I do most of those things in my work. All over WiFi.
Everyone else I know is using WiFi too.
Now, a couple of decades ago when I was doing tech support and sys-admin type duties, and was copying lots of data around an internal network, speed was an issue, so i can understand the angst on slashdot. Most here are sys-admins and tech-support. But for users, WiFi is almost always fast enough, and meets the needs of convenience.
But the ability to plug in a mouse and keyboard, an external display, and a wired network, and still having at least one USB port for an external hard drive or a flash drive or to charge your phone or whatever IS universally better than not being able to do that.
Not when it compromises the size, battery-life and/or weight it's not. Especially for people that don't need any of those things.
The Mouse and keyboard requirement is particular misguided. Not only is there a trackpad and keyboard built in, they are obvious candidates for Bluetooth.
And Ethernet is virtually extinct for laptops these days. The ports are nearly all unused. When you see an old wired office usually the ethernet sockets aren't connected to anything any more, obsoleted by fast wifi.
Almost all the people I've met with Macbooks have been musicians
Almost all the people I meet have MacBooks. And most of the people I meet are creatives (mostly not music) and developers. And most of those are Macbook Pros. I assume the Macbook Airs (and now the Macbook) are more for consumers and business types that need to edit documents and use the internet.
Pretty obviously that's too small a niche to be dictating the ports that mainstream Macs have. MacBook Pros and Mac Pros are the machines for those with need for ports.
Have you SEEN any other PC company line up? Do you know how many lines Dell or Asus has?
The Apple line up is straightforward, and their web site makes it very easy.
Where's the rhyme and reason?
You're just seeing the effect of some models which have been revved yesterday and some models which are older. In time they'll all be Retina screens. Then it's laptop range is simple: ultralight->light->heavy less-power->mid-power->max-power
Looks like a nice screen. But it's an optional extra that brings the price up to $1299. The claim was that Dell, Asus and Lenovo did thinner and lighter at a lower price. The XPS13 is none of those things.
They give students a discount as do other companies. Heck McDonalds gives students a discount, it doesn't mean McDonalds is designed for students.
Apple don't design the computers for students in particular. Well, the last one they did was the eMac more than a decade ago.
You'd think a student would be bright enough to chose a MacBook Pro rather than a MacBook if they wanted ports rather than ultra-light. But you're rather proving that not to be the case.
I'm sorry but the price of your submariner isn't worth it either in any objective sense. You've justified it to yourself (or at least the person who bought it did) in the same way someone will justify buying an Apple Watch. The details are different, but the utility vs cost equation doesn't justify either.
On the other hand if it's something that you want and can afford, then who's to say you can't have it?
I've yet to see an Apple laptop that's not heavily marketed at students.
You're a student. They're marketed to you. That doesn't mean they are marketed particularly to students. Here's a clue... They're marketed to everybody.
Here's another thing. Students probably have more need of portability than multiple ports. If they didn't, they'd buy a Mac Mini.
And if I need to use a USB stick I'm either using adapters or juggling wires.
Then buy a new MacBook Pro rather than a new MacBook, asshole. Or do what any intelligent student would do, and unplug the power to use the USB drive, then put the power back in after.
What is it you are not understanding about products being built for different purposes, and Apple having different lines to meet different requirements?
And in four years time, nearing the completion of your undergrad degree, that battery life might not be so hot.
Right. It's life might have halved. To 5 fucking hours.
Maybe the power brick will have a USB hub?
The computer is not on the market yet, but there is already an adapter that breaks out power ISB and video. Given that USB-C is a standard connector (albeit implemented by Apple first) there will be whatever fucking hubs you want.
The ports are annoying but the lack of 4k is the real downer.
External video is up to 3840 by 2160 pixels. Yeah, that missing 160 pixels horizontal resolution is Soooooo upsetting.
But wait... "4K has become the common name for ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV), although its resolution is only 3840 x 2160 (at a 16:9, or 1.78:1 aspect ratio)" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4...
But certainly reasonable given their track record.
