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Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

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Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#161

Post by grzm »

Yodoshi wrote: post #150
grzm wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your current set up? Is there something about what you're using now that prevents you from continuing to use it going forward?

Macbook pro (2014) and a windows desktop. 3 screens. usually connect 2 screens to my macbook (hdmi & display port) along with my k70 keyboard and my g600 mouse. Im mainly good, I keep my F keys when im at my desk, only when im mobile and about they go and never done any heavy lifting through that way. I don't understand how people are treating this as if im the grim reaper taking a swing at the macbook pro 2016. It's…

I don't think you're the grim reaper :) Personally, I'm reacting to statements you've made like:

"there is no real option if you're developing for IOS"

"other macbooks don't seem the right type for heavy multitasking"

"the value proposition of a macbook pro is going down"

Those read like universal absolutes rather than nuanced criticisms. You do make a point with respect to adapters. I've been using Apple laptops since my first G3 (that's not me trying to display street cred, just trying to establish that I've been through a lot of different port changes over the years).

And that's why I asked about your current setup. If you're currently developing for iOS and it's working fine, then one option is to keep using what you have. If you have a legitimate reason to need to upgrade, i.e., developer tools you need to use are no longer supported for your machine, that's a legitimate complaint. If you want a new machine because you want the new hotness (and hey, that can be fun), but the new hotness doesn't match your expectations, well, I'm sorry you're disappointed. That however is different from "no real option" or "not the right type".

Another option for you to consider is buy one of the current gen machines or a refurbished model. Might be a compromise that works for you.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#162

Post by CaptSpify »

AvenueIngres wrote: post #102
gkop wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Lenovo T460s is pretty great all around. I suggest Debian Testing and Gnome 3.

New Lenovo trackpads are an absolute pain in the ass to use. I rage quit my T440s for this alone because on the long run in starts grinding your gears pretty hard. I am glad you had a good experience with it but I strongly recommend anyone considering it to actually try and experiment with it for a couple hours.

And I'm in the middle of you two:

My t460 is OK. It's not the worst laptop I've had, but it's not even close to the best. Took a little wrangling to get wifi and sound working, but wasn't too bad.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#163

Post by modfodder »

ykxkyxkgc wrote: post #152
thomaslee wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So, what's a decent laptop for running Linux? Good keyboard, good trackpad support, good sound . . . Sadly enough, I think the lack of really great options is what may have pushed some engineers to macs in the first place. :) Admittedly, last I looked was several years ago -- I'm interested to know too! Keep hearing good things about the XPS series, but last I had one it ran hot enough that I couldn't comfortably k…

>I think the lack of really great options is what may have pushed some engineers to macs in the first place Is this what we're calling web developers now?

Don't know what you're prerequisite for an engineer is but my brother, an aerospace engineer, has been using mac laptops since the 90s. And in the classes he teaches, nearly all the students are using Apple laptops.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#164

Post by WalterSear »

franciscop wrote: post #151
dsr_ wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean instead of the new days with dozens of dongles? Gigabit ethernet. Video converters for each external monitor type, plus for the projector that you only use twice a year. The external mouse that you really like. The phone. The 2TB USB3 hard disk that you already have. The external DAC and pre-amp that turned your Mac into a high-quality 4 channel recorder. The non-bluetooth wireless mouse that you like so muc…

Now you have to carry dozens of dongles, but the objective is long-term. I almost never need VGA/DisplayPort/etc for instance because it was standardized to HDMI (and now to USB-C). What port does that non-bluetooth mouse use? USB, right? Well before you'd have to check, because it could be using a PS2 as the keyboard. But now you know for sure they use USB if they use any port, which is a good thing. I remember my o…

In ten years, Apple will have already issued ten different formats of phone and laptop chargers.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#165

Post by WalterSear »

minikites wrote: post #136
dsr_ wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean instead of the new days with dozens of dongles? Gigabit ethernet. Video converters for each external monitor type, plus for the projector that you only use twice a year. The external mouse that you really like. The phone. The 2TB USB3 hard disk that you already have. The external DAC and pre-amp that turned your Mac into a high-quality 4 channel recorder. The non-bluetooth wireless mouse that you like so muc…

Exactly, I don't understand how "thin laptop" is an admirable goal when you have to carry around 1-3 dongles to get anything done. The regular Macbook with only one port is a fine machine for most people but these are billed as professional tools.

