New to Mac

[Momof9]

HI all,

SO I have updated this....

I have been a long time Windows user. A few years ago, I purchased an iPad Air 2. Now I have iPad Pro, another ipad 2018 for my daughter, iPhone X and apple watch.

Over the past few months or so, I have gotten irritated with Windows 10 and would like for my devices to work together better. I have been contemplating using my iPad Pro (12.9) as my computer, but just not sold on it completely. I did just do a reinstall of W10, it is working better, but still has something a bit wonky.

So as I look at all of the macs - imacs, macbook, mac mini - it is getting so confusing on what to consider. I really don't want to spend a ton of money - very much less than $2000, closer to the $1000 mark.... I am about ready to spend around $2000 or a bit more. I am leaning towards the Macbook Pro 15”. But I am of course waiting to see the Apple Event tomorrow....

I am a graphic designer, have been using Photoshop for over 10 years. I just added Affinity Photo and Designer to my iPP and really like them as a great alternative. But if I buy a Mac, I will have to purchase something.

On my PC, I generally have these things open all the time... email client, Chrome (2 windows, with multiple tabs in each), OneNote, File Explorer and if I am working on graphics (which is a lot of the time), photoshop etc.

So what are your suggestions? New or older (but not too old - don't want it to not be able to be fixed if needed), or wait on new macs.

I also have 2 21" monitors side by side - I really like having dual monitors.

Thanks

 

[cwanja]

This should probably be in the buying advice section, but no worries. A moderator will probably move it.

Given your price point and usage, I would suggest the refurbished store as your first dip into the Mac personal computer ecosystem. You can find some really good deals on there and could hit your price point.

Specification wise, I would say you need an i5, 16GB and likely a good graphics card. I really cannot settle if you need an iMac or MacBook Pro. What inputs do your current monitors support?

If the Mac mini was not the red headed stepchild and forgotten, I would have suggested that. Depending on when you want your new machine, you could wait for the rumored refreshed. But timing is anyones best guess.

 

[Momof9]

I can wait.... I currently have an Asus i7(6th gen), 16gb ram, 3.4 ghz. I would hate to get a slower machine. But it is 2 years old. I also am not sure how the OS affects the speed. I know if there were better graphic design software for linux, I would have been staying on that for years longer.

I did not realize there was a buying advice section...

 

[jpn]

...If the Mac mini was not the red headed stepchild and forgotten, I would have suggested that. Depending on when you want your new machine, you could wait for the rumored refreshed. But timing is anyones best guess.

this advice is the best.

wait. its only 11 days till the September event.

 

[Momof9]

yes I know that the mini would be the best deal - here's hoping they do a refresh. I just am checking things out with Best Buy having some great deals and I can get a student discount as well.

 

[Pangalactic]

HI all,

I have been a long time Windows user. A few years ago, I purchased an iPad Air 2. Now I have iPad Pro, another ipad 2018 for my daughter, iPhone X and apple watch.

Over the past few months or so, I have gotten irritated with Windows 10 and would like for my devices to work together better. I have been contemplating using my iPad Pro (12.9) as my computer, but just not sold on it completely. I did just do a reinstall of W10, it is working better, but still has something a bit wonky.

So as I look at all of the macs - imacs, macbook, mac mini - it is getting so confusing on what to consider. I really don't want to spend a ton of money - very much less than $2000, closer to the $1000 mark....

I am a graphic designer, have been using Photoshop for over 10 years. I just added Affinity Photo and Designer to my iPP and really like them as a great alternative. But if I buy a Mac, I will have to purchase something.

On my PC, I generally have these things open all the time... email client, Chrome (2 windows, with multiple tabs in each), OneNote, File Explorer and if I am working on graphics (which is a lot of the time), photoshop etc.

So what are your suggestions? New or older (but not too old - don't want it to not be able to be fixed if needed), or wait on new macs.

I also have 2 21" monitors side by side - I really like having dual monitors.

Thanks

Buy any Macbook you like, try it out for 14 days and bring it back to Apple. Trust me, MacOS has its own issues that you won't see from day one, give it a solid run and see what comes up.

As for the current products:
iMac Pro is a complete overkill for your work
iMac (regular) is a pretty solid home product without any gimmicks
Macbook Air is vastly outdated by like 4 years
Macbook will not be powerful enough
Macbook Pros...eh, I hate the new models personally, check out the MBP thread here if you want, they are plagued with issues, and every single issue is a trip to the Apple store, a week long wait and a $400 bill if you don't have Apple Care. Windows has a definite edge here, repairs are much faster and cheaper and can sometimes be even done on your own.

