New Razorblade a Compelling Replacement?

[Sully]

I've held out for a year waiting to replace my foundering MacBook Pro. Now, I'm sensing that there won't be a upgrade in June given Apple's IOS centric view on the business.

So, after looking around, I'm thinking the new Razorblade that ships in June could be the answer. I don't want to give up on The Apple OS, but I hear good things about Windows 10, and this new Razorblade seems to beat out Apple's offerings on every level. What am I missing? http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

 

[maxsix]

Apple's iOS centric focus is a testimony which reveals a permanent shift away from the desktop OS to Mobile Devices and "Internet Of Things" products. Always hyper focused on profit first, Apple's masterful cost control measures along with their love of extreme high volume manufacturing have brought them the gross margins they thrive on. In addition their deep addiction to headlines and constant attention, are served best when selling devices and gadgets. Its Apple circa 2016.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Sure, if you like Windows go for it there are many compelling options, other manufacturers have finally caught up to apples quality and design.

I think you are wrong though Apple will release new MacBook pro's this summer. I don't think it will be announced at wwdc myself but I do expect them fairly soon, they are waiting for the AMD Polaris for the 15 inch version if you ask me.

 

[emilioestevez]

There's nothing compelling about Windows.

 

[Hellhammer]

What's your usage like? Unless you're a gamer or do something that benefits from the fast GPU, I don't see what the Razer Blade offers that the 15" MBP doesn't. It's a great piece of hardware for sure and as a someone who uses both Windows and OS X daily, I find Windows 10 to be great, but I can also see why you'd like to stick with OS X.

 

[dallegre]

The one thing that concerns me about the Razer Blade is heat. I've been able to find reviews and numbers for the 2015 model, but not for the 2016. Supposedly the 2016 model improves on the cooling from last years model, but I'd like to see some real world results first.

As for Windows/OSX, I use both on a daily basis as well. Each have their strong points, and may handle certain specific tasks/apps/codecs better than the other. But in terms of general usage, I would have a hard time making a compelling case for one over the other.

 

[Sully]

Sure, if you like Windows go for it there are many compelling options, other manufacturers have finally caught up to apples quality and design.

I think you are wrong though Apple will release new MacBook pro's this summer. I don't think it will be announced at wwdc myself but I do expect them fairly soon, they are waiting for the AMD Polaris for the 15 inch version if you ask me.

I agree that it's looking unlikely that new MacBook Pros will be announced this summer. That's why I'm starting to look around. I've looked at the Dell XPS and now this Razorblade. The XPS products aren't priced any better than Apple's products once they're spec'ed appropriately. Same for the Surface Book. However, the Razorblade seems to be pretty good value for what they're offering - especially the version I linked to.

I'm still using Marvericks and I have zero issues. But, from what I've read here, El Captain is not up to the same vaunted OSX quality and I haven't been too impressed with Yosemite on my newer desktop. I like what's under the hood with OSX and I want to stay with it. But, I feel like Apple is arrogantly asking loyalist's like me to suck it up and pay a premium for old technology simply because it has a picture of an apple on it. Maybe users like us are in the minority and everyone is focused on mobile now.

 

[maflynn]

What am I missing?

Not much, that computer looks like it beats out MBPs on every metric. It looks like a killer, and it appears to be a speed demon. I might have missed it, but what will the laptop be used for?

reveals a permanent shift away from the desktop OS

I hope its not permanent. With a 40% drop off on shipments last quarter, I think that should be a wake up call.

There's nothing compelling about Windows.

I disagree, windows 10 is very compelling, it has features that Apple does not have, its stable, fast and runs more applications then OS X. I understand choosing a platform is a personal preference, but that shouldn't mean the other platform is in any way inferior. In this case, OS X has less features, which hopefully Apple moves to rectify this summer.

I agree that it's looking unlikely that new MacBook Pros will be announced this summer.

Where do you hear that? Most of the chatter here and elsewhere is the expectation of a new MBPs being unveiled during WWDC. Obviously since Apple has said anything on it, many of us are speculating, but its been a year since the last refresh and even then, it was just a minor spec bump. Now that Apple has the latest chipsets and GPUs available for them, there's no reason to hold off.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I agree that it's looking unlikely that new MacBook Pros will be announced this summer. That's why I'm starting to look around. I've looked at the Dell XPS and now this Razorblade. The XPS products aren't priced any better than Apple's products once they're spec'ed appropriately. Same for the Surface Book. However, the Razorblade seems to be pretty good value for what they're offering - especially the version I linked to.

