An Ode to the Apple Remote
Earlier this week Apple updated the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. The update wasn’t too crazy. Performance got a boost with 45nm Intel Penryn processors (decreased system temps being the main advantage) while the MacBook Pro now dons a multi-touch trackpad and upgraded Nvidia graphics. The only thing not really publicized by Apple is that the new notebooks no longer include the Apple Remote. It’s now a $19 accessory.
Like how I casually included the MBP and iPhone as part of the same pic?… genius
While Apple’s notebooks aren’t exactly geared towards media aficionados as are say the iMac and Mac Mini (commonly used in HTPC setups) I still think Apple could have spared a few bucks to include the remote. I for one use the Apple remote daily. Before I go to sleep, I usually put iTunes in shuffle mode and use the remote to forward through songs I don’t care for and adjust the volume. It’s almost as satisfying as when I had the Sonos system. I haven’t even mentioned Front Row usage yet, and that’s where the Apple Remote shines. When playing movies the remote comes in handy for quick pausing to hit up the restroom and so on.
It’s a shame to see Apple leave out such an important piece of hardware from their MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Have you become fond of the Apple remote too?
Extremely fond, before I got a new keyboard with media controls I would use it almost exclusively to skip and pause iTunes. It was like a dedicated iTunes keyboard and it was really handy.
I think the remote is a big point of difference between Macs and PCs. It seems like such an un-Apple-like thing to make it non-standard.
It’s all about the bottom line unfortunately.
I do exactly the same what you do. It is such a joy to have that small remote control, specially when you are in bed and you want to adjust the volume of the iTunes. I defenately think they should keep it in the MacBook Pro package. It does not really goes with the design of the Pro series but I do not really care, it is very handy.
Hmm, I actually never use mine. I only have an iMac though - nothing portable. I don’t watch movies on it but I do listen to a lot of music seeing as I work from home. However, I think I’ve used the remote a handful of times since purchasing my iMac last Summer.
Must say that ever since I got the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, that ultrathin piece of delight (yup, Mac-evangelist, so I am exaggerating), the need for a remote like this one has been reduced.
Although I see the advantages in its small form, I can really appreciate that my BT keyboard also allows me to to everything else (quick mail response, window resize, Adium chitterchat) without being bulky.
Moreover, it functions also as the full keyboard for my Nokia N95, as it fits perfectly even in small business case.
So, not really ode to the remote… :P
Yeah, disappointed that Apple have stopped including them as standard, they really can’t cost that much to make and include in the box. But saying that there is three apple remotes around our house at the moment from various systems purchase over the past two years.
So from that point of view I can see I don’t need another remote. But what about all those new Mac converties, why should they not get an Apple remote with their MacBook or MacBook Pro.
But when compared to Windows laptops, the Macs kick ass. I recently (late Dec 2007) purchased a high end Dell 1520 laptop which costs over €900, even though it had good specs it doesn’t come with DVI, only VGA/S-Video out. Going off the point of the article here but I can’t see why my six year old iBook has DVI out and my new Dell doesn’t. I can’t even connect it to my LCD TV! I’m bitter over it, I know, especially as I gave my girlfriend my MacBook for her Masters.
Well actually I loved the idea of haing a remote when I bought my MBP but I have to say I dont use it that much in fact.
I like to to use the remote when I watch TV on my Mac with EyeTV cause i can switch from one channel to another and that’s pretty convenient but as for Front row I hardly ever use it
it is also great for giving presentations!
I think I have more Apple remotes lying around than I could need, or want, in my lifetime.
One next to my laptop, one in my bag, one in my car (why, I’ll never know), once attached to the Mac Mini sitting in the lounge, connected to the 32″ Hi-Def LCD. I didn’t even buy that much stuff… must be all the remotes I accidentally took from work after demo-ing the Apple TV. :)
L.
I use mine as a sleep button for Alarm Clock, couldn’t imagine walking to other side of the room and hitting a key every 8 minutes.
I have a 24″ iMac and I use the remote for pretty much the same reasons as you, Paul. Pausing movies / iTunes while watching from bed. People that I know with laptops don’t use the remote as much. My girlfriend has a MacBook and she hardly ever uses the remote. My parents use a MacBook Pro, but rarely the remote. I think it really just depends on whether or not you watch movies on your computer from a distance. On a MacBook the screen isn’t really large enough to be at a distance where the remote is necessary. I could go either way on the remote being a separate purchase. I DO wish that Apple made some sort of advanced-remote with DVD menu options and configurable buttons though. I tried using an app called RemoteBuddy with my old computer that allows you to use your iPod Touch/iPhone as a remote, but it works through Safari and is kind of sluggish. A remote app for the iPod Touch or iPhone that used Bluetooth would be awesome.
My remote is still in the box. I’ve never actually used it.
I use the remote daily, too, especially when I’ve got the MBP connected to my house stereo. Apple made a poor decision here.
I use my Apple Remote a lot as well, especially for controlling iTunes form a distance as many of you guys. Sometimes for front row as well when watching series etc on my LCD TV, although with Leopard’s Frontrow there is a huge annoyance! It doesn’t remember how far along you are, if you stop a movie and return to the menu! It did in Tiger, please bring it back Apple!
I’m a Mac newbie and the remote is one thing which I totally dig. To be honest, I chose the white macbook cos I wanted to match accessories. Its uber cool and I use it for my daily work, from presentations to music. Dell XPS M series includes a remote as well, but it sucks in design and literally everything.
Apple should think about it !
