Re:Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootl...
by FlameRobot on Friday October 24, 2025 @03:41PM
(#45698354)
> I don't think any other competitor makes hardware of a similar class in terms of quality.
This is nonsense. I've owned Dell Business, Thinkpads and several Apple products including an iBook g4, Macbook Pro and a Mac Mini (G4 and Intel).
The Dell Business and Thinkpads while they don't look as nice are far more rugged. My Dell 6410 could probably be used as a make shift weapon in a fight and easily survive. I have a T480 and it while it is small and pretty thin IMO, it is built pretty sturdy.
Do they look as nice? No they don't. But they are similar quality if it is business. I personally prefer No BS and strength as they are meant for work.
The thing that macs do better than other laptops is the screens are usually nicer. However these days there is less of a gap. I was surprised how good the screen is on Dell Precision work provided me with.
> Specs are one thing, how the product looks, feels, attention to detail, and most importantly: long term viability!
You have this impression due to the packaging when you first open it. They deliberately design the packaging that way so you have that impression (there is a bit of science behind this).
A lot of companies ape this packaging because it works.
> even if you take away everything else, macbooks are though. I've used a couple for over a decade with no hardware repair (except when I broke a screen). Most mac users have similar experiences, so it's not survivor's bias.
This is nonsense. Macs have over the last 15-20 years have had a very mixed record on terms reliability and repair-ability.
Repairs are cost prohibitive. Many of the components are proprietary and cannot be sourced easily other than removing from other dead laptops. I am fairly friendly with a Mac repair specialist in my area. He says it is basically getting harder and harder to repair them.
I have first hand experience of the Mac Pro laptops circa 2015. Battery is glue'd in on many models and when the battery is EOL it will clock the machine down to 800Mhz even on mains. Removing the battery is difficult as you have to dissolve the glue. As it was out of warranty I had to get a local repair guy to remove it. Cost about ~£200. Later the same year the official charger went bad and burned up the power traces. Same local repair guy said it was about £150, that with the cost of a new charger made replacing the Mac a no go and I decided to recycle it.
Compare this with any Dell Business model. I can for the most part just crack off the back and remove and replace a lot of parts without any specialist tools. This is deliberate because they usually have to be serviced by IT departments.
> If all you care about is specs or open hardware, obviously Apple hardware is not for you.
Apple computer hardware for the most part is bought by people that want things that look nice.
This is nonsense. I've owned Dell Business, Thinkpads and several Apple products including an iBook g4, Macbook Pro and a Mac Mini (G4 and Intel).
The Dell Business and Thinkpads while they don't look as nice are far more rugged. My Dell 6410 could probably be used as a make shift weapon in a fight and easily survive. I have a T480 and it while it is small and pretty thin IMO, it is built pretty sturdy.
Do they look as nice? No they don't. But they are similar quality if it is business. I personally prefer No BS and strength as they are meant for work.
The thing that macs do better than other laptops is the screens are usually nicer. However these days there is less of a gap. I was surprised how good the screen is on Dell Precision work provided me with.
> Specs are one thing, how the product looks, feels, attention to detail, and most importantly: long term viability!
You have this impression due to the packaging when you first open it. They deliberately design the packaging that way so you have that impression (there is a bit of science behind this).
https://filestage.io/blog/apple-packaging/
https://www.dreamcustomboxes.com/apple-packaging/
A lot of companies ape this packaging because it works.
> even if you take away everything else, macbooks are though. I've used a couple for over a decade with no hardware repair (except when I broke a screen). Most mac users have similar experiences, so it's not survivor's bias.
This is nonsense. Macs have over the last 15-20 years have had a very mixed record on terms reliability and repair-ability. Repairs are cost prohibitive. Many of the components are proprietary and cannot be sourced easily other than removing from other dead laptops. I am fairly friendly with a Mac repair specialist in my area. He says it is basically getting harder and harder to repair them.
I have first hand experience of the Mac Pro laptops circa 2015. Battery is glue'd in on many models and when the battery is EOL it will clock the machine down to 800Mhz even on mains. Removing the battery is difficult as you have to dissolve the glue. As it was out of warranty I had to get a local repair guy to remove it. Cost about ~£200. Later the same year the official charger went bad and burned up the power traces. Same local repair guy said it was about £150, that with the cost of a new charger made replacing the Mac a no go and I decided to recycle it.
Compare this with any Dell Business model. I can for the most part just crack off the back and remove and replace a lot of parts without any specialist tools. This is deliberate because they usually have to be serviced by IT departments.
> If all you care about is specs or open hardware, obviously Apple hardware is not for you.
Apple computer hardware for the most part is bought by people that want things that look nice.