Apple 2015 Macbook Rant30

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

Funnily enough next year I am buying either a 6 series BMW or porsche cayman S (or similar) and I live a 2 minutes 30 drive from work on a 30 road

 

But I like nice things

 

Some people have the disposable income to afford things that may not function any better but are just nicer to own, Apple devices fit this nicely, you are paying for an experience, not a computer

[EthanTheFrogMan]

Hello everyone:

 

After perusing a great deal of articles on todays' launched Macbook, which the amount is defined as "a lot", I have come to make some educated conclusions.

 

It's bollocks.

 

Allow me to explain.

 

Firstly, the idea is so pretentious that anyone would want a Gold laptop, that It is almost the single most pretentious item ever constructed.  Of course, behind Bentley cars.  I digress.  It's a bold.. self declaration of affluence.  This for me is the final form of Apple computers.  Totally impractical, absolutely gorgeous yet completely irrelevant.  

 

Performance

 

Firstly, the 1.1Ghz base model drew some initial criticism, rightly so.  But to be fair, it's not really a 1Ghz machine.  It's a dual core of a new architecture that can actually turbo to a massive 2.4.  Now, this isn't the worst, and for mobile battery life I am sure it will be more than enough.  Enough to keep the battery on longer, that is.  Honestly, it's a $1300 computer.  I don't give a shit if it gets decent performance with a 1.1Ghz CPU in Chrome, Instagram and Word.  The fact is, they're charging for a Dual Core, 1.1 Ghz CPU.  Ridiculous.  This really is a laptop for Starbucks and nothing more.  I mean, I love looking at Vines as much as the next guy, but I actually use my laptop for.. more then that (well.. at least a few more things).  

 

Design

 

Ports on all sides of a laptop are decidedly ugly.  Luckily, Apple by about.. 2011 had decided to place all of the needed ports on a singe side of their machines, it was very neat and No one complained.  Literally no one.  They plugged in their Ethernet, USB, Mini DP, and had a great time.  Sure, Apple had no VGA which meant you needed an adapter, but it was fine, the adapter was like $20 and it had Mini DP.  Now, again being a rational person who may need to plug in say.. a flash drive would enjoy a USB port.  The Lenovo Carbon X1 has I believe graciously given us two USB ports.  Nice.  Apple include, a single, USB 3 Type C port which is effectively useless, as it is occupied by the power cable when charging the device.  Jesus.  I understand Apple is about form over function.  But this is form needlessly fucking function.  Bollocks.  If I spend this much, I NEED A USB port.  I want to connect.. anything.

 

So in conclusion, I think this is too far.  A single USB 3 port and.. headphone and power would even be better.  Jesus.

 

Anyone disagree, or do you think this is reasonable?

If I plug my acer laptop's ports with earwax and spray paint it gold can I sell it for $1300?

[Zambonie]

Eh.. Im guessing..One of my biggest rants is that I don't like is the lack of ports. If its expandable or not, I need them on the side of the laptop, perriod. It seems to be really light and small, which is good.. And the mobo size is really.. Really small. For the price tho, I guess its reasonable, maybe a little less, mainly due to the 1440p screen. The CPU is OK for like others said, fb in starbucks. Though honestly you can probably get a different tho more powerful laptop for less

[Hyttech]

Lenovo Yoga Pro 3, same processor, similar price at $1300

HP Envy X2 - again similar thing

 

But the mac has a better screen, keyboard and trackpad, USB C, and is thinner, lighter and has better battery life

 

Also, I would probably get the gold one, I think its a nice colour, my dad has his iPhone 5s in the same colour, its really nice

 

You have to consider the users of a product like this, and since the laptop has around 10 hours of battery life, why would you need to have it connected to the power while using the USB port? and equally if you are connected to a monitor, having a small dongle have off with extra ports is probably something you do with any laptop , I know I do - I actually use a USB hub for my desktop!!!