Paul,
You ever heard the story about the dude that reduced the BA meals from 14 olives to 12 saving the company millions a year? Exactly what is happening here.
Market research probably showed apple that most people don’t use the remote OR most people own more than one mac and thus could probably live with one remote. So why should apple pay to manufacture and ship all those little used remotes? Imagine if a cargo plane carries 3000 macbooks/MBPs or whatever….. and imagine 75% of people don’t want or don’t order the remote thats saving the weight of 2250 remotes or 40.5KG for those that care :P Thats a lot of weight to save in shipping especially when your saving that every flight. Obvioulsy my numbers are estimates apple may ship more or less than that per flight.
Either way it’s an extremely good business move especially given the current US economy!
While I am not a Mac owner yet, I am upset at the loss of the Apple Remote from the MacBook line. My next planned upgrade is going to be to a MacBook, currently I am on a Dell so any Mac is an upgrade, and one feature I looked forward to was the remote. I planned on using the MacBook as a portable media center as well as a personal computer. This is a step away from the Apple I am familiar with as they are known for giving the customer what they expect and more. With this move they are falling just short of customer expectations. Shame on them.
- Sean
I forgot to mention about something i came across. People place their remote on the lid of their MB or MBP so that it sticks to the magnetic lid :) Nice holder i say, which is now missing on the iMac.
I use my remote most often when hosting parties. It’s an awesome way to manage tunes while showing what’s currently playing using Front Row.
Good addition just not a necessity.
I haven’t actually seen anyone use one, so I’m not surprised. Plus if you want to have a system with a remote you can use I think they really want you to get an Apple TV.
i love the remote. its my favorite bit of hardware i have for my mac, besides my wireless mighty mouse. i find it so useful for iTunes and movies from across the room.
i dont know why apple have left it out, its not like it costs them much at all to produce them, and its a great accessory. its part of what makes a mac a mac, the fact that apple include (well included) a remote control for your super fast all in one media station/computer. they always advertise their computers as being for films and music, not spread sheets and quarterly reports and the remote is a great aid to this.
I can see why from a financial standpoint; why they did this, but I think a better marketing ploy would have been to tout the ‘environmental impact’ of not having these remotes included for those who have several, and let it be a free option for those (like myself who don’t have one), and would like to get it without paying when I buy my MBP next month..
-ezra - http://www.straypoetry.com
I’ve barely used mine in the year I’ve had one. If it hadn’t been included free I’m not sure I would have bought it. I think they are not including it from a financial standpoint and an environmental standpoint. Why clog the landfills with these things if no one is using them?
I, too, use mine mostly for presentations. I like the feel and the simplicity of it.
I totally agree. I love the Apple Remote that came with my iMac and I am very disappointed it was cut for future buyers.
I’ve been using a MacBook Pro(s) as my primary computer for over a year now. Not once have I used the remote, in fact it’s still sealed in plastic.
The Apple Remote is definitely a nice addition to any Mac. I love using it with iTunes and Front Row. I was disappointed when I noticed that Apple started charging $20 for it.
Big fan of the Apple Remote, but I wasn’t actually expecting to use it when I got my MacBook Pro. It probably requires its own manufacturing line in the factory, which translates to major cost increases. I’m not really happy that Apple’s charging extra for it, but I can’t say I blame them given what it must cost.
I returned my MacBook Pro when the new ones came out (I had just bought it a few days ago), got home, opened the new box, and was surprised. I never would have expected them to drop the remote, even though I don’t use it much.
I use mine pretty rarely, but I also have three of them. I originally purchased my MacBook Pro which came with one, then purchased an iPod Hifi (heavily discounted, don’t worry) which also came with one, and lastly an Apple TV which also came with one. I figure if I sell any of these I could hold on to at least one and have one for any device that needs it as they all work on the same remote. I think it’s a nice thing to throw in, but for the same reason that printers no longer include printer USB cables (everybody has one at this point) Apple is thinking most people don’t need another, I know I never will.
$20 doesn’t seem too steep to me.
At first i thought i’d never use the things. Got one with my mini and one with my apple ipod dock. Went months without using them. Then after setting up my Home theatre I have one setup to just control my mini and the other my ipod in the dock. I love ‘em but not enough to complain that apple sopped shipping them with macbooks… Especially because they’re not that expensive.
I like mine plus it also works as a great snooze button (with a variety of shareware and free alarm clock apps), and a remote clicker for keynote.
YES! The Apple Remote is one of the things that makes Apple Apple.
Just like the built-in isight, the built-in mic, the magsafe power cord, the two finger scrolling (and now multi-touch). All of these extra features make a mac a mac because it’s special.
I am now disappointed. But I guess we should have seen it coming when leopard introduced expose, spaces, dashboard, and front row as individual apps.
If it only costs $19 they definitely should have included it. I agree with Austen; the apple remote is one of the things that makes macs so special. My apple remote is held magnetically onto my macbook screen.
that is a real shame. It was such a bonus to get one and left any buyer feeling like they got value. silly apple, I hope they include it again, is its not something many will actually buy.
This is bad, when you buy a expensive machine, you usually expect some extras, this is stupid from apple :/
There’s no way I would ever have spent $19 for a remote control for my computer, had I had a choice.
It can be nice to pause my iTunes without using my mouse, especially since I keep iTunes on my second monitor, and have to press the button once to bring that window up, and once again to pause it (I don’t have to do that on Windows at work).
But would I pay for that? I doubt it.
My wife’s year old iMac has a remote that never leaves the side of her computer. My new iMac doesn’t have a place to keep the remote.