MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros • Hacker News Board

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#511

Post by stephen_g » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:52 PM UTC

H1Supreme wrote: post #231

swebs wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but Windows 10 is godawful. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. If you want to sell the surface laptop to power users and developers, you're better off mentioning that you can install Ubuntu (as an actual host OS, not WSL bullshit with Microsoft's spyware still running in the background) just fine on certain models.

I disagree with this sentiment. What makes it "god awful" in your eyes? I've been using it at work for the past year or so, and I've had no real issues to speak of. Do I like more than Ubuntu (which I use personally)? No, but I find it to be pretty easy to use. Also, the Ubuntu subsystem has been fantastic for working on remote Linux servers. I was using git bash (or Ubuntu in Virtual Box) previously, but I don't nee…

I feel like the trajectory over the last few years has been to make things worse... I guess if you used Windows 8 a lot it's a bit of an improvement but I still don't feel like it's anywhere near as good as Windows 7 was... I'm not even talking about things like deciding it wants to update and spending half an hour doing that when I'm trying to get work done, it randomly installing Candy Crunch and some other crap automatically one update (again, work machine) or the fact that my start menu stops working surprisingly often (seriously, not sure if this is just my machine but it's damn annoying - it just doesn't do anything when I click on it sometimes)...

But just things like the network settings - they have been making getting to Network and Sharing Centre harder each big update, and the replacement (the new metro-style settings app) is just rubbish in comparison. You can't change an IP address in it, can't easily get to the network status, etc... Network and Sharing Centre wasn't even that good but it would be a big improvement to just can the settings app and go back to the Windows 7 control panel...

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by anentropic » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:53 PM UTC

vinceguidry wrote: post #91

TimMeade wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Identical desk setups at home and work. Carry it back and forth. Awesome setup actually.

Awesome for me would be two iMacs and no carrying.

then you have to sync your desktop, apps and files between them though

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by rkangel » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:53 PM UTC

softawre wrote: post #491

macintux wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only thing I can think of that's better on macOS is the touchpad, which to the best of my knowledge is a gift given to us mortals by the gods. I'm absolutely unwilling to give up the Mac trackpad. When I see people who aren't artists using mice I have to question their value system, or assume they haven't discovered the absolute joy that is "tap to click". Obviously the configuration matters a great deal.

when I see people who don't use a mouse with additional buttons for things like navigate forward and backward in terminal and IDES, I also question them.

Because during the work day if I have to touch the mouse to do anything that isn't web browsing then I and my operating system have failed.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by trevor-e » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:53 PM UTC

slantyyz wrote: post #494

bryanlarsen wrote: post #139

"... so many reports that it can be rendered inoperable by a grain of sand and that is incredibly difficult and expensive to repair or replace. This new third-generation keyboard wasn’t designed to solve those issues, Apple says." https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/12/17563640/apple-macbook-pr...

I find it odd that "so many" reports are related to a grain of sand. I get a lot of dirt in my keyboards, but never sand. But maybe that's because I don't use a laptop on a beach or construction site? A grain of salt (ahem) would be much more believable.

Sand is everywhere, it doesn't require you to be at a beach or construction site. In the northeast, they salt/sand the roads every winter and plenty of it ends up inside my house. Not hard to believe that it can transfer to my hands/clothes and eventually my laptop.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by egypturnash » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:54 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #480

matchbok wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eliminating the entire keyboard for a touchscreen would also be "clean". Clean != good. These are tools, not pieces of art.

I don't understand your argument from that point of view... with the same argument, I could tell you that adding 15 new keys to the middle of the keyboard would be good, because those keys may have esoteric function for a small number of users, and if you complain about their addition, I'd just remind you that this is a tool, not a piece of art. Look at how many people here recommend rebinding caps lock to "esc" and…

Consider “remapping keys” as the digital equivalent of “customizing a tool’s grip to for your hand”. Or maybe “rearranging the workshop to put your most-used tools in easy reach”.

Replacing the top row with the touch bar, in this analogy, is like someone else coming into your workshop and replacing several tools’ grips with big padded things that completely ruins the physical feedback you expect to feel, and never realized you used for fine control until you didn’t have it.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by cevn » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:55 PM UTC

latch wrote: post #75

hobochili wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What hardware did you settle on?

