I can't take it anymore, I'm jumping ship.

[Sanpete]

Lenovo X260, the end.

Good suggestion, if it lives up to its blurb!

"Ultrathin and ultralight, the X260 is also ultratough- passing Military-specification testing for durability and reliability."

 

[2IS]

Everything Windows sucks, tbh. Windows 10 is a train wreck, and even though the hardware is much better than it was 5-10 years ago, it's still not up to Apple's level. Just bite the bullet and buy a new MBP. As hard as you apparently treat your equipment, a Windows laptop won't last you very long at all.

I use both. What you said is simply wrong. Just about every word of it actually. Where did you get your info from? It sounds completely made up based on your own bias, but I could be wrong which is why I'm asking.

 

[Mindinversion]

Depending on what you're doing, the core M series processors are probably going to be a performance DOWNGRADE from where you're coming from. If you're only doing light browsing/media consuming etc they're not HORRIBLE, I guess. . but I'm a little biased.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and recommend the Razer Blade Stealth. I don't know what the conversion is, but the base with 2k screen is $900 USD, non touch, and the build quality on the STEALTH line isn't too bad. Black aluminum, chroma keys, decent battery life, and decent performance.

 

[cbautis2]

I use both. What you said is simply wrong. Just about every word of it actually. Where did you get your info from? It sounds completely made up based on your own bias, but I could be wrong which is why I'm asking.

Simply put, Windoze 10 updates = endless frustration! Now with the latest build, you can't disable that infuriating Windoze updates via registry nor group policy. Windoze 7 might be tolerable though.

 

[ZapNZs]

Simply put, Windoze 10 updates = endless frustration! Now with the latest build, you can't disable that infuriating Windoze updates via registry nor group policy. Windoze 7 might be tolerable though.

Both Apple and Microsoft are buttholes when it comes to privacy and certain aspects relating. The biggest single difference in that regard I see between the two OS' is that for OS X we have a lovely app called Little Snitch and another called Murus that tells us when something is trying to 'phone home' or force an update (which can then be blocked), where as with Windows 10 I'm yet to find an equivalent.

You can disable the updates via Services.msc by setting the update service from auto/man to disabled. I've done this on 1607 VMs. However, I still run 1511 on my SP3 as I like 1511 more than I do 1607. IIRC the update changes made to 1607 vary by which Win10 version you have, which is extremely frustrating.

It's really not that bad of an OS. Its refinement, ease of update, & stability is still far from that of OS X, but it's come a long way from what Windows used to be, and hardware components have gotten much better, and are more comparable to what Apple offers than it was several years back.

 

[lobo1978]

pics or it didn't happen

 

[CaptRB]

You get what you pay for.

And the poor man often pays twice.

No fun looking at that, but this is usually true.



R.

 

[2IS]

Simply put, Windoze 10 updates = endless frustration! Now with the latest build, you can't disable that infuriating Windoze updates via registry nor group policy. Windoze 7 might be tolerable though.

Happens in the background and doesn't bother me any.

 

[sdwaltz]

I use both. What you said is simply wrong. Just about every word of it actually. Where did you get your info from? It sounds completely made up based on your own bias, but I could be wrong which is why I'm asking.

Fair question. I use both as well. Or rather, DID use both. Finally made the move to a Mac at my office too a couple weeks ago (used them at home since 08 after growing up w/Windows) because I had so many problems with Windows 10. The experience w/W10 started out well, but over time it became a nightmare. Things just began to go wrong over time - startup issues, search on the taskbar disappeared, the start menu wouldn't work half the time, programs not opening, etc. And it's not like I'm a computer noob, I'm quite good with them...it all just happened out of thin air. The final straw was when I came into my office one day, turned it on, and it wouldn't boot to Windows because the Master Boot Record somehow became corrupted despite always shutting down correctly. So in my case it's not so much bias, but rather real-world experience that has lead me to this conclusion. I do love Macs and have preferred them ever since I made the switch 9 years ago at home, but Windows always seemed to work well for me up until this incident.

