From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: October 17, 2008 1:37:45 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Say NO to the new No FireWire MacBooks.

Mark;

On 17-Oct-08, at 1:22 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Hi Milton, Have you heard anything about the future of the Mac Mini.

The Apple website seems not to be as co-operative with respect to

these computers. -i.e. when "select" your computer is clicked you`re

taken to the "configure your Mac Mini" page. I could have sworn there

was another page in between before!? Do the new iMacs still have

firewire?  Is the policy to phase out  Firewire altogether? Mark  Gaffney.

No one knows anything (except Steve Jobs who pulls all the strings). It took 4 days of people posting on the Apple FireWire lists before Apple offered any response, which was basically that they don't know (or don't care) and Apple will do as Apple sees fit. I think most of them are looking at there 401k, stock options and polishing there resumes up.

What we do know is that if Apple deletes something, they generally don't bother putting it back in unless people stop buying it. Thinks of the Cube's demise, because it was over priced, had no expansion and there were better options than it.

So as I said at the start, if you don't influence the products they offer and buy the polycarbonate FW400 Mac Book instead of the aluminum or Air ones, then your just as responsible as Steve Jobs is.

Also sending Apple a note that you won't buy unless they add FireWire back in likely won't work. Apple just does that so you vent into a circular file and don't bother them. So it's supposed to placate you so you don't post on their Apple boards, where they keep deleting comments about the lack of FireWire.

TTYL..

Milton Aupperle