This will be nowhere near MSRP to Macbook Pro,and you won't be able to buy it for less than 2x MSRP for a while, just because people will buy those to put into rack to do local LLM
Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
461–470 of 686 posts
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#462> NVIDIA already commands a legendary reputation for graphics drivers
“Legendary”, not a “great”, or “good” one. Certainly not “excellent” or “spotless” but, definitely, legendary.
Who writes these pieces?
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#463Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depending on how easy it is to run Linux on this as opposed to the new MacBooks may make this attractive for Linux users. Anyway, the whole trend to change from x86 to Arm on laptops is bad news for compatibility. It might be that the era where you can download an iso and expect Linux to run on a random laptop is over, and Linux users will have to stick to only a couple of devices with well known support. Did Valve r…
> Depending on how easy it is to run Linux on this as opposed to the new MacBooks may make this attractive for Linux users. Why? Just to get ARM? Buy a brand that actually works with the kernel and distros to get their hardware working with linux. Get your money to the people that actually help the software ecosystem. When you spent premium, put your money where it makes a difference.
I recently spent an equivalent of MacBook Air M4 price + import tax to get a linux laptop called Starlabs Horizon that advertises up to 14 hours of battery life. Maybe in a TTY it could do that, but in practice, I haven't yet seen any x86 laptops from any company, linux or not, to match even 50% of a macbook's battery. Realistically it's 4-5 hours like the rest of them. Not to mention that for that money I got a cpu that is a power equivalent of pre-M1 chip mac. Also they put speaker grills at the bottom (what were they thinking??)
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#464Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm curious about the openness of the platform. As long as the openness and standardization of the PC platform is not present, this platform is not a contender of x86 in my eyes. We can see with the highly praised Apple M platform on the example of the Asahi Linux what the lack of openness brings: people are locked in to operating systems by the vendors, and planned obsolescence, even with long support periods. On th…
Yes, with 128GB RAM, I guess one could even ignore that it is soldered (and hence "unrepairable"), but if it can't run Linux or *BSD it is a definite no go. We definitely don't need two closed hardware platform duopoly (Apple and Microsoft), as together they will dominate and kill the "open" platforms. But I am pessimistic here as everything seems headed towards that eventuality. We should never have accepted smartph…
> But I am pessimistic here as everything seems headed towards that eventuality.
Lots of companies buy average Dell and Lenovo laptops because they are repairable in-house.
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#465Earlier quoted context omitted.
I worked with some of the people responsible for the Surface Book, Surface docks, and specifically the Surface Book's dock. These were hardware people (EEs), not software people, and this was after their time at MS. Unfortunately I don't remember specifics (both because it's been a few years, and because I'd probably have to fuzz details anyway), but... : Docks are horrifying products. Thunderbolt docks are doubly ho…
I've been using the Apple USB-C multi port adapter thing since I got one free from a previous job, it seems overpriced since I can see a lot of similar ones much cheaper from competitors, but I've also never had an issue with it in any configuration on any device including non Apple ones. While I regularly see people having issues with the cheaper ones from Dell or Amazon sellers. So maybe you really are getting some…
I’ve had great experiences with OWC as well though I know some people say it can be hit or miss even for the price. I’ve got two major docs from them and so far they’ve been very reliable
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#466Too bad it runs Windows.
Who knows maybe it runs Microsoft’s version of aluminium os or something :D
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#467Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you pretending that Apple doesn't spam you with endless advertisements?
They don't. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't use a Mac.
Well, they keep pushing the Creator Bundle when I open up the Numbers.app I bought bundled with the system. Perhaps they are implying creative bookkeeping?
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#468A former employer of mine, owned by a retired NFL player, purchased Surface devices for the sales staff in addition to their laptops. This was presumably because Microsoft and the NFL had a deal where everyone on the sidelines were using Surfaces and they thought it was a good idea. I say that because no one was asking for them, and when we received them I was inundated with tickets about poor performance: "my surfac…
Microsoft doesn't have the focus to do hardware as complex as a laptop. They want to be able to provide hardware, but they won't make the required investments, they won't delegate the responsibility to a single manager, nor would they give that person the power to say "fuck off" when marketing, or who ever dreams this up goes "LOL, make it AI".
The margins on good hardware simply isn't there for Microsoft. It also don't look good if Windows works flawlessly and fast on Microsoft hardware, but craps out on the $300 - 400 shitty laptop their partners make.
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#469Earlier quoted context omitted.
My absolute favorite fact about the Surface is that if the battery runs out, the Surface Dock power is unable to bootstrap it. You have to plug in a charger Not sure if that's still the case but truly astonishing https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-dock/tro...
To be fair, my MacBook Pro had the same issue - if the battery was dead, charging via USB-C wouldn't work, it would need the MagSafe charger. Presumably because the USB controller needs power in order to negotiate power delivery.
Same here, M2 MBP. Got it in that state because it woke up after I stored it.
Macs have some of these problems too, just less.
Re: Microsoft builds MacBook Pro rival with NVIDIA-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
#470My experience with Surfaces and, particularly, the Surface Book and its accompanying dock were such that I'd have to be paid to use one again. For example, the dock would get its own updates silently and brick itself randomly and the proprietary magnetic connector between the dock and the computer was prone to a poor connection. I remember many occasions trying to work and my screens just randomly blinking in and out…
I only have used the power connector on a Surface Go tablet but have really no complaints. I've never been much of an MS person, but with that thing Windows (10) certainly left on a high note for me.