I'm still using Marvericks and I have zero issues. But, from what I've read here, El Captain is not up to the same vaunted OSX quality and I haven't been too impressed with Yosemite on my newer desktop. I like what's under the hood with OSX and I want to stay with it. But, I feel like Apple is arrogantly asking loyalist's like me to suck it up and pay a premium for old technology simply because it has a picture of an apple on it. Maybe users like us are in the minority and everyone is focused on mobile now.

Nope I disagree they will be released this summer, that is not even in doubt. I just doubt it will be at wwdc.

I also vehemently disagree with what you say about new tech, Apple will use the best tech available that fits their products, this will be with battery life, portability, screen quality etc all balanced as well as they can manage. If you want something that focuses only on performance Apple products are not for you, if you want something rushed out as soon as possible then again Apple aren't for you they'll release their products when they think they are ready for public not before, I love that myself but patience is a long lost virtue it seems.

Lastly El Capitan is brilliant on the whole, far better than Yosemite .

 

[Eziggy]

I am in the same boat and decided to pull the trigger on the Razer Blade, ended up catching it available on the MS Store online and should get it by Monday. Figured I have 30 days to try it out, if I don't like it I can return it. I also tried out the XPS 15, Best Buy has some great prices on them, way cheaper than directly from Dell. I liked the computer but wasn't confident the quality control was all there. The form factor and screen resolution/colors were awesome, but I had a problem with the keyboard (left arrow) and the screen uniformity was extremely bad (right side was measurably darker than the left), so it went back.

I have been a die hard Apple guy for the past 10 years. At one point I had the Mac Pro (both old and new), Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV. I just love how they all work together well and how awesome Apple hardware design is.

Over the last 6 months I have slowly been testing the waters with Windows 10 by selling my Mac Pro and building a fully loaded Skylake PC (highest end motherboard, 6700K, 512GB PCIe SSD, 980ti, etc,) for almost half of what I got for selling the newer far slower Mac Pro. I have to say with Windows 10 it has gotten tolerable and in some cases nice to use.

The only major knock I have against Windows is that there aren't any great native mail, calendar, and contact app that work seamlessly across iCloud, Gmail, and Exchange. Mail, Calendar, and Contacts on the Mac aren't fantastic but they work fairly well give or take a few bugs here and there. Also, the resolution scaling is pretty pathetic compared to Mac.

Otherwise, for me all the most apps I use can be found on both platforms. I do mostly business apps and photography. For business apps, I have to say it is nice to use Windows Microsoft apps again since they have a few more capabilities than the mac versions. For photography, I had to switch to Lightroom on Mac anyway because Aperture was discontinued and Photos is very consumer focused (really miss iPhoto for quick iPhone photo uploads). Got to love the Cloud subscription model. With Office 365 and Adoble Creative Cloud, you get access to both Mac and PC downloads so their was no cost to switch for me.

I do believe Apple's lack of releasing computers is because of their vendors more so than lack of interest. AMD is rumored to be struggling with their readability on their new cards. I just heard they are poised to launch June 1st at Computex. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple announces the mobile versions with the macbook pros, but that assumes AMD has gotten manufacturing reliability down and Apple has done their lengthy test cycles. These new video cards, both mobile and desktop, should be great, especially with heat management.

For me it came down to needing a laptop now, and getting adjusted to the Windows ecosystem. I have 2015 Macbook 12" which I love and am definitely going to keep especially for meetings. The Razer Blade is a really sleek looking laptop as well and it supports Razer Core, which is the external graphics dock for future desktop upgradability if need be.

Once I get it I will give you guys my thoughts. If you do end up ordering it, make sure to get it from Microsoft. Their return policy and extended warranty is far better than dealing with Razer directly.

 

[Sully]

Where do you hear that? Most of the chatter here and elsewhere is the expectation of a new MBPs being unveiled during WWDC.

I didn't hear anything either way and usually there are rumors that surface before an announcement. I'm actually hoping for some sort of information next month. I've waited this long, I can wait for a few more months.

Besides, the longer I wait the more use I get out of the screwdrivers I bought and carry around with me to hold my current machine together.
[doublepost=1463665916][/doublepost]

Nope I disagree they will be announced this summer, that is not even in doubt. I just doubt it will be at wwdc.

I also vehemently disagree with what you say about new tech, Apple will use the best tech available that fits their products, this will be with battery life, portability, screen quality etc all balanced as well as they can manage. If you want something that focuses only on performance Apple products are not for you, if you want something rushed out as soon as possible then again Apple aren't for you they'll release their products when they think they are ready for public not before, I love that myself but patience is a long lost virtue it seems.

