This week on the Digital City, we consider the PlayStation 3's awkward Netflix implementation; marvel over the super-thin Sony Vaio X laptop; debate the fate of FireWire in new MacBooks; and review some gamer-friendly Halloween costume ideas.
We also plug the first round of Windows 7 laptop and desktop reviews; mourn the death of Geocities; and find out why Julie and Dan have swapped seats for a week.
Plus -- take an early sneak peek at Dan's Halloween costume -- but it only makes sense if you're over, say, 30 and kind of a geek.
Related links:
>>Netflix streaming coming to PS3
>>Does anyone miss FireWire?
>>Windows 7: the first wave
>>Make your own Bayonetta Halloween costume
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!
Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
Do you still use one of these?
(Credit: cablek.com)Apple's announcement Tuesday of a thinner and lighter $999 MacBook, one with unibody construction and a glass trackpad, was bittersweet. It should be, for any longtime user of Macs, or digital video equipment, or older hard drives. In updating the MacBook to a much more similar look and feel to its recent MacBook Pro line, Apple used the opportunity to quietly dump one of the most distinctive and useful ports over the last 10 years: FireWire. While just a year ago the alumni 13-inch MacBooks found themselves without FireWire while the white MacBooks still had it, now the tables have turned: all aluminum MacBook Pros now have FireWire 800 ports, while the lowest-end MacBook has had its FireWire stripped out, a casualty of thinner size, engineering, or profit margins.
FireWire, or IEEE 1394, was a format jointly pushed by companies including Apple and Sony, a high-speed standard to transfer data that was a far better alternative to USB 1.0. DV cameras, hard drives, and even the original iPod all used FireWire. Having FireWire was the most important consideration when buying a new Mac. Back in 2003, FireWire was the standard across consumer electronics, especially with the rise of digital video cameras that could upload their footage to PCs for nonlinear editing.
Oh, how times have changed. USB 2.0 is pretty much the universal standard for all data transfer, and it's hard to find any peripheral that doesn't use it--modern peripherals, that is. But that's the conundrum: if you're buying the most budget-friendly Mac laptop out there, there's a good chance you own some equipment that's not quite as up-to-date, or you're simply not willing to give up yet. Losing FireWire means losing access to those peripherals.
When we reviewed Apple's lowest-priced MacBook this past summer, we actually found two of its "legacy" features--a removable battery and FireWire--to be much-appreciated options for those who still liked to carry an extra charged battery around, or for those who still owned and used FireWire equipment. Many videographers still rely on FireWire, as do IT employees. We noticed quite a few commenters from Tuesday's post who were upset about the loss of FireWire, and we sympathize. Apple started this bandwagon, and it always frustrates us when ports are adopted and later abandoned. It's not an Apple issue, it's a legacy CE issue. We were similarly upset about how the PSP Go isn't compatible with the old PSP's cables and equipment.
While introducing a great new MacBook with better battery life, a stronger chassis, and a higher-quality screen, Apple stealth-removed the FireWire port and replaced it with...nothing. USB ports are all that remain. As a MacBook and Apple user, I don't have many FireWire devices anymore, but last year I did have to abandon a FireWire hard drive that wasn't compatible with my 2008 aluminum MacBook. I thought these problems were solved as of this summer, but it's a shame to see that we're back there again.
Or maybe you're fine without FireWire? Does this bother you at all, or would you simply spend the extra $200 for a MacBook Pro? Do you budget-conscious Apple owners feel short-changed, or do you like the new additions to the white MacBook? Was losing FireWire worth it?
Editor's note: We're currently benchmarking and testing the new Apple MacBook. We'll update this post with a full review later this week.
With the launch of Windows 7 only days away, it's not surprising that Apple would fire a last-minute shot across Microsoft's bow. While the timing may be suspicious, Mac fans are no doubt pleased to see an update to the most popular laptop in the Mac lineup, the $999 polycarbonate white MacBook.
While it's neither the less-expensive entry level MacBook some had hoped for, nor the long-rumored touchscreen device, the new 13-inch MacBook can now escape its designation as the lone holdover system from Apple's previous generation, thanks to an upscale makeover that keeps the price stable at just under the $1,000 mark.
But, does that mean recent MacBook buyers should run out and upgrade?
