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Posted: 9/26/2016 5:35:39 PM EDT
[#1]
I started with microsoft / IBM products in the early 80's. Bought my first macbook in 2010.
I stick with Macs as long as they do what I need thank you. windows sucks. I have 2 of the magic mouses (I bought one on purpose for my MBP. The other came with my iMac). I hate them. They are so low profile it is hard to work with them all day, especially in something like autocad that is mouse intensive. Forever touching the thing wrong and doing something you don't want to do. They sit in their nice little boxes and I run a logitech mouse for day to day use. |
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Posted: 9/26/2016 6:28:46 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have 2 of the magic mouses (I bought one on purpose for my MBP. The other came with my iMac). I hate them. They are so low profile it is hard to work with them all day, especially in something like autocad that is mouse intensive. Forever touching the thing wrong and doing something you don't want to do. They sit in their nice little boxes and I run a logitech mouse for day to day use. i actually switched to a trackpad for the desktop. much easier on my wrist (carpal tunnel), and makes the transition to working on a laptop when necessary much less painful. the new trackpads are pretty nice, and i don't feel like it's slowed me down at all. |
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Posted: 9/26/2016 8:49:12 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have 2 of the magic mouses (I bought one on purpose for my MBP. The other came with my iMac). I hate them. They are so low profile it is hard to work with them all day, especially in something like autocad that is mouse intensive. Forever touching the thing wrong and doing something you don't want to do. They sit in their nice little boxes and I run a logitech mouse for day to day use. Heretic!! 
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Posted: 9/26/2016 11:37:25 PM EDT
[#4]
In 2010 I was given a mid-2010 MBP as a gift. I still use that laptop every day though it's beginning to show it's age with the dings in the case (not in performance). I about 6 months ago I was also given a mid-2010 iMac which I also use everyday.
Apple is very good at keeping legacy hardware supported for as long as possible (my mother's 2009 MBP just went out of support last week). Another nice benefit to Apple is the fact the OS is is built around the hardware so there are rarely any hardware incompatibilities like you often find on some Windows machines. If you are used to Linux, OS X is a no brainer to pickup and even features many of the same command line tools. (I began with Macs when X window was still bing used which is no longer the case, but Xcode is still supported). I also have compiled a few Linux programs to run on OS X without any issue (just like building any other program from source). My MacBook has gotten me through college and has been one of the more reliable computers I've ever owned. If it weren't for me having to use Windows at work then I'd honestly not even bother with hardware other than Apple just because I haven't had any issues that weren't my fault for creating. |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 9:50:49 AM EDT
[#5]
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Take your reason and logic elsewhere damnit! I'd second this. I was reluctant to get another laptop after ordering a couple from the big makers. They always started out great but physically fell apart in a couple of years. Screen flop being a common issue as well as worn out plastic at the hand rest and garbage trackpads that seemed to always do what I didn't want or wore out quickly requiring the use of an external mouse. Then there was the creaky plastic case. I was handed (under protest) a MacBook at work, because we really needed to get up to speed on getting our security software working with them and I could no longer avoid it. After 2 or 3 months using the 15" MacBook Pro for work I was rather hooked. It simply felt nicer, looked nicer, and the damn Retina screen took other common work laptops and curb stomped them on visual appeal of the graphics. After a year of heavy use I noticed that: Keys were not fading out; The screen was tight and stayed in exactly the position it was placed; No loss of color / surface finish where my hands rested. The trackpad remained a pleasure to work with and I could leave gestures on because it was not constantly mis-interpreting them. I liked them enough to switch at home as well. I now use a 13" 2013 MBP for my personal system (and this I think is the ideal size too). I use an iMac now for my personal desktop system and a couple of HP DL380s running VMWare ESXi for Windows File Servers and Workstation needs. I also have VMWare Fusion to run Windows on the iMac if needed. I rarely need it anymore. Honestly I think there are some pretty good Windows systems copying their model now that they set that bar. Also they are getting long in the tooth technology-wise as they have not been updated in the past couple of years. So they are not as good a value as they once were. Still, my 2012 and 2013 laptops are running like new today and feel like new as well. They run all the applications I need them to run and all my other Windows laptops have been relegated to desk or docking station by this time in their lives so I'm impressed. Feels like something designed to give you the years of service that goes with the price-tag. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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There are Windows laptops out there with equivalent build quality, but you will spend the same or more to get it. Durability depends on your perspective and definition. They are generally pretty durable/reliable, and I have gotten far longer useful lifespans out of Macbooks than PC laptops overall. You can physically abuse and break them though, same as any other non-ruggedized laptop. Windows vs. OSX is subjective preference, too. Both work well, and have pros and cons about them. Examine your software needs and choose the one that best suits your specific requirements. Take your reason and logic elsewhere damnit! I'd second this. I was reluctant to get another laptop after ordering a couple from the big makers. They always started out great but physically fell apart in a couple of years. Screen flop being a common issue as well as worn out plastic at the hand rest and garbage trackpads that seemed to always do what I didn't want or wore out quickly requiring the use of an external mouse. Then there was the creaky plastic case. I was handed (under protest) a MacBook at work, because we really needed to get up to speed on getting our security software working with them and I could no longer avoid it. After 2 or 3 months using the 15" MacBook Pro for work I was rather hooked. It simply felt nicer, looked nicer, and the damn Retina screen took other common work laptops and curb stomped them on visual appeal of the graphics. After a year of heavy use I noticed that: Keys were not fading out; The screen was tight and stayed in exactly the position it was placed; No loss of color / surface finish where my hands rested. The trackpad remained a pleasure to work with and I could leave gestures on because it was not constantly mis-interpreting them. I liked them enough to switch at home as well. I now use a 13" 2013 MBP for my personal system (and this I think is the ideal size too). I use an iMac now for my personal desktop system and a couple of HP DL380s running VMWare ESXi for Windows File Servers and Workstation needs. I also have VMWare Fusion to run Windows on the iMac if needed. I rarely need it anymore. Honestly I think there are some pretty good Windows systems copying their model now that they set that bar. Also they are getting long in the tooth technology-wise as they have not been updated in the past couple of years. So they are not as good a value as they once were. Still, my 2012 and 2013 laptops are running like new today and feel like new as well. They run all the applications I need them to run and all my other Windows laptops have been relegated to desk or docking station by this time in their lives so I'm impressed. Feels like something designed to give you the years of service that goes with the price-tag. My experience was similar. When Vista came out, it was such a steaming pile of fail and AIDS that I ended up buying and selling a couple of laptops. I finally said fuck it and bought the cheapest little base model white Macbook I could at the time, thinking why not? I had nothing to lose at that point, and expected Vista to stick around for years like XP did. That was 2008, and I just retired that Macbook a couple months ago when the trackpad finally stopped working correctly. Had I known that W7 was coming out as fast as it did, I might have waited it out. Regardless, I decided I liked OSX enough to stick with it. I am becoming more troubled with Apple's trend towards fixed hardware that cannot be upgraded, and I'm not fond of all-in-ones for desktop use, so there might be a day that I move back to Windows when my current Mini is done. |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 11:11:38 AM EDT
[#6]
A few of my colleagues who have been long time OS X users like myself picked up Surface Pros in the past 12 months and they are really happy with them. I'm actually quite impressed by the hardware and the fact that Windows 10 has some semblance of *nix via Ubuntu bash is making me ponder getting a non-Mac laptop.
Surface Pros look cool, but the new Dell Inspirons are looking nice, too. |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 11:17:15 AM EDT
[#7]
Can it run ARMA? if not I don't need it. as far as laptops go to me they serve no purpose. Friends have custom built machines and they run like a sewing machine, granted they are gaming rigs they can do just about anything else with a quickness.
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Posted: 9/27/2016 11:29:58 AM EDT
[#8]
I have a Windows desktop PC for playing games, a Windows laptop for developing software, and a Macbook Air for everything else. If it weren't for games and Visual Studio, I'd scrap both Windows machines entirely.
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Posted: 9/27/2016 12:35:49 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Considering MS is selling the fuck out of the Surface devices, I'd say your anecdote is pointless. And how many Mac models became unsupported when Sierra dropped? Apple basically pioneered planned obsolescence in the PC market. I could run Win95 on this i7 machine if I felt like it. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: WRT Surface products I know NO ONE that even owns one. I have checked them out on the shelf and I will say the quality is better than expected but because it runs a vs of Windows it won't ever go home with me. Considering MS is selling the fuck out of the Surface devices, I'd say your anecdote is pointless. Quoted: Just wait till you have a perfectly good Windows computer that is turned into a paperweight that is no longer supported. And how many Mac models became unsupported when Sierra dropped? Apple basically pioneered planned obsolescence in the PC market. I could run Win95 on this i7 machine if I felt like it. Ummmm....no. You have NO driver support for that OS with anything older than a Core2. It's hard enough finding GOOD Win 7 drivers for Skylake stuff as it is. Nick |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 3:58:38 PM EDT
[#10]
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Ummmm....no. You have NO driver support for that OS with anything older than a Core2. It's hard enough finding GOOD Win 7 drivers for Skylake stuff as it is. Nick Quote HistoryQuoted:
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WRT Surface products I know NO ONE that even owns one. I have checked them out on the shelf and I will say the quality is better than expected but because it runs a vs of Windows it won't ever go home with me. Considering MS is selling the fuck out of the Surface devices, I'd say your anecdote is pointless. Quoted:
Just wait till you have a perfectly good Windows computer that is turned into a paperweight that is no longer supported. And how many Mac models became unsupported when Sierra dropped? Apple basically pioneered planned obsolescence in the PC market. I could run Win95 on this i7 machine if I felt like it. Ummmm....no. You have NO driver support for that OS with anything older than a Core2. It's hard enough finding GOOD Win 7 drivers for Skylake stuff as it is. Nick Who said anything about Skylake? The machine I was on at the time is a Sandy Bridge and you're right.. it would have to be 98SE 
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Posted: 9/27/2016 8:37:38 PM EDT
[#11]
FWIW I have slowly been replacing family member's machines with either MB/MBP or Mac Minis as the "family IT guy."