Lastly El Capitan is brilliant on the whole, far better than Yosemite .

I understand your point of view. And, I've been able to wait for several years because this old computer I have simply works and it works pretty well.

But, saying that Apple uses the best tech available that fits their products is not an answer for the criticism that they've taken a longer time that usual to upgrade the 15 inch rMBP in a meaningful way. Especially when there's been so much attention placed on mobile products and gadgets like the MacBook. ( please don't give me grief about calling the MacBook a gadget - I'm only joking).

If I were in a rush, I'd be typing this on an XPS. But, as other manufacturers and Microsoft itself have copied Apple in producing higher quality hardware and software that seems to work, the decision becomes more difficult. At some point, people like me have to make a move and without a compelling reason to stay with Apple, these people might leave and never return.

 

[Closingracer]

I am in the same boat and decided to pull the trigger on the Razer Blade, ended up catching it available on the MS Store online and should get it by Monday. Figured I have 30 days to try it out, if I don't like it I can return it. I also tried out the XPS 15, Best Buy has some great prices on them, way cheaper than directly from Dell. I liked the computer but wasn't confident the quality control was all there. The form factor and screen resolution/colors were awesome, but I had a problem with the keyboard (left arrow) and the screen uniformity was extremely bad (right side was measurably darker than the left), so it went back.

I have been a die hard Apple guy for the past 10 years. At one point I had the Mac Pro (both old and new), Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV. I just love how they all work together well and how awesome Apple hardware design is.

Over the last 6 months I have slowly been testing the waters with Windows 10 by selling my Mac Pro and building a fully loaded Skylake PC (highest end motherboard, 6700K, 512GB PCIe SSD, 980ti, etc,) for almost half of what I got for selling the newer far slower Mac Pro. I have to say with Windows 10 it has gotten tolerable and in some cases nice to use.

The only major knock I have against Windows is that there aren't any great native mail, calendar, and contact app that work seamlessly across iCloud, Gmail, and Exchange. Mail, Calendar, and Contacts on the Mac aren't fantastic but they work fairly well give or take a few bugs here and there. Also, the resolution scaling is pretty pathetic compared to Mac.

Otherwise, for me all the most apps I use can be found on both platforms. I do mostly business apps and photography. For business apps, I have to say it is nice to use Windows Microsoft apps again since they have a few more capabilities than the mac versions. For photography, I had to switch to Lightroom on Mac anyway because Aperture was discontinued and Photos is very consumer focused (really miss iPhoto for quick iPhone photo uploads). Got to love the Cloud subscription model. With Office 365 and Adoble Creative Cloud, you get access to both Mac and PC downloads so their was no cost to switch for me.

I do believe Apple's lack of releasing computers is because of their vendors more so than lack of interest. AMD is rumored to be struggling with their readability on their new cards. I just heard they are poised to launch June 1st at Computex. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple announces the mobile versions with the macbook pros, but that assumes AMD has gotten manufacturing reliability down and Apple has done their lengthy test cycles. These new video cards, both mobile and desktop, should be great, especially with heat management.

For me it came down to needing a laptop now, and getting adjusted to the Windows ecosystem. I have 2015 Macbook 12" which I love and am definitely going to keep especially for meetings. The Razer Blade is a really sleek looking laptop as well and it supports Razer Core, which is the external graphics dock for future desktop upgradability if need be.

Once I get it I will give you guys my thoughts. If you do end up ordering it, make sure to get it from Microsoft. Their return policy and extended warranty is far better than dealing with Razer directly.

I have never been an App guy so I never run into this problem. I usually go to the website to check my mail and calendars I don't even deal with atm since I know my schedule in my head or I'll write it in notes on my phone. Windows 10 is easily the best windows OS version IMHO. I am deciding if I want to make a small partition for Windows on my Macbook or not. I have around 150gb left and would probably just make a 50gb partition for Windows.

 

[Bending Pixels]

There's nothing compelling about Windows.

Sure there is! It compels you to have to realize just how much better OS X is.

 

[Brad9893]

Sure there is! It compels you to have to realize just how much better OS X is.

It also compels me to appreciate visual consistency and a clean user interface.

 

[Closingracer]

Nope I disagree they will be released this summer, that is not even in doubt. I just doubt it will be at wwdc.