Another problem I have w/Windows is the desperate attempts to force Microsoft services down your throat. The popup that comes up every time I opened chrome getting my to "try Microsoft Edge" got old, as does everything defaulting to Bing search. Bing is trash. Additionally, our secretary's computer upgraded to Windows 10 on its own. Wasn't a fan of that either. I'm sure many people have had positive experiences, but it seems like things go wrong more often on the Windows front now than ever before...at least in my experience.

 

[2IS]

Fair question. I use both as well. Or rather, DID use both. Finally made the move to a Mac at my office too a couple weeks ago (used them at home since 08 after growing up w/Windows) because I had so many problems with Windows 10. The experience w/W10 started out well, but over time it became a nightmare. Things just began to go wrong over time - startup issues, search on the taskbar disappeared, the start menu wouldn't work half the time, programs not opening, etc. And it's not like I'm a computer noob, I'm quite good with them...it all just happened out of thin air. The final straw was when I came into my office one day, turned it on, and it wouldn't boot to Windows because the Master Boot Record somehow became corrupted despite always shutting down correctly. So in my case it's not so much bias, but rather real-world experience that has lead me to this conclusion. I do love Macs and have preferred them ever since I made the switch 9 years ago at home, but Windows always seemed to work well for me up until this incident.

Another problem I have w/Windows is the desperate attempts to force Microsoft services down your throat. The popup that comes up every time I opened chrome getting my to "try Microsoft Edge" got old, as does everything defaulting to Bing search. Bing is trash. Additionally, our secretary's computer upgraded to Windows 10 on its own. Wasn't a fan of that either. I'm sure many people have had positive experiences, but it seems like things go wrong more often on the Windows front now than ever before...at least in my experience.

Interesting, can't say I've had a single one of those issues across the several win 10 computers I have and the hundreds I support. At least the issues in your first paragraph. Yes, win10 is a bit insecure about other apps being default, I found it kind of funny, but it didn't happen every time I open chrome. It happened the first time and never came up again.

 

[Altis]

......
I was even contemplating going to the real dirt cheap likes of the Inspiron 15 and HP 250 etc, and saving some money for the future. Or using it to fit an SSD and tonnes of RAM to make those basic machines perform well. Not sure what this would mean in reality. Or perhaps a 'midrange' Windows laptop, offering an i5 or i7, 8/16 for RAM and a mediocre 15'6" screen and few other bad touches.........

That's what I see most people on campus doing these days.

Almost all the laptops are generic Dell/HP/Lenovo/Acer/Asus. A lot of 15.6".

Not nearly as many MacBooks as a few years ago. A few Surfaces, very rarely a SurfaceBook.

I think a lot of people are thinking it isn't worth spending $2000 on a laptop when all they do is web browser and office stuff.

You can get a good-enough laptop like an Inspiron for like $700 that's i7 with 8GB of RAM and 1080p display... get a nice external monitor for a few hundred more and you'll have a fine setup for most typical stuff.

Or buy used since resale tends to be poor on most generic laptops.

It depends on how much you use it on the go... I wouldn't spend too much on the form factor if it's just occasionally taken out of the house.

 

[willmtaylor]

That's what I see most people on campus doing these days.

Almost all the laptops are generic Dell/HP/Lenovo/Acer/Asus. A lot of 15.6".

Not nearly as many MacBooks as a few years ago. A few Surfaces, very rarely a SurfaceBook.

I think a lot of people are thinking it isn't worth spending $2000 on a laptop when all they do is web browser and office stuff.

You can get a good-enough laptop like an Inspiron for like $700 that's i7 with 8GB of RAM and 1080p display... get a nice external monitor for a few hundred more and you'll have a fine setup for most typical stuff.

Or buy used since resale tends to be poor on most generic laptops.

It depends on how much you use it on the go... I wouldn't spend too much on the form factor if it's just occasionally taken out of the house.

Apple did well with introducing the MacBook air, but a lot of people just failed to see the reason to drop $1000 on it.

 

[wittyphrase]

I'm very confused. Your laptop is starting to show signs of wear and tear from consistent use over five years. So, what are you "over?" Is it that you believe it should last longer?

 

[raqball]

I jumped ship yesterday... Picked up a Surface Book and sold my MacBook Pro nonTB to an acquaintance last night.

