My girlfriend, as she's american, can get me a 'cheap' apple mac, well cheaper than standard UK price anyway! Just as I was getting excited about buying a shiny new Macbook pro, I see the Macbook 2012 pro is due to be released and replace the current ones on the 11th next month!!!

My question is, will there be a dramatic price increase with this update? And should I wait for the new Machine or just buy now?

AaronG

It's not hugely encouraging. Rumours suggest the new machines will be thinner (if you care), have no optical drive (due to the need for thinness) and have a "retina display", which probably doesn't add much for music-making tools, but may well add to the price-tag (and battery drain?).

But maybe I'm being overly pessimistic.

I think generally apple's policy is not to bump the prices up much, but keep the older ones available more cheaply.

Happy to be corrected about that though...

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please make it all simple.

http://nvonews.com/2012/05/18/new-macbook-pro-2012-to-be-thinner-stronger- and-faster/

Quote chris...:

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It's not hugely encouraging. Rumours suggest the new machines will be thinner (if you care), have no optical drive (due to the need for thinness) and have a "retina display", which probably doesn't add much for music-making tools, but may well add to the price-tag (and battery drain?).

But maybe I'm being overly pessimistic.

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It's very likely.

Normally apple don't bump up the price and which an optical drive is certainly a relic in 2012 it's not certain they will simple turn the MacBook pro into the MacBook air. Battery improvements have been pretty good recently with apple so I'm not expecting a drop in battery life.

We will see...

Quote johnny h:

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an optical drive is certainly a relic in 2012

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Agree - it's just I'd kinda rather have one than have a "thinner" machine. But that's probably just me.

As for retina display - it won't help music making. Presumably it'll use more power, negating any battery improvements which could otherwise have delivered better run-time. And it'll cost more, so to maintain price point, they may need to make the rest of the machine cheaper (and nastier?).

I disagree. When using Logic on a laptop, screen resolution is of MASSIVE importance. Adding retina displays and getting rid of the silly optical drives (which is the logical and rumored next step for Apple) will make the new machines extremely desirable for the mobile musician. Particularly if they fill the space left by the optical drive with extra battery.
Also i'd like to see a macbook air approach with the OS on a SSD chip and space for an internal drive for audio/video etc.

Quote chris...:

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Quote johnny h:

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an optical drive is certainly a relic in 2012

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Agree - it's just I'd kinda rather have one than have a "thinner" machine. But that's probably just me.

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Why do you assume it will be thnner ? And why is 'thinner' even a bad thing for a laptop? Are you saying size and weight are not relevant, because if you are I'm very glad you aren't part of the MacBook development team!

Quote:

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As for retina display - it won't help music making. Presumably it'll use more power, negating any battery improvements which could otherwise have delivered better run-time. And it'll cost more, so to maintain price point, they may need to make the rest of the machine cheaper (and nastier?).:eek

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Well that's a rather pointless collection of negative speculation. Have you seen the MacBook pro? It's quite a beautiful machine inside and out. It's possible the design team suddenly lose all connection with reality and come out with something inferior, but its rather unlikely.

Quote johnny h:

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Why do you assume it will be thnner ?

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Simply that the rumors are it'll be thinner with no optical drive. Obviously, this might turn out wrong. Either way, assuming they ditch the optical drive, I think it's unlikely the space will be re-used (as Paul wishes) for more battery.

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And why is 'thinner' even a bad thing for a laptop?

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Thinner alone has little benefit. I'd rather the space was available for hard/optical drive (e.g so Paul can have SSD+hard drive - which I'm not aware you can do on an existing Air), or a bigger battery.

Obviously, weight is significant, as is size in the other two dimensions!

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Have you seen the MacBook pro?

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I'm typing this on one. It's quite thin enough

Quote johnny h:

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Have you seen the MacBook pro? It's quite a beautiful machine inside and out. It's possible the design team suddenly lose all connection with reality and come out with something inferior, but its rather unlikely.

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They will come up with something nicely designed, and targeted at a certain market.

