The Laptop Thread

[Blumlein 88]

Or the neodymium was an added cost?

Perhaps practical tests showed it detach when moving the laptop around the table?

Or a combination of the three.

I don't see how they could patent something like that when it has been available on Asian rice cookers since the 70's. But I wouldn't put it above Apple to try to get a patent on something they didn't invent.

Is MagSafe patented such that no one else can make magnetic power supplies?

I'm talking about MagSafe, the connector used on some Apple power adapters that pops out of the socket easily, and snaps into place using a magnet, so that both the cable and the socket are unlikel...

law.stackexchange.com

Yes, they patented it with 57 claims in the patent.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Is MagSafe patented such that no one else can make magnetic power supplies?

I'm talking about MagSafe, the connector used on some Apple power adapters that pops out of the socket easily, and snaps into place using a magnet, so that both the cable and the socket are unlikel...

law.stackexchange.com

Yes, they patented it with 57 claims in the patent.

Of course they did.. How can one even come up with 57 claims on the matter?

 

[Keith_W]

Is MagSafe patented such that no one else can make magnetic power supplies?

I'm talking about MagSafe, the connector used on some Apple power adapters that pops out of the socket easily, and snaps into place using a magnet, so that both the cable and the socket are unlikel...

law.stackexchange.com

Yes, they patented it with 57 claims in the patent.

What a hoot! Zojirushi magnetic power cord ... since 1982.

So typical of Apple. Take someone else's idea, slap a patent on it, then go around suing everybody alleging that they "copied" them. IT'S MINE NOW!!!

 

[Blumlein 88]

Of course they did.. How can one even come up with 57 claims on the matter?

Read them here:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7311526

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Read them here:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7311526

I won't. It's not healthy.

 

[maverickronin]

For what I paid for that POS, it could have come with proper feet. My view, if you haven't noticed is the purchase of a new laptop should not be a DIY project.

By that standard I think like half the things I buy are DIY projects.

 

[mhardy6647]

What a hoot! Zojirushi magnetic power cord ... since 1982.

So typical of Apple. Take someone else's idea, slap a patent on it, then go around suing everybody alleging that they "copied" them. IT'S MINE NOW!!!

Far from unique to Apple (and, believe me, I'm no Apple apologist!) -- let's be fair, here.

Open Office vs. Libre Office -- I didn't know the spreadsheets in the latter were an issue (for that, I've only used Excel for a long time*).
I used Open Office for a while for personal stuff back in the early 'aughts. It seemed better-suited to "office" tasks to me than does Libre Office, but I lost track of the former at a time a couple of years ago when I needed a quick (i.e., emergency) install of something that could handle presentation materials and Libre Office bailed me out.

______________
* and not that I'm proud of that, nor particularly happy with some of its proclivities.

 

[Ron Texas]

Surely the small rubber feet that stops it from sliding when you work on it isn't going to stop it from being dragged down the table. Maybe ten years ago when a laptop was twice the weight it is now it would've been prevented. And yes, they can be so small that the adhesive really hasn't much to say and it flings off.

A tip: Use the USB-C port to charge. That will be much less likely to drag it anywhere.

The XPS 13 could only be charged through the USB C port. The first time it slipped off a night table while away from home. That damaged both the male and female sides of the port. I had to buy a new charger and the motherboard side port was only useful for charging after that.

 

[Ron Texas]

This is something Apple had the right idea about with their magnetic power plug (Magsafe). It went away for a few years, but is coming back in some models. Why everyone didn't do this immediately on anything other than the cheapest laptops I don't know. Perhaps there was a patent on it.

My Mac (M3 Pro) has MagSafe charging. The cable now plugs into the charger with a USB C port so it can be replaced without replacing the charger. I had to replace two chargers on past Mac's. This design is also necessary to pass EU rules.

 

[Ron Texas]

By that standard I think like half the things I buy are DIY projects.

My view is there is too much of that going around. It's why I have a huge issue with all the user data gathering software added to today's computers. I wish the tech journalists who publish reviews of computers (laptops especially) would attempt to remove this garbage and see if essential utilities like fan control still work. I have noted above some of this stuff like Nehemic Audio can't be removed without breaking the audio stack. On Dell laptops the fan control (and other functions) utility is tied into the manufacturers data gathering software. Drivers for Killer network interface hardware recently added telemetry. Do we all have to spend hours for a clean install and more hours to get a third party fan control utility to work? People are a bit glib about suggesting these workarounds. They are difficult and often require technical skills not possessed by many.

 

[srrxr71]

My view is there is too much of that going around. It's why I have a huge issue with all the user data gathering software added to today's computers. I wish the tech journalists who publish reviews of computers (laptops especially) would attempt to remove this garbage and see if essential utilities like fan control still work. I have noted above some of this stuff like Nehemic Audio can't be removed without breaking the audio stack. On Dell laptops the fan control (and other functions) utility is tied into the manufacturers data gathering software. Drivers for Killer network interface hardware recently added telemetry. Do we all have to spend hours for a clean install and more hours to get a third party fan control utility to work? People are a bit glib about suggesting these workarounds. They are difficult and often require technical skills not possessed by many.

What I’ve found on the windows side to be somewhat tolerable are Thinkpads with Enterprise Thinkvantage software instead of the regular one which advertises to you.

Since it’s “enterprise” software one can only hope it passes corporate IT tests on things like telemetry. But that’s just a guess.

 

[somebodyelse]

The XPS 13 could only be charged through the USB C port. The first time it slipped off a night table while away from home. That damaged both the male and female sides of the port. I had to buy a new charger and the motherboard side port was only useful for charging after that.

