I stopped buying new laptops (2020) • Hacker News Board

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#51

Post by BowBun » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:36 PM UTC

ido wrote: post #5

Nice. Now try to do the same as (some types of) programmer or 3d modeller or video editor. The newest MacBook with an M2 chip compiles and runs my projects drastically faster than the 2015 Dell XPS Skylake-i7 laptop I used to have and the GPU on the M2 is so ridiculously more powerful it's like going from 3dfx voodoo to a modern GPU.

Did you read the article? The author is, well, an author. They don't program or 3d model. Computation sped wasn't even mentioned in the point they were making.

I guess I don't see the reason to read an article about a specific use-case/point of view, only to follow up and say, "yeah well it wouldn't work for this completely different thing you weren't talking about". It's not the 'gotcha' you think it is.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#52

Post by arrowsmith » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:37 PM UTC

nvrmnd wrote: post #18

rpcope1 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't just step up to a desktop workstation?

A laptop can be easily transported for use in a variety of locations.

You can even put them on top of your lap.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#53

Post by zimspy » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:37 PM UTC

I'm a software developer and an older laptop is not great for productivity. I have an old Dell Latitude from 2017 and I pumped as much life into it as I could. Bought more RAM, an SSD but despite all that, it's a pain to run the IDEs I need to use for work. I keep it as a backup and work on an M2 Max now.

Same goes with my S.O. who is a Chemist. Older computers are just not ideal for new software.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#54

Post by zokier » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:37 PM UTC

wyldfire wrote: post #14

I often buy a ~one generation old phone for this same reason. It's just so much better value to buy someone else's phone. The folks who keep buying the newest generation tech often seem to take really good care of their gear - perhaps because they plan to resell it later. I haven't done this as much with laptops because I do tend to keep those for such a long time that I can reasonably amortize a bigger investment ov…

But the biggest reason (for me) to replace phone is to get security updates; buying used is counter-productive to that end

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#55

Post by simfree » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

pessimizer wrote: post #32

I'd like to defend the T430 from a T430. Yes, it was a bad purchase when I made it (and when the author made it), but you can buy them for $100 a piece now on Ebay. Keyboards you can probably buy 20 for $50. Since they are from the dawn of Thinkpad's bullshit, they hardcoded the hardware choices you could make for upgrades into the firmware. Awful. But 1vyrain ( https://1vyra.in/ ) came along and fixed all that. A T4…

The 35 watt processor in the T430 is just way too easy to get toasty.

The T440 or above with a 1080p screen upgrade and trackpad replacement is so much nicer to use since it cooks your legs less, has a nicer screen, is lighter, thinner and still able to take hard falls without issue.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#56

Post by edflsafoiewq » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

redroyal wrote: post #37

“Laptops don’t change” Really? because a few years ago battery life was maybe 7 hours and now it’s 18. And with faster processors, thunderbolt 4 and USB C charging, wifi 6, better screens and lighter. I keep hearing this argument for not buying a new laptop every year and it just doesn’t hold water. I say buy the latest MacBook, expense it, factor it in as a monthly cost. These are expendable and essential tools. The…

That is not what he means by "Laptops don't change". He means

> A 2015 research paper discovered that the embodied energy of laptops is static over time.

> Improvements in functionality balance the efficiency gains obtained in the manufacturing process. Battery mass, memory, and hard disk drive mass decreased per unit of functionality but showed roughly constant totals per year.

> New laptops may be more energy-efficient per computational power, but these gains are offset by more computational power. Jevon’s paradox is nowhere as evident as it is in computing.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#57

Post by zabzonk » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

my brother is fanatically opposed to buying anything new. when i wrecked my last new laptop, by spilling a gin & tonic into it, he got me a S/H HP Z15 workstation on ebay, and i must admit i have been pretty happy with it. i will think again before buying new.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#58

Post by yieldcrv » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

redroyal wrote: post #37

“Laptops don’t change” Really? because a few years ago battery life was maybe 7 hours and now it’s 18. And with faster processors, thunderbolt 4 and USB C charging, wifi 6, better screens and lighter. I keep hearing this argument for not buying a new laptop every year and it just doesn’t hold water. I say buy the latest MacBook, expense it, factor it in as a monthly cost. These are expendable and essential tools. The…

Every year is a lot

But I think the article is more about impulse control taken to an extreme because they lacked it in the past

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#59

Post by bodge5000 » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

I can't say I stick to this 100%, but I actually like using underpowered laptops. Optimisation is an important step in the development process but its often rushed through even by those who consider it most important (myself included). However, if you NEED to optimise your code just to get the thing to work on your computer, a lot more attention is put into it. If I'm optimising for a lower spec machine than my users are likely to have, that gives me plenty of leg room.

For the record, I'm mostly talking about personal projects, which are game dev, where performance is more of a factor than something like a web app.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#60

Post by hoot » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

go_prodev wrote: post #45

Casteil wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Err, mobility? M1 / M2 Pro MBPs pack a serious punch... and they don't have to sacrifice battery life to do so - they smoke virtually all other laptops in terms of battery life.

Battery life gets mentioned quite often with laptops, but is it still really that important? I run my business from an X1 Carbon, but it's more about portability than battery life. Trains, planes, Starbucks all have power available so it's constantly plugged in and I can't remember the last time I used it on battery for more than an hour.

I recently got my first macbook (coming from a thinkpad) and it’s honestly more about not having to give a shit about a charger. It charges incredibly fast when I plug it into its monitor, but otherwise I just throw it in a bag without even thinking about what my battery percentage is. I’ll leave the house with it and not even bring the charger.