ProfessorX
Unconfirmed Member
Apple is a high end brand. Porsche doesn't sell an inexpensive four door Sedan. Bowers and Wilkins don't sell low end inexpensive speakers. The Apple experiment with licensing Mac Clones to third parties failed.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Mac Hardware and Software |OT| - All things Macintosh
- Thread starter 3N16MA
- Start date
Apple is a high end brand. Porsche doesn't sell an inexpensive four door Sedan. Bowers and Wilkins don't sell low end inexpensive speakers. The Apple experiment with licensing Mac Clones to third parties failed.
I wonder what you think is an "inexpensive" laptop, then. The hypothetical laptop I mentioned that Apple could make but doesn't had a $1400 pricetag. Apple currently sells a laptop at $900. How do you explain that?
Retaining the impression that they are a luxury brand is what allows Apple to keep very high margins. But despite their generally good quality, and some seriously great products, they are a mass market brand. Somewhat ironically, they are willing to sacrifice usability, quality and performance when that allows them to prop up the luxury image. What seals the deal is that they will also do it strictly to wring out a bit more profit or sell more product. Porsche, on the other hand, is a true luxury brand. They will never release a single mediocre car. If there was a computer company equivalent of Porsche, you would not see them sell a Porsche Mini or an iPorsche desktop and fail to equip them with SSDs.
Another way your analogy is invalid is that luxury cars are totally interchangeable with other cars for practical purposes, whereas computers are tools with associated ecosystems. There's no particular advantage for Porsche in trying to cater to the full range of their customers' car needs by building minivans, jeeps etc. But every time Apple fails to serve potential customer's hardware needs and the customer has to go elsewhere to fulfill that need, also the machines Apple does make become less desirable.
In terms of raw power for things like video editing and gaming, I was thinking of this lenovo as a possible alternative
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FSBFBD2/
money is tight right now, wasn't trying to diss macbooks or anything, but I would like something that is upgradeable down the line with as little hassle as possible and without having to worry about proprietary hardware add-ons.
ProfessorX
Unconfirmed Member
That Lenovo costs $2,186.51+ $58.00 shipping in the USA
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FSBFBD2/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Mr. Wonderful
Member
The good news is this will be less important with Broadwell and Skylake's continued integrated GPU improvements, and DDR4.
Unless you're in to gaming, but high-end gaming on a laptop is always silly.
It isn't high end gaming, it's doing any gaming at a decent res with medium settings.
Unbanned just for the occasion?
Haha. Apple must have been waiting for me to come back to GAF. It had nothing at all to do with those beta testers.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Guess this means 10.9.4 will be entering beta soon. For us AppleSeed people. I've been using 10.9.3 for a few weeks with no unusual problems.
So with 10.9.3 bringing proper retina support, I guess the question becomes 1) when Apple drops a retina 27"+ display (and please bring us a TB2 display at a smaller size too? I'm deeply saddened by the fact that there do not exist 24" 1440p monitors, although perhaps that would be too tiny using Apple's current non-resolution independent screens.) and 2) What about a retina iMac? Holding off on the former might be to focus on the latter, but then we get into the question of GPUs. As Water points out, a top-of-the line mobile GPU still has some constraints when trying to push anything intensive at native res. Seems like you would need a more beefy GPU than current offerings would provide to get decent performance with that many extra pixels; sure the MBP's performance lagged slightly like the iPad with retina, but it seems odd to have to release another SKU quickly to address an issue they know would exist unless they prepared for it.
Anyone here with the 11" MBA care to offer some feedback/insight?
I've currently got the 13" top of the line configuration (well, with 256GB) from the mid-2013 refresh. I'm thinking of selling this for the 11" 1.7/8GB/256GB configuration, partly for form factor. Do the 11" MBA folks find themselves wishing they had more screen real estate? I've never really had that issue but I could see it possibly becoming a problem and don't wanna drop the cash if the lack of those 2" is noticeable. Further, should I hold out for the possibility of a Retina Air? Or is this most recent refresh likely to be the last one for a year or so?
I've currently got the 13" top of the line configuration (well, with 256GB) from the mid-2013 refresh. I'm thinking of selling this for the 11" 1.7/8GB/256GB configuration, partly for form factor. Do the 11" MBA folks find themselves wishing they had more screen real estate? I've never really had that issue but I could see it possibly becoming a problem and don't wanna drop the cash if the lack of those 2" is noticeable. Further, should I hold out for the possibility of a Retina Air? Or is this most recent refresh likely to be the last one for a year or so?