Like the aluminum MacBook Pro models, the MacBook now has a unibody chassis, although in this case, it's still made of polycarbonate. Unibody, Apple's preferred term, is a bit of a misnomer, as the bottom panel is separate, as are the multiple parts that make up the lid and display.
While still recognizably a MacBook, the new version has more gently sloped edges on its glossy white lid, making it look slightly slimmer when viewed straight on. The bottom half also has a rounded edge, making for an overall effect that's much less boxy, although it's still the same 1.08-inches thick as the previous version. The unibody switch shaves a little weight off the system, going from 5.1 pounds to 4.7 pounds.
The separate bottom panel is particularly interesting. It's a darker off-white color and has a matte non-slip feel, different than the glossy lid and keyboard tray. The unibody construction means the battery is no longer removable, as with the current MacBook Pro lineup -- a cause for concern to some, but we've never felt a non-removable battery was a deal-breaker in a laptop.
The matte finish bottom panel, hiding a non-removable battery.
The touch pad is the same large glass multitouch version found on the MacBook Pros, and it dominates the wrist rest area. The 13.3-inch display is now LED backlit (making that a standard feature across the entire Apple laptop lineup), which is better for both power consumption and environmental concerns. However, unlike the more expensive Pro models, you don't get the slick-looking edge-to-edge glass over the display. Other points of differentiation include the lack of an SD card slot and backlit keyboard.
FireWire fans should note that port has finally left the building. We would have thought this would be a good opportunity to add the same SD card slot found on the Pro 13-inch, but it was not to be. While we're not regular FireWire users, this does leave Apple open to accusations of removing functionality from the system.
Internal components are very similar to the previous plastic MacBook, including the Nvidia GeForce 9400 graphics. The Intel Core 2 Duo CPU has been bumped from 2.13GHz to 2.26GHz, and the default hard drive is now 250GB, up from 160GB. Configuration options are limited to 4GB of RAM (over the default 2GB) and 320GB and 500GB hard drives.
If you own a recent polycarbonate MacBook, or even an older model still in good working order, we don't see an immediate need to upgrade. But, if you've been in the market for a MacBook, and waiting to see if the holiday season would bring lower prices, this new upscale version of the MacBook is as much of a slight recessionary nod Apple is likely to give, as well as the best version to date of it's non-Pro laptop line.
On Sale Now: $954.59 - $994.00
View the latest prices for Apple MacBook Fall 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M)
(Credit:
CNET)
Unless you've been living under a rock (or in Redmond), you've no doubt seen the flood of product news coming from Apple's WWDC 2009 conference--from the new iPhone 3G S to an entire line of revamped MacBook laptops.
While we're down with the new SD card slots and lower prices (see reviews for three of the new MacBooks here), there are still a few items on our MacBook wish list:
Matte screen options
Despite the fact that nearly every serious laptop user we know prefers matte, non-glossy screens, only Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro offers a matte option--in the form of a $50 anti-glare coating add-on.Especially with the current models' edge-to-edge glass, popping open a MacBook outdoors (or in an overlit room) is just asking for trouble. Sure, glossy screens make colors pop and movies more dramatic--but we'd like to have the option of choosing a matte screen anyway (and not for $50, either).
Blu-ray drives
While high-capacity Blu-ray drives aren't quite a necessity, the format is slowing gaining a foothold. Many inexpensive Windows laptops at least offer it as an option, and many high-end laptops in the MacBook's price range include a Blu-ray drive by default.Leaving aside the idea of having a high-capacity optical backup capability, Blu-ray seems like a natural fit for the MacBook's multimedia-friendly vibe.
Mobile broadband options
Another widespread option from most PC makers. We're slowing getting to the point where having a mobile broadband account connected to your laptop is just a common tool, rather than an exotic novelty--especially with AT&T's iPhone tethering plan not yet available.While having to choose one carrier's antenna over another is a hassle, we found the built-in Verizon 3G on the HP Mini 1151nr Netbook to be "an obvious mashup of two useful technologies."
HDMI outputs
Mini DisplayPort is Apple's video connection of choice, and we've also seen a push toward it from PC makers such as Dell. But few of us have an external display with DisplayPort--HDMI, VGA, and even DVI are all more common.Apple offers some helpful adapters (at $29 each) for DVI and VGA--but no way to connect a new MacBook to an HDMI-equipped TV, for example. Fortunately, some third-party vendors now offer a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter for around $15.
