Swndlr

Lost 1% of battery overnight, I'm very impressed 😄

I think it can be simple if you purchase the same product line... like the pro models (MBP, ipad pro, iphone pro). But all their products are stacked to get you to the next product line. But honestly I'm happy with the choices I made. I spent a lot but the products are good. I focus less on the technical specs of apple products because it's my leisure devices. 
 
Now my next CPU for gaming better have 500+ cores 😉

Got my MBP yesterday, and after a full day of use I can confidently say that it's one of the best purchases I've made in a LONG time. Everything's so polished and fast, the screen is the best I've seen, the speakers are incredible, the keyboard is very pleasant to use, and MacOS wasn't hard at all to get into. No matter what I do, it never overheats and stays whisper quiet.
The notch didn't bother me at all the first time I turned the laptop on and it still doesn't now, and the fact that fullscreen apps completely hide it makes it even less intrusive.
After installing everything I needed I realise that 512GB are more than enough. I'm sort of minimalistic when it comes to apps, I don't like having a billion of them and only install what I really use, plus all the important files and photos are on iCloud. And if for some reason I need more storage in the future I don't mind carrying an external SSD or getting a bigger iCloud plan.
 
Flawless experience so far, no complaints at all. I will definitely have a hard time going back to Windows laptops for sure.
 
I have a small question: do you ever turn it off? Before going to sleep for example. I've read that closing the lid is enough, unless you know you won't use the laptop for multiple days or weeks. The battery drain is extremely low when the lid's closed, which is quite nice.

Yeah, I would agree, the product stack is rather convoluted at the moment. I feel like it used to be pretty simple. Now, choosing the right one requires more research than I feel like it should, which used to be one of Apple's strong points over a Windows machine. You would just walk in, see the simple lineup of laptops, and know which was the best for you almost just by looking at them (i.e. Air vs Pro). Even as someone who is literate in computers and hardware, how am I really supposed to know if I need a 10-core or 12-core CPU... On the other hand, I appreciate that this sales model allows you to build one to your perfect desired specification based on your needs and desired budget.
 
To me, the ecosystem remains very simple because I only use a MacBook and iPhone (maybe an iPad in future), so I don't have to deal with that many decisions or a wide mix of products. As far as my next MacBook goes, I will probably get a mid-spec 14" (i.e. 12-core, 16GB, 1TB) which will be plenty.

@LeyfGood choice for the 14". Is it a M2 Pro or the older m1 Pro with a huge discount? Seen them for 1500-1600 USD on sale a few times.
Really great device, i myself just have the Macbook Pro 13" with M1 Chip from late 2020, still rocking strong. But my next one will be the 14" or maybe 16" even with ProMotion and more connection. Maybe M3 Pro, depends.
Apple Silicon does things so well, i kinda don't want a non-Macbook anymore as a Laptop, even if i'm all Windows on my Desktop.
 
Just a tip: Don't go into MacOS thinking it has to work like Windows. It will do a few things different. Some for the better, some for the worse.
If you don't get how you do something, just google it. There are countless of tips and tricks on MacOS (also, Windows and Linux too) that many people don't know about. Some rarely used features that might be just for you.
 
I highly recommend Rectangle (or Tiles), those are window management tools for snapping, they are free.
 
Also, think about using Homebrew, it's like apt for Ubuntu, dnf for fedora etc.. A Packet-Manager. You can install Applications over Homebrew, and update them all with one command. Not manditory, but if you like the concept of a packetmanager, Homebrew is great. Even Windows has something like that (winget).
 
512gb can be plenty, feel free to plug in any external Drive for more storage. Way cheaper than Apple's prices, but less elegant.
Just make sure to not use NTFS filesystem, go for exFAT. Works for MacOS, Linux and Windows if you only want to store data.
For Gaming: Consider Nvidia geforce Now. Works on MacOS, and maybe your Games are on there too.
iCloud is great if you're in the Ecosystem and maybe use other devices. I use my iCloud with my GF as a family member, we have some shared folders, that's really great and well integrated, just as a shared Photo library.
However, just for using a Cloud storage, you can also use Onedrive, Dropbox, Google Drive. Price per GB/TB is very comparable. It doesn't has to be iCloud, if you feel more comfortable with another service.
Or you go for Nextcloud.

