Quote :

"Having the full suite of common *nix tools is a huge appeal with programmers. If you're thinking of Cygwin, cygwin is a joke... i'm not the norm, but having immediate access to sed, bc, ncat, curl, tcpdump, say, perl and python interpreters, without hunting around or questioning if they're installed correctly is a big boost in productivity. You could replicate these workflows on any OS, but not having to worry that the next OS update will horribly break things (usually) is what makes this compelling. "

Windows also doesn't even have the option to run some of the newer dev tools. Redis is one of ones I remember from somewhat recent times, but it's probably near impossible to get most environments up and running without a vm.

4/22/2015 12:25:20 AM

Unless you're developing something to be run on OSX, you should probably be using a VM anyway.

4/22/2015 3:51:50 AM

neodata is starting to sound like he's bitter that his ex-girlfriend who he dumped is with a better looking dude now.

We get it. You used to date Apple. You thought you could do better. Move on.

4/22/2015 8:48:06 AM

Quote :

"i know because i spent a long time looking for an easy-to-use automatic background backup solution for my Windows install"

you must not have looked very hard.. system restore points and ntbackup.exe are both easy to use and automatic (if you configure them to be)

4/22/2015 9:36:17 AM

We do all our development on our dev servers in Linux. It doesn't matter what your workstation is running we just access everything via repos, a terminal, or a jdmc driver for our databases.

Quote :

"Unless you're developing something to be run on OSX, you should probably be using a VM anyway."

Yes any local development we do is all done in VMs (java, hadoop, etc).

Quote :

"We get it. You used to date Apple. You thought you could do better. Move on."

Back to my first point. I want a sub 3lb, high resolution, powerful ultrabook. There's currently a gap in Apple's product offering for that so I won't buy one. The 13" Macbook Pro is close (3.5lbs) but it's still heavy.

4/22/2015 11:15:20 AM

Seriously? A half a pound is what causes you to rule out that laptop? Time to hit the gym dawg.

4/22/2015 11:44:51 AM

I travel a good bit for work (~50%) and typically commute by bike or walk to the train every day. When most ultrabooks are getting closer to 2.5lbs then yes .5-1lb makes a huge difference. Especially when I'm walking from conference room to conference room all day or holding the laptop in one hand while at the airport.

But wait am I seriously arguing why lighter laptops are nicer? I don't think there's a dispute there. There's a reason the Macbook Air was so successful. I just want one with a higher resolution screen and a slightly newer design (because it really hasn't changed since 2008).

4/22/2015 11:50:29 AM

4/22/2015 6:23:08 PM

Hmmm ok so wanting a light laptop = you're weak. Ok lesson learned.

I'll get back to my 55 pound kettle bell workout.

4/22/2015 6:34:54 PM

this fucking thing can't even play hearthstone without locking up

most likely returning it

4/23/2015 9:54:05 AM

my kindle and windows atom tablet play it fine. that shit must be broke

4/23/2015 9:56:34 AM

Quote :

"When most ultrabooks are getting closer to 2.5lbs then yes .5-1lb makes a huge difference. Especially when I'm walking from conference room to conference room all day or holding the laptop in one hand while at the airport. "

You're insufferable.

4/23/2015 10:25:51 AM

8 whole ounces, man

4/23/2015 11:40:08 AM

At this point you guys are trolling. I don't have to explain why ultrabooks are so popular. You guys are pretty much saying there's no difference between carrying around a Macbook Air and a Macbook Pro.

4/23/2015 11:43:27 AM

I stand behind my statement.

This 8 ounces is just the tip of the iceberg

4/23/2015 11:47:22 AM

Not to keep playing along but are you really saying there's no benefit to a lighter laptop?

Let me try to make a logical argument here.

I commute by bike or walking and walk with my laptop a fair amount. I've got my laptop, tablet, phone, lunch, various cables/connectors, sun glasses, water bottle, etc.

If I compromised on every single item and said "oh an extra 8 ounces is fine" then my bag would be twice as heavy. I guess coming from someone who backpacks a lot every ounce counts. If I'm running across town trying to make a client meeting then I'd rather have a lighter pack then a heavy one. It's more comfortable and easier to handle. Sure 8 ounces isn't the end of the world for one item but it makes a noticeable different when you're commuting with your bag 30-60 minutes a day.

All I'm saying is it would be nice if they had updated the Macbook Air with a higher resolution screen and maybe updated the design. I like the slim profile and light weight (as does the rest of the world). If you took a poll and asked 1000 people whether they prefer the profile and weight of a Macbook Air compared to a Macbook Pro the vast majority of them would say the Air. Again it's why it got so popular.

