Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware
My perspective on Unsanity's MacBook Pro "Lost in Transition" post
One of
Unsanity's programmers by the name of Rosyna has posted a really interesting commentary on the new MacBook Pros titled
Lost in Translation, focusing on some significant issues that
need to be addressed. I recommend you check it out, as it raises questions on a number of issues that Steve Jobs seemed
to have glazed over in his keynote.On the flip side though, I couldn't help posting this without offering a response to some of the issues. While I am neither a programmer nor an Apple Engineer, I think I can add a few interesting ideas to the discussion.
- Rosyna questions the performance increase and is concerned that the MacBook Pros use a 60-watt hour battery and an 85 watt AC adapter, compared to the PowerBook's 50-watt hour battery and 65 watt AC adapter. I don't believe Steve said they're using less power than previous chips, but the move to intel was about gaining a much better power/performance boost. While we obviously should wait for non-Apple and (hopefully) unbiased speed tests to surface, it seems at this point that we suffered a roughly 20% increase in power consumption for a 400-500% performance increase. As long as the MacBook Pro won't burn my lap off, I'm still adding one to my wishlist.
- Missing parts, specifically: the S-Video output, a Dual Layer burner, a dial-up modem and FW800. While I can't
comment much on S-Video since I'm not cool enough to give presentations on projectors, the loss of the other parts is a
mixed bag. I had been hearing reports of issues with the Dual Layer SuperDrives in the latest PowerBooks, and I haven't
had the chance to test mine yet as the discs are simply too expensive, even in bulk. Still, I agree the backstepping of
SuperDrives is strange; Apple could have or should have solved the issues before shorting their big first step with
Intel portables. As far as the other parts, I think those are simply signature casualties of living on the bleeding
edge with Apple. At least here in America, the last stat I heard was something around 65% of the US is broadband
enabled. I guess that was enough of a flag to give the modem the boot.
The FW800 port, however, is a different story. From what I've seen, there aren't any actual speed benefits of using a single external FW800 drive over a FW400 drive. The rest of the bus and hard drive inside a machine like a MacBook Pro winds up creating a bottleneck that just kills the benefit of the extra speed. FW800, from what I've heard, comes in handy for things like serious RAID arrays, where a chunk of data is getting sent out to a FW800 multi-drive enclosure or rack system, where the bus can at least move all that data out to a whole set of extra drives. If I'm right, including something like that on a portable machine just doesn't seem like a good idea - what mobile professional is carrying around a portable computer big fat FW800 multi-drive enclosure? Not many, if any, I'm sure. I suspect FW800 will live on the PowerMacs Mac Pros. - Resolution. Rosyna was upset that the MacBook Pros have a resolution of 1440x900, instead of the latest 15" PowerBook's resolution of 1440x960. While this means a few pixels are lost, it also means that (I believe) the displays and resolutions are on par with not only the rest of the Mac family, but the rest of the industry. I'm *pretty* sure 1440x900 is a standard res among non-Mac hardware (however, it's also the res of the 17" iMac), which I bet would allow Apple to use more standard display hardware, i.e. - cheaper parts, and cheaper repairs for consumers.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Christopher Holland said 6:23PM on 1-11-2006
Unfortunately, FW800 is also a very convenient thing to have when you are doing video applications and editing. For instance, in one of our custom applications we use a 15" Powerbook to read two simultaneous video feeds and merge them into a single wide video. We can't do that with FW400, the bandwidth simply isn't there. We must use a laptop because the application needs to be used in the field.
Reply
teece said 6:33PM on 1-11-2006
Who knows what Apple paid for the Intel Core Duo, but rest assured that it was in the range of 2x-4x (or more?) than the G4 that was in the Powerbook. I strongly suspect Apple may be making a bit less on these laptops, and the few features that went were a) relatively little used, and b) a way to take the sting out of the loss of margin. It relates to almost all of the issues raised.
Intel is expensive.
Reply
Rob Knight said 6:36PM on 1-11-2006
Agreed on the display. We lose the higher resolution, but the Powerbook DL (Oct 2005) displays had faint horizontal banding that, in my opinion, made it unusuable for high-end graphic work.
The mBook Pro (I refuse to say 'MacBook') does not have the faint lines (it was the first thing I checked).
It is an adequate trade to have flawless displays with lower res. And aligning with industry standards helps as well.
Nobody has mentioned open firmware yet...do the mBooks support open firmware?
Reply
Dennis said 6:39PM on 1-11-2006
In my experience, there is some benefit to using a FW800 connection to a single drive. With an early 2005 15" PowerBook with a 5400 rpm drive connected to a Power Mac G4 with a 7200 rpm drive, I transfered an 852 MB file repeatedly with multiple connection methods and came up with the following average transfer rates:
FireWire 800: 32.56 MB/sec
Gigabit Ethernet: 30.99 MB/sec
FireWire 400: 27.33 MB/sec
USB 2.0: 17.2 MB/sec
So according to this somewhat unscientific test, it looks like FW800 is approximately 19% faster than FW400, even when transferring between single drives. And both are much faster than USB 2.0.
