trailofsparks Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 in the off chance that I'm wrong or there are definitely more desireable options in some over others, I'll ask. I have only used PCs, but other than the price difference, I certainly have no loyalty. We are on the market for a Mac and I don't know a thing about them, other than folks who have Macs never go back to PCs. Can you Mac users make some recommendations for me to consider? Pretty sure I want a desktop, not laptop. Yikes - I've done no research, so I feel a little guilty asking for input. But I feel so overwhelmed - maybe you can give me a starting point? TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I think the best bet is to go for the latest model you can afford. That is what I did. I bought refurbished but I bought a quad core rather than a dual core. Look at the store and see what the latest most expensive one is, and work back from there. Generally, you pay for what you get and the more recent, upgraded a model you get, the longer it will last you. The truth is, I don't notice the difference- dh says its faster but we are talking subtle here- too subtle for me to tell the difference. But dh notices and that is what he encouraged me to do. So, I ended up spending a few hundred $ more than I intended, but I got a much, much better machine than I would have bought at first. So spend some time at the website reading, or perhaps ask someone who might know more, to go through the website with you. I have an 27* Imac and I adore it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just go into your apple store and drool a while. This isn't like pc's where you have to sort through the chaff to avoid getting burnt. They're ALL good. You can literally walk in and let them help you and be confident you're getting something good. But whatever you do, go to the macrumors site and check the buying guide for what is about to be updated, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I would avoid the MacBook Air. It looks cool and compact, but it has the slowest processors that Apple offers, and the hard drives, while SSD (newer technology) do not hold many GB's. Their RAM (which controls overall speed) can not be upgraded later. PLUS it does not have a built in CD-Rom/DVD drive. The MacBook is a great little Mac...no negatives really......BUT that being said, for just $100 more, you can get the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro offers 4GB of RAM standard, (versus 2GB on MacBook), and be upgraded to 8GB of RAM if you ever want to. What that means to you is a potential of a longer Mac life, as a few years down the road, if you find the the Mac is slow and struggling with all that you do, you can add more RAM. The MacBook Pro also offers the Thunderbolt port which is the latest technology for information transfer (think USB port, how that was unheard of several years ago, and now all computers offer them, the Thunderbolt port is the new USB, so to speak). If you can swing it, go with MacBook Pro, which also have the backlit keyboard! Don't forget to use the Education discount if you go with a new one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamachanse Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just go into your apple store and drool a while. This isn't like pc's where you have to sort through the chaff to avoid getting burnt. They're ALL good. You can literally walk in and let them help you and be confident you're getting something good. But whatever you do, go to the macrumors site and check the buying guide for what is about to be updated, etc. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 About three years ago, I switched from a Dell laptop to a mac. First, I thought I'd get a macbook -- limited space on a small desk, etc. But they were very expensive compared to the desktops. So I went to an apple store, measured everything and made a mock-up at home (yes, seriously). The design of the mac desktop has a big screen, but a very small footprint, so it takes up less room on my desk than my old 15" dell. The keyboard fits under the screen when not in use. I did what pp suggested and "worked back" from the most expensive models, ended up with a 20" screen and all the extras offered at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just for your trivia, all the software apple sells is loaded on these machines in the apple store, every single one, so you can literally compare them. Open up imovie and have the geek help you process 1,000 pictures into a video (yes, they have files like that). Then go to the next computer and do the same thing and the next and the next. See how long each computer takes. Or pick another task that is important to you that you do a lot. That, for me, was a real life way to compare how each type of machine function at a task I do a lot. You don't even have to take files in with you, because they already have stuff on them. And what you might find is that ALL the machines will do well the particular things you do; you never know. But they have the software on them, so you can really try them and see. If you can afford to get a solid state drive, you want one. I got mine as an aftermarket upgrade through Other World Computing (OWC) and had a great experience. I also got my RAM through them, as it was WAY cheaper that way than through Apple. But I think I read that Apple is changing the way upgrades work and making it harder to get those 3rd party upgrades. I'm not sure. In any case, that's your little tip of the day. I'm on an imac. If you want to be at your desk, it's stunning, the huge screen... But you'll know once you get in there what you like. I use the trackpad with it, and the experience is so stunning, with the SSD, tons of RAM, trackpad, etc., that going back to a pc is like going back to the Flintstone era. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My advice is to get the most RAM you can. The hard drives are large and hold a lot, but you can always easily increase hard drive storage by adding an external hard drive in the future if you need to. But the RAM is very important, so get that. A quad core would be the best for being long lasting and adapting to whatever the market tosses at it in the next few years. Get the fastest processor that is in your price range because that also influences the use of any software that may come out in the next few years. Macs are built very well. We have a desktop Mac that is about 7 years old and it still works perfectly. It is too old to run the current operating system, but it still works as well as when we bought it. Macs last. Do you have an Apple store nearby? I suggest you go in and talk to someone. Tell them what you want to use it for and they are usually very helpful in suggesting what you need, not just the most expensive computer available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailofsparks Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 Thank you all so much! You made me glad I asked such a vague question:D I appreciate all the tips! (I'll remember to get the Educator's discount). Btw, I'm already drooling just listening to your great experiences w/Mac. Can't wait. . . though it will be a little while yet. In the meantime, I'll visit the Apple store and allow for plenty of time ;) Thanks, again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.