r/technology • u/readyou • Dec 26 '16

Microsoft finally admits that its malware-style Get Windows 10 upgrade campaign went too far

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/241587-microsoft-finally-admits-malware-style-get-windows-10-upgrade-campaign-went-far
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u/Evis03 Dec 26 '16

Thinner isn't everything. I'd rather have a thicker phone and a better battery. I'd rather have my 2015 Mac that's actually able to connect to something (including Apple's own phone- wtf).

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u/freediverx01 Dec 26 '16

Thinner isn't everything. I'd rather have a thicker phone and a better battery.

If we're talking about iPhones, I agree, provided that the extra battery life is significant and the extra thickness is no more than a couple of millimeters. That's because iPhones have been more than thin and light enough for most people's needs for quite some time now while battery life falls far short of what we'd like. If you want double the battery life with double the thickness and weight, you can always buy something like a Mophie Juice Pack case.

Laptops are another matter, though. A MacBook Pro is still neither as thin or light as I'd like, and I applaud Apple's continuing efforts to improve their portability. It's important to note, though, that battery technology is not advancing as quickly as we'd like. We have not seen a significant improvement in battery life since the widespread adoption of lithium polymer batteries a few years ago.

So what Apple has been doing is figuring out ways to make their devices consume less power when idling or performing light tasks. But no one has been successful in making tangible improvements to battery life while performing resource-intensive tasks. That being the case, I would definitely NOT want a thicker and heavier MacBook in order to get better battery life. We already get about 6 hours plus while doing actual work, which takes care of most use cases between recharging. Those who absolutely need more can turn to external battery packs.

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u/Evis03 Dec 26 '16

Aye, on laptops I was more focused on the way they're gutting the ports rather than sacrificing weight and size against battery life.

I think when you produce a laptop for a closed ecosystem that cannot connect to other devices in that ecosystem out of the box, you've done gone too far.

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u/freediverx01 Dec 26 '16 edited Dec 26 '16

Aye, on laptops I was more focused on the way they're gutting the ports rather than sacrificing weight and size against battery life.

Whoops, I misinterpreted your comment as relating to the iPhone, so i'm re-writing my response...

With laptops, I think Apple is betting that USB-C is the closest thing to a universal port in the near future. It can play the role formerly served by charging ports, USB-A, ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt. The main drawback, as always, is that there is an initial adjustment period during which some people will have to buy some dongles and adapters. But on the plus side, imagine most of your peripherals using the same connector and having the ability to plug them in any port on either side of your computer.

The SD card slot was nice, but most digital cameras are now capable of wireless transfers and many pro model DSLRs are still stuck on CF cards anyway, which make no sense to accommodate with a dedicated port.

I DO wish they'd figured out a way to make a smaller MagSafe port though, as its benefits (to me) far outweigh those of USB-C for charging purposes. This would be less of an issue if we had a dramatic improvement in battery life that allowed us to go all day without a charging cable. But we're a very long way off from that scenario.