Assuming these results would scale for larger transfers, FW800 becomes very useful for backups, drive cloning, working with video, and other disk intensive activities, even if you're on a notebook computer without a RAID setup.
Reply
Oliver said 6:43PM on 1-11-2006
The thing is, doesn't the DVI-to-video adapter have an s-video plug on it? At least with that issue (and the 56k) i can see the point of removing the built-in port when the functionality is still available through an adapter. But generally speaking I was in agreement with Rosyna's feelings about the release.
Reply
John Hopper said 6:46PM on 1-11-2006
The s-video out is not a problem.. you just use a DVI-Video out adapter... Her'es Apple's:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9267G/A
Some people need to research more (I just google'd) before they start bitching. cough - rosyna - cough
FW800? Most people won't use it, it never took off, if you want FW800 just use a PC card adapter. Dual Layer DVD burning... yeah I can dig that complaint.
Reply
Nathan Qazi said 6:52PM on 1-11-2006
I have to disagree with you on the issue of ports. I find it disturbing for Apple to have removed the S-Video and FW800 ports and the PC Card slot. I also find it disturbing that Apple downgraded the SuperDrive DLs to SuperDrives and cut their write speed from 8x to 4x.
I find the removal of S-Video to be disturbing. S-Video is important to me because I like to plug in my laptop to TVs and show video clips or short films I'm working on. It's also important to me because I do a lot of presenations in Keynote and PowerPoint. While I understand that I can simply get a DVI to S-Video cord from Apple for $19.99, I feel like I've been ripped off because they've removed it from the newer model. If they never had it on the older PowerBooks and they continued to not have it on the newer MacBooks, then I'd be less dissapointed. But removing such an important port from a newer model? That's cause for concern.
I find the removal of FireWire 800 to be disturbing. I strongly, strongly disagree with you on this. You claim you don't believe FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 have a noticeable speed difference; FireWire 800 transmits data at 786.432 Mbit/s vs. FireWire 400's 400 Mbit/s. I'm going to assume that you haven't transmitted much data or processed enough to see the difference.
I love hearing people say things like, "I've never really used that FireWire 800 port, so no one else has" and "There are about two products that utilize FireWire 800". These people have obviously never used their Macs for video. The new Sony HD cameras require FireWire 800 for HD video transfer---as I'm sure all future cameras will for HD video transfer, since we're talking about such a large amount of data. Quite a few external hard disks use FireWire 800---and that is significantly faster than its FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 counterparts.
I find the removal of the PC Card slot to be disturbing. I, like many others, use the PC Card slot for wireless internet from a wireless telephone company. I use Verizon; some use Sprint, even Cingular. None of these companies have a card that utilizes the new ExpressCard slot in the MacBooks. Not one. I would have to give up this great feature of being able to connect to the internet from anywhere I get service to get a MacBook.
I find the downgrading of the SuperDrive to be disturbing. I've read people on other forums defending Apple on this. I used to work for Apple, so I'm used to defending them from all sorts of people; I'm having trouble defending this decision. Forget all about Dual-Layer right now since a signifacant majority of people will never use it. Let's just talk about 4x vs. 8x. What the **** made them want to cut the write speed of the DVD burner in half? If we want to save battery life, we can customize the burn speed: we can change it to 4x if we want to, but we have that option in the PowerBooks. I usually keep it at 8x when I'm plugged in; 4x when I'm not. I won't have that option if I upgraded to 8x. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I don't understand why they got rid of the dual-layer. I'm sick of people saying "Well, if I never used it, no one else has. That's why they got rid of it." There are people, like myself, who actually used these features. This is what bothers me: if they simply never had a dual-layer SuperDrive or a 8x SuperDrive and they continued to not have a dual-layer or 8x SuperDrive, I would've been okay. But for them to have it in the previous edition of PowerBooks then DOWNGRADE it in this new edition of MacBook is extremely confusing.
All in all, the MacBook Pro is not worth it. They seem to have removed many important features, the PC Card slot and FW800 being the most important, in favor of 4-5x faster processor speed.
I would much rather have a slower PowerBook with wireless internet anywhere I go, easy connectivity to a TV, High Definition video camera, FireWire 800-speed external hard disk, a faster DVD burner with the option of burning a dual-layer disc than a faster MacBook with none of these features.
Reply
tdungan said 7:19PM on 1-11-2006
Thanks Nathan, I thought I was the only one who noticed the speed difference in the SuperDrive. DL is a significant loss but I'm still waiting for the price of media to make it cost effective for me. The speed loss just seems absurd though!
