I have a MacBook Pro, and the keys no longer work reliably. I also barely get 2 hours of battery life.
High Sierra keeps restarting by itself.
They removed the jack, and all ports from laptops.
They placed the charger for their wireless mouse under the mouse so you can't use it while charging, and the list goes on and on--particularly with software.
It's just not premium stuff anymore.
I've already switched to Android, and I am not buying another computer from them.
> I have a MacBook Pro, and the keys no longer work reliably.
I have the 12" MacBook and the keyboard is absolutely miserable. I seriously got warned by the Apple Store when I bought it that if I got any dust on the keyboard at all that the keys would get stuck, which is totally unrealistic. It turned out to be true, which has meant I mostly just don't use a laptop anymore, as the keyboard is just so unpleasant. I have had it on my todo list to move all of my data back to my now-repaired 11" MacBook Air (which had a totally reasonable keyboard), but that entire task is just so depressing. A few days ago I was talking to someone I know who loves their 12" MacBook and how they find the keyboard just fine... and then he seriously told me that some incredibly large percentage of the time his O key doesn't work and I'm just sitting there totally dumbfounded wondering how he could even use such a machine.
This High Sierra bug is bizarre and disturbing. But Apple would have to commit an act of outright betrayal (such as lying about FaceID off-device storage) before I would consider going back to Android. Not because I think there is concerted malice by the Android overseers (partly because that kind of control doesn't really exist as it does with Apple), but because the potential for negligent design to cause damage seems so much greater. And from the perspective of a long-time iOS user, it seems that Samsung has a potentially strong hold on the Android ecosystem. And I trust their security and design chops far less than I do Apple's.
That said, I could see myself sharing your same disillusionment if I have to upgrade from my 4.5 year old Macbook Pro. I don't think I've ever had a laptop for more than 3 years, and I was happy to have an even shorter cycle when it came to Apple computers. I helped a good friend purchase a new MBP, and the most I can say is that I'm happier that she's on the MBP than on the old Dell laptop that she reverted from Windows 7/10 to XP. But I'm willing to wait another year or 2 for a improved model.
Good point. While there are some disappointing developments in macOS/iOS land (even hardware), I still much prefer that ecosystem to the Windows/Google/Android datenkraken.
Certainly we've seen a lot more quality problems recently than we are used to seeing from Apple, even in first releases of a new system. This is bad for users and bad for the brand.
However I wouldn't say all of these are terrible faults any different from what they've done before. As a vertically integrated, full-ecosystem brand Apple has consistently chosen to design towards where they feel the industry ought to be, not where it is incrementally advancing towards. They did this with thunderbolt vs firewire, and they are doing it now with bluetooth 5 vs headphone jacks. With Airbuds you can have a single earpiece (well, two) that provides high quality two-way audio for your macbook while working, your phone while driving, and your watch while running, and eventually your HomePod while walking around the house, and their handoff technology automatically switches between them. THAT is what they were designing towards, but they just didn't tell us that when they introduced the iPhone 7.
Is this good or bad? It depends. It is a lack of personal choice and a concession of liberty. Ted Kaczynski* would be appalled at everything Apple represents, for reasons that as a libertarian I can understand. However Apple's "abuse" of its monopolist position has allowed the creation of a highly integrated and seamless technology ecosystem that genuinely makes my life better, at some cost to my pocketbook, and could not have existed in a free market. And since no one is forced to buy Apple.. is that still a bad thing? It's definitely not black and white.
* Not someone I usually bring into conversations, but I saw Manhunt recently and it was rather thought provoking. Highly recommend watching, regardless of whether you typically enjoy police procedurals.
Annoyingly even with those problems which I agree with I find it’s the least shit thing. Note that I didn’t say the best because nothing has earned that title.
This week I have lost a whole day of my life to printer problems on windows 10. Apple stuff in the house just prints!
At work PCs just work. Macs can not print and a colleague of mine is a forced email printer for the UX people that _think_ they must use hardware they do not know how to use. All the time they complain about PC and how wonderful the macs are, but they can not even attach the computer to an external screen or projector.
And the laptops only come with USB-C ports, and I'm yet to meet anybody who owns anything which can be plugged into one of those without a dongle (I suppose excluding their Mac charger :)).
I have one of the 2016 MBPs and while I bought a USB-A to USB-C dongle, I almost never use it. I have the USB-C to USB-C cable that came with it for power, and also (gasp) bought a couple new cables: one USB-C to Lightning, and one USB-C to Micro-USB.
