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iShater

macrumors 604
Aug 13, 2002
7,027
470
Chicagoland
If price is not an issue, then the OS experience should be more important to you. I would say stick with OSX.

Most of the negativity you are hearing lately (mine included) is not against the eco system or the OS, but the hardware.

For what you do, I am surprised that a 2013 MBP is not sufficient for your needs. If the dongles and ports are not an issue, then I am sure you will enjoy buying the new MBP and you should.
 

Zirel

Suspended
Jul 24, 2015
2,196
3,008
Then I'd suggest you don't consider a touchscreen computer.

Then I'd suggest you don't consider a Macintosh computer.

The same thing occurs on phones, and tablets, so I don't understand that line of thought, but to each his own

Lol, lamest excuse I have ever read.

Tablets and phones are used on the hands, always on the hands, not on top of a desk, farther away.
 

velocityg4

macrumors 604
Dec 19, 2004
7,330
4,724
Georgia
I have a mid-2014 MacBook Pro and wanted to update it, but the new Macs just aren't worth it in my opinion.

I use my Mac mainly for emails, web browsing and invoicing/light work (mainly Pages and Excel), so nothing that requires a particularly hefty machine.

Important to me is build quality, design, battery life, usability and portability. Price isn't an issue.

I've been looking at the Razer Blade Stealth or the Dell XPS 13.

Here are a few questions that, if anyone can be bothered, I'd be grateful for some honest, balanced replies.

1 - I haven't used Windows since about 2002. Is it much better? I remember regular crashing, restarting etc.

2 - I assume a PC comes with Windows. When a new version is released, is it free to upgrade?

3 - What apps come on a PC? Does Word etc. come included? Is there something like iPhoto? A version of Mail? If not, what sort of costs would I be looking at?

4 - Any advice on how to port files across? All my invoices are Pages documents. Is it impossible to open them on a PC?

Thanks

ASUS and Dell have some of the highest reliability ratings. Lenovo Thinkpads are also excellent, albeit very bland looking. Take a look at specific models on Laptopmag.com. You'll get very detailed reviews of battery life, SSD speed, build quality, Color Gamut, Color Accuracy (lower Delta-E better) and some other metrics. The color gamut on a 4K XPS 15 is amazing not only does it cruise past 100% Adobe sRGB it surpasses 100% Adobe RGB.

1. It still crashes. Although it is much more reliable. Based on the sampling of client computers I work on. Mac owners mainly just call me due to add devices to their network, replace faulty hardware and occasionally remove malware. On Windows my most frequent calls are virus removal or Windows crashed and won't boot (almost always due to a failed Windows Update when software is to blame). Then the usual hardware repairs or upgrades and adding new devices. When clients using Windows switch to Mac the number of support calls decreases at least 75% per year after the initial adjustment period. Windows 7 and 8.1 are more reliable than Windows 10. Windows Update errors resulting in a non-booting computer are far more common in Windows 10.

2. Now it is. It will continue to be free as long as MS finds that free upgrades are more profitable.

3. No MSOffice apps are included. You can download the free LibreOffice which is nearly as good and better than iWork. Import your iPhoto/Photos Library into Picasa before you switch. Then use Picasa in Windows. Unless things have changed you will lose your metadata and photo revision history. At best you'll keep your albums and pictures with revisions of a photo showing up as duplicates. Don't bother editing things in Picasa on the Mac either. When you transfer it to Windows the Picasa for Windows will lose that metadata and hidden revisions.

The default mail app in Windows is horrible. Personally, I like Thunderbird (free) the best. As I can use add-ons to sync my Mail, Contacts and Calendar with G-Mail. If you use iCloud for all that you will need MS Outlook to get iCloud to sync.

4. Open and export them into their relevant XLSX, DOCX and PPTX formats. As stated convert your iPhoto/Photos databases. Use an online service to sync your bookmarks and passwords (I like Laspass for passwords and XMarks for bookmarks). Place your files on an external hard drive (formatted for exFAT) or Flash Drive.
 

