Comments on: Five things still missing from Apple MacBooks

We're down with the new SD card slots and lower prices, but there are still a few items on our MacBook wish list.

[Aaron Kempf]

re: Try keeping an XP workstation running for 4 years with no issues

Uh--- I really honestly-- have no idea what you're talking about!!
For starters, you can't run the latest OSX on a Mac that is 4 years old!!! I can run Vista and Windows 7 on anything made this decade!!!! And it works just perfectly!

I've had _PLENTY_ of Windows 2000, XP, 2003 machines running for 5+ years without a single virus/problem. I literally have about 20 machines at home.. of course, I'm a certified DBA, so I know *** I'm doing with Windows.. lol. I almost passed my MSCE many years ago, but then I decided to become a programmer, etc-- instead

Maybe you should stop downloading Windows XP off of Kazaa!!!!

re: Access lets you put spaces in field names (so you build it, can you now port it onto say "Microsoft SQL Server"? Nope!)

Uh.. yes-- you _CAN_ put spaces in anything.. And yes, they _ARE_ frequently upsized to SQL Server-- spaces and all.

and Yes--- I have a simple script to remove spaces from column names..
-----------------------------
select 'exec sp_rename ' + char(39) + '[' + so.name + '].[' + sc.name + ']' + char(39) + ', ' + char(39) + replace(sc.name, ' ', '') + char(39) + ', ' + char(39) + 'COLUMN' + char(39)
from
sysobjects so
inner join
syscolumns sc
on so.id = sc.id
where sc.name like '% %'
---------------------------------

Sorry but you need to fight with facts!

Access Rocks
SQL Server Rocks

FileMaker is nothing but a toy!

[Jeremy Chappell]

Who the heck mentioned viruses?! The Registry gets completely borked after that kind of timeframe. Also you can run the latest version of Mac OS X on hardware much older than 4 years. Your talking about the NEXT version - right?

How does your script deal with code that's been written against that schema?

Access most certainly doesn't rock.

SQL Server, if installed properly can indeed rock (I've programmed against it, and when installed by someone who knows what they're doing it is impressive - a lot of people have a negative impression due to the fact they've seen poorly optimised installs). I kinda noticed you dodged the other "issues"...

I still have no idea what FileMaker is actually like, I still suspect I'd not like it much.

[DrtyDogg]

what does this have to do with Apple notebooks?

[djames42]

No, you probably wouldn't like FileMaker too much. I played with it a bit and while it has Access beat in terms of visual interfaces, I'm afraid I have to say that Access has FileMaker beat programatically (despite my earlier rants about the Access/Jet engine due to reliability and robustness). FileMaker wasn't even relational until a few years ago, and I believe it still doesn't support SQL. That in itself makes it useless to me.

I've read a lot of good things about Bento, but it seems to me that anything that is essentially "FileMaker Lite" can't possibly solve my needs.

But then MySQL is free, as is PHP, and Apache comes with the Mac. Now I know some Windows user here will comment that you can also install Jet or the SQL Desktop engine free, and that IIS [horrible as it may be] also comes with [some flavours of] Windows, and one could conceivably write asp.net code without purchasing Visual Studio. I'll even argue that C# is a very nice programming language, and that SQL Server is a very capable database engine (in fact, in theory I prefer it to Oracle's bastardized approach to RDBMses). Its biggest problem is the fact that it sits on top of the least reliable operating system currently available.

I'm sure some people (possibly even Aaron) have no problems dicking around with their computers to keep them running for years. I prefer to boot my computer, do some work, and put it to sleep when I'm done, next day open lid, do some work, put to sleep when done, and repeat. I no longer care to think about how to keep my registry clean. Maybe I'm just getting too old to care.

[SteveW928]

@ Aaron Kempf -

You're a DBA? This gets funnier by the minute.

@ djames42 -

FileMaker wasn't relational until a couple years ago? I wish I had a dime for every time someone told me that. This is about as smart as Aaron Kempf's 'Mac is a toy' comment. He's either a troll or as dumb as a rock.

Seriously folks... go out and actually learn about these products. Don't just rely on hear-say and ignorance.

[kangotang]

re: For starters, you can't run the latest OSX on a Mac that is 4 years old!!! I can run Vista and Windows 7 on anything made this decade!!!! And it works just perfectly!

