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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 C

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 high failure rate. But I mean Apple is not known for its conservative design. If I compare my new MacBook Air with most other laptops, especially old ones, those look like teleported from 30 years ago. The new keyboard is far better to type on and my latent RSI highly appreciates less motion necessary - slow SSH sessions punish me with double types but there are solutions, maybe Mosh (mobile shell) works. People should also consider that progress means regress in some way. Most technologies advertised on HN have some serious flaws compared to the old school alternatives. But who seriously wants to go back to 90s computing? I'm quite happy with the new laptop, it's perfect for development, it can be used anywhere, it can be charged with my phone charger (!) and the case is made of iPad Pro scrap, I couldn't be happier.

igravious 7y ago
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.
- blablabla123 7y ago
  The laptop is 1-2 months old only but I had no problem with it. Indeed I had double types in an SSH session with a wacky AI cloud provider but IMHO that's a software problem. (And maybe in 2019 I should anyway rely on Job submissions, web interfaces instead of Terminal connections.) > Progress is not regress. Regress is regress, progress is progress. When I switched from Windows to Linux on the Desktop it was progress in terms of stability but regress in terms of application and driver support. macOS is for me better application and driver support but the choice of hardware is more limited. After all it's not just the laptop you buy but all the components, the components' abilities/driver support, the cases. I think the perfect computer only exists in the product owner's mind ;)
cced 7y ago
Have you had issues with the display or keyboard? I’ve had my display exchanged twice, and topcase exchanged 3 times now.

igravious 7y ago

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.

blablabla123 7y ago
The laptop is 1-2 months old only but I had no problem with it. Indeed I had double types in an SSH session with a wacky AI cloud provider but IMHO that's a software problem. (And maybe in 2019 I should anyway rely on Job submissions, web interfaces instead of Terminal connections.) > Progress is not regress. Regress is regress, progress is progress. When I switched from Windows to Linux on the Desktop it was progress in terms of stability but regress in terms of application and driver support. macOS is for me better application and driver support but the choice of hardware is more limited. After all it's not just the laptop you buy but all the components, the components' abilities/driver support, the cases. I think the perfect computer only exists in the product owner's mind ;)

cced 7y ago

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