Windows Laptop Makers Can’t Catch Up to the MacBook Air
pcworld.com
pcworld.com
Total Price: $450.
Granted, not sexy looking at all. Not particularly thin.
Runs Windows 7 Ultimate like a champ. The only time the low processing power ever bothers me is when I'm unzipping large files.
It's cheap, made of plastic and plastered with stickers. I carry it in my man purse, and bounce it around with me pretty much everywhere I go. I've been doing that for years.
Everything is backed up to DropBox. It's so cheap as to be disposable. If it breaks, I don't care. I'll buy a new one. I have a full set of USB / Network, VGA ports, and I don't have to worry about buying extra dongles to connect things to a projector. The little brute has been stable as a rock. I can't remember a single crash in 3 years.
It has enough battery life for me to be able to Code from Barcelona to SFO on one charge, and I typically charge the little beast about once or twice a week.
Yup. PC makers just can't keep up.
This is the third time this has happened to me.
I don't care if PC makers can or cannot keep up with Apple. All I know is, this is my last Apple.
No machine that shipped with Leopard is unable to run Lion. Only the Mac Mini 1,1 and MacBook 1,1 from early 2006 with 32bit processors are unsupported.
Still, I started waaaaaay back with the Mac Plus, multiple Performas, a 4400/200, etc.; the 68k -> PPC, 8.6 -> OS X, and PPC750 -> Intel switches have all forced me to upgrade before I wanted to. Given Apple's history, I'm absolutely certain that they'll be switching their Air, at the very least, to their new A-series processors and/or IOS. I'm simply tired of the forced-upgrade cycle.
I've also had this conversation on HN a couple times. It often ends in multiple people expressing surprise that I'd be interested in continuing to use such old, out-of-date hardware, or that I'd even expect to be able to. I'm not going to have that conversation again.
Your laptop is 5 to 7 years old - do you realize how long that is in tech years? I am not sure you can run the latest Windows OS well on a 5 - 7 year old laptop.
"Intel switches have all forced me to upgrade before I wanted to."
The switch to Intel processors was very gradual and not painful at all. Apple kept PPC support for many years.
Why are you against the upgrades? If it is because of the cost associated with upgrading that is understandable. But the tech industry moves so fast and computer performance increases every year - do you really want to be using 5 - 7 year old technology?
"I've also had this conversation on HN a couple times. It often ends in multiple people expressing surprise that I'd be interested in continuing to use such old, out-of-date hardware"
Time to listen to the crowd my friend.
You CAN still use your computer to access email, write, browse, communicate, play, etc. But you can't complain when it doesn't run all software or isn't the fastest.
That's true, but, unlike with OSX, previous versions of Windows are still supported by the manufacturer and third parties. You might not be able to run Windows 7 on that hardware, but you'll certainly be able to run Windows XP. And, unlike with OSX revisions, Windows XP will be supported for several years yet.
I have a Pentium 4 box with 2GB RAM that runs Windows XP reliably. Its been a solid workhorse for almost 8 years now. Before that, I was running Windows 2000 on a Pentium 2 that was 11 years old.
Of course, another advantage of WinTel systems is that their hardware becomes more and more supported by Linux as they age. When XP finally reaches EOL, I plan to migrate this box to Linux and continue using it as a secondary workstation.
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/11.04/release/ubuntu-11.0...
Now that I think of it, many of my old PC laptops had to have Linux put on them as well because they didn't support the latest version of Windows either. Or rather there were no updated device drivers from the manufacturer. So the issue isn't as clear looking to the future.
Linux is usually a good option, unfortunately there's a specific hardware configuration on my laptop that makes it nearly unusable. (ADB trackpad.) I could resolve that by buying a mouse, but ... meh. It's time to get a new machine anyway.
I have a feeling this wont be your last Apple because there probably was never a first one. Or you don't want to admit you're talking about a PPC PowerBook which is over five years old at this point.
Turns out $1,000 more isn't that much for a productivity tool these days; the dollar ain't what it used to be. Not to mention you'd probably get a much nicer screen and keyboard which helps a lot for coding.
That said, I'm still using my trusty Sony tr2a for trips just because of inertia and that it still works fine. But I won't pretend I wouldn't rather have an Air. ;)
I cannot explain this, these are things I never thought I would even think let alone say. The laptop boots the Android emulator and runs eclipse much faster than my primary pc which is a i7 tri-channel w/24gb ram.
The gestures and infinite desktops on Lion make it so much more usable than a default Windows machine or any other Linux variant I use.
