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

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#261

Post by easeout » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:09 PM UTC

sounds wrote: post #34

easeout wrote: post #17

> Furthermore, Linux operating systems do not steal your personal data and do not try to lock you in, like the newest operating systems from both Microsoft and Apple do. Is recent macOS accused of stealing or shown to steal personal data? Platform lock-in is not news, but that would be. This is an earnest question; maybe I'm in a bubble and missed a big story.

Note that the only data tracking Apple was caught doing was in iOS, not macOS, but there are many signs that Apple collects aggregated usage data in macOS (which probably cannot be later reduced to expose the behavior of any single customer). 2021 Jun 7: > "Anyone opting out of tracking right now is basically having the > same level of data collected as they were before. Apple hasn't > actually deterred the behavior…

Thanks for all the details. The App Store app bit is a very bad look. The rest seems on the up and up, or at least isn't the OS phoning home your personal data.

I'm inclined to think the quote only meant to claim that Windows and macOS try to lock you in, and that Linux doesn't steal your personal data. The sentence structure is ambiguous.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#262

Post by tmtvl » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:17 PM UTC

Casteil wrote: post #24

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?

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.

Mobility is such an antifeature. Taking your work home with you is something you really shouldn't have to do. Worse even, taking your computer which potentially holds sensitive data with you could result in it getting stolen, at which point you've got a big problem on your hands.

Laptops for work make no sense unless you're a field researcher.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#263

Post by AussieWog93 » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:21 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…

Went to comment this. A mid-range or high end product from a gen or two ago is often the same price as this year's budget option, and way, way better in every sense.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#264

Post by 2h » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:22 PM UTC

andrekandre wrote: post #255

2h wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you seem to keep ignoring this key word: mindlessly

yes, because you haven't provided any evidence for these "mindless" consumers so i'm not going to try and debate that point (besides calling apple customers mindless and then saying thats why they have 3 trillion dollar market cap is nearing troll territory) my point is: if i (mindlessly perhaps?) concede the point that those consumers are mindlessly spending money on useless things... then so what? its their money,…

because we aren't talking about candy here. we are talking about purchases that are hundreds or thousands of dollars. and people are normalizing making these purchases yearly. sure if you're dumb and rich go ahead buy what you want. but the culture pushes this mindset on people who cant afford it as well.

unless you have the money to blow, then having critical thinking is an important skill. to ask yourself "is this a waste of money?", "should I really be buying one of these every year?"

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#265

Post by pshirshov » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:24 PM UTC

ido wrote: post #137

pshirshov wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you buy an EPYC/Threadripper workstation then? Even best M2 laptops still can't compete with hackintosh on dated 3970x

I think you severely underestimate how fast the M2 series is.

I compared. They are better on bang per watt but I'm still getting significantly shorter compilation times on 3970x.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#266

Post by pshirshov » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:25 PM UTC

kiratp wrote: post #120

pshirshov wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you buy an EPYC/Threadripper workstation then? Even best M2 laptops still can't compete with hackintosh on dated 3970x

Because it’s not faster. Well at least the 3990x wasn’t. Compilation rapidly drops from parallel to single thread bound for most workloads. https://twitter.com/kiratpandya/status/1457438725680480257

Depends on your workload. For me 3970x is faster in all my workflows.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#267

Post by paulryanrogers » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:27 PM UTC

redroyal wrote: post #246

liamN wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're falling prey to the fallacy that just because 1 person's actions can't make a world of difference on their own, those actions aren't worth taking. By your logic, you may as well not vote either, because everyone else is voting. Every little bit DOES count, because the more people believe they can make a difference, the more of a difference they will make collectively. You have to lead by example. Rolling over…

I mean you’ve got to appreciate the scale of the problem here and be pragmatic. The danger of recycling is it gives the illusion of progress, but I’m not against it otherwise. Philosophically you might be correct but voting blue in a non swing red state is completely meaningless

We need not be locked in a two party system forever. If enough of us demand same day primaries and ranked choice then other parties have a chance.

Only voting in blue strongholds certainly isn't going to break the duopoly.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#268

Post by pengaru » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:32 PM UTC

mpenet wrote: post #61

pengaru wrote: post #21

Oh how I miss the form-factor+keyboard of my X40/X60. Seeing that tent of an X60s has me feeling very nostalgic. One of the few devices capable of doing that for me. It's too bad they had so many flimsy plastic parts until the X220 era, which still tends to crack palmrests and bezels with use. If someone packaged a modern SoC beneath an X40/X60 keyboard in a rugged light chassis with all the modern display/battery ju…

Same. It really was the best screen size/ratio for me. I was basically carrying it everywhere.

IBM used to make some genuinely great end-user stuff.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#269

Post by andrekandre » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:36 PM UTC

2h wrote: post #264

andrekandre wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, because you haven't provided any evidence for these "mindless" consumers so i'm not going to try and debate that point (besides calling apple customers mindless and then saying thats why they have 3 trillion dollar market cap is nearing troll territory) my point is: if i (mindlessly perhaps?) concede the point that those consumers are mindlessly spending money on useless things... then so what? its their money,…

because we aren't talking about candy here. we are talking about purchases that are hundreds or thousands of dollars. and people are normalizing making these purchases yearly. sure if you're dumb and rich go ahead buy what you want. but the culture pushes this mindset on people who cant afford it as well. unless you have the money to blow, then having critical thinking is an important skill. to ask yourself "is this…

  > but the culture pushes this mindset on people who cant afford it as well.

so the problem is with consumerism isn't it?

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#270

Post by teekert » Sat, Jul 08, 2023, 10:42 PM UTC

Nice read. I do the same, but with 3-6 year old laptops. I recently bought an HP ProBook 440 for 450€, you can still buy it new for 1050. The “used” one was brand new, there are people that buy such stock from companies and when they say “No signs of usage” they mean it, I so far got 2 spotless machines.