I know two types of MacBook owner. The muscian who needs a powerful "desktop replacement" machine as the center of a DAW. And the person who uses it for media storage/playback, email and Internet, maybe the latest fashionable "app" - nothing much a netbook wouldn't do - but wants the "luxury" brand. Which do you think will make Apple more money?

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote johnny h:

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Have you seen the MacBook pro? It's quite a beautiful machine inside and out. It's possible the design team suddenly lose all connection with reality and come out with something inferior, but its rather unlikely.

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They will come up with something nicely designed, and targeted at a certain market.

I know two types of MacBook owner. The muscian who needs a powerful "desktop replacement" machine as the center of a DAW. And the person who uses it for media storage/playback, email and Internet, maybe the latest fashionable "app" - nothing much a netbook wouldn't do - but wants the "luxury" brand. Which do you think will make Apple more money?

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Do you audit their accounts?

Quote chris...:

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Quote johnny h:

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Why do you assume it will be thnner ?

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Simply that the rumors are it'll be thinner with no optical drive. Obviously, this might turn out wrong. Either way, assuming they ditch the optical drive, I think it's unlikely the space will be re-used (as Paul wishes) for more battery.

Quote:

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And why is 'thinner' even a bad thing for a laptop?

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Thinner alone has little benefit. I'd rather the space was available for hard/optical drive (e.g so Paul can have SSD+hard drive - which I'm not aware you can do on an existing Air), or a bigger battery.

Obviously, weight is significant, as is size in the other two dimensions!

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More recent rumours suggest the space taken up by the optical drive will be used for exactly those purposes: extra battery and the use of both ssd and mechanical drives. But it's not worth worrying too much about them. I find it unlikely that apple will converge the pro and air lines as they sell to different markets for different prices and are both hugely successful. But we'll see next month ...(probably)

Quote johnny h:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote johnny h:

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Have you seen the MacBook pro? It's quite a beautiful machine inside and out. It's possible the design team suddenly lose all connection with reality and come out with something inferior, but its rather unlikely.

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They will come up with something nicely designed, and targeted at a certain market.

I know two types of MacBook owner. The muscian who needs a powerful "desktop replacement" machine as the center of a DAW. And the person who uses it for media storage/playback, email and Internet, maybe the latest fashionable "app" - nothing much a netbook wouldn't do - but wants the "luxury" brand. Which do you think will make Apple more money?

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Do you audit their accounts?

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No. That's why I'm asking, instead of telling :-)

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote johnny h:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote johnny h:

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Have you seen the MacBook pro? It's quite a beautiful machine inside and out. It's possible the design team suddenly lose all connection with reality and come out with something inferior, but its rather unlikely.

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They will come up with something nicely designed, and targeted at a certain market.

I know two types of MacBook owner. The muscian who needs a powerful "desktop replacement" machine as the center of a DAW. And the person who uses it for media storage/playback, email and Internet, maybe the latest fashionable "app" - nothing much a netbook wouldn't do - but wants the "luxury" brand. Which do you think will make Apple more money?

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Do you audit their accounts?

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No. That's why I'm asking, instead of telling :-)

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Well neither do I, so thanks for wasting everyone's time with irrelevancies!

Aside from anything else (and everything discussed above!), I'd suggest waiting for the new machine just because it'll have more up-to-date hardware, which will be far more future-proof than the last of the old style machines. I've been waiting for the new Macbook Pro for a while purely on this basis; I tend to keep a laptop for about 3 years, so I'd rather start on the strongest footing I can. The next releases of Final Cut and Logic will be designed for the new machines running the new OS and operating with the new processors, so stands to reason you'll be better off with the new machine.

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Jamie Parker

Also - is the release date of 11th June a definite date or just another rumour?

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Jamie Parker

Quote jamulero:

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Also - is the release date of 11th June a definite date or just another rumour?

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I think its just a rumour.

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www.Lozjackson.com

That's not what I heard.

The new machines are also rumored to drop the FW port. Something to think about if your audio interfaces use this. I don't know of any Thunderbolt to FW adaptors......?

