The end of Mac os? (for Me)

I’ve been looking at getting a new laptop soon, something smaller than my current 15” MacBook Pro, and hopefully a little lighter too.

Naturally, I started looking at the 13” MacBook Pro’s, as they now come with a quad-core processor (the MacBook Air is nice, but I’d like something stronger) and weigh right at 3 pounds. When I ended up configuring it, adding the requisite AppleCare, the cost came to a whopping $2768, not including tax. The configuration is as follows:

• 2.7Ghz quad-core i7
• Retina Display
• TouchBar
• Intel Iris Graphics 655
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Four Thunderbolt 3 ports (and that’s it)

So I started thinking “what can I get from a Windows PC?” It pains me to even think about it, but damn, nearly $2800 is A LOT of money for something that’ll be obsolete in 3-5 years.

Being a fan of Thinkpads, I went to Lenovo’s site, and looked at the X1 Carbon. 2.5 pounds, similar options, uses a low voltage CPU, but still is quad core.

• 1.9Ghz low voltage quad-core i7
• 1920×1080 screen, 14”
• Intel UHD 620 graphics
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Two USB 3.1 ports
• Two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports
• HDMI port
• MicroSD reader

$1754. Now, granted, this is with a lower resolution screen. However, if I want, I can opt for a 2560×1440 screen, for $138.

Both laptops are configured for 3 years of full protection; Apple with its AppleCare+, and Lenovo via its 3-year warranty option, plus accidental damage protection.

Regardless of the path chosen for the screen, you’re still talking about roughly a thousand dollar difference for a machine with less flexible I/O, in the case of the Apple.

Software isn’t really an issue either. While I’d need to find a good photo editor, I’ve already got great options for video and audio, and all of my other software has downloads for Windows or Mac.

It’s a tough choice. I’ve been a pretty loyal Apple guy for over a decade, but they don’t seem to really want me as a customer anymore, if they’re insisting upon charging so much for something I can get something similar for so much less. I guess it’s always been the case, but the burn I’m feeling hurts a little more these days, than it ever used to.

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