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MacBook Air M4

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Re: MacBook Air M4

#291

Post by chippiewill »

Keyframe wrote: post #182
mcgrath_sh wrote: post #42

I have considered going back to Mac after about 5-7 years on Windows/WSL, but the storage premium is just too much to swallow. If the $999 was a base 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, I'd consider it. I just added another 32GB of RAM to my 2020 built desktop for $50. You can get a 1TB crucial M.2 drive for $70. I know I'm comparing apples and oranges, but the storage cost is too much, and 256GB is much too little. Edit: to…

I'm in another, bizarre camp. I'd pay double whatever they're charging for if I could run linux on it utilizing all of the hardware. Also, if notch went away, but that's another story. Unless someone knows of laptop hardware that comes close to both performance, comfort, and battery which can run linux.

You really don't notice the notch on the macbooks, I can't even see it normally. Might be different on a Linux DE though.

Re: MacBook Air M4

#292

Post by sandGorgon »

ruuda wrote: post #247

My 4-year old Dell XPS 15 is up for replacement, but somehow no manufacturer aside from Apple is making laptop with decent specs nowadays? I want 2TB storage, a 4k (or close) HiDPI display, good build quality, and not a bulky gaming laptop. The XPS 15 was perfect, it had those specs, except it only had 1TB storage which is now full. I was expecting that to not be an issue 4 years later ... But now Dell discontinued X…

you have the choice to go with the AMD Ryzen AI Max processor which rivals the M4. And gives similar battery life and performance.

Or the Intel Lunar Lake processor.

Both have extremely good laptop options - the Lenovo Yoga Aura edition is pretty much macbook quality.

And runs LLMs (https://github.com/intel/ipex-llm/blob/main/docs/mddocs/Over...)

Re: MacBook Air M4

#293

Post by chippiewill »

mcgrath_sh wrote: post #157
cosmic_cheese wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who’s been laptop shopping recently, the problem with most non-Apple options is that in exchange for RAM and storage been cheap and/or upgradable, they make significant sacrifices in various areas compared to MacBooks. This is insanely frustrating to me, I don’t know why generic PC manufacturers can’t seem to manage to build a small laptop that is as good of an all-rounder as the Air is and not also come w…

I still occasionally use a 2013 Air when I need a laptop. How no PC manufacturer has been able to get close to Apple's touchpad in two decades is crazy to me.

Most premium laptops these days have decentish touchpads. I can barely tell the difference between my Dell XPS touchpad and my macbook touchpad.

Re: MacBook Air M4

#294

Post by pja »

Kon-Peki wrote: post #280
tredre3 wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like you haven't actually looked into it if that's the impression you got, because both Thinkpad (X1) and Framework (13) make a laptop that fit your requirements. The X1 carbon even offers a 4k OLED option if you want it.

The original post: > everything I want in a sleek 14" or 15" device The X1 carbon we have in our house has a 13” 16:9 screen, which I hate.

Latest X1 Carbons have 14" 16:10 OLED screens: https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx1/t...

Or pick up a Framework 13 which has a 13.5" 2880x1800 16:10 screen: https://frame.work/products/laptop-diy-13-gen-amd/configurat...

Re: MacBook Air M4

#295

Post by RandomBacon »

fluidcruft wrote: post #252
ruuda wrote: post #247

My 4-year old Dell XPS 15 is up for replacement, but somehow no manufacturer aside from Apple is making laptop with decent specs nowadays? I want 2TB storage, a 4k (or close) HiDPI display, good build quality, and not a bulky gaming laptop. The XPS 15 was perfect, it had those specs, except it only had 1TB storage which is now full. I was expecting that to not be an issue 4 years later ... But now Dell discontinued X…

I also have a 4-year old XPS15. The SSDs and RAM are super easy to upgrade. There are two internal SSD slots (one shipped empty). Dell charges not-quite Apple-scale arms and a legs for RAM/SSD upgrades, so I bought mine Dell-minimal and immediately upgraded them both and have bumped them up as prices come down for new parts. The upgradability was a major reason I went for the XPS15 instead of the XPS13 (my previous m…

I thought the XPS 17 was the only one with the extra SSD slot?

Re: MacBook Air M4

#296

Post by ylee »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #105

For all the talk of the "Apple Tax", point me to a comparable laptop from another company at this price point. I don't think there has been one since Apple started the M series.

20 years ago, when I helped cover IT hardware including AAPL for a large investment bank, our analyses consistently showed that Apple products were comparable in price to competing products with comparable specs.

I agree that Apple Silicon has given Apple an additional leg up on the competition, even aside from the more-than-competitive price.

Re: MacBook Air M4

#297

Post by chippiewill »

dabbz wrote: post #267
dmazin wrote: post #36

I'd be tempted, but the MacBook Air M1 still kicks ass. I don't care if this is 2x faster. The M1 is still very fast.

I need them to get rid of the notch. It's so obnoxious. I'll run my M1 Air into the ground until they get rid of the notch.

I don't get it. I don't even notice the notch, I'm not even sure how it's possible to see the notch considering it's in the middle of a black bar?

Re: MacBook Air M4

#298

Post by RandomBacon »

petesergeant wrote: post #209
overstay8930 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know Apple wants to differentiate ProMotion as a Pro feature, but even non-tech people I know are wondering why Android phones run smoother than iPhones. Stuff that would be completely unheard of purely because of how noticeable 60hz vs 120hz is. Actual reputational damage is going on because of these poor decisions, I’m not surprised iPhones are struggling to obtain new market share. They just look like old and sl…

> I’m not surprised iPhones are struggling to obtain new market share. They just look like old and slow phones to most normal people now Literally the only people I know with non-iPhones are: * People who can't afford one * People who want a folding screen * People who are conceptually anti-Apple Apple have over 50% market share in the US, talking about "struggling to obtain new market share" seems bizarre.

* People who like to think differently and customize their phones without relying on jailbreaking.

Re: MacBook Air M4

#299

Post by chippiewill »

12345hn6789 wrote: post #114
Surac wrote: post #30

is there an active linux support for the hardware?

Active Linux support has grinded to a halt. Hector Martin (the developer of asahi Linux) has ceased development. Umid temper your expectations. M3+ will likely never be supported https://asahilinux.org/2025/02/passing-the-torch/

It's not ground to a halt, Hector is a single developer out of many

Re: MacBook Air M4

#300

Post by DwnVoteHoneyPot »

CountHackulus wrote: post #137
ljm wrote: post #41

They don't always hit the mark but I sort of miss the times when Apple would innovate more boldly with their devices. Apple Intelligence isn't it - it's just playing catch-up with a market that tries to slap AI onto everything it can think of. The hardware upgrades are always nice but there's nothing 'out there' like a touch bar or even a 'dynamic island'. Just more safe iterations.

The last time they "innovated" on macbooks we got a touch bar (ignoring M chips). I'm good with incremental improvements if we can avoid those gigantic blunders.

They should do their "touch bar, delete ports, flat keyboard" innovations on a new Macbook Max or Ultra product line and see how it goes. The Air and Pro can stay traditional and keep the HDMI and headphone jacks etc.
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