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Comment by ThJ | Hacker News Reader

Apple had a good run. I'm in a twist. I don't like Windows or Android and Linux just isn't there on the desktop. I made the switch from Windows/Android around 2012-2014 and it was a relief. Now I hate all their new hardware. They have really let down their professional users. Every owner of a new Macbook has one of those flimsy and ugly port extenders hanging off the side of the machine just to get a basic set of ports, and the butterfly keyboard is god-awful. I can't type on a keyboard that hurts my fingertips.

As for the iPhone: I'd like to keep my home button with TouchID and my screen without the notch. I'm not sure what to upgrade to when this iPhone 7 Plus, which by the way cost a fortune, breaks.

Apple seems to have crossed a line. They're no longer selling good products at a premium. At this point, they're basically milking their customers. I hope this backfires severely for them.

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There’s a difference between “no longer sells good products” and “no longer sells the exact product I want”.

It's weird how as they've added more SKUs to their product lineup, it's become harder to find the exact product I want. Their product lineup used to be so simple and easy to navigate, but now it's a mess, and it's opinionated just enough to push users in a particular direction.

Want a fully-loaded 15 in. MBP without a touch bar? Too bad. I don't care that it shines when using Garage Band because I don't really use Garage Band.

They appeared to kill the Macbook Air when they dropped the latest iteration of the Macbook, only to bring back the Air last month.

Sure, these machines are all still well-built and should meet the demands of their users. But Apple's ability to communicate and ship their various product lines is getting noticeably worse, and that raises fears for the future (rightfully so.)

Because at the end of the day, we're not just buying laptops and phones, we're committing to the ecosystem that these devices grant us access to.

> I don't care that it shines when using Garage Band because I don't really use Garage Band.

Who uses Garage Band, ever? Such a limited piece of dumbed down Logic X garbage. I go buy good software for music and delete that st but, man!, that program is like cancer—it just keeps coming back.

Now, THAT is frustrating.

Yep, people have been repeating this same meme for a little more than half a decade and the amount of money they make and product they sell has only gone up.

I don't know, I'd agree with the OP. I like OSX, have 3 macbooks, but damn if the new ones aren't a terrible compromise - especially the keyboards and being forced into the touchbar (which is a straight up gimmick like 3d tv)

To each their own but finally going from a 6s (and hoping for smaller phones) I got an XS and could never see myself wanting TouchID on a phone again. Face is way faster and not impacted by clammy hands and the bezel sure isn't missed.

I'm not fully satisfied by the hardware options at the moment, same touchbar sentiment but I don't think the rest is so dire stupid crap like not including extension cables, and inflation is also a thing FWIW.

I think a really good monitor or docking/egpu box would go a long way for the laptops lack of ports. Holding on to my 2013/2015 in meantime

> I'm not sure what to upgrade to when this iPhone 7 Plus, which by the way cost a fortune, breaks.

I'm also still getting by with my 7 Plus, and my hope is that next year we'll see a model sans notch that I can upgrade to. I can't imagine that Apple would have gone down this path without some plan about how to eliminate the notch in a reasonable (2-3 yr) timeframe. OTOH, we still have a camera bump, and I thought that was very un-Apple also!

Lastly, I'd point out that the 7 Plus was expensive, but it's also a high-performance/high-quality device with a longer useful life than most non-Apple phones. I've had my for 2 years already, and plan to keep it for 3. I assume I'll sell it for around $275 next year, which means the monthly cost of the device is around $17. Not bad, considering I bought it when it was the latest-and-greatest!

> Linux just isn't there on the desktop

Linux is great on the Desktop, especially for programming. Be sure to get a computer that can run it, like a Thinkpad. My laptop has significantly better specs than a Mac that is at least $1000 more expensive, and has a much better support plan. They will drive to my home the next business day to fix anything that breaks.

Which laptop do you have? I didn't get a ThinkPad because the specs weren't there.

T460, 24 GB RAM, i7, two batteries (over 10 hours of battery life). It was about USD $1900 including tax, shipping, and the support plan. I deleted Windows 10 and installed Ubuntu 16.04. Works great.

There are ergonomic mobile keyboards which can be used with laptops, e.g. GoldTouch.

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