Leopard will most certainly run on 4 year old computers as long as they have a gig of ram. Snow Leopard is obviously not coded for PowerPC, but thats beside the point. As for running Vista on anything made this decade.... possible maybe, but perfectly... my 7-year-old PIII machine would beg to differ.

From my experience Windows machines are extremely stable... until they're not. 2 years of perfect performance then suddenly an updated driver causes your control panel to freeze up (true story). Trust me, I'm not an Apple fanboy. I run Vista Business on my home desktop machine (Legal copy, thank you, I don't pirate software) and have been very pleased with it. However, I am the only one that uses that machine and I am VERY careful when it comes to virus scanners, malicious web sties, and general maintenance. However every employee where I work (including me) uses MacBooks at work - a few hundred people - and they just freakin' work, no maintenance required.

I am getting ready to replace my desktop with a nice powerful notebook, and I've been torn on which way to go. At this point the 15" MacBook is winning the race, and the biggest reason is OS X.

[Acesteph]

@ Aaron Kempf -

Are you ok? "for starters, you can't run the latest OSX on a Mac that is 4 years old"
From what I know the only macs that cant run OSX 10.5 are the ones from almost 10 years ago like the first gen Imac, and even then you could run this app here http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26562/leopardassist and install 10.5 on any mac you want (it wouldn't be stable, but it would work as long as it had over 512mb of ram) also I would like to see a pc from ten years ago that can run vista with what ever stock amount of ram it came with. So if you dont know what your talking about in terms of apple's hardware, then why dont you just go climb back under your MS rock that you climbed out of. Its pc fanbois like you that open their mouths and begin to speak without first doing any research that really get to me. Matter of fact while your at it go read sun tzu's art of war, it has some lessons that you really really need to think about the next time you make a stupid statement like that one.

[seven7dust]

vista on on decade old hardware , wat a joke ? Lol!
it doesn't run well even on 2007 hardware ! lol

[Aaron Kempf]

PS - Access Runtime is _FREE_ for Windows Users.. how much does it cost FileMaker people when you get a new secretary??

[SteveW928]

Umm... so is FileMaker Pro Runtime (for both Mac and Windows users).

[talking poo]

For me its the simple things that are missing from Apple to prevented me from buying one.

HDMI port - Explained enough in post above

Numlock/Numpad - Buy a lot of stuff online, can't imagine typing long numbers w/o a pad.

More USB Slots - I believe their pro only gives 2

Blu-Ray - Don't feel like spending money on a separate player or PS3. Having Blu-Ray on my lappy makes it mobile as well.

Matte Screen - I think everyone is on agreement here.

[Aaron Kempf]

re: The Registry gets completely borked after that kind of timeframe.

uh.. how does your registry get borked? Seriously-- can you plz talk with some facts, instead of your blind apple banter?

Registrys don't get hacked.. maybe you should stop running kazaa and pirating software!!
The only people who have problems with registry getting borked-- are the people who cheat hard-working developers out of their money by downloading a cracked copy of XP Home off of BitTorrrent

[seven7dust]

So none of your windows installations have ever slowed down ?
wow! you must have Widows XP Godlike edition or something !
and why troll about this on a post about Macbooks
are you switching to a Mac or something ?
I though you were content with Windows and Microsft software ?

[Aaron Kempf]

and yes.. Access _DOES_ rock..

50% of America spends 50% of their time typing stuff by hand into Excel... _ANYTHING_ other than Excel is a wonderful improvement (because you don't have to copy and paste data by hand in order to merge 12 different spreadsheets)

Apple just doesn't have an enterprise-ready database.

Maybe if they bought Sybase and included some sort of SQL tools-- and a database server-- on the desktop-- then maybe Apple would be worth it.

Until then-- Apple is just a worthless toy for running your bloated piece of junk WinAmp clone. (iTunes)

Again-- WinAmp has been doing everything that iTunes has-- for 15 years.. and it's free. and it's fast.. and it installs without errors.

I can't get iTunes to work on half of the machines I try it on.. and _NO_ it's _NOT_ microsoft fault

[djames42]

As suggested in an earlier post, I'll give you that Access is an improvement over stuffing a pile of information flat-file-style into an Excel spreadsheet. However, by your suggestion that Access rocks for that reason, FileMaker must also rock. So does, apparently, FoxPro, D-Base and Paradox.

