
The problem of OS X hardware in 2016 - pier25
https://medium.com/@Pier/the-problem-of-osx-hardware-in-2016-454bf40fa91e
======
slr555
This is a very real problem. I am still running an early 2009 Mac Pro that is
slowly beginning to resemble the 1970 Mustang Mach 1 I drove in high school. I
have replaced the original graphics cards with an upgraded unit to get GPU
support in Photoshop. I have installed a couple of SSD's to get away from
spinning iron. Hunted high and low to finally find a USB 3.0 card that would
work. Have been thinking about a swap to move from an 8 core tray to a 12 core
unit.

It's really hard to justify buying a "new" Mac Pro that is a 4 year old design
at this point. I keep hoping that Apple will announce a revamp but the days
since the last release keep climbing and best guesses have the inside date at
mid to late 2016 at best.

Since my creative applications are mostly subscription based and cross
platform, software costs aren't so much of an issue anymore....

I have been using the Mac since '85\. I have not used Windows since XP (job
required) but I still get hives when I am around an MS box. Still this may be
the future.

Sad Mac. No happy gong.

~~~
fuzzywalrus
I'm still on a Mac Pro 2008, and I've written several articles about upgrades
which drives the majority of my blog's traffic. I've done everything from jam
in a nVidia GeForce 760 GTX, to SSD, to mini-PCIe wireless A/C card +
Bluetooth 4.x The legs the Mac Pros had are incredible pre-2013. As someone
who's contracted for four TV shows for some visual effects on the side, it
hurts that I may have to switch to windows.

I love OS X and dislike the desktop hardware.

~~~
pier25
Could you post the link of your blog? I'd love to read about that.

~~~
fuzzywalrus
Here you go, I imagine some of these are underhand pitches for the HN crowd,
but here you go. There's a few that most users are simply unaware of, such as
replacing the Airport card with one that supports ant continuity and handoff
and Airdrop support.

7.5 years later, and my 2008 Mac Pro is still going strong.

[http://blog.greggant.com/post/58331227038/recommended-mac-
pr...](http://blog.greggant.com/post/58331227038/recommended-mac-pro-upgrades)

~~~
pier25
Thanks, there are plenty of great tips!

I'm in the market for a powerful desktop and I considered getting a 2012 Mac
Pro. It would be awesome if the 2016 Mac Pro was a tower design. Alas, we can
only dream.

~~~
fuzzywalrus
You and me both. 2012 Mac Pros have retained their value quite a bit because
of Apple's 2013 debacle. The Firmware upgrade (if you can score CPUs) makes
the 2009 the best bang for buck.

------
nrjames
I would like to purchase a Macbook Pro with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, so that I
can use CUDA. The only viable option is a 2 yr old refurbished MBP for $2k.
So... what now? I'm looking for a good laptop with an Nvidia chip that will
run Linux without huge problems, I guess. It's pretty frustrating b/c while we
use Ubuntu servers, everybody in my group uses Mac laptops. It would be nice
to maintain consistency. Most of us have MBPs from before they switched to AMD
GPUs.

~~~
nmjohn
If true portability is your goal this probably isn't an option, but may be
something to consider if your use case is a bit more flexible - you can
connect a GPU via the thunderbolt port with something like this:
[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTQI4UA](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTQI4UA)

~~~
pier25
That would be awesome, unfortunately it is not possible yet.

[http://www.highpoint-
tech.com/USA_new/series_RS6361A_specifi...](http://www.highpoint-
tech.com/USA_new/series_RS6361A_specifications.htm)

> Supported PCIe Cards: Any Thunderbolt Aware PCIe cards including Audio,
> Video Capture, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and Storage/RAID controller cards

No GPU support.

------
maker1138
I've been a huge Apple fan, but they've been constantly pushing me away with
both their hardware and software.

Now that we have so many pixels to push, graphics acceleration has become a
key part of the computer, and apple's offerings are anemic at best on mbp.

OS X has also become much more "walled garden"-like and fisher price feeling.
With every release they become less developer friendly.

I'm moving to Linux as much as I can and when I finally had to get new
hardware, I got the top of the line Inspiron 7559 and replaced the hd with an
ssd. It's better than any mbp hardware you can buy today (with the exception
of the trackpad. Apple cannot be beat with that!) at half the cost!

[http://www.dell.com/en-
us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-75...](http://www.dell.com/en-
us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-7559-laptop/dncwpw5718h)

Developers are why Apple was successful in the first place, I hope they start
making serious tools again instead of toys.

