Quote from: GeorgeS on Today at 17:37:03The FUN part will be how the WIN OEM's respond.

I'm not sure Microsoft or anyone in the windows ecosystem is responding. They seem to continue to be hemorrhaging market share.

But Google is already responding. They're working on a new operating system called AluminiumOS.

Quote from: RobertJasiek on Today at 19:53:39Menu setting is easier indeed. In Windows, a utility is not needed but the setting is, for example, in the Group Policies, which Windows Pro offers. Windows Home needs the command line or registry hacks for this purpose, I suppose.

So in a 'nutshell' a built in feature OR something only an advanced user or external script/utility can change.

Frankly most home users won't put up with that nonsense. Given the majority of their 'computing' needs are usually filled with merely their smart phone or even a tablet the market for laptops just is not what it was years ago.

Gee, a mere $600 device without Microsoft nonsense from a major OEM could be attractive.
(add in the eventual sales of $100-200 discounts and we're really talking here...)

Menu setting is easier indeed. In Windows, a utility is not needed but the setting is, for example, in the Group Policies, which Windows Pro offers. Windows Home needs the command line or registry hacks for this purpose, I suppose.

Quote from: RobertJasiek on Today at 18:31:41

Quote from: GeorgeS on Today at 17:53:05On my Mac's I control when and if it gets updated.

Ok. So I do under Windows 10 or 11. So what?

For those that don't search the Web for possibly sketchy utilities to enable/disable that feature on their WIN machine, Apple OSX/MacOS merely has a simple and easily found menu setting built in.

Thats what.

Quote from: GeorgeS on Today at 17:53:05On my Mac's I control when and if it gets updated.

Ok. So I do under Windows 10 or 11. So what?

Actually the really funny part is that at the Application level, does it really matter?

While my home sports nearly 10x WIN devices over Mac/Apple devices they both use:

- Firefox web browser
- OpenOffice
- Canon OEM DSLR software
- Adobe software
- Bose Speaker control app
- Various calc/file/calender/notepad/etc. utilities

Honestly, it really does not matter WHICH device I grab as the applications are nearly the same. Granted some of the WIN devices can run games. (as can some of the Linux devices)

On my Mac's I control when and if it gets updated.

Quote from: Uncomical comment on Yesterday at 20:13:50It boils down to the same arguments, if you're into macos or need it - this is probably the best mac yet.

But if you're someone staunchly against it to that point where you actively avoid macos. This isn't gonna convert you or anything.

It'll be interesting how the market responds for the people "on the fence" and yet to decide as they've not made any firm decision yet.

The FUN part will be how the WIN OEM's respond. Lets face it here's a decent high resolution screen & metal chassis for <=$600USD.

- generally >$1000USD is needed for those features on a WIN device

Apple Mac devices have almost always cost 2-3x what a similar configured WIN device does.

Opps!

It boils down to the same arguments, if you're into macos or need it - this is probably the best mac yet.

But if you're someone staunchly against it to that point where you actively avoid macos. This isn't gonna convert you or anything.

It'll be interesting how the market responds for the people "on the fence" and yet to decide as they've not made any firm decision yet.

Quote from: The Werewolf on March 02, 2026, 00:26:24

QuoteApple MacBook: Rumored low-cost laptop arriving next week with several possible downgrades

Mind you, "low-cost" is relative and Apple is really not good as "low-cost". So expect a really weirdly stripped down laptop that will have just the most bizarre design decisions that will still be iffy compared to similarly priced PC laptops... that Apple wannabe fans who couldn't afford the premium experience will snap up by the crate load...

Truly comical comment.. LOL!!!
(Disclaimer: I OWN 2x iPhones, iPad-Minis, iPad-Pro's, 13" MBP's)

The market here is for home users who want more than an iPhone or iPad. Period.

(for you nearly countless & clueless folk that seemingly never had a real job, in the WEST, companies you WORK FOR PROVIDE (and pay for) any/all IT equipment you need to do said job)

Comically Apple has to thread a needle here with both spec's and pricing. Less costly and powerful than an "Air" version as well as missing some "features" found on the more expensive devices.

Current 'deletes' include: backlighted keyboard, fingerprint security, more than 2 ports, deeply colorful screen, method of brightness regulation and battery run time.

While there is always exceptions, generally the WIN11 devices <=$700 are plastic chassis, crummy 1080P screens 4-8GB RAM with bargan basement Intel/AMD APU's sporting very few threads, low storage & very few ports.

YES, a NEW WIN11 device can be purchased for less, however you would be getting much less.

QuoteApple MacBook: Rumored low-cost laptop arriving next week with several possible downgrades

Mind you, "low-cost" is relative and Apple is really not good as "low-cost". So expect a really weirdly stripped down laptop that will have just the most bizarre design decisions that will still be iffy compared to similarly priced PC laptops... that Apple wannabe fans who couldn't afford the premium experience will snap up by the crate load...

GeorgeS said it all well already, but I'll give numbers about this comedy:

QuoteA paltry 8 GB of RAM may have been enough in 2020, but it most definitely isn't now. Students, particularly, often have to keep multiple tabs open for research and other purposes, which will surely make the system struggle to some extent, if the rumors are true.

The numbers are: https://imgur.com/a/o8nXOdK

So these are just top of my tabs (39 of them opened between private and normal mode) in Firefox on my 16 GB RAM X1 Carbon. Only two of them are around 1 GB.

Tab unloading exists for many years in Firefox (and literally in all other browsers): https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/unload-inactive-tabs-save-system-memory-firefox

Average SSD in modern lower-end Macs has RND4K (Q32T1) around 330 MB/s for both R/W (important for recently stored tabs) and SEQ around 4000 MB/s R and 2500 MB/s W (important for tabs stored and not accessed within at least 60 seconds, or more ofc).
 
Meaning that each 1 GB "heavy" (in)active tab removed from RAM and loaded onto SSD will take a whole of 4000/1000=0.250 ms to load once it's accessed again. 250 ms to load from the SSD. Very struggle, very wow, yeah. Not.
 
You can have 500 tabs opened equally with 8 GB and 128 GB RAM. A USER is a bottleneck because there is simply no way in hell that a person can react that fast to switch between hundreds of INACTIVE tabs that fast. A user, not the system.
 
So yes, 8 GB is insufficient for many purposes - but definitely not for browsing, lol. Do the numbers, and learn how browsers work. We are not in 2011 anymore where many opened tabs would freeze the system because of RAM at 100% usage.

Your article:
"A paltry 8 GB of RAM may have been enough in 2020, but it most definitely isn't now. Students, particularly, often have to keep multiple tabs open for research and other purposes, which will surely make the system struggle to some extent, if the rumors are true."

Is honestly COMICAL at best!! ROTFLAMO!!!!

Given GoogleAI claiming that the median webpage is <=3MB how exactly is the "8 GB of RAM" an issue? YOU must be thinking of WINDOW'S installs with included BLOATWARE!!

Later on you mention that the new model might ONLY have Apple M1 like performance however even for a 'entry level' device is HUGE PERFORMANCE (IE: Awesome!!) especially with MACOS!!

NBC's bias and lack of meaningful understanding of computer requirements are clearly showing here.

Typed on a 2013 era i5(2C/4T)/8GB/256GB Macbook-Pro 13".

(BTW: with >100 browser tabs open)