Bye, Bye for now Apple, it has been fun!

[scorpio vega]

"They" didn't need more than 4GB 10 years ago, either.
"They" didn't need >50Mb/s internet service back in 2010.
"They" didn't need more than a 13GB hard drive back in 2003.
"They" didn't need a bigger than 15" monitor back in 2001.
"They" didn't need a faster than 33.6kbps modem back in 1997.
"They" didn't need more than 1.44MB per floppy disk to back up documents in 1993.
"They" didn't need a hard drive back in 1987.
"They" didn't need any more than 640kB of RAM back in 1981...

The word "yet" actually has meaning.

And that’s a tad melodramatic.

Tech evolvef greatly. But a base model doesn’t need 32 Gb of ram when the software is adequate on 8 gb.

My mother doesn’t know what ram is. She does not need 32 gb of ram to type documents, browse the internet, Netflix or Apple Music.

So no, the average consumer doesn’t need 32 gb of ram.

I actually worked retail for years. Most ppl fall in three camps.

1. Those who already know what they want spec wise

2. Those who just want something decent that won’t break the bank but will last awhile.

3. Those who want something cheap that turned on. #2 and #3 are average consumers.

Case in point: my boyfriend’s mom used an iPhone 6s up until recent. She just figured the 4 hour battery life was normal lol and to , the phone was not slow. To me it was archaic. I’m not used to lag or delay. I have a 15 pm.

She doesn’t need a 15 pm. She’s using his Se 2022.

 

[JustinePaula]

But there are professionals that need 32GB of RAM in laptops, mac mini's, the point is Apple should not limit the design of mac products.. iPhones should have some sort of SD Card slot, if not SD Card, then a new Apple version..

Laptops and certain desktops would benefit from the ability to be upgraded, this would enhance Apple's claim to be doing eco friendly, instead it trashes that whole reputation..

If the 1st and 2nd generation of the Macbook Pro could be upgraded, what went wrong? Surely if you want to make money, give the customer a reason to spend money.. Apple lost out on a lot of my money, upgrades, hard drives, RAM, ipads, phones, subscriptions..

Give me a reason to spend money, not everyone can afford to max out a build, but over time, it is the same product, you are doing it in stages, and as a result you as Apple make more money than if you you maxed out the build...

It seems that Tim failed this class at whatever university he attended.. If he did pass, maybe this lesson was not in the final exam.. Don't be like Tim, be better Apple!!

 

[aevan]

True, but PC had a good machine. Would have gotten even better if they were allowed to blossom further.

Nah, it would’ve turned out just another crappy PC. Just a matter of time before these manufacturers started adding their bloatware, or started undercutting competition with cheap components. It would’ve been a regular PC at this point with a less popular OS.

 

[Regulus67]

So no, the average consumer doesn’t need 32 gb of ram.
...
Case in point: my boyfriend’s mom used an iPhone 6s up until recent. She just figured the 4 hour battery life was normal lol and to , the phone was not slow. To me it was archaic.

I still use that archaic iPhone as my main phone, iPhone 6s 128 GB. Do I need a better phone? No, I do not think so.
I do have an iPhone 7+ 256 GB for photos, and an anamorphic lens as well.

edit: I think 16 GB should be minimum on a mac, in 2024

 

[NEPOBABY]

But there are professionals that need 32GB of RAM in laptops, mac mini's, the point is Apple should not limit the design of mac products.. iPhones should have some sort of SD Card slot, if not SD Card, then a new Apple version..

What are you saying? Why would you want an SD card in a phone in 2024?

Laptops and certain desktops would benefit from the ability to be upgraded, this would enhance Apple's claim to be doing eco friendly, instead it trashes that whole reputation..

If the 1st and 2nd generation of the Macbook Pro could be upgraded, what went wrong? Surely if you want to make money, give the customer a reason to spend money.. Apple lost out on a lot of my money, upgrades, hard drives, RAM, ipads, phones, subscriptions..

Give me a reason to spend money, not everyone can afford to max out a build, but over time, it is the same product, you are doing it in stages, and as a result you as Apple make more money than if you you maxed out the build...

It seems that Tim failed this class at whatever university he attended.. If he did pass, maybe this lesson was not in the final exam.. Don't be like Tim, be better Apple!!

