Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject: Fire(Wire)-proof glossy displays
So here it is: gtwo new laptops, one of which lacks FireWire, and both with a glossy display. The new laptops are gorgeous, but more consumer-oriented than ever…
Samwise, typing this while looking at his iMac's glossy display
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:
sardisson wrote:
And no trackpad button, either
Smokey
I never use any trackpads, so it wouldn't bother me.
Actually, the new trackpads seem an improvement to me: on existing ones, I hate it when tapping on the trackpad clicks, and yet, I also hate it when I have to lift my finger off the trackpad to click on the button(s) under the trackpad. The new trackpads from Apple seem to address both issues…
I am not a fan of the glossy for various reasons. I tried one on the thinkpad running linux and do not like it. My daughter has it on her macbook - last years model and it is not bad but the gloss can be distracting. I bet serious pic/video people are livid.
I absolutely love the old trackpad but i would also love to try the new one - I reckon once i got used to it, it'd possibly be better! lol when I stop being a student I'll buy one... and then not being a student any more I won't have any use for it!
Actually, the new trackpads seem an improvement to me: on existing ones, I hate it when tapping on the trackpad clicks, and yet, I also hate it when I have to lift my finger off the trackpad to click on the button(s) under the trackpad. The new trackpads from Apple seem to address both issues…
Ah, see, my thumb is always on the trackpad button (well, when a hand is on the trackpad). I've always had tapping-as-click turned off (all the way back to 1998!), too, and in the descriptions I'd read this morning, I understood that we were stuck with that. Now it seems that the entire trackpad is a physical button, which is better than tap-as-click, but it still (likely) means I can't just leave my thumb in place to click (since now it'd trigger two-finger scrolling 100% of the time)
I'll have to see, but as a laptop user, I'm not very excited about these bricks....
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
I find them quite pretty, and though I never like to use tap as mouse click, I believe I shall get used to the new system when I get one (which will probably be early in the new year).
Best wishes,
Oscar _________________ "What do you think of Western Civilization?"
"I think it would be a good idea!"
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:
K-9 wrote:
I am not a fan of the glossy for various reasons. I tried one on the thinkpad running linux and do not like it. My daughter has it on her macbook - last years model and it is not bad but the gloss can be distracting. I bet serious pic/video people are livid.
Seems that the lack of FireWire is making as much noise as the matte vs. glossy issue, especially in the MB forum (the MB has always been glossy anyway).
Also, many people seem to be unaware that FW800 is backwards-compatible with FW400, and that's causing a great deal of concern too.
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:43 pm Post subject:
sardisson wrote:
Samwise wrote:
Actually, the new trackpads seem an improvement to me: on existing ones, I hate it when tapping on the trackpad clicks, and yet, I also hate it when I have to lift my finger off the trackpad to click on the button(s) under the trackpad. The new trackpads from Apple seem to address both issues…
Ah, see, my thumb is always on the trackpad button (well, when a hand is on the trackpad). I've always had tapping-as-click turned off (all the way back to 1998!), too, and in the descriptions I'd read this morning, I understood that we were stuck with that. Now it seems that the entire trackpad is a physical button, which is better than tap-as-click, but it still (likely) means I can't just leave my thumb in place to click (since now it'd trigger two-finger scrolling 100% of the time)
I'll have to see, but as a laptop user, I'm not very excited about these bricks....
Joined: May 25, 2003 Posts: 4752 Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:44 pm Post subject:
Yeah I keep my thumb on the trackpad button all the time too on my laptop. I wonder if you can configure it so clicks are only registered in the bottom area. I always turn the tap to click features off as I consistently found it annoyingly registering things as clicks that weren't. Perhaps I'm just getting old...
The total lack of FW is a let down; I have lots of firewire drives and other devices. Most drives these days though come with dual firewire/USB interfaces, so aside from some HD cameras or older devices I guess the majority of things can still be connected. It'd still make me get a Pro instead, but hey this is from someone who still uses a TiBook
I don't know about the glossy displays. I haven't been bothered by the glass on the iPhone, but then again it's probably not a large enough screen where glare really becomes a problem. I think what makes them look bad is that they have ridiculous reflections when the screen is off, but I've never used them for long periods of time. I've only ever had matte screens up until now. I always hear the "well what if I'm using it outside" comments on the glossy displays, but then I need to step back and think "hey, how often do I actually take my notebook outside"? As I work indoors, not too much...
I have lots of firewire drives and other devices. Most drives these days though come with dual firewire/USB interfaces, so aside from some HD cameras or older devices I guess the majority of things can still be connected. It'd still make me get a Pro instead, but hey this is from someone who still uses a TiBook
I'd like a FireWire port, but I have to admit I have not such devices so in the end i am not really bothered. But Apple has swtiched it iPods over from FW to USB 2 or 3 generations ago, so this was to be expected..
OPENSTEP wrote:
I always hear the "well what if I'm using it outside" comments on the glossy displays, but then I need to step back and think "hey, how often do I actually take my notebook outside"? As I work indoors, not too much...
The sun outside is so much stronger than any screen that working outside is only a proposition in the shade anyway. And my old laptop screen is definetely going to be less bright than the LED one. I also wonder why the complain about the glass cover and the colour accuracy. Surely, Apple used a neutrally coloured glass? They would be a bit stupid not to..
What I do like is that Apple is pushing manufacturers to do new things for laptops: first Intel's processor for the Air, and now the nVidia integrated motherboard.
The main gripe about the lack of FW seems to be 'how do we get target disc mode now?' and 'what about migration?'. I read a rumour that Apple will be enabling a USB target disc mode; and you can migrate via ethernet cable anyway; and you can boot from a USB drive these days. It's just going to be a drag for people to have to get new drive enclosures, or adaptors to use FW-only kit like cameras. And a drag for people whoa reused to using target disc mode for diagnostics/repair. Let's see what Apple pulls out of the sack...
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:11 am Post subject:
yoxi wrote:
It's just going to be a drag for people to have to get new drive enclosures, or adaptors to use FW-only kit like cameras.
Hmm, I think I saw the mention of an Ethernet/FireWire adapter that might be OK for capturing video (assuming it works). As for a FW-to-USB adapter, even if such a thing exists, it's no good for capturing video from tape-based devices like DV and HDV camcorders.
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