Live data from Hacker News

My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

notes.nokun.eu

51–60 of 70 posts

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#51
post #7

I don’t think it’s that Apple is so good but that the competition is so garbage that it makes anything halfway decent seem amazing.

The competition can run multiple displays. The competition has built in window tiling shortcuts. The competition has built in clipboard history. The competition doesn't open up your music player every time you connect your earbuds. The competition doesn't require carrying around HDMI and ethernet adapters everywhere you go. Apple is garbage, Macbooks are garbage, Windows + WSL beats them for every development task an…

> The competition can run multiple displays.

So can quite a few Mac models on the Apple website. Pretty sure that “the competition” has a model or two in its product line up that is not as powerful or capable as another model it sells.

As for all of those other things you said…I have tiling shortcuts on my Mac via a lovely little program called rectangle that does so much more than Windows ever could. I have literally never ever wanted or needed a clipboard history but there are plenty in the App Store if I did. My Mac doesn’t open up my music player when I connect my earbuds (took about 15 seconds to disable that in settings)…and fun fact, my earbuds move between my iPad, Mac, and iPhone pretty much seamlessly which is really nice. I do carry a decent USB-c hub that weighs about 2 oz, so your right about that…but the power adapter that I use that can charge my Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and earbud case weighs about a tenth of what my wife’s Windows laptop power brick weighs and fits in my pants pocket, so I don’t mind that extra 2oz in my bag.

But hey, you buy the machine you want for the reason you want.

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#52
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The competition can run multiple displays. The competition has built in window tiling shortcuts. The competition has built in clipboard history. The competition doesn't open up your music player every time you connect your earbuds. The competition doesn't require carrying around HDMI and ethernet adapters everywhere you go. Apple is garbage, Macbooks are garbage, Windows + WSL beats them for every development task an…

> The competition can run multiple displays. So can quite a few Mac models on the Apple website. Pretty sure that “the competition” has a model or two in its product line up that is not as powerful or capable as another model it sells. As for all of those other things you said…I have tiling shortcuts on my Mac via a lovely little program called rectangle that does so much more than Windows ever could. I have literall…

With the USB-C Mac’s, the MagSafe adapter is wonderful. It’s been driving me toward adopting USB-C more and more. I selected my current eReader partly because of USB-C support.

Going in, I bought an Apple silicon Mac that supports multiple displays because I knew I’d want/need that. Wasn’t an issue. I spent less than $2,000 on it.

I’d also add to this that I have not yet found anything that can’t be done on macOS via native CLI, Homebrew (or analogues), or in containers, that can be done in WSL. Nothing that isn’t Windows-specific anyway.

I have never had macOS open Music when connecting earbuds. Some devices yes, which I tend to disable, but not my earbuds. I have a pair of Powerbeats Pro.

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#54
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This works perfect. Until you want to see Netflix or other DRM protected stuff.

So… perfect workaround for a work computer?

Amusingly you can’t play some of our required LMS training through Displaylink

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely agree with your first point. If this machine is such a detriment to OP's productivity, surely their time would be better spent communicating this with their IT/procurement team over making a public blog post.

The idea that you can't share an opinion on something unless you paid for it doesn't hold much water, for me. Sure, he can bug the IT department for a different one. Is he allowed to write about it if he got it as a gift? 20% off open box? TFA lays out a ton of reasons why this is a particular problem beyond personal griping, ex. the cheaper MBA has a workaround that was promised to also land for the MacBook Pro, mon…

It’s an interesting question you’re making.

If I’d got a 85” TV as a gift, should I complain about the fact it has 2 HDMIs instead of 6 I require? Such TVs are usually expensive so I could argue it should have 6 ports but then there’s some kind of compromise design is making.

I’d argue that having 2+ external monitors is not a standard cohort of users, and I’d check support before buying (in fact, numer of HDMI ports is one of the main parameter I check in TV contest). Yes, it doesn’t support that, it’s not a secret though.

Should it support? I, personally don’t care. Some people care. For those who care it’s design flaw, for those who don’t it’s not.

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#57
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So… perfect workaround for a work computer?

Depends on the work. The suggested solution may very well fall on its face with any media & entertainment work, which incidentally is one of the industries with the heaviest Mac usage.

Who can also buy more expensive model

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does any of the competition have a trackpad that compares to those on MacBooks?

I hate apple's huge trackpads and lack of buttons. Any competition that isn't trying to clone Apple is doing it better by not having Apple's trackpad.

So you actually enjoy a small trackpad with physical buttons?

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate apple's huge trackpads and lack of buttons. Any competition that isn't trying to clone Apple is doing it better by not having Apple's trackpad.

So you actually enjoy a small trackpad with physical buttons?

I'm not the person you replied to, but I enjoy a trackpoint. With buttons.

Re: My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

#60
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're just able to buy a MacBook Pro with a non-pro CPU. This capability is definitely primarily for market segmentation (the power drain isn't a realistic argument in this scenario, as the user will almost always have power available when plugged into a display)

>You're just able to buy a MacBook Pro with a non-pro CPU. That doesn't strike you as misleading?

Nothing strikes me as misleading, because everything is misleading in today's world.
Post reply on HN