They don't have a track record for $10,000 watches, whilst that obviously isn't a reassuring thing, it also means you simply can't say that 3 years till software obsolescence is a reasonable assumption.
As far as iPhones and and iPads, Apple has kept older devices compatible with the latest OS until the old device is simply too lacking in resources to run the latest OS. There's certainly not been any deliberate cutting off of older devices.
With the Watch there's a different situation, where the software on the watch is a relatively thin layer, with most work done by the phone. It wouldn't be too hard to keep an existing old version of software on the watch compatible with versions of iOS for many years to come. If Apple wants to.
And do Apple want to? Depends how long they want their new Watch business to last.
That's like saying a sports car should have more luggage space for that price.
Number of ports isn't the new MacBook's purpose. Thinness and lightness is. And more ports would have prevented that. If you want ports, then you buy a new MacBook Pro.
Slashdot Mirror
Still beats "Plug and Pray"
Or "Plug and Recompile the Kernel" for Linux.
We must mix in different circles then because most developers I know use Eclipse/Visual Studio/emacs/vim.
Thankfully so. I wouldn't touch Java with a bargepole.
Here for example is a photo from a Ruby on Rails conference.
http://globalnerdy.com/wordpre...
Here's one from NASA.
https://macdailynews.files.wor...
And just for giggles here's one from the Windows 10 launch.
http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-co...
I do most of those things in my work. All over WiFi.
Everyone else I know is using WiFi too.
Now, a couple of decades ago when I was doing tech support and sys-admin type duties, and was copying lots of data around an internal network, speed was an issue, so i can understand the angst on slashdot. Most here are sys-admins and tech-support. But for users, WiFi is almost always fast enough, and meets the needs of convenience.
On a mac book pro? Not having one is idiotic. Especially given the performance differential between a busy wifi network and gigabit Ethernet.
My 3 year old MBP has one. Never been used. All it does is catch dust.
WiFi is not the bottleneck, so why would I tie myself to a wire?
But the ability to plug in a mouse and keyboard, an external display, and a wired network, and still having at least one USB port for an external hard drive or a flash drive or to charge your phone or whatever IS universally better than not being able to do that.
Not when it compromises the size, battery-life and/or weight it's not. Especially for people that don't need any of those things.
The Mouse and keyboard requirement is particular misguided. Not only is there a trackpad and keyboard built in, they are obvious candidates for Bluetooth.
And Ethernet is virtually extinct for laptops these days. The ports are nearly all unused. When you see an old wired office usually the ethernet sockets aren't connected to anything any more, obsoleted by fast wifi.
You're living in the past.
Almost all the people I've met with Macbooks have been musicians
Almost all the people I meet have MacBooks. And most of the people I meet are creatives (mostly not music) and developers. And most of those are Macbook Pros. I assume the Macbook Airs (and now the Macbook) are more for consumers and business types that need to edit documents and use the internet.
Pretty obviously that's too small a niche to be dictating the ports that mainstream Macs have. MacBook Pros and Mac Pros are the machines for those with need for ports.
Because it's starting to get confusing?
Have you SEEN any other PC company line up? Do you know how many lines Dell or Asus has?
The Apple line up is straightforward, and their web site makes it very easy.
Where's the rhyme and reason?
You're just seeing the effect of some models which have been revved yesterday and some models which are older. In time they'll all be Retina screens. Then it's laptop range is simple:
ultralight->light->heavy
less-power->mid-power->max-power
Looks like a nice screen. But it's an optional extra that brings the price up to $1299. The claim was that Dell, Asus and Lenovo did thinner and lighter at a lower price. The XPS13 is none of those things.
No they don't.
They give students a discount as do other companies. Heck McDonalds gives students a discount, it doesn't mean McDonalds is designed for students.
Apple don't design the computers for students in particular. Well, the last one they did was the eMac more than a decade ago.
You'd think a student would be bright enough to chose a MacBook Pro rather than a MacBook if they wanted ports rather than ultra-light. But you're rather proving that not to be the case.
