Unfortunately I think it'll take until MacBooks and iPads are literally as thin as paper (edit: hyperbole) before Japan becomes truly wifi friendly... 'til then, I'll appreciate my current MacBook and not having to carry around that dongle everywhere.
There is plenty of semi-public Wifi in Japan. You're ostensibly meant to pay into a seperate contract, but anyone who buys an iPad gets a password to use Softbank hotspots, good for two years[1].
> So, there's no space in a mac for a ethernet port?
There isn't even enough depth in the machine, they would need to cut out through the lid to have the room to put an ethernet port (not even talking about the Air there, just the new MBP). Even on the current "pro" macbooks, there is only a thin piece of case above and below the ethernet port (about a third of a mm), and the new MBP is significantly thinner[0]
> what's the advantage or serializing a pci-e bus into some 4 or so pins?
Flexibility, speed, and doubles as a video adapter (and a PCI-e lane is 4 wires already, the work is not there)
Funnily enough, yes, there is not enough space. If you look at the Macbook Air or the new Retina Macbook Pro, the cross-section is too small for a full-sized ethernet port.
For reference, the ethernet port takes up the entire height of the "old" MBP.
Interestingly, the Retina MBP has a combo Ethernet MAC/PHY + memory card reader chip of which they're only using the latter function. I would guess that either the decision to drop the Ethernet port was made pretty late in the process or the board designers were kept in the dark about the mechanical design until it was too late to pick a different part.
Also, a PCI-E lane actually is 4 pins :)
Edit: reply to dead - standalone memory card reader ICs are standard components. The USB SD ICs they used in earlier models would have been easier to route (than the PCI-E combo chip) and probably cheaper.
A Thunderbolt port can be Ethernet, FireWire, DisplayPort, HDMI, or native Thunderbolt. The flexibility of that makes a port that can only be Ethernet seem like a total waste of space (especially at twice the size).
Even if they wanted to include ethernet, the retina MBP is so thin it wouldn't be able to fit an ethernet port along the edge. Look at this image for reference:
I'm a network Engineer and even I have to work hard to remember the last time I used an Ethernet port. Configuring routers and switches and testing scenarios are mostly done remotely via labs (although I do configure and test locally a lot as well)
As far as end user goes and my daily life outside work, I very rarely use Ethernet. I suspect the average user just doesn't have the need for it any more.
The 5% of users that do need an ethernet cable will be well served with a thunderbolt/USBx adapter without holding back the other 95% of us greedy bastards who continue to demand thinner/lighter.
> They must be certain that ethernet port is a thing of the past
And they are probably right. For consumer applications, wi-fi already fulfills most needs right now (faster than most internet connections and spinning HDs), and it's getting faster[1].
Perhaps the average consumer's satisfied with wireless speeds, and it would make economic sense to reduce the production cost of the average system by removing the ethernet port.
In a Macbook Air? No, there certainly isn't. Even other notebook manufacturers are hitting a thiness where ethernet is not possible. They just have tacky hinge pieces that fold down to allow the ethernet connector to slide in.
[+] [-] evoxed|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rangibaby|13 years ago|reply
http://store.apple.com/jp/buy/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad/new...
[+] [-] spicyj|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] iridium|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pieter|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DrJ|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] potkor|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gcb|13 years ago|reply
what's the advantage or serializing a pci-e bus into some 4 or so pins? They must be certain that ethernet port is a thing of the past.
[+] [-] masklinn|13 years ago|reply
There isn't even enough depth in the machine, they would need to cut out through the lid to have the room to put an ethernet port (not even talking about the Air there, just the new MBP). Even on the current "pro" macbooks, there is only a thin piece of case above and below the ethernet port (about a third of a mm), and the new MBP is significantly thinner[0]
> what's the advantage or serializing a pci-e bus into some 4 or so pins?
Flexibility, speed, and doubles as a video adapter (and a PCI-e lane is 4 wires already, the work is not there)
[0] http://www.zdnet.co.uk/i/z5/illo/nw/story_graphics/12june/ma... bottom is the old MBP, top is the new one, note how the flat side of the new MBP is barely thicker than a USB port.
[+] [-] ROFISH|13 years ago|reply
For reference, the ethernet port takes up the entire height of the "old" MBP.
[+] [-] sern|13 years ago|reply
Also, a PCI-E lane actually is 4 pins :)
Edit: reply to dead - standalone memory card reader ICs are standard components. The USB SD ICs they used in earlier models would have been easier to route (than the PCI-E combo chip) and probably cheaper.
[+] [-] haberman|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fiatpandas|13 years ago|reply
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1183987/mbp_comparison.jpg
It barely fits on the normal MBP. The only way it could fit on the edge of the Retina was if they cut through the bevel, which would be ugly.
[+] [-] metatronscube|13 years ago|reply
As far as end user goes and my daily life outside work, I very rarely use Ethernet. I suspect the average user just doesn't have the need for it any more.
[+] [-] ghshephard|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ricardobeat|13 years ago|reply
And they are probably right. For consumer applications, wi-fi already fulfills most needs right now (faster than most internet connections and spinning HDs), and it's getting faster[1].
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11ac
[+] [-] maybird|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] andreasklinger|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drivebyacct2|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gcb|13 years ago|reply