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MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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

#901

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I definitely recommend you check out the Dell XPS 15. I just picked one up and it has plenty of ports, an excellent display, and it’s super fast. As an added bonus, the one I got (core i9, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) was $1100 cheaper than the equivalent MacBook Pro.

I am using a 9570 also (same specs as yours) but have an annoying audio issue with crackling/static at random times. Also some coil whine. tbh I don't expect this on a £2000+ machine. I have already had one replacement and I have ordered a new MBP as I don't think I can deal with another replacement from Dell. Have you had any issues with your 9570?

No issues whatsoever, except the fans get loud when I’m pushing it hard. I blame the i9. Other than that, no problems.

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

#902
It'd be better if the OS wasn't garbage to be honest. Sierra and High Sierra, either through poor design or planned obsolescence has entirely soured my organization to the benefits of the MBP. Between that and the incessantly bad consumer garbage they push out with the OS, it's just not worth it.

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

#903
post #898

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you using for the terminal? I just started a new job with a Windows desktop provided and I can't get much done on it because every terminal emulator I can find sucks compared to iTerm 2 on my MBP, so much that I'm going in to IT to beg them to let me use it, or at least let me dual-boot Ubuntu. Bash on Windows has no way to add solarized light/dark or groovebox themes, much less switch between them daily lik…

Cmder - http://cmder.net Then get chocolatey

I prefer this one.

https://imgur.com/a/cFgvQaH

It runs on Windows too, but I prefer it on Mac, as I don't like the Windows font rendering on HiDPI displays.

App is Hyper, https://hyper.is

You want the builds that use xterm.js from VS Code, their performance is much, much more like iTerm/Terminal.app.

Color scheme is Ocean Dark, from the hyperterm-base16-ocean-dark plugin.

Shell is ZSH, using prezto and a hacked up custom prompt.

Font is a custom build of Iosevka Term, weight bold, 13px. Using Greyscale font rendering, not subpixel, on Mojave DP3.

https://be5invis.github.io/Iosevka/

Commands for custom build:

make custom-config design='v-zero-dotted v-asterisk-low v-tilde-low v-underscore-low v-at-short v-brace-straight term' weights='book medium'

make custom && make custom-web

If you're not on Mojave, you can force the rendering to look like that for Hyper with this command:

defaults write co.zeit.hyper.helper AppleFontSmoothing -int 0

Otherwise it will be a bit heavy.

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

#904

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to replace my 2015 MBP last week, because the kb started failing (it wasn't one of the ones eligible for a free repair, sadly, and I can't live without a machine for however long it takes them to fix it anyway). I was really torn, because although I could reluctantly live without the function keys, the escape key is a complete dealbreaker. After much debate I decided to take a chance on a surface book. I figure…

What are you using for the terminal? I just started a new job with a Windows desktop provided and I can't get much done on it because every terminal emulator I can find sucks compared to iTerm 2 on my MBP, so much that I'm going in to IT to beg them to let me use it, or at least let me dual-boot Ubuntu. Bash on Windows has no way to add solarized light/dark or groovebox themes, much less switch between them daily lik…

If you're like me you're stuck in an older version of Windows 10 where WSL has serious bug the most recent version are very stable but if your work has you stuck on an old build it might not work well.

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

#905

They need to take a page from “G4 Cube” and kill this entire product design , not tweak it. Touch Bar adds cost (both money and battery) for a net negative in functionality and has no external-keyboard equivalent. Wrong design, take it out. Machine is thin enough to cause unwanted trade-offs in capacity and performance. Wrong design, take it out. “Improved” keyboard means waiting more years to see if it breaks, where…

If they want to talk about "courage," admitting the flaws of their recent designs and reverting, or at least bringing back some of the features users are concerned about along side the current offerings would take courage. Aside from production, which I am pretty confident they could easily sort out, there is no reason they can't bring a 2015-styled MBP with beefed specs back on the market.

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

#906
post #651

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it's trendy to hate on the touchbar... but for what it's worth, I personally find it more useful than the old function keys. Most mac apps don't use function keys as shortcuts, so the old keyboard ended up being used for media keys (volume, brightness, play/pause, etc.). The touch bar gives me a better version of that (I actually get a volume slider ), plus more apps actually make use of that space to provide…

As a heavy IntelliJ user - I use the function keys all the time. Some examples: F1: show file in project view, F2/Shift F2: next/previous error, Ctrl+F2: stop process, F3/Shift F3: find next/previous, F6: move/rename, different F7 variations: find usages, F9/F10: run/debug options, also F8-F10 - step over/into/out/continue, F12 - toggle maximize editor, etc. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with a touchbar,…

FWIW they're adding support: https://twitter.com/bulenkov/status/984476361699069952 - it was supposed to be in 2018.2 but I haven't checked whether it made it or not.

I agree though, IntelliJ is my biggest worry when it comes to the Touch Bar.

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

#907
post #368

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can tell you from personal experience that the touch bar is more useful than the function keys it replaces. You will not miss them after a few weeks. They keyboard is solid too. I cringe if I have to type on the old pro keyboard with its soft keys.

> I cringe if I have to type on the old pro keyboard with its soft keys. The soft keys are quiet while the new keyboard is noticeably louder.

True story: The other day I was in the living room and I hear this crunch crunch crunch sound from the kitchen. I call over to my SO "what are you eating?" Her response was "I'm not eating, I'm typing." I use a 2013 MBP and she uses a 2017 MB.

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

#908
I used to post rants about how I wanted a laptop that only focused about battery life, crispy graphics and Linux friendliness. Now I find myself wishing I could buy a laptop without CPU vulnerabilities. The hardware market is definitely at it's lowest point ever right now.

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

#909

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surface Book is really great; I quite liked my SOs surface. I decided to go with an XPS 13 and have been incredibly happy.

I was considering the XPS series myself. Heard great things about it. Are you running windows or unix?

XPS is great. Runs Linux very well.

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

#910

Just having 32GB is enough to make me consider upgrading. But man, why can't they ship an LTE modem?

Maybe because they have a dispute with Qualcomm…?

Yes, I do think it must have something to do with that. There is no good technical reason why they would not have one.
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