MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
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MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
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Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#2>underpowered
I still don't get this. Underpowered compared to what? The lastest CPU model? Well, that's to be expected every 6 mounths or so. But from a user's point of view? No so much to be honest.
I can see how latest CPU might give some advantages to those who are dependent on computations, but other than this... no. RAM is the the only thing I've updated in the last 2 year (need all these VMs, IDEs, browser etc). Never saw CPU usage going >80%
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#3No touchscreen is a sign of age.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#4>underpowered I still don't get this. Underpowered compared to what? The lastest CPU model? Well, that's to be expected every 6 mounths or so. But from a user's point of view? No so much to be honest. I can see how latest CPU might give some advantages to those who are dependent on computations, but other than this... no. RAM is the the only thing I've updated in the last 2 year (need all these VMs, IDEs, browser etc…
In terms of raw computational power, e.g. MFLOPS, there is a plausible case regarding GPU's. The article mentions this in passing as more of a "shiny new" gripe than a "GPU's are the future of computing".
Since more people are more motivated by "shiny new" than are limited by the GPU throughput, I'm not surprised at the author's approach or convinced that from a business standpoint GPU performance is critical for Mac marketing. My only point is that there tends to be a technical difference in regard to GPU computational power at similar price points. I'm not saying that this is necessarily important.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#5No touchscreen is a sign of age.
Touchscreens are a BS feature for laptops. Our hands where not made to be used a pointers held at those angles. Nobody uses their Wintel laptops that way either, even when they have the feature.
Now if you're talking about detachable screens, that could be the case. But there are tablets for that, that are even more convenient and specialized to long term use in that way.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#6This isn't new. Apple's Mac update cycle has been slow for some years now. I'm a long-time Apple user, but when I went laptop shopping a couple of years ago I ended up ordering something else instead, because I could get a lot more for less money.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#7No touchscreen is a sign of age.
No, it is a sign of choice/design.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#8I don't need a ton more "innovation" (touchscreen on a laptop is a gimmick IMHO) in my macbook and it's plenty fast for what I do (run 2 external + laptop screen, 1-2 IDEs, chat, email, chrome, firefox, sequel pro, etc) but I think I'll go to the 15" next for the real graphics card and the ability to run 3 external monitors. All that said it pains me that Apple has not made any real improvements in quite some time. I was thinking about this the other day, I normally update every 2 years and I passed that mark 4 months ago but I really don't feel like I'm being held back in any way... Also they cap the RAM to 16GB (which I have) and since I can't add/replace it I don't really want to buy again unless the RAM can go up to 24/32.
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#9>Apple’s computers need to go on a diet
Yeah, not really. They are still among the thinnest/lightest on the market (and doubly so if one counts thinness AND durability, due to the unibody construction).
Of course Apple WILL make them thinner/lighter in future revisions, but I for one, and many others, wish they didn't -- and instead just used the space for moar battery and such.
>But six years is a very long time. The current Air is behind its competitors in every category. It’s more expensive than an entry-level Asus Zenbook UX305CA or Dell XPS 13, yet behind in looks, size, weight, keyboard quality, and display resolution.
And then it lists the MAIN category that counts in a notebook: battery life as a pro for the Air. Not to mention that it being behind in "looks" and "keyboard quality" is BS. For display resolution it's true -- it should have been Retinized or dropped by now.
>The Pro is almost as disappointing. It has a competitive display, and the massive battery Apple stuffs inside both the 13-inch and 15-inch models gives the Pro an edge in battery life. But both systems are larger and heavier than competitors. The 13-inch Pro feels like a brick next to a Dell XPS 13.
The XPS weight less and is smaller (less bevel), but quite bulkier in height. Moreover, worse touchpad (no multi-touch/pressure either), no magsafe, plasticky and cheap looking (complete with "intel inside" sticker, as if we care), no thunderbolt (for video/audio/graphics pros or quick storage and other expansions), etc.
But most importantly, one was released just last month, the other is an older model, and all signs say that the MacBook/Pro line is pending update (it's slightly past the usual update cycle, the inventory is low in retail channels, which usually signals an update, and Intel is having new processors out).
Re: MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced
#10No touchscreen is a sign of age.
Touchscreens are a BS feature for laptops. Our hands where not made to be used a pointers held at those angles. Nobody uses their Wintel laptops that way either, even when they have the feature. Now if you're talking about detachable screens, that could be the case. But there are tablets for that, that are even more convenient and specialized to long term use in that way.
Agreed, I watch these stupid MS commercials where they are using the touchscreen on the laptop and it's SOOO gimmicky. No one really does that. I completely agree on the detachable screen though, of course at that point get an iPad Pro (for certain workloads)....