Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#651

Post by pfranz » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:43 PM UTC

graeme wrote: post #546

stephenr wrote: post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not just you. I don’t get the whining about lack of USB type-a ports or the sd card slot and hdmi port. One, ONE $30 adapter gives you all of those and you have 3 TB3 ports still to use, AND it will read more memory card formats. Edit: AND it will have more USB-A ports than the old MBP had! I saw a manufacturer a while ago had a little magnetic adapter for a USB-c power port, too. Oh and the common complaint abo…

>One, ONE $30 adapter gives you all of those That's not how TB3 works though. Those cheap dongles don't necessarily pass through correctly, and this can lead to all manner of problems when you have sensitive equipment connected. Lots of reports of audio issues on USB C Macs when using external dongles, for example. The actual TB3 hubs cost $150 minimum iirc. This may not cause trouble in your own use case, but it's d…

> That's not how TB3 works though.

I don't believe that's how TB3 works, either. I might be mistaken or out of date, but I've looked. At any price I haven't seen an actual TB3 hub that gives you more ports than you start with. The ones that do aren't TB3, they're extra power-only or USB-only USB-C ports. Everything I've seen is just a passthrough TB3 port with additional accessories that are generally USB or HDMI tunneled through.

> Lots of reports of audio issues on USB C Macs when using external dongles, for example.

If you're talking about audio production...that tends to go with everything computer related for 30+ years. Which port you plug in, the brand of cable you use, the minor software release--all are potential problems. Everyone tends to have a unique setup, too.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#652

Post by VectorLock » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:45 PM UTC

acomjean wrote: post #218

VectorLock wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this is such a common refrain and yet when a maker like System76 tries to enter this market they still still fuck it all up by jamming a number pad in the side. Why do they all do this?

System76 is using OEM gaming laptops, so are probably a little limited in what they can do. They keys are slightly smaller (I think), but I have gotten used to them. I do like having the number pad though. The only thing I'm missing in my mac -> linux conversion, is lightroom (it seems to process raw files better). I'm getting better at the linux equivalent "darktable". I sometimes feel I would pay for software on li…

I don't even care about the Linux environment so much as I just want a physical enclosure equivalent in finish to the 2015 era 15" MacBookPro.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#653

Post by muyuu » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:47 PM UTC

gilbetron wrote: post #74

After 8 years of macbooks, after using the 2018 model, I switched to a Dell Precision 5530 running Ubuntu 18.04 and it is awesome. The hardware is great, and having Unix under it all was the only real reason I liked Macs (used to be hardware, too). Granted, I don't need Adobe stuff, or anything else that doesn't run or have an alternative on Ubuntu (although it is dual-booted with Win10, but I've never used it, just…

Any issues with that model? I'm thinking of doing a similar switch but I really don't want to be fighting driver and compatibility issues.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#654

Post by pfranz » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:48 PM UTC

wDcBKgt66V8WDs wrote: post #586

burtonator wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Loss of MagSafe (this one still hurts). I will NEVER forgive them for this. Jobs was RIGHT when he said this was a major innovation over everyone else. Now Apple is either saying he was wrong or THEY are wrong. They're not BOTH right. My 2015 is the last MBP I will ever buy and it's aging fast... I think it's hackingtosh from here on out. I primarily use Ubuntu but I have to have a Mac as our app runs cross platfor…

I have a USB-C only Lenovo (well I guess it has USB-A but I never use it, I'm all in bluetooth/USB-C) and a latest gen Mac Air. I've got a USB-C charging cable for each, a dock at home and at the office that is USB-C (and manages peripherals including monitor). Seriously a "PC" and Mac sharing all the same chargers and docking solutions. This is incredible. I never had a Mac with mag safe so maybe I just don't know w…

When I got my 2017 MBP and was comparing PCs I either wanted Magsafe-like or USB-c (Surface is magsafe-like). I ended up with a Macbook Pro. Late one night a few months after getting it I forgot a charger and ran to Target, then Wal-Mart looking for a USB-C charger and everything was still proprietary chargers. Maybe one of the display units had USB-C charging, but they didn't sell standalone chargers. USB-C had been around at least since 2015 so I didn't think I was that early of an adopter...

At least this seems to have changed a bit. Like you said, it's so nice to charge non-Apple headphones or my Switch without hunting for extra cables.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#655

Post by peterkelly » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:50 PM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #509

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #456

Just thought I’d chime in to say I’m loving my Thinkpad X1 with Debian. If you want to install Debian on the X1 it’s pretty easy. Just make sure to fix some of the sleep issues using the (easy) instructions on this page, which in my experience still apply to Debian: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carb...

"Just make sure to fix some of the sleep issues..." A great example of why people buy Macs, though. Most people don't want to faff around with hackery getting Linux to work properly. And with Windows 10's horrible privacy issues, Macs are still the best choice. They're buying them for the software, not the hardware.

My god.