The new XPS 13. It's fine. My disappointment is 98% software. The XPS has poor camera placement (but you know that going in), the buying experience is awful (here in Asia anyways). I see myself sticking with Linux, but no loyalty to hardware vendors. I'm hoping the MateBook or Chromebook become [relatively] cheap and powerful first class linux options.

I have an older XPS 13, the touchpad is bad on Linux only. Have you noticed that issue?

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by Arubis » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:55 PM UTC

dandare wrote: post #263

J0-nas wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't care about the touch bar if the esc+(sleep key) were still regular hardware keys. Those are the only ones that I actually use. But an even bigger problem for me is the price increase. The base TB version costs 200€ more (or 400€ if you'd buy the nTB 128gb version). With ne nTB version not getting the update, the updated MBP is too expensive compared to non Apple machienes.

I believe the price increase is purely based on the profit-maximizing strategy. If people will pay that much then Apple has no reason to ask for less. Unfortunately, I can not imagine myself switching to a Windows-based laptop. This is just another example of why monopoly is bad.

I agree that this is profit maximization, but the only monopoly Apple has is on sucking less than others at particular things that particular niches care about (privacy, UX, ecosystem integration come to mind).

A non-Apple device will do all the same stuff. It just might not do it the exact way you like out of the box.

I pay the Apple tax (albeit exceedingly infrequently) because I can afford it & it reduces friction in my life, not because I have no other options.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Post by illegalsmile » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:56 PM UTC

linguae wrote: post #87

I’m glad to see that Apple has finally updated its MacBook Pro line, but it’s a little too late for me. After using Macs for nearly 12 years, I bought a Dell XPS 15 9570 a week after WWDC 2018 (I couldn’t put off a new computer purchase any longer), and I couldn’t be happier. It turns out that Windows 10 really shines on a computer with six processor cores, a 4K display, and a NVMe SSD, a dramatic improvement from th…

How is the build of the XPS15 compared to a MBP? One thing I've always appreciated about Apple is their aluminum and absolutely solid builds. Their exterior builds is one of the reasons I buy their products. I know the new keyboard has issues for a lot of people but it has not been a problem for me and I enjoy typing on it.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#519

Post by arghwhat » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:57 PM UTC

hrktb wrote: post #400

arghwhat wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently switched from macOS High Sierra to Fedora. I felt that Fedora was smoother, way more responsive on the same hardware (and yes, comparing fresh macOS to fresh Linux install), more consistent and more intuitive, and more usable. The only thing I can think of that's better on macOS is the touchpad, which to the best of my knowledge is a gift given to us mortals by the gods. Oh, and the macOS default wallpaper…

An aspect that is often left out of the discussion: language support is way better on osx/windows. In particular japanese IME was still very primitive in comparison on linux (tried last year). That's the same situation as for ios/android really, it's not a deal breaker, but the quality of life difference is clear.

Hmm, I have used both Linux and Mac Japanese IME's, and I didn't feel that big a difference. I may remember wrong, though.

A cool but probably useless feature in the Chinese IME for Mac is the ability to draw Hanzi on the trackpad as a giant digitizer.

Internationalization wise, I could never dream of using a computer in any language other than English, despite it not being my mother tongue.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#520

Post by culot » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 3:57 PM UTC

throwawaymath wrote: post #264

jetsnoc wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the article they cite the MBP as being the most popular notebook for developers so this niche must be important, otherwise why list it?: > Already the most popular notebook for developers around the world, the new MacBook Pro can compile code faster and run multiple virtual machines and test environments easier than before. What we want is a functional keyboard. They are losing this market-share quickly but you're…

The niche is not developers themselves; the niche is a (vocal) sample of the developer community. I'm a developer and I like the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard with touchbar. In particular: What we want is a functional keyboard. This is your opinion, but it's not necessarily the majority opinion. For example, I would rather Apple focus on other parts of the computer than the keyboard. The keyboard just isn't that meaningf…

> The keyboard just isn't that meaningful to me

That's ridiculous. The keyboard is probably the most important feature for someone who codes. You're basically saying, "Whatever Apple sells I will buy, regardless of its qualities." That strikes me as a strange stance to take.