FireWire feedback from readers and Apple

Yesterday's discussion post about the exclusion of FireWire from the newest MacBooks generated a tremendous amount of reader feedback and discussion. We decided to take an unscientific straw Twitter poll which generated a large response, underscoring that for the Mac community, FireWire is a big deal. The responses to the blog post were largely in support of my thesis: that losing FireWire from the MacBook is a big deal and a potential (or actual) deal-breaker for many, many users. This was to be expected, as people who are upset about FireWire's disappearance are more likely to respond to an article sharing that sentiment. On Twitter, however, when we just asked, "Is the lack of FireWire on the new unibody MacBook a deal-breaker for you, yes or no?" the data was less skewed.A majority of the Twitter users that responded to our poll said "no, it is not a deal-breaker." Many commented that the loss is disappointing, but ultimately it won't prevent them from buying a new MacBook. Still, more than one third of the responses were "yes, this is a deal-breaker." Many users are considering putting off upgrading altogether; others expressed discomfort with being forced to buy a MacBook Pro (either the new units, or the now heavily-discounted older units). A note to concerned future MacBook Pro users: you can get an inexpensive cable with FW400 on one end and FW800 on the other -- no adapter needed, just a new cord for your camera or audio device. Be warned, however, that the presence of a FW400 device in the chain will drop the speed of any FW800 devices to the older standard. Reader David sent Steve Jobs (or sjobs@apple.com) an e-mail, expressing his disappointment by the lack of FireWire on new MacBooks. The response (which David forwarded and we verified had the correct mail-header information), is pretty interesting...Continue reading FireWire feedback from readers and AppleRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Why Blu-Ray doesn’t matter (to Apple)

Section: Apple, iPod + iTunes, Apple TV, iPod touch, iPod Family, iTunes, Movie Rentals, iPod, iPod nano, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, OriginalsThe Macbook line got a major refresh today, but one thing did not appear: the Blu-Ray capable optical drive. Not as an option, not to burn, and not even to play the newly-crowned winner of the DVD high def format wars. And after Steve Jobs’ comment that Blu-Ray is a “bag of hurt,” we probably shouldn’t plan on seeing such a thing any time soon. And there are a lot of good reasons (from the perspective of Apple, anyway) why the company shouldn’t be in a rush to adopt it. Cost. Steve’s stated reason for not offering Blu-Ray: “The licensing is so complex.” Meaning, expensive. Apple is constantly facing criticism that their products are too expensive. Even if they make it an optional install, it’s still something that Apple has to pay for (and engineer) for something that not a lot of people may want. Which brings us to point two: Penetration. Tied in with cost: not a lot of people own Blu-Ray players at home, partly because not only do you have to pay a lot for the player, you also need a TV that can take advantage of the higher quality. Keep in mind that standard DVD players finally reached the installed base of VCRs in 2006, and that some people are upgrading to DVD players that “upscale” the picture. While Apple has been ambitious in championing new technologies (USB, wireless), it’s always been with an eye of the potential market. And right now, Jobs and Co. seem to be waiting for this one to grow first. Storage. Some people are pointing out that beyond watching movies, Blu-Ray discs can be used for backing up 50GBs of data. The problem is, how long would it take to burn that much data to a disc? Discs are currently retailing for around $30-40 dollars for a single 50GB disc: a price that’s comparable to a USB 2.0 external drive, which has the advantage of being faster...and rewritable. And while we’re on the topic of burning, let’s talk about iMovie, which jettisoned a lot of features in order to streamline one thing: uploading to YouTube. People aren’t sharing their home movies on DVD any more, they’re uploading the best moments to the Web. Do most people have a need to burn a Blu-Ray disc? Competition. And here we get to the nut. Apple is now selling their own HD movies and TV shows online via the iTunes store. Granted, it’s nowhere near as high-def as Blu-Ray, but I’m willing to wager most people are either watching them on standard def TVs, computer/laptop monitors (which are smaller, though higher in resolution), or on the minuscule screens of their video-capable iPod (a few inches across!). And in those situations, Apple’s version of high-def is “good enough.” Apple makes some money in passing along content, but their real money is in hardware: AppleTV, Computers, and the almighty iPod. Why in the world would they want to cut their own throat by improving the market for Blu-Ray: a physical disc that you have to buy from someone else, which can’t (legally) be converted for use on the iPod? Of course, in February 2009, America’s broadcast stations will switch over to an all digital signal, which will probably spur the sales of HD TVs. But, let’s make a critical distinction between HD and Blu-Ray, the latter of which is the codec for HD video discs. Apple has long been banking that the future of content distribution is in the internet, and just because people want to watch movies in HD, doesn’t mean they have to get them on a disc. Full Story » | Written by Bill Stiteler for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Review: Kodak Zi6 HD mini camcorder

The mini camcorder market is heating up. Kodak's new HD-capable device is an impressive offering and is a definite contender amongst camcorders such as Pure Digital's Flip Ultra and Flip Mino.

TUAW Faceoff: Screencasting

Screencasting -- the not-so-ancient art of recording the computer screen for the entertainment and enrichment of others -- has evolved into quite a Hydra of options. How do the myriad gladiators in this arena stack up? I've tried everything I could find that could record a little movement on the screen, and selected 8 contenders for the matchup. We'll start this boxing match off with the free apps, and then see if the "money" apps stack enough features on to make them worth the cash. Continue reading TUAW Faceoff: ScreencastingPermalink | Email this | Comments

Review: Flip MinoHD mini camcorder

The latest Flip Mino shoots in 720p HD. It's a sleek and easy to operate camcorder, but it doesn't measure up to Kodak's Zi6.

Has Dell quit the fight against the iPod?

Dell apparently won’t launch any new MP3 players in advance of the holiday shopping season, despite promising an ambitious return to digital music player market.