2017 Linux Laptop Survey Results

[starshipeleven]

Strange - so many people using Macbooks yet so few are using Mac OS. I understand the Macbook Pros are nice, but don't people realize it's very overpriced? Kind of the reason for spending that much is the OS. And yeah I know - Mac OS is free, but that's because Apple doesn't expect people to install it on PCs that aren't Apple-branded.

This trend is also confirmed by other data. Apple's x86 stuff sells like hot cakes and it's still increasing sales while most other OEM's stuff sales are decreasing.
Meanwhile MacOS/OSX marketshare stays the same.

So yeah it seems that in this case people buy Apple hardware to run Linux on it just as most other people buying Apple hardware then run Windows on it.

[starshipeleven]

It could also be that at a lot of companies you show up for work and they ask you what sort of Macbook you want and if you're OK with one a year or two old because they're waiting for the next model refresh before buying more.

What kind of place is that? And why Macbooks?

Here the usual suspects (HP/Dell) dominate in companies, with HP having a significant lead over Dell.

[profoundWHALE]

This is a little late, but I'm a little confused at the first pie chart which has Price showing 13.2% but then under it you say

In fourth was then the battery life at 13.2%.

[Zan Lynx]

What kind of place is that? And why Macbooks?

Here the usual suspects (HP/Dell) dominate in companies, with HP having a significant lead over Dell.

I haven't done a survey or anything but it seems to me that web development shops just assume web developers will want Macbooks.

[doom_Oo7]

Strange - so many people using Macbooks yet so few are using Mac OS. I understand the Macbook Pros are nice, but don't people realize it's very overpriced? Kind of the reason for spending that much is the OS. And yeah I know - Mac OS is free, but that's because Apple doesn't expect people to install it on PCs that aren't Apple-branded.

Is it ? How much did cost a laptop with a 15" hidpi screen, an i7-6700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, two thunderbolt ports, 10 hours of battery life and a metal chassis in 2014 ? Not sure it'd be cheaper than the 1600€ (at that time) of an MBP.

Besides, Linux >>>>> the laggy piece of shit that is macOS. Everything is sooooo slow in this piece of crap ! Linux with any DE, Plasma, GNOME, Unity, flies on the same hardware.

[starshipeleven]

I haven't done a survey or anything but it seems to me that web development shops just assume web developers will want Macbooks.

That's a correct assumption here too, webdevs are usually hipsters and hipsters usually want macbooks.

But here also webdevelopment companies don't give out macbooks.

[Zan Lynx]

That's a correct assumption here too, webdevs are usually hipsters and hipsters usually want macbooks.

But here also webdevelopment companies don't give out macbooks.

I don't see why not though. When you're paying $70 - $100 thousand dollars a year in salary, plus all the taxes and insurance for a developer, why flinch at $3 or $4 thousand in laptop and monitor costs? A lot of places cover moving costs too, and that's usually $6 thousand or so.

And it isn't like these are being given away. They belong to the company and they're good for two or three years at least.

[illwieckz]

Not surprising.

[Dedale]

On the internet, i know one person who bought a mac laptop, because he likes the hardware. He wiped MacOs and put some linux distro on it. He is not using anything else.

[schmidtbag]

Is it ? How much did cost a laptop with a 15" hidpi screen, an i7-6700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, two thunderbolt ports, 10 hours of battery life and a metal chassis in 2014 ? Not sure it'd be cheaper than the 1600€ (at that time) of an MBP.

Uh... the 6700HQ didn't exist in 2014. Regardless, those are good specs for a reasonable price. Though what you get is all you're getting - no repairing it yourself and no upgrade path. That being said, for that money, there are other laptops I would rather have. Maybe they would be inferior in some ways, but better in others.

For the record, I'm not trashing on anyone buying a Macbook for non-Mac purposes. Just seems a little weird to me.

It could also be that at a lot of companies you show up for work and they ask you what sort of Macbook you want and if you're OK with one a year or two old because they're waiting for the next model refresh before buying more.

True, I could see something like that come up.