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One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

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Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#111

Post by ahnick »

z9e wrote: post #64

I'm actually considering either going with the T480p or an Asus for my next work laptop (from a 2018 MBP) with Linux on it. I have a T470p though that has a broken motherboard right after the warranty expired. When picking it up to move it around, it shorts out and restarts, apparently this is a known issue with the 470's. But I really fear Lenovo's reliability these days. Has anyone else had reliability problems wit…

I've been using a T480 (same as author) and it has been very reliable. I even dropped it getting out of the van a while back and it landed on a corner of the laptop when it hit the pavement. It has still been running just as well as when I originally got it. :)

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#112

Post by hashedout »

0xmarcin wrote: post #104
alexktz wrote: post #61

I recently purchased a 16” MBP despite significant personal concerns over the future of MacOS, being a strong open source advocate and Linux paying my mortgage. I did this ultimately for a few reasons. MacOS lets me run Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc), Fusion360, has a good terminal (iTerm and zsh unix like shell) and Logic. Mac hardware is still some of the best in the business, no other vendors seem to be able to…

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones, I have a totally different experience with iPhone 11. I have Sony WH1000XM3 headphones. I really like them, yet every time I connect them to my iPhone the sound volume jumps to almost 100%. I reported the issue to Apple but got no answer (the headphones are working without any problems with my old android phone - Samsung Galaxy s7). The only solution so far was to enable EU soun…

That is because the integration is not there in the linux ecosystem. Apple has this very tight integration because it controls both the hardware and the software.

But there are some companies which have started doing the same thing:

- System76

- Tuxedo

These companies test their devices well on a distro and well, it reflects in their pricing too!

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#113

Post by tikhonj »

krooj wrote: post #69
alexktz wrote: post #61

I recently purchased a 16” MBP despite significant personal concerns over the future of MacOS, being a strong open source advocate and Linux paying my mortgage. I did this ultimately for a few reasons. MacOS lets me run Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc), Fusion360, has a good terminal (iTerm and zsh unix like shell) and Logic. Mac hardware is still some of the best in the business, no other vendors seem to be able to…

"It just works with external displays" - ಠ_ಠ

I have a recent macbook for work. The only way I managed to get my 4k external monitor to run at >24 Hz—such a slow refresh rate it was painful to use—was with a $15 3rd-party utility[1]. And that was after failing to fix the problem with hours of debugging and switching from HDMI to DisplayPort.

The same monitor worked perfectly without any configuration on both Windows and Linux.

[1]: https://www.madrau.com/

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#114

Post by tonyedgecombe »

fsflover wrote: post #83
diminish wrote: post #57

What are the cons of mac? for me: - Sluggish UI - Inadequate package manager - Unintuitive ways to install stuff - Slow and large updates - Can't do Linux development - Can't try server tools - Slow boot-to-work time - Hard to add memory and ram - Limited interfaces - Hacker unfriendly - Can't have a minimal desktop - High memory usage of base system

> - Hard to add memory and ram In fact, impossible for a long time already. Upd: I mean laptops; not true for other products.

Except where it isn't (iMac, Mac Mini, iMac Pro, Mac Pro).

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#115

Post by mattlondon »

FoomFries wrote: post #87
diminish wrote: post #57

What are the cons of mac? for me: - Sluggish UI - Inadequate package manager - Unintuitive ways to install stuff - Slow and large updates - Can't do Linux development - Can't try server tools - Slow boot-to-work time - Hard to add memory and ram - Limited interfaces - Hacker unfriendly - Can't have a minimal desktop - High memory usage of base system

I'm curious how you arrived at some of these conclusions. - Sluggish UI -> I've never experienced this in the last three years of using my 2017 MBP. - Inadequate package manager -> Somewhat nebulous, most package managers on Linux are available on Unix. - Slow and large updates -> I honestly don't pay much attention as I have updates install automatically while I'm sleeping, but what size differences have you noticed…

> - Sluggish UI -> I've never experienced this in the last three years of using my 2017 MBP.

Not the author, but perhaps they meant that the UI was sluggish to use?

I find OSX great if you have one browser window open, but start to multitask at all and I personally find it a real pig to work with. Open windows are hidden behind a tiny white dot on the task bar, lots of wasted space around the task bar, no snapping or window-splitting, the menus are detached from the windows they are for and you need to focus the window to get the menu to appear, the task switcher thing (expose?) is a horrible jarring swooshy animation that is awfully distracting with things moving around on the screen on their own as you are trying to look at them.

