6 ms·

And yet many of us will still buy the next macbook pro 13inch refresh when it comes out with a "good keyboard" and a substandard processor. Why is that? For me

by ct520 6y ago

And yet many of us will still buy the next macbook pro 13inch refresh when it comes out with a "good keyboard" and a substandard processor. Why is that? For me - its the total package. The software/the hardware/integrations that just work/the arguably best track pad in the industry. CPU is one piece to the puzzle. I read on the message board to unlock the top tier AMD mobile processors you had to guarantee it wouldn't be paired with other crap hardware like vendors done in the past. We will see - hopefully next microsoft refresh breaks this trend for amd.

teruakohatu 6y ago
I may well end up buying it to replace my aging Macbook Pro, but it will be because the cost of switching to Windows is too high, and because there is proprietary software I need that won't run on Linux. I am buying it because I have little choice, not because it represents good value or the "total package". Few ports, bad repairability, and an OS that won't run perfectly good 32-bit applications.
- ct520 6y ago
  Interesting. I'm not stuck on OSX ecosystem as much as you but certain things do turn me off. I'm really in love with the trackpad and for the most part overall build quality. (my daily is still a macbook pro retina late 2013). I would love to make jump to linux but traditionally battery life the hardware options i have not been in love with. :(
- zrm 6y ago
  A good alternative to this is to run Linux and use Windows in a VM if necessary. Having to use a VM for something once in a while is mildly inconvenient, but it's not that bad, and on the other hand it's just bad enough to keep you on the lookout for ways to stop using it entirely.
  - BLKNSLVR 6y ago
    > use Windows in a VM if necessary That's my last vestige of Windows usage, and by the end of the coming weekend I'm hoping not to need that VM very often either. My only other occasional need to use Windows tends to, ironically, revolve around the software needed to root some Android phones.
neogodless 6y ago
I'm not sure I follow what you're trying to communicate. It's true that if you only consider an Apple laptop, you will only consider an Apple laptop. Windows laptops compete against each other. Few people cross shop them. That being said, it seems that 75-80% of personal computers sold today are still running Windows, not OS X. As someone that has software that runs equally well on Windows and OS X, and who does not use a track pad, bang for buck on hardware performance and quality (and minimal OEM meddling) sells me my laptop. It's also true that AMD has an uphill battle with convincing OEMs to make really great laptops using their APUs. But one would suspect that reading this article, you can tell that Asus has at least a foot in the door, as this is a review of a very high quality laptop - the whole package, not just the CPU. And finally, it's of course also true that most Microsoft Surface products use Intel chips, with just one version of the Surface Laptop using an AMD chip. But they already began to buy into AMD hardware, so I would expect more along those lines this fall!
- ct520 6y ago
  I'm was making an assertion that I feel that a lot of people will buy apple while having a substandard product in some aspects. Because overall it has the "package" When i refer to "many of us" I was talking about startups/developer community maybe not super enterprise-y like a Freddie or Fannie/ BofA etc. "Why is that?" was a question. I answered it for me, but I was wondering for others. That may buy a macbook over something with arguably notebooks with better cpus / configuration. Why are they doing it? AMD has a great processor, what they need is a great platform. I hope Microsoft partnership they have pushes them forward. Because I'm tired of buying intel macbooks/notebooks
  - ido 6y ago
    I've owned/used lots of laptops (both my own & from work). When I tried windows laptops in recent times I searched for the best ones in my size range - both times they were dells (last one is a 2015 XPS 13) & in both I've paid close to apple-level prices (the xps was €2400 IIRC) and yet I had to have both repaired within about a year of buying. With the xps it was just after the 1 year mark which meant I had to pay several €100s for a screen replacement. This never happened to me with a MacBook pro despite having used a lot more of these than I have PC laptops (which were supposed to be high-end laptops). For what it's worth I don't care about OS - my main computer is an iMac I duelboot Mac & Win via boot camp.
fierarul 6y ago
It might be the total package or it might be inertia. While Apple had a head start on polished hardware, all of the producers are catching on in some ways. If you can do your work on another OS (and, generally, you can but habits are strong and you are just so used with your favourite brand) then another laptop doesn't seem so far fetched. I think this is getting closer to the truth. We are creatures of habit and staying with Apple feels cozy.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
greendave 6y ago
I think what makes this inherently harder with notebooks is that everything is integrated. It's not like you can decide to upgrade the keyboard or screen if you don't like the one it comes with. As a result, you're constrained by the whims of the manufacturer. Here's hoping somebody builds a laptop with one of these CPUs that has good battery life, is quiet under light load, has upgradeable memory/storage and comes with a good 16:10 screen.
josteink 6y ago
> I read on the message board to unlock the top tier AMD mobile processors you had to guarantee it wouldn't be paired with other crap hardware like vendors done in the past. Crap HW (utterly terrible keyboards) don't seem to have stalled Apple's Macbook sales though.
poushkar 6y ago
I have a feeling a lot of comments here are missing one thing which is huge for me: MacOS has a consistent UI across all applications. Last year I decided to switch to a Thinkpad with Ubuntu, and while I can work on it, and it kind of has replacements for everything I am used to on Mac, not only the quality of such replacements is usually lower (Good luck finding an equal alternative to iTerm2 or Alfred) but also the shortcuts and UI elements differ from application to application, and it bothers me a lot. I am certainly buying the upcoming Macbook, even though it's probably going to be based on an average (compared to this AMD), highly throttled Intel processor. Am I happy about it? No! But for my usage, it's the best trade-off as of now.
- rubber_duck 6y ago
  >MacOS has a consistent UI across all applications Let's see my currently running apps : Chrome - no Firefox - no Slack - no intellij IDEs - no VSCode - no Spotify - maybe kinda sortof ? VLC - no WhatsApp - no Telegram - no Steam - no What is this consistent UI you speak of ? Most of these apps look the same on windows. The only reason I own a MacBook is because I wanted a single device and I occasionally need to do some osx/iOS work - would be happier with windows laptop for sure
  - fredzel 6y ago
    The problem with Windows 10 is that it doesn't have consistent UI across applications from MS, bundled with system. Heck, there is even 3 or 4 different styles for context menu. They are trying to roll out Fluent Design for what, 3 years now? New control panel is also kinda laughable functionality wise. And I write it as W10 user.
    - pjmlp 6y ago
      Like Apple when it was transitioning from Aqua into more Metallic look, followed by Skeuomorphism and now everything should be Dark?
  - StreamBright 6y ago
    How about just the following: Cmd + q, Cmd + `, Cmd + p, Cmd + shift + 4 If I could do this easily these things on Windows in every application, it would be a great start. I have to use Mac and Windows for work and I still think that Mac gets in your way less than Windows do.

