[RJK]

Originally Posted by Amien

Please reconsider. I had the displeasure of opening a Surface Laptop recently and it is clear to me they were never meant to be opened, repaired, cleaned or maintained. Almost everything is glued together and it looks like they are following Apple's lead for all the wrong reasons.

Support in India being virtually non-existent, they are literally disposable trash, Meant to be thrown away once a problem appears. Please don't waste your money on this when there are other viable options for high-end windows devices.

Interesting you say that. I was toying between a MS Surface (tab not laptop) & iPad Pro for my father, who does mostly emails, youtube, video consults, webinars etc. He's currently in US and asked me about it - currently uses HP Spectre 360 laptop & is generally satisfied but wants to get a new toy just for the heck of it. If not Surface, which laptop would you suggest?

Thanks

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by GTO

Microsoft has hit it out of the park with Windows 10. Installed Windows 10 on my Macbook using BootCamp and I find myself using it a lot more than MacOS.

You need a TP - Thinkpad, there is not a single laptop that is designed like a TP for heavy users. It has nothing fancy, looks like an old baking tray as well but fatigue free work , all day long.

[Amien]

Originally Posted by RJK

Interesting you say that. I was toying between a MS Surface (tab not laptop) & iPad Pro for my father, who does mostly emails, Youtube, video consults, webinars etc. He's currently in US and asked me about it - currently uses HP Spectre 360 laptop & is generally satisfied but wants to get a new toy just for the heck of it. If not Surface, which laptop would you suggest?

Thanks

In the US you atleast get decent service (although MS has closed most of its physical stores if I remember correctly) and if you like the look of it, it would be an appropriate choice if you're looking for a toy.

There are several other other routes you could take; An iPad with a keyboard is one, a 2-in-1 convertible device is another (which he already has). Could also take a look at the new ASUS OLED Zenbooks based on Ryzen 5000. ARM/M1 based Macbook Air is always going to be up there for the sort of usage you've mentioned.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by GTO

Microsoft has hit it out of the park with Windows 10. Installed Windows 10 on my Macbook using BootCamp and I find myself using it a lot more than MacOS.

Must thank Turbanator for his suggestion! Believe it or not, Windows is running better on my Macbook than the Dell. No hanging up, no freezes, no issues with waking up from standby and unbelievably, with the exact same programs open, the Macbook is using 8 GB RAM where the Dell is at 11 - 12. Go figure.

The Apple drivers definitely make the Windows experience awesome. But there are other reasons I'm enjoying Windows on the Macbook more than the Dell Latitude = no OEM bloatware (clean windows downloaded from Microsoft's website), build quality (this is like a VW compared to the Dell which feels like a Maruti), crisp screen, sexy keyboard and big trackpad. While the trackpad isn't as good in Windows mode as it is in MacOS mode, it is still better than the trackpad on any high-end Dell computer I have used.

I hadn't even restarted the Windows on my Mac in over a month now . Just did after 5 weeks or so when a Windows update came out. Biggest con is that battery life in Windows mode is just 4.xx hours (not that MacOS @ 5.xx hours is impressive either on the Macbook 16). This big Macbook's battery life sucks - my Dell Latitude can push 8 hours on a full charge.

[sgiitk]

I used a Mac for five years, then with the new processors I gave up. Yes thre Mac is smoother but the world is on Microsoft and I have to conform. Also, porting back to Windows is not simple or easy.

[mohitchalla]

I started with Windows and used it for 16 years. Then in 2016, I switched to Mac and have been using it ever since. I do not see myself going back to Windows. My next upgrade is going to be the newer generation of Macs with Apple's own silicon.

As fas as the platforms are concerned, both Windows and Mac are highly evolved and stable. People in certain industries have no choice as the tools they use are available exclusively on just one of the platforms. For the rest of us, it is just a matter of personal preference.

I have been toying with the idea of a LINUX based system for a while. Although it will be a hobby project. Mac will continue to be my primary platform of choice.

[am1m]

How long does the battery last on the new Mac Book Pros? I know they claim 11-20 hours, but real world usage with moderate processor usage, a few video calls and wi-fi connectivity all the time?

Just switched jobs and the new company issues Mac Book Pros. Just realized I've never used a Mac for any thing more than an hour ever, so what am I in for? A pleasant surprise or some getting used to?

(Note: I don't mean to trigger yet another "Apple vs" debate here, I couldn't care less about the brand of laptop I'm using. Just curious about the time it'll take to get used to the new OS.) Thanks in advance for any replies!

