#42

So, given that a few people mentioned they were in a similar situation, and in case anyone remains interested: I ended up going for a new Macbook Pro in the end after all.

Following the recent update, I was able to spec up my desired 13" MBP model for around £500 more than the equivalent XPS 13: it’s got a faster processor (which was a big deal for me) but smaller hard drive (which wasn’t so much of a priority).

It was still insanely expensive, obviously, but I feel like that price gap is just about reasonable assuming that it doesn’t fall apart in the next five years. It is, as you’d expect, absolutely beautiful and a joy to use. I’m even beginning to enjoy the Touch Bar, which I really didn’t expect, now that I’ve swapped out the standard functions for something more bespoke.

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#43

Glad to hear you’re getting along with it - I’m still on the fence. If I could get the 2018 MBP with an 8th gen processor and no touchbar it would be the top contender.

#44

This would’ve been my ideal choice too: the Touch Bar is nice but definitely not worth an extra 300 quid.

That said, now I’ve customised it to work better for me (including a very cool and useful template for Ableton) it is a genuinely helpful and enjoyable thing, and definitely (for me) preferable to standard function keys.

Given Apple’s approach to these sorts of things, it feels safe to assume they’re not going to bring top specs to their lower-cost models, which helped me convince myself to take the plunge. Can completely understand why other people might be reluctant to do so, or how that £300 difference could tip the decision on value for money.

#45

To anyone on the prowl for a windows laptop I’d like to post a little warning: steer clear of Razer.

After my previous laptop took an untimely tumble from a moving vehicle, I began the hunt for something in the 13-14" size range with a fair amount of ram, ideally a couple of usb a ports and a usb c/thunderbolt.

The Razer Blade Stealth seemed to fit the bill.

Bad idea. So very bad.

Everything that could go wrong did gone wrong. I’m genuinely amazed how one company can make so many mistakes and employ so many seemingly incompetent and belligerent people. I would never go near Razer again, for anything, even with someone else’s money.

The much abridged tldr version is:

Razer sent me a faulty device (erratic touch screen registering touches a good 2" out, several keys on keyboard continually double pressed, etc) which I returned immediately and it still took over 3 months of herculean effort, including the involvement of my banks dispute department and threats of small claims court, to get my money back.

Beware.

#46

I’ve actually heard this from some of my friends who game. They keyboard on their new laptop went in a little under two weeks and their customer support department made them jump through hoops to get it replaced.

#47

That’s too bad, because CDM seemed to quite praise the Razer they tested (here), though there’s certainly the possibility that they either are biaded for some reason, or that not all models they make are the same. Bad customer support is always a no go though. My experience with Apple so far has been inexistent, since I never had anything that needed to go back. I did have a problem with my Dell XPS (GPU burned out), and they fixed it really quickly sending a technician to my office. That was 2010 I think, so things might have changed, but back then I’d have said: “highly recommended”.

#49

Wondering if the new Surface Go, could run Ableton 10? Tempted by a portable system that could run Ableton/Max to play with in my downtime. I don’t know much about CPUs etc but would be happy with a ‘lite’ install using mainly stock plug ins etc.

I have no inclination to run and learn an IOS Daw/audio programme and then go back to the start whenever I use a ‘real’ computer. I am wondering if this new surface might be a sweet spot (with compromises obv.)

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#50

The CPU is pretty damn slow when compared even to not so modern cpus (e.g. still slower than a core 2 duo from 2008, at least according to CPU benchmark). Ableton broadly lists “multicore processor” as the requirement without giving any clue about the performance it should have, so no help there.

I’d assume that it can run ableton live if you’re mainly looking for recording and looping as well as maybe using a few eqs and compressors. But I wouldn’t expect it to run an instance of Diva.

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#51

Slow as it may be by modern standards, the Surface Go processor still has a 54% higher “effective speed” than my 2.13GHz 2009 Macbook which can still run Live (9, at least, haven’t tried it since upgrading to 10) with something like up to 8 audio tracks including a small handful of plugins. CPU headroom disappears pretty quick at that point and I sometimes have to freeze tracks, so it isn’t a great situation, but it does work! I only have 4GB RAM on that Macbook and I think that is a limitation, as well. I’d definitely go for the 8GB RAM version if you try the Go.

I think the Surface Go would be okay for light use, but I might personally opt for something like a 12" Lenovo Yoga or some other compact 2-in-1 with an i3 or i5 processor just to have an almost-as-svelte option but much more powerful processor, especially if you would want a keyboard, but then that would be twice as heavy. Compromises!

iPad size but able to run conventional software is pretty appealing!

#53

What do you suggest for using LUA and LINUX. No DAW involved

#54

Honestly, its the new shiny shiny, that interests me most, I have a 2012 Macbook air that runs well, but as its got all my data & essential stuff on it, so having a lower price unit to sling in a bag and use in public is appealing.

but its going to be the sort of thing that I’d need to use for a while to see if it suited my Ableton level. ( i.e. no DIVA, and mainly chopping up and arranging recorded tracks).

if only i was an ‘influencer’, MS could send me one… and I could make enthusiastic youtubes about it.

