Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The MacBook Neo

daringfireball.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

341–350 of 1001 posts

Re: The MacBook Neo

#341

Post by cromulent »

dang wrote: post #135
GeekyBear wrote: post #8

PC Magazine came to the same conclusion: > Apple pulled off what I thought wasn't possible. The MacBook Neo is poised to set the budget-laptop world on fire as a $599 system that's better-built and sharper than anything else at or below its price. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-macbook-neo Similar to the Verge: > even the cheapest MacBook Neo is good enough to be the go-to Apple laptop for a lot of people. Actua…

(We've since merged the threads, but the pcmag.com link is in the toptext above)

I understand the need to join the conversations about the same topic. Thanks for keeping the URLs separate. Reading Gruber's long form considered article is very different to reading some second hand Asus executive "shock" comments.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#342

Post by drcongo »

ecshafer wrote: post #258
retired wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

15 years ago this comment would have been a troll. Nowadays it’s solid advice. The current Mac line-up is a step ahead of the competition. App compatibility is hardly an issue anymore with the exception of some very niche software.

Niche software, and almost all video games.

A laptop is for getting work done, I'm not a child.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#343

Post by GeekyBear »

dang wrote: post #135
GeekyBear wrote: post #8

PC Magazine came to the same conclusion: > Apple pulled off what I thought wasn't possible. The MacBook Neo is poised to set the budget-laptop world on fire as a $599 system that's better-built and sharper than anything else at or below its price. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-macbook-neo Similar to the Verge: > even the cheapest MacBook Neo is good enough to be the go-to Apple laptop for a lot of people. Actua…

(We've since merged the threads, but the pcmag.com link is in the toptext above)

The comment was originally in a thread discussing Engadget's take:

> MacBook Neo review: Apple puts every $600 Windows PC to shame

https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-neo-revie...

Re: The MacBook Neo

#344

Post by insane_dreamer »

drnick1 wrote: post #174

> You cannot buy an x86 PC laptop in the $600–700 price range that competes with the MacBook Neo on any metric — performance, display quality, audio quality, or build quality. And certainly not software quality. I would argue the opposite: while Apple hardware is generally excellent, it is the software that leaves to be desired. Apple has also been consistently pushing the industry in a dangerous direction (walled ga…

Most consumers don't use Linux, and MacOS is far ahead of Windows IMO -- and I use all three OSs (and have for 30 years)

I disagree that the software leaves to be desired

Just an example, I'll take Apple's Office suite (Pages, etc.) over MS Office any day - or LibreOffice.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#345

Post by intrasight »

basch wrote: post #132
bdbdbdb wrote: post #48

600 is a bargain for a MacBook, but I can't see the public windows users switching en masse. Most people who buy cheap windows laptops do so because 1) they need to replace a broken laptop and want to pay the lowest amount possible 2) they don't want to learn some new thing 600 might seem budget, but it's out of budget for most people. And my guess is PC manufacturers will retaliate against this by cutting prices jus…

The thing about "switching" is you just need to capture the next generation. Kids who have an iPhone 17e. Then go off to college.

Also, there are plenty of users such as myself that won't be "switching" but will instead be augmenting my AMD desktop with a laptop. I've not purchased a new Mac since year 2000-ish but I do play to purchase a Neo.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#346

Post by retired »

ryandvm wrote: post #233
drcongo wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they're your friend, why didn't you just tell them to get a Mac?

Cute, and while I will agree that Apple hardware is generally superior or at least an excellent value, and OS X is miles beyond Windows in usability, I can't in good conscience recommend a Mac on principle. They impose obsessive control over their walled garden, constant pressure to use Apple ecosystem products, and they are staunchly opposed to interoperability regardless of it being an obviously anti-consumer tacti…

A Mac isn’t really a walled garden though.

You don’t even need an Apple account to use one. Unlike Windows.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#347

Post by andyclap2 »

philistine wrote: post #227
Someone wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> IMO the consumer PC industry is near an existential crisis. The big players are just awful at marketing; too many SKUs and models - I see your point, but as a counterexample, look at the TV industry, at PC monitors, at washing machines, etc. There manufacturers have, for decades, created SKUs left and right, sometimes only so that a large dealer can offer to match lowest prices because no other dealer has access to…

Washing machines and the others don't have a company like Apple that is so differentiated that customers love their products so much they get to own something like 80% of the profits of the biggest personal computing market.

I know a few Miele fanboys...

Re: The MacBook Neo

#348

Post by officeplant »

pjmlp wrote: post #93
kingstnap wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1996 is not now. This comparision makes little to no sense. I'm sure if Apple provided support for installing your own OS on their M series laptops it would be incredibly popular. And I don't need to guess at this using weird 1996 research on microkernels because Asahi Linux exists and clearly there is interest in it.

Indeed, Apple from 1996 would not released Tahoe, most likely. We don't need research because QNX, L4 and many others on embedded space do exist as well.

Rip Blackberry Phone + QNX, you were so promising for such a short time.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#349

Post by insane_dreamer »

My kids (ages 10, 14) have never used a Windows computer. They were introduced to computing with iPhone and iPad, and they use Chromebooks at school. At home I have Win, Linux and MacOS computers, but they've only used the MacOS ones (not interested in the others). I am trying to get them to use Linux, but unless they want to do hacking-type stuff (that's not them), then it's hard to sell them on it.

When we buy them personal laptops (not there yet), it'll be a MacBook Neo (or its successor). I expect that unless they're forced to at work, they'll never touch a Windows computer in their life.

Re: The MacBook Neo

#350

Post by losvedir »

nerdjon wrote: post #267
nottorp wrote: post #171

So the force touch stuff has also been available on Apple laptop trackpads? Damned if i ever noticed, and all my laptops since like 2013 have been Apple. I knew I had it on one of my previous iPhones but there it was an annoyance because I never knew what was going to happen on a touch.

It is also a critical part of watchOS. I am still sad that they stopped putting it into iPhone, I think the tech is great and the watch really proves what can be done with it when it is a fundamental part of the hardware and the OS can be built around it. But we never had a situation that every compatible iPhone had force touch so everything that could be done with it had to work in other ways. I think the iPad made…

I remember being totally flummoxed when I was trying to figure out why my trackpad wasn't clicking when the machine was off. I had no idea it wasn't a mechanical lever anymore!
Post reply on HN