10/16/2008, 8:50am, EDT
Thursday, October 16th
MacBook and MacBook Pro gallery
Apple's new line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros are already arriving at retail stores across the world. Featuring an aluminum unibody enclosure, glossy LED backlight display and glass trackpad, users will find plenty new to love and hate. Both systems are now shipping in much smaller boxes, which is a part of Apple's move to create a much smaller environmental footprint. Upon opening the box users will notice very little excess around a notebook's enclosure, along with a small tab for helping to lift the computer out. Within the box, users will also find a MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, install/restore DVDs as well as printed and electronic documentation.
The MacBook Pro is slightly wider and longer than the MacBook, and uses the extra space to incorporate the same stereo speakers that have become common to the Pro line. Along the left side of both models users will find an array of ports, including MagSafe power, Ethernet, two USB ports, mini DisplayPort, audio line-in and line-out, plus a Kensington lock slot. Additionally, MacBook Pro owners will find a FireWire 800 port and ExpressCard/34 slot.
When flipping the MacBook or MacBook Pro over, owners will notice a small tab that can be flipped, which removes a piece of the case and reveals the hard drive and battery. The battery and hard drive have been made easy to access and remove for the possibility of future upgrades. Reaching the RAM slots requires a little more work, including the removal of eight screws.
Filed under: computers
Other story tags: MacBook, MacBook Pro
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New MacBook Pros
Overall not regretting my purchase of a MacBook Pro two months ago, mostly due to the lack of Firewire 400 port and the glossy screen (though they look sharp as hell I prefer the matte).
On the pro--go to love the easy install on the harddrive I didn't even know this was an option. Plus the Nvidia onboard and offboard graphics chips is nice.
So, like with my iPod Touch purchase two months ago, no big regrets. Some nice new touches (and a few downers with the MBP), but overall not compelling, earthshattering things that have me bumming.
Question
What is that freakin' small slot on the right-front of the macbooks?
small slot
Front Row infrared I'm guessing
cool
Look at the second to last picture - the new MacBooks can defy gravity and levitate themselves! I'm surprised Steve didn't mention it...
FireWire
Removal of the FW400 port is nothing. It has a FW800 port! It's fully backwards compatible, you just need a different cable. Sheesh...
Re: firewire
Um, but it is gone on the MacBook, which is what is driving most of the fury.
Then again, if you use two firewire devices/chains with your mac, reducing it to one now requires you to get a hub. Add that to the cost for the video cable, and prices start adding up.
Firewire Bus
The Firewire bus was conceived and applied as a daisy-chain independent of a central processor. This means devices can communicate with each other without a central computer wasting resources to tell it what to do.
What this also means is most firewire devices (hard drives, etc) come with two ports. One to initially plug into the computer, and the other is left free for additional devices.
The beauty of firewire is that you shouldn't need a hub, just the cables to go in between your devices.
God that reminds me of the good ol' scsi days.
Firewire Bus
The Firewire bus was conceived and applied as a daisy-chain independent of a central processor. This means devices can communicate with each other without a central computer wasting resources to tell it what to do.
What this also means is most firewire devices (hard drives, etc) come with two ports. One to initially plug into the computer, and the other is left free for additional devices.
The beauty of firewire is that you shouldn't need a hub, just the cables to go in between your devices.
God that reminds me of the good ol' scsi days.
Black & White
I think it's a shame they got rid of the black and white versions of the MacBook. The new one looks gorgeous but there was something classic about those two.