Honestly I almost never connect things to my laptop - this isnt a gaming laptop so you dont need a mouse (apple trackpad are amazing) and you can sync your iphone etc via wifi, as I can my camera and other things - I dont need to connect stuff via usb very often 

 

this device you charge at night/morning - and use all day, you dont need to take a power cable to work so your usb c port is free for memory sticks or using a display - apple mice also use bluetooth so no usb required

 

The target is students for a note taking machine, travelling workers, like say travelling sales executives, that need to display photos, maintain spreadsheets, and do invoices and letters - all perfectly capable  

 

regarding performance to quote the yoga pro 3 review from notebookcheck (SAME CPU) apple use even faster ram and SSDs though

 

"our general application performance measurements communicate a very snappy machine with little reason to keep its user waiting during typical use. Indeed, we never found ourselves ruing the machine’s lack of benchmarking superiority throughout our time with it; thanks to a balance which includes a very fast SSD and ample RAM (8 GB), the CPU really is just powerful enough 95% of the time. "

 

Sure the specs dont suit your need, they do the air and retina pro for that or other laptops

Asus Zenbook (Don't remember which exact model), $699, lower clocked processor, same form factor, smaller storage, better display.

[ShadowCaptain]

Asus Zenbook (Don't remember which exact model), $699, lower clocked processor, same form factor, smaller storage, better display.

 

The x303? has either a 1080p or 900p screen, the cheaper models have a standard ssd or mech hard drive, are thicker, heavier and less battery life

 

The macbook is thinner, lighter, better display,  (probably better keyboard and trackpad), PCI-e based SSD, better battery life, the  Asus model with a 1080p display, 4gb of ram and 128gb ssd is $1300 on newegg - AND needs an adapter for HDMI just like the macbook

[Hyttech]

The x303? has either a 1080p or 900p screen, the cheaper models have a standard ssd or mech hard drive, are thicker, heavier and less battery life

 

The macbook is thinner, lighter, better display,  (probably better keyboard and trackpad), PCI-e based SSD, better battery life, the  Asus model with a 1080p display, 4gb of ram and 128gb ssd is $1300 on newegg - AND needs an adapter for HDMI just like the macbook

X305 starts at $700 on sites like tiger direct.

[ShadowCaptain]

X305 starts at $700 on sites like tiger direct.

 

Ah the x305? chepest I could find on there was $850, with 1080p display and a slightly slower CPU and slower SSD, also thicker and 60% heavier

 

Honestly though the Asus is more of a competitor to the standard macbook air not the new macbook

 

As I said, its the thinnest lightest computer running OSX - that is the target audience

[Guest]

My objection is not necessarily from the design, but rather that this is what they are using to bring back the Macbook. This, in my opinion, is a Macbook Air. Marketed as such, I think it would be a nice addition to the lineup. I, however, would like a comeback of the origional idea of the Macbook vs. Macbook Pro. It wasn't super thin, it wasn't super powerful, and it wasn't super expensive (relatively). The technology is there to make a cheap Starbucks machine that they can still make money on.

The MacBook always was the lowest-end offering. Believe it or not, I choose to use my 2006 MacBook instead of my gaming rig for anything other than gaming - it's still a great computer for general use. And I dislike Windows.

This new MacBook, I guess, is a more future-thinking alternative - a more expensive but 'modern' alternative to the Air. Kind of like Google's Chromebook Pixel, except it's a usefully-specced computer with a full desktop OS. So the Air is the low end, the MacBook is now the mid end, and the Pro is of course the high-end. With the new color options and better keyboard eventually coming to the other two models, I'm really excited for the next 'generation' of MacBooks. When they killed it off in 2010, I knew the regular model wouldn't be gone forever .

[Guest]

The x303? has either a 1080p or 900p screen, the cheaper models have a standard ssd or mech hard drive, are thicker, heavier and less battery life

The macbook is thinner, lighter, better display, (probably better keyboard and trackpad), PCI-e based SSD, better battery life, the Asus model with a 1080p display, 4gb of ram and 128gb ssd is $1300 on newegg - AND needs an adapter for HDMI just like the macbook

Not to mention the MacBook has 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM standard. And it's Apple - a better trackpad isn't even a question, it's a fact.