Lot of weird ignorance in this thread but not new ignorance either.

Apple’s system on chip has to ship with memory as part of the package. You can’t upgrade part of an SoC.

When you have an SoC, or any processor for that matter, you can only make it so big in a system otherwise it hoards space and generates more heat.

So if you buy a computer with an SoC like the M series, you must choose the memory you need at the time of purchase. If you don’t it’s your own fault.

Here’s the tremendous benefit of Apple Silicon’s unified memory - the GPU has access to a ton of RAM. A lot more than GeForce or AMD chip. Machine learning people really love Apple Silicon because they can load big models on to the GPU without buying an $6,000 workstation card.

Now let’s look at the MacBook Pro’s current competition.

The best reviewed system is the Samsung Galaxy Book Ultra. Reviewers say it only beats the MacBook Pro on the display quality.

Everything else is worse. Cramped keyboard, off center trackpad with Windows 11 buggy trackpad driver, the GPU throttles and can’t have more than 8GB of memory, and the CPU is about 30-50 percent slower than the M3 Max.

And look at what Samsung has done. They ship it with soldered memory even though it isn’t an SoC.

They also ship this 16 inch laptop with a micro SD card slot instead of a full size one. On a laptop!

That’s the best the PC competition offers and it isn’t close to the M3 Max.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Why would you want an SD card in a phone in 2024?

To easily add more storage

Apple’s system on chip has to ship with memory as part of the package. You can’t upgrade part of an SoC.

Fine - Then Apple should stop so dramatically overcharging for it

 

[turbineseaplane]

.

 

[NEPOBABY]

.

They aren’t. Go buy a comparable performance PC with a GPU that can access as much memory and you will pay more than $10K and your electricity bill will be 4 times higher.

 

[turbineseaplane]

They aren’t. Go buy a comparable performance PC with a GPU that can access as much memory and you will pay more than $10K and your electricity bill will be 4 times higher.

Exaggerate much?
C'mon..

 

[NEPOBABY]

To easily add more storage



Fine - Then Apple should stop so dramatically overcharging for it

An SD card….for expanding internal storage? You know you are just saying this for internet points and would never do it yourself.

An SD card has never been used in any device for adding more storage. They exist for transporting files from device to device. But Apple would prefer you to use something more modern like AirDrop or the cloud. You know…the modern world!

 

[NEPOBABY]

Exaggerate much?
C'mon..

No.

Don’t mess around man. Read the post properly and don’t pretend you didn’t understand it.

 

[JustinePaula]

I made the comment of SD Card or something better, Apple has the budget to create something better for the next 20 yrs of "cards" Airdrop is not useful in all circumstances,

"Lot of weird ignorance in this thread but not new ignorance either."
Not mine, Apple made a design decision, how they developed the technology was to not figure out a way to allow for post purchase upgrading, or if they did, this is still going to be revealed at some later stage, we can only comment, speculate, make posts about wishes Apple listened too..

The point is, 8GB is really not at all useful, it would be great if there was a way to upgrade, I call this mature engineering, and maybe right how M3 is still considered immature, that within a few years, Apple will find the solution to allow upgrades.

My Sammy came with a fixed storage, 64GB, once you install the apps, this is reduced, so to boost this, I use SD cards installed, they don't come out, I also use a USB3 dongle card reader to transfer files, bluetooth is slow and cumbersome.

I have heard many iphone owners complain about the lack of storage, about the tedious way to get media off, in our case, we cannot airdrop from a modern iphone to a mac pro [apple to apple] but I can bluetooth from my sammy to the same Mac Pro [sammy to apple]..

In the end nothing we say here amounts to much, the OP posted a frustration, that many of us face, you may or may not agree, your views are valid, but that does not grant you permission to say anyone's views/ideas/thoughts are not valid, they are as valid as yours, if you disagree, you have two options, either type nothing, or ignore the thread going forward.

I have not once said anything negative of anyone's viewpoint/thoughts/suggestions.

The work I do, it would benefit from a better laptop, I would love to grow my supply of Apple products, I want a reason to spend the money, right now there is no reason..

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Lot of weird ignorance in this thread but not new ignorance either.

