All Things Mac/ Apple

[chrisjohnnick]

I'm currently using a mid 2013 macbook air. Think it might be time to upgrade..

I don't need the newest of the new, but what would be the oldest I should look for? I've been told to not go with anything that doesn't have the M1 chip. I'd be buying used from FB Marketplace (if they seemed legit) or possibly refurbished online.

[chrisjohnnick]

I also had a desltop iMac that I loved when I was editing photos and such more often. I think it was a 2014 or so? I stopped using that when I moved my desk into the middle of my office and just can't seem to go back. Took the iMac off the desk since I didn't like having to have a plug running across the floor.

[seawolf]

@chrisjohnnick Honestly, any MacBook Pro will be a massive upgrade from your 2013 Air. My 2019 MPB doesn't have an M1 chip, and I do intense digital design work and it holds up very well, all things considered. If you're a casual user, anything from the last 4 years will carry you for a long time.

@goosehd Before becoming a designer, I expected to get upwards of 10 years from a laptop. I'm thinking 4-5 years is pushing it at this point. The more power the better for sure. It future-proofs it a little bit. As content gets richer and capabilities get better, the power is never enough.

[goosehd]

@seawolf During my 4th year of Uni., I was doing quite a bit of population modelling using math cad., and could make my desktop scream. This was about 20 years ago, but did teach me the importance of buying the right computer for the job.

[seawolf]

@goosehd 100%

I’m excited to have the right machine finally after nearly limping across the finish line. In the beginning of my program, my computer was newer but I didn’t need it for much. Now it’s getting older and I rely on it heavily and it’s showing its age.

From what I’ve read about the M4 Max chip, it going to be insanely fast and able to withstand heavy workloads.

[goosehd]

@seawolf Make sure your key software is compatible with your hardware. At one point when Apple decided to start using their own chip, a few incompatibility issues would pop up on occasion. We saw it in our field as most of the software is quite specialized to the job.

[seawolf]

@goosehd Luckily, Macs are the #1 computer used in creative industries, and the software I use aligns with industry standards. But that's good to know for future situations. Is that still the case after a few years of Apple silicon?

[mclaincausey]

Apple went from Motorola to Intel to ARM in a relatively short timeframe. Pretty remarkable to pull that off. They had to build a compatibility layer (Rosetta) to help with the transition as software had to be rewritten to span platforms.

I have a 4 year old entry level M1 MacBook Air. I feel like for my uses it has maybe a few more years, but it doesn’t feel like it has 6+ (to total a decade) the way Apple computers used to, especially with RAM and hard drive upgrades now off the table.

It’s unfortunate that Apple chose to solder everything in. Not a good move for consumers, hardware longevity, or the planet.

[louisbosco]

@seawolf the m4 MBP is on the cards. currently using a 2018 15" with the last or almost last generation of intel chips apple used. will be downsizing to a 14 given the weight of the 15/16. was tossing up between the new Mac mini and the MBP but decided on mobility.

the Mac Studio if they ever upgrade it (guessing m4 ultra) would be decent, but still portability is key. specs I'll most likely be going for would be to upgrade the m4 max and leave it at 48gb ram.

[mclaincausey]

Apple Intelligence has potential now that it is integrated with ChatGPT, which enhances its capabilities considerably. However, the initial launch seemed premature, aimed at capitalizing on the AI hype rather than offering a robust product. The decision to simply rebrand Siri, which many found lacking in functionality, as Apple Intelligence was seen as a marketing misstep. A more thoughtful development and launch strategy might have better served the product and its users.
—Apple Intelligence revision of a rant

[seawolf]

@mclaincausey That sounds like a fair assessment, and it's not very characteristic of how Apple normally operates. Usually they're late to market on new tech because they spend so much time refining things before launch, but when it's finally released, it works really well. It'll be interesting to see how it functions.

@louisbosco I'm also using MPB (mine is 2019) with an intel chip, and it's been struggling lately. I'm not concerned about the weight, but I'm used to hauling tons of crap around for school.

[louisbosco]

@seawolf yeah I've started to feel mine slow as well. hence deciding that the m4 was the right time to upgrade.

[mclaincausey]

Speaking of slow, the search function of my iPhone 15 Pro Max is piss poor in terms of speed after the update to 18.2. This is central to how I use the phone. I use it to launch apps, search the phone and the web, ask questions, etc. It is a bummer to have something so central to my use work so slowly and sometimes not at all.

I am defaulted to a third party browser, perhaps that’s the issue.

[louisbosco]

There was some talk about the M4 MBPs recently. Just thought I’d share a picture of the nano texture display in case anyone’s wondering.

Hard to tell on picture but they’re so much better in reducing glare.

Decided to go full beans with the upgraded max chip, 128gb ram and 2TB storage. Will be putting some videos to the test when I get the chance.

[chrisjohnnick]

I just discovered today that I can connect my magic mouse and magic keyboard to my ipad pro. I'm wondering if I even need to buy a new macbook now!

[seawolf]

@chrisjohnnick Depends what you're using it for. If it's just an internet/email/entertainment machine, a laptop probably isn't necessary. For example, I'm constantly using the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, and the full functionality of those programs are only available on a laptop/desktop.

[louisbosco]

@chrisjohnnick I'm a desktop person. there are limitations to my attention span no matter how well built an app is on the iOS/ iPadOS platform.

I was down the road of getting an iPad for video/photo editing but I figured that I'll be more productive with a computer

[chrisjohnnick]

My needs these days are definitely just browsing/responding to email/zoom calls. I love the idea of a desktop, I even have an iMac floating around the office, but I like the flexibility of being mobile if needed.

Eventually I’ll pick up a couple year old MacBook Pro or something. Just not a priority at this moment.

[chrisjohnnick]

So I tried an Apple Watch maybe 5 or so years ago and thought it wasn't for me. I know there have been many new versions and such since then. Am I missing anything? Wondering if I should step to one and try it again.

[seawolf]

@chrisjohnnick I don’t know about you, but I’m having serious notification fatigue lately. I can’t stand the constant notifications from apps on my phone, and I don’t need them from my watch either. I wear my Apple Watch when I’m cycling in case I crash and need help, but beyond that, it’s pretty worthless to me. I think we’ll all be better off without more devices in our lives. Long live the stupid watch! My mechanical watch tells me the time, and nothing more. It’s perfect.