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Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

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Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#211

Post by roflchoppa »

ThatPlayer wrote: post #159
jedbrooke wrote: post #43

> Consumer electronics naming is very simple. Make a good product with a simple name. “iPhone”, “comma”, “Z Fold”. Then every year or two, add one to the number of that product. If it’s a small refresh, you can add a letter after the number. “2 3 3X 4” “4 4s 5 5s 6 …” “2 3 4 5 6 7” Why is this so hard for companies like HP? Oh man I feel this every time there’s a games console launch. I still have no idea what the la…

My favorite from Apple is "the new iPad" that they used to refer to the 3rd gen iPad.

I hate that iPad, it’s still on my shelf.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#212

Post by dehrmann »

jedbrooke wrote: post #43

> Consumer electronics naming is very simple. Make a good product with a simple name. “iPhone”, “comma”, “Z Fold”. Then every year or two, add one to the number of that product. If it’s a small refresh, you can add a letter after the number. “2 3 3X 4” “4 4s 5 5s 6 …” “2 3 4 5 6 7” Why is this so hard for companies like HP? Oh man I feel this every time there’s a games console launch. I still have no idea what the la…

The real answer is that you either rename the product right around version 10 (because 17 is too big for iPhone versions) or you use the year like sports video games.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#213

Post by bluescrn »

RealityVoid wrote: post #172
forty wrote: post #90

I think the kind of laptop this person wishes should simply be made illegal to make. We cannot sustain having all electric devices being thrown after a year or two, these things need to last, to be repairable and make it easy to grab pieces and materials when they die anyway

Electronic devices usually get thrown away because nobody wants them anymore because they are obsolete. Having removable RAM will do you little good if you can only fit ddr3.

Easily replaceable batteries would certainly extend the useful life of many devices, though.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#214

Post by arresin »

procaryote wrote: post #86

The framework model is the reasonable approach to people being finnicky about their laptop specs. You can't sustain "I want it just so" and "it needs to be a cnc-machined glued together brick, engineered to the last gramme" at the same time, without a step change in how we build hardware, but the framework comes pretty close If linux power management got a bit better, and there was a good arm chip, it would be a grea…

But the trackpad, the rigidity, the screen wobble, the battery life.

It’s annoying. I wish I could just buy a framework and stop this boring chore. But there’s nothing out there right now.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#215

Post by arresin »

npodbielski wrote: post #150
layer8 wrote: post #147

I just don’t use laptops. My employer never required me to use one, and with remote logins and WFH there is also little need for mobility. A desktop setup is necessary for good ergonomics anyway, and then you may as well use a desktop computer. In a pinch, I can use an iPad with remote desktop on the go, but the need rarely arises.

I agree but as the HN post few months ago about a guy who uses glasses to connect to his phone as an external screen, this would be great. Having ability to work outside and have a nice big screen... thought of working in the summer outside and have a daily dose of vitamin D... Working entire days in my office in my house is comfortable but kind of sad. When you are finally done it is late and sun is setting already.

That was a very interesting post / comment (the XR glasses guy). I wonder if that setup is still holding up. Glasses guy, if you’re reading this, can you comment please?

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#216

Post by arresin »

throw12945 wrote: post #204
eertami wrote: post #201

Surely OLED is bad for a productivity device due to poor text rendering. For games or media, sure.

OLED doesn't support subpixel rendering, but if the resolution is high enough, this doesn't matter (Apple doesn't use it either, and text looks great on their devices, but not if you use external low-dpi monitors).

Is burn in still a concern?

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#217

Post by thebigspacefuck »

> I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels Apple’s quality is degrading.

Tbh I don’t really feel this way. We all agree hands down that Macbook has the best hardware. Apple Silicon has been a huge success for speed and power consumption. I haven’t used the newest macOS but like the butterfly keyboard and touch bar I assume they’ll work out (or fix by reverting) the issues. It’s probably not even that bad. Sonoma is still receiving security updates so I’m good for now.

And most of the things that people want in a non-MacBook laptop are still a few years before falling off patent.

I’m fine waiting and playing around with Framework or Steam machines until then if I need another hobby.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#218

Post by lenkite »

sapphire_tomb wrote: post #64
tambourine_man wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've never been happy with a trackpad: they feel too imprecise Everything non-Apple is. Apple's trackpad are great and have been for decades. I’ve done professional image editing on the go even with the tiny by today’s standards PowerBook G4s trackpads. The real tragedy of our industry is that Apple got the basics right a few decades ago but seems determined to make their OS worse for pro user with every release. Y…

I see this comment about how awesome Apple Trackpads are all the time here, and just assumed I was missing out because I'd never used a MacBook. But I got given a MacBook Pro recently for work, and I'm super underwhelmed. The trackpad on it is no better or worse than any other trackpad I've used.

> The trackpad on it is no better or worse than any other trackpad I've used.

Compared to the thinkpad trackpad, it is light-years ahead. It is also more robust - functions with a little bit of dirt/oil/dirt/water. Get some oil on the thinkpad trackpad and you need to spend 10 mins wiping it away for it to work without driving you nuts.

Even hardcore thinkpad fans have grudgingly admitted to the superiority of the Macbook trackpad. Check the thinkpad forums to see their envy.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#219

Post by Johanx64 »

Yokolos wrote: post #92
forty wrote: post #90

I think the kind of laptop this person wishes should simply be made illegal to make. We cannot sustain having all electric devices being thrown after a year or two, these things need to last, to be repairable and make it easy to grab pieces and materials when they die anyway

> I don’t care one bit about upgradability or customizability. After a year or two, I’m happy to throw it out and buy a new one. It’s not like upgradability is a bad thing, but it usually comes with tradeoffs to weight and power draw, and I’d rather it all be in one solid package glued together. And I don’t like customizability because I like when all the testing and polish work is put into one configuration. Jesus c…

[flagged]

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#220

Post by phendrenad2 »

The problem is, laptop companies don't "make laptops". They are big machines that puts parts together in the right configuration and call them "laptops". No thought goes into it. They are indistinguishable from any other deep pipeline of manufacturing, such as one that makes bicycles or refrigerators. New year, generate a new product ID, upgrade the CPU and RAM using the reference schematic provided by AMD/Intel, throw it in the ERP, make a BOM, and start rolling them off the assembly line.

What we see is a deep disconnect between visionaries and the companies that operate these deep pipelines. Apple has tried to maintain a connection between design and manufacturing by having great designers at the top (and other companies poach them).

A few daywalkers like Bunnie Huang walk both sides of the world.

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