The only thing Access has going for it is that it supports (albeit in a somewhat bastardized fashion) a bit of SQL, and provides a reasonable (short-term) transition to SQL Server by means of linked tables (which I have often seen used as a permanent solution leading to some serious performance issues down the road).

And again, Apple *does* have an enterprise-ready database. Or perhaps you're suggesting Oracle isn't enterprise-ready?

If you can't get iTunes to run on half of the machines you try it on, then I'd say there's something wrong with those systems you're working on. iTunes clearly runs just fine on most of the system out there, otherwise the iPod wouldn't be commanding nearly 75% of the market.

As for WinAmp, it used to be a fantastic piece of software for media playback. Then AOL bought it and let the bloat in.

[SteveW928]

@ Aaron Kempf -

'enterprise ready' depends on many things... it depends on your definition. How much performance do you need? Are there certain kinds of interface or protocol requirements, etc. Is rapid-development a driving factor?

FileMaker's claim to fame isn't necessarily performance, but rapid development (though it is no slouch either). A smart developer will weigh out these factors before deciding. I know several very large companies (some Fortune 100) that use FileMaker on pretty huge projects because they need the rapid development ability to keep pace in the company/market (vs. a solution which is just developed, and then basically maintained).

I also know many of these places run MySQL or PostgresSQL... and certainly consider ALL these solutions (FM included) 'enterprise'.

[pjcamp]

How about a battery you can change? How about a keyboard you don't have to change? Oh wait! They used to have those things but Steve thought they looked bad. And anything Steve doesn't need, you don't need either.

Apple -- it's all about the look.

[nickh2]

No need to change the battery. It holds a charge at least twice as long as any of the competition and gets 1000 recharge cycles.

Why would you need to change the keyboard? It has everything needed to use Mac OS X.

[pithenumber]

@nick
the keyboard has no numpad
big problem right there with it
@pjcamp
you can use a good keyboard with your Mac if you want to
I think most USB keyboards work fine

[L33tLuXX0rz]

With the price the macbooks are going for, one can just get an Dell or an HP and add the blu-ray ROM option and still pay less than what the Macbook would be.

[kangotang]

Sure you can, but they're not macbooks. If you've ever used a uni-body MacBook you'll know why they cost more - those things are just plain solid. Also keep in mind features like LED display and DDR3 RAM that are standard on the MacBooks. Most budget notebooks are missing these.

But I agree, if you're going for value Apples are a tough sell.

[seven7dust]

except they'll be twice as thick
have less than half the batterylife
and build quality will be a joke too
there are somethings more important than price

[meh100]

Dell's laptops only seem that much cheaper than the Macbooks because they have much worse specs. A Dell Laptop with the same specs as a Macbook (Pro) is only going to be about $50-$100 cheaper.

[LaTene_Man]

1. I agree with you about the monitor. There should be an option, and it not cost any more. If you want glossy, get glossy. IF you want matte, get matte, same price.

2. BluRay has yet to hit the mainstream. It's got licensing issues/costs. And blank BluRay discs, do they even exist yet? I mean that I've never seen one in a store. Not common yet. I would like the option to get one though. Maybe they should reserve it for "build to order". That way you can buy one and watch your BluRay movies (if you have any). IT would make a great backup disc. How's the longevity of BluRay writeable discs?

3. I do wish Apple would pick one connector and stick with it. THey keep changing them every few years. I know they are doing that because they keep getting better, smaller ideas. But with an adapter, I have HDMI and VGA and everything else, so I don't want them to go to HDMI. What they have now is technically superior. Too many times has Apple abandoned their own formats for technically inferior formats, just because they are more popular.

4. I don't want touch screens on my computer. The day they can make a touch screen that is completely finger-print-proof, that'll be the day I'll take a touch screen on my computer. I can't stand the smallest smudge on my screen. Touch it and I'll break your finger!

[petersenj612--2008]

Gee, I beg to differ. I'm a pretty darn serious user of pretty darn everything I use and I like the shiny screen much better than the matte. If you're going to make sweeping generalizations, you should be prepared to back them with evidence.

[kelmon]

But you wouldn't use one to making colour corrections, correct? Glossy screens distort colours and therefore cannot be used for this kind of work.

[korts]

A 12". I'm still using my PowerBook G4 because I'm so deadset on a 12".

[kangotang]

Woot. I'm using a white MacBook provided by my employer, but I miss my 12" G4. But just like the glossy screen, wide-screen displays seem to be the new thing.