I also vehemently disagree with what you say about new tech, Apple will use the best tech available that fits their products, this will be with battery life, portability, screen quality etc all balanced as well as they can manage. If you want something that focuses only on performance Apple products are not for you, if you want something rushed out as soon as possible then again Apple aren't for you they'll release their products when they think they are ready for public not before, I love that myself but patience is a long lost virtue it seems.

Lastly El Capitan is brilliant on the whole, far better than Yosemite .

Apple doesn't use the best tech available for any of their products.... Surely Apple could of added skylake cpu's in the 13 inch models when they announced the new rMB a month ago?

 

[Queen6]

Nope I disagree they will be released this summer, that is not even in doubt. I just doubt it will be at wwdc.

I also vehemently disagree with what you say about new tech, Apple will use the best tech available that fits their products, this will be with battery life, portability, screen quality etc all balanced as well as they can manage. If you want something that focuses only on performance Apple products are not for you, if you want something rushed out as soon as possible then again Apple aren't for you they'll release their products when they think they are ready for public not before, I love that myself but patience is a long lost virtue it seems.

Lastly El Capitan is brilliant on the whole, far better than Yosemite .

Apples primary focus is iToys; the Mac in it`s current incarnation is dull at best, lacklustre at worst. It`s not about what Apple has done, very much more about what Apple is capable of doing. More to the point Apple chooses to preserve their diverged computing lines, for the sole benefit of profit. From an engineering perspective modern Mac`s are designed ever more like IOS devices; cheaper to produce, easier to extract higher margins. Never has the saying been more true "less is more", less for the user, more margin for Apple.

As for 10.11 it`s garbage, too many issues, with Apple still working on them, until they release another underdeveloped version. OS X is declining into a near permeant Beta status, with Apple adding near zero to productivity, rather more focusing on "bells & whistles" I rather think that 80% is now good enough for Apple these days with OS X. Apple needs to revert to a realistic development cycle for the desktop OS and stop releasing half-baked software.

If Apple wants to get Mac sales moving they need to drop the price & start showing innovation that is biased towards the customer/user not solely Apple`s margins. I have been using Mac`s & OS X since the day, now I really consider why I am supporting a tech company that does not place computers first or equal, as the net result will only be diluted at best, mediocre at worst, which is exactly what we see today with the current Mac lineup....

Q-6

 

[aoaaron]

Is battery life on it decent?


Gaming laptops make me cringe.

Suboptimal expereince, a pile of issues.. when u could build a phenomenal gaming rig instead.

Gaming on the go.. get a 3DS/PS vita and call it a day imo haha!

 

[kevinkyoo]

The only thing that hold me back on this as a replacement are a couple of things: Battery life and heat. If I'm not mistaken, the 2015 model only had around 5-6 hours. I understand that it's a gaming laptop, but that's pretty average, and for the price that you pay for a computer like this, I don't think that's acceptable. Also, the 2015 models were found to be VERY hot.

And for people complaining about Windows 10, try it once in awhile. Microsoft has made vast improvements on it to the point where it's almost as competitive as the OSX.

 

[Brad9893]

I have tried Windows 10, and I still don't think that it's a vast improvement or anywhere near as good as OS X. I'd argue that most of the people complaining about Windows 10 have tried it and still don't like what they see. It's just not because they refuse to try it.

 

[dallegre]

I have tried Windows 10, and I still don't think that it's a vast improvement or anywhere near as good as OS X. I'd argue that most of the people complaining about Windows 10 have tried it and still don't like what they see. It's just not because they refuse to try it.

I imagine that most people who strongly prefer one OS over the other, probably have significantly more experience with/knowledge of the OS they prefer, and not so much experience/knowledge with the one that they don't.

 

[tubeexperience]

I have tried Windows 10, and I still don't think that it's a vast improvement or anywhere near as good as OS X. I'd argue that most of the people complaining about Windows 10 have tried it and still don't like what they see. It's just not because they refuse to try it.

List 10 examples.

 

[Brad9893]

List 10 examples.

I don't see why I am going to waste my time doing this since you seem to not be fond of Apple or it's products. I mean, after all, in the MacBook forum the only thing you could do was insist that it was a netbook over and over again like a broken record. But, I digress...