Touch screens
If we had a dime for every blog rumor about an Apple tablet we've seen, we'd have at least enough for a large soy-based coffee beverage from Starbucks. Plus, Apple has already proven it's mastered the touch screen in the iPhone and iPod Touch.Actually, someone has already done this, in a way. Axiotron makes custom MacBook-based tablets by buying stock MacBooks, taking them apart, and rebuilding them as tablet PCs.
Of course, we haven't missed these features enough to keep us from bestowing the coveted Editors' Choice award on the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros. What's on your list of missing MacBook features? Let us know below!
> Need more laptop news? Follow me at twitter.com/danackerman.
> Laptops and more every week on the Digital City.
On Sale Now: $2,118.00 - $2,499.00
View the latest prices for Apple MacBook Pro Summer 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 512MB, 17-inch)
The last MacBook standing.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Apple's lowest-end laptop occupies a special place in the Mac spectrum. As of WWDC 2009, it's the last MacBook standing in the lineup--all the other Apple notebooks are now MacBook Pros. The MacBook (we can call it "the" MacBook, now) also is the last to retain the polycarbonate white plastic glossy casing that once defined a whole line of machines.
While the MacBook's more pedestrian appearance may not catch the eye as much as the unibody aluminum MacBook Pros, don't be fooled by its throwback looks--inside, Apple's done a good job of keeping the components on par with its more expensive brothers. In fact, the white MacBook has very comparable specs to the lowest-end 13-inch MacBook Pro. Its 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo processor is close to the MacBook Pro's standard 2.26 GHz one, and the Nvidia 9400M graphics processor is the same one that's in the MacBook unibody 13-inchers, so the gaming and media capabilities are comparable.
Depending on your specific needs, for $999, you're getting a real bargain with the last MacBook. You can either approach this as "for $200 more I can get a MacBook Pro," or "I can get something nearly as good as a MacBook Pro and save $200." The latter perspective, however, requires you to be willing to skip some of the Pro-level features.
The MacBook comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a mini-DVI port, a FireWire 400 port, and both a headphone and mic jack. The 160GB hard drive can be upgraded to a maximum of 500GB when ordering, a first for a MacBook. The polycarbonate body, as always, feels sturdy and well built, if thicker than the aluminum versions, and the pleasingly minimalist glossy plastic exterior and matte white interior might be more prone to picking up scratches and staining.
What you're missing by not upgrading to the $1,199 13-inch MacBook Pro is a better color-depth LED-backlit screen, a thinner, lighter body, FireWire 800, DDR3 RAM (the MacBook only has DDR2), a longer-life seven-hour (according to Apple) non-removable battery, the oversize multitouch touch pad (this smaller one does support some multitouch gestures), and an SD card slot.
If you can live without these, then the $999 MacBook just might be your bet. Even better, Apple's current back-to-school promotion throws in a free 8GB iPod Touch (minus sales tax) if you're a student, sweetening the deal a bit more, although the promotion runs across all Macs.
(Credit:
Western Digital)
Back in June, I reviewed Western Digital's My Passport Studio and complained that it doesn't offer a FireWire 800 connection. Other than that, the drive was one of the best compact external hard drives on the market.
On Thursday, WD announced that it added this connection and capped the storage size in the latest revision of the drive to 500GB (from 320GB).
With this addition, the new My Passport Studio drive is now larger and has all three of the most popular interfaces for pocket-size external hard drives, including USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800. All of these connections are bus-powered, meaning you won't need to use a separate power cable.
Despite the addition of ports and the increase in storage size, the new drive still has the same passport-size compact form factor as the one released in June and weighs almost half a pound.
... Read more
After putting up our reviews of the new 13-inch Apple MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro, we checked back over the next couple of days to see what CNET readers would have to say about them in the user reviews section.
Reader reviews generally fall into two categories. One-star ratings for negativists who want to lay some online smackdown on a brand they're not feeling too generous about (Sony, Microsoft, etc.), and so-called "fanboys" who give everything five-star ratings with an almost religious zeal. Needless to say, usually very few of these amateur reviewers even own the product in question. The end result is typically a lot of opinions at the extremes, and very few right down the middle.
