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<h4 class="style8">BLOG POST: TAKING THE PRO OUT OF THE MACBOOK PRO</h4>
<blockquote>
<p align="center">[ <strong>Note</strong>: <em>I posted this to my
blog June 12, but this is important for all of us, <br>
so I wanted to share it with you here.</em> ] </p>
</blockquote>
<p><img src="cid:part1.04050202.03000003@nauticom.net" align="right"
height="139" hspace="10" width="250">Apple this week announced
revisions to their 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro laptop line.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>How can Apple call a laptop a <strong>PROFESSIONAL</strong> 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!</p>
<p>This is foolish and short-sighted.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>If you feel that Apple is short-changing its professional market,
feel free to share this - or write your own - or contact Apple.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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