Apple’s system on chip has to ship with memory as part of the package. You can’t upgrade part of an SoC.

When you have an SoC, or any processor for that matter, you can only make it so big in a system otherwise it hoards space and generates more heat.

So if you buy a computer with an SoC like the M series, you must choose the memory you need at the time of purchase. If you don’t it’s your own fault.

Here’s the tremendous benefit of Apple Silicon’s unified memory - the GPU has access to a ton of RAM. A lot more than GeForce or AMD chip. Machine learning people really love Apple Silicon because they can load big models on to the GPU without buying an $6,000 workstation card.

Now let’s look at the MacBook Pro’s current competition.

The best reviewed system is the Samsung Galaxy Book Ultra. Reviewers say it only beats the MacBook Pro on the display quality.

Everything else is worse. Cramped keyboard, off center trackpad with Windows 11 buggy trackpad driver, the GPU throttles and can’t have more than 8GB of memory, and the CPU is about 30-50 percent slower than the M3 Max.

And look at what Samsung has done. They ship it with soldered memory even though it isn’t an SoC.

They also ship this 16 inch laptop with a micro SD card slot instead of a full size one. On a laptop!

That’s the best the PC competition offers and it isn’t close to the M3 Max.

SIGH....

Okay, this is simply virtually ALL not true.

Okay, who designed the SoC? That would be Apple. They are the ones who made this ridiculous mess. Open up your M1 MBA or MBP. SO MUCH WASTED SPACE. Everything could (and should) have been made with expandability in mind--and it wasn't.

So, then surely since they designed this system, they won't screw us over if we need BTO, oh wait. Here is what I posted on like page 4:

"Okay, so let's take an example. I had to replace my PC with a Ryzen 5 5600X and RTX 3060TI - gave it to my daughter. So I looked at various Macs and PCs. Either way I need a PC to game. So there is that. Either way, I can't connect to my work environment due to smart card restrictions that won't work on an ARM based Mac (so all the M1s and beyond won't work).

I find an Acer Predator Helios Neo 16" with an i7-13700HX and RTX 4060 with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD for $999 and two year warranty included (refurbed from Acer). I live in flyover country in the US - No nearby Apple store anyway. I add 16GB of RAM and 1TB as a second SSD for around $100 (because I can easily add it). So now I have 32GB RAM and 2TB SSDs and 2 year warranty for $1100. The 16 inch 2560x1600 16:10 screen gets to 500 Nits. It is choice.
Now, I can't even get a refurbed M1 Macbook Pro 16" M2 or M3 with 2TB SSD and 32GB RAM. So, a 12 core CPU, 18 core GPU with 36GB RAM and 2TB SSD is $3,499 + the cost of Applecare."

So, yes, the build quality isn't quite as nice as a macbook pro, but the keyboard is not cramped, it only has an off center trackpad due to having a numpad, the CPU is well within it's competitor last year:

M2 Max: Geekbench 12 Cores/30GPU Cores: 2739 Single Core/14524 Multicore | Link Here
i7-13700: Geekbench: 2632 Single Core/14749 Multicore | Link Here

Now to do this it uses a ton more power and the battery life on this thing is like 6 hours.

But now let's get to the part where I get to have an RTX 4060 8GB GPU...vs whatever Apple gives. Now I can play AAA titles natively.

And that is of RIGHT NOW. Maybe you have heard of the Snapdragon X Elites coming out?

Either way we are not only close to the M3 Max, we are well beyond it.

Edited to add: Let's also get away from the extremes of 64 GB of RAM and talk of 6k workstation cards. Let's instead focus on normal Macbook Pros and Normal PC/Laptops. Then the truth becomes as apparent as my example above. Same level of performance for hundred or even thousands less.

 

[Technerd108]

What are you saying? Why would you want an SD card in a phone in 2024?



Lot of weird ignorance in this thread but not new ignorance either.

Apple’s system on chip has to ship with memory as part of the package. You can’t upgrade part of an SoC.

When you have an SoC, or any processor for that matter, you can only make it so big in a system otherwise it hoards space and generates more heat.

So if you buy a computer with an SoC like the M series, you must choose the memory you need at the time of purchase. If you don’t it’s your own fault.

