Comments for Stuff South Africa

Comment on What is the best MacBook Air value? by Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:28:20 +0000

False equivalence. A five/six year-old machine is NOT equivalent to a new one, even if it’s been refurbished. Wear and tear – depreciation in accounting terms – means the components that make up the device is closer to the end of its useful life, when that is depends on how it’s been used (and abused). Also, older ones are unable to utilise new tech, eg Apple Intelligence.

For laptops in particular battery life is vital – many cannot be replaced or only at great expense. Take Macshack’s opinion for what its worth: a disingenuous sales pitch for second hand goods it sells. Whether one buys new or used depends entirely on one’s budget and subjective factors. New 13″ Airs M2 are still advertised for R12-14K and new M4’s for R16K. M5s are now on sale for R20K. I know what I’d buy.

Comment on Random Access Memories (1985) – Microsoft Excel by DERRYCK

DERRYCK — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:57:43 +0000

You didn’t mention the Mac spreadsheet’s predecessor – LisaCalc

Comment on Stand a chance to win your cart for free with Incredible and Happy Pay by Neo

Neo — Sun, 31 May 2026 22:42:48 +0000

Hi. Can I please win something. Thank you

Comment on Latest fuel price forecast swings in diesel drivers’ favour with R4/l decrease this June by Gavin

Gavin — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:27:08 +0000

Thanks for the diesel price update, I certainly hope the competition commission intervenes and ensures the prices of foodstuff also decrease. They are/have been appointed to serve the consumer.

Comment on Chrome betrays your ‘trust’ by secretly downloading a 4GB AI file to your PC by Steve Matt

Steve Matt — Fri, 08 May 2026 05:38:16 +0000

Honestly, this is the kind of thing that makes people lose trust in big tech companies. Downloading a 4GB AI model in the background without clearly asking users first feels pretty invasive, especially for people with limited storage or bandwidth. Even if Google thinks on-device AI is “helpful,” users should still have the choice to opt in.

The part about Chrome re-downloading the file after deletion is what really crosses the line for me. That makes it feel less like a feature and more like forced adoption.

I’m not against AI features at all, local/on-device AI can actually be better for privacy compared to cloud processing, but transparency matters. A simple popup saying “Do you want to install Gemini Nano for offline AI features?” would avoid most of this backlash.

Comment on The Xiaomi 17T line-up has leaked, suggesting a solid mid-range upgrade by Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 07 May 2026 09:12:03 +0000

You frequently write about gadgets that won’t be released in SA (a computer salesman told me SA is not a priority market for makers). I start reading with interest only to be told it’s unlikely or uncertain to be available locally, eg Honor Matepad 4 I’d wanted if it was for sale here. So what’s the point?

Comment on Japan Airlines to begin humanoid robot trials at Haneda airport this month by GLENN

GLENN — Mon, 04 May 2026 23:46:25 +0000

The Chinese manufactured robots are being supplied to Japan Airlines from a Japanese company GMO AIR.

Comment on You probably wouldn’t notice if an AI chatbot slipped ads into its responses by smart goal saving money

smart goal saving money — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:15:28 +0000

I appreciate the step-by-step approach here.

Comment on HONOR 600 Lite launches with metal-forged unibody design and a 108MP ultra-clear camera by Getrude

Getrude — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:39:13 +0000

We all went out to support you just because we thought you invited Thandeka tshabalala but no you even made a joke of her. I was thinking of taking this phone back , but i know ther is second chance please invite thandeka tshabalala on your events

You are wrong for not inviting thandekaTshabalala

Comment on Apple MacBook Neo review – Something Neo under the sun by X

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:29:02 +0000

How much