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Open Letter to Tim Cook

petersphilo.org

11–20 of 233 posts

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#11
post #2

The 15inch MBP has i7 Quad Core processor, Radeon graphics and double the RAM than the default 13inch models. This is not a minor jump in performance. I agree that they do sometimes prioritize size, thickness and beauty over performance but I don't see what else could go into the 15inch MBP that it currently lacks?

It will be interesting to benchmark the new Razer laptops against these new MacBook Pros. On paper the Razer will seemingly far outperform the MBP, at the same size, at actually cheaper cost. That being said, I'll wait for benchmarks to draw final conclusions.

I wish Razer would ditch the souped up Honda Civic vibe, the internals on the machines look cool. That green logo is terrible.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#12
post #2

The 15inch MBP has i7 Quad Core processor, Radeon graphics and double the RAM than the default 13inch models. This is not a minor jump in performance. I agree that they do sometimes prioritize size, thickness and beauty over performance but I don't see what else could go into the 15inch MBP that it currently lacks?

What you're seeing is people who never really liked Apple or its products, but ended up using them anyway because they were clear best-in-class products, and who consistently posted rants and conspiracy theories about Apple and threatened to jump ship at the earliest possible opportunity. And now they have what they see as an opportunity to exit while doing the most damage to a company they hate, by portraying the current hardware lineup as fatally flawed in all sorts of ways.

Time will tell whether an extremely loud but mostly not-rationally-arguing crowd can really have an impact.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#13

Not to beat a dead horse but I'm also considering abandoning Apple as I'm due an upgrade now. I'm still using a MBP from 2010 that I added an SSD and some extra ram too, it's still going strong although showing it's age it has served me very well over the years. Gluing parts in that used to be user replaceable, models now are 16gb of ram only (can someone explain this one?), thinness for thinness sake, removing stand…

If you (or anyone reading) are attached to macOS in any way, getting a maxed out 2015 Macbook Pro might be a decent option. Refurbished might be a cheaper option as well.

Sure, you're paying for "older" hardware, so I can understand being hesitant, but they still hold up fine and will last for a long time.

Note that I don't use virtual machines, games, or video editing software so the 16gb of RAM is more than enough.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#14

Not to beat a dead horse but I'm also considering abandoning Apple as I'm due an upgrade now. I'm still using a MBP from 2010 that I added an SSD and some extra ram too, it's still going strong although showing it's age it has served me very well over the years. Gluing parts in that used to be user replaceable, models now are 16gb of ram only (can someone explain this one?), thinness for thinness sake, removing stand…

> "models now are 16gb of ram only (can someone explain this one?)"

"Apple told me MBP maxes out at 16GB RAM because LPDDR3 limit is 16GB/chip; Apple uses it because of performance/energy ratio."

https://twitter.com/DanFrakes/status/791754757404626944

So basically, it needed to be thin and light ... because, Apple ... which limits the size of the battery. And more RAM would consume more energy, requiring the device to potentially be thicker and heavier to accommodate a larger battery in order to meet their runtime expectations.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will be interesting to benchmark the new Razer laptops against these new MacBook Pros. On paper the Razer will seemingly far outperform the MBP, at the same size, at actually cheaper cost. That being said, I'll wait for benchmarks to draw final conclusions.

I wish Razer would ditch the souped up Honda Civic vibe, the internals on the machines look cool. That green logo is terrible.

That's like asking Apple to stop making minimalist aluminum laptops—the gaudy lights and green logo are part of the experience.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#18
The reason motorcycle companies invest in racing is not just to establish cred, but to actually push the boundaries of technology and innovation that they can then incorporate into their "consumer" models.

A "true Pro grade" computer offers no such advantage - in fact most of the innovation comes from making things smaller and thinner - as soon as you take away the weight/size restriction, sure you can make supercomputers in a box, but it's also pretty darn easy to do so.

And the final point - consumer bike customers usually watch bike racing, and probably dream of being a pro bike racer - few Mac customers could care less about "digital creative professionals" and don't really want to emulate being one of them.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#19
post #2

The 15inch MBP has i7 Quad Core processor, Radeon graphics and double the RAM than the default 13inch models. This is not a minor jump in performance. I agree that they do sometimes prioritize size, thickness and beauty over performance but I don't see what else could go into the 15inch MBP that it currently lacks?

What you're seeing is people who never really liked Apple or its products, but ended up using them anyway because they were clear best-in-class products, and who consistently posted rants and conspiracy theories about Apple and threatened to jump ship at the earliest possible opportunity. And now they have what they see as an opportunity to exit while doing the most damage to a company they hate, by portraying the cu…

When people who use your products because they are best in class stop using them the clear message is they no longer think they are best in class.

Being a fan and using Apple sends very little signal regarding their quality. Being agnostic and using Apple sends a larger signal. Right now the signal seems to be that Apple is no longer making professional class hardware. Fans and status symbol seekers will still want them. People who need to get work done will slowly stop wanting them.

Re: Open Letter to Tim Cook

#20
Best comment [1] I read a couple of days ago:

>One thing constantly said to founders here is "don't let a vocal minority come in, tell you they love your product, and then turn into bullies that tell you how you should make said product. You never made it for them; they aren't your market. Don't get confused into thinking they are, just because they're loud." I think that about sums up the relationship between Apple and software developers who use their hardware.

Which is good advice for Tim Cook and all of Apple. You don't want to end up making the MBP version of this [2].

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12818193

[2] https://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/2236.html

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