Ask HN: Disappointed by the new Macbook, what alternatives do we have? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Disappointed by the new Macbook, what alternatives do we have?

#141

Post by petewailes » Tue, Nov 01, 2016, 10:15 AM UTC

aorth wrote: post #104

petewailes wrote: post #20

I'm running a HP Spectre 13. Couldn't be happier

They look great actually. Are you running Linux or Windows? I've been a Mac user for the last few years, but spent the few before that as a ThinkPad + GNU/Linux guy. I could see myself going back to GNU/Linux on the desktop one day.

I'm on Windows 10, with a VM linux (when it launched, driver support was buggy to say the least, and I've not been bothered enough to try adding linux again)

Re: Ask HN: Disappointed by the new Macbook, what alternatives do we have?

#142

Post by creshal » Tue, Nov 01, 2016, 12:43 PM UTC

mlwarren wrote: post #132

creshal wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will, but you'll void your warranty, and it's annoying that Lenovo doesn't offer it themselves – all their notebooks are built to order anyway, so they're actively hurting themselves by artificially constraining their customers.

What about the T460p? Looks like it has the WQHD option but I can't seem to find info regarding the RAM (soldered or not).

The T460p has fully expandable RAM (almost 5 pounds), but it's a lot bulkier than the other variants (but somehow has smaller batteries), and for inexplicable reasons uses inferior materials. (Pure ABS plastic like on L/E series Thinkpads, not fibre-reinforced.)

Lenovo's model policy is somewhere between "annoying" and "fucking insane", every laptop is seemingly made by a different team and none ever talks to each other.

Re: Ask HN: Disappointed by the new Macbook, what alternatives do we have?

#143

Post by creshal » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 11:58 AM UTC

soulnothing wrote: post #131

creshal wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

T460s only has partially replaceable memory, some of it is soldered on. And god help you if that fails outside warranty, spare Thinkpad mainboards usually cost more than a new laptop.

I'm curious about the mother board comment. I have a t430, and rebuilt it the motherboard cost me 30$ via ebay. Searching for the t430s I'm seeing about 40 -> 80 on ebay. I'd think that by the time you need to replace the mainboard, it'd be at more attainable levels on the second hand market.

Third party mainboards are either used (and you don't know whether and for how long they'll work) or not initialized (throwing errors during boot). Factory replacements via Lenovo's spare parts service cost you $400+ for simple models and $800+ for dedicated graphics models.

Re: Ask HN: Disappointed by the new Macbook, what alternatives do we have?

#144

Post by Arnt » Wed, Nov 02, 2016, 12:28 PM UTC

dom0 wrote: post #135

Arnt wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish I could find anything at all that works well with linux, has at least 4G RAM (better 8 or 16), doesn't have a heavy screen , and is no wider than 28cm. Buying laptops has become really, really difficult.

28 cm width essentially excludes the 11.6" to 13.x" category, which are typically at least ~29 cm wide. So you're probably looking at a 10.6" netbook.

Well, I'd probably take an 8G 29cm thing over 4G 28cm, but that doesn't seem to matter much, since I can't find any of either. The small ones all seem to either be tablets with a lightweight attachable keyboard (ie. prone to tip backwards) or they have a locked BIOS and can only run chromeos.