Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What have you done with an early Intel recently?

Amethyst1 said:
Keep in mind 2008/2009s are limited to 2 GB RAM (unless you’re dosdude1) and prone to throttling. Not worth it IMHO. If I were in the market for a classic MBA today it would be a 2015 11inch. Thunderbolt 2 and 4K — nuff said.
Click to expand...
Yes, I would not buy anything older than 2012 and would aim for 2015 with 13" and 8GB. With the minimum amount of connections being the Air thing - USB 3 is a must, AC wifi and Metal support are nice to have and all else is a plus. 👍

I've never really warmed to 11"s. Too small IMO. Middle aged eye sight and 40+ years of looking at computer screens => bigger is better IMHO! ;)

Ps. I updated the OCLP and Sonoma to the latest versions on the 2012, now it runs 1080P youtube videos without dropping frames. But, starting programs etc. is clearly slower than it was before with older OS-versions.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rampancy
Amethyst1 said:
How much are your eyes worth to you? :D
Click to expand...
So, now MBAs are eye destroyers? ;) Well, to be fair the subject of discussion was MBA's and not so much my eyes. The few hours yearly I look at MBA screens probably do not hurt my eyes noticeably - especially when my MBA's are 13" and not the iPhone size 11". 😆
 
Amethyst1 said:
The 13inch MBA is dangerously close to the rMBP though. Lighter and thinner, but not significantly. And its screen is crap.
Click to expand...
Its screen is not par to the other screens that Apple delivered, but nevertheless usable.
The major advantage of a MBA is its low power consumption.
It takes ~ 13W to run, while a Retina MBA will use ~52W to show the same information content, just much pretty.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ToniCH
Tratkazir_the_1st said:
Please excuse me :). MPV is my default media player at home, using Gentoo linux @ cMP5,1 :). Eats any video files I've ever dropped to it. (I do not have something like media library, just opening file by 1). For anime files - there were troubles with VLC (some years ago :D ). When I heard about mpv & installed it - all troubles gone :D.
Click to expand...

Okay, I gave MPV a fair hearing and my verdict is - mixed.

It certainly outperformed VLC when playing this DVB-T2 recording that suffers from a corrupted file structure. I used my best Mac - the TC with Ventura.

rv7fhFp.png

HJSEM1x.png


Unlike VLC, the seeking function actually worked properly with this usually problematic file. I could rewind and FWD correctly and accurately at my leisure to the desired locations. This also meant that I was freed from sitting through the adverts, bumpers and promos...

0MonGVI.png

Bforzyx.png


...which allowed me to get on with enjoying the film. :D

PtTNC4g.png


Coping with corrupted files is definitely a huge positive. However, the negatives mean that VLC will remain my favourite. MPV's user interface is inferior to that of VLC - it lacks the options and functionality that I've taken for granted for years with the latter. For example, if you're watching a video that contains numerous audio tracks - you can just pick the one that you want straight from a list in the Audio Track menu. With MPV, doing this is clunkier - and in turn, frustrating - because you know that a better method exists.

Tratkazir_the_1st said:
@TheShortTimer
mpv > Vlc
Click to expand...

From my experiences and for my needs, no. However MPV certainly does have its uses, so I thank you for the recommendation. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amethyst1
Tratkazir_the_1st said:
BTW, you can look for manual and learn some hotkeys of MPV :D.
Click to expand...

I didn't have to look that far. ;)

WJbCUHC.png


The problem isn't/wasn't being unfamiliar with the hotkeys or the manual (I've read it), but rather that MPV simply lacks the functionality that I've come to expect with VLC. MPV is a program that you obviously enjoy using and more power to you. :)

Sticking with with the 2013 Mac Pro, Ventura and VLC, I continued the film fun and this time it's a particular version of a title that's unavailable commercially in high quality. The ever-increasing capabilities of computers and rapid developments in fibre-optic ISPs have revolutionised the creation and distribution of projects like this.

zKZIzPm.png


A group of enthusiasts have restored a 35mm print of the original version of this film. Yep: the version that won all the awards and acclaim and not the version(s) that ruins a character arc, tone's down mild violence, includes needless instances of sheer indulgence and replaced entire scenes featuring fantastic model work with CGI.