Yeah. Apple seems hellbent on sticking to a narrow PPI range, which leads to ultra-low resolutions on a 11" display and IMO less usability. It made the 11" a complete non-starter for me. If they put 1440x900 on the 11" as well, it would be a lot more reasonable machine to work with. People who want bigger text etc. can always adjust that on individual apps.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
Rarely a problem for me, but sometimes I've felt it cramped. Programs with too many palettes and toolbars. If you want to test it, make a desktop background with black lines on two adjacent size reflecting the lost pixels, and try and leave them entirely visible at all times and see how awful it is.
What do you do with it? Reading and writing/coding and single-photo tweaking in Aperture or Nik plugins are my main tasks. Cramped feeling came sometimes in Adobe apps, but only when working on larger items than web graphics.
I find my 11" Air screen to be fantastic. It is great for what I use it for.
Granted I normally work on a 1440p 27" IPS screen. The Air screen is much worse than that for my work. But I used to use a 13" Air screen, and I don't find that I miss the extra resolution or screen real-estate... I prefer the extra smallness and portability.
Granted I normally work on a 1440p 27" IPS screen. The Air screen is much worse than that for my work. But I used to use a 13" Air screen, and I don't find that I miss the extra resolution or screen real-estate... I prefer the extra smallness and portability.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Alrighty, got a question for you all.
Early last week when I rebooted my early 2009 iMac, I got the blinking folder icon meaning it could't find a startup disc. I restarted the computer and all was fine.
I got the same issue this morning. So I erased the main drive and did a clean install of Mavericks, then did a restore from Time Machine. I also ran Verify Disk and it said that my main drive is fine. So after another reboot, it didn't find the boot disk. But if I boot while holding OPTION to select the boot drive, it finds the Mac HD.
I think the HDD is about to die. Things have been moving slower the last couple of weeks, so I think that might be the case. Any other suggestions?
If the HDD is about to go, I will probably just buy a new HDD (maybe an SSD) and have a local shop install it since I cannot afford a brand new computer right now. Shit, I can't even afford a new HDD.
Early last week when I rebooted my early 2009 iMac, I got the blinking folder icon meaning it could't find a startup disc. I restarted the computer and all was fine.
I got the same issue this morning. So I erased the main drive and did a clean install of Mavericks, then did a restore from Time Machine. I also ran Verify Disk and it said that my main drive is fine. So after another reboot, it didn't find the boot disk. But if I boot while holding OPTION to select the boot drive, it finds the Mac HD.
I think the HDD is about to die. Things have been moving slower the last couple of weeks, so I think that might be the case. Any other suggestions?
If the HDD is about to go, I will probably just buy a new HDD (maybe an SSD) and have a local shop install it since I cannot afford a brand new computer right now. Shit, I can't even afford a new HDD.
Hey guys,
I looking for a Mac laptop . Range of budget 1500-2000$. Mainly for business use with some gaming, this will be my first Mac hence not much knowledge about it.
Also, one of my work software is non Mac compatible . How is the experience of windows on Mac and can I run windows 7, and on the go switch back to iOS or would it need reboot?
Thanks
I looking for a Mac laptop . Range of budget 1500-2000$. Mainly for business use with some gaming, this will be my first Mac hence not much knowledge about it.
Also, one of my work software is non Mac compatible . How is the experience of windows on Mac and can I run windows 7, and on the go switch back to iOS or would it need reboot?
Thanks
Easy answer first.
Running windows is easy to do. As mentioned in the pc thread you can run it as a virtual machine without rebooting using vmware or parallels. Both are around or under $80. Boot Camp is part of OS X and let's you run windows but you would have to reboot every time. All three options require you to have a windows license.
As for which laptop to pick you need to decide what factors are important - size of computer, size of screen, amount of computing power and if a gpu is required or not.
Currently ONLY the higher end retina MacBook Pro 15" has a discrete gpu and the baseline for that is out of your budget anyway.
All of the entire MacBook line is great for general use. When you are buying make sure to get the max amount of ram because it is non-upgradeable after purchase. If you are wanting somethig with a bit more oomph in computing tasks like video editing then spring for the i7.
Unfortunately - none are 'great' for gaming. All will play some stuff passably but don't expect max settings on anything recent.