[mlduran18]

lol... platform wars...

Actually , my Macbook Pro is connected to both dvi and HDMI screens and all it took was a $20 connector. Soon as I plugged it in my HD TV showed a nice screen. no config necessary.

Not all equipment need come directly from Apple. BTW: My Mac also runs Vista faster than my HP Laptop.

MikeD

[pithenumber]

"My Mac also runs Vista faster than my HP Laptop."
I can make a PC tower run Mac OS X better than any Mac including the Mac Pro

works both ways

[SteveW928]

I do agree about the matte screen... while the gloss is OK, I still prefer the matte.

I don't agree about Blu-ray... I use my PS3 for that. I'm not sure I'd really use a Blu-ray drive much in a laptop anyway. I wouldn't turn it down... but it isn't a major want here.

Mobile broadband isn't really an issue either. Again, wouldn't complain... but it is such a speciality thing, people can add it if they want. The data plans are so expensive that most people would never use such a feature.

HDMI port wouldn't be a bad thing to have... but I think the reason for Display Port is more of a size thing... I'm pretty sure it is smaller than HDMI. Also, HDMI has been more a consumer 'TV' type connection until recently... so whatever they put on it... it would require compatibility and converter cables to still support VGA, DVI, etc.

Touch Screens... again, not really needed.

[gconnery]

How about selling keytops so users that want to can buy an Apple laptop and install Windows on it, without being confronted by keys that aren't labelled correctly? Hey, I see a business opportunity for somebody... forget those Mac clone shops that will get sued out of existence by Apple, just resell MacBook Pros with Windows on them and modified keyboards?

Agree with the BluRay comment. Not really a big deal yet, but yes gaining some traction and at some point BD will supercede DVD and that'll be all there is, so if you can't play that, you won't be able to handle anything optical. And of course its a nice backup mechanism, or will be once the price of the media falls to a reasonable value. Seems like its about time for Apple to get on board.

Agree also with the HDMI comment. BTW, I doubt that DVI-to-HDMI adapter will suddenly route the audio over the HDMI connector, so even with that you'll still have to connect your audio cables separately and won't be able to handle the new audio codecs or 5.1 audio...

Agree with other commenters that 4 USB ports is the new requirement. For PRO laptops at an elevated price, these should have 4 USB ports.

Speaking of which, at least one of these should be a combo-eSata/USB port. Its much faster than USB for external hard disk transfers/backups/etc.

[Jonathan Monahan]

http://filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/sql-data.html. Yes Filemaker can read/write from SQL.

[seven7dust]

why people care about Blu-ray on a laptop is beyond me ?
First of watching HD movies on the a laptop screen is a joke
then you have Itunes HD which not only makes getting movies easier and cheaper
you also dont have to lug around blu-ray disks with you everywhere
isnt a laptop about portability ?

here's my list
1. bring back expresscard slot and remove that crappy Sd slot
2. provide 20$ adapter for reading SD cards and watever else
3. make Hardrive hot swappable like the previous gen
4. increase the resolution of 15" displays
5. a smaller macbook air {10-11")

[LaTene_Man]

Well, if the laptop has a Blu-ray drive, it can be hooked up to a high definition television, used as a player. And you could, if discs were readily available and inexpensive, backup tremendous amounts of data on a Blu-ray disc (50GB).

[seven7dust]

yea but why not buy a stand alone bluray player
they arent that expensive nowdays
and much more convenient at that, plus image quality will be better as well
I partly agree on the backup part but External HDs/thumb drives are
becoming cheaper by the day and are much better than optical media !

[kelmon]

You can also add that Bluray, much like a DVD drive, will drain battery life more than playing a movie from your hard drive (even more so if you are using an SSD). For watching movies on the move, downloading them from iTunes makes much more sense unless you either cannot get the time for the download to be completed or like to watch the same discs.

[kirkules]

I have a light sensitivity problem so I avoid bright light as a rule. Saying that, I have been able to tilt my white first gen MacBook screen in ways that avoids glare. Perhaps the fact that I am never in a room bloated with intense light so there is nowhere to turn makes a difference.