But please continue to tell me how wanting a lighter laptop means I'm weak and insufferable.

4/23/2015 12:40:30 PM

A coworker bikes and has a 13 lbs laptop.

Have you met my friend Chopper?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

4/23/2015 1:50:50 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "i know because i spent a long time looking for an easy-to-use automatic background backup solution for my Windows install" you must not have looked very hard.. system restore points and ntbackup.exe are both easy to use and automatic (if you configure them to be) 4/22/2015 9:36:17 AM "

Restore points don't do file level incremental backups like time machine, and the built in Windows backup (I'm assuming ntbackup) couldn't connect to the network share, and had to be scheduled to run at a specific time, it didn't just fun when it could. There's nothing like time machine for easy, transparent, quick backups on Windows. I'm not saying you can't set up a backup solution, but time machine has the best ease of use of any of them.

4/23/2015 2:03:23 PM

Quote :

"A coworker bikes and has a 13 lbs laptop. "

I also backpack with 30-60 pound packs in the winter but that doesn't mean it's good for your body or I would want to do it every day. All I'm saying is it's nice to have a light weight commuter bag if you commute to work on a regular basis.

Also if you're biking to work it's much smarter to have panniers then carrying all that weight on your back. It's not healthy. If it comes down to man'ing up and having a bad back when you're 40 or being smart about carrying shit I'll pick the later any day.

4/23/2015 2:28:46 PM

^^ my built in windows backup goes to a network drive, i think i just had to map it locally first to find it

(but it's still not as good as time machine)

4/24/2015 8:47:27 AM

rsync.

4/24/2015 10:27:35 AM

Quote :

"Also if you're biking to work it's much smarter to have panniers then carrying all that weight on your back. It's not healthy. If it comes down to man'ing up and having a bad back when you're 40 or being smart about carrying shit I'll pick the later any day."

It's good to know that 8 ounces is the tipping point between those two outcomes. Thanks for your knowledge.

4/24/2015 10:38:08 AM

You missed the point. 8-16 ounces there, 8-16 ounces there, etc. It adds up. If I compromise on every item my pack ends up being 10 pounds heavier.

Who here actually bikes or walks to work?

4/24/2015 11:46:23 AM

I figure you're about 2 posts away from arguing that user-replaceable batteries and SD cards are superior phone features.

4/24/2015 12:16:25 PM

Features I like. Not that everyone uses. Big difference there.

I like light laptops. It's the end of the world!!!

4/24/2015 12:29:03 PM

^^ and slide out keyboards

4/24/2015 2:11:23 PM

I don't think that was me. Unless it was like in 2008.

4/24/2015 2:46:34 PM

Quote :

" 8 WHOLE OUNCES "

4/24/2015 4:12:15 PM

I can only buy 1 ounce at a time at the sto.

4/24/2015 4:34:29 PM

Quote :

"You missed the point. 8-16 ounces there, 8-16 ounces there, etc. It adds up. If I compromise on every item my pack ends up being 10 pounds heavier."

Why not just compromise on one item? The laptop.

4/24/2015 4:37:30 PM

Honestly because I move around a lot traveling and going between meetings and having a lighter laptop is nicer. It's easier to hold with one hand and easier to use on an airplane or in a taxi. I still feel like I'm trying to sell a Macbook Air...they seem to sell themselves along with all other ultrabooks.

Sure if you commute to work and sit at the same desk all day then a 3.5-4.5lb laptop is fine but having a ~2.5lb laptop is nice. I imagine having a Macbook or other ultrabook that's 2lbs or less would be even nicer.

Again why are you guys all lightweight laptop haters.

4/24/2015 4:51:48 PM

The company is very environmentally conscious.

They also take a strong stand on human rights.

4/24/2015 6:36:33 PM

Quote :

"Again why are you guys all lightweight laptop haters."

As you have a tendency to do more often than not, you're completely missing the point that everyone is trying to make here. I haven't seen a single person hating on lightweight laptops in this thread. They're just saying that a couple of ounces shouldn't be the deciding factor for which laptop you buy unless you're really really obsessive about backpacking or have some medical condition where your bones simply break under heavy load. It's fine if you have other reasons for not liking Macs, but wigging out over 8 oz is pretty stupid and annoying.

I feel like I'm stating the obvious here, but after reading your replies in this thread it's kind of painful to see you continuously not get it over and over again. But by all means, keep thinking that the problem is that everyone else hates lightweight laptops if that's what you need to do to make yourself feel better. Just maybe like...do it somewhere else?

