I'm looking at buying one for my mom and I was originally thinking Macbook but I just recently discovered that the new Macbook doesn't have firewire.

She'll be using it for:
Internet, email, skype/video with family overseas.
downloading photos from her digicam
downloading videos from her camcorder (this is why I wanted firewire)
Music
Traveling

She currently doesn't have a laptop because she was laid off from Sony Ericsson and her only laptop was a work laptop. She has a really old desktop (about 6 years old) that recently died so I'm looking to replace that for her as a 'surprise'.

I am not very familiar with camcorders in terms of what options they have for downloading video to a computer. I've always just used firewire. Can you even connect a camcorder via USB 2.0? The main reason I'm leaning more towards the Pro is because of the Firewire (camcorder) and the built in SD card reader (digicam).

Anyone have a unibody polycarbonate Macbook, if so how do you like it? and talk me out of spending the extra $250 for the Pro (+$200 for the pro and +$50 for upgrading the 160gb hdd in the pro)

2/11/2010 10:11:01 PM

ive never seen/used a camcorder that didn't have firewire. just fork out the $250 and get the pro. you'd probably spend close to $100+ anyways just for an adapter to connect the camcorder.

i have one of the new macbook pros, and even then it sucks not having firewire 400. but at least best buy will sell me a $40 fw800/400 converter cable.

2/11/2010 10:25:30 PM

Quote :

"ive never seen/used a camcorder that didn't have firewire. just fork out the $250 and get the pro. you'd probably spend close to $100+ anyways just for an adapter to connect the camcorder."

that was my understanding is that they all have firewire...what I wasn't sure about is if they come with USB 2.0 as well.

Quote :

"i have one of the new macbook pros, and even then it sucks not having firewire 400. but at least best buy will sell me a $40 fw800/400 converter cable."

The only device I own that uses FW800 is an external HDD, but then again I don't do any video editing so I don't ever use FW except for the external drive. Her camera is about a year old, any chance it might be 800? or do i need to get her the mini-fw -> FW800 cable?

Which Pro do you have? 13, 15, or 17?

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 10:31 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 10:30:48 PM

Considering most PCs don't have a FW connection, I would imagine it's pretty safe to assume that most camcorders are going to have usb. Personally, my camcorder that's about 2 years old does. It's been awhile since I've used it but I can't honestly say that it even has fw.

As for the mb vs. mbp, I went with the mbp but it's was only because I preferred the aluminum & wanted the sd reader. Looking back on it, it doesn't make a lot of sense. You're pretty much looking at a 25% cost increase for 2 features. I've actually been thinking about getting rid of mine for an iPad & iMac. The SD card reader is nice to have but it really wouldn't be that hard to keep one with in my camera bag and grab it whenever I grab the card out of my camera. I also find the aluminum to be a bit slicker & less easy to hold onto than my old non-ub polycarbonate mb. If I had it to do over again, I think I would save the money and go with the plain jane white mb.

2/11/2010 10:44:39 PM

ive got the 15". it has 2 USB2's and a firewire 800 on it.

my company just bought one of the higher-end consumer-grade HD cameras (i think it's a canon?). It's got HDMI, Firewire 400, and USB. The USB is only for downloading still images taken by the camera (some stupid feature it has), and can't transfer video. so that's why i have the fw800/400 converter cable

i doubt her camera supports fw800. like you, the only fw800 device I've ever seen is an external HDD. i thought it was crazy for them to get rid of the fw400 port along with the DVI. i know apple is wanting to push out new standards and technologies, but I really with they would have kept the fw400 and put in a HDMI port i am glad they finally put a SD card reader in the computers. too bad it came out 1 month, 1 day after I bought mine

2/11/2010 10:47:23 PM

Quote :

"i know apple is wanting to push out new standards and technologies, but I really with they would have kept the fw400 and put in a HDMI port"

It's funny considering FW400 was once one of Apple's new technologies

2/11/2010 10:59:03 PM

I'd go for the MacBook, it's a MUCH better deal, and yeah I'd say pretty every camera is going to have USB nowadays.

Also, unibody implies aluminum, so I wouldn't call it a polycarbonate unibody (since it's not). Just call it the plastic MacBook.

2/11/2010 11:45:09 PM

Quote :

"Also, unibody implies aluminum, so I wouldn't call it a polycarbonate unibody (since it's not). Just call it the plastic MacBook."

please see below...direct from Apple's website because it is indeed a unibody. Unibody does not mean the material it is manufactured out of.

Quote :

"MacBook has something for everyone. With a durable polycarbonate unibody enclosure"

Quote :

"Unibody design The breakthrough unibody design of the MacBook Pro comes to MacBook."

Quote :

"I'd say pretty every camera is going to have USB nowadays."