The loss of an optical drive (if true), is quite relevant IMO and not in a good way.
Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.
How bizarre that you'd be able to burn a CD/DVD or install a sample library disc (something a lot of us need to do in music) on an entry level PC laptop, but not on a 'Pro' Mac.
If the rumours of Firewire going too are correct, then it really is a backwards step IMO.
You'd have a new laptop with less connectivity and media options than the model before???
I have a 2011 Quad core i7 MacBook Pro and I'd suggest getting one of these as it's the best of all worlds IMO.
It has Thunderbolt, firewire and a PC express port too for adding USB3 or another firewire buss.
The real bonus is it'll boot on OS 10.68, so I can run older software AND (more importantly) keep my nice, easy to read COLOUR finder icons!
The current screen resolution is 1920 x 1280 which at reading distance is close to 'retina display' quality anyway.
There is a chance that Apple will officially launch Mountain Lion (OSX 10.8) with the new Macs too. If so, it's possible you might encounter a few niggles with incompatible drivers and require vendors to update software etc etc before it becomes fully usable. This normally doesn't take long, but its something to consider if you need to hit the ground running.
The Quad core i7 MacBook Pro's are incredibly powerful, so I doubt you'd be disappointed by their performance, so I'd suggest trying to find a 2011 quad i7 MacBook Pro (released before Oct '11). They'll be cheaper, more compatible and can run more OS's, and in real terms will be nearly as powerful as the current model and probably close to the new models that arrive too!
eBay is your friend when it comes to finding one.

Good luck


Geoff

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www.myspace.com/jazzygb1
www.myspace.com/revox1

Quote Jauqq:

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The new machines are also rumored to drop the FW port. Something to think about if your audio interfaces use this. I don't know of any Thunderbolt to FW adaptors......?

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Just found one

lol
That's a very big and expensive adapter!

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www.myspace.com/jazzygb1
www.myspace.com/revox1

Quote wmcintyre:

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Quote Jauqq:

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The new machines are also rumored to drop the FW port. Something to think about if your audio interfaces use this. I don't know of any Thunderbolt to FW adaptors......?

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Just found one

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It would be disappointing if the FireWire port was dropped. Ethernet is no real problem as its a very easy and cheap USB attachment if you need it, and it's use is rapidly diminishing. Also it's a rather large port compared to FireWire 800 and thunderbolt.

Its not worth speculating about really, all will be revealed soon, then the world can complain to their heart's content!

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

My concern is that

Apple osx will be updated yearly from now on, I've read. That's bad news for anybody needing complex programs and hardware drivers to run, and run stable, like DAWs and soundcards. Hardware that is a couple of years old very likely won't get updated drivers.

Quote wmcintyre:

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Quote Jauqq:

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The new machines are also rumored to drop the FW port. Something to think about if your audio interfaces use this. I don't know of any Thunderbolt to FW adaptors......?

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Just found one

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Here is another:
thunderbolt to everything adaptor

Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

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Even a macbook air has ALL the connections, if connecting to a thunderbolt hub. A difference in performance, as far as I can see, would solely rely on the speed of the CPU, and (for some time) bus speed. I might be wrong, though.

mac prices almost never drop... so

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

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Dont you have a job or a hobby to keep you busy instead of trolling this forum. Your posts like acute mental diarrhea- nobody needs it. Your point was noticed- you hate Apple, consider their product overpriced, over designed, unfit for professional use , 3000 + posts, enough, isnt it? Everyone here and his dog knows what you feel, think and even going to express in far or near future. Go have a break, glass of cold water, check telly or better do something productive for heavens sake!

Quote electrotimba:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

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Dont you have a job or a hobby to keep you busy instead of trolling this forum. Your posts like acute mental diarrhea- nobody needs it. Your point was noticed- you hate Apple, consider their product overpriced, over designed, unfit for professional use , 3000 + posts, enough, isnt it? Everyone here and his dog knows what you feel, think and even going to express in far or near future. Go have a break, glass of cold water, check telly or better do something productive for heavens sake!

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Yep ...