Here’s the tremendous benefit of Apple Silicon’s unified memory - the GPU has access to a ton of RAM. A lot more than GeForce or AMD chip. Machine learning people really love Apple Silicon because they can load big models on to the GPU without buying an $6,000 workstation card.

Now let’s look at the MacBook Pro’s current competition.

The best reviewed system is the Samsung Galaxy Book Ultra. Reviewers say it only beats the MacBook Pro on the display quality.

Everything else is worse. Cramped keyboard, off center trackpad with Windows 11 buggy trackpad driver, the GPU throttles and can’t have more than 8GB of memory, and the CPU is about 30-50 percent slower than the M3 Max.

And look at what Samsung has done. They ship it with soldered memory even though it isn’t an SoC.

They also ship this 16 inch laptop with a micro SD card slot instead of a full size one. On a laptop!

That’s the best the PC competition offers and it isn’t close to the M3 Max.

The ironic thing about this post is the amount of ignorance within it.

Oh well.......

 

[za9ra22]

...The point is, 8GB is really not at all useful...

Clearly that isn't a factual statement. I know from my own experience that 8Gb works perfectly well for my uses, and I also know that it has proven entirely adequate in the Macs in the business network I have managed.

For you, perhaps not, and that's perfectly OK, but as an opinion it seems to run counter to the marketplace, where there's not a lot of push back on it, if there is any at all.

I have heard many iphone owners complain about the lack of storage....

Oddly, I haven't heard any complaints of this kind, with about 100 iPhones connecting to the network, their users were quite happy. All it took was about 15 minutes for them to read the cheat sheet. And these are lawyers - those people complain about anything!

In the end nothing we say here amounts to much, the OP posted a frustration, that many of us face, you may or may not agree, your views are valid, but that does not grant you permission to say anyone's views/ideas/thoughts are not valid, they are as valid as yours, if you disagree, you have two options, either type nothing, or ignore the thread going forward.

We're all entitled to our opinions, and to voice them. Totally agree that it should never be personal or personalized, but it isn't at all reasonable to say that those who don't agree with 'you' can only either not reply or entirely ignore the thread. If the point being made can't stand the scrutiny of disagreement, it's not much of a point.

And personally, I've learned a lot from this debate - not least why it is that not much of what we say here amounts to much. I have enjoyed a lot of the ideas and postulations, equally those I don't agree with as well as those I do - including some of yours!

I do though sometimes think we miss the point: The stuff that Apple makes is just product. It suits some, it doesn't suit others. It's just a company doing business, and we're just people who buy the stuff because we want to, and don't because we don't.

 

[JSchwage]

Well, except with the iPhones. I use an iPhone SE (2015); my wife, until recently, used an iPhone 6. When it stopped updating some apps she needed, she reluctantly moved to Samsung. Why? Because they are comparable function-wise and much, much cheaper. I dread the moment my SE will break down, for I would like to remain with iPhones.

Be careful, the "inexpensiveness" of Android phones rears its head pretty quickly. I know because I was an Android user for many years. I would always be so proud of how little I managed to spend on an Android phone but then quickly found out a year later I'd have hardware issues, or the manufacturer stopped providing OS/security updates which would force me to upgrade sooner than I'd like.

I switched back to the iPhone and I couldn't be happier. Yes, the up front cost is higher, but in my opinion the total cost of ownership is much less because they are supported by Apple for a very long time and rarely have hardware issues. I also can't understate the usefulness of being able to text people from my Mac. That alone is priceless to me. lol

 

[Roadstar]

I will say that I find iOS to be vastly superior to Android in ways that are important to me. I like how we iPhone owners get annual upgrades where as android owners might get a single upgrade and then it’s an extended wait

How many years ago did you check that amount of Android updates? For example Samsung's been extending their update promise throughout the recent years and with the S24 series they're at 7 years of OS versions and security updates. Also Google's Pixel line offers 7 years of updates for their latest generation. There can still be some manufacturers that haven't quite got the memo, but especially for the more well-known brands the current update support should be more than enough for the expected usable life of the device.

 

[MacCheetah3]

We always get to the (same) truth eventually...