4/24/2015 7:34:09 PM

^ Yep. I mean I'd like my same MBP to be even lighter than it is. But it's still pretty damn light all things considered. Obsessing over 8 goddamn ounces just seems kinda stupid.

[Edited on April 24, 2015 at 9:35 PM. Reason : ...]

4/24/2015 9:34:22 PM

Quote :

"Time to hit the gym dawg."

4/24/2015 10:57:08 PM

Quote :

"Being able to "do" something, and being able to do it elegantly are different things. OS X/iOS does this more elegantly than other systems at this point. "

This.

I used to think Apple(s) were over priced and hyped up as well. I bought one around 2003 to take to class, and was looking for the laptop with the longest battery life for under $1k. At this point, I was building my own desktops. Fast forward a decade, I have a MacBook Air (I even do light video editing on it, and some other data crunching, but I don’t “game”), and I’m on my 5th Apple laptop. Ironically I have not had any of them break since that G4, and the crazy fast desktop I had at the time was my last windows machine. Even though the Mac was -of course- much slower, I ended up using it far more...

4/25/2015 12:25:50 AM

You guys are comical.

My only point here was: I wish they had updated the Macbook Air with a newer design and higher resolution display as I like the form factor and weight of the current Air. You guys turned that into wining about me wanting a lighter laptop.

Also to my other point who actually commutes by bike or is constantly on the go from city to city? That point being it's nice having a lighter laptop.

I'm still confused what's being debated here. I didn't think me suggesting what I would like out of Apple or saying I would like a lighter laptop would excite you guys so much.

Quote :

"It's fine if you have other reasons for not liking Macs, but wigging out over 8 oz is pretty stupid and annoying."

I like Macs. I've had and have plenty of Apple products. I just also like discussing what I think could be improved. For you Apple fanboys any time anyone mentions ANY improvements it's all of a sudden Apple haters versus Apple fanboys.

Quote :

"Yep. I mean I'd like my same MBP to be even lighter than it is. But it's still pretty damn light all things considered. Obsessing over 8 goddamn ounces just seems kinda stupid."

That's literally all I meant. It would be NICE to have a lighter powerful laptop with a higher resolution display because every other laptop manufacturer has one and Apple doesn't.

Quote :

""Time to hit the gym dawg.""

Says the skinny white boy.

4/25/2015 4:08:38 AM

Quote :

"That's literally all I meant. It would be NICE to have a lighter powerful laptop with a higher resolution display because every other laptop manufacturer has one and Apple doesn't. "

Well that was sort of my point. My point was if I saw a laptop that ticked all my boxes but was just 8 freakin ounces heavier than I expected I would just go with it. Because it's not a big deal.

4/25/2015 9:08:25 AM

You guys are stuck on the 8 ounces thing. The new Macbook is 2lbs. That's 1.5lb (24 ounces for those bad at math) lighter than the 13" Macbook Pro. That's 43% lighter.

All I'm saying is wow the new Macbook looks appealing except that it's under powered for what I need to do (yes I agree with everyone most people won't care etc etc).

Other laptop manufacturers are releasing 1.5-2.5 lb ultra books with the same series of processors that the current Airs have. I was just disappointed because I was considering purchasing an Apple if:

1. They had updated the Air with a higher resolution screen.
2. The Macbook line didn't use Core M processors. As I want something slightly more beefier.

Not trying to hate on Apple just saying there's a current gap in a laptop I would want. I don't want a 3.5lb laptop. I would prefer something in the 2-2.5lb range. The new 13" Broadwell Macbook Pro looks appealing but still too heavy for me. If you guys want to call me out for that then more power to you.

4/25/2015 1:36:44 PM

Quote :

"constantly on the go from city to city"

I'm sure I travel more than probably most everyone. I carry a lenovo T530 with extended battery by choice. Work gave me a MBP/MBA (non-retina) as well but both were total shit so I traded it for a mac mini for all the iOS testing I needed to do. 1280x800 is THE WORST.

4/25/2015 2:31:35 PM

When I'm on a project I'm traveling 100% of the time from airport to hotel to client and then hopping between conference rooms or buildings.

It's one thing if you're traveling from location to location with the laptop in your bag then setting up and staying static but it's an entirely different thing if you have to use it on airplanes, in taxis, and between conference rooms. Not saying you don't but I'd much prefer a 2.5lb laptop than the 5.5lb laptop you're carrying around.

