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My $2.2k laptop can't drive two screens

notes.nokun.eu

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

#61

Post by lynndotpy »

jemmyw wrote: post #43
lynndotpy wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using MacOS for ~2 years, and GNOME in various forms for ~10 years. I'm even typing this comment from a Mac. For me, the biggest thing is that MacOS has lengthy sigmoidal animations, and no ability to move windows between desktops ("spaces") with a keyboard shortcut. Those animations are a source of constant friction, and the limited multi-desktop functionality makes single and dual monitor setups very frus…

I know your reply will be something along the lines of "shouldn't need to do this" but if you're constantly annoyed by the animations there's a terminal command to change the setting so they run very fast or not at all. I have a script to run after a fresh install of macos that speeds up the animations, fixes keyboard repeat, and a bunch of other tweaks to make it more to my liking.

My understanding was that required disabling MacOS's SIP... But a quick search shows me I was mistaken. I appreciate the reply, I'm going to go give it a try.

I don't mind needing to disable the animations, I know it's a useful UI language that most people appreciate. Even on GNOME, Android, Windows, etc. they are on by default.

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

#62

Post by Brian_K_White »

theshrike79 wrote: post #58
Brian_K_White wrote: post #49

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?

Yes. Even, "Yes, of course".

I enjoy being able to feel where the button is and is not without looking or guessing. It's such a huge thing that it's worth putting tape on my Framework touch pad just to make a tactile demarkation to seperate the left button area from the right button area from the I-wish-this-were-not-a-button area, and also make the button area no longer sensitive so it doesn't move the pointer or register 2 fingers when one is on the tape. (actually I mostly just never use that garbage Apple-wannabe touch pad when I can possibly avoid it)

I enjoy unambiguous clicking only when I intended and never when I didn't.

I enjoy being able to rest my palm and thumb on the table and front of the machine without either unintended clicks or unintended pointer movement.

I enjoy only having to move my finger a small distance instead of my whole hand and wrist, or even my entire arm.

I enjoy unambiguous and immediate single motion drag-while-click more than error-prone and multi-step tapping gestures.

Replacing buttons with gestures was never a usability upgrade, it was a cost and appearance (for certain pathological extremes of appearance) upgrade to replace hardware with software. All the added flexibility that software allows over hardware is still available with or without the buttons so that is not a gain.

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

#63

Post by lynndotpy »

lynndotpy wrote: post #61
jemmyw wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know your reply will be something along the lines of "shouldn't need to do this" but if you're constantly annoyed by the animations there's a terminal command to change the setting so they run very fast or not at all. I have a script to run after a fresh install of macos that speeds up the animations, fixes keyboard repeat, and a bunch of other tweaks to make it more to my liking.

My understanding was that required disabling MacOS's SIP... But a quick search shows me I was mistaken. I appreciate the reply, I'm going to go give it a try. I don't mind needing to disable the animations, I know it's a useful UI language that most people appreciate. Even on GNOME, Android, Windows, etc. they are on by default.

An update, it seems very few of the recommendations floating around out there work :( The only thing it seems I can change is the dock appear/disappear speed.

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

#64

Post by AndrewOMartin »

xlii wrote: post #55
refulgentis wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

It's not called a MacBook Standard Cohort though.

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

#65

Post by xlii »

AndrewOMartin wrote: post #64
xlii wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

It's not called a MacBook Standard Cohort though.

With tongue in cheek one could say it’s also not called Macbook 3D ;)

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

#66

Post by tonynator »

kcplate wrote: post #51
tonynator wrote: post #21

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…

The "not as capable" Windows laptops still aren't gimped to only run one display.

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

#67

Post by tonynator »

mcphage wrote: post #44
tonynator wrote: post #21

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. That’s a fair point, but also a narrow need. If that’s your need, then absolutely, look elsewhere. But the reason that it isn’t a major problem for Apple is that it isn’t a very common need—the laptop’s screen plus one external display is probably what the vast majority of people—even pros—need.

Yes surely any time they gimp a product it's because nobody needs the feature they removed. It's never just to save money because they know people will buy even if its inconvenient.

Every single person at my large software company uses at least 2 displays + laptop, that's the standard setup. It's just objectively better for productivity to be able to look at multiple things at once without having to cram them into a single monitor.

Terminal, Slack, IDE, and browser each deserve their own monitor ideally. Personally, 2x vertical monitors side by side is a nice to have for programming so one can be for IDE and the other for reading docs/articles.

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

#68

Post by tonynator »

spacedcowboy wrote: post #23
tonynator wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's on Apple to not sell a substandard product with missing features, and it's on Apple fanboys to not buy them. Neither will realistically happen.

Nah. Apple tells you what you're getting for your money in plain old English in white and black. If you don't read it, that's on you. M3 Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and: One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz M3 Pro Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and: Up to two external displays wi…

A better analogy would be American Airways deciding to make economy stand instead of sit. And then a bunch of brainwashed American Airways consoomers continuing to buy and support the company because they're really good at marketing.

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

#69

Post by mcphage »

tonynator wrote: post #67
mcphage wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The competition can run multiple displays. That’s a fair point, but also a narrow need. If that’s your need, then absolutely, look elsewhere. But the reason that it isn’t a major problem for Apple is that it isn’t a very common need—the laptop’s screen plus one external display is probably what the vast majority of people—even pros—need.

Yes surely any time they gimp a product it's because nobody needs the feature they removed. It's never just to save money because they know people will buy even if its inconvenient. Every single person at my large software company uses at least 2 displays + laptop, that's the standard setup. It's just objectively better for productivity to be able to look at multiple things at once without having to cram them into a…

> Yes surely any time they gimp a product it's because nobody needs the feature they removed.

You're tilting at windmills here—nobody claims that nobody needs it. Just that it's an engineering trade off, of who needs it.

> Every single person at my large software company uses at least 2 displays + laptop, that's the standard setup.

That's pretty cool. The standard for my medium software company is... not that.

> It's just objectively better for productivity to be able to look at multiple things at once without having to cram them into a single monitor.

I agree with you there. I'm pretty happy with 2 screens—and getting an extra wide monitor for my second screen was also a step up in a lot of ways.

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

#70

Post by kcplate »

tonynator wrote: post #66
kcplate wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

The "not as capable" Windows laptops still aren't gimped to only run one display.

If that is the most important feature for a laptop for you to have, then you should buy whatever “not as capable” machine suits your needs.

For me it’s like the least most important feature

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