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Resolved My mid-2012 MBP has been unusable for a long time.... question.
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Given the age of your machine, at this point I think the best thing to do is to simply buy a new computer, an MBA or whatever.....
You'll have to find someone who has the same vintage machine with the same type of power source/charger (60 watt) and MagSafe cable/connector/port..... and that might be difficult. I'm not sure whether your machine would use the original MagSafe or the MagSafe 2 connector/port. Presumably the Apple store Genius Bar would still have those available for their use in diagnosing and repairing machines but I am pretty sure that the store no longer sells them.
That's good to know -- I just had a look at the online Apple store and sure enough, both the 60 W adapter with the MagSafe and the 60W with the MagSafe 2 are available for the 13" MBP! Worth spending $80 to get (after first determining exactly which is needed: the MagSafe or MagSafe 2)....... If it is the battery, that's another issue, though.
I think I’m going to admit defeat and actually get an iPad. However, I’ll have to wait because of forced closures. Does anyone who’s posted and has purchased an iPad,what would I expect to pay either up front monthly. (I don’t have an Apple credit card.)
Will I be able to use the same nylon charging cable that I use for my phone?
Thank you!
Will I be able to use the same nylon charging cable that I use for my phone?
Thank you!
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You can order an iPad from the Apple store online, no need to wait, and I am pretty sure the Apple store accepts all credit and debit cards, not just their own Apple Card. Also, in answer to your question about paying upfront monthly, you also have the option of ordering the cellular version of the iPad via your current cellular data carrier (same as if you were purchasing an iPhone). Most carriers offer a monthly payment plan, too. I think the carriers only offer the iPad models with cellular data, not the models which use WiFi only. Other places to order an iPad online would include Best Buy, Microcenter, and I think Target.
As for the charging cable, it depends upon which iPad you would be getting, as the iPad Pro models use an 18W USB-C charging connection rather than the familiar Lightning cable that we all have with our iPhones and iPads. In my household I have the iPad Mini 5 and that uses the Lighting cable, same as my iPhone, but my 3rd-generation 12.9" iPad Pro uses an 18W USB-C power adapter and a USB-C cable.
Hope this helps.....
As for the charging cable, it depends upon which iPad you would be getting, as the iPad Pro models use an 18W USB-C charging connection rather than the familiar Lightning cable that we all have with our iPhones and iPads. In my household I have the iPad Mini 5 and that uses the Lighting cable, same as my iPhone, but my 3rd-generation 12.9" iPad Pro uses an 18W USB-C power adapter and a USB-C cable.
Hope this helps.....
I’m glad I got a reply. I do have one more question. Is there a port for mostly syncing an iPod on an iPad? (For iTunes.)
However, I was looking online earlier and found a MBA I like. I want a MBA because I’m more familiar with MacBook(Pro)s.
I just have to wait to look at them to make a decision.
Is there anything I should keep in mind when looking? I also have an 8 gig iPod as well as my 64 gig iPhone.
Thank you.
However, I was looking online earlier and found a MBA I like. I want a MBA because I’m more familiar with MacBook(Pro)s.
I just have to wait to look at them to make a decision.
Is there anything I should keep in mind when looking? I also have an 8 gig iPod as well as my 64 gig iPhone.
Thank you.
First off, IMHO you would be much happier with the MBA, as it has all the functionality of an actual computer, while iPads are limited to a certain extent by their iOS operating system, which just isn't the same as using MacOS. Depending upon which model of iPad you would be thinking of buying, the truth is that for a little more money you could have a full-fledged computer, a MacBook Air, and that might be far more satisfying to you in the long run.
The only port on an iPad is the charging port, and so in the absence of a working Mac, the way one syncs the iPad for iTunes, Mail, bookmarks, etc., is through iCloud, if one already has that set up. I use both methods, actually. For the most part, updates and syncing and such are done OTA (over the air) on my iPad, but when I first get a new iPad or iPhone, I still do set it up using my computer, as I don't have my iTunes library in iCloud (yeah, I'm different that way!).
