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Apples MacBook Pro: Rotting Core? What Apple Doesn't Want You To Realize.
- Thread starter wikoogle
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Hi guys, its my first post here and having read the article it sort of sums up how im feeling about spending my cash.
I currently have a 1.8 Ghz Mac Mini with which i am very happy and have been looking since christmas to purchase to a MBP, the reason i havent done that yet is simply because the technology is old (but still performance wise perfectly adequate), still full price and they are due an update. Also perhaps most importantly i dont 'need' one i just 'want' one.
If Apple had a policy of reducing the cost of older hardware i would happily purchase the current model and take the discount, performance wise it will beat my mini hands down and i only want it for general home use not any work use.
As they do not appear (in the UK at least) to discount product then i will wait for the new tech which i know will improve the system hopefully for similar money.
I understand all about i7 processors and better graphics etc but have no real need for them, i have a powerful Dell Precision workstation i use for Inventor for work purposes but i want OSX for home use simply because i prefer the experience.
I currently have a 1.8 Ghz Mac Mini with which i am very happy and have been looking since christmas to purchase to a MBP, the reason i havent done that yet is simply because the technology is old (but still performance wise perfectly adequate), still full price and they are due an update. Also perhaps most importantly i dont 'need' one i just 'want' one.
If Apple had a policy of reducing the cost of older hardware i would happily purchase the current model and take the discount, performance wise it will beat my mini hands down and i only want it for general home use not any work use.
As they do not appear (in the UK at least) to discount product then i will wait for the new tech which i know will improve the system hopefully for similar money.
I understand all about i7 processors and better graphics etc but have no real need for them, i have a powerful Dell Precision workstation i use for Inventor for work purposes but i want OSX for home use simply because i prefer the experience.
What are you talking about? Unless you're refering to the 50 year old ones that are on the verge of retirement, you're completely wrong.
Photographers and Film Editors are among the biggest techies I know by far.
They spend hours on cnet and engadget every week reading up the very latest cameras, camera lenses and drolling over the latest tech.
And invariably they learn about processors and such while they're there.
....
Wikoogle: I'm a 50 something photographer (wishing he was on the verge of retirement
) ... and I teach a photography course at a commercial photography college. What I see is that 80%-plus of the students are toting Mac notebooks around, and 90%-plus wouldn't know the tech specs of their machines if their lives depended on it.Yes, they know about cameras, though not always how to use them (but then that's why I have a job). Some of them can do things with Photoshop that would make your eyes drool. But for the most part they could care less about the specs of their systems, beyond the basics. Does it have adequate RAM, HD, and processing speed. Does it Youtube?
And, if you think students are not a valid sample group, I also hang out with a couple dozen pro shooters - a number of whom work and sell internationally - and for the most part, they also don't spend a lot of time worrying about the tech specs of their systems. This group knows more about cameras, lenses, sensors, and printers than you could imagine was possible. But, other than at the time of purchase, they don't really care about the tech specs of their systems. And at the time of purchase, its a case of buying the best system they can for the amount they have budgeted. As a fine art photographer, I actually know much less about camera specs than they do.... but since my hobby is computers, I know much more about systems than they do. And I don't know a lot.
Like most pros, they rate "Best" as 1) Being reliable, then 2) Making their workflow faster and efficient, and finally 3) Being able to continue using their software investment. No body I know cares about fast boot times. They want to know if they can transfer 15Gb of files from their external HD faster. They want to be able to apply a colour correction to 155 images in Lightroom, and not have to go for tea while it processes.
And yes, most these photographers are what you disparagingly called "close to retirement". One of them is in fact retired. Of course, before he retired he was in charge of transitioning the darkroom of a major city's two daily newspapers from film to digital. When he was done Pacific Press was the first publisher in North America to be fully digital. He doesn't care about tech specs on his computer..... but oh boy, does he know about cameras!
I think the question you should ask is: Who types whilst standing up?
I want a Mac, but I don't buy into the gimmicky "IT'S A LIFESTYLE GUYZ" crap.
If I'm paying a large sum of money for a computer, I want to know it's up to date. Just knowing it looks good or it "just works lol!" isn't a selling point for me. My Windows PC "just works" as well, and I built that myself.