Mildredop

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 14, 2013
2,478
1,510
No, you are not, you opened a topic to complain about Apple, this is not the correct section of the forum.

Ok. Whatever.

Read my first post and you'll see what I'm talking about. If you see someone trying to get advice about trying an alternative to Apple as complaining about Apple, so be it.
 

Flynnstone

macrumors 65816
Feb 25, 2003
1,438
96
Cold beer land
I have a mid-2014 MacBook Pro and wanted to update it, but the new Macs just aren't worth it in my opinion.

I use my Mac mainly for emails, web browsing and invoicing/light work (mainly Pages and Excel), so nothing that requires a particularly hefty machine.

Important to me is build quality, design, battery life, usability and portability. Price isn't an issue.

I've been looking at the Razer Blade Stealth or the Dell XPS 13.

Here are a few questions that, if anyone can be bothered, I'd be grateful for some honest, balanced replies.

1 - I haven't used Windows since about 2002. Is it much better? I remember regular crashing, restarting etc.

4 - Any advice on how to port files across? All my invoices are Pages documents. Is it impossible to open them on a PC?

Thanks

I'm confused why you're considering switching. You seem to have no good reason to switch, like a special required app.
I use OS X, Windows 7 & Windows 10. Windows to me is a frustrating 1/2 solution.
I assume you print. I just had an issue with printers on windows (7 &10). Power was cycle and the Epson print came up with a different IP address. I had to remove the printer and reinstall pointing at new IP address. On Windows 10, the install app/screen "Add device & printers", I had a hard time find this place to install printer. On OS X the add printer has always been in the same place. Also never had an issue with OS X finding a printer. It just works.
My wife has a Dell XPS 14 from a couple years ago. Crap compared to your 2014 MBP. Close the lid on a MB and it goes to sleep. Kind of like you'd expect. On a Windows machine (7 for sure), it may or may not go to sleep. Then your battery is almost dead by the time you get home.
Trackpads. I have never used a Windows laptop with anything close to the ease of use of any MacBook. I have a 2010 MacBook that I preferred using over a top of the line HP Z Book. Anti virus software slowed this hot rod.
I'm typing this on a new 27" iMac with Windows 10 running in the background. I need it for a specific program. This program runs better on this iMac vs my 12 core dual screen beast at work.
I have yet to see a windows machine as easy to use as a Mac. Perhaps the Microsoft Surfaces machines are better.
 

sofila

macrumors 65816
Jan 19, 2006
1,144
1,329
Ramtop Mountains
Blue screens, viruses, scamware, trojans, Microsoft spying on everything you do, Microsoft embedding ads in the OS, annoying popups begging you to use the Edge web browser etc. If that appeals to you, a Windows 10 PC could be a great option.
So in summary I think a Mac is well worth the hardware premium. It's so far ahead of Windows these days it's actually quite embarrassing.
Your experience is very different from mine. Wait...is this your personal experience or some good ol' copy/paste from some website? I ask you because in the same evening you posted something like this:
I love this company.
Why? Because I have high standards and I demand the very best products. So with Apple everything they make and do is the absolute best. The best smartphone, best tablets, best computers, best software, best smart TV device, best accessories, best services (iCloud, Apple Music, Warranties), best support. Apple is the best.

There is no company like Apple on earth. I am proud to use all their products and I recommend them to anyone who will listen to me.
and so I was wondering what could possibly lead you to such declarations. When was the last time you actually used a W10 PC?
 