The goal is to fit in people's idealized, aspirational lives, because you can charge a higher premium for that over practical stuff.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#166

Post by honkhonkpants »

revelation wrote: post #32
diegorbaquero wrote: post #13

Really disappointed, seems like they are forcing 2020 connectors in 2016

USB-C isn't some new fancy connector technology that will fully mature in 2020, it's just USB3 + power + pass-through for a bunch of other connectors. It's not a new connector, it's a connector transformer rather. Only that doesn't actually work in practice, you can't connect four HDMI USB-C adapter to the four USB-C ports of the MBP and expect them all to work. Similarly, I can't imagine you can connect four power s…

Why can't I do that? GPU can't drive five displays?

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#167

Post by honkhonkpants »

plandis wrote: post #85
matthewaveryusa wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going linux on decent hardware isn't biting the bullet one bit. Thinkpads are seriously nice and the days where you couldn't get your audio and wifi working on linux have been over for ~5 years. Give it a shot, and you just might like it.

How's the build quality though? I was under the impression that Thinkpads are mostly plastic. Honestly, one of the best perks of a MacBook is the machined aluminum body. Does Lenovo have anything like that?

The metal body of the MacBook means that if you drop it one time the lid never closes right again. Plastic thinkpads don't have that problem. They have different problems that I happen to prefer, like the doors to ports that I never used break off.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#168

Post by kabdib »

ykxkyxkgc wrote: post #152
thomaslee wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So, what's a decent laptop for running Linux? Good keyboard, good trackpad support, good sound . . . Sadly enough, I think the lack of really great options is what may have pushed some engineers to macs in the first place. :) Admittedly, last I looked was several years ago -- I'm interested to know too! Keep hearing good things about the XPS series, but last I had one it ran hot enough that I couldn't comfortably k…

>I think the lack of really great options is what may have pushed some engineers to macs in the first place Is this what we're calling web developers now?

> web developers

Dunno about you. I develop native code.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#169

Post by kabdib »

jacobr1 wrote: post #142
eridius wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really don't understand why everybody seems to think the Escape key is so important. I almost never hit mine, and since the Touch Bar has a virtual escape key, I don't really see the problem. The best I can figure is everybody complaining is a Vim user, but if you're a Vim user I don't know why you haven't already replaced the cumbersome Escape key with something easier, like binding `jk`, or binding Caps Lock to C…

They are releasing a new model with normal top row keys too.

... the model with the smaller screen. Not really a great option.

And it doesn't address the lack of standard USB ports (for folks with YubiKeys, etc.), MagSafe, and the jury is out on the actual keyboard until I can type on it. I physically recoiled from the latest MacBook thin keyboard.

Re: Apple’s new MacBook Pro kills off most of the ports you probably need

#170

Post by Yodoshi »

grzm wrote: post #161
Yodoshi wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Macbook pro (2014) and a windows desktop. 3 screens. usually connect 2 screens to my macbook (hdmi & display port) along with my k70 keyboard and my g600 mouse. Im mainly good, I keep my F keys when im at my desk, only when im mobile and about they go and never done any heavy lifting through that way. I don't understand how people are treating this as if im the grim reaper taking a swing at the macbook pro 2016. It's…

I don't think you're the grim reaper :) Personally, I'm reacting to statements you've made like: "there is no real option if you're developing for IOS" "other macbooks don't seem the right type for heavy multitasking" "the value proposition of a macbook pro is going down" Those read like universal absolutes rather than nuanced criticisms. You do make a point with respect to adapters. I've been using Apple laptops sin…

Thank you for your insight (G3 is a long time), genuinely helpful and levelled my head out!

I never meant them in absolute terms, it's just me venting that im missing reasons to want this version (after always wanting a mac after any keynote in the past but never being able to afford when back then) after waiting a little while and just disappointed this time around.

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