Rubenerd Blog

I’ve been told by people that the reason why Apple didn’t include FireWire in their lastest MacBook computers was because they were phasing out support for a so called legacy port and that most video cameras and external hard drives use USB as well, amongst other reasons which I thoroughly debunked in a previous post.

Well we finally may have the real reason for why Apple removed the FireWire 400 port from the MacBook. As it turns out, it might not have been a decision by them after all, but one by NVidia who designed the new GeForce 9400M integrated chipset and graphics chip which the new MacBook uses.

Here’s the kicker: according to several sites I’ve been reading, this chip was designed without a FireWire controller.

The GeForce 9400M does not include a Firewire controller. When asked, Rene Hass mentioned that during the design of this chips, this function was not part of the feature list.
~ HardMac.com

This seems to change my perceptions somewhat. Given Intel’s lackluster onboard graphics, I can understand Apple’s decision to move to a NVidia’s chipset and graphics solution, especially in a computer like the MacBook. I can’t help but think though that they could have at least included a separate FireWire controller, granted they are substantially bigger than controllers for USB, but if my Sony Vaio PCG-C1VM ultraportable from 2001 could include one there’s no reason why Apple in 2008 couldn’t.

Promotional image for the new NVidia chip comparing sizes with Intel’s integrated graphics

When I claimed this was going to be the last post on the MacBook FireWire Debacle, I didn’t think another writer would share a similar view to me on this issue. This will be the last post! Ironically, I found about this USAToday article through Apple’s official start page which chose to summarise the article as such:

Apple, says Edward C. Baig (usatoday.com), “has fashioned a winner with the new MacBook.” The new model features a “bold new metal design with a glossy backlit widescreen LED display, spacious buttonless trackpad and souped-up Nvidia graphics for gamers.” In fact, Baig reports being “pleased with the detail and fluid motion as I played Spore from Electronic Arts and Call of Duty 4 from Activision.

Conveniently they didn’t disclose any of Edward’s comments regarding the lack of a FireWire port, and the less than adequate number of USB ports as replacements:

But Apple risks ticking off users who rely on FireWire. Like many people, I still have a FireWire camcorder, not to mention an external FireWire hard drive. Apple may want to drive customers to the FireWire-capable MacBook Pro — models that start at $1,999 — which are certainly better equipped for video editing.

The company also figures many of the folks who would do a lot of video editing own newer camcorders that more likely use USB rather than FireWire. Apple isn’t generous there, either: There are just two USB ports on the new MacBooks.

You can still get FireWire on the entry-level plastic MacBook, but it doesn’t have the muscle for heavy-duty video editing.

Exactly! I am so fed up with reading comments from people that tell people who can’t afford a MacBook Pro to buy an older MacBook that still has FireWire for video editing, or that people who need FireWire should buy a MacBook Pro. Not everyone is swimming in money.

If you think I’ve started to dislike Apple though over this hiccup, the last line of Edward’s article pretty much sums up my own opinion:

Apple has fashioned a winner with the new MacBook. Unless you can’t live without FireWire.

ASIDE: I had not intended my critique of Apple’s disastrous decision not to include FireWire on their MacBooks to become a multiple post saga, but the more I learn about this decision and the more I read up upon it, the more I think this really is a mistake.

We love Apple’s products and we want them to succeed, so we think this really is a terrible decision. We know Apple will probably ignore us, but it’s worth a shot generating some noise right?

In today’s investigation of the MacBook FireWire Debacle, I’ll be looking into some of the arguments that seem to appear time and time again in every 600 page MacBook FireWire removal forum thread across the intertubes.

Removing FireWire it is the same as removing the floppy drive on the iMac.

This question went first, because I can tell rebuttals of my responses below would probably discuss obsolescence and the idea you can still buy older versions.

That there is a substantial difference between getting rid of a floppy drive or other legacy devices, and getting rid of FireWire. In the case of the floppy drive, CD burners and the “super floppies” (LZ120, Zip) were clearly superior replacements, and you could buy inexpensive USB floppy drives. With these MacBooks, USB 2.0 is the only possible replacement, and it’s not superior.

Most people I know have never heard of FireWire

Most people I know have. And if they haven’t, tech savvy friends or family have bought them FireWire drives for use with Time Machine, camcorders for iMovie etc. Would the removal of a port to save a few dollars make up for the money they would lose from customers holding off purchases?

You can just buy a USB 2.0 to FireWire cable

Even if we assumed such devices for Mac exist (and I’m not sure they do), they would not address the underlying problem. Serial and ADB to USB adaptors worked because USB is an improvement.

Grilled cheese sandwiches taste great with maple syrup and hot fudge

I’ll have to take your word on that.

If you can afford expensive FireWire cameras, you can afford to buy the MacBook Pro which has FireWire.

Many professional users use powerful desktop computers, and a more lightweight laptop for when they need to go. For many, the MacBook Pro is simply too big and heavy.

The statement is a tad arrogant. Given people who buy MacBooks are buying them because they’re cheaper, doesn’t it make sense that said customers would also be less able to buy new audio and video equipment too that might be older and only have FireWire ports? The primary school right here in my suburb use MacBooks and MiniDV video cameras. MiniDV cameras can only use FireWire. What about them?

It also amounts to false advertising: Apple bundles their machines with iLife which include two consumer-grade video editing applications. Their prosumer Final Cut Express is also targeted at a similar market. What about the thousands of consumer video cameras that use FireWire?

This really isn’t a big deal. The financial crisis, world hunger, hello?

True. But as a person who knows about, endorses and uses this standard I feel as though I’m in the position of letting people know. And by that definition, really nothing else matters right now!

Apple still sells the older MacBook with FireWire

The older, heavier hardware version with the 5x slower graphics performance and slower front-side bus? For how long will they be available? And isn’t it ironic and counter intuitive that someone would tell you to buy an older version of a product because it has faster ports than the newer one?

Complaining on your blog or on forums isn’t going to make Apple change.

This is probably the only argument that makes some sense. It’s true Apple probably doesn’t care. This is why it’s important to have as many people as possible talking about it, and more importantly sending feedback to Apple. Even gigantic corporations such as Apple aren’t completely immune from the demands of their customers.