4 ms·

I can't give this a big enough amen. Ten years ago there was simply no question in my mind that apple hardware + OS X was the right choice for audio/music prod

I can't give this a big enough amen. Ten years ago there was simply no question in my mind that apple hardware + OS X was the right choice for audio/music production (not to mention a relatively hassle free Unix workstation for developers + some desktop software usage). Twenty years ago? Still Apple. Over the last 3-4 years, however, I've come to the conclusion that my next purchase needs to be something else if for no other reason than to clearly understand the alternatives. This is key: > The bad news: Apple still can’t seem to keep third parties synced up with its now annual release cadence. In a now yearly ritual, Apple has broken plug-in validation for its own Audio Unit format. Open question: why? Why is this now a regular feature of updating an operating system for a format that has basically remained unchanged for years? Why shouldn’t desktop upgrades be the kind of no-brainer mobile upgrades are. I have a hard time avoiding at least one of two conclusions: (a) Apple either now lacks the necessary talent to do the quality of work they sustained with OS X for a while (b) they fundamentally simply do not care at an institutional level (And if it were really only about Audio Units, that'd be one thing. But it's not.)

beedogs 10y ago
I also have a feeling it's a hardware/software combination. All the post-Haswell Macbooks (from 2013 onwards) seem to fare much, much worse for audio applications than the ones produced prior to the switch. I recently got rid of a late 2013 Retina MBP in favour of a late 2012 15" RMBP, and the difference in audio performance is astounding. No dropouts anymore, all my plugins work again, and Ableton is once again usable. I was hoping for a difference in performance but I was amazed at how much better the older one performed, with identical memory and SSD disk. And that's not the only issue I had with the 13" Haswell RMBP. Often it would lose its entire USB chain (which includes the built-in trackpad and keyboard!) which would require me to remote into it to shut it down. Thunderbolt wasn't much better, with frequent network dropouts over a gigabit tb adapter. The poor thing barely worked out of the box and it didn't get much better. I don't know what happened specifically with Haswell, but it seems like Apple and Intel haven't really been working to ensure it's a stable platform. It's a mess.
- willtim 10y ago
  It's likely the OS power management features and/or hardware CPU throttling that is causing you dropouts. The hardware and software have been optimised for occasional CPU use, slim looks and long battery life.
  - brokenmachine 10y ago
    Lol, disable USB to save power! The battery life is amazing when you can't do anything!
- lloeki 10y ago
  What's the feedback on the iOS devices front? Not talking about the potency of software, purely of the "quality" side of things. I have an uneasy feeling of a slowly growing carelessness on the Mac side of things ever since iOS took off. I used to have a very solid, extremely robust machine and OS, and that seems to be slowly being chipped at, progressively eroding confidence. Coupled with the fact that I'm unable to find truly worthy alternatives, the general tech devices landscape somehow looks subtly worse than even a couple of years ago. I'm not one to complain, but somehow, I'm getting concerned.
snarfy 10y ago
A thinner phone with less holes in it is more important than a working phone with a headphone jack. It makes me believe Apple is run more by designers than engineers.
- icantdrive55 10y ago
  I watched the movie Steve Jobs on HBO. If any of it true, I came away with these thoughts: 1. Steve wanted a closed system. 2. He cared too much about form. He was not a coder. He was not a hacker. It was Woz. Steve was the business guy. 3. I think the world would be better off if Woz was offered, and took the CEO position after Jobs demise. We might have some really great, open source computers. 4. I don't think I will buy another new Apple product. I will buy used until someone takes their place, because there's so much used stock on Ebay, and CL. 5. But then again, their products are beloved by so many people. I have a relative who bought a new Imac. A $2970 Imac-- that's still in the box. it's been a two months. I asked why he hasn't set it up. He blamed it on me. "You haven't had the time lately, so i am still using my old barely working Imac." 6. That's some pretty spectacular Marketing--Product likability. It will be some time until the average user realizes Apple might be slipping. The average user knows noting about the benefits of an open source computer.
- omnimus 10y ago
  The question is what is more important? Design or engineering? Engineers are enablers, but design makes things refined. I dont thin Apple is run by either designer or engineer. Since Jobs death apple is run by marketing department and board wanting as much money as possible. There is noticable decline in quality of design and engineering. Making waterproof iphone is reaction to market of waterproof android phones. Every designer understands the greatness of jack design. Its again move of marketing department to control headphone market and DRM your music. It used to be that you had iphone. It was expensive, but it was one best phone Apple could build. Now how many iphone types you can buy? Thats marketing. It will fail because soon even general people will realize its not so good anymore. I am sad abou OSX tho.
  - Grazester 10y ago
coredog64 10y ago
I would have thought that 20 years ago the crown was still held by SGI.