I just wanted to chime in since you said >decide I didn't like it or Mac
Which, trust me, if you care about productivity or are amazed by superior resource management, not liking it would simply be an unjust bias coming to fruition.
I am not aware of the specs of the SSD in the Macbook.
This is exactly what I suspected was causing the perceived boost though.
Which is... odd. I bought an Air in December, and stopped using it (gave it to a family member) because I couldn't stand how slow it was compared to my hand-built Windows desktop. I'm talking ~10 seconds after waking from sleep before it would even recognise that I was typing on the keyboard, and persistent beachballing whenever I had too many tabs or a VM open (again, for Visual Studio). The gestures were nice, but they're nothing my multi-button mouse didn't solve.
I'm not saying your experiences are wrong, but... it's strange to see someone make the same transition that I did, only to have the opposite result.
Having said that, I'll probably pick up 13" Macbook Pro or Air soon to start getting into iOS dev, and have to say I do look forward to running VMs locally again, even though AWS free tier obsoletes that now.
I recently bought a 120GB SSD for a server I'm building, and I've had 120GB on the brain. Sorry.
OK, it's also sexy, but who gives a toss?
And I've been unable to find a reasonably priced PC laptop with an SSD (when I last looked, the only Sony ones with SSD are the MacBook Air clones and the top-of-the-line business and gamer models), so that means swapping a hard drive. Most people don't swap hard drives in laptops.
I don't care about thinness and aluminium casing. I just care about the weight, battery, screen, keyboard, trackpad, and SSD. Apple is the only one that really delivered when I was looking, about 6 months ago.
I do! I do! (Though I won’t ever call anything that’s not a human “sexy”. Sorry.) Don’t assume that just because you don’t care for aesthetics other people also don’t. Aesthetics is one of the most important factors whenever I buy anything and there is nothing wrong with that. (People who don’t care for aesthetics always have so much trouble understanding that, it’s actually quite funny how baffled they always are.)
Why should I pay $300 to get less?
I’m perfectly happy paying money – even a lot of money – for aesthetics. Aesthetics are something of substance for me. Specifications are only one factor for me.
Design (how it is built) and aesthetics (how it looks and feels), specifications and familiarity are the four most important factors I personally use when deciding what computer to buy and they all are pretty much on equal footing for me. Four years ago, I payed $500 more (compared to a Dell laptop with similar specifications) for my MacBook Pro to get more (much better design and better aesthetics).
You might be able to better understand me if you think about something where for you personally aesthetics are an important factor, something you are willing to pay money for. I would be very surprised if there isn’t something like that for you. Maybe office chairs? Cars? Curtains? Bikes? Whatever it is, how you feel about that is how I feel about computers.
I really don’t want to convince you of that view. There is no right or wrong answer to this issue. Some care for aesthetics more, some care less. (Also: Some like Apple’s aesthetic, some don’t.) There is nothing wrong with all of that, just understand that not everyone shares your view.
I do see where you're coming from (sort of). I recognize that aesthetics can be of substantive value. If that was not the case, artwork would not sell for millions of dollars. That said, I still have to disagree with you regarding Apple. I suspect this may stem from a fundamental divergence in the way we view our computers.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you view the form of the computer, in addition to the function, as a primary consideration in the value that you assign to it. I, on the other hand, view the function of the machine as the only consideration when assigning a value to it.
Computers are different enough from other objects that analogies are always suspect, but a limited analogy to tools may be of use here. I would be willing to trade an ergonomic handle and a certain aesthetic look in a wrench for a 20% gain in torque strength. I suspect that you would not be as sure to make that trade-off. At the very least, you would perhaps consider whether you really needed the advantage in strength.
I was thinking about Apple products, and I think perhaps they deserve this now. Each new (1st gen) product from Apple is a bit short on features and a bit expensive, but they have commitment. 2nd gen is a decent product, and 3rd gen has typically been great. [Cases in point: iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, Apple TV (3rd gen still to come)]
The difference (between Apple and HP et al) comes down to commitment to a product. Apple (like MS) gear them selves up for the long haul; they expect to spend lots and take years to achieve their vision. Other PC manufacturers (speaking very generally here) seem to have a bit of a half arsed shot at something and kill it if it doesn't fly.
Apple does something a bit different. It starts slow, getting the core features right and then builds on them. It doesn't pile on features, they are added slowly only as they mature.
Of course it also drives demand for several years, a very profitable formula.
People who talk about 'better specs', 'only a few inches thicker but twice the cpu power', 'does have a dvd drive' are tech or at least into computers; most people are not, they don't care.
