Re: New Macbook - Deliberately hobbled?

Yes - I could forsee the 'market leader' argument - I'm sure that's how Apple will spin this. As it's impossible to say what Apple's actual motives are, there is nothing to be proved here - and I agree with everything you have said on one level. I think the decision Apple made to drop FW on the iPods is the most compelling argument - but that's due to the fact that PC manufacturers don't like paying the FireWire royalties that go to - er - Apple. It gets to add the ports for free on their own laptops!

As the previous poster said, these are not PRO machines, but that distinction is now really only in Apple's heads. The Macbook is now a perfectly capable laptop with decent graphics. I'm afraid you're just not going to convince me they chose NOW (when the iMac now has FW800 on it - another consumer machine, but then there's no iMac Pro is there?!) to remove a port that served many pros and consumers without considering the damage the new MacBooks would do to sales of the MBP. My guess is many pro users (especially those working in audio AND video) would have decided that the new Macbook would do - so Apple took a decision to push them towards the Pro machines.

Shame - as I said, I think it cost them a market. Certainly cost them a little more of my money!

On the plus side - I just noticed that refurb 17" MBP's are selling for big discounts on the UK Apple store - I can pick up one for less than the cost of that new Macbook actually... ;)

Ben




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