My current work computer is an XPS 12 (just over 3 lbs) but it's got a great battery life (7-9 hours) and it converts into a tablet which is awesome for plane commutes or reading documents with people in a taxi. It's a far more capable traveling work computer than a heavier, non-touch screen, non-convertible Macbook Pro.

4/25/2015 3:29:42 PM

the XPS 12 also has screen burn-in problems and the texture of the trackpad is all wrong

4/25/2015 8:04:13 PM

My XPS 12 has no burn in problems. The newest panel (and product line) update fixed that issue. The trackpad to me is quite nice and better than most PC laptops I've ever used. Not quite up to par with an Apple trackpad but the multi-touch gestures all work pretty flawlessly. I can't really tell the difference between the texture of it and a Macbook Pro. In fact I believe it's a glass touchpad surface just like an Apple laptop.

In fact one of the generations of Macbook Pro retina screens had the exact same burn in problems as the older line of XPS 12s. Think they all use Samsung or LG panels.

[Edited on April 25, 2015 at 8:56 PM. Reason : s]

4/25/2015 8:31:01 PM

I switched to a 15" Thinkpad after using the Macbook pro 13" for 4 years.
Macbook pro pros: 1) solid and sturdy design. I slipped and fell on it with my full 150 pounds weight, the corner of the bezel got bent slightly but it functioned perfectly even after that.
2)OS X is leaner, has no problems with driver incompatibilities, registry corruption, program un-installation, has a bash terminal as already some others have mentioned, less frequent crashes.
3) There are some things that may seem missing when you switch from Windows like Cut and paste , right click context menus like "Send To" etc. but all of these and much more can be achieved by the included Autumator tool.
4) Colors on the display look better to me compared to most windows laptops but not all.
5)Free/ cheap OS updates year after year
6) Best touchpad I have ever used
cons:1) No anti glare option for display. My main reason for switch. It is so hard to find a good antiglare display these days. I do not really understand people's obsession with those glossy displays. I cannot work on them.
2) Very few customization options. Upgrade options(RAM,HDD) are very expensive. Most models lack discrete graphics.
3) Worse keyboard compared to Thinkpad
4)15" models and retina displays are very expensive.
5) (not about Macbook)I am tired of Apple's "thinner and lighter" BS year after year.

[Edited on April 26, 2015 at 12:08 AM. Reason : xx]

4/26/2015 12:07:44 AM

Quote :

"It's one thing if you're traveling from location to location with the laptop in your bag then setting up and staying static but it's an entirely different thing if you have to use it on airplanes, in taxis, and between conference rooms."

this fuckin guy
you're not doing any kind of special magic travel the rest of us aren't, despite how you may try to paint it that way. we can all agree light is nice, but it's not worth all the whining you're doing.

4/26/2015 3:38:33 AM

Quote :

"5) (not about Macbook)I am tired of Apple's "thinner and lighter" BS year after year."

Well now we see why they do it. Limp-wristed dudes who can't bear an extra couple ounces.

4/26/2015 7:58:39 AM

i like light laptops, but i also don't like the super thin ones. when you are carrying them they aren't comfortable, the edges kinda dig into your hand.

4/26/2015 9:59:10 AM

I got this Asus transformer off eBay for 169 pretty cool so far.

4/26/2015 10:12:29 AM

Quote :

"3) There are some things that may seem missing when you switch from Windows like Cut and paste , right click context menus like "Send To" etc. but all of these and much more can be achieved by the included Autumator tool."

What?

4/26/2015 11:24:53 AM

Quote :

"you're not doing any kind of special magic travel the rest of us aren't, despite how you may try to paint it that way. we can all agree light is nice, but it's not worth all the whining you're doing."

Oh I'm sure I do. No doubt there.

Not whining. My point was I wish they had updated the Macbook Airs because I'm a fan but don't want a laptop with a 1280 by 800 screen. That's all. My bait obviously took because you guys are clearly expanding upon my original point.

Quote :

"Well now we see why they do it. Limp-wristed dudes who can't bear an extra couple ounces."

So it went from 1.5-2 pounds to 8 ounces now it's an extra couple ounces. You're just winning on the math.

It's funny because I consistently carry far more than any of you guys ever will outside of work on my back. Maybe after carrying backpacks, snowshoes, AT skies, an inflatable kayak (new one for me) I turn into a pansy on the weekdays and whine because my laptop is too heavy. Yes 100% the case. You guys win. (more bait - carry on).

4/26/2015 2:07:46 PM