I get that people are upset that Apple's gone full bore on USB-C "early," but they did that with USB, period. When the first iMac came out in 1998, it was the first computer to have only USB ports--and pretty much nobody was making USB peripherals back then. (And one of the two USB ports on the iMac was guaranteed to be taken up by your keyboard/mouse, so as USB took off, Apple was also early to the "not having enough ports" game. Heyo!)
There are legitimate things to complain about with the current MBP models; I don't like the keyboard, either, although I certainly don't have any problem with battery life. (My understanding is that it varies much more sharply than previous models depending on the system load.) I think only 2 USB-C ports on the low-end 13" model (the one I have) is too few. I think all of the laptops should probably have SD slots (c'mon, Jony, SD cards are thin, okay?). And at least so far, the Touch Bar hasn't justified itself. But when it comes to going all-in on USB-C, I'm not one of the ones who thinks that's a mistake on Apple's part. If anything, I think it's a mistake not to swap the Lightning port on the iPad Pro for a USB-C port.
It's become a bit of a joke that every year is "the year of the linux desktop," but seriously I've been amazed at how awesome machine I can get with linux for half the price of a macbook. Linux UX has come a long way. Both Gnome and KDE these days have a pretty complete and nice experience.
Every time I go back to desktop Linux, my experience is a nightmare.
It usually includes updates (or myself by mistake? not sure) making my system so broken that I have to reinstall and start again from scratch.
This year I thought I'd try with the Pro after the MacBook Air wasn't upgraded with retina, but if I have to spend almost EUR 2,000 and have faulty hardware and a broken OS that shows my password in clear text, might as well spend 1/3 to get a just-as-good laptop with elementary OS on it.
> It usually includes updates (or myself by mistake? not sure) making my system so broken that I have to reinstall and start again from scratch.
I hear that a lot, but I always wonder what distro people are using or what they do to their machines or what hardware they have etc.
My current laptop at home has been getting every 6 monthly Ubuntu in-place upgrade since 13.04 and hasn't had an issue. Same with the kids second hand laptops. But I choose Thinkpads and make sure I always get Intel graphics and wifi chipsets for compatibility.
Based on my colleagues experiences though - I don't have anywhere as much upgrade confidence at work with my Macbook Pro though (still on El Capitan).
Gnome and KDE both still make me want to puke up blood but I would agree there will come a point in the not too distant future where Apple's going to have to look at cutting Mac prices. I mostly buy second hand these days just because I don't want to spend $2k+ when a $1k used machine is good enough for my needs.
I would pay _more_ for a Linux laptop than a Mac if I _had_ to. It is a matter of taste and also what you are used to. I have the choice not to use KDE and Gnome and choose xmonad instead. Macs are horrible for many of those that are not used to them.
I’ve been abandoned on updates by Motorola or whoever it is owned by on the current whim within a year of buying my G2 and G3 handsets. I don’t feel I can trust them or Google with my cash. Not only that Google makes it difficult to consider your privacy because at every turn there’s a trap.
And god forbid one goes wrong because the repair and aftercare service at least in the U.K. is dire. I was told a handset was water damaged after it failed. Turns out it’s shipped to a 3rd party repairer who blames it on you if they can’t fix it. I had to hit moneyclaim (small claims court) to get it back.
Ergo I bought a 6s and have had zero problems with it. It just works.
Meh, I've been "abandoned" for updates on my Moto Droid Turbo as well. I have to tolerate the horror that is Marshmallow, despite the fact that Oreo is now the king of the hill.
And you know what? I just don't care. The security updates have been pushed in a timely manner, even for Marshmallow if they were required at the system level. Application updates (including to System WebView and security critical services) continue to deliver new functionality.
But yeah, if you want a great camera and consistent full system updates, you should probably skip these.
G2 seems to still get updates if you install LineageOS. My Note2 works beautifully. It is a pity that you have to install it yourself though. On Apple you get updates for as little as 2 years (5s). Neither is good. I would so much prefer buying a phone with vanilla Android and open drivers. But I can still buy an Android phone that I can change batteries and SD-card. One that is not planned to be obsolete.
Yes, but you don't _have to_. My phone is absolutely perfect. It's got a fingerprint sensor, 4K camera, nice screen, and even an phone jack which I use very often.
You forgot to mention that unlike my 2011 MBP you can't open the thing up anymore whereas I'm still free to put 16 GB of Ram and an SSD into a 6 year old machine and make it fly again.
Honestly similar arguments can be made for Windows and Android.
I have the premium devices for both (Surface Book and Google Pixel) and I still have daily annoyances.
On Windows 10, you will lose audio if the computer goes to sleep while connected to a TV via HDMI - requiring a restart. It was reported over a year ago and a similar issue exists with external monitors.