So, imagine our surprise to see a collection of thoughtful reader reviews that in large part talk honestly about the pros and cons of Apple's latest laptops, and present some nuanced, in-depth analysis.
Since we've already talked about what we love about the new MacBooks, here are some choice comments from readers about what they're less than crazy about. We expected the general consensus to focus on the lack of FireWire in the 13-inch model, but instead, we saw a lot of concern about the glossy edge-to-edge glass displays. (although there were a few complaints about the FireWire as well).
"No FireWire -- No Thanks."
"The loss of FireWire is a deal killer for anyone wanting to edit video or audio or anyone needing to use Target Disk mode."
"Even glossier display than before."
"No FireWire. Bad move. Bottom line."
"Due to the glass reflections it has to be at maximum brightness all the time to over-power the glare."
"The new glassy screen is a glare nightmare."
"Like everything, except lack of FireWire and glossy screen."
"Glossy screen with sometimes annoying glare."
"The highly reflective glass screen is a deal breaker."
"They look and feel great...except for the glossy screen"
So, what do you love and/or hate about the new MacBooks? Let us know!
The new MacBook's bigger touchpad.
In case you missed it after checking out our rumor mill posts, live coverage of the Apple press conference, and even our collection of "unboxing" pictures of the actual hardware, you can now read CNET's full review of Apple's new 13-inch MacBook.
The redesigned MacBook is a solid improvement on an already well-loved system. The new aluminum frame essentially makes it a smaller version of the MacBook Pro, and even the new Nvidia chipset and integrated graphics are impressive, offering playable frame rates in games such as Quake IV and Call of Duty 4 (as long as you keep your expectations modest).
It's a shame the entry $1,099 price is gone (replaced by a $999 version of the previous plastic MacBook model), and that the FireWire port went out to get some milk and never came home. Otherwise, we're calling this one an overall winner.
We all know that Apple is gathering the chattering classes together Tuesday in Cupertino, Calif., to unveil the latest MacBooks. But unlike many previous Apple product debuts, the Interwebs have been awash recently with reasonably believable-looking leaked spy shots of the laptops, or their component parts.
The latest comes from Chinese site MacX.cn, which purports to show the new aluminum chassis of the 13-inch MacBook. Interesting to note that the side view (pics are after the break) seems to omit the FireWire port currently found on the standard MacBook.
... Read more
Obviously, it's been convenient to operate plug and play bus-powered peripheral devices that use USB and FireWire connections, since all you need is the device itself and one data cable that, once plugged in, also draws juice from the computer to feed the device. However, admittedly, that definitely is less convenient than no cable or plugging at all.
A consortium was established on July 17 in Tokyo to promote a radically new and exciting close-proximity wireless technology, called "TransferJet." This new technology enables a high speed data transmission rate of 560Mbps (by comparison, USB 2.0 has the rate of 480Mbps), while eliminating the need for complex setup and operation. The idea is that just by holding two TransferJet-compliant products closely together (approximately an inch apart) you can transfer data automatically from one device to the other. For example, touching a TV with a digital camera enables photos to be instantaneously displayed on the TV screen.
Alternatively, multimedia content can be easily shared and enjoyed by touching a mobile phone to a portable player. TransferJet can be used as a universal interface across all consumer electronics devices.
TransferJet doesn't create interference by using a separate frequency, keeping the signal within a very short radius and implementing access point-free operation.
(Credit: TransferJet Consortium)TransferJet uses the 4.48GHz frequency and works in a very close proximity, so it therefore won't interfere with other wireless devices. Using low-transmission power (averaging at about 70dBm/MHz), the technology is also slated to have very high effective (real) throughput of 375Mbps. To put this in context, at that rate, one hour of high-resolution MPEG4 video can be transmitted in a few seconds.
The TransferJet Consortium consists of Sony, Canon, Eastman Kodak, Hitachi, Victor Company of Japan, KDDI, Kenwood, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic), Nikon, Olympus, Pioneer, Samsung, Seiko Epson, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, and Toshiba.
The group will develop specifications and guidelines to ensure interoperability between products that incorporate the technology. The consortium will also promote the advantages of this new technology across industries and directly to consumers, hoping, ultimately, to create and expand the market for TransferJet products.