[NeoZeon]

No one is forcing anyone to buy this. The truth is, 99% (like all apple products) of the people who buy this will be happy with it. Apple has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings. Why would you get angry at people for being happy ? 

 

 

Another thing is... especially on this forum, people greatly overestimate the amount of power they need sans gaming. I remember running Matlab, photoshop and illustrator on the original macbook air, which was super underpowered. It all depends on what your doing. This Macbook is totally valid for airplane videoediting, programming, ect. 

 

Then you ask, why not buy a 500 dollar laptop? Well thats a good question, but the things this laptop has over 500 dollar laptops is probably a better keyboard (something people play 100-200 dollars for on desktops), a better track pad (people pay 50-100 dollars for mice on desktop), a better screen ( people pay 500- 1k on desktop), better battery life (this is surely worth something), and its probably thinner/lighter. 

 

The 500 dollar laptop might actually be more powerful (but will it have a super fast SSD and 8gb of ram?) especially on the processor side. It might not be, but you can see why this is more expensive than 500 dollars, and why people would value those things and not really care about speed. The faster laptops at those prices (apple has them too) make trade offs.

 

I'm convinced that if everyone got to use a macbook/macbook air/macbook pro for a week while traveling, but were ignorant of the price, everyone would want one over a comparable windows laptop for everything sans gaming. Complaining about the price is legitimate, but when someone makes a product someone likes, why get angry at people willing to pay for it? 

[Hyttech]

Ah the x305? chepest I could find on there was $850, with 1080p display and a slightly slower CPU and slower SSD, also thicker and 60% heavier

 

Honestly though the Asus is more of a competitor to the standard macbook air not the new macbook

 

As I said, its the thinnest lightest computer running OSX - that is the target audience

Heres one such review I found, http://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2015/03/10/apple-macbook-makes-a-compelling-pitch-for-asus-zenbook-ux305/

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

great post i agree with it 100%

[Sauron]

May I add Asus just unveiled a laptop that is thinner, lighter, has a higher resolution display, 3 usb 3 ports plus hdmi and others, and is exactly half the price? Can anyone give me a reason to get the macbook instead?

 

@ShadowCaptain

[ManWithBeard1990]

It's not big enough imho.

[ShadowCaptain]

May I add Asus just unveiled a laptop that is thinner, lighter, has a higher resolution display, 3 usb 3 ports plus hdmi and others, and is exactly half the price? Can anyone give me a reason to get the macbook instead?

 

@ShadowCaptain

 

for the 100th time  the $699 model only has a 1080p display, slower processor, slower SSD, less battery life, and probably a worse keyboard and trackpad - also no USB C

 

the model that is equivalent to the macbook is like $1000-$1300

[Sauron]

for the 100th time  the $699 model only has a 1080p display, slower processor, slower SSD, less battery life, and probably a worse keyboard and trackpad - also no USB C

 

the model that is equivalent to the macbook is like $1000-$1300

 

Ok then, I had wrong info, let's say 1000$; why should anyone pay 300$ more for a product that is inferior in almost every respect? Hell, even if it was exactly 1300$ it would offer superior value. I strongly doubt a flat keyboard can be considered "quality" to be honest; it can be better than average for what it is, but hardly something I'd prefer to even a membrane desktop keyboard, and frankly the trackpad is only useful if you don't have a mouse (or you can't connect one...). Sure, it doesn't have a usb c connector, but I'd say it more than makes up for it since it has 3 usb3.0 ports (which by the way will work with way more devices than type c out of the box) and a dedicated video output. As well as an sd card slot.

