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by carbon8 6213 days ago
I understand why people want the card slot, but the number of people who actually used it must be miniscule (which was apparently confirmed in the keynote). Hell, I've been using powerbooks and macbook pros for a decade for video, audio and programming, and I have been working mobile full time for years, and I still have never used the slot. I know musicians and video guys who have, but that was years ago, before widespread decent quality usb/firewire audio and video devices. Sure some people want it, but this isn't a big deal for the vast majority of users.

Honestly, I find it incredibly strange that people still make the pro/consumer distinction. It's been a while now that even low end computers have been more than enough for most people, even most "pro" users. There are plenty of people out there working full time on low-end macbooks (though, in that case, often hooked up to a larger display). At this point, the ONLY reason I've been buying macbook pros rather than low-end macbooks is the screen size.
2 comments
adw 6213 days ago
I've been working fulltime on a 12" Powerbook G4 (and I've written and released an entire album on the same machine, for that matter). And the G4 Powerbook wasn't especially fast when it came out! Computers have been by and large fast enough for most things for years.

I'll be going for the 13" MBP for my next machine, I suspect.

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dgallagher 6213 days ago
"At this point, the ONLY reason I've been buying macbook pros rather than low-end macbooks is the screen size."

Some of the higher-end Pro models have better video cards, which yields better 3D performance, and sometimes better output on larger displays (e.g., running 1080p video on a 1920x1200 monitor). I'd imagine Photoshop CS4 runs quicker with a better video card (assuming Open GL is enabled in PS).

A few extra USB ports on the big guys too, and semi-faster CPU's (which doesn't make a heck of a difference unless you're doing something intense).

Other than a few people who care about the above, you're right. You're mostly picking for screen-size/native-resolution, and weight/form-factor.

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