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I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

solar.lowtechmagazine.com

281–290 of 551 posts

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#281
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

You can even put them on top of your lap.

most pc laptops I've used weren't very comfortable after some number crunching or kernel building after a few minutes...

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So if framework can let you reuse the "shell" for 2-3 upgrade cycles until they have to change the motherboard, that's a lot better than having to buy an entire new laptop. It's not about keeping the same form factor forever, that's unrealistic. It's about reducing the amount of stuff you have to buy for each upgrade. Opening and closing stuff is realistic, if it's easy. I've opened and upgraded various components of…

I'm a huge Framework fan but I worry that the upgradeability produces more e-waste rather than less. I already see Framework laptop owners tossing mainboards every generation. I think the e-waste angle is the weakest- I like the upgradeability because it saves me money. As a cheap bastard I almost see it as a challenge to use my devices for as long as possible.

You know people who are literally tossing old mainboards? I’d be happy to take one off of someone’s hands if they’d otherwise be throwing it away.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#283
post #262
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.

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.

You do know that a lot of people travel for work, right?

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#284
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That issue can’t be solved by reusing laptops or sorting cans from cardboard. The argument that every little helps is totally flawed. Fantasy, make believe. The other 8 billion people simply don’t care and why would they? 50 years from now they’ll all be dead. Since when did people care about future generations and the good of humanity? It’s a very recent western fashion. The only thing that truly motivated the vast…

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…

> By your logic, you may as well not vote either, because everyone else is voting.

Correct. Voting is the worst possible example, because while e.g. individual recycling has a negligible but technically non-zero impact, voting is overwhelmingly* likely to have exactly zero impact.

* unless the voting base is either extremely small, or extremely close. Your vote only matters as much as the likelihood that at least one result is decided by exactly one vote, which is only realistic in something like a local town election. Which are the only elections most people should actually pay attention to.

> Every little bit DOES count, because the more people believe they can make a difference, the more of a difference they will make collectively.

That's pure wishful thinking.

What actually happens is that people believe they are making a difference, even when they actually aren't, but since they feel personally good about having put in an effort, they stop worrying about the actual problem, and stop even thinking (let alone acting) towards solutions that might actually work.

Why do you think the "carbon footprint" idea was actively pushed by BP and other super-polluters? Out of the goodness of their great? Or because it drew attention away from other, less corporate-friendly CO2 reduction measures?

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#285

> This is facilitated by the fact that laptops are now a mature technology and have more than sufficient computational power. Depends what you do with them, if you program, edit movies, do 3D rendering or play games, there will never be enough power.

depends on what you're programming tho. For web work just about any old laptop will work. AI, number crunching, 3d? yeah you need the best you can afford.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#286
post #29

"Laptops don’t change" - this is most important reason if we're talking about Apple laptops. My 10 years old MacBook Pro is almost absolutely the same as MacBook Air of 2023. Performance, screen, OS, weight, battery, keyboard. And old laptops look even better; look how ugly are new M1/M2 Air cases in comparison with first versions of Airs.

your 10 yo mabook pro is not nearly as fast as a macbook pro M2, not even close. Does your old Pro work as good for your -needs-, that is quite possible depending on what you're doing with it.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> So if framework can let you reuse the "shell" for 2-3 upgrade cycles I badly want the framework laptop idea to succeed - the idea of re-using your old laptop battery as a battery bank when you upgrade, that's just brilliant. The idea of taking your old motherboard and sticking it in a slim case that bolts to the vesa mount on the back of your monitor, beautiful. However, it's far more expensive that just buying a…

Too bad Apple's hardware doesn't play nice with Linux.

It's not doing to badly with Asahi Linux. There are still shortcomings to work out, but there are people using Asahi on their Apple Silicon machines for their daily driver.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So… you can do more, faster, for longer, then? Sounds like a good argument for upgrading

> more, faster Not in the world de live in: https://jmmv.dev/2023/06/fast-machines-slow-machines.html

Maybe not your world, but mine? Definitely true.

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So… you can do more, faster, for longer, then? Sounds like a good argument for upgrading

The author is choosing to optimize for environmental impact over raw performance.

Given newer MacBooks are also both highly recyclable AND made of mostly recycled material… also seems an incorrect statement then

Re: I stopped buying new laptops (2020)

#290
post #83

“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…

> a few years ago battery life was maybe 7 hours and now it’s 18 At what point do battery improvements become completely unnecessary? Who's out here using their laptops for 18 hours continuously? It's like an electric car that can go 2,000 miles on a single charge; YAGNI. The vast majority of people would be perfectly well-served by a smaller, lighter, less expensive laptop that cuts down the battery to just 10 hours…

When I first got my 2020 MacBook Air, could use it from getting up in the morning until going to bed at night...close to 18 hours on a weekend. Some of that was sleep time, but most was browsing, writing, watching video.

Now, almost three years later, I get noticeably shorter time, but I can still open my laptop at 7 in the morning, unplug it, and use it until mid evening without plugging it in. I've never had a laptop that lasted 18 hours, or even 12-14 hours as it does now.

When I got my MBA, my goal was to use it like an iPad...don't plug it in unless required to. I still don't have to worry much about it, even with battery wear.

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