The FW800 loss is a disappointing step backward. Why call it the MacBook"PRO" and push HD but circumsize the I/O. I really hope and ExpressCard for FW800 surfaces soon. The only ExpressCards I've seen so far are multi-format card readers.
I can live with the loss of S-Video. Consider it a legacy port. They should have at least bundled the adapter for free though. Wait until they drop the DVI port for UDI next year.
Resloution? If it doesn't have banding issues and standardizes things... I'll take it.
Battery? If I don't ever burn my leg again I'll be happy. It's embarassing having a scar on your leg from your "super-sexy" laptop.
Bring's "Man that's so hot!", to a new level.
Reply
Charles Hoard said 7:38PM on 1-11-2006
, it seems at this point that we suffered a roughly 20% increase in power consumption for a 400-500% performance increase.
Yes, but is that tunable power? Can I adjust it down when I don't need it to save battery juice? This is a laptop, designed for mobile use, fer crying out loud! Do you need a 400% power increase to download your email and read it? Can you read it 400% faster? Do you type a reply 400% faster? Does all that power push it thru the modem any faster? Oops - no modem included on these!
At least here in America, the last stat I heard was something around 65% of the US is broadband enabled.
OK, this is just a lie- it's less than 50%. They count every home and business with broadband. Many of the people I know have the cable coming into a single Windows PC and no wifi - how does that help me when I am trying to demo something using my Powerbook? That single line doesn't help me without a wireless signal or installation software from the provider, built for a Mac. And try and find that! No modem is a major goof, in my book. It's a sign that the people running the focus groups are... losing focus with the real world users. Sitting at the desk in the study? Use a desktop machine. Traveling to who knows where? Have a mobile machine you can use in almost any scenario. Nothing worst than talking up the attributes of the Apple platform to a small business owner, and having some guy's 2 year old Dell run circles around your 6 month old Powerbook. First no modem, then no PC Card slot for cellular phone access - and you have the NERVE to talk about broadband coverage? This is NOT the way to break into the Enterprise market. Crimity! Get out of the Valley every once in a while and talk to users who depend on the product working smoothly to pay their mortgage.
I actually agree with you on the resolution points. Screen standards save money and repairs, though imho, FW800 should have been an option. It means I have to haul my video back home to my desktop, rather than work in the field. And the DVI to S-video cable you know to throw up a PowerPoint should have been included. This is a PRO unit, people. It should have the bells and whistles included.
If I wanted to be nickled and dimed to death with my laptop, I would buy a Compaq.
And in spite of the above comments, I am waiting impatiently for the 12 inch mBook Pro to arrive this fall, hopefully with some improvements.
Reply
Jonathan said 7:39PM on 1-11-2006
There are a few technical reasons why the MacBook has all those curious design decisions; most of it has to do with space.
From what I've heard, Apple paid a dear price to make the laptop as relatively thin and compact as it is; there isn't enough physical room in there right now to put the ports, even though they look like they should fit on the outside.
Also, the 4X DVD writer is there because they needed an extra-slim model, even when compared to other laptops, and I wonder if it isn't that an 8X drive may have had trouble working in that case at this moment in time.
I would like to see what Apple does in the next MacBook iteration. By then they'll probably be using the Merom version of Core Duo, and the mainboard could be considerably more efficient by then. In the meantime, people who don't need FW800 or full-size ExpressCard can enjoy the extra speed.
Reply
Frank said 7:54PM on 1-11-2006
Since the earliest days of Final Cut, Apple's been touting the PowerBook as a full-featured movie studio to go. But without FW800 support, it's a big step backward. Some cameras may support USB 2.0, many Professional ones do not.
As for the modem, it's a nightmare from an engineering perspective. Always has been. That's because modems have to be localized for each country. Which means designing a LOT of different models for EACH Mac model, testing them all around the world, shoehorning them into various sleek apple CPU enclosures, and keeping track of a large number of SKUs. All that has to be weighed against the benefits of keeping them in there. It comes down to cost.
That said, I think having a modem hookup is nice. Yes, 65% of America may have Broadband, but Laptops are about mobility. When I have my PB on the road, and I need to get on the 'net, I look for:
1. a Wi-Fi spot, if available
2. Battery power in my cell phone and a 1xRTT signal so I can use DUN over bluetooth. or, if all else fails,
3. a local dialup if I can find a phone jack somewhere.
Smart road warriors to have as many tricks in their arsenal as possible for getting online. The modem is a key part of that. Tough call.
S-Video is not a big a deal. The adapter costs $20. Deal with it and move on.
Reply
USTommyMC said 7:58PM on 1-11-2006
I'm was kind of dissappointed at first about the few missing features but then I thought long and hard.