The point is, 8GB is really not at all useful, it would be great if there was a way to upgrade

My Sammy came with a fixed storage, 64GB, once you install the apps, this is reduced, so to boost this, I use SD cards installed, they don't come out

To easily add more storage
[...]
Fine - Then Apple should stop so dramatically overcharging for it

So “To easily cheaply add more storage” and other capabilities.

But there are professionals that need 32GB of RAM in laptops

And there are those who don’t. My anecdote:

I did plenty of Web development and image editing as well as occasional video editing on a 2012 model Mac mini with 16GB of RAM without hassle. Unfortunately, the 3rd generation Intel Core i5 wasn’t as up to the challenge of Xcode — it was doable though annoying laggy. And the 16GB of RAM is still plenty (i.e., no “swap” reported in Activity Monitor).

not everyone can afford to max out a build

Why does Apple owe you or anyone a maxed out build or a maxed out build for the price/cost of model/configuration, whether it’s necessary for your profession or vastly unnecessary? By the way, that’s rhetorical.

I acknowledge that a configure-to-order option is debatably an upgrade. However, it’s false to state (or imply) current Macs (and iPhones, etc) are not available with increased/better storage capacities/capabilities.

Am I happy with Apple’s “upgrade” pricing? Far from it. Do I consider it fair? Not really. Is it acceptable? Yes.

Back to the roots...

My Sammy came with a fixed storage, 64GB, once you install the apps, this is reduced, so to boost this, I use SD cards installed, they don't come out, I also use a USB3 dongle card reader to transfer files, bluetooth is slow and cumbersome.

You (and the OP) appear to have found alternatives that are preferably better. Are there still complaints? That seems evident. Nothing is perfect, nothing will be, and there’s no such thing (i.e., physically impossible) as a device/gadget/tool that can do all/everything.

With that said, we’ve come full circle… Other than venting and/or some irrational need for approval… Why do these discussions exist? (That’s not to imply they aren’t allowed to.) If you prefer Windows, Android, whatever… Use it. Why does macOS, iOS, need to become those things (especially as those things already exist)? In other words, shouldn’t your complaints/efforts be directed to Microsoft, Google, etc, providing feedback on how to refine their OS’s, etc (i.e., continue progress on the product(s) you perceive as already superior)? And leave those of us who prefer the Apple ecosystem to do the same.

 

[lcseds]

As far as memory goes, it's inexpensive enough to have a 16GB starting configuration. Because they have extraordinary markups on memory, they will say the price would have to be increased. Sort of silly my 4070 Super video card has more memory than the base Macbook Pro's.

 

[LeeW]

If you prefer Windows, Android, whatever… Use it. Why does macOS, iOS, need to become those things (especially as those things already exist)? In other words, shouldn’t your complaints/efforts be directed to Microsoft, Google, etc, providing feedback on how to refine their OS’s, etc (i.e., continue progress on the product(s) you perceive as already superior)? And leave those of us who prefer the Apple ecosystem to do the same.

So if we don't like something about Apple, we shouldn't discuss it, but we should complain about Microsoft, Google, and others. Yeah, that sounds fair.

 

[MacCheetah3]

So if we don't like something about Apple, we shouldn't discuss it, but we should complain about Microsoft, Google, and others. Yeah, that sounds fair.

No, no, no. It’s about the path of least resistance. Again, for example, if, to you, Windows has fewer/lesser problems, it’s presumably more productive and efficient to put focus abd energy on solutions there.

in other words, the mentality seems to be:

macOS UX -> Windows UX -> better Windows (+ macOS) UX

…rather than…

Windows UX -> better Windows UX

Or trying to do both.

 

[Technerd108]

Be careful, the "inexpensiveness" of Android phones rears its head pretty quickly. I know because I was an Android user for many years. I would always be so proud of how little I managed to spend on an Android phone but then quickly found out a year later I'd have hardware issues, or the manufacturer stopped providing OS/security updates which would force me to upgrade sooner than I'd like.

I switched back to the iPhone and I couldn't be happier. Yes, the up front cost is higher, but in my opinion the total cost of ownership is much less because they are supported by Apple for a very long time and rarely have hardware issues. I also can't understate the usefulness of being able to text people from my Mac. That alone is priceless to me. lol

This is a very outdated point of view. Samsung has been giving 5 years of updates for years now and now they are providing 7 years and so is Google and many others will follow suit or give a 3-5 year update on budget android phones which is way better than before.

