Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#41

Post by thrill » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:43 PM UTC

ghotli wrote: post #16

Honestly the linux subsystem for windows 10 is good enough for me. I see less and less of a need for an osx box for development if you're just looking for a unix subsystem. FWIW I use a Dell XPS 13 and a Surface Pro and both work perfectly well. Install Ubuntu from the app store, get Mobaxterm and run gnome-terminal. You're set at that point.

I find it "just" good enough, if I limit my development requirements. It won't run the latest CockroachDB for example (bug filed). Running anything under Docker that has significant internet I/O leads to having to restart Docker several times a day - this seems to be due to excessive caching (or a memory leak) in the necessary VPN technique Docker uses to interact with the Windows networking. This bug seems to alternate between existence and non-existence - maybe it's a dual development track issue at Docker. Running tmux has odd interactions regarding copy/paste that I still find irritating, but I simply live with. So, what I do is use it as a proper ssh terminal, do and keep my work on other proper servers, and live with the tmux idiosyncrasies. That's just good enough for me, and lets me use a large-screen Yoga, which I like, and keep Windows, which work occasionally requires, without messing with VMs.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#42

Post by cuckcuckspruce » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:44 PM UTC

tzakrajs wrote: post #32

sontek wrote: post #26

I've been using macbooks full time for 3 years now and I hate them. They are bad hardware for a high price tag. As a developer they are the perfect middle ground. OSX runs everything I usually run in Linux and I have all the paid for software I'd run on windows (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc). Prior to switching to mac I just dual booted windows and linux depending on what I needed. Then sketch came out and it was only O…

Windows Insider Preview with Ubuntu for Windows is what you want now if you really don't care for macOS or Apple hardware.

Or the other way around - Windows under kvm on Linux.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#43

Post by Scooty » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:45 PM UTC

I like my MBP, but if I got a different job and was picking a laptop, I'd first figure out what the rest of the team is using. At my current job, the whole team I'm on (and most of the company) use Macs, so bringing new people into projects is easy because pretty much everyone has the same setup.

If everyone here used Windows, I'd probably begrudgingly switch.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#44

Post by psychometry » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:45 PM UTC

I'd complain a lot less if there was a vendor selling an alternative Linux/Unix solution with a comparable quality of hardware/software integration.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#45

Post by proletariat99 » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:45 PM UTC

Real hackers plug in an ergodox anyway, so keyboard is a non-issue

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#46

Post by gshakir » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:45 PM UTC

In my opinion there is no alternative. In the new MacBook pro the keyboard feels great. I have access to UNIX terminal and access MS office Apps. More over Apple commitment (so far) to privacy keeps you safe.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#47

Post by gaius » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:46 PM UTC

I am still using my 2008 MacBook Pro, upgraded with SSD. It’s on its third replacement battery, but I only get 3-4 hours use, if even that.

My next laptop will be a Surface.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#48

Post by rubicon33 » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:46 PM UTC

dv_dt wrote: post #35

1) people end up with the MBP because they've been very good for a number of years (maybe latest keyboard excepted, I'm still running on older gens personally). 2) Though there are now more alternatives of comparable quality, it's a lot of work (and some risk) to dig up that model in the product line of XX supplier. And even if you find a good model, it often gets watered down with similarly named low-quality options…

Wow, thanks for sharing Librem... I had never heard of them but they are now top of my list for a laptop replacement. Linked me friend, he'd never heard of them either, and is now going to get one.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#49

Post by cuckcuckspruce » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:47 PM UTC

collyw wrote: post #39

vinhboy wrote: post #27

Because of Terminal. It means most software you would use on a web server will install easily with the help of HomeBrew etc... I've seen developers waste an entire week trying to get basic things like docker to run on Windows... I'm sure things have gotten better in Windows land, but now that I already have my Macbook, the impetus for change is just not there...

I have read a fair bit about Python being a mess on Macs recently, and a few years ago Java was apparently a mess. I don't use a mac so I wouldn't know, but is it really just a case of installing things easily on a Mac?

I've had zero problem installing Python and pyenv from Homebrew and just getting things done.

Re: Ask HN: Why does everyone use a MacBook Pro despite saying they suck?

#50

Post by sontek » Wed, May 02, 2018, 5:48 PM UTC

cuckcuckspruce wrote: post #42

tzakrajs wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows Insider Preview with Ubuntu for Windows is what you want now if you really don't care for macOS or Apple hardware.

Or the other way around - Windows under kvm on Linux.

You ever tried to do photo manipulation, graphic design, or video editing in a virtualized OS? It is miserable. There is a reason I said I was dual booting and not running virtualization :)