Just ordered that 14" MBP! Base model (doubt I'll need more than that) with a 8% discount, it's still very pricey and way above my original budget of ~1600€ but given the reviews and what you've said, it just looks like the investment is very worth it.
 
It will be my very first experience (ever) with MacOS, I have absolutely no idea what to expect or what its limitations are. Can't wait!
And once again, thank you all so much for taking the time to help me out! 🙂 

I am excited to get my hands on a new one. I think sometime later this year is when I will retire this one. For right now, it is doing totally fine at handling Chrome tab abuse and Excel, which is basically all I need it for right now. I am also very excited that, since purchasing this one years ago, they've introduced the 14" option. Having previously also owned a 14" Razer Blade, I really think it is a perfect size and was a bit bummed when I began using my 13" MBP.
 
Improved battery life will be appreciated, as I currently need to charge this one often when power using.

Pardon my French (lol), I've found this pretty decent offer:
https://www.fnac.com/MacBook-Pro-13-512Go-SSD-16Go-RAM-Puce-M2-CPU-8-coeurs-GPU-10-coeurs-Gris-sideral-Nouveau/a16685037/w-4
1859€ for a M2 MBP, 16GB/512GB. Thoughts?
 
And thank you a lot for your help, as I'm completely clueless about MacBooks I was about to get the 8GB version and call it a day.
It's true that I could wait for the newer models, but as @johnt said, this cycle never ends. There will always be a newer, shinier model, and for my use case I'm pretty sure I don't really need the absolute best and latest. 
Also can't wait to have a proper laptop that doesn't start failing after a year or two.
 
EDIT: Also, how good is 13"? Doesn't sound too big, but maybe it's just right.

Here it is! No clue why it's blocked. I don't really mind about HDR and such, I barely use it on my main monitor so I should be good.
It says 20 hours of battery life max? Insane if true.
 
Once again, thank you a lot for your help! Can't wait to try it out 🙂 

I think you will be impressed with the M? models whenever you upgrade. They are such impressive laptops. The battery life is crazy... I charge my laptop once a week and use it for 2 to 4 hours a day.

Agreed with @johnt on the RAM comment. To add some input - I use a 2018 MacBook Pro 13in w/ 8GB and you would more than likely notice the performance hit when using, say, Lightroom + Chrome at the same time, under the assumption that you keep several tabs open at once (even if not tbh). I don't think there is anything wrong with going the refurbished route. If the option is available and within your price range, try to seek a refurbished Pro. They come with a one year warranty and they can still be covered under AppleCare after the warranty ends if you want to go that route.
 
You are right about the lifespan. Mine has lasted me since then (>5 years now), getting me all the way through college + internships), though it is beginning to show its age. The display is still great and the battery is still in good health, but the hardware itself is becoming dated and you would definitely notice the increase in speed of a newer machine side by side in any real-world comparison.

Agreed with @johnt on the RAM comment. To add some input - I use a 2018 MacBook Pro 13in w/ 8GB and you would more than likely notice the performance hit when using, say, Lightroom + Chrome at the same time, under the assumption that you keep several tabs open at once (even if not tbh). I don't think there is anything wrong with going the refurbished route. If the option is available and within your price range, try to seek a refurbished Pro. They come with a one year warranty and they can still be covered under AppleCare after the warranty ends if you want to go that route.
 
You are right about the lifespan. Mine has lasted me since then (>5 years now), getting me all the way through college + internships), though it is beginning to show its age. The display is still great and the battery is still in good health, but the hardware itself is becoming dated and you would definitely notice the increase in speed of a newer machine side by side in any real-world comparison.

@tmcclelland455 just reached mythic today. currently @ 10001 likes
im admired at just over 1k.