Running windows is easy to do. As mentioned in the pc thread you can run it as a virtual machine without rebooting using vmware or parallels. Both are around or under $80. Boot Camp is part of OS X and let's you run windows but you would have to reboot every time. All three options require you to have a windows license.
As for which laptop to pick you need to decide what factors are important - size of computer, size of screen, amount of computing power and if a gpu is required or not.
Currently ONLY the higher end retina MacBook Pro 15" has a discrete gpu and the baseline for that is out of your budget anyway.
All of the entire MacBook line is great for general use. When you are buying make sure to get the max amount of ram because it is non-upgradeable after purchase. If you are wanting somethig with a bit more oomph in computing tasks like video editing then spring for the i7.
Unfortunately - none are 'great' for gaming. All will play some stuff passably but don't expect max settings on anything recent.
Not gonna happen. I guess you mean Mac OSX though. In that case the answer is yes. If you want to better performance running Windows then you may want to boot into windows etc rather than running it in a window. I haven't done it, but I would imagine that running in a window is slower than rebooting.
Both of you thank you very much. I will try to set one up and check for your opinion. Didnt knew a lot of that stuff.Thanks you again
Also to note, under the newest versions of OS X you can only Boot Camp Windows 8. I'm sure some workarounds exist, but I would strongly suggest using Parallels or VM (I've personally been highly satisfied with Parallels and they've made some very strong gains in decent gaming performance, but I know other people swear by Fusion and hate Parallels.)
EDIT: Broadwell update.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014...gen-broadwell-cpus-will-be-here-for-holidays/
Wonder if this means we'll get a late Fall or customary February update for the MBP's, and either no refresh until then or just the minor Haswell updates/drops.
EDIT: Broadwell update.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014...gen-broadwell-cpus-will-be-here-for-holidays/
Wonder if this means we'll get a late Fall or customary February update for the MBP's, and either no refresh until then or just the minor Haswell updates/drops.
Got the Shakes
Member
I believe that that Windows 7 Boot Camp support is only missing from the Mac Pros, all of the laptops, Mac Mini, and iMacs still support Windows 7.
While it depends on the person, to me having to shut one work environment down and boot to another (while getting the additional problems of how to share data between those operating systems, etc.) is a total pain in the ass. If at all possible, I recommend running Windows in a virtual machine rather than dualbooting. Pretty much everything besides graphics apps (modeling, CAD, games, ...) should run in a VM.
While Macbooks are okay Windows computers, after experiencing Windows in my Air I would no longer consider buying a Macbook if I was intending to use primarily Windows. I have experienced more instability on the Macbook while booted to Windows than on any of the other Windows PCs I have used. The little things - like not having a physical 2nd/3rd trackpad button - also start getting to you.
While that's accurate, I want to underline it's only some stuff that will run passably. A lot of AAA games have minimum specs far above the Macbooks' Intel integrated GPUs, and will not run at all, or will not run passably with any conceivable definition of "passably". Even on lighter games where the 2013 MBA has more than enough performance, the fan goes nuts and the experience isn't exactly refined. Some examples of such games that I've tried on the MBA are Fez (which I played in OS X) and Skulls of the Shogun (which I played in Windows).
I've popped open my iMac to get out the old HDD and now I am wondering what I can do with this machine other than scrap it. It needs a new PSU (£50) and a 64bit processor because nothing supports 32bit any more (£60). Maybe a SSD as the HDD is a bit ancient (£50) and probably 4GB of RAM as 2 is a bit painful (£55) also.
I'd really hate to scrap this machine as it seems a bit wasteful but I don't know if it's worth spending that much on a spare iMac that I am unlikely to use all that much unless I re-purpose it into a iTunes/file server. Anyone turn their old Macs into something other than a fish tank or landfill?
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_cd_2.0_20.html
I'd really hate to scrap this machine as it seems a bit wasteful but I don't know if it's worth spending that much on a spare iMac that I am unlikely to use all that much unless I re-purpose it into a iTunes/file server. Anyone turn their old Macs into something other than a fish tank or landfill?
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_cd_2.0_20.html
thestopsign
Member
Is there a way to sue Apple over their damn Mac Book Pro chargers? I swear at 2 years it just decides to stop working no matter what condition you kept them in. Damn connector cable just split right off when I accidentally dropped it. 3rd charger I've gone through.
thestopsign
Member
Judging by this: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC556LL/B/apple-85w-magsafe-power-adapter-for-15-and-17-inch-macbook-pro
I am not the only person to have problems with it.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Thanks for the link, but that is for the late 2009 model. I have the early 2009 24" model.
