The new MacBook • Hacker News Board

Re: The new MacBook

#241

Post by mark_l_watson » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:15 PM UTC

headShrinker wrote: post #36

jkot wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not too happy about that. HP already has USB charger for laptop, and it had bunch of problems, including fire hazard. That was just ARM chromebook, not sure how it will on 'full' mac. EDIT: there are physical limitations how electric current is transferred. USB contacts do not have good shape and will probably deteriorate more quickly.

In the old days, HP had a high standard of quality. More recently, almost coinciding with the introduction of inkjet printers, HP quality standards have slipped to a new dismal low. I'm not surprised to hear of fires.

I just purchased a little HP 11" Stream, and the build quality is pretty good - I was pleasantly surprised, especially for a $199 laptop that includes $125 in free software coupons. (Pro-tip: if you need a Windows laptop, but it directly from Microsoft so you don't get any crap-ware loaded on it.)

That said, I am kind of looking forward to my (about) 4 year old MacBook Air eventually dying and then I will buy the new model that was announced today :-) MacBooks are beautiful.

Re: The new MacBook

#242

Post by chockablock » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:15 PM UTC

rohunati wrote: post #175

Anybody know how the headphone jack will work?

The MacBook appears to have a standard headphone jack on the side opposite the USB-C connector.

(Can be seen in the picture of the space black model at the very bottom of the linked page.)

Re: The new MacBook

#243

Post by SG- » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:15 PM UTC

reilly3000 wrote: post #174

I found it telling that nothing about iCloud has changed. It seems that Apple has decided to be a hardware company, and frankly they are damn good at it. I wish that they would own that and unlock the iDrive so we can all interface with their amazing hardware.

Give it time. For one this isn't WWDC, this was a special event for specific products. iCloud has been getting better over time for users and devs and gaining new features, I'm sure it will continue to do so.

And while Apple continues to make money from hardware, they are not just a hardware operation, they provide an entire platform and ecosystem which iCloud is part of.

Re: The new MacBook

#244

Post by mturmon » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:16 PM UTC

rospaya wrote: post #195

bitwize wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.

I know where the comment is coming from but I don't see the relevance. It's like everyone should blindly know Apple is going to rule everything.

It is quite parallel.

The GP comment compares devices based on a couple of specs (e.g., bezel size). The isolate-on-a-couple-of-specs approach has been proven to (a) not capture where the market will go, and (b) not capture how well the device works.

It also tends to (c) come off as a justification for the speaker's own past purchases, or alternatively, a justification to view a new device as not quite worth purchasing yet.

It sucks that, 20 years on, the same retort ("... Lame.") is just as relevant as a critique of the specmanship game practiced in these forums.

Re: The new MacBook

#245

Post by vinhboy » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:16 PM UTC

jkot wrote: post #30

I am bit disappointed. Dell has similar sized laptop, with bigger display, smaller bezel and higher resolution. http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-9343-laptop/pd

Man... the folks at Dell are just terrible at marketing. Look at that page the OP linked and the apple macbook page. There is absolutely no comparison. I had to make an effort to find pictures of their product. Even then, the pictures are completely distracting because of those ugly award logos they put on it.

If I was Dell, I would just sit down my entire design and marketing team and make a plan for redesigning and rebranding. Their website look exactly like it did 10 years ago when Dell computers were cool.

Re: The new MacBook

#246

Post by TazeTSchnitzel » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:16 PM UTC

makeitsuckless wrote: post #205

throwawaymsft wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The intended audience is deciding between the various MacBooks, not between a Dell and a MacBook.

The intended audience doesn't consider the Dell anywhere near comparable. Personally I would love to have a Linux laptop with the same design and build quality as the MacBooks, and I'm pretty sure plenty of fashion conscious folks would like something more exclusive now that Macs are everywhere. The fact that the XPS 13 is the only machine that comes anywhere close is kinda sad.

You could run Linux on your MacBook?

Though it won't work as seamlessly with the hardware as OS X can.

Re: The new MacBook

#247

Post by TazeTSchnitzel » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:17 PM UTC

aikah wrote: post #215

Specs are interesting - 8gb ram,256 gb flash drive,1.1/2.4 turbo ghz, but 1300$ ? way too expensive,as it cost as much as the mb pro.A price under 1000$ would have made way more sense for a macbook. But I guess they have the data that show people are ready to pay that price for that item. Still , the pricing strategy between mb,mb air and mb pro is a bit confusing. -----

Recall that the MacBook Air originally cost way, way more than the MacBook Pro and was way, way less powerful. The price'll fall in two years or so.

Re: The new MacBook

#248

Post by anentropic » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:18 PM UTC

larrys wrote: post #202

bane wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It just means we're going to stay stuck in dongle hell. When I'm on the road the minimalism of a Mac is nice, but at my desk, hooked up to everything I really need for heavy work, my desktop is a cluster-f of cables and adapters and wires.

Other than cost (which is certainly a factor) I guess I've never understood why people schlep around a laptop and use the same laptop for their desktop by plugging in cables. I know people do this who could easily afford an additional more powerful desktop. I use a MacPro driving 3 27' displays and also have a few portables as well. It's just a matter of synching info. I can't imagine having to deal with hooking up a…

mostly because a) don't need a more powerful desktop and b) the syncing is not well streamlined

I'd seriously consider an iMac if Apple would solve b.

Re: The new MacBook

#249

Post by nullrouted » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:19 PM UTC

blawa wrote: post #14

I love my Surface Pro 3, thank you very much :-)

Way to add to the discussion....

Re: The new MacBook

#250

Post by dmarcos » Mon, Mar 09, 2015, 7:19 PM UTC

aet wrote: post #221

jader201 wrote: post #210

Is the world really as obsessed with smallness as Apple thinks it is? From what I keep hearing (and this is anecdotal, of course), it seems that most people would prefer to (reasonably) maximize the battery life with the downside of adding a bit more heft. Of course, there's always a balance that has to be stricken, but it seems like Apple always pushes much more to the side of size over battery vs. what seems to be…

Where do you need the battery life? (I mean what scenario)

I work at coffee shops and airplanes. Having 24 hours battery life so I don't even have to carry the power adapter is my dream. You could easily trade the weight of the charger with more batteries in the laptop (You will end up carrying the same weight in your bag) I want to charge my laptop the same way I charge my phone: while I'm sleeping.