Has Apple Silicon made you reconsider the Mac platform?

[maflynn]

Definitely something Microsoft should take notice and invest in.

They're working on android apps, in 2018 they announced this:
Microsoft announces Google Android emulator that’s compatible with Hyper-V

And more recently they're working on Project Latte
Project Latte by Microsoft aims to bring Android apps to Windows and the Microsoft Store

 

[Macbookprodude]

YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it has.

 

[Steve Adams]

It did until I saw the real world useage of it for my needs and it is not near up to snuff for me. too bad, I almost jumped ship.

 

[Mac... nificent]

Surprised just how easy Synology has become.

Yes, Synology rocks 👍

(terrible customer service though)

 

[LeeW]

Yes, Synology rocks 👍

Yup, a couple of months in now I think and all great. Not tried their support but I guessed it would not be great in any event.

 

[eljanitor]

My Raspberry Pi has an ARM processor, so does my iPhone. I don't think that the ARM processor line is a bad thing, but it's no intel chip. Apple had a great processor with the old Motorola Line before they switched to Intel CPU's. they did it because the Motorola processors like the G5 needed liquid cooling to work or huge air heatsinks with many fans. I worked on the G5 Mac Pros, and the iMacs of that time.

I'm sure Apple will continue to sell it's products to it's consumer base as it always has and will do well, as they know whet they're doing and who they're selling too. if you want a nice looking computer with an easy to use interface you buy a Mac. If you want to game you buy a PC tower. I do wish that Apple would make a touchscreen Mac desktop, or laptop, but I won't hold my breath, even though I do remember a third party company years ago that modified iMacs into touch screens, those were fun to work on. there's nothing wrong with the ARM processors they have great potential.

 

[Steve Adams]

My Raspberry Pi has an ARM processor, so does my iPhone. I don't think that the ARM processor line is a bad thing, but it's no intel chip. Apple had a great processor with the old Motorola Line before they switched to Intel CPU's. they did it because the Motorola processors like the G5 needed liquid cooling to work or huge air heatsinks with many fans. I worked on the G5 Mac Pros, and the iMacs of that time.

I'm sure Apple will continue to sell it's products to it's consumer base as it always has and will do well, as they know whet they're doing and who they're selling too. if you want a nice looking computer with an easy to use interface you buy a Mac. If you want to game you buy a PC tower. I do wish that Apple would make a touchscreen Mac desktop, or laptop, but I won't hold my breath, even though I do remember a third party company years ago that modified iMacs into touch screens, those were fun to work on. there's nothing wrong with the ARM processors they have great potential.

I was hoping for a touchscreen announcement at the M1 event. No such luck. I since bought my XPS with 2 24" monitors. One touchscreen the other not. It's an awesome setup for video and photo editing. Apple is missing the boat with no touchscreens on their powerful desktop/notebooks. It will not eat into ipad sales one bit. Two totally different use cases.

 

[maflynn]

I was hoping for a touchscreen announcement at the M1 event. No such luck.

I think Apple is all in with keeping Macs touch-less and directing people to iPads for a touch first product.

 

[Steve Adams]

I think Apple is all in with keeping Macs touch-less and directing people to iPads for a touch first product.

Nobody said touch first. Touch enabled is a better description. There are many use cases for having a touch enabled PC. Offer options.

 

[I7guy]

Nobody said touch first. Touch enabled is a better description. There are many use cases for having a touch enabled PC. Offer options.

Yes, there are use cases for a touch pc, however I don't know about many and I personally haven't seen these use cases. My wife has a surface pro and 99.9999% of the time it's used as a computer, not as a tablet. I personally think that ipad os is a great tablet o/s, Windows to me does not do as well operating in tablet mode.

 

[ipponrg]

Nobody said touch first. Touch enabled is a better description. There are many use cases for having a touch enabled PC. Offer options.

No, Apple isn’t missing the boat on this at all. The minority that desire this, although very vocal, think the rest desire this niche feature similarly to the touchbar. It’s a solution to a problem that no one has asked for.

I can see Apple maybe adding the option if they want to increase the cost of their supply chain and pass it to consumers again

 

[Steve Adams]

No, Apple isn’t missing the boat on this at all. The minority that desire this, although very vocal, think the rest desire this niche feature similarly to the touchbar. It’s a solution to a problem that no one has asked for.

I can see Apple maybe adding the option if they want to increase the cost of their supply chain and pass it to consumers again

Beg to differ, but ok.

 

[Steve Adams]

Yes, there are use cases for a touch pc, however I don't know about many and I personally haven't seen these use cases. My wife has a surface pro and 99.9999% of the time it's used as a computer, not as a tablet. I personally think that ipad os is a great tablet o/s, Windows to me does not do as well operating in tablet mode.

I use touch ALOT on my PCs, and it's not while being used as a tablet. that's the point I am trying to make.

 

[I7guy]

I use touch ALOT on my PCs, and it's not while being used as a tablet. that's the point I am trying to make.

My laptop has an touch screen. Never use it. My wife doesn't use her surface pro touch screen either, that was the point I was making. We can debate if a touch screen is useful for windows. I say no, others will feel differently.

 

[c0ppo]

I think Apple is all in with keeping Macs touch-less and directing people to iPads for a touch first product.

I think Big Sur design is made for touch. Just look at simple toolbars (Safari, Finder for example) and how much they have made them bigger. Also wi-fi, bluetooth and other controls look like they are made for touch screens.