Which is a shame, because my white-plastic macbook is serving my parents well and I'd like to dip into OSX again.
I guess I'm not really their target consumer
I get where you're coming from and I'm not into the whole lifestyle thing either.
What I am into though, is a nice integrated system that doesn't keep telling me I need to install a Genuine advantage tool in order to upgrade my media player or web browser. Nor a computer that takes ages to start up / shut down after a few months because of the crud and b*llocks that have accumulated on the hard drive that the system has to wade through. Then there's paying for antivirus / malware software, although I accept that if you know what you're doing you can manage without it but PC's are still a much bigger target for fraudsters. Then there's the fact that a lot of PC desktops and laptops are horrible plastic sh*te that doesn't age well and start to rattle and loosen up with everyday use.
I'm willing to pay a premium to avoid all of that.
I think fundamentally, people with PC backgrounds tend to naturally put more of an emphasis on hardware specs...I don't know whether it's because of the "build your own" culture or because of the gaming angle but hardware performance seems much more important in windows land.
Perhaps another way to look at it is like this: Once Apple do bring out the laptop of your dreams, you'll be hoping they don't bring out something bigger and better for quite a long time because your laptop will start to look old and not up to the task anymore. Or maybe by then, you'll see things more from my point of view and just enjoy what you have for a while
Things build up on any OS though. I found startup/performance to be a lot slower on my old macbook as time went on. It's just down to disk fragmentation I'd say.
As for updates, I'd say both systems go hand in hand here. Windows will occasionally let me know something is new, but doesn't seem to desperately plea to me like it used to back in "ye olde" times.
The scary thing though is that if OSX gains a considerable market share, people WILL start targetting Macs more. So with success comes a price!
I'm willing to pay a premium to avoid all of that.
I understand what you mean. Macs give you this all in one package where the user needs not worry about comparability and such. Which is great, it helps a lot of people just get on with their day to day stuff. Windows users are obsessed with upgrades/the newest hardware because you have that ability to switch out components and mess around. Not that either is a bad thing, I'd say it's two different types of people.
Perhaps another way to look at it is like this: Once Apple do bring out the laptop of your dreams, you'll be hoping they don't bring out something bigger and better for quite a long time because your laptop will start to look old and not up to the task anymore. Or maybe by then, you'll see things more from my point of view and just enjoy what you have for a while
I've tried to just enjoy what I have, but I always get annoyed knowing there's something better out, even if what I have is perfectly functional. It's a curse, and I know that technological advancement stops for nobody, even me!
You can't be serious.
No it doesn't. The opinion of the tech community, as represented by blogs and forums, mostly reflects what 16-year-olds think they're entitled to, as opposed to: what tools professionals need to do their job well.
The rest of the population, however, tends to seek advice from people who use the same tools under similar circumstances, and what's more, from people whose opinion they respect outside of tech issues, too.
Me, for example, I'm making a living on a Mac, and to be honest, I could do all of that on a used Core Solo Mac mini. The actual Mac I'm using most of the time is a result of me being lazy and me giving in to the urge to buy a shiny new toy ever so often.
Sure, compiling would be slower, but it's not like I'm compiling giant projects all the time. And if I were a graphics guy, I wouldn't apply filters all the time. Most of the time, professionals sit in front of a computer running at 5% CPU load tops, thinking.
And whenever people ask me what kind of computer they should get, I give them honest advice based on what they want to do with that thing. Raw processor speed hasn't even once been a decisive factor. The OS and seemingly minor points like the unibody design and MagSafe power connectors, on the other hand, have.
So quit living in the "tech community" bubble and start looking at computers the way you look at any other appliance. As long as they get the job done smoothly, they certainly don't ruin anyone's brand name.
--
EDIT: See posting #112 for an excellent, albeit slightly exaggerated summary of my personal opinions and experiences, as delineated by this rather lengthy posting. I guess I really should learn to be more concise.
I've tried to just enjoy what I have, but I always get annoyed knowing there's something better out, even if what I have is perfectly functional. It's a curse, and I know that technological advancement stops for nobody, even me!
