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Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

arstechnica.com

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Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#321

Post by randomsearch »

sreque wrote: post #273
starbugs wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought my first 15" MBP in 2006 after Apple switched to Intel. I was a student back then and I got it for about 1800 EUR. It was a beautiful machine, I could replace the battery myself without unscrewing anything, and if I wanted to upgrade the memory or HDD I could do that easily. Now here we are 12 years and a couple of Macs later. The current MBP is a bit more beautiful than the first one I got, it's noticeably…

I don't know how anyone could reasonably conclude Apple's software is vastly superior. Apple has always been and continues to be a hardware-first company; their software always lags behind. In the past two days I've had to reboot my mac twice because the headhone jack stopped working. At my previous job, the terminal program segfaulted at least once a week. Bluetooth is notoriously flaky and requires frequent reboots…

Apple software is flawed and imperfect, but you still easily earn the outlay back in productivity within a year. So much time wasted fighting Windows or Linux to do basic tasks like reading email or running an IDE...

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#322

Post by m_mueller »

sreque wrote: post #273
starbugs wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought my first 15" MBP in 2006 after Apple switched to Intel. I was a student back then and I got it for about 1800 EUR. It was a beautiful machine, I could replace the battery myself without unscrewing anything, and if I wanted to upgrade the memory or HDD I could do that easily. Now here we are 12 years and a couple of Macs later. The current MBP is a bit more beautiful than the first one I got, it's noticeably…

I don't know how anyone could reasonably conclude Apple's software is vastly superior. Apple has always been and continues to be a hardware-first company; their software always lags behind. In the past two days I've had to reboot my mac twice because the headhone jack stopped working. At my previous job, the terminal program segfaulted at least once a week. Bluetooth is notoriously flaky and requires frequent reboots…

> When it comes to pure software quality, windows is hands-down the best platform.

I've switched from mac to windows since this summer and I disagree. From the way windows defender interfers with usage to WiFi reception issues (Thinkpad 480s) to poor taskbar functionality to crappy setting screens to harder-to-read fonts, it's just not nowhere near macOS in terms of useability. But the keyboard and ports are that much better that I'm still putting up with it (while thinking about Linux).

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#323

Post by lawnchair_larry »

izacus wrote: post #230
starbugs wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tend to disagree on this one. Even if PC hardware has caught up to a certain extent, software has not. Windows is a nightmare from my perspective (usability, privacy, developer tools, lack of good shell, package management, etc.) and Linux is not a viable alternative when you need certain commercial software. A commercial Linux alternative focussed at desktops with appropriate support for commercial software and an…

shrug I regularly use all three and I'm always baffled by posts like yours. Yes, macOS might be marginally more polished, but it's pretty much a matter of few days to get used to new patterns of the OS and that's it. But yeah, if you decided that you will never in your life ever use anything but Apple operating system, then you just don't have a choice in the market. You'll have to buy what they serve you.

What do you use them for? It’s hard to imagine a power user or developer not having a moderately strong preference one way or the other. If that fits your usage, I am a bit envious of your flexibility!

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#324

Post by duskwuff »

kbenson wrote: post #244
beat wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Odds are they already have ARM-based Macs in house, with all the cross-compilation stuff worked out. The reason they haven't made the switch yet isn't because of work they haven't done. Back when they switched from the PowerPC chips to x86, it was revealed that they had been building experimental x86 Macs in-house for years. That's just good planning.

Oh, I'm fairly sure they've tested all their MacOS core software that comes with the OS (and the OS), but all the third party stuff and things in the MacOS app store likely need a lot more time. (at least for those that weren't already shipping iPhone/iPad versions).

My expectation is that any ARM laptop/desktop made by Apple would include some form of x86 emulation, just like they used during their PPC-x86 and 68k-PPC transitions.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#325

Post by duskwuff »

kentosi wrote: post #305
erikstarck wrote: post #33

There's also, finally, a new Mac Mini! "The most specced-out Mac mini can feature 64 GB RAM, 4.6GHz 6-core Core i7 CPUs, a 2 TB SDD and 10 Gigabit ethernet."

It's the addition of RAM that kills the price though. A jump from 32GB to 64GB is $800USD!

Unless there's another pair of SODIMM slots hidden somewhere out of view, that'd be because the 64GB configuration requires a pair of 32GB DDR4 SODIMMs. These were only announced by manufacturers earlier this year, and aren't even available at most retailers yet.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#326

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

aaaaaaaaaab wrote: post #211
ratfaced-guy wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody cares about headphone jacks.

I do.

I recently bought wireless headphones. I have a small collection is wired headphones.

Given that Apple, Google and reportedly Samsung have done away with it, and everyone still buys their phones, you have to ask yourself, how long will you hold out?

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#327

Post by asdff »

pentae wrote: post #203
YetAnotherNick wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the entry level macbook pro is better buy than this. For $100, the CPU is much better, and very likely the build quality too. And everything else including weight, keyboard, ports, battery life etc. mostly the same.

The thermals on the entry level Macbook pro (non touchbar) is atrocious. It has one less fan than the touchbar model and runs hotter and unless you're in an icy cold room it's guaranteed to make your palms sweaty like a teenager on prom night. I would imagine that the new power-sipping i5 they've put in the MBA will run much cooler.

Every aluminum Macbook makes your palms sweaty, the aluminum body is designed to shed heat. Even a charging iPhone can get very hot just browsing HN. I don't think Apple has ever produced a machine that runs cool to the touch.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#328

Post by lambda_lover »

maxxxxx wrote: post #253
pentae wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple executives are probably telling themselves these people are just trading in their old laptops for iPads hence why they have been doubling down on iOS for the last 5 years. Milking the entire ecosystem for 30% compared to 0% on a laptop sure hasn't hurt, either.

Based on business results the Apple execs are right. To detriment of the relatively small number of professional users like software devs or photographers.

One can only hope that those software devs who create applications for both ecosystems don't leave for greener pastures, taking their software with them...

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#329

Post by asdff »

cptskippy wrote: post #304
cseelus wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The loss of MagSafe for me wasn‘t as bad as expeced, especially given that magnetic USB-C cables(1) are a thing now. 1) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Looyat-Magnetic-Cable-Macbook-Black...

Honestly I'm afraid to use uncertified cables and running an uncertified cable at 20v 4a just sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Don't think about the wiring in your neighborhood then

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#330

Post by x2f10 »

lawnchair_larry wrote: post #311
sreque wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know how anyone could reasonably conclude Apple's software is vastly superior. Apple has always been and continues to be a hardware-first company; their software always lags behind. In the past two days I've had to reboot my mac twice because the headhone jack stopped working. At my previous job, the terminal program segfaulted at least once a week. Bluetooth is notoriously flaky and requires frequent reboots…

Nah, Mac users hate Windows. Personally, I don’t know how any power user can be productive on Windows, and I don’t know how people put up with the bugginess, forced reboots, and invasive telemetry. I use both heavily and hate Windows more with each passing day. It wasn’t so bad around Windows 7, but still not a productive environment for someone who relies on basic unix tools and a working terminal (I know about WSL.…

What an obnoxious statement. No, not all Mac users 'hate Windows'. Yes, power users can be productive on Windows. Yes, macOS has bugs that require resets for some users.
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