Filed under: Hardware, PowerBook
Clearing up specifics on the MacBook Pro
Laurie A. Duncan is feeding us a few more
details from the Macworld floor on the new MacBook Pros that I thought were quite interesting:- Macbook has one FW 400 port, no FW 800. I guess that ZDNet post was at least on to
something
- no pcmcia slot - new ExpressCard/34 slot, whatever that is
- Hard drive is SATA now, not IDE
- Magnetic power adapter and port is very very cool! Snaps nice and tight
- Display now also uses magnetics to close, clasp is gone
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Eric Dunivant said 2:53PM on 1-10-2006
Is it just me, or did the Superdrives go backwards? On the Pbook G4 there are 8X drives with dual-layer +R and now it is 4X and only single layer?
Why on earth?
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apainter said 2:55PM on 1-10-2006
It has no built-in dial-up modem either. Customize-it page lists the USB modem that debuted with the iMac w iSight built-in.
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Sebastian said 3:01PM on 1-10-2006
Windows booting?
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Pete said 3:01PM on 1-10-2006
What is the circular hole to the left of the Sleep light on the front?
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Michael said 3:02PM on 1-10-2006
QuickTime 7.0.4 became available through Software Update a short while ago, although it's not listed here yet:
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/
I downloaded it and - what do you know? - it's PPC/Intel.
iTunes 6.0.2 has just become available, too.
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skip said 3:07PM on 1-10-2006
ExpressCard is the new PC Card
It includes interfaces for PCI Express and/or USB2.0 devices all in one 34mm wide device. Push the device in, and push it again to eject (spring loaded ejection mechanism - no button to push).
Its listed as ExpressCard/34 because there's also a PC Card width ExpressCard/54 option in the ExpressCard spec (but both use the same connector. I'm glad Apple has only gone with /34 as it will motivate companies to conform to the smaller standard.
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skip said 3:09PM on 1-10-2006
I expect the hole to the left of the sleep light is the IR port for Front Row
Oh, and check out http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/ for more ExpressCard info
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Stephen Waits said 3:13PM on 1-10-2006
No mention of battery life...
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propwash said 3:15PM on 1-10-2006
Either I can't find it or no one has asked yet! Can I partition the HD and run Windows XP "native" on this machine ????
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saurabh said 3:15PM on 1-10-2006
the circular thing is probably the IR port for the remote etc.
are you sure about the clasps though??> I still see two holes on the lid and the base, and the small chrome button across the front....looks like a clasping mechanism to meee :S
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Axel said 3:23PM on 1-10-2006
the finaly droped brushed metal
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James said 3:44PM on 1-10-2006
All I want to know is whether the video card is swappable, because the X1600 is no performance king. Additionally, I question the value if I can get a Dell XPS that outperforms the MacBook (though showing an ugly side) to install Mac OS X on.
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Ton said 3:48PM on 1-10-2006
Whatever happened to the 'Intel Inside' or the 'Intel Leap ahead' logo? It's not there, right?
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Penginkun said 3:51PM on 1-10-2006
Why on earth would Apple advertise their computers as being capable of running Windows? It seems very likely that they can, but it'll never be officially supported. Therefore Apple's not going to talk about it.
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Paul Wren said 3:55PM on 1-10-2006
S-video output is gone, too. So here's what went away:
1. S-video out
2. FW 800
3. modem
4. dual-layer DVD burning
...and here's what's new:
1. Intel
2. iSight
3. strange new power cord
4. Apple Remote/Front Row
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Paul said 4:04PM on 1-10-2006
I suppose we can't know until someone actually gets one in their hands, but if it uses the newer EFI (rather than BIOS on PCs or OpenFirmware on PPC Macs) than no, you can't boot XP. Vista will support EFI, however, so maybe at some point.
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michael said 4:09PM on 1-10-2006
P.S. The round thing is the isight.
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Dr. Webster said 4:20PM on 1-10-2006
I just noticed something interesting...on the aluminum PowerBooks, there were plastic AirPort antenna windows on either side of the display. On the MacBook Pro (what a horrble name, shoulda named it the PowerBook Core Duo), I see no such windows. So, this means that either the new Book will 1) sport some special antennas-can-work-well-through-metal technology, or 2) the AirPort (and possibly Bluetooth) reception on this thing's gonna suck.
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skip said 4:25PM on 1-10-2006
Will the Apple remote fit inside the ExpressCard/34 slot? What dimensions is the Apple remote?
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mrtotes said 4:26PM on 1-10-2006
Only two USB ports? Yet again another beautiful Apple Design can have an ugly USB hub sat next to it.
No FW800?
Single Layer Optical drive - Does anyone actually still make these!!! Apple must have put in a special order to obtain these drives. Just buy dual layer in bulk!!
Ports still exposed
One mouse button! The functionality for two mouse buttons has bene in OS X since day one. WHY!
Sensible 15.4" LCD to reduce cost versus odd 15.2" - but where's the saving to the buyer?
Memory Card Slots? - I doubt that ExpressCard/34 would even fit a Compact Flash Adaptor
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