Needing advice...

[TheColberre]

You guys probably get a lot of these threads, but for me, it's a weird experience. I've been a longtime Windows supporter that is finally considering switching to the Mac in order to use iMovie as a student, and am looking for advice.

I use a Dell Adamo and iPhone 4 already, so I'm looking for a Apple computer that for under $700 can provide me with a OS X experience I can later upgrade to Lion with. Obviously this would be a used Mac, so I'm looking for where I should look and specifically *what* kind of Macs I should be looking for. I'd need a Mac with an Intel Core 2 Duo, that's pretty much it. I'm not sure if I should get a iMac, but since I already have an ultraportable PC and my budget is $700 with this, I'm wondering if there's any Macs I should be looking for.

More advice is what Windows users who switched to the Mac can recommend to me. Accessories, tips, etc. Also, what to do if you are in a Windows environment and want to use Keynote, for example. If I got an iMac, I can't really take it with me to present, but a MacBook might not be powerful enough for example.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

A MacBook is fast enough to run iMovie, Garage Band and iPhoto with lots of data, therefore it can run Keynote presentations quite well, unless you really have complex one with hundreds of slides and dozens of layers.
A used MacBook would be quite a good choice for your needs, but there is also the Mac mini you could buy.

Also take a look at the refurbished section of the Apple Online Store to find better deals.

Apple Certified Refurbished Products
MacRumors Guides: Apple Refurbished Store

If you want more information, here are just a few of many threads on this topic, found by searching the forum with MRoogle:


Refurbished MBP or New?
Getting an iMac - New or Refurbished?
Refurbished vs new
HELP: Refurbished 17" or New High End 15"?!
Are Refurbished Macs as high quality their new counterparts?
Do refurbished fail more often than new MBP's?
New MPB or refurbished model?

Btw, the font you chose to make your post is quite hard to read, unless one zooms into it. Why not use the standard font?

 

[TheColberre]

A MacBook is fast enough to run iMovie, Garage Band and iPhoto with lots of data, therefore it can run Keynote presentations quite well, unless you really have complex one with hundreds of slides and dozens of layers.
A used MacBook would be quite a good choice for your needs, but there is also the Mac mini you could buy.

Also take a look at the refurbished section of the Apple Online Store to find better deals.



Btw, the font you chose to make your post is quite hard to read, unless one zooms into it. Why not use the standard font?

Okay, I changed it. I'm looking into the Refurbs and saw the $599 Mac mini...wow- that's right in my price range. Have you ever heard of anyone simply taking the Mac mini in a bag with the power cord and mouse and connecting it to a projector when they need to do presentations?

(It sounds like hardware-wise, the most powerful Mac I could get would be a refurbished Mac mini, unless you're aware of something else used)

 

[DrHiggsBoson]

The Mac mini is a great machine and can be fairly portable if you have the projector and everything already set up, but if you're looking for something really portable, I would probably swing for a notebook. Depending on where you live, craigslist can have some amazing deals (Especially since the pro line was just updated).

 

[GGJstudios]

You may get better response to threads in the future with this tip. Good luck!