by ct520 6y ago

teruakohatu 6y ago

I may well end up buying it to replace my aging Macbook Pro, but it will be because the cost of switching to Windows is too high, and because there is proprietary software I need that won't run on Linux. I am buying it because I have little choice, not because it represents good value or the "total package". Few ports, bad repairability, and an OS that won't run perfectly good 32-bit applications.

ct520 6y ago
Interesting. I'm not stuck on OSX ecosystem as much as you but certain things do turn me off. I'm really in love with the trackpad and for the most part overall build quality. (my daily is still a macbook pro retina late 2013). I would love to make jump to linux but traditionally battery life the hardware options i have not been in love with. :(
zrm 6y ago
A good alternative to this is to run Linux and use Windows in a VM if necessary. Having to use a VM for something once in a while is mildly inconvenient, but it's not that bad, and on the other hand it's just bad enough to keep you on the lookout for ways to stop using it entirely.
- BLKNSLVR 6y ago
  > use Windows in a VM if necessary That's my last vestige of Windows usage, and by the end of the coming weekend I'm hoping not to need that VM very often either. My only other occasional need to use Windows tends to, ironically, revolve around the software needed to root some Android phones.

neogodless 6y ago

I'm not sure I follow what you're trying to communicate. It's true that if you only consider an Apple laptop, you will only consider an Apple laptop. Windows laptops compete against each other. Few people cross shop them. That being said, it seems that 75-80% of personal computers sold today are still running Windows, not OS X. As someone that has software that runs equally well on Windows and OS X, and who does not use a track pad, bang for buck on hardware performance and quality (and minimal OEM meddling) sells me my laptop. It's also true that AMD has an uphill battle with convincing OEMs to make really great laptops using their APUs. But one would suspect that reading this article, you can tell that Asus has at least a foot in the door, as this is a review of a very high quality laptop - the whole package, not just the CPU. And finally, it's of course also true that most Microsoft Surface products use Intel chips, with just one version of the Surface Laptop using an AMD chip. But they already began to buy into AMD hardware, so I would expect more along those lines this fall!

