4 ms·

But, power efficiency isn't the primary reason I'd like Apple hardware with linux software. Display quality, trackpad quality, overall form factor, and very hi

by euio757 1mo ago

But, power efficiency isn't the primary reason I'd like Apple hardware with linux software. Display quality, trackpad quality, overall form factor, and very high RAM space in a laptop would be the primary reasons I'd go with Asahi Linux.

rowanG077 1mo ago
This is exactly why I run asahi. There really is not a laptop that comes close to the hardware quality of an apple laptop. I have even sacrificed x86 at the altar which is a much bigger step than battery life imo.
Gud 1mo ago
I agree. I’ve been a big Lenovo fan, settled on the X1 carbon. I’ve had three of them, G5, G6 and G9. The USB-C port broke on both G6 and G9 models. Apparently it’s a common problem. Unfortunately the ports are soldered directly on the motherboard making it difficult to fix(should be a small separate board for easy replacement). I was going to desolder and replace the ports, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’m now using a MacBook Pro M2.
- danw1979 1mo ago
  Ummm if repairability is a concern, I’ve got some news to share about your new Macbook.
  - nicce 1mo ago
    > I’ve got some news to share about your new Macbook. As long as you pay for Apple Care, not a problem. But maybe not the point…
  - mschuster91 1mo ago
    Apple saves itself a lot of the trouble with superior build quality. With Samsung devices (so no cheap crap), USB ports last me about three years of heavy use. With my old iPhone 12, 2019 16-inch MBP or my 2022 MBA? Not a single issue. The housing is simply constructed so tight and, being made of solid metal, rigid that the housing bears the torsion load and not the tiny PCB solder pads. The only problem I have with my new USB-C iPhone 15 is that it is hard to clean pocket lint out of the socket, compared to the old Lightning connector.
    - spankibalt 1mo ago
      > With Samsung devices (so no cheap crap), USB ports last me about three years of heavy use. What are you doing to these machines?! I work in the safety and security biz, including in the field, and my trusty HP EliteBook 2730p is still rocking along on its first USB ports. That machine is over 15 bloody years old!
      - centizen 1mo ago
        That is a convertible laptop that meets MIL-STD-810F standards on vibration resistance, it’s not really a fair comparison. Also, the change from dedicated charge ports to USB-C charging increased USB port usage considerably.
        spankibalt 1mo ago
        > Also, the change from dedicated charge ports to USB-C charging increased USB port usage considerably. I never needed one, but a good USB-C adapter (or maybe even small dock) with power passthrough should solve this. Burning through whole machines because a single USB-C port cakes out after just three years is an awful lot of waste.
      - mschuster91 1mo ago
        > What are you doing to these machines? Mostly, keeping them in my pocket with a USB cable attached to a power bank. Places an awful lot of torsion force on the connector. I tend to go through 2-3 charges a day. Another issue is that I have cats that like to play with everything being too close to a table corner.
  - simonh 1mo ago
    If the ports don't effing break in the first place, who cares?
  - Gud 1mo ago
    No, repair ability is only important if it’s crappy quality to begin with.
    - psd1 1mo ago
      I try to buy good hardware for practical reasons. I insist on repairability for emotional reasons around ownership and independence. You do not have to value the same things as me, of course.
      - Gud 1mo ago
        No actually, I do value that as well.
  - tacticalturtle 1mo ago
    I replaced some parts on my M1 MacBook Air. For 90% of the parts it’s honestly pretty easy to work with. You just need a few screwdrivers. And I sourced all my parts from eBay. The documentation is excellent: https://support.apple.com/en-us/100586 https://support.apple.com/en-us/100586 The only thing that’s egregious is the batteries. They tape the batteries to the case, and to remove them you have to do this complex twirling motion with tweezers to pull the tape out from under the battery. If the tape snaps during this then the documentation basically says get a new case.
DrScientist 1mo ago
> trackpad quality This
aucisson_masque 1mo ago
Yeah, people miss that about apple laptop. Find me another laptop that has everything, even if it's more expensive ! You can't, some have keyboard as good, some it's the display. In best case you got 2 or 3 things but then it goes downhill on the other, like the trackpad.
spankibalt 1mo ago
> Display quality, trackpad quality, overall form factor, and very high RAM space in a laptop would be the primary reasons I'd go with [an Apple]. Heh, that's precisely one grouping of reasons I avoid Apple, especially with regards to trackpads and form factor (and, to a lesser degree, displays).
- thiht 1mo ago
  You’re making no sense
  - spankibalt 1mo ago
    Let me help you with that: 1. Trackpads. I hate 'em. Keyboard-integrated trackpoints and/or trackballs is what I need. Detachables with a trackpad are acceptable as one can bring a Bluetooth substitute (that's how I do it on my HP x2 G4); on a non-detachable only a trackpoint, in addition to the trackpad, is acceptable (on my HP 2730p or my workplace ThinkPads I only use the trackpoint, the trackpad is turned off). 2. Form factor. Not counting their "castrated" tablets, Apple doesn't build 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 detachables (the best general-purpose mobile computing form factor) or convertibles (T-hinge models represent the second best form factor). The last orthodox-chassis laptop purchase I made took place in 1999. Outside of a vintage or retro machine I might entertain (which itself loses out to wedge-style keyboard computer cases), that form factor is dead to me. 3. Apple is not the only outfit that ships with good displays. Et cetera.
SalariedSlave 1mo ago
Exactly. As a lifelong linux user, I bought a Neo on release for my SO and was blown away by the quality at that price point. I've had high-end laptops from all the big vendors, and even at the highest price tier, other vendors don't deliver such build quality. I hate how all non-Apple laptops feel. The case, the hinge, the materials, everything. If I coud reliably use linux on Apple hardware, I'd never buy another laptop brand again.

by euio757 1mo ago

rowanG077 1mo ago

This is exactly why I run asahi. There really is not a laptop that comes close to the hardware quality of an apple laptop. I have even sacrificed x86 at the altar which is a much bigger step than battery life imo.