CJ1Guw3.png


Check out the amount and type of audio tracks that've been included:

s5qG7uq.png


Even with the assistance of a Thunderbolt eGPU, my 2011 MBP couldn't muster the horsepower to play this file but on the Trashcan it's a cinch. :)

8JYIxck.png


It's great fun to watch the version of the film that I grew up with, presented in 4K and lovingly restored by people who've tackled this labour of love completely for free - because people need to know that Han shoots first. ;)
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: DouglasCarroll and Amethyst1
@TheShortTimer
There is another program, more like additional interface for MPV - Celluloid. (Never used it, just read about)/ At least in Linux distros :D. BTW this pics you got from remake of SW4? If so - I already got this movie as well. In my files there is even SOVIET TRANSLATION of it! (I was born in USSR :D ).
 
Tratkazir_the_1st said:
@TheShortTimer
There is another program, more like additional interface for MPV - Celluloid. (Never used it, just read about)/ At least in Linux distros :D.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is a variant that's only available on Linux.

Tratkazir_the_1st said:
BTW this pics you got from remake of SW4? If so - I already got this movie as well. In my files there is even SOVIET TRANSLATION of it! (I was born in USSR :D ).
Click to expand...

The USSR was a huge country - the hugest in fact. :D

Which part were you born in? Kazakhstan?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amethyst1
Tratkazir_the_1st said:
Think more :D. There is modern russian saying: "Moscow IS NOT Russia" :D. Not sure about Spb.
Click to expand...

Okay fine. I'd also like to visit Mamayev Kurgan and Pavlov's House. :)

Though I suspect that you will still remain displeased. :p

Amethyst1 said:
Please report back if it’s any good :)
Click to expand...

On Reddit, I saw posts that mentioned IINA's subpar colour reproduction/grading and unfortunately, this was confirmed with a quick comparison of the same image in VLC and IINA.

IINA:

3u0Y7JF.png

VLC:

01hirXs.png


The red is noticeably washed out in IINA and given that it's based on MPV, I decided to compare that too…

Vm2uzL4.png


...yep, it suffers from the same problem. IINA looks like a really well put together media player but once you're aware of the colour issue, it's distracting. I'll stick with VLC and maybe the IINA/MPV programmers will remedy it at some point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amethyst1
Been waiting for this one…

2024-10-19 14.53.39.jpg

Game playthrough of Mechwarrior 5 Clans on YT. Although I question why they'd make the villiains (the Clans) the heroes of the story.

Mechwarrior fan since 1986!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ToniCH and Amethyst1
ToniCH said:
It just occurred to me that I have a spare parts MBP 15" 2011 with the high res antiglare -display and the newly acquired MBP 15" 2010 with the standard display.

I am wondering if I could transplant the better display to the older machine. Both years came with same spec display options.

So, are the displays between these two years compatible?
Click to expand...
So, today I decided to do the transplant or at least try it. It is basically an easy job, just remove bunch of screws, disconnect cables and put them back in reverse order. I mean of course if the cables and connectors fit. Lets see... 🧐

Here is the important stuff I found out in short:
1. all the connector types and screws are the same
2. 2010 MBP wifi card has 1 less connector for antenna cables than 2011.
3. the camera connector is located in different place and angle on the motherboard. This causes the high res antiglare display's camera cable to be 2cm too short.

Point #2 is no problem, I replaced the 2010 card with the one from 2011 and now all antennae have a place to connect. Point #3 can be solved by routing the cable via other side of the wifi card and thus short cutting the corner. This way the cable is just and just long enough. I put it under the clamp so it doesn't get mangled by the case screw.