ct520 6y ago
I'm was making an assertion that I feel that a lot of people will buy apple while having a substandard product in some aspects. Because overall it has the "package" When i refer to "many of us" I was talking about startups/developer community maybe not super enterprise-y like a Freddie or Fannie/ BofA etc. "Why is that?" was a question. I answered it for me, but I was wondering for others. That may buy a macbook over something with arguably notebooks with better cpus / configuration. Why are they doing it? AMD has a great processor, what they need is a great platform. I hope Microsoft partnership they have pushes them forward. Because I'm tired of buying intel macbooks/notebooks
- ido 6y ago
  I've owned/used lots of laptops (both my own & from work). When I tried windows laptops in recent times I searched for the best ones in my size range - both times they were dells (last one is a 2015 XPS 13) & in both I've paid close to apple-level prices (the xps was €2400 IIRC) and yet I had to have both repaired within about a year of buying. With the xps it was just after the 1 year mark which meant I had to pay several €100s for a screen replacement. This never happened to me with a MacBook pro despite having used a lot more of these than I have PC laptops (which were supposed to be high-end laptops). For what it's worth I don't care about OS - my main computer is an iMac I duelboot Mac & Win via boot camp.

fierarul 6y ago

It might be the total package or it might be inertia. While Apple had a head start on polished hardware, all of the producers are catching on in some ways. If you can do your work on another OS (and, generally, you can but habits are strong and you are just so used with your favourite brand) then another laptop doesn't seem so far fetched. I think this is getting closer to the truth. We are creatures of habit and staying with Apple feels cozy.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

greendave 6y ago

I think what makes this inherently harder with notebooks is that everything is integrated. It's not like you can decide to upgrade the keyboard or screen if you don't like the one it comes with. As a result, you're constrained by the whims of the manufacturer. Here's hoping somebody builds a laptop with one of these CPUs that has good battery life, is quiet under light load, has upgradeable memory/storage and comes with a good 16:10 screen.

josteink 6y ago

> I read on the message board to unlock the top tier AMD mobile processors you had to guarantee it wouldn't be paired with other crap hardware like vendors done in the past. Crap HW (utterly terrible keyboards) don't seem to have stalled Apple's Macbook sales though.

poushkar 6y ago

I have a feeling a lot of comments here are missing one thing which is huge for me: MacOS has a consistent UI across all applications. Last year I decided to switch to a Thinkpad with Ubuntu, and while I can work on it, and it kind of has replacements for everything I am used to on Mac, not only the quality of such replacements is usually lower (Good luck finding an equal alternative to iTerm2 or Alfred) but also the shortcuts and UI elements differ from application to application, and it bothers me a lot. I am certainly buying the upcoming Macbook, even though it's probably going to be based on an average (compared to this AMD), highly throttled Intel processor. Am I happy about it? No! But for my usage, it's the best trade-off as of now.

rubber_duck 6y ago
>MacOS has a consistent UI across all applications Let's see my currently running apps : Chrome - no Firefox - no Slack - no intellij IDEs - no VSCode - no Spotify - maybe kinda sortof ? VLC - no WhatsApp - no Telegram - no Steam - no What is this consistent UI you speak of ? Most of these apps look the same on windows. The only reason I own a MacBook is because I wanted a single device and I occasionally need to do some osx/iOS work - would be happier with windows laptop for sure
- fredzel 6y ago
  The problem with Windows 10 is that it doesn't have consistent UI across applications from MS, bundled with system. Heck, there is even 3 or 4 different styles for context menu. They are trying to roll out Fluent Design for what, 3 years now? New control panel is also kinda laughable functionality wise. And I write it as W10 user.
  - pjmlp 6y ago
    Like Apple when it was transitioning from Aqua into more Metallic look, followed by Skeuomorphism and now everything should be Dark?
- StreamBright 6y ago
  How about just the following: Cmd + q, Cmd + `, Cmd + p, Cmd + shift + 4 If I could do this easily these things on Windows in every application, it would be a great start. I have to use Mac and Windows for work and I still think that Mac gets in your way less than Windows do.