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I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,142
25,215
Gotta be in it to win it
I'm confused why you're considering switching. You seem to have no good reason to switch, like a special required app.
I use OS X, Windows 7 & Windows 10. Windows to me is a frustrating 1/2 solution.
I assume you print. I just had an issue with printers on windows (7 &10). Power was cycle and the Epson print came up with a different IP address. I had to remove the printer and reinstall pointing at new IP address. On Windows 10, the install app/screen "Add device & printers", I had a hard time find this place to install printer. On OS X the add printer has always been in the same place. Also never had an issue with OS X finding a printer. It just works.
My wife has a Dell XPS 14 from a couple years ago. Crap compared to your 2014 MBP. Close the lid on a MB and it goes to sleep. Kind of like you'd expect. On a Windows machine (7 for sure), it may or may not go to sleep. Then your battery is almost dead by the time you get home.
Trackpads. I have never used a Windows laptop with anything close to the ease of use of any MacBook. I have a 2010 MacBook that I preferred using over a top of the line HP Z Book. Anti virus software slowed this hot rod.
I'm typing this on a new 27" iMac with Windows 10 running in the background. I need it for a specific program. This program runs better on this iMac vs my 12 core dual screen beast at work.
I have yet to see a windows machine as easy to use as a Mac. Perhaps the Microsoft Surfaces machines are better.
Your Windows experience is different than my Windows experience. I get frustrated on a Mac and there are two MacBook pros in the house. My Windows 7 on my desktop was installed the day it came out and is still running and is rock solid. I have a Windows 10 sp4 and asus laptop. Love the asus laptop, 4 USB 3 with one 2.4 amp. HDMI, Ethernet, DVD, card slot, webcam and headphone jack and ac wireless and bt with a 1 tb hard drive and 17 in touch screen. It's one year old and fast. Windows 10 is well nice. Runs great, but there are things I prefer in Windows 7. Just a matter of style. It's got enough oomph to run three virtual machines simultaneously.
 

dumastudetto

macrumors 603
Aug 28, 2013
5,529
8,310
Los Angeles, USA
Your experience is very different from mine. Wait...is this your personal experience or some good ol' copy/paste from some website? I ask you because in the same evening you posted something like this:
and so I was wondering what could possibly lead you to such declarations. When was the last time you actually used a W10 PC?

I have a Dell XPS 15 (9550) laptop running Windows 10 here. Last time I used it - probably 10 days ago.
 

Olganech

macrumors regular
Mar 21, 2015
210
127
I do not pirate software!

Windows 8 and 10 latops have eufi bios from factory unless custom built machines.
Any new machine pre built, bar high end will have eufi.
So almost all branded machines have no bios that can be reached via say F2 etc.

eufi is what lets down a lot of new machines.
Our engineers (I am front of house and deal mainly with android tablets) hate it as unable to boot from their tools DVDs.

what i said was correct as was what you said sir.

I just picked up a friends windows 10 ultrabook which after turning if one night next day boots to her login screen which is fine but entered password and 2 days later still spinning circles trying to load.
120GB SSD i5 and 8gb ram.

Windows 10 from what we see in our repair shop is quite unstable or we have a very high number of idiots who lie when they bring in computers.
Most our customers are elderly though so we doubt they tinker too much.

Anyway off topic, sorry guys

Sounds like you have idiots building the PC's in your shop.
 

elf69

macrumors 68020
Jun 2, 2016
2,333
489
Cornwall UK
We don't build many.

When we do we turn on legacy mode so that there is an option to interrupt boot sequence when available.

We mainly repair and secure boot is almost always on so if unable to get to logon screen, it is very very difficult to make machine boot from uefi or optical or USB.
 

elf69

macrumors 68020
Jun 2, 2016
2,333
489
Cornwall UK
It helps with some branded laptops as secure boot has created some issues with some laptops.

Has ten boots from and image on HDD and does not load a full os each time which is why it boots faster but also means no "F8" for safe mode etc while booting.
 

AidenShaw

macrumors P6
Feb 8, 2003
18,667
4,677
The Peninsula
The one thing I really liked when I played with the XPS was the touchscreen. All day I touch my phone - seems natural to be able to touch the screen of my computer, too.

Gorilla arms and fingerprints on my screen, no thanks.
I think that a lot of people with Zirel's attitude would quickly change their minds if they used an Apple laptop or desktop with a touch screen.

I have a ThinkPad with a touch retina screen. I love the option of being able to use touch as well as keyboard/mouse.

