And how about Zune updates? Zunes are all able to be updated to the new platform, no pay needed.

And it obviously is possible for apple to do this, but they won't- then what reason might you have to buy the new laptops that are also, coincidentally, pricier? Because as far as I can tell, the "Macbook White" as they are apparently calling it now, doesn't do 4 finger scroll- only the shiny, more expensive one does. I know it didn't get any updates, but if the old air can run 4 finger multitouch there's no reason the faster, regular Macbook can't.

The bottom line- as you pointed out- is greed. The bottom line is what matters to corporations. And not offering the new features on existing laptops helps apple's bottom line.

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"How would distributing this to old macbooks cost any more than it would for the other instances you mentioned?"

It won't cost them anything. But, since when do corporations do everything that they *could* do, so long as it doesn't cost them? E.g., EA could give out their games to the millions of people around the world who wouldn't have bought their games anyway. EA won't be *losing* a dime; do you expect them to do it? More importantly, would you bitch about it because they don't?

"And how about Zune updates"

And Apple has provided added functionalities retrospectively to their iPods in the past as well. I'm specifically asking about laptops, as that is the topic here. I'm not saying nobody else does it either; I'd just like to know if in fact it is customary for laptop manufacturers to do so. Cuz if it's not, and what Apple's doing here is pretty much standard practice, then haterz are nothing but a bunch of fucktards only interested in bashing Apple and not really assessing the situation.

"I know it didn't get any updates, but if the old air can run 4 finger multitouch there's no reason the faster, regular Macbook can't."

The old Air can do it with an unsupported hack, as is made clear in this article. The situation is the same for the "classic" MacBooks (if the hardware supports it).

I'll make this simple; Apple spent money for the R&D and coding for the multi-finger gestures. They need to recoup the money for that by selling new hardware that ships with this new tech. They won't recoup anything by giving the new tech out to extant customers. Very simple.

Would it be nice of them if they did? OF COURSE. Is it something to bitch and whine about if they don't? Sorry chap, but no it's not.

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I got a new ROM for my windows mobile phone the other day that added dozens of features that the original ROM didn't have...

Oh, yeah and I recently updated the firmware on my router, its a LOT more stable now and that added several new features in addition to a more responsive uPNP server...

But what do I know? I'm a PC user, I'm used to getting firmware/software/driver updates for free that increase stability and add new features. I'm sure I'm somehow misunderstanding what you are saying.

Oh, and your rhetorical skills are laughable:

"It won't cost them anything. But, since when do corporations do everything that they *could* do, so long as it doesn't cost them? E.g., EA could give out their games to the millions of people around the world who wouldn't have bought their games anyway. EA won't be *losing* a dime; do you expect them to do it? More importantly, would you bitch about it because they don't?"

There is a small difference between giving a product away for free, and rewarding those who have actually purchased your product with updates and new features, which EA actually does (oh yeah, the other day I got an update over XBOX live for that EA game that I paid for...)

Thanks though your belligerence is entertaining ;)

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Are you trying to pin that on Microsoft? If so, here's a lesson in How Things Work.

Laptop manufacturers frequently have a slightly varied version of whatever component it is in order for it to play nicely with the motherboard and other components and give the user a maximal performance vs. battery ratio.

Some things, like your SigmaTel drivers, are standard. Others, like your Atheros (back in the day) wireless were not and were customized. Even still, the ALPS trackpad on a VAIO runs on different drivers than an Inspiron. And don't get me started on the video cards.

Further, the reason your laptop was inexpensive was because of volume and subsidizing. Your copy of Windows was purchased by your OEM from Windows at a volume discount, with slight modifications to the image so that all your necessary drivers unique to your make and model of laptop would be installed.

It's also the reason your desktop had all sorts of icons for programs you'd never use. Just like GM pays Safeway to have Cheerios at eye level, AOL paid your OEM to have an icon on the desktop.

Had you gone the "roll-your-own" custom built PC route, you wouldn't have had this problem because your components would have all been straight off the shelf. Your video card would be an unmodified NVIDIA card. Your CPU would be an unmodified Intel CPU. Your motherboard would be a regular motherboard, etc. You wouldn't have had the "unsupported" problem.

This isn't a "Microsoft Bad" problem; this is a "How The World Works" problem.

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Trolls today.

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