This sounds crazy not least of all because they use milling machines to make cases and not lathes. But I'm willing to be educated.
There's a comment re: lathe vs mill over there too. Is this some kind of "submarine" article from Mitac Precision, the fiberglass manufacturer?
I can confirm that there is a global shortage of certain types of CNC machining capacity. CNC machining is much less common than you might imagine in volume production. It's an expensive process that designers are usually desperate to avoid. Apple raised the bar for fit and finish with the Unibody Macbook and rather caught the rest of the industry on the back foot. A lot of designers and engineers still just don't see why you'd manufacture a housing in such an expensive and convoluted manner. Laptop OEMs are certainly not equipped for it, presenting substantial logistical problems.
Just regarding the minor point of nomenclatural pedantry, this video (in last half of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OOtuftGO1U) shows some machining of the case and I would say that what they are using is indisputably a milling machine.
pc companies, listen up. I want linux, on an ssd, in a case that SEPERATES itsself from all your other plastic junk, IN A GOOD WAY. dont be average, dont be consertive, do be a perfectionist. dont try to please everybody. I think this is macs biggest weapon, they dont try to please everybody, they build what steve wants. tfa hit the point perfectly with the hp calc comparisson, and i feel the same way. fucking grow some balls. this goes for cell phones too. Fuck I hate motorolla.
Sony is one of the few hardware companies that I trust even less than Apple; actually I have a pretty strong dislike for Sony, not merely distrust. So, I'd be more likely to buy an Apple product than a Sony product if all other things were equal (and all other things aren't equal; Sony products look pretty ugly to me, while Apple products are beautiful).
Right, but you paid considerably more than the price of an Air for that machine. That's the point. You wouldn't switch, but for anyone looking for an ultraportable now, it's hard to beat the Air in any capacity.
As someone who was looking for a great ultraportable for years and kept a very close eye on Sony, I snapped up the 11 inch Air ASAP. Nothing can step anywhere close to it when it comes to offering a well rounded ultraportable.
I'm not in the US, but isnt the Air $999? Not much less than 1k, but an odd statement considering the focus of the article. Am I missing something?
On an Air, a lot of components (like ram and ssd) are soldered on the board. On the Samsung, they are easily replaceable. In fact, I have already put in a new wireless card and added more RAM. It comes apart easily with a Phillips-head screwdriver. In the future, I will probably upgrade the SSD (it has 128GB at the moment). A new 'msata' standard has emerged from all these Ultra-portables, which use the pcie plug.
So when will Apple introduce hardware subscriptions?
For a company, being able to fairly easily get ~30 correctly-configured machines instantly is great too -- with Dell, I'd be stuck waiting until they build and ship, and with HP or other vendors, trying to find a store which stocks them.
The PA-U store has done fixes up to basically replacing entire just-out-of-warranty machines for me. I've had same-day repairs, and at worst, 3 day mail away, but usually overnight fixes. A lot of it comes down to how you engage the staff -- being an easy customer (having done all the checks, being really polite, etc.) helps. One big plus is having everything already backed up, so it's ok for them to wipe/replace drives if they need to.
My only complaint is that some markets don't have Apple Stores yet, especially internationally.
Thinkpad service is the one other kind of service which is good; their contract support outside the US is superior to the Apple international support. Unfortunately they don't sell a full line, only laptops (at least, their desktop products are pretty weak in comparison).
On the purchasing side, though, Apple wins hands down. Lenovo is painful because there are 25-50% discounts periodically, so you feel you're being ripped off if you don't buy during those times. And, website without a lot of the options (e.g. you couldn't order a QXGA R51 online, only through the phone), etc. And no good retailer stocking anything but ideapads in person.
With Apple, I can take a 20 minute drive and speak with somebody who is knowledgeable, polite and actually able to authorise almost anything on the spot, even if it's not exactly in line with policy.
Point in case, my brother's MacBook battery died about a month out of (non-AppleCare) warranty. The genius did some diagnostics and replaced the battery for free.
Nope. "We only stock the HDD models in store here." Not "we're out of stock".
Hmm, okay... well maybe I could just buy an SSD from NewEgg, and sell the HDD...
"What about with 8GB... I only see 4GB prices out here." "Yeah, we don't stock 8GB models. We can install 8GB and give you the 2 x 2GB chips."
Yeah, not so much.
http://windows7themes.net/windows-7-mac-theme.html
Or maybe you mean some other way OSX is innovative, besides aesthetic?
I'm not taking the position that Windows 7 is so intrinsically terrible that it can't support the 'ultrabook' category, just like you're not supporting the position that it couldn't be improved upon.