[GandalfTheGrey]

Originally Posted by am1m

How long does the battery last on the new Mac Book Pros? I know they claim 11-20 hours, but real world usage with moderate processor usage, a few video calls and wi-fi connectivity all the time?

Just switched jobs and the new company issues Mac Book Pros. Just realized I've never used a Mac for any thing more than an hour ever, so what am I in for? A pleasant surprise or some getting used to?

(Note: I don't mean to trigger yet another "Apple vs" debate here, I couldn't care less about the brand of laptop I'm using. Just curious about the time it'll take to get used to the new OS.) Thanks in advance for any replies!

There are two variants of the new MBPs. One with the M1 processor and other with the Intel. If you're getting the one with M1, then boy you'll be blown away by the battery life. With your usage you're looking at anywhere around 12+ hours or even more of battery life.

Cheers!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by am1m

A pleasant surprise or some getting used to?

Windows is hardwired in my brain way too much & I'm guessing it's the same for you. I love my Macbook for its build quality, addictive keyboard, crisp display, large trackpad and reliability. But I use it as a Windows-only machine now. The clean bloat-free Windows OS & Apple's drivers have made it the most reliable Windows machine I have ever owned. No glitches, no bluescreen, no hanging up, zero issues.

If you prefer to continue using Windows, get the Intel Macbook but suffer low battery life (my Macbook 16 does 4 - 5 hours). Or wait for the ARM Macs to be able to run Windows. If you have to absolutely go ARM, then you could get Parallels to run Windows software, but its not the same experience as BootCamp.

[jkrishnakj]

I am still trying to get used to my Mac that I got about 3 months back.

The memories of the fingers is all windows based. The CtrlC/CtrlV or the Alt F, S for instance isn’t something that I can forget in a hurry.

Please don’t laugh, but I had to go through a YouTube video to understand how to create a new folder in the Machine.

[vroom_vroom]

Originally Posted by am1m

How long does the battery last on the new Mac Book Pros? I know they claim 11-20 hours, but real world usage with moderate processor usage, a few video calls and wi-fi connectivity all the time?

I am using a 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 and 16GB of memory. This machine is definitely not that power hungry as my old mid-2012 MacBook Pro.

The battery on the new one easily lasts about 8 hours. I use it extensively for heavy coding and testing.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

There are two variants of the new MBPs. One with the M1 processor and other with the Intel.

Originally Posted by GTO

Windows is hardwired in my brain way too much & I'm guessing it's the same for you. I love my Macbook for its build quality, addictive keyboard, crisp display, large trackpad and reliability.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

I am still trying to get used to my Mac that I got about 3 months back.

Originally Posted by vroom_vroom

The battery on the new one easily lasts about 8 hours. I use it extensively for heavy coding and testing.

Thank you all for your responses. It's been a week now and I must say I'm quite liking the Pro. Unfortunately it's not one of the newer models with the M1 chip, but still the battery life is much better than my previous Thinkpad. You guys were so right about the keyboard and trackpad on the Mac- for the first time in nearly 30 years of computer usage, I'm not using a mouse and I don't feel the need for one! (Though that might change when I have to do some image editing.)

I hate this USB-C nonsense though! Just support USB Apple! (I know, I know this has been debated to death.) IMHO, laptops, phones and EVs should all have the same standard connectors and charging cables and be completely interchangeable!

[jkrishnakj]

Agree on your last statement on standard connectors across. It leaves the world with that much lesser wires to consume. It’s frustrating with different charger types that I use all at the same time - for the Mac, for the office laptop, for the iPhone, for the Apple Watch, for the JioDongle. I’m surrounded by cables.

Anyways, I’m deviating…

[condor]

What are the disadvantages of moving from Win to a Macbook ?

was speaking to someone who moved from Mac to win. Screen size was said to be the concern.

Usage:
browsing,
file storage on an external array.
Basic photo and audio editing
Some Word/excel docs. Rarely pdf/ppt

Printer is a LJ 1040+
Scanner is a Canoscan
Other Cameras: Nikon DSLR, Canon P&S.
Phones: iPhone SE, Android
Music Player in car: ipod touch

I think additional software to work on Word/Excel files will be needed. And a dongle for data transfer.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by condor

What are the disadvantages of moving from Win to a Macbook ?

Only thing you should be checking for is software availability/compatibility on macOS. The normal home usage of browse, text processing stuff are not a problem at all.

Screen size depends on how much you want to spend. Yes, Macs are expensive, but you get a lot more longevity in return (have a macPro on the 9th year and Air on the 6th year).

Then again, this real estate problem can be worked around with external monitors. My work computer is a 13 incher, have a 24 inch monitor that I plugin when I need more space to work with.