When I left Android for iPhone it was just around the iPhone X and I got the 11 when it came out. It was so amazing at the time compared to Android and you got way more than the standard 3 years updates and two years of upgrades. But things have changed a lot in that time.

If you buy a high end Android phone you will get monthly updates for the lifetime(7 years now) of the device including security and Android upgrades. All OEM's have defects including Apple.

Cost of ownership is being destroyed and no one is saying a thing. What am I saying? Well you pay high, maybe pre-order or a week after release then a week later BestBuy has the same model on sale brand new! Older models are discounted even deeper. So if you happened to buy a Mac a year or two ago these discounts on configs people want were rare to come by and Apple never let major retailers discount their products unless discontinued/obsoleted. All of that has changed so if you try to go sell you two, one year old Mac you won't get as much for it simply because the new models are already on sale as soon as they release! The entire premise of resale value being higher is being chipped away by Apple themselves and no one is saying anything about it. Sure, we like discounts on new stuff and Apple never did or let third party's do it with anything other than a base config and those discounts were like $50 not $200 or more?

So it seems that Android support has greatly improved. The S24 Ultra is probably the nicest phone on the market regardless of OS. I have the same level of interconnectivity on my PC and Android phone. I can call, text, use Android apps on my PC, mirror my phone to my desktop and use the phone on my pc and the apps on the phone, and there is more, air drop feature and everything. So there is nothing lacking on Windows or Android. Both platforms have special software that is unique to the platform and if you need that software then you know what you need. I have Windows software I need to run not the other way around so for me the software is just fine.

Cost of ownership is much lower on Windows and Android with very good hardware and better specs. Apple still has better chips for now in mobile and has some really great laptops and phones. The iPad is an odd one for me. I never fully bonded with an iPad but I gave it a chance and I like them now. However, cost and usefulness gets tricky. I can maintain a better quality ecosystem with generally better components and specs on all devices for much less than an Apple ecosystem. Depreciation is bad on all tech the longer you have it but a nice Windows laptop like a galaxybook will retain a similar amount of resale value now as a Mac due to the discounts and high price at purchase.

In terms of what you like. If you don't mind paying more, sometimes for less, because the there are other things more important to you. I get that. I understand the longevity and resale argument. Mac's generally last a long time. I don't forsee any change even with m series architecture. SOC's are extremely reliable for a pretty long time. After 10 years though I think we will start to see a high failure rate on m series macs because they will burn out like a phone but I think a lot of them will go forever.....because of the SOC design.

So you switched and have enjoyed Apple ever since. I am genuinely happy for you. I have a suggestion. Go to a bestbuy and try using a Samsung GalaxyBook 4 Pro 360 or Ultra and just test it out. Fans noise, speed, quality of screen and speakers, design and weight, etc. Try looking at a s24 ultra. Maybe buy a Pixel 8a and test out Android again and see what has changed. I like to do this with iOS and Android depending what my main OS is. It would be a cheap way to try a decent Android phone with 7 years of updates. Of course a discounted s24 might be a good option too. Maybe look at a tab s9 and the OLED screen on 11" tablet. Then you will be able to get a glimpse of how things are not exactly what you remember.

 

[MacCheetah3]

So if we don't like something about Apple, we shouldn't discuss it, but we should complain about Microsoft, Google, and others. Yeah, that sounds fair.

No, no, no. It’s about the path of least resistance. Again, for example, if, to you, Windows has fewer/lesser problems, it’s presumably more productive and efficient to put focus abd energy on solutions there.

in other words, the mentality seems to be:

macOS UX -> Windows UX -> better Windows (+ macOS) UX

…rather than…

Windows UX -> better Windows UX

I just thought of an analogy. You have a bicycle but want a trike with a basket. You discover/find a tricycle that’s satisfactory but without the basket. Instead of buying the trike and adding a basket, you decide to convert your bicycle to a tricycle and add a basket.

Or this is a good example, describes Windows features they prefer but also admits to using add-ons, extensions, etc because there are still aspects that felt, to them, to be less than desirable (the Windows UX -> better Windows UX I conversion/improvement I stated earlier).