~~~
tedmiston
Sure it's half the price, but at the cost of foregoing an aesthetically
pleasing design, backlit keyboard (paid upgrade), gaining over a pound of
weight and 40% more thickness.

For me personally, and I think a lot of us, design is more/just as important
as performance at the threshold these machines have reached. I work better and
enjoy the feeling of using well designed tools.

------
rangibaby
Maybe Apple needs to do clearer segmentation between their pro and not-pro
product lines?

When I first started using Macs seriously (~2008) the difference between
iMacs, Mac Pros, the toy-like white MacBooks and the smooth unibody MacBooks
was stark, in both appearance and performance. Now it's hard to tell the
difference between the three different varieties of MacBook at a glance,
especially the 13" models.

A part of it is that the biggest gains have been had at the bottom. 90% of
people have no need for a powerful, dedicated GPU now. Going from an i5 to an
i7 does what, exactly? 8GB of RAM is "good enough". Apple Music and Netflix et
al mean that 256GB SSD is enough. The difference between "normal" and
enthusiast hardware just doesn't mean a lot at the moment.

I think that's what has led to every flavor of Mac having samey specs.

I doubt that the demographics of Apple users have changed much in the
almost-20 years since the colorful iMacs came out: creative pros and people
who think Apples are "cool".

------
nikdaheratik
Apple has had this fetish with all-in-ones for at least 20 years. It's one of
their design quirks where one team will come up with an SE/30 or even the
tower design that is upgradable and usable for years, then another team will
come up with the G4 Cube or the latest Mac Pro. Then enough people will
complain about the lag for them to go back to upgradeable "tower" models
again.

I don't know that there is a solution besides build-your-own or something.
It's in the company's DNA and you end up taking the good with the quirks. Just
like MS and it's need to require weird inconsistent software upgrades that are
as much "change for change sake" as being actually useful. Or any version of
Linux and it's weird GNU/FSF cabal that seems to have a corner on certain
important tools but doesn't like it when anyone outside the cabal works on
something.

------
ld00d
While I don't edit video, I still consider myself a "pro" user. I'm a
developer like many here, and, like many here, enjoy doing my work on a rMBP.
I bought it with the understanding that I wasn't going to be upgrading the
hardware inside it. I got the specs I knew I would need. If I need to upgrade,
Macs retain their value better than most (if not all) of the other
manufacturers, so selling this one and replacing it shouldn't be a problem.

Sure, I sit in the coffee shop with it sometimes, but I don't drink lattes
(americano usually), and I don't just browse the web. My rMBP is more than a
toy, and I get real work done on it every day.

I'd wager there are a lot more like me than the "pro" user described in this
article. Now you tell me: who should Apple cater to more?

~~~
thex10
Is it really true that reselling a MacBook machine is possible at a decent
price? I've had a lot of trouble with this.

~~~
tedmiston
Try selling around the time college students are starting the year for a price
comparable to eBay completed listings.

In my experience, base models hold a higher percentage in resale than
customized or upgraded machines.

------
b1twise
In the past years I've gone from a 15" MBP to an 11" MBA and most recently the
12" MB.

I hate the MB. The key travel is way too short and have seen no signs of
adjusting. The lack of expansion ports is criminal. Just one more. It's the
little things--like no led to indicate charging/charged. I use it for testing
for work, but that's about it.

My MBA plugs/docks into my cinema display. Keyboard and mouse are plugged into
the display USB hub. Ethernet on the other USB port. When I travel it's super
light.. no complaints.

Just for reference, the MBP was just too heavy and hot. Lugging around the 15"
in a backpack around airports all day was not comfortable.

I wasn't happy with the Lenovo laptops, so I went Apple. Now? Not sure where
to go.

------
mironathetin
So true.

But apple even drops people who just want a cool new toy. I have my Macbook
Air for 3 years now and, although I am fine with its performance, I would buy
a new one. But the specs have not changed at all. So I keep my old machine.
Looks like Apple does not need the money.

------
VeejayRampay
It dawned on me recently that Apple is not a good hardware company anymore.
They're good, but gone are the days where you were happy shelling out because
you knew you would get the good stuff. Now it's all non-upgradables,
underpowered thin/elegant designs, overcomplicated lineups, less and less
ports on the computers because adapters are cash cows, it's all very
disappointing.