[ShadowCaptain]

Ok then, I had wrong info, let's say 1000$; why should anyone pay 300$ more for a product that is inferior in almost every respect? Hell, even if it was exactly 1300$ it would offer superior value. I strongly doubt a flat keyboard can be considered "quality" to be honest; it can be better than average for what it is, but hardly something I'd prefer to even a membrane desktop keyboard, and frankly the trackpad is only useful if you don't have a mouse (or you can't connect one...). Sure, it doesn't have a usb c connector, but I'd say it more than makes up for it since it has 3 usb3.0 ports (which by the way will work with way more devices than type c out of the box) and a dedicated video output. As well as an sd card slot.

 

Well the main reason would be because they want to use OSX and want a device within apples ecosystem, or perhaps they prefer the aesthetics and feel of the macbook

 

I actually like laptop keyboards, call me crazy, this new one seems really cool. Also as a frequent laptop user I almost NEVER use a mouse unless I am gaming - especially because apples trackpads are possibly the most insanely amazing input device ever for normal usage (not exaggerating) 

 

Also for performance the new SSD has read speeds of over 1500mbps! INSANE

 

Honestly no ports doesn't effect me....

 

lets approach this from a typical apple user with the entire apple eco system...doing typical every day tasks

 

Display out - wireless connection Apple TV to display web, photos, movies etc - can be used as secondary display too

Phone sync - wireless syncing with iPhone - sync music games photos etc with iPhone and iPad 

file transfer - Airdrop - wirelessly send files between iMac, Macbook, Mac Pro, iPad and iPhone- drag and drop

backup - wireless backup with apple time capsule

keyboard/mouse - bluetooth apple keyboard and mouse

[Sauron]

Well the main reason would be because they want to use OSX and want a device within apples ecosystem, or perhaps they prefer the aesthetics and feel of the macbook

 

I actually like laptop keyboards, call me crazy, this new one seems really cool. Also as a frequent laptop user I almost NEVER use a mouse unless I am gaming - especially because apples trackpads are possibly the most insanely amazing input device ever for normal usage (not exaggerating) 

 

Also for performance the new SSD has read speeds of over 1500mbps! INSANE

 

Honestly no ports doesn't effect me....

 

lets approach this from a typical apple user with the entire apple eco system...doing typical every day tasks

 

Display out - wireless connection Apple TV to display web, photos, movies etc - can be used as secondary display too

Phone sync - wireless syncing with iPhone - sync music games photos etc with iPhone and iPad 

file transfer - Airdrop - wirelessly send files between iMac, Macbook, Mac Pro, iPad and iPhone- drag and drop

backup - wireless backup with apple time capsule

keyboard/mouse - bluetooth apple keyboard and mouse

 

...that assumes you have 4 other apple devices in the same house... the vast majority of people only have one or two tops. Plus, a 1300$ product that relies on you owning others to be useful is bullshit. And apple's bluetooth peripherals are ABSURDLY expensive. I mean, 70$ each for the least ergonomic mouse I have ever seen and the flattest membrane keyboard on the market? And those are still excuses for which it may not be as big of an issue, not actual pros. OSX? Not worth 300$ and all the other compromises. Which task exactly would make use of a 1500mb/s ssd? Last time I checked only video editing legitimately benefits from anything more than a sata 3 ssd. And trust me, video editing is not happening on a core m. And that average user you're talking about? He could achieve the same thing and spare about 2000$ across macs, iphones and ipads. Aesthetics? The x305 is almost identical...

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

You completely miss the point, that $1300 for some people is not an extraordinary amount of money. Maybe they just prefer the product and want to spend that

 

Not everyone needs to sit there weighing up cost vs performance, when they can afford it, to some people buying products is not a mixture of cost and performance but an emotive feeling

 

Why buy a £300k Ferrari when you could buy a £40k Nissan GTR that is faster and 10% the cost? Why buy a BMW M3, for £70k and not a Ford Focus RS for £30k 

 

People pay for brands, for aesthetics, for their products to match, for the feeling of the product in the hand, because they prefer one OS to the other, because they prefer the company

 

Millions of reasons why a few hundred dollars is not that much in the grand sheme of things

[Sauron]

