MacBook is Speedy, but no FireWire 800, Modem Ports

Lam1969 writes "Yuval Kossovsky has a hands-on review of the new 15" MacBook Pro. Besides the speed improvement with the dual-core 1.83-GHz Intel processor, he likes the built-in iSight camera, "MagSafe" power connector, and better WiFi antenna placement, among other features. But he laments the loss of the modem port and FireWire 800 connectors: '[Apple] has taken away by getting rid of the FireWire 800 connector slot and the modem. FireWire 800 was left off the motherboard of the new laptop largely because it has not achieved much a following among users. ... The loss of the modem jack may be a sign of things to come. I was told that Apple had found that 90% of PowerBook owners used the 802.11g AirPort wireless card, gigabit ethernet or a Bluetooth connection to a cell modem to get network access. So for cost and package size reasons, the modem was left out.'" Update: 01/26 17:25 GMT by P : Story and headline updated to clarify that only FireWire 800 was not included on the machine; FireWire 400 is present.

MacBook pro review

[weg]

Everyone - including those people who didn't get hold of a MacBook so far - could have written such a review :( He really doesn't come up with anything the informed Mac fan doesn't know already. And I really wonder what it means that the new MacBook is "exponentially faster" than the last G4 version.. having only two measurements, how did this guy manage to interpolate a non-linear function??

FW + Modem not such a big deal...to me

[richdun]

I've never actually used FW 800, but then again, my camera syncs via USB, and I'm not a pro photo or video guy, so the only time I even used FW 400 was for my 3G iPod. As for a modem, I haven't used one of these in like 5 or 6 years - for most people it'll be okay, though those few travelers who go into areas without broadband wired or wireless (there are still places like this, somewhere, I think), they could find a USB modem, or maybe someone will come up with an Express Card modem, though that seems unlikely.

Re:Will the PC card slot go too?

[AKAImBatman]

If it answers your question, the iBooks don't have a PCMCIA slot. I haven't missed it a bit. In fact, I'm amazingly happy at not having to worry about damaging whatever dongle is always hanging out of the stupid ports. (I lost an ungodly number of Xircom cards to bent pins. Of course, they weren't very well designed to begin with, but...) If it's important enough, it can connect via USB.

Re:Not such a big deal

[Yahweh Doesn't Exist]

>I use my modem all the time, I am using it right now. But a USB modem would be ok.

exactly, if you're using a modem then you're wired down anyway. so what's the big inconvenience between
phone->laptop , and
phone->USB->laptop
?

apart from a few dollars and taking up a bit more space in your laptop bag, it's a total non-event.

FireWire 800 is missing because...

[Maury Markowitz]

... Intel's standard chip set doesn't support it.

It's that simple, Apple had no part to play in that decision.

Perfectly reasonable compromises

[CharAznable]

I haven't used dialup in more than 4 years, and I'm yet to see a Firewire 800 device in the wild. Fw800 is for all intents and purposes, dead as fried chicken. Starting with the retarded, backwards-incompatible connector.

Quit giving a pass to lack of modem.

[Shivetya]

First the modem should be there as it adds very little to the cost and is present in many chipsets. Laptops are about NOT having to carry accessories. While FW800 may be excused as FW400 is there I can't give them a pass on the modem.

Many times I find the following situation, no wireless and no lan. This means modems. Yeah some hotels have internet I can connect to via lan but that still isn't widespread, or should I say widespread in hotels some business will pay for. Same goes for wireless.

If I am taking a laptop on business all I should need is the laptop, the power cord, and the case to carry it. I don't want to have a section for "exceptions". If I have one of those then I bought the wrong laptop.

This is a "PRO" model, by name it implies it will provide me everything I could use that is reasonable. That modem is far more valuable than a gimmick of a camera. Hell I already carry a digital camera around and I am sure I can use it in place of iSight (which seems more suitable to teens playing with IM and IV)

Re:No Firewire *800*, not "No Firewire"

[Fahrvergnuugen]

I doubt apple is planning on dropping Firewire. 99% of video cameras use Firewire and Firewire only. Very few devices have adopted Firewire 800 though, so very few people use it. Not only that, but Firewire trumps USB 2.0 in every single benchmark that I've ever seen.

I'm still disappointed that they dropped it though.

Re:Not such a big deal

[aduzik]

Here's a thought: do you suppose that Apple might be leaving the modem out because they intend an upcoming Apple mobile phone to make the perfect wireless connection accessory? With all the rumor and speculation surrounding Apple launching some kind of wireless communications service in the future, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's exactly what they're planning. If they make it easy to use, there would be tons of people using a bluetooth modem and not even knowing it.

How fast is it

[tsa]

I wonder: can I see this MacBook Pro as a notebook version of the iMac, or are there significant differences in speed?