Windows Hello recognizes me but occasionally does not log me in and gives me no indication why. Is it a bug or a security feature? It's been over a year without a fix.
If I adjust the angle of my Surface Book display, the keyboard will not work for a few seconds due to a common hardware issue. It wouldn't bother me except the Surface Book is extremely top heavy and simply typing with the keyboard on your lap can make the display wobble causing the keyboard to cut out every few seconds.
The Surface Book power cable from the outlet to the brick is so short the brick cannot reach the floor from a common outlet height.
The Surface Pro 4 had minor light bleed issues. Microsoft attempted to fix it, but the new Surface Pro 2017 has even worse light bleed issues (except for the devices given to tech bloggers).
On Android:
Google removed the headphone jack from the Pixel 2.
If I ask Google to Remind Me of X when I get Home, it often reminds me days later (even though I use Google maps every day for navigation).
If I use Ok Google to dial my wife while I'm driving, it asks "Mobile or Skype". If it doesn't hear me properly, which happens 25% of the time, it repeats the question. But if I answer, "Mobile" it searches Google Maps for all Mobile gas stations :)
> They placed the charger for their wireless mouse under the mouse so you can't use it while charging, and the list goes on and on--particularly with software.
Ouch, who let the intern design that one?... Kidding, but really did they not QA test this and how did nobody at QA not say this was a terrible idea? I'll stick to my wireless trackball..
It's pretty terrible UX, but I can see how they came to the idea. If the mouse lasts all day, then surely the user will just charge it when they are done. However, this is a hard thing to train people to do. For people with a desk that step away at the end of the day, such as leaving the office) it is a bit easier to build the habit. However, if you are a user who uses the computer on and off all day, or doesn't have a permanent desk, it might be hard to remember to flip the mouse over and plug it in at the end of the night. Particularly if it's in your backpack. I don't personally use a mouse with a laptop, but I know plenty of people who do.
The mouse also just looks weird when flipped over to charge, and you can't really try to even charge it while it's in a backpack if you wanted to, due to the 90deg angle it makes when plugged in.
Friend told me his wife leaves it charging when she's done using it at night. But I agree it's kind of terrible UX. On the other hand... The Marathon Mouse I bought years ago only needed new batteries 3 years after me having owned / used it daily, and it came with it's own batteries.
Not that I necessarily agree, but I've heard that Apple intentionally designed it that way because they didn't want users to plug the cord in all the time and effectively make it a wired mouse. They wanted users to actually use the mouse wirelessly as intended.
That certainly seems like a more logical explanation than literally no one at Apple anticipating such an obvious design consequence for a major accessory.
There's a good chance that GP has the 2016 MBP (that introduced Touchbar). I have the "cheap" (hahahaahaha) version without Touchbar, and have had intermittent problems with the left shift key and the cursor down key (sticky, or unresponsive unless pressed very firmly) - quite annoying. Oh, and the battery life, if you actually use your CPUs, is rather short.
Well, my MBP is 10 months old, the 2016 model (not the touch bar model) and I get 15 hours battery still, after daily rigorous development use since buying it.
Just as I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect place to live, a perfect person to spend your life with, a perfect food to eat every day of your life, I also don't think the perfect computer company exists, the perfect laptop exists... But when I weigh all the conveniences and quality of my MBP with other non-Apple machines I've owned, it really is a no-brainer for me.
Yes, of course and I am a web dev and have lots of windows open, but this is definitely a lot worse than anything I've used before.
I personally think that it's the screen. Not sure. As we're speaking, Finder is taking up 12GB of memory as well as lots of CPU: https://imgur.com/a/RwSvI (I just installed High Sierra 2 days ago, though).
I don't understand what you mean about resetting the iCloud password. I change mine every 3-4 months, and it always takes place immediately. Furthermore, all of my devices immediately notice and ask me to login again. Everything - my phone, laptop, desktop, TV, etc. Is it possible there's some other problem with your account? I've been doing this for literally 10 years and never had to wait even a minute to do it.
"For your security, recovery includes a waiting period that may be several days or longer depending on the information you can provide to verify your identity. Apple Support cannot help you shorten this time. "
The article at that link has nothing to do with resetting passwords, it refers to recovering your lost account password. It even says so right in the text that you quoted. The article you're looking for is probably this one: https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht201487
Also, the word "waiting" does not appear on that page anywhere.
Probably undiscerning cut-and-paste from some FUD article, without actually verifying it themselves. I say this because the text of the article might have changed since that little nugget was stashed away, as one can find the following text in the linked article: "Next, wait for the recovery process to finish, which might take a few days or more." And I say "without verifying it" because, well, that has nothing to do with changing your password. Had it actually been tried, it would become evident that these are two very different operations.
