Lenovo, LG and HP Introduce MacBook Lookalikes at CES 2016

[Shunnabunich]

So…OK, wait…HP releases a laptop with a bezel around the screen (like every other laptop), plus a big honkin' extra helping of bezel on the bottom, and changes the colour of the bezel and nobody calls them out on the fact that they're calling it "bezel-free"?

Christ, HP should be running for the US Presidency.

 

[mazz0]

Well yeah, they're obvious rip offs, but Apple has no qualms about ripping off other people's ideas (I believe Steve Jobs was famously quite open about it). The difference is it's not usually aesthetics that Apple rips off (which makes sense - style is inherently diminished when it's an obvious copy in a way that features and technology aren't, so Apple makes the effort to invent its own style, and to be better than envy one else at it to boot).

I must say though, with the design, the weight and size and with Windows 10, I genuinely wouldn't hate being stuck with one of these laptops like I would any non-Apple laptop only a year or two ago.

 

[xmichaelp]

All these PC OEMs are so creatively bankrupt it makes me puke.

 

[tampageek]

Apple does not innovate, they just follow the natural evolution - it is the natural evolution of things, there is just no other way of doing this in newer generation laptops. Only Samsung innovates.

/s

Seriously...getting rid of ports is not exactly innovation IMHO

 

[kungpaaao]

Oh please, how could you even write any of that with a straight face? I don't see how anyone would care about wanting Dolby sound out of some laptop speakers, especially with these super thin laptops. Historically, speakers in a laptop sound like crap. Even the larger speakers in the 27" iMac sound like crap. The only way to get great sound is through a great pair of headphones or plug in a great shelf speaker system.

My rMacBook 2015 has awesome speakers. Really, quite amazing.

 

[mdelvecchio]

looks familiar....cant quite place my finger on it...

 

[tampageek]

Apple actually has the idea about multiple adapters

Because according to  adapters are "better" than having ports conveniently incorporated into your computer??

 

[kungpaaao]

This seals it. Waiting for Apple's skylake refresh. Was so close to getting a rMB, however seeing these vendors with 12' laptops that have 2/3 ports has made me seriously reconsider getting a rMB.

Maybe Apple can give us a Retina MacBook Air?

I will be interesting if the Air sticks around Retina. It would be a weird line-up with the MacBook 2015 - which could fit in the middle at 12". I was going to buy an Air, but went with the 2015 MacBook. Nice in just about every way (for me).

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Not saying anyone is a cheapskate, just that price has been a huge factor for many laptop consumers, especially in enterprise.

And I wasn't trying to say that you were... just pointing out that there are more reasons to buy a Windows machine than just "cheaper". I'm pretty much Apple everything but I have to fire up Windows from time to time because it's still the King of the business world by far and some things only work with Windows (or work well).

 

[noobinator]

I can buy a Macbook clone in March or a new Skylake Macbook then or soon thereafter, for the same price? Hmmm. Decisions.

 

[popalop718]

I'll just put this out there. These are all higher resolution than the MacBook Air.

Business 101. Copy the leading competitor, improve on the copy in hopes of bringing leading competitors customer base to your side. Apple knows that they don't have to provide the BEST specs because they have a solid customer base. You never give everything, you give just enough to keep everybody coming back.

 

[GhostRaider]

The MacBook Air is dead. Deal with it. Apple has other Macs to update and the MacBook is its successor. OEMs are annoying. Why can't they at least try to come up with something different. Disgusting.

 

[asiga]

Seeing how clueless Apple is these days, betting all the money in fashion wearables + cloud-based customer control while trashing the NeXT legacy, I'm happy to see other brands believe there's a market where Apple doesn't think so anymore.

I hate coming back to Linux after these years on OS X, but, at the same time, every new OS X release from 10.7.x to 10.11.x have brought nothing but increased disappointment if you really enjoyed the great progression from 10.2.x to 10.6.x. So maybe coming back to Linux won't be as sad as seeing what more good things we lose in 10.12.x and what new useless toys/bloat it brings.

 

[dannys1]

Wait so there are Windows laptops that are thinner than the retina MacBook but with more ports? If that's the case I think it puts to bed the notion that the retina MacBook only has one port because of Apple's obsession with thinness.



But it's so easy to use the thinness argument. Everything someone doesn't like is because Apple's obsession with thinness. I'll bet any money the rMBP gets a redesign with Skylake and all the ports will be there.

I don't think it will because the entire idea behind the Retina Macbook is to NOT plug things into it, the way you don't with an iPad. Its to work with wireless protocols. If you need more ports, buy a device that has the power to run then, eg a Macbook Pro.
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The LG looks nice and offering a 15" screen is what I want Apple to do with the rMB. I don't need the power of the rMBP (that I'm currently using) but I do need the screen size. I love the rMB, for it's thin and light form, but my aging eyes need a bigger screen

You do realise the text is the same size no matter if its a 11" screen or a 27" screen...

 

[junkstory]

Still patiently waiting for an updated Macbook Pro 15"... ready to throw money at them.. please make a move Apple.

 

[jmgregory1]

You do realise the text is the same size no matter if its a 11" screen or a 27" screen...[/QUOTE]

Depends on the resolution setting of the screen - plus as I noted, I need the space just so I can move between apps on-screen.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

That's not how i remembered it...

I like the LG one.

This is one place Apple hasan't caught up is in speakers

No Apple laptop has Dolby sound yet..., not even the iPad Pro with the "sound that adjusts as u tilt"

Sure, its cool, but its no Dolby...

Just for the sound alone, I wish Apple had caught up in this, but maybe to much focused on these little tricks instead.


So, this area is one thing that this saying does not work

It would be nice if Apple got in with the "Hi-Res" audio stuff. I'd like to see Apple support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA for movies and TV shows on the iTunes Store.

 

[ctyrider]

I bet it will. Considering Apple already went through that with the MBA but still decided to give the rMB only one port makes me think so. If you want more ports you get the rMBP. And it will probably be light enough that current MBA owners will chose it.

You're wrong. MBA was never a single-port laptop to begin with - it started off with MagSafe, DisplayPort, and USB-A. The difference with rMB is that its single USB-C port can provide all the connectivity and power.

The likelihood of Apple adding another port to rMB is the same as them adding 2nd Lightning port to an iPad/iPhone.

 

[brinary001]

It'll be just like Apple's line in every way except for the number of them purchased...

 

[Chatter]

It appears there is a long-term industry standard headphone jack visible in 2 of those 3 pictures. I don't think Apple is pushing bluetooth audio either; instead, per rumors, Apple apparently wants to jettison a long-term industry standard that "just works" with everything and adopt a proprietary standard that only Apple controls. Apparently, this is in the name of "higher quality audio" playback (not lucrative licensing deals and high-profit accessory sales) but the consumer cost of that is "another adapter" unless every single possible use of those headphones will be with Apple iDevices.

This does sound awesome if it happens. I dont mind Bluetooth headphones but I am not a good example of either - I dislike headphones in general.

 

[jazz1]

Posers

 

[Fender2112]

Where do I insert the CD?

 

[coalchamber1022]

No surprise here they have been doing this for years.

I am just surprised they can get away with it.

 

[kazmac]

LG have the right idea, 15" size etc;, but wrong design.

 

[Mal67]

Some good stuff here from Hp Lenovo and Lg I think. Hopefully this will encourage Apple to include an extra usb port in their own rMacbook and to consider redesigns to go up to 14 or 15" screens.