The largest issue I have with the switch is that I need to buy all my Mac programs again in Windows 10 form. Also I am sure I will miss continuity and handoff.. Next up my iPhone goes bye-bye tonight after my Google Pixel gets delivered..

Anyone know of a way to get semi handoff and continuity function between Windows and Android? I was told to check out PushBullet?

 

[double329]

I don't know if I would jump ship. I had tried few times. I ended up swimming back to the same ship every time. The other ship may look shiny and good. I just couldn't do it at least for me.

 

[iMi]

Interesting. What made you jump ship?

 

[0989383]

I'm very confused. Your laptop is starting to show signs of wear and tear from consistent use over five years. So, what are you "over?" Is it that you believe it should last longer?

It's 3 years old this month - not 5. Please do read the original post! And I've got friends with the 15" version at the grand age of 8 years old which are holding up much better. It's a mystery to me. I do expect it to last longer, being a premium product and labelled 'Pro'.

I don't know if I would jump ship. I had tried few times. I ended up swimming back to the same ship every time. The other ship may look shiny and good. I just couldn't do it at least for me.

This has been my experience in the past too, sadly.

Interesting. What made you jump ship?

See: Original Post
[doublepost=1486066026][/doublepost]Just got off the phone from the Apple Store, for a new keyboard and battery is £360 approximate GBP! That's $450 roughly! I would consider it, since I can't afford a new one right now but theres also just a 90-day warranty on that work. They won't sell the parts separately.

 

[wittyphrase]

It's 3 years old this month - not 5. Please do read the original post! And I've got friends with the 15" version at the grand age of 8 years old which are holding up much better. It's a mystery to me. I do expect it to last longer, being a premium product and labelled 'Pro'.

I read it. You've had it for 3 years, but it seems to be a 2012 laptop so I was assuming you picked it up second hand and that the person before you had used it normally. I don't see anything in the original post about how you acquired it. Sorry if I missed it.

In any case, I would also expect it to last longer based on what I've seen of people I know with Macs, but I also don't know much about the kind of use people put their devices through, and that'll certainly have an impact on how long one can expect something to last.

I'm a very recent Mac convert, so I'll just say that I've used a lot of Windows machines for work and personal use and they're not immune to any of the issues you're describing with your mac. My question in the post you quoted wasn't rhetorical. What exactly about this are you "over?" Is it that this specific device isn't holding up? If so I don't think the solution is to move to a windows PC. If it's that you are no longer pleased with Macs or Apple, then that's a different situation.

I've used a dozen or so laptops from Sony, Lenovo, Dell, HP and MSI. They've all encountered some kind of problem by their 2nd or 3rd year. For pretty much all of them they begin to slow down substantially no matter how careful I am with them - I'm not downloading illegal movies/software visiting strange websites. I've had keys fall off (Lenovo, HP), fans die (Dell, HP), charging ports don't work (Sony), charger dies (HP), one work Lenovo turned off in the middle of use and never came back on, screens flicker (Dell).

TL;DR: The grass isn't always greener. So if it's about this specific machine and not the company or service, then you might not be solving for anything.

 

[Pootmatoot]

Everything Windows sucks, tbh. Windows 10 is a train wreck, and even though the hardware is much better than it was 5-10 years ago, it's still not up to Apple's level. Just bite the bullet and buy a new MBP. As hard as you apparently treat your equipment, a Windows laptop won't last you very long at all.

That's just nonsense. Everyone has their preferences, but pretending that W10 is "trainwreck" is just bizarre.

I use both OSes everyday, and frankly the direction Windows is going is one hell of a lot more coherent than MacOS has been for 3 years, where it's done little more than slowly go stale. The way Windows is being gently massaged for the coming VR and AR revolutions is exactly what Apple should be doing (especially seeing as they've completely dropped the ball on touch convergence).

And in terms of hardware... you get what you pay for. If you buy high end, you get high end. A $300 Windows netbook? Sure, it's going to be rickety.

 

[0989383]

I read it. You've had it for 3 years, but it seems to be a 2012 laptop so I was assuming you picked it up second hand and that the person before you had used it normally. I don't see anything in the original post about how you acquired it. Sorry if I missed it.

In any case, I would also expect it to last longer based on what I've seen of people I know with Macs, but I also don't know much about the kind of use people put their devices through, and that'll certainly have an impact on how long one can expect something to last.