It's been a while now -- since late 2018 -- that I last bought a new computer, and back in 2015, the time before that when I last bought a new computer, prior to doing so I analyzed everything to death, thinking seriously about how I use my computer, what I use it for the most, what I would miss if I didn't have a particular functionality or feature, and what setup would work best for me: a desktop or a desktop replacement. At that point, back in 2015, I was trying to decide between another iMac or a MacBook Pro used as a desktop replacement, and for various reasons the latter won. I was so happy with it that then three years later in 2018 I didn't hesitate, simply bought another MacBook Pro, this time jumping into the world of USB-C and all that, too.
As far as iPads go, I bought the 3rd generation 12.9 iPad sometime in 2018, I think, and was simply replacing an older 12.9 iPad because I wanted the newer features and functionality available. I have not done that with the latest generation of iPad Pros, though, as mine is still working just fine and I've been putting more of my discretionary income into camera gear this past several months and will continue to do so for a while. As for the iPad Mini 5, I had had an earlier Mini and loved it for its portability and when version 5 came along, decided to get one to use when traveling, and it has been great for that. Tucks neatly into a purse or bag and does what I need (I have the cellular data version for situations where there is no WiFi).
So, sit down and think about what you want and expect from a device, how you use it the most, what you use it for, do you take it with you when going out of the house and when traveling, or does it spend most of its time at home? Where at home -- inside, outside in the yard or on a patio or deck with you?
How do you feel about typing on a keyboard? With the MBA, of course there is a keyboard provided, and with the iPad, you have an internal keyboard but many people do not like typing on glass, so they choose to buy an external keyboard, either one of the ones Apple offers that connect right to the device or they do as I do and just use an older external Apple BT keyboard that I already had from a previous computer.....
What do you want and need to connect to the device? As I said, much of what's connected to an iPad is via iCloud, and there is no headphone jack, no other port on the device except the charging port. A MacBook/MacBook Air/MacBook Pro has necessary ports, of course, but even there you have to think about this a bit......
Current Macs no longer are using the familiar USB-A (USB-3) ports; they now come with USB-C ports (or, actually, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3). What does this mean to the consumer? Well, if you have external drives or other peripherals that you've been plugging into a previous Mac with USB-A (USB-3) ports, now you will have to either purchase an adapter or a cable that has the appropriate connections on each end or purchase a new peripheral that uses the USB-C type port. Some external drives come with two kinds of cables now, one with USB-A to USB-C and one with USB-C to USB-C, so that the consumer can easily use whichever is needed, and for those who have legacy machines which they are still using, this makes it easy to put data from the older computer on an external drive with one cable and then put the data on the new computer simply by switching the cables. Some of the external drives I have provided both kinds of cables and that was a real help to me; in other cases I was able to buy the kind of cable I needed on Amazon.
Another consideration is how many ports you actually need on the machine, anyway......For some people two ports are just fine -- one for the charging function and one for connecting a peripheral from time to time, or in some situations, using both ports for connecting peripherals when the machine is fully charged. Other people (like me) actually need more than two ports at any given time so I always go with a machine that has four ports right out of the gate. A lot of times I am transferring data from one external drive to another or am doing something else along those lines and yet still need to have my machine charging at the same time.
Anyhow, some food for thought here..... You are quite right to realize that it probably would be best to have a hands-on experience with any machine you are considering purchasing, even if you do have to wait another month or two. That way you'll know how the machine feels in your hands, how heavy or light it feels, and how responsive the keyboard is when you type on it. Also you'll be able to gauge the viewing experience of looking at and reading things on the screen, too, as that's also important, and how the built-in speakers sound, too. I think all the new machines still come with a headphone jack, but that is something to check out, too.
I hope you have all of your data from your 2012 MBP safely backed up so that it can easily be transferred to a new computer if you go the route of purchasing a MacBook Air.....
The only port on an iPad is the charging port, and so in the absence of a working Mac, the way one syncs the iPad for iTunes, Mail, bookmarks, etc., is through iCloud, if one already has that set up. I use both methods, actually. For the most part, updates and syncing and such are done OTA (over the air) on my iPad, but when I first get a new iPad or iPhone, I still do set it up using my computer, as I don't have my iTunes library in iCloud (yeah, I'm different that way!).
