I would like to take issue with that statement. I’ve had multiple instances of Apple flat-out refusing to service applecare’d imacs that a previous company I worked for bought. It’s not like they didn’t know how to do it, just that they didn’t want to. I don’t have the energy to go into details, but suffice it to say, Apple is good when they’re good. but when they’re bad, you’d rather have anything else.
All my complaining aside, a mac is definitely a good way to go.
EDIT: I just recommended someone get a mac. I think my heart grew 3 sizes today.
If he hadn’t mentioned photography and graphic design type stuff, i wouldn’t be quite so pro-mac in this thread (though i AM an apple fanboy for most of the things I do - Linux/FreeBSD (derivatives)/Windows where appropriate, but if i CAN do it on my macbook i definitely prefer to use that).
If it was general “stuff” it would be different.
But in those fields, it really is no contest in my opinion, and is definitely the weakest area for Linux in terms of software. Mac just kills it, unless you’re very much a pro user with a big budget to spend on very high end PC hardware and high end adobe software licensing… and then you’re dealing with Windows anyway.
Oh, yeah. No question there. I’m actively working to improve the linux side, but there’s a very long way to go before it’s anywhere near mac quality.
First thing’s first, we should get the programs to stop crashing. LOL
I wish I could say “Linux will do it all for you, on par with other OS out there”, but that’s just not true. Someday though. Vector is getting there, and so is photo editing, but it needs some serious polish before it’s anything near mac quality.
For what it’s worth, I have been using Fedora since Fedora 25. I currently have Fedora 27 on my Desktop and Fedora Rawhide on my laptop. I’m in the process of installing Fedora Rawhide on a Raspberry Pi, but that’s another story.
I have not had a single issue with stability, even on Rawhide, other than me goofing around and messing with config files. I really enjoy the Fedora/RHEL/CentOS ecosystem. I think DNF is leagues better than apt and I like how Fedora doesn’t track your data like Ubuntu does. Personally, I like how Fedora is a testing platform for newer technologies like Kubernetes, but I don’t think that will matter much in this context.
Also, you can set up dual-booting with a shared /home directory if you really can’t decide. I did that on my laptop for a while and was running Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, and a failed attempt at Slackware.
Stability really isn’t the problem, unless your hardware isn’t supported, and that’s pretty rare these days. The problem is the little stuff on desktop can be surprisingly complex to configure and often (even usually) requires the CLI. Things like mapping all the buttons on a Logitech mouse can be a real solid pain in the ass if you aren’t half a sysadmin.
Having somewhat recently made the switch to Fedora, I’d recommend Debian/testing.
Why?
Larger repos, but more importantly - more users, guides, people targeting Ubuntu/Debian with their projects.
If you’re starting out and you’re trying to do something, you’ll always have to rely on someone elses experience - and there’s just a lot more out there for Debian based distros than there is for Fedora.
It depends, do you want bleeding edge tech. Or just tried and trued tech.
Fedora does it’s damnd best to keep up with tech, ubuntu/Debian in general are ALOT more conservative.
but what they release works, and is sorted out for you, no if’s or but(t)s(giggle).
My preference is ubuntu, honestly i cannot deal with the hazzle of sorting out random problem XYZ when i get home.
I just want my browser, and the occational steam/gog game.
And i do not wanna deal with distro upgrades every year.
Yup, i switched to Fedora purely for Vega support.
It was a little rocky a few months ago (custom non-vanilla repository kernels, etc.) but as of about a month ago or so i’m back to pure vanilla Fedora and everything works (well, as well as Vega works under linux to my knowledge).
Not having to worry about binary blobs every time i upgrade the kernel is refreshing, i did that dance way too many times over the years with Nvidia.
I think they got shit on in part because it’s new hardware and they haven’t rolled out their support infrastructure, and because they spend 80% of the time they talk about it trashing apple’s products on screen. Not that it’s okay.
Opening a device and expecting it to be repaired by the vendor when you break it … not guaranteed.
if it was a product defect apple would replace with a new device under warranty, but if you go busting things then sorry… i doubt you’d get a TV REPAIR from sony if you opened and broke one of their TVs for example.
his car analogy is like most car analogies vs. IT … flawed…
Totally agree. I believe it just they have been caught out without a repair pipeline. Apple doesn’t care much about workstations.
If you drop $5k + (could be well past $10K optioned) on a workstation and in the process of moving an office worker to another cube etc it is dropped and needs paid for servicing. I can’t see apple saying toss that $5k-15k workstation in the bin and buy another one.
The appleinsider called him a “ill-informed youtuber”. They make up some bullshit about how it would cost more than 5 grand to fix the unit. Complete rubbish.
profoundly lacking an understanding of how the system works
Just WerksTM
Training materials have been available since before the iMac Pro launched, with some components able to be ordered in January, with the rest ready in early March.
Doesn’t link to the docs saying when it was available. Some components? Rest ready in march? They busted it fucking end on January, of course its ready by march, but that’s NOW, not when it happened.
In the case of a warranty repair, Apple picks up the tab for the difference between the core price and the non-return price. Otherwise, the shop pays the bill, which is then passed to the customer. Core prices are often up to 75 percent the cost of the whole part, ordered new.
AppleInsider has been told that without labor, and with a core part exchange this is a $5200 repair out of warranty on the $4999 base model. There are about three hours of labor involved
Are you fucking kidding me? $5200 on a $4999.
The video compares the incident to crashing a car into a street light, with the dealer and insurance company denying the repair because there aren’t parts or repair manuals. The analogy is inappropriate, because an iMac Pro isn’t a car, and this wasn’t an incident generated by normal use.
Taking the unit open isn’t normal use? What if it needs to be cleaned? Replace the thermal paste? Add more RAM, which is upgradeable.
No, taking it apart is not “normal” use.
Replacing the thermal paste is not “normal” use.
Adding RAM yourself to this machine is not “normal” use.
(whether you agree with the requirement to do these things is beside the point - the machine as supplied is not intended to be used like that).
You play, you break, you pay.
There aren’t currently spares for sale, so guess what?
Lets be clear - this thing wasn’t dropped or broken during the course of an office move, etc.
The screen, whilst removed from the unit, was dropped and destroyed.
Applecare does/did include accidental damage cover, if he had that, he’d be covered for accidental damage (and i suspect given the lack of repair network, he would have received a new unit). opening it and breaking it that way though, still maybe not.
edit:
as far as spares prices go - yes they are more expensive. This is not news and is not exclusive to Apple.
Try build a car from spares and see how far you get before you exceed the cost of the vehicle. I recall a motorcycle magazine in the UK priced up building a CBR900RR fireblade from spares back in the day. It would have cost something like 40k pounds for a 9k bike.
Literally plug and play. No more difficult than screwing in a light bulb.
I know. Linus knows. He tried to pay, they refused.
It was accidental, I highly doubt he meant to drop it on purpose.
He didn’t break it on the disassembly, only the reassembly. In the video it showed then standing it up to repair, incorrect, but just the dramatization. We are unsure of the exact process that lead to the screen being damaged. Could be more, or not.
Since no place would refuse to do anything more than an eyeball diagnostic, and refusal to get parts. It doesn’t look good.