I'm sorry but the price of your submariner isn't worth it either in any objective sense. You've justified it to yourself (or at least the person who bought it did) in the same way someone will justify buying an Apple Watch. The details are different, but the utility vs cost equation doesn't justify either.
On the other hand if it's something that you want and can afford, then who's to say you can't have it?
That's not my view. My view is you have a CHOICE of laptops at the same price. One very thin and light, one with lots of ports.
Picking one whilst wanting the attributes of the other is cretinous.
Wow, i mean really??? if one needs more ports, but wants a mac they have to spend an extra grand otherwise the are an a-hole????
New MacBook starts at $1299.
MacBook Pro starts at $1099 (Retina starts at $1299.)
An extra grand? You are an asshole.
Should a $1379 (base) laptop have one? If so which, the HDMI or the VGA?
How about a way for people who don't need such an adapter to save $79? (or $158 if they don't need either).
I've yet to see an Apple laptop that's not heavily marketed at students.
You're a student. They're marketed to you. That doesn't mean they are marketed particularly to students. Here's a clue... They're marketed to everybody.
Here's another thing. Students probably have more need of portability than multiple ports. If they didn't, they'd buy a Mac Mini.
And if I need to use a USB stick I'm either using adapters or juggling wires.
Then buy a new MacBook Pro rather than a new MacBook, asshole. Or do what any intelligent student would do, and unplug the power to use the USB drive, then put the power back in after.
Do any of its prices not have a 9 in it?
Yeah. All of the Watch Edition models.
It's hard to have respect for a company that doesn't respect your intelligence through ubiquitous use of a dumb pricing trick.
Right, Apple is sure unusual to use those price points. Dick.
But he doesn't want Apple covered at all. Because it's part of the open source religion. Apart from that open source project they announced of course.
Except Apple is not a watch brand, so they cannot expect to be able to charge what Rolex or Breitling can.
They're not. Rolex and Breitling's top end price is far more than Apple's top end.
Plus who wants a watch that has to be charged twice a day?
No one. And Apple Watch doesn't. Troll.
Surely it's purpose is to be functional.
What is it you are not understanding about products being built for different purposes, and Apple having different lines to meet different requirements?
And in four years time, nearing the completion of your undergrad degree, that battery life might not be so hot.
Right. It's life might have halved. To 5 fucking hours.
Maybe the power brick will have a USB hub?
The computer is not on the market yet, but there is already an adapter that breaks out power ISB and video. Given that USB-C is a standard connector (albeit implemented by Apple first) there will be whatever fucking hubs you want.
The ports are annoying but the lack of 4k is the real downer.
External video is up to 3840 by 2160 pixels. Yeah, that missing 160 pixels horizontal resolution is Soooooo upsetting.
But wait...
"4K has become the common name for ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV), although its resolution is only 3840 x 2160 (at a 16:9, or 1.78:1 aspect ratio)"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4...
It *IS* 4K.
But certainly reasonable given their track record.
They don't have a track record for $10,000 watches, whilst that obviously isn't a reassuring thing, it also means you simply can't say that 3 years till software obsolescence is a reasonable assumption.
As far as iPhones and and iPads, Apple has kept older devices compatible with the latest OS until the old device is simply too lacking in resources to run the latest OS. There's certainly not been any deliberate cutting off of older devices.
With the Watch there's a different situation, where the software on the watch is a relatively thin layer, with most work done by the phone. It wouldn't be too hard to keep an existing old version of software on the watch compatible with versions of iOS for many years to come. If Apple wants to.
And do Apple want to? Depends how long they want their new Watch business to last.
How many of your previous predictions of Apple products failing came true? ... yes, I thought so.
Well not quite. Bluetooth provides plenty of opportunities for peripherals. As does a hub.
But if you want to have lots of things plugged in, then the new Mac Book Pro is the laptop you buy, not the MacBook.
Likewise, a Ferrari is useless for off-roading.
That's like saying a sports car should have more luggage space for that price.
Number of ports isn't the new MacBook's purpose. Thinness and lightness is. And more ports would have prevented that. If you want ports, then you buy a new MacBook Pro.