Gud 1mo ago

I agree. I’ve been a big Lenovo fan, settled on the X1 carbon. I’ve had three of them, G5, G6 and G9. The USB-C port broke on both G6 and G9 models. Apparently it’s a common problem. Unfortunately the ports are soldered directly on the motherboard making it difficult to fix(should be a small separate board for easy replacement). I was going to desolder and replace the ports, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’m now using a MacBook Pro M2.

danw1979 1mo ago
Ummm if repairability is a concern, I’ve got some news to share about your new Macbook.
- nicce 1mo ago
  > I’ve got some news to share about your new Macbook. As long as you pay for Apple Care, not a problem. But maybe not the point…
- mschuster91 1mo ago
  Apple saves itself a lot of the trouble with superior build quality. With Samsung devices (so no cheap crap), USB ports last me about three years of heavy use. With my old iPhone 12, 2019 16-inch MBP or my 2022 MBA? Not a single issue. The housing is simply constructed so tight and, being made of solid metal, rigid that the housing bears the torsion load and not the tiny PCB solder pads. The only problem I have with my new USB-C iPhone 15 is that it is hard to clean pocket lint out of the socket, compared to the old Lightning connector.
  - spankibalt 1mo ago
    > With Samsung devices (so no cheap crap), USB ports last me about three years of heavy use. What are you doing to these machines?! I work in the safety and security biz, including in the field, and my trusty HP EliteBook 2730p is still rocking along on its first USB ports. That machine is over 15 bloody years old!
    - centizen 1mo ago
      That is a convertible laptop that meets MIL-STD-810F standards on vibration resistance, it’s not really a fair comparison. Also, the change from dedicated charge ports to USB-C charging increased USB port usage considerably.
      - spankibalt 1mo ago
        > Also, the change from dedicated charge ports to USB-C charging increased USB port usage considerably. I never needed one, but a good USB-C adapter (or maybe even small dock) with power passthrough should solve this. Burning through whole machines because a single USB-C port cakes out after just three years is an awful lot of waste.
    - mschuster91 1mo ago
      > What are you doing to these machines? Mostly, keeping them in my pocket with a USB cable attached to a power bank. Places an awful lot of torsion force on the connector. I tend to go through 2-3 charges a day. Another issue is that I have cats that like to play with everything being too close to a table corner.
- simonh 1mo ago
  If the ports don't effing break in the first place, who cares?
- Gud 1mo ago
  No, repair ability is only important if it’s crappy quality to begin with.
  - psd1 1mo ago
    I try to buy good hardware for practical reasons. I insist on repairability for emotional reasons around ownership and independence. You do not have to value the same things as me, of course.
    - Gud 1mo ago
      No actually, I do value that as well.
- tacticalturtle 1mo ago
  I replaced some parts on my M1 MacBook Air. For 90% of the parts it’s honestly pretty easy to work with. You just need a few screwdrivers. And I sourced all my parts from eBay. The documentation is excellent: https://support.apple.com/en-us/100586 https://support.apple.com/en-us/100586 The only thing that’s egregious is the batteries. They tape the batteries to the case, and to remove them you have to do this complex twirling motion with tweezers to pull the tape out from under the battery. If the tape snaps during this then the documentation basically says get a new case.

DrScientist 1mo ago

> trackpad quality This

aucisson_masque 1mo ago

Yeah, people miss that about apple laptop. Find me another laptop that has everything, even if it's more expensive ! You can't, some have keyboard as good, some it's the display. In best case you got 2 or 3 things but then it goes downhill on the other, like the trackpad.

spankibalt 1mo ago

> Display quality, trackpad quality, overall form factor, and very high RAM space in a laptop would be the primary reasons I'd go with [an Apple]. Heh, that's precisely one grouping of reasons I avoid Apple, especially with regards to trackpads and form factor (and, to a lesser degree, displays).

thiht 1mo ago
You’re making no sense
- spankibalt 1mo ago
  Let me help you with that: 1. Trackpads. I hate 'em. Keyboard-integrated trackpoints and/or trackballs is what I need. Detachables with a trackpad are acceptable as one can bring a Bluetooth substitute (that's how I do it on my HP x2 G4); on a non-detachable only a trackpoint, in addition to the trackpad, is acceptable (on my HP 2730p or my workplace ThinkPads I only use the trackpoint, the trackpad is turned off). 2. Form factor. Not counting their "castrated" tablets, Apple doesn't build 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 detachables (the best general-purpose mobile computing form factor) or convertibles (T-hinge models represent the second best form factor). The last orthodox-chassis laptop purchase I made took place in 1999. Outside of a vintage or retro machine I might entertain (which itself loses out to wedge-style keyboard computer cases), that form factor is dead to me. 3. Apple is not the only outfit that ships with good displays. Et cetera.

SalariedSlave 1mo ago

Exactly. As a lifelong linux user, I bought a Neo on release for my SO and was blown away by the quality at that price point. I've had high-end laptops from all the big vendors, and even at the highest price tier, other vendors don't deliver such build quality. I hate how all non-Apple laptops feel. The case, the hinge, the materials, everything. If I coud reliably use linux on Apple hardware, I'd never buy another laptop brand again.