I'm 100% sure your not the only person with those issues. But the fact that they sell extra power supples doesn't mean they break a lot. I bought one just so that I didn't have to carry one in my bag.
EDIT: I didn't look at all the low reviews. That doesn't look good.
And the only people who are going to really bother giving a charger reviews will be those who had a negative experience with them.
They should probably come with a little insert on "WRAP THE CORDS LIKE THIS" so people get it, but I have limited sympathy for the people who destroy their cords.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Does anyone have a download link to iTunes 11.1.5? 11.2.1 is completely broken with podcasts and I can't use it at all, but the last version of iTunes has apparently just been wiped off of Google (or I just don't know how to search for mac software).
Thanks!
Thanks!
edit: only had a link for windows, nvm
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Sorry, I should have stated for OSX - I just assumed since this was the Mac thread.
Finding the Windows version is easy, but the Mac version is basically impossible to find. Apple erased all mentions of it on their website and want you to use the terrible 11.2.1, and even the darker side of the internet doesn't have it.
I found a link on a youtube page: http://wikidownload.com/wiki/itunes/
I hope I'm not downloading a giant virus.
I know the smart thing to do would be to make a backup before every single Apple update because of issues like this, but... yeah.
lolI think I reinstalled iTunes 9 once because I hated the iTunes 10 icon and UI overhaul...
Actually podcasts seems to be performing better now for me. For a while everything was working well, then with Podcasts 2 somehow my syncing got screwed up--any new shows I subscribed to on my iPhone wouldn't ever show up in iTunes, and whatever I played on my Mac wouldn't show up as played on my iPhone. We'll see if updating iTunes and Podcasts solves that.
Actually podcasts seems to be performing better now for me. For a while everything was working well, then with Podcasts 2 somehow my syncing got screwed up--any new shows I subscribed to on my iPhone wouldn't ever show up in iTunes, and whatever I played on my Mac wouldn't show up as played on my iPhone. We'll see if updating iTunes and Podcasts solves that.
Got the Shakes
Member
Strange how this happens as updating to 11.2 made podcasts useable for the first time in forever. I had been using 3rd party apps on both iOS and OS X for podcast management and syncing, but the release of iTunes 11.2 and Podcasts 2.1 actually works well enough that I stopped using Instacast.
So anyone with better Google-fu than me (or just more knowledge) able to tell me what the power draw of the PCI-e SSDs in Apple's products is? I've just been reading more about the next-gen Xeons (seems like DDR4 in Haswell-EP is a go, so yay) and a big possible impact on the next Mac Pro is that that in the current v2 processors, there's not native USB3 supportso one of the PCIe lanes in the new Mac Pro is going to a separate USB3 chipset.
With the rearrangement that would be possible with the next gen of processors, I'm wondering if it will actually be possible to mount a second SSD in that gaping hole on the other graphics card. It seems like it could be possible from a bandwidth standpoint, but I dunno if Apple would do that if it meant power issues; it's got a pretty small PSU.
With the rearrangement that would be possible with the next gen of processors, I'm wondering if it will actually be possible to mount a second SSD in that gaping hole on the other graphics card. It seems like it could be possible from a bandwidth standpoint, but I dunno if Apple would do that if it meant power issues; it's got a pretty small PSU.
PrimaNocta
Member
Well my iMac just died. =*(
I've only had it for about 2 1/2 months (paid $1600!) and probably only used it like 15 times because I use my Macbook Pro more since I move around the house all the time. I was using the iMac sunday night for like 2 hrs, shut it down like normal and went to bed. Last night I decided to watch some old school family movies and hit the power button on the iMac.....I get no response. For the next 30 mins I try different outlets, press the power button in every which way the button can be pressed, use google for some help....but still no response.
First Apple product that has failed me.
I blame Tim Cook.
I've only had it for about 2 1/2 months (paid $1600!) and probably only used it like 15 times because I use my Macbook Pro more since I move around the house all the time. I was using the iMac sunday night for like 2 hrs, shut it down like normal and went to bed. Last night I decided to watch some old school family movies and hit the power button on the iMac.....I get no response. For the next 30 mins I try different outlets, press the power button in every which way the button can be pressed, use google for some help....but still no response.
First Apple product that has failed me.
I blame Tim Cook.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Obviously you're going to take it to a shop. Obviously.