You completely miss the point, that $1300 for some people is not an extraordinary amount of money. Maybe they just prefer the product and want to spend that

 

Not everyone needs to sit there weighing up cost vs performance, when they can afford it, to some people buying products is not a mixture of cost and performance but an emotive feeling

 

Why buy a £300k Ferrari when you could buy a £40k Nissan GTR that is faster and 10% the cost? Why buy a BMW M3, for £70k and not a Ford Focus RS for £30k 

 

People pay for brands, for aesthetics, for their products to match, for the feeling of the product in the hand, because they prefer one OS to the other, because they prefer the company

 

Millions of reasons why a few hundred dollars is not that much in the grand sheme of things

 

I guess I'll never understand how some people think. Even if I was a millionaire I would not buy something that I felt wasn't worth every penny. Wasting money is bad, no matter how much of it you have, when there are people that suffer because they don't have enough. Sure, we can't just constantly stay there and worry that we may be spending too much money that could go into charity, but t least we could make a conscious effort not the completely waste it out of vanity and laziness.

 

The car example isn't as fitting though, when you buy a Ferrari over a Nissan you may not get more performance, but you will get much more comfortable seats, a stabler and more maneuverable car (raw speed is not everything in a race), and an enormous resale value, sometimes even higher than what you originally paid. Macs if anything offer LESS comfort since you'd be constantly messing with bluetooth or hubs to connect what you need to your laptop... and good luck interfacing with anything that is not made by apple.

[ShadowCaptain]

The car example isn't as fitting though, when you buy a Ferrari over a Nissan you may not get more performance, but you will get much more comfortable seats, a stabler and more maneuverable car (raw speed is not everything in a race), and an enormous resale value, sometimes even higher than what you originally paid. Macs if anything offer LESS comfort since you'd be constantly messing with bluetooth or hubs to connect what you need to your laptop... and good luck interfacing with anything that is not made by apple.

 

I am afraid that is how the world works. If I earned enough money I would be first in store to buy one, I don't so I am getting an alternative thin light laptop that I can use for gaming, because it suits my needs and I can only afford one, but If I was on a better wage I would just buy one,

 

I work hard so I can afford products that make me happy, that suit my lifestyle and tasts. 

 

The Nissan has the fastest time around the Nurburgring so its more stable and manoeuvrable, they even fill the tyres with nitrogen because its more stable than air, the ferrari is mostly all about the aesthetics, the label and the stigma that comes with being an owner, its exclusive, everybody knows the brand and look, and they are sort after

 

Apple devices have much higher resale value, feel nicer in the hand, look aesthetically better (subjectively) etc and its likely most apple users will be interfacing with other apple devices They still interface fine with other products- just the same as windows if not better actually

 

this device is not meant to suit all people, that is why the Air and Retina Pro still exist and are arguably better value products - the new retina pros just got some brilliant updates too

 

(not aimed at you just everyone in general)

Just because a product does not suit your lifestyle or needs is no reason to tell people they are stupid for liking it 

[jacobgoblin]

The technology is awesome, but like the OP said, $1300 for a dual core is outrageous to me. It's basically a glorified chromebook, which you could get for half the price. That aside, the USB C is what really bothers me. An adapter is basically necessary for this to be a useful laptop. And knowing apple fans who would buy this, they would buy the apple brand adapter, which is $80. I will admire apple, however. They know their market, and they are very good at appealing to(/exploiting) them.

[Guest]

If I didn't do video production or gaming I would be in for one right away.

 

Apple makes very targeted products and if you fit into their targets they continue to produce some of the best consumer tech products around.

 

If you don't you don't. 

[CatzRuleZWorld]

I actually thought about getting one for a few minutes. In the end I realized that my MBA did everything I need my laptop to do amd this MacBook could probably do just as well (with a usb hub) but then I realized it's not enough of an upgrade to make it worth the few hundred extra. I think this netbook could have been a good choice if it was priced where it belongs; under the mba at about $700-800