Lets face it, the retina macbook pro is an awesome machine. If I had one I would take great pleasure in watching angry men complain of sour grapes.

Quote electrotimba:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

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Dont you have a job or a hobby to keep you busy instead of trolling this forum. Your posts like acute mental diarrhea- nobody needs it. Your point was noticed- you hate Apple, consider their product overpriced, over designed, unfit for professional use , 3000 + posts, enough, isnt it? Everyone here and his dog knows what you feel, think and even going to express in far or near future. Go have a break, glass of cold water, check telly or better do something productive for heavens sake!

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Well, Apple keep doing things that distance them even further from being the preferred music platform! While people still show up here brainwashed into believing (a) it must be a Mac and (b) it must be a laptop - my job is not done.

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote electrotimba:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote JazzyGB1:

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Why I accept that optical media's days are numbered, the 'Pro' machines should have the MOST facilities, not the least.

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Surely the "Pro" machine is the full-size desktop model, which should indeed support every possible expansion and connectivity option. A laptop computer, or the various "designer" Macs, have other priorities.

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Dont you have a job or a hobby to keep you busy instead of trolling this forum. Your posts like acute mental diarrhea- nobody needs it. Your point was noticed- you hate Apple, consider their product overpriced, over designed, unfit for professional use , 3000 + posts, enough, isnt it? Everyone here and his dog knows what you feel, think and even going to express in far or near future. Go have a break, glass of cold water, check telly or better do something productive for heavens sake!

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Well, Apple keep doing things that distance them even further from being the preferred music platform! While people still show up here brainwashed into believing (a) it must be a Mac and (b) it must be a laptop - my job is not done.

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I'm so honoured to have in this forum someone that combines such impeccable wisdom with the earnest, almost childlike, passion to save us from ourselves. The evil Apple, the fruit of temptation, the source of all pain and suffering in god's kingdom.

I'm with the Wombat here

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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While people still show up here brainwashed into believing (a) it must be a Mac and (b) it must be a laptop - my job is not done.

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Brainwashed?

Good luck convincing me, chap.

Brainwashed I'm not, but take away my MBP and there'll be consequences...

Quote desmond:

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Quote Exalted Wombat:

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While people still show up here brainwashed into believing (a) it must be a Mac and (b) it must be a laptop - my job is not done.

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Brainwashed?

Good luck convincing me, chap.

Brainwashed I'm not, but take away my MBP and there'll be consequences...

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+1

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My head hurts!

Quote johnny h:

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I'm so honoured to have in this forum someone that combines such impeccable wisdom with the earnest, almost childlike, passion to save us from ourselves. The evil Apple, the fruit of temptation, the source of all pain and suffering in god's kingdom.

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Thank you. You're exaggerating, but that's common among Mac users :-)

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Well, Apple keep doing things that distance them even further from being the preferred music platform! While people still show up here brainwashed into believing (a) it must be a Mac and (b) it must be a laptop - my job is not done.

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Oh "man on the mission". Saving the victims of marketing and vicious propaganda of evil empire Apple?
1. Apple is no KGB neither Communist Party of Soviet Union (non of those even exist).
2. "The victims" are here out of their own free will with common interest of learning more about the gear they use for music creation. Nobody is interested in being saved, even less by a nut case who himself need professional attention rather urgently.
3. Nobody cares for your attention, neither will you find one here. Perhaps you should try to ask your mom.
4. Have you considered consulting a specialist? I mean psychologist or psychiatrist. While over the counter medicines might be OK for diarrhea your case - delusional disorder kind might be way more serious then it appears and requires competent help that surely cant be found on music gear forums.
5. You seemingly succeeded seemingly gaining my attention however that attention is in reality of selfish kind. I am allergic to idiocy and simply, even though with empathy and compassion, try to get rid of obnoxious brat.

Edited by electrotimba (17/07/12 04:17 PM)

Alright guys, let's not get personal... it's the internets...

Quote desmond:

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Alright guys, let's not get personal... it's the internets...

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I think its cruel to point out that Womb has nobody there to stop him trolling at nights.