Voldenuit wrote:OSX
macOS
Voldenuit wrote:* New butterfly keyboard. You should really test one before you buy a current macbook as your main computing device
I can’t stress that enough. It is the first thing one should do.
I’m keyboard agnostic so I had no issues with the butterfly style keyboard.
Voldenuit wrote:* New T2 DRM lockout of third party repairers. This means that only Apple-approved repairers, and more importantly, only Apple-approved repairs will be available to you moving forwards.
One should always take their Apple product to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for repair. That has always been the case. If there are none where you live then factor that into your decision before you buy.
Voldenuit wrote:* Lack of ports. TB3 hubs exist, but dongle life has been part of Apple's world view for a while now. I doubt they will change that.
When I had my 12” MacBook Pro I was perfectly happy with one port. All my data is either on my local NAS or in the cloud (both accessible via Wi-Fi). When the 12" MacBook was used at my desk it was connected to a display via USB Type-C for display/power/hub. That one port handled it all.
Dongles were, for the most part, a stopgap solution until Type-C to whatever cables appeared. I recently purchased a USB Type-C to micro b 3.1 Gen 2 cable and a USB Type-C to Displayport cable. I still use a USB Type-C to Ethernet (for network config and troubleshooting) which I keep on the ethernet cable when not in use, and my Type C to Type A dongle for my USB boot/troubleshooting stick.
My 2018 13” MacBook Pro has 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports. I have yet to use all 4 at the same time.
Voldenuit wrote:* Cost.
If you want macOS and the industries best trackpad then Apple is the only game in town.
Voldenuit wrote:* Longevity. It's going to be harder to maintain the current MB and MBP for a decade, especially if Apple extends its DRM scheme to battery replacement. If you can find OEM or third party battery packs. Modern macbooks will also refuse to boot if the internal battery is dead, even if connected to A/C, so at some point, that macbook will become a paperweight.
At work we have a 7 year old MacBook Air that recently had its battery replaced at an Apple Store - it is like new. We have three 2010 27” iMacs on the floor as well that are still in daily use. I’m typing this on a 4 year old MBP. I have a 2012 Mac mini at home that is still kicking butt. My 2012 11” MacBook Air is still going strong in the hands of its current owner. I’m not worried about longevity when it comes to my personal 2018 Mac mini and 2018 13” MacBook Pro (well, apart from the Mac moving to ARM (Hi Glorious
)).
Voldenuit wrote:* Lack of upgradability. SSD, RAM, CPU, GPU, T2 are all soldered in.
- Spec it out well during purchase
- get AppleCare
- live near a Apple Authorized Service Provider
Voldenuit wrote:* Performance.
Even the new MacBook Air is a massive leap over the 2.26Ghz Core 2 Duo based Mac that ClickClick5 is currently using.
Voldenuit wrote:* Flexibility. You're at the mercy of Apple recognizing security certificates for 3rd party OSes. Right now, only Windows and OSX have valid certificates that Apple recognizes for Secure Boot, so if you're wanting to install Linux, there are a lot of hoops to jump through even after disabling SecureBoot (I believe you will have to carve out an unencrypted partition on the (non-expandable) SSD).
I don’t recommend buying a Mac to boot Windows and/or Linux. You can run Linux/Windows in a VM on a x64 based Mac or have a separate dedicated VM server on the network.
Voldenuit wrote:* Portability. OSX used to be a great platform for cross-platform development, but with Apple deprecating OpenGL and OpenCL in favor of its proprietary Metal API, there are going to be limits on how much of what you code will fit into a "write once, export multiple times" philosophy.
I though Vulcan heralded the end for OpenGL on every platform?
MoltenVK is a runtime for macOS and iOS that offers an almost complete subset of the Vulkan API implemented using Metal.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02 ... -to-apple/https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page= ... ed-MVK-AppClickClick5 wrote:I use USB a lot and will often find myself needing to use the DVD drive
Why do you have valuable data stuck on a legacy solution? Time to sort that out.
ClickClick5 wrote:or the ethernet port for troublesome routers.
Buy the Type-C to ethernet dongle. Leave it connected to a network cable that you store with your network setup. End of Line.
ClickClick5 wrote:I know many of the new users to Apple might not remember when the Macbook Pro was just that, a pro model. Many ports, upgradeable parts, ect.
I recall using
one of these back in the day.
Pro means different things to different people (legacy ports are not Pro to me). Need is a good word. If legacy ports and upgradeable parts are your priority over the OS then it sounds as if you need something like my T480.
ClickClick5 wrote:Now looking at the new machines, I see just thunderbolt port(s)
Frack ya! Thunderbolt 3 is the perfect port. Dedicated cables exist to connect Thunderbolt 3 to almost everything.
ClickClick5 wrote:Will the soldered ssd even last 10 years? This has all kinda made me wonder if this is going to be my last Apple laptop.
You want a laptop to last 10 years? Good grief. Take this as a sign -> the 7 year old MacBook Air sitting on my desk is not supported by macOS Mojave.
On top of that Apple may switch the Mac over to ARM in the not too distant future (Hi Glorious
). Such a move would turn any Mac you buy today into a paperweight much faster than you anticipated.