beedogs 10y ago

I also have a feeling it's a hardware/software combination. All the post-Haswell Macbooks (from 2013 onwards) seem to fare much, much worse for audio applications than the ones produced prior to the switch. I recently got rid of a late 2013 Retina MBP in favour of a late 2012 15" RMBP, and the difference in audio performance is astounding. No dropouts anymore, all my plugins work again, and Ableton is once again usable. I was hoping for a difference in performance but I was amazed at how much better the older one performed, with identical memory and SSD disk. And that's not the only issue I had with the 13" Haswell RMBP. Often it would lose its entire USB chain (which includes the built-in trackpad and keyboard!) which would require me to remote into it to shut it down. Thunderbolt wasn't much better, with frequent network dropouts over a gigabit tb adapter. The poor thing barely worked out of the box and it didn't get much better. I don't know what happened specifically with Haswell, but it seems like Apple and Intel haven't really been working to ensure it's a stable platform. It's a mess.

willtim 10y ago
It's likely the OS power management features and/or hardware CPU throttling that is causing you dropouts. The hardware and software have been optimised for occasional CPU use, slim looks and long battery life.
- brokenmachine 10y ago
  Lol, disable USB to save power! The battery life is amazing when you can't do anything!
lloeki 10y ago
What's the feedback on the iOS devices front? Not talking about the potency of software, purely of the "quality" side of things. I have an uneasy feeling of a slowly growing carelessness on the Mac side of things ever since iOS took off. I used to have a very solid, extremely robust machine and OS, and that seems to be slowly being chipped at, progressively eroding confidence. Coupled with the fact that I'm unable to find truly worthy alternatives, the general tech devices landscape somehow looks subtly worse than even a couple of years ago. I'm not one to complain, but somehow, I'm getting concerned.

snarfy 10y ago

A thinner phone with less holes in it is more important than a working phone with a headphone jack. It makes me believe Apple is run more by designers than engineers.

icantdrive55 10y ago
I watched the movie Steve Jobs on HBO. If any of it true, I came away with these thoughts: 1. Steve wanted a closed system. 2. He cared too much about form. He was not a coder. He was not a hacker. It was Woz. Steve was the business guy. 3. I think the world would be better off if Woz was offered, and took the CEO position after Jobs demise. We might have some really great, open source computers. 4. I don't think I will buy another new Apple product. I will buy used until someone takes their place, because there's so much used stock on Ebay, and CL. 5. But then again, their products are beloved by so many people. I have a relative who bought a new Imac. A $2970 Imac-- that's still in the box. it's been a two months. I asked why he hasn't set it up. He blamed it on me. "You haven't had the time lately, so i am still using my old barely working Imac." 6. That's some pretty spectacular Marketing--Product likability. It will be some time until the average user realizes Apple might be slipping. The average user knows noting about the benefits of an open source computer.
omnimus 10y ago
The question is what is more important? Design or engineering? Engineers are enablers, but design makes things refined. I dont thin Apple is run by either designer or engineer. Since Jobs death apple is run by marketing department and board wanting as much money as possible. There is noticable decline in quality of design and engineering. Making waterproof iphone is reaction to market of waterproof android phones. Every designer understands the greatness of jack design. Its again move of marketing department to control headphone market and DRM your music. It used to be that you had iphone. It was expensive, but it was one best phone Apple could build. Now how many iphone types you can buy? Thats marketing. It will fail because soon even general people will realize its not so good anymore. I am sad abou OSX tho.
- Grazester 10y ago

coredog64 10y ago

I would have thought that 20 years ago the crown was still held by SGI.