I wouldn't like being forced to use touch on an app not designed for touch - but sometimes touch is just more natural. For example, simple web surfing. When scrolling through an article - so natural to simply touch the screen and drag the text. (Especially nice on the train or an airplane, where either vehicle motion or lack of arm space makes moving a cursor an issue.)

If there's a button you want to click - just touch it. Don't need to find the mouse/trackpad cursor, move it to the button, and then do something else to affect the click - just put your finger on the button. (Buttons on web pages are almost always large enough for touch.)

And, as far as "fingerprints on my screen, no thanks" - can we assume that you have an old flip phone without touch? Or maybe one of these:
Old-Cell-phone[1].jpg

The "fingerprints on the screen" problem has basically been solved. Anyone with a touch screen smartphone or tablet recognizes that that argument is a red herring.
 
Last edited:
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Mildredop

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 14, 2013
2,478
1,510
I think that a lot of people with Zirel's attitude would quickly change their minds if they used an Apple laptop or desktop with a touch screen.

Totally. I can only assume that Apple haven't yet brought out touchscreen laptops because it would affect their profit per unit (and because even without touchscreen, they're selling quicker than they can make them).
 

zhenya

macrumors 604
Jan 6, 2005
6,931
3,681
Totally. I can only assume that Apple haven't yet brought out touchscreen laptops because it would affect their profit per unit (and because even without touchscreen, they're selling quicker than they can make them).

meh. I have a windows laptop with a touch screen. In laptop mode it's not something I ever have any desire to use. Adding weight, thickness, and cost for a feature that doesn't really add much functionality isn't something that really fits in with the Apple way of doing things.
 

AidenShaw

macrumors P6
Feb 8, 2003
18,667
4,677
The Peninsula
meh. I have a windows laptop with a touch screen. In laptop mode it's not something I ever have any desire to use. Adding weight, thickness, and cost for a feature that doesn't really add much functionality isn't something that really fits in with the Apple way of doing things.
Of these, only "thickness" counts in Jony's mind.

On my Lenovo T450s, the touchscreen model is on the order of a mm thicker. The current T460s doesn't have a qualifier in the spec sheet about the dimensions of the touch screen models vs. the non-touch one.

And again, until you've used an Apple system with touchscreen - you can't really make an informed comment about the usefulness of the touch system.
 
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maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
cost for a feature that doesn't really add much functionality isn't something that really fits in with the Apple way of doing things.
No, as Apple's direction is with tablets, i.e., touch first devices. I think they see laptops/desktops as a legacy that they'll keep making because they can do more then tablets can at the moment, but I think they'd rather spend the time pushing the iPad.

Personally, I like my touch screen Surface Book, the touch screen gives that computer a level of functionality that my MBP could never achieve. One size doesn't fit all, but I think for me I prefer a touch screen display on my laptops now
 
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luminosity6

macrumors newbie
Dec 27, 2015
11
0
I switched in the other direction this year to Mac from Windows 10. I had always been happy with Windows in the past and up until this year had only used Windows since I began using a computer. I very much loved both Windows 7 and Windows 8. I was actually very excited about Windows 10 before I got it.

I realize ongoing improvements will continue although I was so unhappy with it. Four months later I bought my MacBook (in January). My reasons for disliking Windows 10 were I found it very invasive and spammy, I was unable to find a way to postpone an update from being installed (many times it was unbearably inconvenient), and I grew tired of occasional driver incompatibilities after OS updates (such as graphics or network card being flaky) since the components were often from different sources. Also little things like I could no longer find a way to refresh the list of available network options (it used to be there on all previous editions) and many little things like that. As for the invasive feeling - once you buy a computer, I feel like it's your property and you shouldn't be subject to pop-up ads asking if you want to subscribe to Office 365 when you already have Office 2016 installed, for example, and not just once but repeatedly. So I have to say I went the other direction (from Windows to Mac) rather quickly based on a lot of unwelcome surprises upon upgrade to Windows 10. I do hope a lot of that has improved. Either way, I only wish I had tried Mac sooner. : )
 
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