1. PCMCIA slot - I have yet to use a PC card on my Powerbook.
2. DL DVD Burner - I upgraded the single layer burner with a DL one from OWC. I got 8 or 10 free DL DVDs and have yet to use them.
3. Modem - I have to admit that I still have use for this one even though I go wireless 99.9% of the time.
4. FW800 - Never used it.
5. 60 less pixels - Still better than what I have now.
Right now my three personalities are fighting among themselves on whether to get the MacBook or not. One thing is for sure though, my wife is getting the iMac.
Reply
USTommyMC said 7:58PM on 1-11-2006
I'm was kind of dissappointed at first about the few missing features but then I thought long and hard.
1. PCMCIA slot - I have yet to use a PC card on my Powerbook.
2. DL DVD Burner - I upgraded the single layer burner with a DL one from OWC. I got 8 or 10 free DL DVDs and have yet to use them.
3. Modem - I have to admit that I still have use for this one even though I go wireless 99.9% of the time.
4. FW800 - Never used it.
5. 60 less pixels - Still better than what I have now.
6. S-Video - I'm sorry but I connect my Powerbook to the TV all the time. This is bad.
Right now my three personalities are fighting among themselves on whether to get the MacBook or not. One thing is for sure though, my wife is getting the iMac.
Reply
Usario Clave said 8:36PM on 1-11-2006
Why all the kvetching about a modem? Geez, you'd think that they left the floppy out!
If you need a freaking modem, buy a freaking modem. Or just go to any Starbucks or Borders and hit the WiFi trail.
It's 2006, the modem can go. You'd think from the amount of complaining that people are tethered to their modem 8 hours a day. Come on.
Reply
Chris Barrus said 9:25PM on 1-11-2006
I do mobile audio recording and use both my FW400 and FW800 ports all the time. I suspect that the 17" MBP will have the 800 port, but I really don't want to have to carry around a bigger laptop.
Reply
rom said 9:29PM on 1-11-2006
My take on this.
1. Why did Apple not use the 2Ghz Core Duo processors and skimped on the 1.6 and 1.8Ghz? Other manufacturers already brag about having 2.0Ghz Core Duos available!
2. 4X Superdrive? As others have said, take away DL since media is still expensive but 4x instead of 8x is an insult.
3. Modem. I agree that modems are rarely use. I use mine only to fax. Important but not that important to me - I can live without it.
4. S-video. I hate bringing lots of cables with me. The DVI cable is more than enough for presentations and connecting to external monitors.
5. FW800. Nice to have but never used mine because I don't have any device that uses it. FW400 is enough for me.
6. More pixels. Not that much important.
7. Express card slot. Not that I have lots. I sparingly use mine - when I want to transfer files from CF cards. However, are there many Expresscards available already?
Personally, I'd sit it out. Will wait for the 'book that comes bundled with the 10.5. However, am getting the Intel iMac for the wife. :)
Reply
Dot Flowers said 9:30PM on 1-11-2006
I can only agree that the step back in double layer burning is a disappointment. Like David says, there is no benefit of FW800 over 400 right now. The s-video issue is not a big deal, at least it won't be, because most projecters are coming with DVI inputs anyway now.
The missing 60 pixels don't make a difference in the quality, the display is amazing.
As for the lack of the modem, I know I'm in the minority, but I'm glad that thing is gone. Between WiFi, Wi-Max, Ethernet and Bluetooth throught the phone, who needs it? And if you do, use the dongle. It would have been nice of Apple to include the dongle for free...but what's $50 if you really think you may need it?
Reply
quatercat said 10:03PM on 1-11-2006
I'm struck between being disappointed and impressed. Impressed that apple managed to release a dual core, yonah based laptop which integrates reasonably smoothly into the ppc world.
But on the other hand, there seem to be some serious flaws. The lack of fw800 is a disappointment as I have raided fw800 drives for speed purposes. I prefer it over sata as apple laptops usually have fw800, but not this time. Looks like i'll have to get a fw800 card... oh wait, apple is now using expresscard, which is absolutley useless as there are no expresscard cards available. Damn, apple you've left me no choice but to keep my current powerbook. Another thing I don't like is the x1600 - its a pretty poor performing card for such a 'pro' laptop. I was hoping more for a 7800go or something of that calibre.
Reply
Charles Gaba said 10:46PM on 1-11-2006
For the record, here's a completely detailed comparison of the "old" 15" PowerBook and the new MacBook Pro:
http://www.systemshootouts.org/shootouts/special/2006/0110_pb_mbp_2000.html
I've also done a detailed comparison of the "old" and new 17" iMacs:
http://www.systemshootouts.org/shootouts/special/2006/0110_g5_intel_1300.html
Reply
John Henry Brown said 12:16AM on 1-12-2006
ICBM - Intel Chip Bearing Macs
Superb. I hope this gets into common usage.
Reply