Each to their own....But if you're a hardware tweaker, Mac ownership is going to be a frustrating experience for you.
hey, just wondering, if mbp's had color options, say, the silver they are now, matte/glossy black, white (mabey not), and blue, wat would you choose, and if there was a carbon fiber caseing option ( i dunno how much it would cost,say £250) would you take it?
I've tried to just enjoy what I have, but I always get annoyed knowing there's something better out, even if what I have is perfectly functional. It's a curse, and I know that technological advancement stops for nobody, even me!
Don't buy a Mac. Seriously. You'll be perpetually disappointed. Save yourself the heartache if you're that kind of computer user.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I'm dead serious. Not only do the upgrades come slower, but they're more expensive when they do. If you like the bleeding edge hardware, stay the hell away from the Mac.
Outline of your post:
I. You are wrong, and not serious
II.The rest of the population is different, cares about different things
III. ME
- I'm a professional, so my opinions are unassailable
- I do this.....but I don't do that
- My opinions, not those of people that post on forums....err damn, I mean....matter
V. You live in the tech community, I transcend all labels and bridge gaps, giving hope to the world and sound advice to my friends
They are certainly not the only operating system or hardware manufacturer out there. They are not forcing you to buy their computers.
Putting Mac OSX on any hardware does not make it a Mac, just a hackentosh.
liberal arts differentiate more on how things are taught, rather than subject matter. the term is also used in a variety of ways.
I agree that Apple has wasted too much time with updating the MacBook Pro, but it isn't as easy as dropping the price because the hardware is cheaper. If they dropped the price to accommodate the price of the hardware now, when they do update the lineup, they'll have to put the prices back up again, causing more outrage.
The biggest issue is the whole chipset situation and the fact that the Core i3/i5/i7 lineup has an integrated GPU as part of the package. Now, the NVIDIA Optimus technology seems to be able to sort this all out, but it isn't just a 5 minute job implementing this technology and testing it on your platform to make sure everything works.
I've given up waiting on the Core i5/i7 MBP models and will wait for Rev.B before raising an eyebrow to upgrading.
The biggest issue is the whole chipset situation and the fact that the Core i3/i5/i7 lineup has an integrated GPU as part of the package. Now, the NVIDIA Optimus technology seems to be able to sort this all out, but it isn't just a 5 minute job implementing this technology and testing it on your platform to make sure everything works.
I've given up waiting on the Core i5/i7 MBP models and will wait for Rev.B before raising an eyebrow to upgrading.
Good article. Nothing anyone in the know doesn't already realize. Seeing a well written breakdown like this on Tom's however does lend some credence to the very real and very expensive (for we consumers) ploy that is Apple's blatant and outrageous price fixing. That is to say their "proprietary system" platforming, which other than the OS has been long gone since getting into bed with Intel.
I'm glad this opinion is filtering through. Tuesday night I was in a debate with a mac fanatic, and I configured a Dell for $2000, with a 17" screen, 8gb of RAM, Blu-ray, and a Core i7. The comparable mac had a C2D, 1/2 the ram, no blu-ray, and was $1000 more expensive.
I was then told how OS X is worth $1000
Maybe if more articles, preferably with less errors, are done by more mainstream media, the perception that Apple is ridiculously overpriced will cause Apple to do something.
I was then told how OS X is worth $1000
Maybe if more articles, preferably with less errors, are done by more mainstream media, the perception that Apple is ridiculously overpriced will cause Apple to do something.
Well, I'm looking to replace my laptop, so I'm a bit more lenient about upgrades than if I were looking to replace my desktop. I'll wait for Apples refresh (whenever that is), compare it to what else is on offer and go from there
Thanks for the nice, non-fanboyish responses though. It's nice to see people not bashing others purely because of the OS they use. I can't read youtube comments anymore..
More mental masturbation from within the MacRumors technobubble. It won't mean squat to the vast bulk of Apple's customers.
Thanks for your contribution, grab a tissue on your way out.
It's a serious observation. All the whining and hand-wringing.... I'm not the one that needs a tissue. This place needs valium and kleenex all around.
So in other words, you're saying Apple users are stupid. It's like being ripped off at a car dealership and going "most car customers don't know crap about cars"
True, but they try not to get ripped off so easily.