[atomicbomb156]

The price tag is still really high. But the one thing that I miss is the included remote on older Macbooks. What happened? They now charge another $30 for something that used to be included. Other than that a separate volume control and 1 or 2 more usb ports. One can never have enough usb ports. I have 3 and they are usually taken by various electronics. Small things I know but should be default. My HP pavilion was only $600 and comes with everything that the $1000 Macbook has and then some. Sure it isn't the most sleek looking machine but it gets the job done and for a far cheaper price. Still portable enough to carry around campus. Its a 14.1" widescreen by the way.

[kelmon]

It should also be noted that adaptor cables for connecting DVI to VGA used to be included in the box as well as some additional software products. My old PowerBook G4, for example, came with full versions OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle installed, and the MacBook Pro had ComicLife (OK, that I don't miss). These days you certainly get less in the box and that is a very disappointing trend.

[Brian]

The screen is too glossy.

My 13" Macbook is not as glossy, so I am very happy with it.

Other than that, I don't like an integrated battery!

Do you have any idea what would happen if a battery recall were to happen like it did years ago?

Apple only cares about thin, thinner and thinnest while their pockets get fat, fatter and fattest.

The subliminal messages (purchase PURCHASE purchase PURCHASE purchase) are sickening.

[seven7dust]

the integrated battery gives double the batterry life
and can be replaced at Apple stores for the same price as a new battery
starting at 125$, not bad if you ask me,
the battery is actually removable, it's just not hot-swappable
another thing it supposedly lasts upto 1000 recharge cycles
so you should get about 4-5 yrs with it, which again is more than normal !
IMO the extra benefits of the new battery out weight the minor inconvenience

[Brian]

@seven7dust

I agree 100% with the benefits. I am just pointing out some of the flaws of this design, that's all.

I have no idea how many years I will get out of my Macbook, but I assure you, I would rather buy a new battery for it than to upgrade to what is currently available.

Apple has to seriously improve the specs/design to gain my support.

[seven7dust]

Actually you can remove the battery and send it out
or do it at a Apple store too, it just more difficult than normal !

the procedure requires you to use a screw driver
remove the bottom panel plus a few more wires to get to the battery
there's a online guide at ifixit.com , it's not that hard actually
but I guess most people woudn't want to try it !

Eitherway I'm all for more batterylife
anandtech recently did a review of the new macbook pros
they claimed to get 8 hrs of batterylife with power saving settings and mild web use
and 6 hrs with normal use
which is amazing if you ask me, thats more than double that of my macbook

[oRADoTREV]

everything listed is completely useless... mobile connection? get a life you dont need internet every 5 seconds. Blue ray? is watching a blue ray on your laptop what you do on your spare time, get a freaking tv. Hdmi outputs? get a damn desktop if you want a bigger screen. Touchscreen? thats what everyone really wants is a screen to get greesy finger prints all over.... sure its cool, on a phone but dumb for a computer. Matte screens? get over it... if your out side with your laptop then you have no life.

Macs rule and people hate on them because they dont have one. So they conform with all the other pc losers who messed up and took the cheep way out and didnt by a mac. You get what you pay for.

[kelmon]

I'm sorry but you clearly are an idiot. Sure, some of the requests are less important but just because they are not important to you does not mean that they are unimportant.

[deanbvfx]

Your Macs spell/grammar checker is on the fritz, its Blu-Ray, and cheap.
Many folk's do want/need semi-constant internet connection. Folks may be going from business to business, you don't want to be fiddling about getting SSID's n WPA codes of them if you can just hook up straight to mobile broadband.
You'll probably find that about 25% or so of Blu-Ray players are laptops hooked up to a HDTV with a HDMI cable. Currently out of the box Mac's are incompatible with about 99% of HDTV n monitors, without going out n buying an adapter. Touchscreen is a valid point and many would say that the multi-touch track pad more than makes up for it. Matte Screens are very much a personal choice, though proclamaing that someone has no life if they go outside is rather weird view of the world.
You unfourtanelty represent the stereotypical "iSheep" one who is willing to accept whatever Apple gives them and seeing that if Apple don't use it then it must not be worthwhile, where as the average man would ask why his neighbour has a car and he has not?

[kelmon]

I echo the request for the anti-glare/matte screen option for at least the MacBook Pro. The rest I am less bothered by (mobile broadband, HDMI) and I couldn't care less about Blu-ray or touchscreen. I mean, what are you going to use a touchscreen for anyway? Such a feature will not turn your laptop into a graphics tablet and the Mac notebooks already have multitouch trackpads that are far more practical.