I guess that's an advantage for Framework's modular ports - you'd probably damage the cheap replaceable module rather than the thunderbolt port on the main board. Most of the rest is available as parts too, although the feet aren't so far as I can tell. I haven't felt the need to upgrade the main board yet.

 

[Ron Texas]

What I’ve found on the windows side to be somewhat tolerable are Thinkpads with Enterprise Thinkvantage software instead of the regular one which advertises to you.

Since it’s “enterprise” software one can only hope it passes corporate IT tests on things like telemetry. But that’s just a guess.

I'm guessing this is only available to enterprise customers. Maybe similar options are available from Dell and HP.

 

[Ron Texas]

I guess that's an advantage for Framework's modular ports - you'd probably damage the cheap replaceable module rather than the thunderbolt port on the main board. Most of the rest is available as parts too, although the feet aren't so far as I can tell. I haven't felt the need to upgrade the main board yet.

It's an interesting idea, but it adds weight and bulk. That company certainly does have a different approach.

 

[srrxr71]

I'm guessing this is only available to enterprise customers. Maybe similar options are available from Dell and HP.

No not really. It’s been a while but I used to just uninstall the regular think center app and find a download for the enterprise version.

I hope it is still that way.

Edit: It’s still there. Called “Commercial Vantage” :

For Enterprise

www.lenovo.com

Even easier it is found in the Windows App Store.

 

[Ron Texas]

No not really. It’s been a while but I used to just uninstall the regular think center app and find a download for the enterprise version.

I hope it is still that way.

Edit: It’s still there. Called “Commercial Vantage” :

For Enterprise

www.lenovo.com

Even easier it is found in the Windows App Store.

That's good information and the sort of thing I would like to see in reviews which I mentioned above.

 

[somebodyelse]

It's an interesting idea, but it adds weight and bulk.

Perhaps, but probably less than you might imagine. Comparing with a corporate issue HP EliteBook the Framework 13 is thinner and narrower, but deeper due to screen aspect ratio and larger touchpad. Weight doesn't seem significantly different either. The HP has an extra port (2xA, 2xC, HDMI) and a card reader, but both C ports are on the same side which is sometimes frustrating. When they first appeared I wasn't sure how long they would last, but they're through 4 mainboard refresh cycles for the 13" and now have a 16" with upgradable graphics board too. As a linux user it's nice to be able to buy without an OS too, but Windows users can get it preloaded - I assume without a load of crapware.

 

[Ron Texas]

Perhaps, but probably less than you might imagine. Comparing with a corporate issue HP EliteBook the Framework 13 is thinner and narrower, but deeper due to screen aspect ratio and larger touchpad. Weight doesn't seem significantly different either. The HP has an extra port (2xA, 2xC, HDMI) and a card reader, but both C ports are on the same side which is sometimes frustrating. When they first appeared I wasn't sure how long they would last, but they're through 4 mainboard refresh cycles for the 13" and now have a 16" with upgradable graphics board too. As a linux user it's nice to be able to buy without an OS too, but Windows users can get it preloaded - I assume without a load of crapware.

What I have noticed about USB C ports is the manufacturers put them too close together. I'm not sure how much buying without Windows Home install saves you, but I do understand the principle of the matter. It's like being forced to pay for a fully loaded burger when all you want is a plain one.

 

[somebodyelse]

What I have noticed about USB C ports is the manufacturers put them too close together.

That HP for example - they're far enough apart for the standard cable connectors, but something oversize like some USB drives will block the other port. It's the same for the Type A sockets on the left.

I'm not sure how much buying without Windows Home install saves you, but I do understand the principle of the matter. It's like being forced to pay for a fully loaded burger when all you want is a plain one.

It depends on whether you want one of the standard ones or were going down the DIY route anyway. They charge £120 for Win11 Home, but you end up paying a bit more for the same spec via the DIY route which cuts the saving to more like £40 - still enough to pay for a few extras. It's more the principle as you say - and giving some visibility to a demand for machines without Windows.

When Dell offered linux preloaded (on a very select few models) I don't think it was ever cheaper, and sometimes more expensive. They did put some work into ensuring the hardware was properly supported with their linux install, and they weren't being paid for installing crapware which I gather often subsidises Windows machines.

 

[Ron Texas]

That HP for example - they're far enough apart for the standard cable connectors, but something oversize like some USB drives will block the other port. It's the same for the Type A sockets on the left.

It depends on whether you want one of the standard ones or were going down the DIY route anyway. They charge £120 for Win11 Home, but you end up paying a bit more for the same spec via the DIY route which cuts the saving to more like £40 - still enough to pay for a few extras. It's more the principle as you say - and giving some visibility to a demand for machines without Windows.

When Dell offered linux preloaded (on a very select few models) I don't think it was ever cheaper, and sometimes more expensive. They did put some work into ensuring the hardware was properly supported with their linux install, and they weren't being paid for installing crapware which I gather often subsidises Windows machines.

120 pounds is a bunch of money for Windows Home. When buying an off the shelf computer in the US I doubt the windows license adds more than a quarter of that to the price. It's expensive because that price is from a boutique manufacturer. The challenge with putting Linux on a laptop is getting things like charging, power management and fan control to work right not to mention peripherals like cameras and fingerprint readers to work. If it's a popular model or at least one where all the supporting hardware is widely used it will work. If not then heat, noise and battery life could turn out worse than Windows. Of course, removing the manufacturer's data gathering software will get that result on a Dell.