I actually think the competition has some very nice notebooks on the market currently. Just to mention a few: Dell XPS 13 & 15, Razer Blade Stealth, Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro, and Microsoft's own Surface Notebook and Surfacebook.
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Waiting for the 2018 MBP
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I actually think the competition has some very nice notebooks on the market currently. Just to mention a few: Dell XPS 13 & 15, Razer Blade Stealth, Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro, and Microsoft's own Surface Notebook and Surfacebook.
Seeing the latest iMac Pro news with the A10, I could imagine the A11 coming to the MBP's in summer WWDC reveal. The A11 could handle small tasks and Siri while Intel CPU does the bigger stuff.
Which would i'm guessing help battery life and please those that have complained about battery issues. It will be interesting to see if the "hey Siri" feature will appear on all Mac's, maybe it's a feature of the next MacOS that could be in testing before next years WWDC.
These are exactly the models I’ve been researching. I don’t want to bore you or the thread with my reasons for hating them, but let me start with the Razer Blade. The screen is too small, it has fat bezels and WTF is that on the top left of the screen? Please tell me that’s removable!
It’s funny, because the pictures on Razer’s website don’t show it disfigured with ugly advertising, yet that’s what you get if you buy one. Why do PC manufacturers (except Apple) insist on those god-awful stickers that are a pain in the arse to remove? That’s right: kickbacks and because they have no taste.
Then I saw some reviews of the Razer Blade Pro that showed it to be a flawed product. Inadequate cooling, inadequate power supply, random shutdowns, a plastic bottom case etc etc. I don’t have respect for a company that puts out rubbish like that.
Don’t get me started on Microsoft! So yeah, I wish the competition was better, but it’s not. I know that and Apple knows that. That’s why they can charge what they do. I don’t understand why the competition doesn’t at least try to have some taste and respect for themselves.
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I guess I'm spoiled being with Apple for as long as I have (though I do own a Surface Book). I was (and continue) to be tempted with the XPS 15 but I was surprised at the heft and thickness of the laptop. They had the XPS models in the MicroSoft store and one day being bored I went in. I still think its a fantastic machine and one that I'm tempted to get because you get more computer for less money then what apple is charging. The downside is the fact that I'm losing out on the Apple ecosystem experience and I'm finding out while intangible, is something I'm not sure I'm willing to sacrifice.
You and me both. I like both platforms. I’m not willing to give up either one, and I can have both on the one machine with a Mac.
If I had to give up one OS that would be a tough choice but it would have to be Mac out of necessity because of some Windows-only work software that I need (ArcGIS), better versions of Office applications and better gaming.
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I'm in a similar boat, I use a mac for work (mainly writing based) but I like to have a windows computer as well, mainly to play games as you can get better hardware for significantly less cash, and also for storage of things like photos, backups from iPhone etc as the hard drives give you capacity at a low cost (and these are now of course not available at all on any mac notebook). If I absolutely had to go to a single machine set up, the only option would be to drop the mac, as I can do my work on a windows computer, but can't do much of what I do with the windows machine on a mac (at least without absolutely breaking the bank) - really the mac is a personal indulgence for me as I enjoy the machines' good looks, solid build, portability and like mac OS about as well as Windows.
Also tempted on this and basically waiting to see how things shift when the next gen chips come on market. I do find the XPS aesthetically pleasing - although my friend with one ended up returning it due to constant issues.
I would seriously consider linux if it weren't for the fact I need to use Office because all the people I work with use Office
I looked into Linux, but it doesn't work for the desktop. None of the standard applications and when you upgrade the OS, chances are that several drivers stop working. I have a desktop pc with a bog standard R9 290x gpu that worked quite nicely. Simple system upgrade and even an xterm shows tearing.
As for the Dell XPS, they surely look tempting. However. I just ran into somebody who made the switch from a MBP to the XPS15 with Windows10 and WSL for the command line. The software doesn't have the finesse of macOS (which anybody can try out at home with a virtual machine). Worse, the laptop's keyboard is surrounded by a rubbery texture that becomes a horrible smudgy mess after the first touch. Call me a snob, but when I have a good screen, I'd like to have a nice view when I look at the rest of the laptop as well.
