Mom wants a Mac Notebook, not sure what model

[Renverse]

My mom is in need of a good laptop, and asked me for advice. I advised her to get either the MBA or the normal Macbook, but I'm still undecided on which to get here.

She needs its for Office, a bit of music/video and the web, she's not a power user(obv).

I was leaning towards the Macbook Air(13"), because the Macbook is horrendously outdated, and with no refresh in sight yet, but if it does update, I might consider that for her.

What do you guys think?

 

[miles01110]

Any current Apple portable (including the Macbook) will work for her. Decide on a budget and go from there.

 

[AdrianK]

Both are fine, spec-wise. I don't understand why you're put off the MacBook, sure it was updated a long time ago, but it's still more powerful the the Airs (minus the 13" Ultimate).

It just comes down to whether she thinks it's worth spending more on a lighter laptop.

 

[iStudentUK]

Nothing wrong with the MB. Not super fast but will hold up against an Air. Plus she can throw in 4GB of RAM in a year or two which will be cheaper than 4GB on an Air now.

If you are concerned about the MB spec why spend more on the 13" MBA? You could get the 13" base MBP.

 

[Renverse]

I was looking at the 13" MBA because of the lack of space on the 11"-ers, but the lack of a Disk Drive might be the deal-breaker for her.

Does the white Macbook have a backlit keyboard? We might get the white one after all, besides, she likes how it looks.

 

[vincenz]

I was looking at the 13" MBA because of the lack of space on the 11"-ers, but the lack of a Disk Drive might be the deal-breaker for her.

Does the white Macbook have a backlit keyboard? We might get the white one after all, besides, she likes how it looks.

Nope, the white MacBook doesn't have a backlit keyboard unfortunately.

 

[samh]

Both are fine, spec-wise. I don't understand why you're put off the MacBook, sure it was updated a long time ago, but it's still more powerful the the Airs (minus the 13" Ultimate).

It just comes down to whether she thinks it's worth spending more on a lighter laptop.

Is a refresh of the MacBook expected soon?

 

[ftaok]

How about the 13" MBP? If you have a Microcenter near you, they have the newest models for $999.

I'd stay away from the white MB since the MBP is the same price if you have a MC nearby. Also, neither the MB or the MBA have thunderbolt ... not saying your mom needs it, but it doesn't hurt.

ft

 

[gnasher729]

My mom is in need of a good laptop, and asked me for advice. I advised her to get either the MBA or the normal Macbook, but I'm still undecided on which to get here.

She needs its for Office, a bit of music/video and the web, she's not a power user(obv).

I was leaning towards the Macbook Air(13"), because the Macbook is horrendously outdated, and with no refresh in sight yet, but if it does update, I might consider that for her.

I think you should put yourself into your mother's shoes and think about what is important to her. Any version of macbooks will work just fine for her. I suspect that your mother doesn't care one bit if you think the MacBook is "outdated". Here's the actual differences:

1. The MacBook is white. It looks very friendly and has a very nice feel to it. People like it. It makes people smile. The MacBook is the happy Macintosh. It also survives slightly rough treatment without any traces.

2. The MacBook Pro 13" is the business. It also has the backlit keyboard which is nice if you don't keep your rooms brightly lit all the time. Some people feel that it has sharp edges, at least while it is brand new. It looks like brand new for a long time when not mistreated.

3. The MacBook Air is very light. It's nice when you carry it around in your bag constantly, but otherwise it doesn't give any advantages. The screen has tiny pixels which people over 40 don't like at all. The battery doesn't last as long as the others.

 

[AppleNewton]

Being a casual user for Office and listening to music and watching movies. the 13" Air will be decent. the 13" MacBook would suffice and i think the 13" Pro would be more than enough.

You dont need the latest and greatest for those specific needs, check out the Apple Refurb store. Ive seen Unibody MacBook (white) models in there for under $800 sometimes (they go fast).
You can even find a deal on the 13" MBP as well and quite honestly I'd go with the 2009 or 2010 version as I prefer the graphics on those machines compared to the new current 13" MBP GPU.

 

[Renverse]

Being a casual user for Office and listening to music and watching movies. the 13" Air will be decent. the 13" MacBook would suffice and i think the 13" Pro would be more than enough.

You dont need the latest and greatest for those specific needs, check out the Apple Refurb store. Ive seen Unibody MacBook (white) models in there for under $800 sometimes (they go fast).
You can even find a deal on the 13" MBP as well and quite honestly I'd go with the 2009 or 2010 version as I prefer the graphics on those machines compared to the new current 13" MBP GPU.

I'd LOVE to look at refurbs, but the refurb store is only in the US.

Also, @gnasher729: Thanks for the insight. I think I've made a decision now.

 

[Sawtooth811]

Get the same computer I got: a 2.4GHz Aluminum MacBook Unibody (Late 2008 - NOT MBP) because it's 95% IDENTICAL to some of the 13" MacBook Pro models; However, it is significantly cheaper, and Other World Computing developed up to 8GB RAM upgrade kits for it.

You should be able to find an Alum MacBook Unibody for no more than $700. It has a backlighted keyboard (except for the 2GHz model).