Because they didn't actually look at MacBooks, they're just guessing the price and specs.
Also for some reason people who say this never mention that they're happy with a 1080p screen.
Also for some reason people who say this never mention that they're happy with a 1080p screen.
I'm happy with a 1080p screen.
I don't need a trackpad that's half the size of the laptop. I don't need keys that only mostly work. I don't need a strip of whizbang capable of playing Doom.
I need function keys, that work, and give me tactile feedback.
People like different things.
Sorry what?
Let's look at my work laptop from the year before last. It's a macbook pro with a retina screen from 2013. The CPU is a 2.4GHz dual-core i5 processor. (I'm specifically looking at the ME864LL/A).
Currently they're selling for 500£, second hand.
A quick look on thinkwiki.org shows the equivalent is an X201 or X230.
A quick gander on Ebay shows an X230 with better specs: This one has an i7 with a 3.6GHz processor, an SSD already fitted, and 8GB of ram (2x more than the macbook in question). It comes in pristine condition with the charger and dock included.
It costs $310.00, plus $20 shipping (There are others in good nick with roughly equivalent specs (~2.9Ghz) for $40 cheaper)
The default screen is kind of crap, but for an extra $80 - $130 and a spare hour you can upgrade it. This specific redditor[0][1] bought a 2k screen (2560x1440 IPS) mod kit from China and it worked
So that makes it, what, $400?
It's $100 cheaper, for a better laptop with an equal or better screen.
[0]: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/8c009g/thinkpad_x...
[1]: https://forum.51nb.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1831613&... (you might need google translate)
Besides, that only works if you, as a mac owner, treat your machine well. From looking at second-hand macbooks, it's very difficult to find one where the screen isn't bent, or badly damaged, or where the battery (which is not easily user-servicable) actually holds a charge.
Personally I'm not even sure how you accidentally bend a laptop screen in the first place. All the thinkpads I've bought have been not only in fantastic condition, but almost every problem that presents itself (If any does, of course) is fixable for less than the price of a new machine.
I also believe I forgot to mention, that the older thinkpads have not only screen upgrades, but people in China producing motherboard upgrades? I could upgrade my $60 X200 to a recent-generation i7, with USB3 / USBC ports, fast graphics, etc. for even less than I could have bought that other Thinkpad with the same specifications, for.
Oh, and for the final dose of laptop superiority: Almost all thinkpads since before the X200 have keyboard drains. If I spill my drink on my laptop, my laptop still works.
I haven't kept track of Thinkpads (had a brief foray into Surface Pro land, then went back to an iPad + Mac for Apple's better stylus when they finally supported one), but I've been told the drains aren't a standard thing anymore? Some models have it, but Thinkpad doesn't list them in the specs so it's hard to even tell which.
For instance, the T480 does, but I think the T480s (slim) does not. And the T480's webpage doesn't mention it: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-t-ser...
Yeah, that's the reason. <eye roll>