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Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

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Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#871

Post by tngranados »

robert_foss wrote: post #595
colordrops wrote: post #583

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dell XPS laptops are some of the best Linux laptops out there. No need for Windows. I've been using the same model as you with Linux for a while now and an very happy with it.

Agreed, the Linux support for the Dell XPS machines is excellent.

For real? I have Dell XPS at work an had tons of problems installing linux on it. I ended up finding a respined Ubuntu ISO in github that has plenty of patches pre-applied that mostly works, but still have some issues now and then with random freezes and with a thunderbolt dock. Admittedly, I was not a desktop linux user and didn't have much experience tinkering with it, but a coworker of mine who has been using linux for many years and who I would consider a fairly advanced user (heavily configured distro using his own modified tiled desktop environment, etc) had the same issues and couldn't even figured out how to install Debian on it without having the fans spin up randomly and with everything working (I think the webcam didn't work).

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#872

Post by bdowling »

ben-schaaf wrote: post #827
bdowling wrote: post #796

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two USB-C ports in parallel would get you to 200W.

According to this[0], Macbooks will only charge off one cable. Not sure if anything has changed in that regard since 2016, but I'd wager it hasn't. [0] https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/259744/what-happen...

The comment was about USB-C generally, not limited to the MacBook implementation. There isn’t an inherent reason why two cables couldn’t carry twice the power of one.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#873

Post by stephenr »

ben-schaaf wrote: post #825
stephenr wrote: post #792

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All high performance laptops draw more power than that at high load You’re going to need to qualify what you mean by “high performance”.

I'd classify any laptop with 6 or more intel cores and a dedicated gpu >= rx560/gtx1050(ti). Not so sure about mobile, but a desktop RX560 on its own uses 80-100W[0] which doesn't really leave any headroom for a 6 (yet alone an 8 core) cpu. [0] https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-radeon-rx-560-4gb,5...

Recent MBP15s have 6 or 8 cores, and at least Radeon pro555, 560 or some variety of Vega.

They run on an 87W charger fine.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#874

Post by igravious »

endymi0n wrote: post #111
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…

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 feel too old to compile my own kernel for a glitchy wifi driver, and Windows? Nah, get away...

You can buy laptops with various flavours of Linux pre-installed from a number of different manufacturers right now, you know that right? In the distant past I used to regularly compile my kernels out of necessity and also out of curiosity and trying to eke every last drop of performance from my systems. Now? No way. Have not done that in ages. And you never need to compile a kernel to get a driver working these days, every now and again what you might find is that you have to blacklist a driver or drop a manufacturers firmware into place. In truth, I had to do the exact same on a Macbook to get a non Apple blessed SSD running at full tilt many years ago.

Linux, by any reasonable metric, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with MacOS and Windows today. I can't believe in 2019 with Chromebooks, Lenovo, Dell, Purism, System76 (and those are the ones that I know off the top of my head) you still think compiling kernel drivers is a thing. Even Microsoft makes Linux apps these days: VS Code, Skype, SQL Server, … so that's got to tell you something. The real hold-out is Adobe. I'd love if IBM bought Adobe (after their Redhat purchase) and made all Adobe's apps cross-platform.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#875

Post by igravious »

blablabla123 wrote: post #843
rarecoil wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wasn't that kind of the point of the "Pro" line? I mean, if you just wanted a kinda cool laptop, you'd buy a MacBook or MacBook Air. It's now the MacBook Prosumer, and there is no pro option. Hacker News has been whinging about this Apple dilemma for years. I'm sorry to say that I just don't think there will ever be the golden age of MacBooks again. The "Pro" ideas coming from Cupertino are gimmicky at best for devel…

I bought a MacBook Air recently and the decision was really tough. Obviously the Pro has much more horse power but on the other hand: why would I need so much CPU and possibly GPU on a laptop? If I want to do some data intense task, it will be by far more convenient to run it on a remote server. The tasks run while the laptop is in my back pack and low CPU power means also longer battery life time. Yes, the keyboards…

You tolerate a glitchy keyboard that double types? Madness. Stockholm syndrome!

Loads of ultra-portable PC laptops are perfect for development, can be used anywhere whatever that means, and charge with USB type-C making them compatible with a proper universal power standard.

Progress is not regress. Regress is regress, progress is progress. I'm sorry for saying this but it sounds like you're only convincing yourself that black is white in order to justify your purchase to yourself.