1.) It feels like two different OS's (an old one and a new one) have been inelegantly smooshed together. It's certainly less of a Frankenstein OS when compared to Windows 8 and 8.1, but it's still really bad.
2.) A weird mishmash of Win32 apps and UWP/WinRT apps that both try to do the same thing. There are two different applications that are dedicated to the modification of system settings, Control Panel (Win32) and Settings (WinRT/UWP) and they both do completely different things and there is little to no overlap. For instance, if you want to change your default web browser you have to remember which one of those apps to open up. Is it in both? Or is it only in one? If so, which one? Control Panel, or is it settings? Okay, now you want to change your mouse cursor to make it black. Where do you have to go to change that? Which app do I do that from? Needless to say, it is clunky, complicated, and inelegant as hell.
3.) There is UI inconsistency galore in Windows 10. Depending on where you right click within the operating system, you might encounter one of around five different context menus. And the font anti-aliasing is seriously weird and not to mention, it is substandard. In Win32 apps you have ClearType 2, and in WinRT apps you have this ugly, gray crap. There are also completely different fonts and font sizes used. Also, apps don't fit together. You can run a modern UWP app like Weather that looks like it is from 2016 alongside Disk Management, which looks like it is from Windows 2000.
4.) The Start "Menu" is an abomination. It is cluttered, horribly designed, and using it results in a very bad experience. It's no wonder that there are many companies who have created Start Menu replacements out there flourishing. Also, Live Tiles are annoying and clutter up the Start Menu.
5.) Bugs. Windows 10 is far more buggy than El Capitan, or even Yosemite, in my experience. If I had a nickel for every time I had to restart my Surface because the Start Menu or Action Center was not responsive and wouldn't respond to clicks or key combos, I would be rich. Action Center also insists on duplicating all of my Notifications for some weird reason. All of these things keep coming up across OS installations.
6.) Depending on what version of Windows 10 you have, there may be no way to stop updates from downloading and installing themselves automatically even if you don't want them to. Even on the Pro version of Windows 10 where you have more control, you still don't have enough control. For instance, you have to install all available updates or none at all. And you know what? You shouldn't have to pay an extra $100 to get slightly more, but definitely not enough control over your updates.
7.) Microsoft is now displaying advertisements on the lock screen of Windows 10. You can turn this off, yes, but the fact that they are even doing this at all is deplorable. Turning users Operating System's into billboards is not ever okay.
8.) There are privacy concerns. You can't turn telemetry off no matter what, and even when you switch off Cortana, the Cortana process is still in the background sending things to Microsoft.
9.) Virtual desktops are nice, but Microsoft has managed to completely mess up how you interact and manage them. At least with respect to using the trackpad, you have to swipe through your windows and not through the virtual desktops themselves. This was a very poor design choice and the way that it works is quite weird.
10.) It took Microsoft about 15 years to add scrolling through inactive windows, but when they did, they couldn't even manage to implement it properly. When I start to scroll through the inactive window, I don't want the inactive window to be made active, and have active window to immediately be pushed into the background, becoming inactive. That kind of defeats the purpose. The feature should not involve any window placement being affected.

And these are just 10 problems that are unique to Windows 10 and not other versions of Windows. I'm sure I could continue this list, but you only asked for 10 and I've already put enough time into it.

 

[JTToft]

And these are just 10 problems that are unique to Windows 10 and not other versions of Windows. I'm sure I could continue this list, but you only asked for 10 and I've already put enough time into it.

- Having had extremely little personal exposure to Windows 10, those all sound deplorable. Can (6) really be true, though?
Windows has always been horrible about updates, but what you describe sounds unreal.

 

[Brad9893]

- Having had extremely little personal exposure to Windows 10, those all sound deplorable. Can (6) really be true, though?
Windows has always been horrible about updates, but what you describe sounds unreal.

Yes, what I say is the complete truth. With Windows 10 Home, you have no control over the update process at all. They will download and then Windows will automatically install everything when you are not using your computer (usually it's at 3 AM or so). Windows 10 Pro, however, has the ability to defer updates. But, the catch is, when you decide to update, everything is downloaded and installed meaning you can't pick and choose which updates you install. You can't just uncheck an update and not download/install, because even with 10 Pro you have to take everything or nothing. They have really removed the more granular controls.

They've taken the Windows Update feature and put it completely into the new Settings app, and in the process, made it less useful.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Apple doesn't use the best tech available for any of their products.... Surely Apple could of added skylake cpu's in the 13 inch models when they announced the new rMB a month ago?

Apple use only intels best processors in every class and have had to wait for them because Intel only released the best skylake chips with the best graphics last of all.

They also design test and make their own logic boards, this is not an instant process, and 2-3 months from chip release to getting enough product for a worldwide release without to much in the way of supply constraints is amazingly quick not slow.

But mainly just have a bit of patience for pity's sake, look what happened last year when apple gave in to pressure and released the 15 inch with haswell, broadwell came out 2 weeks later and everybody is still whinging on about it.....