I find it so frustrating to use after almost a decade of using macs now - it does not get any better once "used to it". Linux (Cinnamon or Plasma) + Windows 10 are just so much more intuitive for me. I'd 100% bite the hands off of the IT team here if they offered me a Windows 10 machine instead of a mac for my engineering laptop.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#116

Post by nunb »

I switched from a MBP to a Thinkpad for flexibility & performance: hexa-core processor, 64GB RAM, 3 disks (NVME+SSD+HDD) running Linux (pop-os) with the intent of running OSX in VMs. I didn't like the iOS-ification of OSX, and this will let me run my beloved Snow Leopard, and even run some older aqua UI OSX versions as VMs. I'll probably get an ARM MacBook when they come out, as MacOS and iOS go well together... but 64GB is a HECK of a lot of Chrome tabs, and the 3:2 screen is as good as on my Chromebooks. Linux has certainly matured since I used it as my only desktop back in the comp.os.linux.advocacy days, which is just as well as I can't be bothered futzing with x.org config files any more. My X210 (nb51) "Thinkpad" gets about five hours battery life on a dodgy battery, but if I can find a real TP battery that should rise to 10-15, and I expect the ARM Macs to do 20-24 hours.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#117

Post by krondor »

0xmarcin wrote: post #104
alexktz wrote: post #61

I recently purchased a 16” MBP despite significant personal concerns over the future of MacOS, being a strong open source advocate and Linux paying my mortgage. I did this ultimately for a few reasons. MacOS lets me run Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc), Fusion360, has a good terminal (iTerm and zsh unix like shell) and Logic. Mac hardware is still some of the best in the business, no other vendors seem to be able to…

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones, I have a totally different experience with iPhone 11. I have Sony WH1000XM3 headphones. I really like them, yet every time I connect them to my iPhone the sound volume jumps to almost 100%. I reported the issue to Apple but got no answer (the headphones are working without any problems with my old android phone - Samsung Galaxy s7). The only solution so far was to enable EU soun…

Actually those Sony headphones are one of the reasons I am interested in Linux instead of OSX. LDAC support is not present on OSX, but it is for Linux.

It makes a huge difference in audio quality over bluetooth in my experience.

*edit: Just realized I posted the wrong link. https://eischmann.wordpress.com/2019/02/11/better-bluetooth-...

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#119

Post by hashedout »

imglorp wrote: post #29
lmilcin wrote: post #3

I am also running Linux on Thinkpad (Debian unstable on T440s). As to the battery life, this typically requires some work but I found it is generally possible to get good battery life. I am able to get my T440s to run for total 24 hours with the highest option 9-cell, the built in 3-cell and another 3-cell that came original with the laptop. This I did to be able to work on a long yacht cruise with no extra power and…

The T450 touchpad is compatible with the T440s and has real buttons. Should be a few bucks on ebay. See my question in this thread. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21316263 ps, Love my T440s also. I would like two-finger horiz scroll to work better however, especially the swipe for "back" gesture. Somewhere a few months back was a comment about the XInput team comprising one overloaded guy needing help. I mess w…

I hope the gitclear project succeeds. It promises so much and it is backed by many people as well.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#120

Post by danielbarla »

Galanwe wrote: post #68
danielbarla wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been a happy user of trackballs for many years, and can also happily recommend the Kensington variety. It is also quite configurable, both in the traditional software sense, and in the sense that you can use it in a variety of different physical ways (thumb, forefingers, at a variety of angles, etc). This variety kind of helps reduce the "repetitive" part of RSI.

I always fancied switching to track balls but never dared to jump. Can you be as fast as with a mouse with it? As precise?

I've managed to play slow-paced FPS'es with the trackball (e.g. PUBG) and remain - well, not "competitive" exactly, but not total trash either. You can generally dial it in for great accuracy but slow turning, or less accuracy but fast turning. But not really both at the same time, unlike a mouse. (since there you can your elbow for large movements, and your wrists for smaller ones) With the latter option, you would not be able to hit small targets quickly. In terms of desktop use, you can generally find a balance where it can get across the screen in a single swipe, but you can still hit a button immediately, so it's an OK trade off for me.
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