[NPMUG] TAKING THE PRO OUT OF THE MACBOOK PRO - From Larry Jordon's Final Cut Studio Newsletter

[Fozard]

        BLOG POST: TAKING THE PRO OUT OF THE MACBOOK PRO

    [ Note: I posted this to my blog June 12, but this is important for
    all of us,
    so I wanted to share it with you here. ]

Apple this week announced revisions to their 13? and 15? MacBook Pro 
laptop line.

Most of the time, when these sorts of things get announced, I just nod 
my head, acknowledge the new release and move on. I'm not buying laptops 
all the time, so this stuff doesn't affect me.

However, in the last two laptop releases Apple is starting to reveal a 
trend which is very troubling to me as someone who uses Mac gear to edit 
audio and video -- they are taking away the ports I need to connect my 
stuff.

This began with the laptop update prior to the most recent one with the 
removal of FireWire 400 ports. Now, in itself, this isn't a bad thing. 
FireWire 400 is slow, with a limited cable length. The problem was that 
they didn't replace the port with a second FireWire 800 port.

This means that I can't connect a camera and a second hard drive to my 
computer without purchasing a FireWire hub. And a hub always runs at the 
speed of the slowest device connected to it. As well, there are legions 
of problems with editing video on a single hard drive, unless you are 
resigned to only editing DV or HDV. ProRes certainly can't be edited on 
a single-drive system. Nor can any audio projects with more than a few 
tracks. Nor can many other HD video formats.

Then, in the latest laptop release for both the 13? and the 15? laptop, 
Apple removed the high-speed Express 34 card and replaced it with the 
much, Much, MUCH! slower SD card port. The SD card ports runs, according 
to Apple, at a MAXIMUM of 30% of the speed of an Express 34 card.

How can Apple call a laptop a PROFESSIONAL system when it has fewer 
ports and the ports it has are slower? They create computers with great 
software, blindingly fast CPUs, great graphics cards, then reduce the 
ways to connect external gear!

This is foolish and short-sighted.

Yes, Apple needs lower cost systems to meet the needs of the broader 
market. But, they also need systems that meet the needs of video and 
audio professionals. It makes no sense to buy a system that - out of the 
box - is inadequate for day-to-day video production. Yet Apple describes 
this as their "Pro" line of laptops.

Apple would say that they have the 17? laptop. True, but disingenuous. 
The 17? is too big to easily travel with, has a screen resolution that 
exceeds most video projectors which makes it totally impractical for 
training, and costs more than the 15? which, up until the latest 
releases, met our needs for ports and speeds.

Apple might also counter saying that they offer the fully expandable Mac 
Pro line of computers. While true, this misses the whole point of having 
a PORTABLE computer for video editing in the field.

If you feel that Apple is short-changing its professional market, feel 
free to share this - or write your own - or contact Apple.

For me, though I need a new laptop, none of the current models are 
attractive for video editing. I'm going to hold off buying until Apple 
releases a system I can use or I'll just buy an older MacBook Pro - used.

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