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Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

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Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#341

Post by bzzzt »

pllbnk wrote: post #338
bzzzt wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> intentionally slow UI just so it would look smooth. I get your anger, but it's not about trying to look 'cool'. For lots of folks it's more clear to see that (for example) a minimised window can be found in the dock by showing a transition. For people like you there's a preference (under accesibility - display - reduce motion) to turn it off.

Generally I stay away from Apple products or topics. The only reason I decided to comment was that I am forced to use Mac in my current work and after several stints I understood I was not going to get used to it. If people use it and like it, I don't mind. For me, it's just not intuitive; for instance, I wouldn't have thought of looking for this setting, let alone under accessibility options.

If you're going to have to use an unfamiliar device it helps to just check out what it can do (e.g. explore the settings) before concluding it sucks ;)

I don't really have the patience for silly stuff that annoys me and should/could be trivial to adjust. Just Google something (in this case 'macos disable animations') and you can remove a lot of friction from your daily life.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#342

Post by kewrkewm53 »

kimixa wrote: post #253
uniqueuid wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All true, but why is the culture and aesthetic of computers inherently trashy? Look at all the fields where superior quality is a completely natural criterion (whether it exists may be another question): Watches, cars, pens, paper notebooks, furniture, fashion, jewellery, architecture, bikes, coffee machines ... What's more - if you look at the visual representations of computers - i.e. marketing material, art, illus…

Also the treadmill of computer progress means that keeping devices for multiple years has significant costs in performance compared to replacing it regularly. A good watch can be passed down through generations. A computer passed on from my father would likely just be a storage and disposal cost instead of any real use. Outside of specialist enthusiasts and collectors, I suppose. But for every working Apple 1 there's…

" Also the treadmill of computer progress means that keeping devices for multiple years has significant costs in performance compared to replacing it regularly."

The interval of replacement due to performance is getting longer through. A 10-year old high-end laptop is still pretty good for average user today, especially with an SSD. Most people need just something that can run web-apps and stream HD videos via browser. Buying a new laptop solely for performance is getting harder and harder to justify. I guess that's why Macbooks are attractive, they offer more than just performance.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#343

Post by uuyi »

ComradePhil wrote: post #302
uuyi wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it has a decent CLI half baked in with a number of weird ass exceptions that punch you in the face regularly. Better to scrap it and run a proper Debian box inside a hyper-v VM I found. Or do what I did and drop kick the steaming Dell turd out of a window and buy a mac.

> it has a decent CLI half baked in with a number of weird ass exceptions that punch you in the face regularly. Tell me you haven't used WSL without telling me you haven't used WSL.

Try running background processes and services or routing reliably over a VPN with working DNS and you will see what I mean. Also there’s the whole hyper-v bridge switch mess which tends to break all the other hyper-v stuff once every 6 months including WSL. Unbinding IPv4 from your wifi interface is also bloody annoying because you can’t Google how to fix it. Again.

So lose the infernal meme snark. I used this more than most people did. And no, works for me is not a suitable retort because we have 200 people with the same issues day in day out.

It’s a fucking shit show.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#344

Post by uuyi »

wu_187 wrote: post #214
uuyi wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why did you not have insurance? 99% of the time I’ve seen this sort of stuff happen it’s because there was a screen protector or someone shut some crap in the lid.

Why should you need insurance on something that should be covered under the manufacturer warranty?

The manufacturer doesn’t know you didn’t leave half your rice lunch in the lid when you closed it.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#345

Post by uuyi »

konfusinomicon wrote: post #280
uuyi wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that’s an Intel one you’re getting, I can understand it. However the M1 ones are a completely different computer. I am shocked at how good they are.

if only they could support 3 external monitors

M1 Max can. Needs more video (and therefore memory) bandwidth to do that.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#346

Post by xs83 »

I despise Macs but I think you are right.

ALL modern windows laptops are broken inherently due to Microsoft's forcing of Modern standby on manufacturers, this means that pretty much every manufacturer has removed S3 sleep from their laptops, this means that laptops cannot and will not deep sleep.

You can't quickly shut the lid on any of the new Dell or Lenovo laptop, the fans stay on cooking itself if you put it into a bag (not covered under warranty btw) or just draining the battery.

Microsoft Modern / Connected standby is so broken that many people are returning their laptops (just hit Reddit to see how widespread this is)

I have just moved my company away from Dell as a primary provider because our $8K XPS 9710's are basically useless as laptops.

We even tried to set "Hibernate on Lid close" and "Auto Power on Lid Open" - Hibernate fails about 1/3rd of the time basically causing a hard reset and loss of anything that was open.

Our company is now a Mac only company and unfortunately for Dell its not likely going to change in the future.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#347

Post by quintes »

Well from the comments here Mac sucks or windows sucks or it’s the year of the Linux desktop.

Seriously my win 10 laptop is always installing updates.. mostly kid plays Roblox on it.

I used centos for years then Ubuntu and still have Ubuntu on a machine or 3.

M1 is amazing tho.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#348

Post by wink »

uniqueuid wrote: post #24

I may be an outlier, but for me, the problem with non-mac machines is that they seem just careless. Steve jobs famously said "The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste.", and this seems true to me for almost all hardware manufacturers, and to a larger degree still for software. Why does nobody care about creaking plastic? About sticky-feeling texture? About uneven weight distribution? About the sound…

I guess you could also answer that with: because tastes are different. I actually prefer the feel of Lenovo's plastic to metal. I don't remember ever trying to balance a laptop, so not sure what uneven weight distribution would even mean. My x230 does creak a little when I press some point I am never touching while actually using it, only while holding it. On the other hand most keyboards on most laptops don't withstand the pressure I am using when typing.

Apparently I also hold my laptops differently because with the older MBPs the edge at the front hurt my wrist more than working on any other laptop ever had.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#349

Post by vetinari »

pdimitar wrote: post #266
kimixa wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also the treadmill of computer progress means that keeping devices for multiple years has significant costs in performance compared to replacing it regularly. A good watch can be passed down through generations. A computer passed on from my father would likely just be a storage and disposal cost instead of any real use. Outside of specialist enthusiasts and collectors, I suppose. But for every working Apple 1 there's…

That's a very good point, thank you. Conversely, nowadays that is less and true though. Currently, getting a latest Ryzen 5000 APU laptop can very easily last you 10 years or more -- until something physically breaks inside. The machines themselves are very energy-efficient and fast enough for everything except special work niches. So I suspect we're witnessing a culture shock: what used to be the best strategy no lo…

> Currently, getting a latest Ryzen 5000 APU laptop can very easily last you 10 years or more

You never know. I have an AMD TR 1900X CPU (launched in August 2017) in a box, since Windows 11 doesn't run on it.

Re: Ask HN: MacBooks seems to be the only viable option these days

#350

Post by pdimitar »

vetinari wrote: post #349
pdimitar wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a very good point, thank you. Conversely, nowadays that is less and true though. Currently, getting a latest Ryzen 5000 APU laptop can very easily last you 10 years or more -- until something physically breaks inside. The machines themselves are very energy-efficient and fast enough for everything except special work niches. So I suspect we're witnessing a culture shock: what used to be the best strategy no lo…

> Currently, getting a latest Ryzen 5000 APU laptop can very easily last you 10 years or more You never know. I have an AMD TR 1900X CPU (launched in August 2017) in a box, since Windows 11 doesn't run on it.

Ah. I definitely mean on Linux.
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