Back when i worked in a bank branch i had one of these
 

 
basically a small sponge in a cup that you fill with water to wet your fingers. same reason, just less gross when handling other people's money.

If there are no reviews, I would just find a similarly priced and sized 1080p monitor from a reputable brand like Asus, Acer, etc. Assuming they are available where you live, I don't see the reason to go with the unknown when you could get from a better known name and peace of mind. Even if the reputable brand comes at a few dollar premium, I'd say it is worth it.

Yeah shouldn't be a problem.

That is good to hear. And heck yeah, I am all for APUs, I've been a fan of the idea for a long time but when I was heavily following PC components and hardware, I always remember they weren't really serious performance contenders. Hopefully that changes soon!

Yeah my low sensitivity requires me to pick up my mouse so often I don't think I would enjoy having a 120g mouse. 

For a desktop computer you use for games and work, Windows is indeed the best. It's main disadvantages are that there are many viruses for it and it doesn't work well on older computers, especially if they don't have an SSD.
 
MacOS is good for work as well, and it's generally more secure than Windows because there aren't that many viruses for it. However, Macs tend to be overpriced for what you get, and gaming on them sucks. 
 
Linux is a great option if you know what you're doing and you enjoy tinkering with your computer, figuring stuff out, and troubleshooting a lot. If you don't, I wouldn't recommend it as a daily driver for you because it'll drive you insane. Also, some Linux distros great on older computers. I run ZorinOS Lite on an 11 year old laptop, and aside from occasional crashes, it works really well. 

Yeah, so first off, lesson learned: Have an APC between the wall outlet and your computer. 
 
Next, if you can put your 1070 into another computer, or a friends computer to test it, that will rule out if it's toast or not. 

Hey you two,
 
Since you guys offered me some guidance earlier, I feel it would only be right for me to give you an update.
 
As I made this thread, I was also browsing Facebook marketplace to see if anyone was selling a well-priced GTX 970 nearby. Someone close (enough) to me had listed one for $150 less than 24 hours prior, and I messaged him asking if he would put it in his PC and send some Heaven benchmarks and other screenshots of proof that it was working and in good order. He quickly got back to me and did just that, and he seemed extremely trustworthy so I made an afternoon trip out to his place and bought it. I now have it in my system running and am enjoying the benefits over the 770, which I may just donate to a friend who is up to seeing if they can revive it, or if not then I may just sell it as is if someone out there is in search of a parts card.
 
All in all, I spent most of the afternoon in the car in traffic going to and from Long Island, but I did manage to replace my GPU quickly and for a great price, can't complain.
 
Thank you both.

Hey you two,
 
Since you guys offered me some guidance earlier, I feel it would only be right for me to give you an update.
 
As I made this thread, I was also browsing Facebook marketplace to see if anyone was selling a well-priced GTX 970 nearby. Someone close (enough) to me had listed one for $150 less than 24 hours prior, and I messaged him asking if he would put it in his PC and send some Heaven benchmarks and other screenshots of proof that it was working and in good order. He quickly got back to me and did just that, and he seemed extremely trustworthy so I made an afternoon trip out to his place and bought it. I now have it in my system running and am enjoying the benefits over the 770, which I may just donate to a friend who is up to seeing if they can revive it, or if not then I may just sell it as is if someone out there is in search of a parts card.
 
All in all, I spent most of the afternoon in the car in traffic going to and from Long Island, but I did manage to replace my GPU quickly and for a great price, can't complain.
 
Thank you both.

Good. I will be asking sellers if they are willing to do this for me. If not, I think it is safe to assume that they are hiding something.

Makes me wish I had an ITX PC hahaha. I think the most feasible option for me at the moment is requesting that sellers provide video proof of the card running the benchmark prior to me driving out to them, given that the drive may be >1hr in some cases, depending on the seller's location.

Good. I will be asking sellers if they are willing to do this for me. If not, I think it is safe to assume that they are hiding something.