Personally, only touch screen PC that makes sense to me is Surface Book. And even when I used that I rarely used touchscreen, since Windows is really bad at it when compared to Android or iOS.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

My laptop has an touch screen. Never use it. My wife doesn't use her surface pro touch screen either, that was the point I was making. We can debate if a touch screen is useful for windows. I say no, others will feel differently.

When I go to the Apple store or any other computer store (of course not so much nowadays). I always see fingerprints on all the screens. Why would that be? Because people like to point at things (including computer screens). It is a natural thing. Apple telling users that touch screens are not ergonomic is debatable. Because Apple has another (financial) agenda. They want people to buy laptops AND iPads. Indeed on a standard (Apple) laptop form factor it is not ergonomic, that's why other manufacturers designed the hybrid form factor.

I don't want to suggest that your anecdotal experience with touch is invalid, but there are lots of people who have a different experience (hence the many pc hybrid laptops produced and sold) in spite of what Apple says.
So live and let live. There are people who want touch and people who don't. Why try to convince others that your experience should also be the norm for them?

 

[maflynn]

I think Big Sur design is made for touch. Just look at simple toolbars (Safari, Finder for example) and how much they have made them bigger. Also wi-fi, bluetooth and other controls look like they are made for touch screens.

I've been away from Macs long enough now to be a bit unaware of some of the UI elements. With macOS being able to run iOS apps, it can be conceivable to see apple finally embracing a touch screen - I was just stating their business decisions and motivations in the past, times may have changed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Feyl]

Well it made me to buy Mac mini to finally complete the circle with my other Apple devices and leave my Windows PC just for gaming. I would've made the decision earlier but I didn't want poor Intel GPU in my desktop and enjoy laggy interface on my 4K display.

 

[I7guy]

When I go to the Apple store or any other computer store (of course not so much nowadays). I always see fingerprints on all the screens. Why would that be? Because people like to point at things (including computer screens). It is a natural thing. Apple telling users that touch screens are not ergonomic is debatable. Because Apple has another agenda with an economical reason. They want people to buy laptops AND iPads. Indeed on a standard (Apple) laptop form factor it is not ergonomic, that's why other manufacturers designed the hybrid form factor.

I don't want to suggest that your anecdotal experience with touch is not true, but there are lots of people who have a different experience (hence the many pc hybrid laptops produced and sold) in spite of what Apple says.

I understand the "point" at the screen to show something. That is the way we collaborated around a screen, prior to lockdown. (As an aside, I hate fingerprints on my screens, and at home my family knows not to touch my screens or their fingers get smacked) But that is different than the primary interaction with the operating system being touch vs. mouse and keyboard.

 

[c0ppo]

I've been away from Macs long enough now to be a bit unaware of some of the UI elements. With macOS being able to run iOS apps, it can be conceivable to see apple finally embracing a touch screen - I was just stating their business decisions and motivations in the past, times may have changed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know. Maybe Apple won't change that, and those UI elements are there for no reason at all. I don't know.
But I highly doubt it. I really hope that Apple will produce something like Surface Book. They are now in a position where they could produce such a device that would make any Windows 2in1 look like a joke.

First because of the M1 chip. And secondly, because they have touch figured out already, unlike MS.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

But that is different than the primary interaction with the operating system being touch vs. mouse and keyboard.

But a touchscreen on a hybrid or laptop does not have to be the primary interaction. But it still could be a useful addon or secondary interaction. It can be a 'nice to have' and it does not take away from or downgrade the primary use with keyboard and/or mouse . I have a Surface Pro which I use mostly as a laptop, but also as a remote with touch to play music via Roon on a streamer (anecdotal I know ).

 

[LeeW]

I think Big Sur design is made for touch. Just look at simple toolbars (Safari, Finder for example) and how much they have made them bigger. Also wi-fi, bluetooth and other controls look like they are made for touch screens.

When I first saw Big Sur, I thought touchscreen was coming simply due to the way it appeared to be laid out. But I suspect this was not a move towards touchscreen, rather a further move to make the experience look and feel the same no matter which device you are using, IOS, iPadOS or macOS, make no difference, all the same.

 

[I7guy]

But a touchscreen on a hybrid or laptop does not have to be the primary interaction. But it still could be a useful addon or secondary interaction. It can be a 'nice to have' and it does not take away or downgrade the primary use with keyboard and/or mouse . I have a Surface Pro which I use mostly as a laptop, but also as a remote with touch to play music via Roon on a streamer (anecdotal I know ).

I'm with you on this. I think that with keyboard and mouse there is a lot of muscle memory and the interaction is fast and efficient. Touch, not so much efficiency. But it's nice to have options, totally with you on that.

 

[Steve Adams]

I understand the "point" at the screen to show something. That is the way we collaborated around a screen, prior to lockdown. (As an aside, I hate fingerprints on my screens, and at home my family knows not to touch my screens or their fingers get smacked) But that is different than the primary interaction with the operating system being touch vs. mouse and keyboard.

Dont use a phone or tablet then.

 

[I7guy]

Dont use a phone or tablet then.

Assuming this was in reference to the fingerprints. It's one thing to look at fingerprints on the phone or tablet, which I can clean off frequently. It's another to look at fingerprinters on my monitors, which do not (or should not) according to me have to be cleaned frequently.