The Perfect Laptop • Hacker News Board

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#211

Post by dsego » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:13 PM UTC

Aerbil313 wrote: post #199

herval wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a bad pointing device, that's the thing. I can use a Mac with a trackpad for pretty much anything, including image editing. It's precise, doesn't do ghost clicks/taps, and it's BIG I never found a non-Mac with a trackpad I could use _at all_. I always need a mouse to use my windows laptop...

Really? For example as a software dev using Linux as a daily driver (so no gaming), would I not need a mouse at all with a Mac? (considering buying one)

No need for a mouse at all.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#212

Post by TranquilMarmot » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:14 PM UTC

trashcanman wrote: post #205

[flagged]

I have an i7 Framework and an M1 Macbook that were built around the same time in 2021. I love the _idea_ of the Framework (and I prefer Windows to macOS) but you're right that comparing them isn't really fair. The Macbook has longer battery life, is faster, and is QUIETER.

I do a lot of game development and doing it on the Framework, the bottom of it gets so hot that you can't touch it and it feels like it's going to burn my lap. The fan sounds like a small plane taking off and absolutely blasts out hot air. The battery only lasts ~2 hours.

Exact same workload on the M1 Macbook and the fan doesn't even spin up. The battery lasts probably 6 hours. You can put it comfortably on your lap.

I don't blame Framework here; I love the laptop but I don't think that a Windows/Linux machine can compete with Apple Silicon. ARM is just so much better for a laptop.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#213

Post by thomastjeffery » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

sonofhans wrote: post #108

pico303 wrote: post #84

> another Apple can’t put my finger on why this is so much better than everyone else things Once you’ve used a Mac touchpad, it’s impossible to go back to a Windows/Linux laptop. I’ve tried…

Apple’s been making better trackpads literally forever, and better drivers, too. I run Windows on an iMac Pro (for gaming) and sometimes use an Apple Magic Trackpad. It’s _dramatically_ worse in Windows than in MacOS. So, as usual, it’s not just that Apple makes better hardware. They do — their trackpads have always been more precise. But the software interpreting signals from that hardware is much better as well. In…

Thankfully, Linux touchpad drivers have been great for several years now.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#214

Post by dsego » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

RandallBrown wrote: post #111

post-it wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> can’t put my finger on why this is so much better than everyone else Because it doesn't move. When you press down on an Apple touchpad, it doesn't displace at all, it vibrates . This gives you an identical touch response across the entire trackpad, plus nifty things like Force Touch and customizable response intensity. Nobody else has done it, and it makes every other touchpad feel awful.

Even before Apple did that their trackpads were dramatically better.

The t480s on linux is not bad for pointing and dragging, multi finger gestures of course aren't close. I could live with it. But on windows, clicking is totally broken, if your finger moves just slightly (and it does, since it's hinged), the click isn't registered. The gestures are a joke, since they just play out an animation instead of locking onto the finger motion.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#215

Post by mike-cardwell » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

pico303 wrote: post #84

> another Apple can’t put my finger on why this is so much better than everyone else things Once you’ve used a Mac touchpad, it’s impossible to go back to a Windows/Linux laptop. I’ve tried…

shrug I have an M2 Macbook for work and a Thinkpad with Debian for personal use. I much prefer my Thinkpad's pointing stick to the Macbooks touchpad.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#216

Post by dtx1 » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:16 PM UTC

trashcanman wrote: post #205

[flagged]

> But, nothing compares to the new 15 inch MBA. That is hands down the best laptop made in the history of the Earth

Hitchens's razor applies. It's certainly not the best laptop to play video games. Or to use outdoors in rough weather. Or...

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#217

Post by mrob » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:17 PM UTC

pico303 wrote: post #84

> another Apple can’t put my finger on why this is so much better than everyone else things Once you’ve used a Mac touchpad, it’s impossible to go back to a Windows/Linux laptop. I’ve tried…

I've used a Mac touchpad, and IMO it's pretty much the same as every other touchpad: so dramatically worse than a real mouse that I'll do everything possible to avoid using it. Of course, there may be differences in degrees of badness, but I'm never going to notice, because if I really can't manage with keyboard shortcuts I'll just plug in an external mouse.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#218

Post by hamandcheese » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:20 PM UTC

System76 comes very close for me, but they use 16:9 panels :(

X1 carbon would be perfect if the would simply match the battery size of the MacBook.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#219

Post by willsmith72 » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:20 PM UTC

dtx1 wrote: post #216

trashcanman wrote: post #205

[flagged]

> But, nothing compares to the new 15 inch MBA. That is hands down the best laptop made in the history of the Earth Hitchens's razor applies. It's certainly not the best laptop to play video games. Or to use outdoors in rough weather. Or...

Can you expand on the using it outdoors part? I work outside a lot but have never thought about that when choosing a laptop

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#220

Post by Aerbil313 » Mon, Jul 17, 2023, 9:21 PM UTC

pmontra wrote: post #206

Aerbil313 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? For example as a software dev using Linux as a daily driver (so no gaming), would I not need a mouse at all with a Mac? (considering buying one)

Why do you need a mouse to write software? I didn't use a mouse since at least 2006. Before that I was mandated to use one by the company I was working for but I probably didn't. Why should I lose time to move my hand to grab the mouse when it's already close to the touchpad? I connected a mouse a few times to play some casual game but I'm not playing games anymore on my laptop.

I'm a keyboard extremist myself, not wanting to touch even the trackpad. Still there are some things where I can't overcome the need to use a pointer device (some GUI apps etc.). It'd be nice to not worry about carrying one more thing (mouse) in my bag, if Mac trackpads are as good as they say, which they prob are.