I'm terribly confused here.
"continue to run Ubuntu in a VM on the MacBook with its relaxed HDD"
Did he try with bootcamp on Ubuntu 12.04 (the LTS version)? I just tested on two macbook pros (mid 2011, early 2013) and both seem fine.
"continue to run Ubuntu in a VM on the MacBook with its relaxed HDD"
Did he try with bootcamp on Ubuntu 12.04 (the LTS version)? I just tested on two macbook pros (mid 2011, early 2013) and both seem fine.
If you are a kernel hacker and the idea of fixing compatibility bugs sounds like a regular afternoon then Apple hardware isn't so bad.