I'm a very recent Mac convert, so I'll just say that I've used a lot of Windows machines for work and personal use and they're not immune to any of the issues you're describing with your mac. My question in the post you quoted wasn't rhetorical. What exactly about this are you "over?" Is it that this specific device isn't holding up? If so I don't think the solution is to move to a windows PC. If it's that you are no longer pleased with Macs or Apple, then that's a different situation.

I've used a dozen or so laptops from Sony, Lenovo, Dell, HP and MSI. They've all encountered some kind of problem by their 2nd or 3rd year. For pretty much all of them they begin to slow down substantially no matter how careful I am with them - I'm not downloading illegal movies/software visiting strange websites. I've had keys fall off (Lenovo, HP), fans die (Dell, HP), charging ports don't work (Sony), charger dies (HP), one work Lenovo turned off in the middle of use and never came back on, screens flicker (Dell).

TL;DR: The grass isn't always greener. So if it's about this specific machine and not the company or service, then you might not be solving for anything.

Apologies if I sounded rude, I didn't mean to, but yes, 3 years. It was bought brand new from a small photography company that was selling it for £849 brand new. In 2014, when it was still sold by Apple for £999 I thought that was a good price! I did own one in 2012 with a 240GB SanDisk SSD and 16GB of Vengeance RAM but sold it due to a dent.. naively. Went to an 11" MacBook Air which was nice, but the 128GB and no upgradability was an issue. So that's why I came back to the 13" Pro. I do love the machine.

To be honest, I use it almost every day. Its just recently exceeded the 1000 charge cycle count so I'm not too bothered about the battery, I always thought I could get 1) the genuine part off of Apple, 2) that it could be bought for around £100 and 3) if not, then eBay has me covered with genuine parts. eBay has NO genuine batteries. Though, at this rate I am considering buying one online from a seller that is shown to have sold hundreds already.

The keys, well, they take intensive use. I do type a lot, and whilst I don't know anyone that can type faster or more accurately than me personally, I know for a fact I am not the fastest, therefore I can't see how this has impacted a Pro level and popular consumer notebook, especially from Apple!

I'm sort of 'over' in the sense that, if I sell this, my budget is £550 and I know I can't get a Mac for that. I wouldn't trust second hand electronics on that scale and I'm aware too that Windows isn't ideal. Though your points do sort of make me refuse to accept the idea of Windows as you're being quite fair and explaining your own experiences well. I guess I'd be a fool to go to those machines having been warned.

Think I'll give the eBay sellers another chance. I'll get one of those damn 'new OEM quality' keyboards for £20, if it doesn't work return it.. if it does, even for a year, then that's worth it IMO. I'll try an eBay battery too. Again, if it holds up for a year with near to original charge, surely that's worth it.

Not sure what to do about the charger. It's on its last legs, but given that it copes with 240 volts directly, I'd be weary of buying a non Apple one. Though that'd be £80, it would outlast this Mac anyway. And if I get another Mac in the future, it will be incompatible due to USB C or the thinner MagSafe..

 

[raqball]

Everything Windows sucks, tbh. Windows 10 is a train wreck, and even though the hardware is much better than it was 5-10 years ago, it's still not up to Apple's level. Just bite the bullet and buy a new MBP. As hard as you apparently treat your equipment, a Windows laptop won't last you very long at all.

That's just nonsense. Everyone has their preferences, but pretending that W10 is "trainwreck" is just bizarre.

I use both OSes everyday, and frankly the direction Windows is going is one hell of a lot more coherent than MacOS has been for 3 years, where it's done little more than slowly go stale. The way Windows is being gently massaged for the coming VR and AR revolutions is exactly what Apple should be doing (especially seeing as they've completely dropped the ball on touch convergence).

And in terms of hardware... you get what you pay for. If you buy high end, you get high end. A $300 Windows netbook? Sure, it's going to be rickety.

Agree with you Pootmatoot! I am only on day 2 with my Surface Book but Windows is much more stable and bug free thus far than my 2016 MacBook Pro was on day 2 of usage.

From a hardware and build quality standpoint, the Surface Book is on par. I have no screen bleed, the machine feels well built and I don't see anything thus far that causes me concern..

