New MacBook, missing firewire... go white or pro?

[pulsoc]

I got a white macbook over a year ago, I have the funky discoloration around on the wrist-rest (probably from sweaty perv palms), but powerwise it has served very well. Over course, whith the pro you also get a separate graphics card...

[muthafunka]

The new line of mac lappies do still have firewire, but it's a firewire 800 port only. You can get a FW 800 to FW 400 cable and totally run various brands of FW interfaces with it—bus power and all.

About the FW bus-power, check it VERY carefully before you buy. Apple dropped the spec. on many of the pre-unibody MBs and MBPs and they will NOT run some interfaces ie RME Fireface 400, properly under bus power. RME went as far as changing the FW end of the FF but there are still various reported problems. I have a MBP 2.6, fully maxed-out, jacked-up pre-unibody MBP and it will not boot my FF400 unless I connect the FF power supply and boot it from that, which obviously defeats the object. I checked the newer unibody 2.4 and 2.53 yesterday and they will boot the FF from bus power but I wasn't able to test how well they actually ran in use.
Soooooo, the short answer, try before you buy, YMMV!

[Machinesworking]

So my choices are: sell and get an older white macbook, OR get a refurbed 15" pro.

Any opinions on this???
THink I'm leaning toward the pro here for the backlit keys aswell... but white (or even black) ones can be had fairly cheap now.

Apple made a really stupid move there didnt they.

People have mentioned that USB3 is coming. This is the best reason to go pro, the Express card slot will give you USB 3 when it comes out, so you're a bit future proof. Backlit keyboard, Firewire, more USB 2 ports, better screen, Gigibit ethernet...

[aisling]

So my choices are: sell and get an older white macbook, OR get a refurbed 15" pro.

Any opinions on this???
THink I'm leaning toward the pro here for the backlit keys aswell... but white (or even black) ones can be had fairly cheap now.

Apple made a really stupid move there didnt they.

People have mentioned that USB3 is coming. This is the best reason to go pro, the Express card slot will give you USB 3 when it comes out, so you're a bit future proof. Backlit keyboard, Firewire, more USB 2 ports, better screen, Gigibit ethernet...

very good points made!

[Anubis]

You can always use these... Apiotek expresscard to dual Firewire 800. http://www.apiotek.com They also make a quad USB 2.0

[Machinesworking]

You can always use these... Apiotek expresscard to dual Firewire 800. http://www.apiotek.com They also make a quad USB 2.0

Macbooks have never had PCMCIA or Express card slots unfortunately.

[SubFunk]

Someone asked about bending and the like on the MBP i got the previous design, not the carved one and it drpped once badly onto a corner, since then it is bent like a freakin' banana and it's still working eversince, including the dvd slot.

I also agree with machinesworking, the cardslot is gold worth.

[Lephrenic]

[elemental]

[JAMM]

PRO! mayby the old model. great laptop.
You still can pick one up for 1350 euro....FW400/800 included.

[mkelly]

The new line of mac lappies do still have firewire, but it's a firewire 800 port only. You can get a FW 800 to FW 400 cable and totally run various brands of FW interfaces with it—bus power and all.

Not the MacBooks, bro, not the MacBooks. Only the Pros.

Sparklepuff, thanks for setting me straight, man! In haste I misread the initial post.

Now I get what all the hubub is about. Curious move on Apple's part.

At the time, some people said that they were phasing out Firewire - depending on who you listened to it was being phased out fully, or phased out only on the non-Pro "consumer" models. Some said it was dropped from the MacBooks due to internal design constraints.

Yesterdays updates show that FW400 has been phased out of all Apple's lineup (bar the old white MacBook) and replaced with FW800 in the Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro lines, as well as the MacBook Pro.

I think this move lends weight to the idea that it was due to design constraints and not due to Apple phasing out FW. They not only kept FW on the Mini and iMac, but they improved it to FW800. Not the action you would expect if they were phasing the technology out.

Just my opinion anyway.

Cheers,

Mo

[sparklepuff]

True about the firewire. 4 FW800 ports on the new Mac Pro. Not exactly a move that says they're ditching it.