I should probably mention that I got a MacBook Pro on my birthday last week, so Apple clearly knows how to make me feel happy and stuff. Thank you Apple. I’m still using my PowerBook HD 15″ for day to day work, but I’m going to be doing some heavy playing with the MBP, in terms of making sure lots of software runs and if not why.
First things I notice and dislike about it are the lack of an S-Video port. I mean, how am I to display things out to a television? My Powerbook had this. My iBook’s have had this with an optional adapter. And now the MacBook doesn’t?
The loss of Firewire 800 isn’t too bad when you notice the loss of a, *drumroll please* PCMCIA/PC Card slot! What are they thinking? My mobile broadband Internet needs a PC Card slot, as does my CF card reader. I am not very pleased. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I have a lot of Type II PCMCIA devices lying around from the old days that I tend to use from time to time.
And then, the lack of a modem. How, oh how, am I to live without one when I travel? Believe it or not, when I’m in Malaysia and Streamyx dicks me around I actually dial-up. Heck, when I spend time in Tasmania, I still dial up!
What about the MagSafe connector? I tried “tripping” on it, and I think my Powerbook’s connector is no different. Now this new connector is annoying – I can’t use the existing connectors that I already own, for starters. And I wanted to buy a battery pack (those 3rd party ones that go for about USD$200 at Fry’s) but I couldn’t because the MagSafe connector isn’t licensed to third-parties yet. Major bummer.
macbookpro on top of the powerbook hd
The new remote gadget is actually quite nice. On my to-do list include getting Linux running on this (properly), getting better iSight support in Linux (I wonder if I can still use the Firewire based work that’s already been done), and getting the FrontRow/remote integration bits sorted.
(and yes, I know they just released a MacBook. The black one looks, to say the least, sweet).