Edge is way better than Safari because I can use a real adblocker, and it doesn't crash pages EVER. Also, never had webpages not work on Edge. I have had several websites not load correctly or work on Safari. Windows management is as easy as drag to the edge or a keyboard shortcut. There are multiple window layouts built right into the maximize button on a hover over. It is like a swiss army knife. I can play any game I want. I use Everything search and it blows away Spotlight, instantly finding any file on my PC or cloud storage. I can integrate it right into windows search and search with one key (windows key) instead of two (cmd + spacebar). Miss Preview? I use QuickLook on windows and it is even better. Previews files INSTANTLY with a hit of spacebar. I will say out the box macOS can still do more with PDFs easier, but Edge has some good PDF tools built in, or I use a cracked version of PDF-Xchage Editor and it has it all. Hell, even the calculator on windows is better than on macOS.

This is fine. Furthermore, of course, you're also allowed to complain about macOS, iOS, Mac, iPad, etc, directly send Apple feedback, try converting the bike to a trike (so to speak), and more. Although, it’s (mostly) counterproductive as you’ve already identified alternative products and add-ons that better match your preferences.

Plus, it seems like you’re content to ruin it for us that don’t want a Windows-esque macOS and iPadOS, Android-esque iOS, and so on.

Anyway...

My point: if you’re intolerant of Apple’s pricing. Fine. Move on — I mean that in logic. (And, obviously, that’s what this discussion began on.) Maybe your wallet votes will be effective. I’ve been voting with my wallet. My two current Macs were purchased secondhand. My Apple Watch was an open box from Best Buy. My 6th generation iPad (to be retired this year) was an Apple refurb. The iPad Pro was a significantly discounted previous gen (at the time) model. Last but not least, my upgrade cycle is typically no sooner than every five years and I’ve never had an iDevice battery replaced. I even strongly considered assembling a Hackintoshi. So, if you think I’m some automaton foolishly feeding and blindly defending Apple, you’ve very mistaken.

P.S. That came off a little more emotional than I intended/expected. 😐

 

[turbineseaplane]

Rather than trying to gatekeep who gets to say what, how about just don’t read this thread if you don’t like it?

It’s not a requirement to participate in every thread on the site

 

[eltoslightfoot]

We always get to the (same) truth eventually...


So “To easily cheaply add more storage” and other capabilities.


And there are those who don’t. My anecdote:

I did plenty of Web development and image editing as well as occasional video editing on a 2012 model Mac mini with 16GB of RAM without hassle. Unfortunately, the 3rd generation Intel Core i5 wasn’t as up to the challenge of Xcode — it was doable though annoying laggy. And the 16GB of RAM is still plenty (i.e., no “swap” reported in Activity Monitor).


Why does Apple owe you or anyone a maxed out build or a maxed out build for the price/cost of model/configuration, whether it’s necessary for your profession or vastly unnecessary? By the way, that’s rhetorical.

I acknowledge that a configure-to-order option is debatably an upgrade. However, it’s false to state (or imply) current Macs (and iPhones, etc) are not available with increased/better storage capacities/capabilities.

Am I happy with Apple’s “upgrade” pricing? Far from it. Do I consider it fair? Not really. Is it acceptable? Yes.

Back to the roots...


You (and the OP) appear to have found alternatives that are preferably better. Are there still complaints? That seems evident. Nothing is perfect, nothing will be, and there’s no such thing (i.e., physically impossible) as a device/gadget/tool that can do all/everything.

With that said, we’ve come full circle… Other than venting and/or some irrational need for approval… Why do these discussions exist? (That’s not to imply they aren’t allowed to.) If you prefer Windows, Android, whatever… Use it. Why does macOS, iOS, need to become those things (especially as those things already exist)? In other words, shouldn’t your complaints/efforts be directed to Microsoft, Google, etc, providing feedback on how to refine their OS’s, etc (i.e., continue progress on the product(s) you perceive as already superior)? And leave those of us who prefer the Apple ecosystem to do the same.

You aren't required to read this subforum. That is what it is for as it is entitled, "Alternatives to Mac Hardware." It's simple, you can exclude it from the posts you receive and then you don't need to see these at all.

And the rest of us who wish to discuss these and other issues, can.