Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#1

Post by dennisvdvliet » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 6:23 PM UTC

Seen the recent issues with Apple hard- and software I’m not 100% sure I want to replace my 2015 MacBook Pro with a 2017 MacBook pro. What are your suggestions for a decent replacement?

I’m looking for something the size of a MacBook that can run Ubuntu or something similar. Good boos quality and a good screen.

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#2

Post by bovermyer » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 6:35 PM UTC

Asus Zenbook works well for me. I'm running Kubuntu.

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#3

Post by sigmonsays » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 6:37 PM UTC

I too am interested in this.

Not sure what your platform choice is, linux or windows, but this post is all with a linux bias.

I have a 15" macbook pro from late 2013. I do not upgrade computers very often and expect them to last a long time.

Laptops are especially hard because I am also a linux user who has never operated a linux laptop. The departure from Mac leaves me with Windows which I will not ever operate.

I've looked into this before am currently considering these

Thought about getting a super light weight low spec cheap laptop like a thinkpad x220 or even a dell. Most the time my laptops are used as clients, so I do not need too much. Running a web browser is the most intensive need these days.

System76 - Gazelle or better. These look nice and are linux compatible.

Also, an article I saved to read later and still havn't found time https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/11/2/13497094/b...

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#4

Post by noir_lord » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 6:56 PM UTC

I have a T470P, Core i7-7700HQ, 32GB RAM, NVMe SSD. 2560x1440 matt IPS (excellent screen) with the larger 72whr battery.

Cracking machine for the price works great with Linux.

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#5

Post by bproven » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 7:05 PM UTC

If you can get something preloaded with Linux it is probably best. System 76 or the Dell precision line of laptops are good options. In the case of dell I would go precision over XPS - I believe you get better support and a better tested product with the business line. I have an XPS and have had a few QA issues with it. However, once I got it sorted it has been great running Ubuntu - but it was a ..... journey to say the least ;)

EDIT: another good option is probably XPS 13 Dev editions that give you ubuntu preloaded as well

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#6

Post by thecrumb » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 7:11 PM UTC

Thinkpad. If you hit the Lenovo outlet you can occasionally find a really good deal.

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#7

Post by blibb » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 7:50 PM UTC

Wait for thinkpad x1 carbon 2018, should be presented at CES in 2 weeks ...

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#8

Post by mmanulis » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 7:51 PM UTC

bproven wrote: post #5

If you can get something preloaded with Linux it is probably best. System 76 or the Dell precision line of laptops are good options. In the case of dell I would go precision over XPS - I believe you get better support and a better tested product with the business line. I have an XPS and have had a few QA issues with it. However, once I got it sorted it has been great running Ubuntu - but it was a ..... journey to say…

I switched to Dell Precision Develop Edition 15" at the start of the year. It comes preloaded with Ubuntu 16.04.

I have really enjoyed this machine and don't miss my MacBook Pro at all.

The machine worked great out of the box, I made a few minor changes to how I like to work.

The two major changes I made were:

* Install a libinput and get rid of synaptics driver * Install the latest kernel

I run with a bunch of proprietary drivers (nvidia, intel, etc.) and don't have any problems

The only thing that I miss having is Sketch. But I just run a small Windows VM and use PS when I need it.

Majority of my time is spent in Chrome/Firefox, Terminal, gVim and Slack, so I don't miss anything Mac-specific.

If you're looking for help on how to get yours configured, there are plenty of guides if you search for: Dell XPS 15 Ubuntu or variants of that.

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#9

Post by godot » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 7:55 PM UTC

bproven wrote: post #5

If you can get something preloaded with Linux it is probably best. System 76 or the Dell precision line of laptops are good options. In the case of dell I would go precision over XPS - I believe you get better support and a better tested product with the business line. I have an XPS and have had a few QA issues with it. However, once I got it sorted it has been great running Ubuntu - but it was a ..... journey to say…

I have been thinking about getting a XPS 13 and getting Linux on it too. Currently, I repurposed a very old laptop (heavy and poor battery life) by installing CentOS Linux on it, and it runs great and I can do productive dev work on it (just can't carry it anywhere since it's too heavy). Curious, are the issues you had with the XPS bad enough that you'd recommend getting a different line (like Precision) over it? I remember the XPS is lighter and had better battery life, but I might be wrong.

Also, I know most workstation Linux users prefer Ubuntu over other flavors, but I personally usually stick with the Redhat family (like CentOS) since I just know its commands and names better. Is there anything (features) I'm missing concretely, by not using Ubuntu?

Re: Ask HN: What to replace my MacBook with?

#10

Post by craftkiller » Thu, Dec 28, 2017, 8:03 PM UTC

bovermyer wrote: post #2

Asus Zenbook works well for me. I'm running Kubuntu.

I'd caution against Asus Zenbooks. My friend and I both got ux303ln's and another friend got a different model with the same body. All 3 of us had broken hinges (fully snapped) in less than a year. They put cheap plastic in their hinges according to some videos on YouTube. Premium laptops should last more than a year.