And after maybe an hour of work it now works perfectly! 👍:cool:
 

Attachments

  • High res display from MBP 2011.JPG
    High res display from MBP 2011.JPG
    224.8 KB · Views: 40
  • MBP wifi cards.JPG
    MBP wifi cards.JPG
    152.7 KB · Views: 40
  • MBP 2010 2011 camera connector locations.JPG
    MBP 2010 2011 camera connector locations.JPG
    190.4 KB · Views: 42
  • Camera cable routing.JPG
    Camera cable routing.JPG
    173.4 KB · Views: 44
  • MBP 2010 with 2011 high res matte display.JPG
    MBP 2010 with 2011 high res matte display.JPG
    158.4 KB · Views: 33
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DCBassman, Amethyst1 and eyoungren
I finally got around to messing with the old 1TB Zheino from my MacPro. DriveDx is reporting concerns, so I'm guessing this was just going to happen at some point whether I'd stayed on Mojave or not.

2024-10-20 06.42.30.jpg

Which is somewhat of a relief. I have a static electricity issue in the front room and almost every time I go to use a computer there is a shock. I have an anti-static cable running to the frame of the MP, which I (almost) everytime touch before using the computer. This SSD 'failed' shortly after one of the few times I'd NOT done that so I was thinking I'd shocked it. I guess not.

Anyway, I got around to reformatting it and getting it shared from the 2008 Air. In the long run I don't trust it, but I never planned to store anything important on drives shared from the MBA.

I do think that 42 months plus of drive time is pretty decent. That's over 3.5 years of 24/7 power on use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DCBassman, ToniCH and Amethyst1
As so OFTEN and IRRITATINGLY happens with me, in searching for a solution to one problem, I believe I may have found a solution to another.

For whatever reason, connecting via SMB to my MBA is a SLOOOOOOWWWWWW process. So, I was looking to speed that up.

And I found this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/17jgiyw

In a post by macmaverickk, that user has a solution for SMB issues on the CLIENT side. This is particularly important to me with the work M2 MBA because I can't USE SMB without any instability.

I've copied and pasted the commands into the MBA and my MacPro. This is what those commands do: "This solution disables packet/session signing, caching, and indexing to prevent slowdowns while browsing SMB shares. It also forces SMB v3, enables multichannel connections, and prioritizes Ethernet/Thunderbolt connections over wireless."

EXACTLY WHAT I AM WANTING WITH THE M2 WORK MAC! And I NEED it client side because I don't control the NAS at work.

I am going to try this tomorrow once I clock in and see what happens.

The entire post…

Posting this for visibility since Apple has yet to properly implement SMB. Took me years of trial and error to come up with this catch-all solution which has been tested and works flawlessly on Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma. This solution disables packet/session signing, caching, and indexing to prevent slowdowns while browsing SMB shares. It also forces SMB v3, enables multichannel connections, and prioritizes Ethernet/Thunderbolt connections over wireless.

If the server is a Mac, you will want to turn off packet signing on it. With file sharing off, run this command and then restart the server:

Code: 
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.smb.server SigningRequired -bool FALSE

On all clients, open Terminal, type sudo su, enter your password and press return, then copy/paste the entire text below:

Code: 
rm /private/etc/nsmb.conf; echo "[default]" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "signing_required=no" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "streams=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "notify_off=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "port445=no_netbios" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "soft=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "dir_cache_max_cnt=0" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "dir_cache_max=0" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "dir_cache_off=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "protocol_vers_map=4" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "validate_neg_off=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "mc_on=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; echo "mc_prefer_wired=yes" >> /etc/nsmb.conf; defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool TRUE; exit

That’s it. Enjoy your unthrottled, highly reliable SMB connections on macOS!
Click to expand...

Here is hoping this solves my problem on my M2.

EDIT: WOW! Defintely faster on my MacPro! Opened a 505.8mb Photoshop file in about a third of the time. That file is on my Synology NAS, which is connected via SMB.

This works!

EDIT2: Just to cover my bases, I restarted the Mac (which I hate doing). But that ensures the conf file loads. This killed SMB on my ZyXel NAS, but that's to be expected since the ZyXel is SMB1 and the conf file that we have now is SMB3 only. Fortunately, that NAS has AFP so I am using that here. CIFS (SMB1) can't be forced with this conf file. It required redoing my CCC backups, but no biggie. The Synology NAS has SMB3 so I'm good here.

EDIT3: It would seem this has solved my instability problems via SMB on my work M2. Still testing though.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: B S Magnet
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back