Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#21

Post by sawaruna » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 6:56 PM UTC

I bought a new MacBook Pro a couple of months ago, just before the ARM announcement even though it was rumoured. Like others have mentioned, I’m not too keen on buying the first gen of the ARM laptops. If they or the second gem are that appealing, the resale value of the one I bought should still be ok.

The only worry is, if you plan to keep it for a long time, how long will macOS support the Intel line. I know Apple said they would, but iirc the PPC —> Intel change caused the PPC macs to stop being supported after 2 years.

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#22

Post by silicon2401 » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 6:56 PM UTC

DenseComet wrote: post #16

jitendrac wrote: post #14

I would not advise to buy the first generation Arm based MACs, because when the underlying platform changes system must go through many unstable iterations before getting optimal balance which I think will come after at least 3rd generation of Arm-Macs. Intel macs are well matured for its eco system, and as far as future concerns apple will support it for at least 3 years which may be short life for rather robust har…

Don't build a hackintosh if you're depending on it for a living though. I'm saying this while typing on a hackintosh. I've really enjoyed building it and playing around with it. I love the power it has. However, there are lots of small quirks that get annoying to deal with over time. Having to read over multiple threads before updating, having to reset iCloud passwords after triggering Apple's security checks, etc is…

how feasible/worth it would it be to build a hackintosh out of a regular PC? I just built a PC and am trying to keep it as a kind of shell (nothing on it that I can't easily replace, like steam games, etc), so I've considered tinkering with it to make a hackintosh, if it's possible

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#23

Post by theodric » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 6:58 PM UTC

No

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#24

Post by theodric » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:04 PM UTC

SomeHacker44 wrote: post #2

My personal solution is to stop buying Apple altogether. Unless you need a Mac (i.e., you do Apple specific development), you have a much broader set of choices. If you can wean yourself off Logic (try Live, perhaps) then you can get better hardware at lower prices. Just my opinion.

Linux is terrible on the desktop and Windows can go die in a fire. Looks like Apple gets my money!

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#25

Post by dotandgtfo » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:08 PM UTC

biztos wrote: post #19

Rebelgecko wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even though opening the lid makes the GPU work harder, it typically is a win in terms of cooling the laptop down. Also, try plugging in the power adapter on the right side USB ports, that allegedly makes a difference in heat

The reason I started running it in clamshell mode, after years of keeping my 13" open, was the the GPU would massively overheat when running an external monitor, so I'd have the fans running at well over 50% all the time in that case. Clamshell fixed it at the time. Seems to play nicer with my other (Dell) monitor but when I was using Garage Band (only on the external monitor!) it got so loud I had to quit GB and let…

My 15 inch mbp 2019 got super hot when I ran the dock (with HDMI and keyboard) on the same side as the charger. Having them on opposite sides helped loads with the temperature. YMMV

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#26

Post by nknealk » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:15 PM UTC

biztos wrote: post #11

My company assigned me a 16" MBP with gobs of memory and all that. I am sitting here right now with an extremely light set of applications running, CPU is 98% idle, I've got a 4K 27" monitor and the MacBook is in clamshell mode. Plugged in and fully charged. Ambient temperature is 25C and CPU temp is 60C. Both fans are running loud enough to notice: 2600RPM, about 27%, and that's about average when it's not asleep. I…

I also have a 16" MBP from work, well spec'd. When using my external monitor, it won't switch to the intel graphics. It's always using the AMD GPU which causes additional power draw + heat. I wish there was some way to force the iGPU to be used when an external monitor was plugged in.

Also, turbo boost switcher has dramatically improved thermals. Turning off turbo shaves like 10C off low usage temp without much of an impact on usability.

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#27

Post by danfraticiu » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:16 PM UTC

biztos wrote: post #11

My company assigned me a 16" MBP with gobs of memory and all that. I am sitting here right now with an extremely light set of applications running, CPU is 98% idle, I've got a 4K 27" monitor and the MacBook is in clamshell mode. Plugged in and fully charged. Ambient temperature is 25C and CPU temp is 60C. Both fans are running loud enough to notice: 2600RPM, about 27%, and that's about average when it's not asleep. I…

Not sure if it applies to the 16" but the 2016 15" was doing something similar if I would plug the display on any of the right USB-C ports.

Something to do with Thunderbolt proximity sensor, problem went away as soon as I would switch to the left side.

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#28

Post by Jtsummers » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:19 PM UTC

snowwrestler wrote: post #17

In general, I would not buy the first iteration of a major new Apple product. If you look back the first Macbook Air, first iPhone, first iPad, first Apple Watch... the third or fourth iteration absolutely blew away the first. So this seems like a great time to get the latest Intel Mac. By the time you're ready to replace it, Apple will be past iteration #1 of the ARM Macs, hopefully well past it.

It's probably a good idea to skip the first generation in general, but this is a bit different than those others.

The first iPhone had a fixed function graphics pipeline and 2G cellular service. Unsuitable for the native application market that they set up afterward and changing cellular capabilities and customer expectations.

The first iPad was similarly very constrained, though slightly better. For all practical purposes, it was a blown up iPhone 4.

I suspect, given the general advancements and recent stability in Apple's ARM SOCs, that this first generation of hardware will be good, though maybe a bit underpowered compared to what people are used to with the Intel equivalent. But not the practically beta level of those other devices.

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#29

Post by dencodev » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:25 PM UTC

theodric wrote: post #24

SomeHacker44 wrote: post #2

My personal solution is to stop buying Apple altogether. Unless you need a Mac (i.e., you do Apple specific development), you have a much broader set of choices. If you can wean yourself off Logic (try Live, perhaps) then you can get better hardware at lower prices. Just my opinion.

Linux is terrible on the desktop and Windows can go die in a fire. Looks like Apple gets my money!

I'm a life long Windows user and fan and I recently bought a Macbook Air and love it. It's so much better than the $1800 windows laptop I've had for the past two years. Granted the windows laptop is for gaming and they're very different devices.

Re: Ask HN: Should one buy Intel-based Macs now?

#30

Post by maz1b » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 7:27 PM UTC

Yes, I'd say so.

The ARM based iteration that Apple will ship will be good, potentially great even, but it doesn't change the fact that it will be the first iteration.

Apple will be supporting Intel for at least a couple of yeas, seeing as they just introduced the most beefy MBP 16 inch and the refreshed iMac and iMac Pro along with the Mac Pro.