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The problem is that there is no reasonable alternative. If you want a retina display, solid construction, and anything even close to a reasonable command line,

The problem is that there is no reasonable alternative. If you want a retina display, solid construction, and anything even close to a reasonable command line, then MBPr and OSX are my only real options. Apparently, engineering and producing a high-quality laptop is a really hard problem. Only Apple and Lenovo seem to be able to do it. And if you go Lenovo, then you are stuck installing Linux who's device drivers are only as good as the time volunteers have given them. And even then the hardware isn't as good, so it's not even worth considering Windows instead of Linux. I believe that the solution is to introduce some sort of modular laptop standard such that people can build them to taste, and manufacturers can focus on building user installable components at various cost/performance points - like the desktop gaming PC market. Modularity would have additional security and openness benefits.

massysett 11y ago
My days installing Linux on PCs are over. Futzing with the device drivers is way too much trouble. However if I had to I would buy a Lenovo, leave Windows on it, and run Linux in a VM. Overall I am happy with my Mac though. I think techies and press people find a lot more faults with Mac software than most users do. But it could be that after years of using Linux desktops my standards for good GUI software are extremely low.
darkstar999 11y ago
Have you looked at Dell's XPS 13 Developer edition? It seems like you are totally ruling out linux even if it comes supported by the hardware manufacturer. I can't imagine Dell released this thing with poor driver support.
- bronson 11y ago
  Basically the same price as the Air, maxes out at 8GB. I keep hoping someone will just destroy Apple's offering, especially for a product as stale as the Air. One day. One worry: Linux still has some issues with retina screens, doesn't it? (though distros have gotten a lot better than two years ago when retina was broken everywhere) > I can't imagine Dell released this thing with poor driver support. I guess you didn't live through Dell (and everyone's) Netbook offerings.
  - jeromenerf 11y ago
    And then, there are system76 laptops.
shiftpgdn 11y ago
Dell XPS 13 Developer edition comes with Ubuntu and a "retina" level screen for about the same cost as a MBPr. Lenovo Yoga 900 can run fedora based linux without issue and is also a "retina" level screen and solid hardware.
- bronson 11y ago
  Yoga 900: retina screen, 16GB memory, core i7, 512GB ssd: $1400. That's pretty darned reasonable! Definitely tempting. Engadget's review says 9 hour battery life, cranky touchpad, and shrunken keyboard. Argh. C'mon Lenovo. Do you have one?
lttlrck 11y ago
Dell XPS 13 is very very nice and runs Ubuntu pretty flawlessly. Battery life is a challenge of course but thats not the hardwares fault and with a newer kernel, the right kernel options and tlp it does alright.

massysett 11y ago

My days installing Linux on PCs are over. Futzing with the device drivers is way too much trouble. However if I had to I would buy a Lenovo, leave Windows on it, and run Linux in a VM. Overall I am happy with my Mac though. I think techies and press people find a lot more faults with Mac software than most users do. But it could be that after years of using Linux desktops my standards for good GUI software are extremely low.

darkstar999 11y ago

Have you looked at Dell's XPS 13 Developer edition? It seems like you are totally ruling out linux even if it comes supported by the hardware manufacturer. I can't imagine Dell released this thing with poor driver support.

bronson 11y ago
Basically the same price as the Air, maxes out at 8GB. I keep hoping someone will just destroy Apple's offering, especially for a product as stale as the Air. One day. One worry: Linux still has some issues with retina screens, doesn't it? (though distros have gotten a lot better than two years ago when retina was broken everywhere) > I can't imagine Dell released this thing with poor driver support. I guess you didn't live through Dell (and everyone's) Netbook offerings.
- jeromenerf 11y ago
  And then, there are system76 laptops.

shiftpgdn 11y ago

Dell XPS 13 Developer edition comes with Ubuntu and a "retina" level screen for about the same cost as a MBPr. Lenovo Yoga 900 can run fedora based linux without issue and is also a "retina" level screen and solid hardware.

bronson 11y ago
Yoga 900: retina screen, 16GB memory, core i7, 512GB ssd: $1400. That's pretty darned reasonable! Definitely tempting. Engadget's review says 9 hour battery life, cranky touchpad, and shrunken keyboard. Argh. C'mon Lenovo. Do you have one?

lttlrck 11y ago

Dell XPS 13 is very very nice and runs Ubuntu pretty flawlessly. Battery life is a challenge of course but thats not the hardwares fault and with a newer kernel, the right kernel options and tlp it does alright.