New MacBook does not have a firewire port

[michkhol]

http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs.html

[James Steele]

Yeah... saw that. Seems like a bummer to me. Even my iBook G4 has firewire. It's nice to be able to boot it in target mode to run disk utilities on the iBook drive from my desktop machine when needed. This won't be possible on the new machines.

[bug67]

My whole studio is firewire based. Guess I won't be getting a new Apple laptop

[BradLyons]

Well they want you to buy the more expensive MacBook PRO if you need firewire....

[Shooshie]

Would you really want to run your studio from a MacBook? The MacBook Pro will almost certainly have a Firewire port. And a graphics card with its own memory. There are many reasons not to use a MacBook, though many people do. I guess future buyers will be forced to move up to the MacBook Pro. And my guess is that they'll be glad they did.


Shooshie

[bug67]

Well they want you to buy the more expensive MacBook PRO if you need firewire....

Would you really want to run your studio from a MacBook? The MacBook Pro will almost certainly have a Firewire port. And a graphics card with its own memory. There are many reasons not to use a MacBook, though many people do. I guess future buyers will be forced to move up to the MacBook Pro. And my guess is that they'll be glad they did.


Shooshie

The new MacBook Pros have a FW 800 port but no FW 400 which is what all my gear is. Did I miss something?

EDIT:

Oops. I see now that the header was titled "MacBook" sans the "Pro." My bad. Still, same thing really applies. Everything I have is FW 400. Is there even an adapter so I can use a FW 400 plug with a FW 800 socket?

I usually don't use my laptop for recording 'cept when I'm in the field. I'm Assuming that there is no way to use my PreSonus Firebox (FW 400) with the new MBP. I am also assuming (and speculating) that this is going to be a trend at Apple and that I should probably expect them to phase out FW 400 on their desk top machines as well. If that's going to be the case, that renders my 828 mkII into a fine door stop as well.

[BobK]

Is there even an adapter so I can use a FW 400 plug with a FW 800 socket?

Yes - I've seen adapter cables. I've never used them and don't know if there are any problems using them for audio devices, but they do exist.

[bug67]

Ah, okay.

Reassuring, if not a little cheesey:

[BobK]

You might find adapter cables more convenient than adapters - FW 800 connector on one end, FW 400 on the other. Belkin makes some.

[jlaudon]

I just bought a Western Digital 'My Book' external drive, and it included a FW 800 to 400 cable. Works too.

[michkhol]

Would you really want to run your studio from a MacBook? The MacBook Pro will almost certainly have a Firewire port. And a graphics card with its own memory. There are many reasons not to use a MacBook, though many people do. I guess future buyers will be forced to move up to the MacBook Pro. And my guess is that they'll be glad they did.


Shooshie

The MacBook has been the cheapest (and smallest) multitrack for on-location recording for me. I wouldn't think of running a studio from a MacBook Pro or any other laptop. The white plastic MacBook is still around but when Apple phases it out, MacBook Pro will be a total waste of resources and size and weight.

[Mr_Clifford]

The new MacBook doesn't even have an express slot so that you could add a FW port if you wanted. Apple have dropped the ball BIG TIME on this one - both on the Mac Book and the Pro.

[SixStringGeek]

Would you really want to run your studio from a MacBook? The MacBook Pro will almost certainly have a Firewire port. And a graphics card with its own memory.

Not my recording studio - but I have a black macbook for my live (JambaLaya) rig and I like it better than the MacBook Pro for the following reasons:

1) Plastic case is more durable than painted silver pro case
2) Smaller but big enough (14")
3) Has the same speed processor and amount of ram as my 'pro
4) Has 2x the battery life (I attribute this partly to getting the 7200 rpm drive in my 'pro - mostly I think this just drains the battery faster and I wouldn't do it again)
5) $800+ cheaper
6) Black is so much more rock than silver.

I'm glad someone pointed out the firewire issue. I might have not noticed.

[Frodo]

The new MacBook doesn't even have an express slot so that you could add a FW port if you wanted. Apple have dropped the ball BIG TIME on this one - both on the Mac Book and the Pro.

I have to agree even as I cringe on this one, Mr. C.

USB3 is a thing of the future and not of the present. It's also sends a clear message to current mobile a/v users---- and I'm sure that companies like Apogee are already wondering at what point they'll stop Mac support for the Duet and try to determine what to do with Mac laptop support in general. We won't be seeing pics like this for much longer...

http://www.8not.ru/_mod_files/ce_images ... ry5_lg.jpg

I mention Apogee only because they went out of their way to jump onto the Apple-Logic bandwagon with mobile recording in a huge way. Firewire itself was pushed aggressively by Apple as the connection protocol to beat. How on earth did Apple manage to beat their own mobile protocol without a viable replacement?

Ah. We're to run all of those VIs and video files on USB2 drives now-- or over Airport/Bluetooth?

[BradLyons]

Would you really want to run your studio from a MacBook? The MacBook Pro will almost certainly have a Firewire port. And a graphics card with its own memory. There are many reasons not to use a MacBook, though many people do. I guess future buyers will be forced to move up to the MacBook Pro. And my guess is that they'll be glad they did.


Shooshie

I use a MacBook, now it's not what my studio is based off of but for location audio, editing, etc. I configure many systems for portable recording based around a MacBook....again, not the main system, but for portable recording and use to bring back to their tower machine.