It's been a while now -- since late 2018 -- that I last bought a new computer, and back in 2015, the time before that when I last bought a new computer, prior to doing so I analyzed everything to death, thinking seriously about how I use my computer, what I use it for the most, what I would miss if I didn't have a particular functionality or feature, and what setup would work best for me: a desktop or a desktop replacement. At that point, back in 2015, I was trying to decide between another iMac or a MacBook Pro used as a desktop replacement, and for various reasons the latter won. I was so happy with it that then three years later in 2018 I didn't hesitate, simply bought another MacBook Pro, this time jumping into the world of USB-C and all that, too.
As far as iPads go, I bought the 3rd generation 12.9 iPad sometime in 2018, I think, and was simply replacing an older 12.9 iPad because I wanted the newer features and functionality available. I have not done that with the latest generation of iPad Pros, though, as mine is still working just fine and I've been putting more of my discretionary income into camera gear this past several months and will continue to do so for a while. As for the iPad Mini 5, I had had an earlier Mini and loved it for its portability and when version 5 came along, decided to get one to use when traveling, and it has been great for that. Tucks neatly into a purse or bag and does what I need (I have the cellular data version for situations where there is no WiFi).
So, sit down and think about what you want and expect from a device, how you use it the most, what you use it for, do you take it with you when going out of the house and when traveling, or does it spend most of its time at home? Where at home -- inside, outside in the yard or on a patio or deck with you?
How do you feel about typing on a keyboard? With the MBA, of course there is a keyboard provided, and with the iPad, you have an internal keyboard but many people do not like typing on glass, so they choose to buy an external keyboard, either one of the ones Apple offers that connect right to the device or they do as I do and just use an older external Apple BT keyboard that I already had from a previous computer.....
What do you want and need to connect to the device? As I said, much of what's connected to an iPad is via iCloud, and there is no headphone jack, no other port on the device except the charging port. A MacBook/MacBook Air/MacBook Pro has necessary ports, of course, but even there you have to think about this a bit......
Current Macs no longer are using the familiar USB-A (USB-3) ports; they now come with USB-C ports (or, actually, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3). What does this mean to the consumer? Well, if you have external drives or other peripherals that you've been plugging into a previous Mac with USB-A (USB-3) ports, now you will have to either purchase an adapter or a cable that has the appropriate connections on each end or purchase a new peripheral that uses the USB-C type port. Some external drives come with two kinds of cables now, one with USB-A to USB-C and one with USB-C to USB-C, so that the consumer can easily use whichever is needed, and for those who have legacy machines which they are still using, this makes it easy to put data from the older computer on an external drive with one cable and then put the data on the new computer simply by switching the cables. Some of the external drives I have provided both kinds of cables and that was a real help to me; in other cases I was able to buy the kind of cable I needed on Amazon.
Another consideration is how many ports you actually need on the machine, anyway......For some people two ports are just fine -- one for the charging function and one for connecting a peripheral from time to time, or in some situations, using both ports for connecting peripherals when the machine is fully charged. Other people (like me) actually need more than two ports at any given time so I always go with a machine that has four ports right out of the gate. A lot of times I am transferring data from one external drive to another or am doing something else along those lines and yet still need to have my machine charging at the same time.
Anyhow, some food for thought here..... You are quite right to realize that it probably would be best to have a hands-on experience with any machine you are considering purchasing, even if you do have to wait another month or two. That way you'll know how the machine feels in your hands, how heavy or light it feels, and how responsive the keyboard is when you type on it. Also you'll be able to gauge the viewing experience of looking at and reading things on the screen, too, as that's also important, and how the built-in speakers sound, too. I think all the new machines still come with a headphone jack, but that is something to check out, too.
I hope you have all of your data from your 2012 MBP safely backed up so that it can easily be transferred to a new computer if you go the route of purchasing a MacBook Air.....
I don't know very much about the iHome alarm radio -- it has a USB port or two? If so I would guess that would be dandy for plugging in your iPod or iPad and listening to music through its speakers, although these days most of the iPads seem to have pretty good speakers themselves, too, from what I have noticed.
As for syncing, if you've got all your music already on iCloud then you are good to go in that respect and of course any new music you add to your iPad as time goes on would also be automatically synced to your iCloud account and any other devices you have.
