The handwriting is on the wall. My loyalty to Apple and their chic products is being stretched beyond repair.
Isn’t it obvious that Apple cannot keep up with the onslaught of new products from Samsung and Hewlett-Packard (just to name a few). I’m a long time MacBook user. I love the portability, durability, and long battery life. But, I gotta tell you, some of those new Intel-based Ultrabooks are looking pretty good these days.
Add These, Or I Switch!
The way I look at it, Apple is just thin on engineering talent. Hey, the company is trying to compete on so many different fronts that the strain of diminished resources is starting to show.
Just look at the new MacBook Air line from Apple. The best the company can do is 512GB of flash storage. How anemic is that?
Even worse, the built-in FaceTime HD Camera is only 720p. Everyone knows you need at least 1080p to compete these days. 720p is just passé.
Good old Apple. Always a generation behind. Yes, you can put 8GB of RAM in the new MacBook Air models, but why doesn’t Apple do it? And they’re still using those anemic Intel graphics processors.
And battery life. You call that life? The best the small MacBook Air can do is five hours of Wi-Fi web surfing. Hello? Apple, maybe you don’t have the same working conditions in Cupertino, but I work eight hours a day. Not five.
The new MacBook Air line comes with Thunderbolt connector and USB 3. Big whoop. It also comes with a teeny tiny MagSafe 2 power port. If you breath heavy on it, or, simply type the words Made in China on the keyboard, it falls off. Gimme one that works, Apple.
And what’s with the price tag? Intel Ultrabooks start at a measly $699. Does Apple compete? No. Not at a starting price of $999 for the most anemic MacBook Air model.
Had enough?
My little rant today was completely, 100-percent inspired by Kevin Smith in Business Insider (my tech and business Bible) who wrote 6 Things The iPhone 5 Must Have Or I’m Switching To Android.
Like my made up list (I really had to stretch, but I don’t have an interest in buying a Windows Ultrabook), Smith’s list is mostly full of baloney. Mostly.
- Show me exactly how much data I am using without having to download an app
- Make it easier for me to type
- Give me some of Siri’s features offline
- Make notifications better
- Make Maps available offline
- Let me unzip files directly on my device (at least allow it from emails and trusted sources)
This is just another example of lame analysis in today’s so-called tech and business media. Smith’s list is not designed to be thoughtful or insightful. It’s designed to get you to click on the headline.
While each item on the list could be worthy for many users, some are completely useless to the masses (unzip files on an iPhone? Why?). Easier to type? Take lessons, Kevin.
I would like to have Apple’s Map data available offline but that may mean we’d have to upgrade to the 256GB iPhone 5.
Make notifications better? We have too many notifications already. But, let’s be fair to Kevin. He didn’t give details. It’s just a list. A lame list. Just like my lame list about switching to an Intel Ultrabook. Who would do that?
When we buy an Apple product, we’re also getting OS X, and buying into an ecosystem where all the parts work well together. Installing apps is easy and safe. Upgrades are painless (take that, Android). And our iPhones and Macs are actually worth something to someone else when we’re ready for the new models.
Sorry. You know all this already because you’re a Mac user, right? End of rant.
About Jack D. Miller
Funny. You really had me going for a minute. Well done.
What you say is true about far too much of what I read online these days. The headlines are grabbers, purely designed to get attention, which requires a click. It’s a sad commentary.
Some of those ultrabooks are rather nice, but they’re priced about the same as a MacBook Air. What amazes me is that Apple hasn’t sued an ultrabook maker yet. From just a few feet away some of them look exactly like a MacBook Air. The only thing they don’t copy is the Apple logo.
These come on headlines never cease.
They all have one thing in common and one objective. Anti-Apple, and more hits and links to their web pages (which means more advertising).
I want a 17-inch screen back.
I bought a 17-inch MBP just after they dropped it from the new lineup, so I’m good for 2-3 years, maybe more. After that I’ll look at what the Windows world has to offer. Most of the apps I use are available for Windows anyway, so it may not be too painful.
Regarding Mac Book Pro screen sizes…
I have the last model 17″ MBP, upgraded to a 512GB solid state drive by yours truly. It was supposed to be my ultimate “personal” computer, but due to issues at work, it got taken over for mostly work; runs CAD programs on Windows 7, and a few games, too (Oblivion, Skyrim).
Does lots of stuff on the OSX side, particularly engineering content creation, and power system simulation using PLECS.
Which leads to buying another Macbook dedicated to my photography and music and digital audio work, as the 17″ was supposed to be originally. That’s one of the new 15″ Retina Macbook Pro’s, and in every regard (other than built in Superdrive) it’s a more capable system- certainly more capable for working when traveling.
In my opinion, the big news with regards to the display is not just resolution (which is the cat’s meow), but contrast ration, gray scale tracking, and delta e. It’s the best display out of the box I’ve ever owned. Wish it had a wider color gamut, but it’s still by far the best notebook display available, and only outdone in color gamut by expensive professional desktop displays like my 30″ NEC.
The 15″ MBP is a winner, and with the flexibility of it’s display modes, I can simulate what looks like 1920×1200 no problem, as regards working space. Fortunately for an older guy, I have excellent close up vision!
The 15″ Retina MBP is by far my favorite Mac ever… let’s see, should I do six reasons why I like it better than my 17″? Nah… not necessary.
~Jon