OS X Mavericks?

[Structo]

I thought I just read about some Apple Macbooks that have failing SSD?

http://www.mis-asia.com/tech/storage/ap ... lacements/

[rp]

I thought I just read about some Apple Macbooks that have failing SSD?

http://www.mis-asia.com/tech/storage/ap ... lacements/

That's pretty damn recent. Still, I've heard no worse than from traditional drives. Wonder if SSDs give you any warning like the normal ones often do, clicking, or locking up. Would really suck if they just died cold. Anyone know?

[NickC]

I thought I just read about some Apple Macbooks that have failing SSD?

http://www.mis-asia.com/tech/storage/ap ... lacements/

That's pretty damn recent. Still, I've heard no worse than from traditional drives. Wonder if SSDs give you any warning like the normal ones often do, clicking, or locking up. Would really suck if they just died cold. Anyone know?

No moving platters to click or whine ..... so I suspect they give no warning.

[rp]

FYI I go to use Airdrop and it's f'ing gone. So they introduce it 2 years ago w/ Lion, but damn if I couldn't use it btwn my Lion MBP and my old Snow Leopard mini that's my home server, but I could btwn any recent Apple devices - ok that's nice and easy, very useful, I get over the pissed-offness. Now it's gone. WTF?

[Structo]

I have no dog in the fight about Apple.

But for a poor man like me, I can't stand proprietary hardware and software (to an extent).

I like PC's because I can work on them and usually sort out any failure or bug without resorting to format and install.

[JazzGuitarGimp]

I consider my computer to be nothing more than a tool that allows me to get the job done. I used PCs for years and hated it. I don't want to learn yet another discipline (keeping the damn computer running) just so I can get the work done. IRQ's, com ports, etc. etc. i started using a Mac for music apps back in the early 90's, and came to love them instantly: the thing about a Mac is "it just works" - no fiddling, no BS. When I heard they were switching to intel chips that would run windoze, I started praying for my PC to fail so I could justify buying a Mac. Been using a Mini for about four years now.

The only thing that concerns me a little is this: now that they no longer have Steve Jobs watching over product development, is Mac going to continue to be the product that "just works"?

[sliberty]

I have held off updating my 2012 Mac Mini or my work 2012 MBP. I am concerned it will run slower with little or no perceived benefits. Frankly, I don't use the MBP much since buying a Chromebook. My CB does 85% of what I need in a 2.4 lb laptop with nearly instant on, 6.5 hrs of battery, and a$250 price tag.

[dartanion]

I just updated and so far so good. My machine is a 2011 top end 17" MBP. It's running faster than ever and no surprises during the update. It was a huge download, so luckily I have superfast download speeds. I believe it was 5.9GB.

We'll see about compatibility this weekend when I try to hookup my old PreSonus Firestudio to it. So far everything that I was running before works fine under Mavericks.

[rp]

This is useful:

http://mac.tutsplus.com/tutorials/os-x/ ... mavericks/

BTW the battery power management under mavericks is huge. I have a 2011 MBP and it's noticeable and significant, I think an extra hour!!! I always used Firefox, but if you use safari you'll be amazed. This kind of behind the seens stuff, like the amazing touchpad, is where apple is always at the vanguard and the PC crowd completely misses. Friend has new 13" MBA and is getting +10 hrs autonomy - that's real world!

[sliberty]

OK, well, I will try it on my work MBP first. Since I don't use the machine much, if anything goes wrong, it will be less disruptive. It will also give me a chance to see if anything I use doesn't work, although, I do use more apps on my Mac Mini. Anyway, we'll see.

Regardless, my Chromebook just works

[rp]

Regardless, my Chromebook just works

I thought chromebooks where ~$1000? Is this a little chrome netbook? I played with the chrome os in parallels, it wants me to live in the google cloud more than I'm ready for right now, I use a lot of cafes w/ insecure internet too.

[sliberty]

Chromebooks are those Chrome-based laptops, and they start at $199. Mine (Samsung Series 3) was $250. The newest models include one that goes for $350. But the only one that is really expensive is the Pixel. Most are lower end hardware, which is just fine for a browser based OS. But the Pixel is high end hardware, touchscreen, etc. I think it is overkill, as for that money, I'd rather have a Macbook Air.

The Chromebooks does require that you live mostly in the cloud (unless you install Crouton - more on that later). But it doesn't have to be Google's cloud. I prefer Microsoft Office Web Apps and Outlook Web Access to Google Docs and GMAIL. And it all works quite well. Box.net, Dropbox, etc. - anything accessible via a webpage is fine.

As for security, you have to make that decision. I don't know what sort of info you are dealing with. Personally, I wouldn't do my banking at a Starbucks. But that would be true even if I had a PC or a Macbook. Insecure Wifi is insecure for all computers.

Benefits? $250, 10 second boot up from a cold, dead state, 4 second shut down to a cold, dead state, 6.5 hours battery life (real world) for mine (up to 10 hours on the newest ones), no viruses, fast simple updates, and no software to install.

Now, I mentioned Crouton. This is a script that installs Linux into a chroot environment, which allows you to work completely offline if you need that. You can hot key back and forth between Crouton and Chrome OS. It is a nice addition to the platform. I don;'t use it much, but when I need it, it is there.

Its not my main computer (the Mac Mini serves in that role), but it is my main portable.

[dartanion]

Well, a chromebook isn't much more than a tablet disguised as a laptop. My spidey senses tell me not to use one as google already is intruding on our privacy. I have to use gmail for some work things and their targeted marketing just freaks me out. I am sure that trade secrets are being exposed for those corporations that choose to use gmail.

[sliberty]

Well, a chromebook isn't much more than a tablet disguised as a laptop.

Tablet processor, yes. But it has a file system (limited), and it can address peripherals. And it is geared towards using a keyboard and trackpad. So, I'd say it is really closer to a laptop, but from a software perspective, in a new category.

You'd be surprised how useful it can be for so little money, and with so little hassle.

[dartanion]

Well, a chromebook isn't much more than a tablet disguised as a laptop.

Tablet processor, yes. But it has a file system (limited), and it can address peripherals. And it is geared towards using a keyboard and trackpad. So, I'd say it is really closer to a laptop, but from a software perspective, in a new category.

You'd be surprised how useful it can be for so little money, and with so little hassle.

So little money and hassle? I will steer clear of google for the very reasons I already stated.