I actually tend to use headphones a lot because often when I'm using the iPad I'm either outdoors on the deck or in the house in bed, especially late at night, when I'm wanting to watch a video or listen to music, and since I live in a condominium apartment with people above me and below me I have to be considerate of their needs, especially late at night. A neighbor trying to get to sleep probably would not really appreciate listening to my music, even if I am enjoying it!
Of course these days, too, there are a lot of options for wireless headphones and such, which I guess is one reason Apple did away with the headphone jack on the iPhones and iPads now. ??
Again, this is a matter of analyzing your needs and what you do the most with a device and what you expect from a device, and yes, many people are finding these days that they don't really need a full-fledged computer, it all depends upon how they go online and what they do online and also what they do offline and how much they need to store locally and what they do with their files, how they share them etc. In my case I still need a computer because I do a lot of photography and while editing on an iPad can be done, I'm just not quite ready for that yet, and still prefer to use an actual computer and more sophisticated software to help me create the results I want. Probably if I weren't into photography, though, I could manage easily enough with no computer, just using an iPad.....
As for syncing, if you've got all your music already on iCloud then you are good to go in that respect and of course any new music you add to your iPad as time goes on would also be automatically synced to your iCloud account and any other devices you have.
I actually tend to use headphones a lot because often when I'm using the iPad I'm either outdoors on the deck or in the house in bed, especially late at night, when I'm wanting to watch a video or listen to music, and since I live in a condominium apartment with people above me and below me I have to be considerate of their needs, especially late at night. A neighbor trying to get to sleep probably would not really appreciate listening to my music, even if I am enjoying it!
Of course these days, too, there are a lot of options for wireless headphones and such, which I guess is one reason Apple did away with the headphone jack on the iPhones and iPads now. ??
Again, this is a matter of analyzing your needs and what you do the most with a device and what you expect from a device, and yes, many people are finding these days that they don't really need a full-fledged computer, it all depends upon how they go online and what they do online and also what they do offline and how much they need to store locally and what they do with their files, how they share them etc. In my case I still need a computer because I do a lot of photography and while editing on an iPad can be done, I'm just not quite ready for that yet, and still prefer to use an actual computer and more sophisticated software to help me create the results I want. Probably if I weren't into photography, though, I could manage easily enough with no computer, just using an iPad.....
I have the Touch Bar on my 2018 MBP, but since I use that machine on a stand with an external keyboard and mouse (basically a desktop replacement), I really haven't done all that much with the Touch Bar. Some people love it, others dislike it. Presumably the more expensive MBA has other improvements along with the Touch Bar, such as more powerful processor, too. The Touch Bar is pretty, very colorful when it is lit up, which is rather fun.....
Apple MacBook Air 13" - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD
Apple MacBook Air 13" - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD
This is the model I want. I’m leaning more toward not including the Touch Bar. My question is, should I replace my external hard drive. I’ve had it since my mid-2008 (my first) MBP.
Yes, absolutely you should replace your external HDD, as by now it is probably pretty "tired," with the greater likelihood of failure. Also, newer external HDD are faster, less expensive than they were back in the old days, and this way you can get one with the right kind of connector, USB-C, which is the kind of ports the MBA will have now. If you will need to transfer data from that older external HDD you will also have to get an adapter that will allow you to plug it into the new computer. Adapters can be purchased at the Apple store or at Amazon.
This would be another good reason, actually, to purchase your new machine at an actual Apple retail store when they reopen so that you can not only look at and handle the machines and make your final decision but also get guidance from the employee helping you as to what else you'll need. Also I think the Apple store will set up the new machine for you and will transfer data for you from old machine to new machine, if need be. When you go to the store, be sure to take along information you'll need for setting up the new machine, such as any passwords you use for email and other accounts, especially your Apple ID.
How often do you -- or did you -- use the function keys on your 2012 MBP? Those are the ones on the top row, with the esc key at the far left and then the F keys: F1 - F12, which include turning the sound volume up or down, brightening or dimming the computer screen, etc. If you don't use those keys very often, which most people don't, then there's your answer: the Touch Bar, which is a replacement for those, would just be a pretty and colorful bar across the top which really wouldn't be all that useful to you.
