APC's ten things you didn't know about the MacBook
For machines that have only been in users' hands for 24 hours or so, the hits just keep on coming for the new unibody MacBooks. APC magazine has posted a "ten things you didn't know" review, covering some surprises and some well-we-thought-so's for the laptops.
Confirming our reporting from yesterday, APC spoke to an Apple representative in Australia who closed the door on any hope of Target Disk Mode availability via USB on the new MacBooks. Migration Assistant, which has been updated for these machines, will work over Ethernet or from a disk image of your source Mac, but not over TDM. The machines are running a new OS X build (figures); if you break the glass on the screen, you replace the whole screen (ouch!), swapping hard drives is much easier than on previous models (yay!) but if you lock your machine with a Kensington security cable, that will also block access to the bottom case (phew).
APC also notes a new internal feature on these laptops, and presumably on the MBPs as well, that MacMerc, HardMac and the Ars forums have pointed out: immersion sensors at various spots inside the case (previously seen on the iPhone). These adhesive dots change color when exposed to liquid, so the conversations at the Genius Bar where you insist "No, I'm sure that nothing was spilled on it!" just got quite a bit harder. AppleInsider has a diagram showing the locations of all eight sensors inside the machine, if you've got really really good aim with your spilled Dr. Pepper.
Share
Categories
For machines that have only been in users' hands for 24 hours or so, the hits just keep on coming for the new unibody MacBooks. APC...
Add a Comment
Amazes me how uninformed the Apple community is regarding the FW delete on the new Macbook.
I am extremely dissappointed by the FW delete, basically Apple is saying pony up for the Macbook Pro.
All of my external storage is on FW and I cannot connect to them if I have the new MB.
Time to crank out my Hackingtosh project on the new Dell Latitude E6400
We've posted about the FW removal four times in two days.
October 16 2008 at 8:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe reason that the missing FW port is a big deal (for me at least) is that target firewire mode is really useful function to have access to. I find it ironic that after NVidia screwed up 13 months of laptops with their integrated chipset, Apple has dropped the one feature that allowed me to unbrick my laptop so that I could back it up before I shipped it to them to replace the logic board.
Yes, I am aware that all the design had been done at this point. But maybe some rethinking is required. Or not, because now they just threw it away. Oh, and USB 2.0 still sucks. I hate using it for editing and never let my clients buy those drives.
Oh. duh.... got it!
(phew)
The link to the source article is not visible in the "TUAW for iPhone" version of the post.
October 16 2008 at 12:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOn that source article...
I love how they've changed the graphic of the energy saving preferences to an energy saving lightbulb...
WHY OH WHY did they not make the liquid sensors send a signal to disconnect the battery and put a protective plastic barrier over the vital parts? All this does is make it so you're more sure what *happened* which kinda sucks.
October 16 2008 at 12:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI totally agree. I can't believe Macs have near zero waterproofing. It used to be a test long ago for reviewers to do a practice spill just to show your investment wouldn't be ruined by an errant cup of joe. I had a macbook batter circuit fried by about 1 fl. oz. of water, barely enough to get it wet. Now that they have "unibody" construction I'd expect that keyboard to seal up quite nicely from accidental spills.
Also, Apple offers no extended warranty or accidental coverage for this sort of thing. If you buy from a third party you can get something, but from Apple proper, zilch. One thing about Dells at least they offer options like that.
Uh, because this is the real world and not your science fiction fantasy universe. Also you would be complaining about the $8000 dollar price tag.
The liquid sensors are just stickers.
"but if you lock your machine with a Kensington security cable, that will also block access to the bottom case (phew)."
Eh, isn't that the point? Wouldn't want someone walking off with my hard drive.....
Heres another thing you didn't know about the MacBook Pro... You cant hold it up at 90 degrees without the screen closing under its own weight anymore :(. Say goodbye to being able to use your MBP whilst laying down!
October 16 2008 at 12:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow do you know, do you have one? Because the thin LED displays, despite having glass, actually weigh less than the old displays.
October 16 2008 at 12:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYep, I got one yesterday. I'm going to go back to the store to make sure that my hinge isn't just too slack (I'll compare against the display models).
October 16 2008 at 1:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI read in the article that it should work if you replace the optical drive with a second hard drive. Honestly, I wouldn't be against that. I feel like they got it right taking out the optical drive on the Air, as I very rarely use a CD drive these days, and I could use the Network Drive app (or whatever it's called) to get discs.
The idea of two drives acting as a RAID on a laptop is so cool. Or, if you have an SSD, you could supplement that with a big, cheap, and slow laptop drive to use for MP3s and movies and keep the apps on the small SSD. Personally, I have Time Machine so I'd love to see RAID 0 compensate for the slowness and smallness of laptop drives and don't mind if I risk the occasional drive failure.
Hot Apps on TUAW
Deals of the Day
more deals- Altec Lansing Octiv Duo iDock for $48 + free shipping
- Used Apple iMac 17" Core Duo 1.83GHz for $430 + $28 s&h
- Lounge Deluxe Stand for iPhone / iPod touch for $28 + $8 s&h
- Brookstone Surround-Sound Earbuds for $14 + $7 s&h
- Refurbished Skullcandy Tokidoki Smokin' Buds Mic'd Headset for $5 + $2 s&h
- Stitchway Backup Battery for iPod / iPhone for $5 + free shipping
Software Updates
more updates- EFI Firmware Update brings Lion Internet Recovery to 2010-model Macs
- OS X Lion 10.7.3 released with Safari 5.1.3, Wi-Fi bug fix
- Aperture updated to 3.2.2, addresses Photo Stream issue
- Apple updates Keynote to address Lion issues
- Google Search app gets new look on iPad
- Apple releases Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3
Featured Stories
more stories
Popular Stories
TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
30 Comments