#55

ran ubuntu (gnome and i3) for 10 days on a maxed out dell xps (thanks micro center open box special!) and had a generally fine time. the machine itself was a real pleasure to use. ended up returning the machine because hi-dpi support isn’t there yet, and the 2x scaling looked fudgy on the 4k screen. if the new macbook airs aren’t there yet, i’m likely going back to a similar model or the new, third-gen lenovo yoga.

#56

So I liquidated a large portion of my modular to free up some cash for a new laptop. What good is this super-powerful flexible instrument if I can’t properly record and process it?

Anyway I have a budget of around $800, looking at PC stuff (planning on going back to school and the course calls for Windows) with a current emphasis on producing and occasionally playing out with Ableton. Planning on using Push and a few other bits of hardware, as well as VSTs. I have an older Asus with an abysmal processor and I really don’t want the hardware to hold me back. I don’t plan on running six instances of Massive with effects or anything crazy like that, I just don’t want to have to think about it.

Also I do some computer gaming, but mainly neo-retro indie titles, so graphics aren’t a huge deal to me.

I have no problem buying used as long as I can get a minimum of five years of reliable service out of it.

What does lines recommend?

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#57

Granted I haven’t bought one as I happened upon an older but high end iMac, but I had settled on a Lenovo Flex 6 14”. There are a few different spec levels, but this one seems like a good balance of price/performance. I checked one out in person and it felt sturdy and has a decent keyboard IMO!

#58

That certainly hits my price point! I hadn’t considered something with a touchscreen, but it could be a good vehicle for some design stuff!

I’ll add it to the short list. I need to get everything shipped before I spend any money :smile:

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#59

Lenovo also has an optional stylus device. I figured that might be useful and I like the idea of a 2-in-1 so I could use it live with the keyboard out of the way.

#60

does anyone have any experience with Hackintosh’s ?

just watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-wHQEiDKr4

I’m in the market for an upgrade to my 2015 MBP - want a big 4k display too :slight_smile:

Was originally spec’ing out a i7 mac mini but watching that and ‘shopping’ on the Scan uk site - I reckon I can put something much cheaper and looks like more powerful (money isn’t necessarily the issue with the new machine but really wary about spending a lot on something that’s going to be a compromise anyway which it sounds like all recent Apple products are and perhaps this can tide me over to a new iMac - which might be a better choice if they release them this year - dunno)

(I’ve also considered ‘going windows’ but I’ve not used windows since the 90’s and I’m too invested in the MacOS world to be bothered switching - it would be a massive time investment I’m not prepared to make I don’t think. I will be setting up either a windows VM or a windows cheapo PC for some windows dev so I am dipping my toe in that water to sanity check that decision but for the moment MacOS is a non moveable requirement)

Which MacBook should I buy?
#61

Way back in 2011 I purchased a MacBook Pro which has lasted me almost 9 years of solid daily use which is amazing. Unfortunately it is finally starting to grind to a halt and is killing productivity. I’ve spent hours over the last month researching current laptops and I’m totally lost - it’s really starting to feel like no laptop exists that the internet doesn’t tell me is plagued with issues of some kind!

It’s a massive investment for me and I’m really only interested in buying something that I can be reasonably confident will last me a good amount of years. I would put build quality at the top of my priority list, I can’t stand interacting with something that doesn’t feel mechanically solid. I use my laptop professionally for Photoshop and some light 3D modelling/rendering. I also use it a lot for Ableton and very occasionally some light gaming. Spec-wise I’m just looking for a decent CPU, discrete graphics and enough RAM to keep Photoshop ticking along.

Here are the three options I’ve seriously considered…

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme/P1: On the surface this seemed like the one. Great spec, beautiful looking screen and the (in)famous Thinkpad build quality. However I’ve seen far to many reports of inconsistent quality control with totally different keyboards and finishes between units, screens not fully closing and stripped screw threads. It also seems to have really bad thermals with lots of people saying it needs to be undervolted to be usable which seems like a total waste.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15: Beautiful design and feels like a nice solid MPB type metal body. Unfortunately the specs don’t seem great for the price, especially with no option for a discrete GPU. There have also already been complaints about light leak from the screen. A friend of mine has had endless issues with his Surface Book which also put me off.

MacBook Pro 16": Proably the best looking, and maybe the best specced of the options, but of course for a much higher price. I just don’t know if after all the MBP related issues over the last few years I can trust Apple to still create a machine that will last. It feels like the priorities of the company have shifted in the 9 years since I last purchased something from them.

Other ones I’ve looked at are the various Razer options, the XPS 15 and the MS Surface Book, all of which seem to have their own problems without offering anything particularly amazing to set them apart.

I was hoping to hear from any of you that either use one of the laptops mentioned above with no issues, or know of a different option I’ve totally missed! What is everyone using these days as a powerful and reliable daily laptop?

#62

I replaced my Lenovo x230 that I had used for 8 years with a Lenovo X1 Extreme. It’s been amazing since purchasing in October of 2018. No physical defects on mine and screaming fast. Running Linux on it–there was something wrong with the Wi-Fi controller’s drivers for a couple months where my connections to 5Ghz networks was incredibly slow but a recent microcode update fixed it.

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#63

I love the Librem 13

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