The i3 processor is not going to be quite as powerful as the machine with an i5 processor, but if you aren't doing a lot of stuff which requires the machine to work hard, such as rendering videos, creating music audios with Garage Band, post-processing and editing large image files, etc., and instead will be mainly using the machine for emails, surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos, then it should be fine.
8 GB RAM isn't a lot these days, as more and more websites and software seem to be demanding more from people's browsers and their machines, but again if one doesn't do a lot of the activities such as I mentioned above, 8 GB is fine for most everyday things. Many people these days need more power and more RAM, too, because they are using software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams for video chats and video meetings while working from home or staying in touch with distant family members. I think the "sweet spot" these days in memory is 16 GB RAM. People who do a lot of stuff with video files, music files and photo files are the ones who need 32 or more GB memory.
256 GB SSD storage is fairly minimal, but again, if you don't put a lot of data in your computer and don't have massive files of documents, photos, music or the like, then it is perfectly sufficient. Or, some people buy a machine with smaller storage capacity but then stash most of their data on an external drive or two. I do a mixture of both; I have my computer's SSD less than half-filled, but I stash some types of data files which accumulate quickly (mostly image files) right on to an external drive so that they don't fill up my computer, especially if they are things I don't need to access frequently. I do that with my photo files in particular, since I shoot a lot of pictures and it would be all-too-easy to overwhelm my computer's SSD with nothing but photo files!
I'll bet you're getting excited at the idea of a new computer!
.
This would be another good reason, actually, to purchase your new machine at an actual Apple retail store when they reopen so that you can not only look at and handle the machines and make your final decision but also get guidance from the employee helping you as to what else you'll need. Also I think the Apple store will set up the new machine for you and will transfer data for you from old machine to new machine, if need be. When you go to the store, be sure to take along information you'll need for setting up the new machine, such as any passwords you use for email and other accounts, especially your Apple ID.
How often do you -- or did you -- use the function keys on your 2012 MBP? Those are the ones on the top row, with the esc key at the far left and then the F keys: F1 - F12, which include turning the sound volume up or down, brightening or dimming the computer screen, etc. If you don't use those keys very often, which most people don't, then there's your answer: the Touch Bar, which is a replacement for those, would just be a pretty and colorful bar across the top which really wouldn't be all that useful to you.
The i3 processor is not going to be quite as powerful as the machine with an i5 processor, but if you aren't doing a lot of stuff which requires the machine to work hard, such as rendering videos, creating music audios with Garage Band, post-processing and editing large image files, etc., and instead will be mainly using the machine for emails, surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos, then it should be fine.
8 GB RAM isn't a lot these days, as more and more websites and software seem to be demanding more from people's browsers and their machines, but again if one doesn't do a lot of the activities such as I mentioned above, 8 GB is fine for most everyday things. Many people these days need more power and more RAM, too, because they are using software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams for video chats and video meetings while working from home or staying in touch with distant family members. I think the "sweet spot" these days in memory is 16 GB RAM. People who do a lot of stuff with video files, music files and photo files are the ones who need 32 or more GB memory.
256 GB SSD storage is fairly minimal, but again, if you don't put a lot of data in your computer and don't have massive files of documents, photos, music or the like, then it is perfectly sufficient. Or, some people buy a machine with smaller storage capacity but then stash most of their data on an external drive or two. I do a mixture of both; I have my computer's SSD less than half-filled, but I stash some types of data files which accumulate quickly (mostly image files) right on to an external drive so that they don't fill up my computer, especially if they are things I don't need to access frequently. I do that with my photo files in particular, since I shoot a lot of pictures and it would be all-too-easy to overwhelm my computer's SSD with nothing but photo files!
I'll bet you're getting excited at the idea of a new computer!
.
I’m buying at Costco because the ones I am interested in are al bit more cost friendly and as of right now, I will be able to pay off a new MBA in one payment.
Today, I found out the closest Mac friend isn’t a Mac person anymore, so I might be here often, but I’ll have Apple remote access.
Today, I found out the closest Mac friend isn’t a Mac person anymore, so I might be here often, but I’ll have Apple remote access.