Granted Apple did fix some of the MacBook Pro issues with updates (GPU glitches, battery ect) but trying to pretend that MacOS is more stable is just a farce at this point...

Part of my reason for jumping ship is that I am not digging Apple's direction. Thinner and lighter at any cost! Removal of the headphone jack on the iPhone and the removal of everything from the MacBook Pros...

Apple is no longer innovating (unless you count thinner and lighter in that term) whereas MS appears to be going all in.. Apple is now the old MS and MS is now the old Apple as far as innovation goes.

We will see how my transition to Windows and Android goes but so far Windows 10 and the Surface Book has been rock solid... Check back with me after the honeymoon phase is over though..

 

[iMi]

Agree with you Pootmatoot! I am only on day 2 with my Surface Book but Windows is much more stable and bug free thus far than my 2016 MacBook Pro was on day 2 of usage.

Granted Apple did fix some of the MacBook Pro issues with updates (GPU glitches, battery ect) but trying to pretend that MacOS is more stable is just a farce at this point...

Part of my reason for jumping ship is that I am not digging Apple's direction. Thinner and lighter at any cost! Removal of the headphone jack on the iPhone and the removal of everything from the MacBook Pros...

We will see how my transition to Windows and Android goes but so far Windows 10 and the Surface Book has been rock solid...

I have had similar experience with the Surface Pro 4 and really love the device. Windows has been totally fine. I like it enough that I've ordered the HP Envy 27" 4K AIO desktop. Still not sure about it, but willing to give it a try. Apple simply hasn't made any progress in the desktop area. Haven't tried Android yet. Not a fan of anything Google, so I doubt I'll make that jump.

I couldn't agree more about the removal of ports. It's getting a little ridiculous!

 

[raqball]

Haven't tried Android yet. Not a fan of anything Google, so I doubt I'll make that jump.

I couldn't agree more about the removal of ports. It's getting a little ridiculous!

I like the smaller phones (I have the SE right now) and there are not many choices on Android. If the Pixel does not pan out (It's out for delivery today) then I am looking at a Sony Z5 Compact as an option..

I just don't understand Apples direction.. I don't ever remember a single person clamoring for a thinner and lighter MacBook Pro.. They are obsessed with it and are now removing features and functions to achieve it.

Financially this is going to hurt a little as I am taking it in shorts on selling my Apple gear. The new MacBook Pro's hold little value (I've seen brand new in box ones going for a low as $1200 on swappa) and I need to buy comparable apps and programs but in the end, I'll have freedom.. I have been locked into the Apple eco system but that's all changing now..

 

[Mobster1983]

Have to use Windows computers for work. Used lots of Dell Inspiron and a couple desktops. The build quality is horrible and there are always issues popping up with the trackpad or the joystick mouse. The windows laptops I had (early 2000s) all had to be replaced after a couple years. My 2007 17" MBP lasted me for 4 years, including over a year in Iraq, and was still working great when I finally sold it.

Going back and forth to Windows computers from a Mac, I really cannot stand them. Sure there are some good things about Windows, but it is generally very annoying trying to get anything done.

 

[Pootmatoot]

Have to use Windows computers for work. Used lots of Dell Inspiron and a couple desktops. The build quality is horrible and there are always issues popping up with the trackpad or the joystick mouse. The windows laptops I had (early 2000s) all had to be replaced after a couple years. My 2007 17" MBP lasted me for 4 years, including over a year in Iraq, and was still working great when I finally sold it.

Going back and forth to Windows computers from a Mac, I really cannot stand them. Sure there are some good things about Windows, but it is generally very annoying trying to get anything done.

You're comparing bespoke high-end personal machines with mass-corporate tat.

The build quality of the high-end Microsoft, Dell, HP, Razer etc computers in 2017 isn't wildly different than Apple. The 2015 MBP trackpad is still my favourite, but it's splitting hairs at this point, the MS Precision pads are so similar.

If Apple had a line of $300 corporate stations, at the same level of internals as the Windows machines, you can bet they'd be tat too. Probably moreso, given Apple would not work with the razorthin profit margins others are willing too: that cost cutting comes from somewhere.