While I would agree with you, my concern is that the USB port isn't actually for transferring video but rather the still images that most video cameras can also take. (as been previously mentioned in this thread regarding the fancy HD camera)

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 11:52 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 11:50:05 PM

get the MBP

the screen alone is worth the extra cash

2/12/2010 12:23:57 AM

^whats the difference between screens? Aren't they both LED and same resolution?

hmm...the Macbook doesn't have the illuminated keyboard though.

[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 12:27 AM. Reason : .]

2/12/2010 12:25:01 AM

my '07 macbook has firewire 400

so yeah

2/12/2010 7:11:05 AM

^^ When the new unibody mb was released, I recall reading that they used a different screen than the mbp and it wasn't quite as bright & didn't look quite as nice. Looking at them both side by side at Best Buy a few days ago, I couldn't tell a difference though on the regular stuff though. Maybe it's only noticeable with high quality movies/photos or something or maybe Apple said screw it and now puts the same screen in both models.

2/12/2010 7:38:08 AM

I'm going to go pick it up at lunch and do one final comparison between the two but it sounds like i should just go with the MBP.

^i hadn't heard that before but then again I don't keep up with the Macbook at all so thats probably what catalyst was referring to. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a different screen.

And just so I'm prepared I suppose I should pick up a FW800->400 cable? Camcorders usually have a mini-FW connection, correct? Is there a 4pin vs. 5pin I need to be concerned about like there is with mini-usb?

[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 10:07 AM. Reason : .]

2/12/2010 10:04:29 AM

My bad, it looks like they've upgraded the polycarbonate MacBook since I had mine (~2 years?). My current unibody Aluminum does not have a backlit keyboard, and that is THE big reason for wanting to upgrade for me. I'm just waiting for the next line to be announced. Anyway, though that is a pivotal feature for me, my mother completely does not care about a backlit keyboard. I'd still go for the MacBook in your case. Oh, and about cameras, it'd be easy to find out if that camera supports uploading video from the USB port, and I'd imagine it does. The last few cameras I had did, current USB devices are quite a bit faster than back in the day...

2/12/2010 10:22:59 AM

Quote :

"My current unibody Aluminum does not have a backlit keyboard"

Yours is a Macbook which is odd because I never knew they made a unibody aluminum macbook...I thought the 13" aluminum was a Pro (which it is now but I guess wasn't when they first came out)

2/12/2010 10:47:03 AM

for the firewire, why not just use an adapter? i had to buy this adapter cause i had a very old hard drive enclosure that used the FW400 and since the MBP has FW800 i didnt want to buy a new enclosure.

http://www.macmall.com/p/SIIG-Controller-Interfaces/product~dpno~7209953~pdp.eahffje

[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 11:09 AM. Reason : fixed link]

2/12/2010 11:08:11 AM

^Don't they have 400->800 cables? I'm just thinking that if I have to buy a cable anyway may as well just buy the right cable instead of an adapter and a cable

err...nvm i don't know that they do actually have a mini-fw -> 800 cable. I may need the adapter after all.

2/12/2010 11:10:21 AM

i was never able to find a 400->800 cable back in august when i got my MBP; that is why i went with the adapter. and for the $15 it was total i wasn't gonna stress.

2/12/2010 11:12:23 AM

I've got a 400->800 cable that came with my external HDD. but i think the camera is a mini port, if memory serves me correctly.

2/12/2010 11:18:14 AM

i think the macbook has a TN screen of some sort

the macbook pro has a wide-gamut screen that is probably a really high quality TN display or MVA/IPS

this could have changed but when I was purchasing that was the case

2/12/2010 12:13:20 PM

what camera does she have?

My Canon HG10 has USB2.0 for transferring the movies as well as firewire.

I think most are the same way. googling the camera model and USB should tell you what you need to know.

2/12/2010 1:37:17 PM

Just got back from the apple store.

^^yeah you are correct, this is still the case. The Macbooks don't have as high of a contrast ratio but its not really noticeable.

^not 100% sure on the camera model but you are probably right that it does support USB2.0.

I ended up going with the Macbook Pro and used my sisters student discount to save some money I just have a hard time buying something for someone that I wouldn't want to own myself and aesthetically (performance/features aside) I like the Macbook Pro over the Macbook. Also, as my gf pointed out, dirt will probably show up a lot more on the Macbook since its all white so any time my mom goes to visit family in the dust capital of the world (Cairo) she'll come back with a black Macbook...lol

2/12/2010 3:03:52 PM

i had no idea that people use firewire. i've never known anybody or owned anything that used it...

i thought everything (camera-wise) came with usb nowadays

2/12/2010 5:31:02 PM

you made the right choice

2/12/2010 8:47:10 PM

I have a 13" MacBook that has the MBP aluminum unibody construction...aside from all of the performance bonuses you'll enjoy from having the MBP, the aluminum case is also much more resistant to elbow drops and guitar pedals.

I found this out the hard way, but there has been no serious damage other than dents.

2/12/2010 10:55:54 PM