> Account recovery is an automated process designed to get you back into your Apple ID account* as quickly as possible and deny access to unauthorized users. For your security, recovery might take several days or longer, depending on the verification information that you can provide.
It's still pretty disingenuous to suggest the process will usually take several days just for a "password reset". This is a pretty specific scenario where you've lost access to a device associated with your Apple ID, you're using two factor auth, and you've forgotten what your apple ID is. This isn't a password reset workflow at all.
It's interesting to me how much of the Apple apologia has become, `it's not as bad as ${getCompanyfromContext()}` or `${getRandomCompetitor()} does it too, so that makes it ok`
The keys are so shallow that after normal use (no crumbs or anything like that) they start having problems.
As for battery life, they had to make it 4mm thinner just for the sake of it, and the screen sucks all the battery. I wish it was thicker but I could actually use it without keeping plugging it in.
Oh, the emoji bar laptop? Yeah. I tried one of those when they showed up in the stores and the keyboard is pathetic. Ended up switching to a Thinkpad (should have done it years ago).
The mouse thing really irks me. The moment the mouse needs charging is the moment is stop working. So why am I expected to then not use the product while it charges? A product that used to have a wire connected to it and is sitting right next to the computer? How is having a hole in the bottom at better than having a hole on the side?
I wouldn't mind it so much if the low battery alert was actually useful.
But it only pops out when there's like 1% battery left in the mouse - basically making sure you will lose power soon. The sheer lack of thinking here boggles the mind. Guys, it's an alert, it's not useful at all if I get it right before the bad thing happens.
How would you like it if I switched on my turn signal 1 second before I actually turn my vehicle in front of you?
Incidentally if anyone's looking for a mouse, Logitech really handles this perfectly. When it's plugged in to USB they use the cable for power + data so there's a tiny bit less latency and no worries about signal dropping. It switches the data to the wireless dongle automatically if the cable is unplugged.
The mouse runs off of a single rechargable AA battery (came with an Eneloop brand NiMH which are well regarded). If your battery dies you can either plug it in to charge or just pull the battery and swap in a fresh one. Since it's a standard battery you can toss the dead one in a normal NiMH charger.
I second the recommendation, been using a logitech performance MX mouse for probably 4-5 years now. My company gave out the apple mouse and I made them specially order the MX for me. I am a creature of comfort though as I did the same for my keyboard.
I did the same. I tried to use the Apple mouse for a couple months, I really did, but I felt my wrists turning into frozen fish and decided enough was enough. (This was the previous generation mouse where you needed to replace the AA batteries yourself, like a barbarian. Are the current ones shaped any differently at least?). Brought in my old Das Keyboard while I was at it. World of difference. And I don't feel any less cool, despite there being several physical buttons and a hole on the side of my mouse.
What irks me the most is that they went through all of that trouble to make sure that you can't use the mouse like a wired mouse. You shouldn't ever have to take steps to hinder your customers using their devices just to protect your brand image.
I have one on my desk. It's the biggest non-issue ever. Do you ever need to go to the bathroom? Or get up and get a drink of water? Plug it in, and by the time you come back, you have enough charge to last you the rest of the day. Remember to plug it in overnight, and you've got at least a month of charge. It's just a ridiculous complaint that it can't be used while plugged in. It's a wireless mouse - why would you want it to have a wire?
If it was on the side, people would keep it plugged in all the time - like one does with a mouse. That's against the creative vision of the team who designed the mouse.
They removed the audio jack from their phones and their "pro" laptops barely have any ports left. Some people use those, you know.
> I think this is a lot better than having a hole on the side of your mouse at all times.
The OP clearly doesn't.
> Please list it. I'm dying to know more!
Just a few of the top of my head:
mDNSResponder, GPU drivers, WiFi issues, Safari used to crash a lot, goto fail, there was the fun one were the GPU driver was loaded too late so that ... something something color profiles ... your screen had a blue tint the whole fucking time. Lots of good stuff, really.
> Silly opinion.
I'd love to elaborate on this one but I'm afraid my MBP will overheat when continue typing.
HN can be a fickle beast - glad you haven't been downvoted.
The hate on the new macbook pro's was especially interesting - they are solid machines and my company had no issues as they started provisioning over the old ones for new employees.
I have a MacBook Pro, and the keys no longer work reliably. I also barely get 2 hours of battery life.
High Sierra keeps restarting by itself.
They removed the jack, and all ports from laptops.
They placed the charger for their wireless mouse under the mouse so you can't use it while charging, and the list goes on and on--particularly with software.
It's just not premium stuff anymore.
I've already switched to Android, and I am not buying another computer from them.