My multiple weekly calls from when they had Windows machines are now gone (mostly brought upon by virus, malware, or the ability to bork a windows machine accidentally with relative ease). I have not had a call in months. They cost more, but worth it IMHO. |
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Posted: 9/28/2016 8:15:12 AM EDT
[#12]
My mom picked up a MB Air after I snagged my MBP. Unfortunately, while my support calls have dropped significantly they haven't stopped altogether.
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Posted: 9/28/2016 8:16:28 AM EDT
[#13]
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That model number puts it in the right range for the REP covered here. Just something for him to be aware of if the video is wonky. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Big trash day in our neighborhood last week and my 11 year old dug a 27" imac out of the trash from around the corner...looks intact. Now hes trying to get it to boot up Bet it needs a drive. Many of them had bad hard drives. Wasn't the 27" the one that had really bad video/mainboard problems? No idea..never used one before... Model A1419 EMC 2546 serial C02KW01rF29N I have the specs on it but I don't know about any problems That model number puts it in the right range for the REP covered here. Just something for him to be aware of if the video is wonky. Thanks...got it up and running yesterday with an internet restore..seems to be in pretty good shape aside from a small crack...easy fix from what i can tell |
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Posted: 9/28/2016 1:34:50 PM EDT
[#14]
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Thanks...got it up and running yesterday with an internet restore..seems to be in pretty good shape aside from a small crack...easy fix from what i can tell Very cool. Good for him! |
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Posted: 9/28/2016 2:09:18 PM EDT
[#15]
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Can it run ARMA? if not I don't need it. as far as laptops go to me they serve no purpose. Friends have custom built machines and they run like a sewing machine, granted they are gaming rigs they can do just about anything else with a quickness. The beauty behind a home build is hand picked parts. Especially when they're top tier parts. Unfortunately, getting similar performance from a laptop (if possible) costs considerably more. Macs have been viewed in some ways like a boutique machine in that there is a tighter control over hardware used versus other PC builders. |
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Posted: 9/28/2016 5:22:18 PM EDT
[#16]
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My multiple weekly calls from when they had Windows machines are now gone (mostly brought upon by virus, malware, or the ability to bork a windows machine accidentally with relative ease). I have not had a call in months. my calls aren't gone, but now that i've switched to apple myself, i no longer have the "i don't know, i only use windows" excuse 
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Posted: 9/30/2016 6:01:55 AM EDT
[#17]
MacBooks are very good. I've had a few, and love them. The most recent was a 2013 13" MBP Retina. I still have it, but I'm about to wipe it and pass it on to my younger sister.
I replaced it with a Microsoft Surface Book. I'd say the build quality between the two is damn near identical. Both are definitely in the "very good to excellent" category. Price new for both (when bought) was around $1500 (I got the base model of each, I don't need a lot of horsepower) I like both. I went with the Surface Book (picked up about 3 weeks ago) because Apple was dragging their feet coming out with a new one. I also like the detachable screen. Now I just pop it off when I go take a shit, so I can sit on the pot and keep reading shit I already had open. LOL. True story. |
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Posted: 9/30/2016 7:42:07 AM EDT
[#18]
Microsoft has always been both a software and hardware manufacturer, however I think we'll see more premium products coming from MS in the future. Not sure how Dell, HP, and other companies will react to having Microsoft compete with them at the system level. i doubt MS will do anything to hurt their Windows sales to other manufacturers, however it only makes sense their own products running Windows should run better.
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Posted: 9/30/2016 10:34:53 AM EDT
[#19]
When I first bought my Macbook Pro, there wasn't anything comparable (quality wise) on the PC market anywhere near the same price range. What I mean by that, there was not another uni-chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum laptop that could perform most computing needs while maintaining a battery which could run for 4 to 6 hours. It was another year and a half before Asus released their MBP clone. A comparable HP Elitebook (business class built to similar MIL Standards). ran in the $2200 range.
The funny thing about lesser hardware in Apple products, in fall 2010 a friend and I compared just how efficient my Macbook Pro (Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of memory) was to his Dell XPS laptop (first gen i7, 8 GB of memory). Aside from having 3 times the battery life, we built a massively large iteration loop using Matlab R2010b. There was something like 10^14 cycles in there…the MBP consistently beat out the Dell by 10% less time. I still use that MacBook Pro today with OS X and even Matlab (R2016a). |
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