17" Macbook Pro just announced
 

As expected, Apple has announced the 17" Macbook Pro, as well as lowered the price on the existing 15" models.

Now has FW800 and a dual-layer DVD burner.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006...acbookpro.html

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

Looks like what I've been waiting for!

Speaking of Firewire 800... I wonder why it hasn't "taken off." Many manufacturers are still releasing brand new models with no firewire 800. For instance, walk into best buy store (granted it's only Best Buy) and out of 35 different external drives not even one of them has FW800. I would expect to find 2 or 3. It seems like FW800 has been lossing in a popularity contest with FW400 for some reason.

see also: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=65802

Firewire 800
 

Unfortunatley I think you can blame Microsoft for the slow push to 1394b. When Windows XP had to release SP2 to plug the backdoor from viruses, they clocked FW 800 drivers down to just above 400Mb/s like 520 something. (Not even close to full transfer rate) It worked fine in SP1 and there are patches, but the momentum on the PC side is switching to SATA in the price range of FW. Unfortunately it's a numbers game.

Also (I may be wrong on this) but the I think PC manufacturers and MBOB's have to pay Apple a royalty on the Firewire standard.

It is a shame though. I'm a PC guy and I like the ease of use and portablility factor of IEEE 1394.

Cheers