional, they most likely would be using some sort of breakout box. I wonder if we’ll see some sort of breakout cable from third-parties to allow you to use line-in and headphones (or speakers) at the same time.
Mini DisplayPort is awful!
Whenever there is an evolution in technology, people are going to complain. Your old adapters may now be useless, but this connector can support a lot more than the DVI (or mini-DVI) could. Besides that, it is much smaller and convenient. Give it time—everyone will be compatible with it soon enough and forgetting about things like VGA and DVI.
Obviously whenever a new model is introduced, people are going to get upset, playing armchair Apple exec, but think about the changes that have happened over the last 10 years. Ports found on old Macs that required special hardware were eradicated, replaced with universal ports, such as USB, FireWire, and VGA. Without Apple forcing people to adopt them, these probably would not have gained as much momentum as fast. Sometimes adapting or removing a port or feature may be able to help shave hundreds of dollars off of a product’s price, which everyone is clamoring for.
8 Responses to “My MacBook Pro Doesn’t Have a Parallel Port!”
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06/16/2009 at 1:18 pm
The Apple apologist at work.
First, I’d love to see your logic as to how, by removing ExpressCard, Apple has saved money. Second, the argument that, “Gee, nobody ever used the expansion slot,” to me, shows a misunderstanding of the whole “Pro” concept–namely that you use your computer as a tool to do your work.
Yes, there are those who buy a MacBook Pro because they’re sexy-lookin’ notebooks for when you’re out-and-about visiting clients. But there are those who need the performance of eSATA to do their work. There are those who need ExpressCard audio and video interfaces. Those are the people who’ll be featured in the next Microsoft ad: “I need a small notebook with ExpressCard…”
06/16/2009 at 1:40 pm
@Peter: I’ve been critical of Apple in the past over numerous things, so I think this is hardly being an Apple apologist. As for removing the ExpressCard, that removed the need to have the bus that slot operates on. Adding a card reader would (and I can’t say since I don’t have my hands on one of the new notebooks) only require an internal USB device (much like how Apple treats its trackpads).
I do agree with you that a bit of the “Pro” appeal has gone away with the current 13 and 15 inch models, but plenty of video and audio interfaces exist with FireWire and USB — industry standard such as Digidesign’s MBox series, or any number of FireWire video decks. Personally, I’ve looked and haven’t found that many audio or video interfaces for the ExpressCard slot.
As I even stated earlier, eSATA is probably the thing the ExpressCard slot got the most use with, but the number of people using that still would still be the 17 inch MacBook Pro demographic (just like the higher-level iMacs could be considered “pro” machines based on capabilities). I think then if we get into naming, it’s an argument of semantics.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone compare the fact that many random PC notebooks have a card reader with the Mac’s lack thereof, I would start to assume that that is what most consumers who are buying Mac notebooks want (and despite the pro nomenclature, plenty of home and student users are snapping up 15 and 17 inch models).
I think Apple’s logic is that if someone needs that feature, they (or their business) will get the “more Pro” 17 inch model, since its price drop helps. I griped when the 12 inch PowerBook G4 was discontinued, because there is something to be said about a full-featured professional notebook with a compact size. You may be on to something about the Microsoft ad…
06/16/2009 at 6:35 pm
Good one. Why not bring back those serial ports, too. The first thing I bought when I got my MacBook Pro with an Express 34 card slot. I had to go out and buy a SDHC card adapter and a 8 GB SDHC card so I could get some use out of that darn slot. And now these people are complaining. Apple just can’t win. Users wanted both types of slots. I guess they don’t sell SDHC to Express 34 adapters. Haha. Sorry, but I’m still using my SDHC adapter and that’s that. Next year with the 64 GB and 128 GB SDHC cards for sale, maybe I’ll be sitting pretty. Unless that’s gonna be some new standard. In that case, I guess it’s time for a new MacBook Pro.
Believe it or not, it was just last year when I started throwing away all my SCSI hardware and some Apple Bus cables. I guess they’re not coming back, either. I didn’t even shed one tear. I said to myself that I’d better just keep pace with the industry and cut my losses rather than bitch and moan about being cheated over the loss of “legacy” hardware I rarely had much use for as the years went by.
I’m telling ya, there’s always gonna be some dick complaining about a lost port or slot but Apple is not gonna build a 24 port/slot laptop because they just don’t look fashionable enough with that many holes on the side. Probably be a bit flimsy, too.
06/16/2009 at 9:27 pm
I just came across (not even related to this article) a photo of Dell’s Adamo notebook. It has a combo eSATA/USB port. Plug in an eSATA cable, it’s eSATA. Plug in a USB cable, it’s USB. If you use the special Dell optical drive, it uses the eSATA signal, but taps into USB for power. I think Apple could offer something like this for those who really want eSATA—why even bother with cards?
06/16/2009 at 11:15 pm
HP has had combo USB/eSATA ports for almost a year and Toshiba has recently started adding them i see no reason apple couldn’t use that next revision but they will need a way to make the port look good cause it looks like crap in the Toshiba’s and not much better on the HP but its nice to combine the two it saves space
06/20/2009 at 10:16 pm
I actually predicted the new books release after the bump in the white one.
I feel that the Express slot may have been removed for another reason as well.
The new iPhone allows for tethering – when ATT says so – and at additional cost!!
06/22/2009 at 10:29 am
I remember in the early 90s my friends ragging me because my Mac didn’t have a 5 1/4 inch floppy drive, too.
Technology changes. Get over it.
07/04/2009 at 2:48 pm
Like Kim Komando said, “the iMac should have a floppy drive.”
Amazing what those with no hope of a clue think…