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I was upset by Apple dropping Firewire in the new aluminum MacBook since many of us had relied on prior MacBooks and iBooks for our work. What I only just realized is that Apple's currently shipping least expensive portable, the so-called White MacBook, still has Firewire. Even though this is the lowest model going (and probably will be E O L sometime soon), for $900. you can get a pretty decent portable for Boomrecorder, Metacorder, etc.

excerpt from MacWorld: "Externally identical to the last white MacBook, the new 2GHz model has the same number of peripheral connections (a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a single FireWire 400 port) and keeps the same mini-DVI port, as opposed to the new Mini DisplayPort connector found on the rest of Apple’s current laptops. The new white MacBook also continues to offer the same glossy, 1,280-by-800 pixel display, the same 120GB Serial ATA hard drive, and still weighs in at 5 pounds, a half-pound more than its aluminum-clad siblings."

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I too use a white MB w/ PT and Metacorder etc etc.  It's fine but lacks a couple of things that would be helpful for location sound work.  First is screen brightness.  The MBPs (like the Powerbooks before them) have way brighter screens.  The MB is fine inside, but outside I need a hood all the time.  This wasn't true of the higher end models.  2nd is a slot for accessory cards, which can give you another FW (or etc) bus or other i/o.  Another is general construction--the plastic computers are cheesier.  I also found that even though I had used my PB in the misty rain and etc for years w/o trouble, the first time my MB got a little wet around the screen the seal leaked, so now I have a cloud floating around the edges.  I feel like the MBP sounds better out of its speakers.  Finally, I'd like to be able to run Final Cut since that is what nearly all my post work is picture-edited on--and FCP will not load on a MacBook.  So when I am able to amp-up to buying another laptop, I'd really like to get the top of the line again.

Philip Perkins

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I run BR with my white 2.1 GHz MacBook, which I recently bought refurbished for $799.  It replaced my much older white iBook, which also ran BR but did hang up once in a while.  The new one is great because all the ports are on one side, including the power.  I installed 4GB of RAM, which might be overkill for my needs, but was cheap and this thing runs extremely well.  I feel I really ought to buy another before they are all gone!

Robert

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FCP will not load on a MacBook

I had FCP running on my black MacBook no problem, but not all of FCS. It's things like Motion and Color that puke because of the graphics chipset in the older plastic MacBooks. Not sure what Motion and Color would do on the newer nVidia graphics chipset in the updated white MacBook.

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I had FCP running on my black MacBook no problem, but not all of FCS. It's things like Motion and Color that puke because of the graphics chipset in the older plastic MacBooks. Not sure what Motion and Color would do on the newer nVidia graphics chipset in the updated white MacBook.

Apple comes right out and tells you it won't work.

Philip Perkins

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