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I'm pretty encouraged at how far the Linux kernel's progressed with adding support for current modern MacBook hardware. Every now and then I boot up a distro t

I'm pretty encouraged at how far the Linux kernel's progressed with adding support for current modern MacBook hardware. Every now and then I boot up a distro that tends to have quite bleeding edge kernel version like a Tails USB to see how complete the hardware compatibility is out of the box. Apple's hardware like their trackpad remains superior enough that there seems to be enough interest (like you and me) in seeing it work. https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux

brainbag 6y ago
I don't know if anyone else has caught up on this in the last two years since I went laptop shopping, but the trackpad quality is one of the only major things keeping me from buying a Windows laptop and installing Linux.
- acomjean 6y ago
  People bring this up, but honestly I’ve never noticed trackpad quality issues on other higher end PCs. People are basing their OS choices on marginal difference in trackpad quality? How about the fact that with macOS your tied to one vendor and their hardware choices (keyboard /ports etc). I don’t have a new MacBook(work machine 5yrs old), but I didn’t love the giant trackpad on the one I borrowed.
  - Lio 6y ago
    As an example of a hardware issue on the XPS 13, the trackpad is hinged from the top near the spacebar. That means that it either requires more force to click the higher up that pad you go or you have to click more precisely at the bottom of that pad. That's been a non-issue even before they moved to the artificial click mechanism.
- mindfulhack 6y ago
  Me too. I've never been a 'fanboy' of any given manufacturer or ecosystem. Even while still a Windows user I starting moving my laptop hardware to Apple in 2010 once I saw it clearly was the best. I painfully lived through the awful #keyboardgate years in 2017-19 and lived to tell the tale, and I'll only move to a different 'whole package' that's superior as soon once someone actually makes one. I recently realised maybe trackpad isn't everything, and I guess it's not. It's about the balance of the whole package. Since I adore macOS anyway (it's like a half Linux what with homebrew), I have no problem with it for now.
mapgrep 6y ago
As of a couple of years ago, last time I checked, macbook’s wifi stack was totally nonfunctional on Linux. Has that changed? Update: I see from your link it works on 2/8 tested. Better than nothing.

brainbag 6y ago

I don't know if anyone else has caught up on this in the last two years since I went laptop shopping, but the trackpad quality is one of the only major things keeping me from buying a Windows laptop and installing Linux.

acomjean 6y ago
People bring this up, but honestly I’ve never noticed trackpad quality issues on other higher end PCs. People are basing their OS choices on marginal difference in trackpad quality? How about the fact that with macOS your tied to one vendor and their hardware choices (keyboard /ports etc). I don’t have a new MacBook(work machine 5yrs old), but I didn’t love the giant trackpad on the one I borrowed.
- Lio 6y ago
  As an example of a hardware issue on the XPS 13, the trackpad is hinged from the top near the spacebar. That means that it either requires more force to click the higher up that pad you go or you have to click more precisely at the bottom of that pad. That's been a non-issue even before they moved to the artificial click mechanism.
mindfulhack 6y ago
Me too. I've never been a 'fanboy' of any given manufacturer or ecosystem. Even while still a Windows user I starting moving my laptop hardware to Apple in 2010 once I saw it clearly was the best. I painfully lived through the awful #keyboardgate years in 2017-19 and lived to tell the tale, and I'll only move to a different 'whole package' that's superior as soon once someone actually makes one. I recently realised maybe trackpad isn't everything, and I guess it's not. It's about the balance of the whole package. Since I adore macOS anyway (it's like a half Linux what with homebrew), I have no problem with it for now.

mapgrep 6y ago

As of a couple of years ago, last time I checked, macbook’s wifi stack was totally nonfunctional on Linux. Has that changed? Update: I see from your link it works on 2/8 tested. Better than nothing.