On a more positive note, Mosh was a game changer for me, integrate it into your toolchain, you won't be disappointed.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#876

Post by badpun »

knotty66 wrote: post #637
badpun wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Linux on Macbooks is still crap though...

Runs great on my 2014 MBP.

AFAIK dual-display over thunderbolt is just not working very well for example (there are issues when going to/back from sleep). I've tried switching to Linux on my 2013 MBP for a couple of weeks, and gave up.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#878

Post by cced »

blablabla123 wrote: post #843
rarecoil wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wasn't that kind of the point of the "Pro" line? I mean, if you just wanted a kinda cool laptop, you'd buy a MacBook or MacBook Air. It's now the MacBook Prosumer, and there is no pro option. Hacker News has been whinging about this Apple dilemma for years. I'm sorry to say that I just don't think there will ever be the golden age of MacBooks again. The "Pro" ideas coming from Cupertino are gimmicky at best for devel…

I bought a MacBook Air recently and the decision was really tough. Obviously the Pro has much more horse power but on the other hand: why would I need so much CPU and possibly GPU on a laptop? If I want to do some data intense task, it will be by far more convenient to run it on a remote server. The tasks run while the laptop is in my back pack and low CPU power means also longer battery life time. Yes, the keyboards…

Have you had issues with the display or keyboard? I’ve had my display exchanged twice, and topcase exchanged 3 times now.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#879

Post by pdimitar »

makecheck wrote: post #703
madoublet wrote: post #497

I have the 15" 2018 MacBook Pro and would not recommend one until the following issues are resolved: - It runs really, really hot. It cannot be used on your lap. I cannot imagine how hot a faster model would be. - The keyboard is unreliable. I have not had the stuck key problem (yet!), but I do notice occasional crunching like something is stuck in the keys. I do not eat around this machine on purpose. - The Touchbar…

I agree that the default OS window management is pretty limited but this can literally be solved for $5 or less (sometimes $1) using utilities on the App Store that perform snapping, saved layouts, etc.

Can you please give links? I only know about Stay so far.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#880

Post by AsyncAwait »

crispinb wrote: post #828
kabdib wrote: post #721

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just walk away from the Mac. Windows is perfectly viable for doing development, so is Linux. You can easily get a laptop that is cheaper and more reliable than a Macbook. About the only thing you'll be missing is a cool Apple sticker, but you can get those on eBay. Your wallet will thank you, and so will your fingers. A Macbook was a reasonable, even logical choice in 2012. Now, not so much. Apple can have me back if…

> Windows is perfectly viable for doing development, so is Linux. Viable, yes. I've spent the last year (since replacing a 2013 MB Pro) with a Dell 15 XPS, roughly 50/50 Windows & Linux (Ubuntu then Fedora). Both work. They each run everything I need a laptop for. Honestly neither is quite as good a desktop for me as macOS, but they are near enough that even if I liked the current generation of MacBooks (which I don'…

> Linux is more appealing and almost worth it for the speedy file access, but is too time-consuming for me to to commit to.

I hear a variation of this semi-often and I never quite get what that's supposed to mean. Maybe being a full-time Linux user for a decade has made me used to whatever people are complaining about, but I don't think so, people are complaining about having to fix broken HW/SW occasionally, however as someone who:

- Picks Linux-supported hardware specifically, as opposed to a random, generic PC, (something you wouldn't do with macOS either, btw).

- Runs a rolling release distro, so if anything should experience more breakage than the regular Ubuntu LTS/Fedora user.

I can honestly say that my workflow is basically:

-> Turn the laptop on, (or wake from sleep, yes that works well on solid HW)

-> Get my work done

-> Update the system every couple of days, (rolling release updates)

-> Repeat

Now does occasionally some package update their config that I'll have to merge or something like that? Sure, maybe once or twice a year.

When I do have to use macOS for builds, I experience glitches, (like the login bar loading and never finishing), various annoying updates, (& update prompts), apps, (like Duet Display), randomly breaking when you need them, occasional kernel panics, (but more frequent than I ever had on Linux, in fact I had one on Linux maybe once), choppy performance even on a top spec 2016 MBP due to poor thermals, video rendering issues when switchable graphics is enabled etc.

All in all, my macOS experience is actually somewhat worse than on Linux. It's nothing I can't deal with, but it's nowhere near as trouble free as people make it seem.

I honestly think it comes down to things like macOS being more animated by default, having 3D shadows under every window, the dock enlarging the icons as you scroll pass them, your coworkers having a Mac as a status symbol etc. rather than some big technical hurdle.

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