Problems with sleep/resume were what ultimately convinced me to switch from Linux to Mac 12 years ago. It's insane to see there are still issues with it today.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#656

Post by locusm » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:52 PM UTC

staticvoidmaine wrote: post #313

endymi0n wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can only come to the same conclusion. Typing this on a 2018 MacBook 15 inch, and it's a disaster. I still keep accidentally hitting the Touchbar ten times per day while typing (it's not a press-bar, duh), I need a dongle for _everything and their mother_, battery lifetime isn't good, the keyboard is prone to mistyping and double clicks, the screen doesn't get bright enough sometimes, I can't get any higher spec har…

I have been using a System76 Darter Pro (max cpu and ram) with Pop!_OS 19.04 and it’s been a dream to use. My day to day workload includes docker, node.js services, Postgres, mongodb, and gis tasks. I get about 6 hours of battery life while working and about 8 or so when doing non-work tasks. It’s the real deal. I’m also driving a 4K monitor with the laptop display on as well. Smooth as butter. However, I’ve tried so…

Pop OS on a T series Lenovo have been fault free for me. Ive run it on T480, T580 and T480S. The T490 which has just been released has a much brighter panel so opt for that one if you can.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#657

Post by wyclif » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:55 PM UTC

awill wrote: post #298

microtonal wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am still using a MacBook Pro 2018 as my laptop, but do my primary work on an Intel NUC8i5BEH with Linux. I work remotely from my home, so I rarely need the laptop anymore. The NUC has the same quad core Intel i5-8259U, with double the RAM and double the SSD size at approximately a quarter of the price of MacBook Pro. If you don't have an existing screen, you can buy a good Dell HiDPI screen for ~500 Euros. The Linu…

I also work at a company heavily reliant on Microsoft Office. It makes it hard to pick any OS that isn't Windows or Mac. Cloud apps like Google Docs, Hangouts, Slack etc.. were supposed to make the OS less important. It's too bad we're not there yet.

Why don't they use Google Docs instead of MS Office? It's 2019...

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#658

Post by ianwalter » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:55 PM UTC

pimeys wrote: post #484

cbm-vic-20 wrote: post #351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm disappointed that Apple didn't either kill the Touchbar, or commit to it fully: why is there no desktop keyboard (wireless or wired) with the Touchbar? Presumably a huge amount of Pro users (this is a Macbook "Pro", right?) plug into keyboard, pointing device, and monitor frequently...

At least Lenovo just ditched their Touchbar after the disastrous 2nd generation of X1 Carbon, never to be seen again. Also did a mistake with the 2014 series of ThinkPad by removing the mouse buttons due to a bigger touchpad, just to give them back when the users complained enough in 2015. Have to give them credit for that.

I would not give them credit for not being able to create a touchpad as good as Apples and just giving up. The MacBook touchpad is an amazing piece of hardware. I still think its too big now, but the hardware itself is one of the best things about the MacBook.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#659

Post by stoppergoo » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:56 PM UTC

computerex wrote: post #577

stoppergoo wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really just the MagSafe is the big difference they lost. Supposedly the keyboard sucks, why don’t they just fix it or go back to the previous iteration. Either way I think these are still the best notebooks you can buy. Ubuntu doesn’t even work right on my dell desktop - it never remembers dual monitor settings, even with Nvidia official drivers installed. When I open my MacBook Air I can just use it without waiting…

> Either way I think these are still the best notebooks you can buy. Five years ago you could make that statement and not have to think twice about it. However now there is too much competition. 1. Dell XPS 2. Matebook X Pro 3. Asus Zenbook Pro These are just 3 laptops off the top of my head that can compete with the latest and greatest Macbook Pro and come out arguably better. The keyboard, thermal issues and touchb…

I’ve borrowed recent fancy dell XPS 1-2 year old from IT, used and abused by previous employees.

They don’t hold up well at all. Trackpad feels crap compared to my 5 year old mb air, screens suck, keyboard feels meh. They might start out nice but they deteriorate really quickly from my firsthand sampling

The old MacBooks I’ve used from IT, however, still function like original except for the visual wear and tear you see and the ugh of using something all scratched up

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#660

Post by AHTERIX5000 » Tue, May 21, 2019, 10:56 PM UTC

josephg wrote: post #643

ericabiz wrote: post #51

We repair these as part of our business, and to be clear, both the keyboards and the screens are failing on these at an alarming rate. iFixit detailed the issues with the screens, which (in Apple's unending quest for "thinness") use a thinner flex cable to connect the display to the rest of the laptop. This thinner cable is prone to breakage, and we are already seeing 2016-2017 MacBook Pros in our shop regularly for…

They have announced a free fix for displays on 2016 models: https://www.apple.com/support/13-inch-macbook-pro-display-ba... And a free fix for keyboard issues on all butterfly keyboard laptops: https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-m... For now the display fix is only for 2016 displays; though I suspect with more bad press they’ll extend to 2017 and 2018 models too. I have a 2016 model which is s…

> And a free fix for keyboard issues on all butterfly keyboard laptops

Don't know about the very latest one (assuming there is 4th gen) but so far this has been more like a workaround that breaks down again at some point since the design is not solid. Getting an inherently flawed replacement for free isn't worth celebrating IMHO especially considering how expensive these things are.