As for the Dell XPS, they surely look tempting. However. I just ran into somebody who made the switch from a MBP to the XPS15 with Windows10 and WSL for the command line. The software doesn't have the finesse of macOS (which anybody can try out at home with a virtual machine). Worse, the laptop's keyboard is surrounded by a rubbery texture that becomes a horrible smudgy mess after the first touch. Call me a snob, but when I have a good screen, I'd like to have a nice view when I look at the rest of the laptop as well.
I too had the misfortune of having to use Linux (don’t know which version or how old) at one of my workplaces and I hated it. Almost nothing worked as I expected requiring extensive retraining and for what I could tell no benefit. It didn’t help that the network was riddled with permissions problems and my manager made no effort to ensure I had a productive environment.
Needless to say I quit the job soon after.
Needless to say I quit the job soon after.
I have quite the extensive experience with Linux (I work in scientific computing, one of the few fields where using Linux is not a fringe choice), and while it has immensely improved in the last decade I have also discarded the idea of making it my main OS.
It's an extremely flexible and customizable OS, but two big issues make it difficult for me to use it productively in a work environment:
(1) it lacks the standard software (particularly the professional stuff) that 90% of people use, there are alternatives but they are rarely up to par.
(2) setting things up requires too much effort. Pretty much nothing works out of the box, and way too often some driver or package issue will pop up out of nowhere, forcing you to spend hours on the command line trying to fix it. I can put up with this at home on a hobby machine, but in the office things need to "just work", hence I'm always back to the Mac.
In fact, the #1 reason why macOS is my favorite system might just be that it's the only OS which combines all the functionalities of Unix that I need with a great GUI and an attractive software package. I have to admit that Windows is looking more and more attractive these days, but for the time being I'm still hooked.
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I actually think Office on the Mac is by FAR superior to the Windows version. You still have the correct menu bar without being pulled out of the application when you access the file menu. All commands are in the menu bar and SEARCHABLE! while in Windows Office you have to search for and click on these small arrow thingies hidden in the ribbon next to the sections name. And quite a few of the dialogs and windows etc are a lot better on the Mac. One example... the bibliography/quotation manager.
To be honest I’ve not tried a recent version of Office for Mac, and finding commands on Windows can be frustrating I admit.
I assumed Microsoft still makes the experience better in Windows as this was the case last time I checked. That was when they’d cut VBA from the Mac version. Plus I need Access on occasion to inspect MDBs and to my knowledge that’s still not available on Mac.
I’m more often in Windows already (due to Arc and SPSS) when I’m doing work, plus I find the speed and responsiveness overall a bit quicker in Windows. Yes I know SPSS has a Mac client but the Java interface in Mac is ****.
Add in some light gaming and I couldn’t give up Windows. Fortunately, the MBP (at least my former 2015 model) makes a fantastic Windows laptop.
I may need to buy another one soon before the 2018 refresh
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I assumed Microsoft still makes the experience better in Windows as this was the case last time I checked. That was when they’d cut VBA from the Mac version. Plus I need Access on occasion to inspect MDBs and to my knowledge that’s still not available on Mac.
I’m more often in Windows already (due to Arc and SPSS) when I’m doing work, plus I find the speed and responsiveness overall a bit quicker in Windows. Yes I know SPSS has a Mac client but the Java interface in Mac is ****.
Add in some light gaming and I couldn’t give up Windows. Fortunately, the MBP (at least my former 2015 model) makes a fantastic Windows laptop.
I may need to buy another one soon before the 2018 refresh
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Yes, I find my usage and experience to Office in Windows to be superior then on the Mac. I much prefer Excel on the windows platform over OS X.
You are correct, there is no Access for Mac. In fact you are very limited in terms of available database products for OS X. As for Access, I vaguely recall that MS' excuse was that there are some things baked into Windows that Access needs and of course OS X is missing. That excuse doesn't make sense, because its just an application, but the end result is Access if no available.
Mac has been a fantastic choice in science for a while now. At the same time I’ve seen it fall out of favour with IT departments at universities that’ve become increasingly corporatised.
I also agree Windows is catching up, probably because they’re adopting more and more Mac-like behaviours. Also because of the Unix compatibility layer (or emulation?), though I’ve not tried that yet. I’m still scarred by my experiences trying to make do with Cygwin in Windows.
