Ableton Forum

I don't think Apple forgets. I think they always feel they know best and users should happily follow where they lead. Apple has never hesitated to drop options or break third party products with redefined specs. After moving a bunch of money today I'm sitting here trying to decide if I really want to order the $3,000 MacBookPro that I customized to replace my 5 year old MacBookPro, or should I move on and order the $2,300 ADK notebook with better specs and Win7 64. I want to keep loving Mac's but over the years I have grown to distrust Apple. Such a shame. My favorite computer is the MacBookAir that I am posting from.

All new Apple products come with a Thunderbolt connection. The firewire adapter is about 2" long and costs about $20.
USB2 years ago sucked ass for audio work, both OSX and Windows improved their end, as well as developers making solid audio devices.
It was only within the last couple years that serious high end companies even considered USB.
This whole thread is moot.

What Apple is really letting musicians down with is the AU spec. They need to upgrade it to match or beat VST3, that it hasn't been developed further in many years now.....

get a thunderbolt to firewire and stop crying, thunderbolt can carry the display, fw800, a slew of usb, analog audio and more all at once (or separated)
i wish the newest generation would come with only thunderbolt and a breakout box with all the ports on it

I had already warned that Apple is no longer for pros. Some never tried to admit though. Apple doesn't seriously care about prosumer. They ditched Xserve, anti-glare Cinema Display, Mac Pro (almost discontinued). Also, iMac's HD is hardly replacable when the HD is accidentally worn out.

To make the matters worse, the OS performance is not as good as Windows 7. Then more lightweight operation system Windows 8 has recently come out.

Their last valuable products is Macbook Pro standard model with anti-glare display. But they seems to be trying to discontinue it and shift to Retina model, this is garbage, even Logic 9 don't support lol. You know i-toys are most important things for both Apple & stockholder because it is their source of sales, it made current apple one of the largest company in the world. Prosumer market don't bring such large amout of sales.

They have changed. Today's apple isn't what they were running a company for prosumer. Snap out of itnoobs Pros!

pencilrocket wrote: Their last valuable products is Macbook Pro standard model with anti-glare display. But they seems to be trying to discontinue it

How are they trying to discontinue it?
I ordered a (hi-res) anti-glare in the latest MacBook Pro in July. I'm also using Firewire 800 -> 400 cable into my Edirol FA-66 no problems.

artpunk wrote:How are they trying to discontinue it?

I don't know, the way how they treat Mac Pro or did for xserve?
Manufacturing similer products isn't good for stockholder and Jobs simply didn't like selling many models for the same category of products.

pencilrocket wrote:Mac Pro (almost discontinued).

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/06/ ... _2013.html

I hope Apple continues the non-Retina MacBook Pros for a while...

Machinesworking wrote:All new Apple products come with a Thunderbolt connection. The firewire adapter is about 2" long and costs about $20.
USB2 years ago sucked ass for audio work, both OSX and Windows improved their end, as well as developers making solid audio devices.
It was only within the last couple years that serious high end companies even considered USB.
This whole thread is moot.

Moot or not that was exactly my point.
I prefer FW over USB for a number of reasons.
However google a lot but still found no answer to my actual doubts:

1. All new Mac are shipped with Mountain Lion. Google a lot and I have found out that audio in general
and especially USB 3 with USB 2 device and drivers has problems. Glitches, pops, clicks. Since day 1. OS X problem.
Look here : http://createdigitalmusic.com/2012/06/u ... operating/
It seems that 10.8.2 did not fix it.
2. The TB to FW Dongle is a good idea but again, google and I have found that not all devices/DAW can use it because it is reported to the system as TB anyway.
3. USB 2 vs USB 3: Really that differences? USB 3 is faster than USB 2 and FW but is it reliable?

I am living in a Country where when you buy you take a risk, no refund, no 14 days return policy. So basically you have to think twice before buying. It looks like I have to rely on my old iMac 2008 with SL on it, or get a 2011 one as still available in some retailers and install Snow Leopard on it. (Yes I will get USB 2.0 but I will get FW800 as well + TB).

No single place that lists all the working devices in all the working configurations. It's a transition time and I am pushed back when, younger, I built my Windows PC...

fishmonkey wrote:

pencilrocket wrote:Mac Pro (almost discontinued).

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/06/ ... _2013.html

To boost their sales & stock price Apple says whatever they have to. They have told that peronal computer should have all feature, iPod never get video feature, small iPad wouldn't be made. But, they made macbook air, mac mini, iMac. They add video feature to iPod. They launched iPad mini.

To begin with, they don't talk about forthcoming products if they are seriously considering to release.

pencilrocket wrote:

fishmonkey wrote:

pencilrocket wrote:Mac Pro (almost discontinued).

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/06/ ... _2013.html

To boost their sales & stock price Apple says whatever they have to. They have told that peronal computer should have all feature, iPod never get video feature, small iPad wouldn't be made. But, they made macbook air, mac mini, iMac. They add video feature to iPod. They launched iPad mini.

To begin with, they don't talk about forthcoming products if they are seriously considering to release.

fair enough.

since you are clearly the the most well-informed person on this forum, i willingly bow to your unparalleled expertise.

besides, i've learnt that it isn't wise to argue with creatures with fiendishly large brains. it never ends well.

Hack. In. Tosh.

Pasha wrote: 5) The Thunderbird to Fw800 dongle has not been thought for anything else than data transfer. Audio does not seem to work flawlessly.

Says who? Thunderbolt makes FW800 look like a serial port. I use it for everything including video/data/audio/and ethernet. It is 100% and the greatest technology I have used since PCI made ISA obsolete.

I don't want another Apple computer without a T-bolt port.

I can't say if the title thread's right

but I've got a mixed feeling on apple stuff more and more

i.e., LION.

we bought a new macbook pro for our techno band, and it came with Lion installed.

seems OK, I disabled / re-enabled some features to feel at home (I love snow leopard)

but:

WTF with apple macbooks and external displays????? IT JUST DOESN'T WORK

even for pros who have dual apple cinema displays....

no matter if the display is apple or not, if it's with hdmi or dvi or vga....

the external screen won"t work (regular blinking make it useless)

and it seems a world wide acknowledged problem... since now months or even a year...

and apple doesn't do a single move on that shit..

WTF APPLE ????

Pasha wrote: and especially USB 3 with USB 2 device and drivers has problems. Glitches, pops, clicks. Since day 1. OS X problem.

This isn't that surprising, as with any update to a plug in standard there should be updates to the audio drivers to ensure compatibility.
Some companies will do this in a timely manor some will not.

Look here : http://createdigitalmusic.com/2012/06/u ... operating/
It seems that 10.8.2 did not fix it.

If audio drivers are not co-operating it's most likely the audio driver developers fault, but they will of course be more than happy to blame Apple, Microsoft, the moon, their girlfriend, or you for the issue.

2. The TB to FW Dongle is a good idea but again, google and I have found that not all devices/DAW can use it because it is reported to the system as TB anyway.

Again, this seems like an audio driver issue rather than a OS/hardware compatibility issue. If some drivers work and others do not, it points IMO more towards software than hardware, and older drivers are the likely issue.

Also, IMO Lion is like Leopard, which was a mediocre Apple OS compared to Snow Leopard. The direction to move in is towards Mountain Lion, not back to an OS that's two versions old, and at some point will be more likely to have issues with drivers, adaptors and audio hardware. I have Snow Leopard on the 07 laptop and Mountain Lion on the 09 Mac Pro, no issues with either OS.