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a full Linux. It has (fortunately) nothing to do with CygWin anymore. You can install an X server on your windows, then use apt-get (or whatever package manager your distro uses) to install X apps. You can switch to zsh or csh if you prefer it over bash. It's all there and it's pretty effortless. The command line in windows, thanks to WSL, is really how it should be.
For me, it's the general hardware & GUI quality that are still Apple's trump card. I compare it to a quality audio set or a quality car. When you first use it, you don't notice it so much. But when you switch back some time later, you notice all the little things that aren't right.
Thanks for the info and I feel exactly the same way as you.
To be honest I’ve not tried a recent version of Office for Mac, and finding commands on Windows can be frustrating I admit.
I assumed Microsoft still makes the experience better in Windows as this was the case last time I checked. That was when they’d cut VBA from the Mac version. Plus I need Access on occasion to inspect MDBs and to my knowledge that’s still not available on Mac.
I’m more often in Windows already (due to Arc and SPSS) when I’m doing work, plus I find the speed and responsiveness overall a bit quicker in Windows. Yes I know SPSS has a Mac client but the Java interface in Mac is ****.
Add in some light gaming and I couldn’t give up Windows. Fortunately, the MBP (at least my former 2015 model) makes a fantastic Windows laptop.
I may need to buy another one soon before the 2018 refresh
Completely agree. I’d even go so far as to say the 2012-2015 rMBP was the best Windows laptop available for those years. I had the 2012 and 2013 models and pretty much used them as Windows machines exclusively. I work with SAP business applications and have virtually no use for Mac OS even if I wanted to use it. Only on the occasion when I got bored did I boot into the Mac side and all I did was surf on Safari.
Without bloatware and with decent drivers the Windows experience on Mac is pretty good. I can’t believe Microsoft allows PC vendors to ship their OS overloaded with so much junk. It makes such a bad impression. Again, it comes back to them having no taste or respect for themselves. Most users can’t different between what is Windows and what isn’t and will never uninstall anything.
I have a few concerns about Windows on the touch bar MBPs. For example, how well does palm-rejection work on the stupidly large trackpad that’s impossible to avoid touching while typing?
I have a few concerns about Windows on the touch bar MBPs. For example, how well does palm-rejection work on the stupidly large trackpad that’s impossible to avoid touching while typing?
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i had the surface book 2 (15")for 6 days now...nope, nope i need Apple to update their mac line up to 8th intel gen
i litteraly see how it drains the battery when i work on it while its charging. And the heat...
I was tempted by that 15-17h battery life that Microsoft marketing, i was aware that i will not get that, but come on...9-11h at max (never use brightness at max)
[doublepost=1511423160][/doublepost]As an overall product from the all points of view that intersect your experience, Apple is still the best.
I tried these days even the Hp spectre 13" i saw it in white and i like it,but...5-6 hours battery life and its get hot. The screen is v ok but still. After using Apple for years, when you try/swap to the other side, you literally feel the differences and you miss a lot more than you gain
i litteraly see how it drains the battery when i work on it while its charging. And the heat...
I was tempted by that 15-17h battery life that Microsoft marketing, i was aware that i will not get that, but come on...9-11h at max (never use brightness at max)
[doublepost=1511423160][/doublepost]As an overall product from the all points of view that intersect your experience, Apple is still the best.
I tried these days even the Hp spectre 13" i saw it in white and i like it,but...5-6 hours battery life and its get hot. The screen is v ok but still. After using Apple for years, when you try/swap to the other side, you literally feel the differences and you miss a lot more than you gain
I wouldn't be too dissatisfied witn 9-11 hours battery time. In my experience, that is way more than most users get from MBP in standard use (doing work, not just browsing).
my brother has always 10-11 hours in normal use with 2017 H Sierra on it
Apple said up to 10 hours...Microsoft said up to 17 hours ! So i guess Apple could increase more with 8th Gen Intel, that iGPU is so more energy efficient !
[doublepost=1511431025][/doublepost]I really think the upcoming 13" MBP with those quad core and that more energy efficient iGPU...will be a must have and it will have the biggest update from the entire lineup
good for him! I don't think many users can claim that in real-world work use.