 

[cwanja]

this advice is the best.

wait. its only 11 days till the September event.

The unfortunate advice there is that I do not think the September event will see a mention of Mac anything, maybe Mojave.

 

[mlody]

Whatever you decide on, please make sure it has SSD/Flash based storage. Avoid anything with HDD or even Fusion in order to have pleasant mac experience (this is mostly targeted to their desktop lineup as all laptops have fast storage)

 

[oVerboost]

Fusion drive on my iMac is perfectly fine. If the OP is trying to work to a budget, the Fusion drive isn't as bad as people make out, and that's from someone who edits 4k video, edits photography for magazines etc on a daily basis. It's leagues ahead of my old HDD from my 2011 iMac. I'm not saying the SSD won't be even better again, it will, but if your only looking to spend $1000 then the hard drive wouldn't be my main search criteria, you can always use an external SSD later on to boot from etc.

 

[Momof9]

I was all ready to get a 27" 3.5ghz, then figured out on the way over and after talking to someone at BB that it would only be a lateral move from my current Asus. If I do an iMac, I am waiting to see what they come out with.

I will get Apple Care no matter what I get. Kind of wished I would have gotten the Macbook Pro last weekend. But I was kind of looking at the 13" because of the cost. It still would have cost about $2000 after I bought the dock etc...

I have been playing around with using my 12.9" iPad as my computer... Did get email stuff squared away. But I am writing this on my desktop LOL

 

[Momof9]

My current Asus is i7-6700, 3.4 ghz (to 4.0), 16gb Ram, 256gb ssd and several TBs HDD. Graphics GEForce GTX 960....

How do you think this compares to iMac 27" i5 (3.5 ghz) 8gb Ram, 1 TB Fusion drive?

 

[alien3dx]

My current Asus is i7-6700, 3.4 ghz (to 4.0), 16gb Ram, 256gb ssd and several TBs HDD. Graphics GEForce GTX 960....

How do you think this compares to iMac 27" i5 (3.5 ghz) 8gb Ram, 1 TB Fusion drive?

Apple much slower then normal pc builder .8Gb ram not enough and need min 16 gb,and need pure ssd .

 

[droog]

My current Asus is i7-6700, 3.4 ghz (to 4.0), 16gb Ram, 256gb ssd and several TBs HDD. Graphics GEForce GTX 960....

How do you think this compares to iMac 27" i5 (3.5 ghz) 8gb Ram, 1 TB Fusion drive?

lol. The Asus crushes the Imac across the board. You will definitely feel slower if you downgrade to that imac. I don't know how many times I've seen people attempt to buy into Apple's ecosystem without the proper funds to meet their requirements and they are ALWAYS disappointed. No amount of IOS and MacOS integration will make up for the amount of computing power you are sacraficing to join the cult. Either put up the money for the Mac that suits your needs or stick with the Windows box. You'd be much better off taking the time to increase your knowledge of servicing a windows machine or getting a second job to afford the Mac that you need to perform you tasks. Either direction costs time. You pick what is best for you.

 

[Momof9]

So the problem with spending the money... is the idea of spending $2000 on a computer...

In the past, I would buy a new windows laptop ($500) every 2 years. They would slow down terribly in that amount of time. Many times, I would use Linux for awhile, love how fast it is, but would get frustrated with not having Photoshop. One year I actually was able to use PS in Linux, but it would crash when I tried to put in text. That got old, so I would end up going back to windows and getting a new laptop.

So let's go back 2 years ago, when I decided I would somewhat future proof my computer. So I bought a nice desktop with ALL the bells and whistles. It was pretty close to top of the line at $1000 - my asus. I thought it would last me a LOT longer than 2.5 years. It still is ok - just not for a power user.

I actually was going to get the 21.5" iMac, top one at BestBuy. But there was something keeping me from buying it. I think it has been the i5 thing all along. I really like the idea of the TouchBar on the macbooks - but I am not sure how much I would use it with my setup of how I do things. I keep waffling about the 13" - wondering if it is too small. But I have been using my 12.9" iPad Pro a lot lately. So I may go with it.... but I think I am now waiting to see if they are going to update the iMac's. Especially since I missed the sale on the 2018 macbook Pros.

You are right about somethings... I have been looking at Mac's like I have windows PCs. I read about the longevity of a lot of the machines yesterday. But I am also checking out the more expensive laptops etc with Windows - you can get a lot higher specs for the same amount of money as a Mac....

 

[oVerboost]

Personally I wouldn't bother looking at yet another Windows setup. You've already said your 2 year old PC is slowing down and clearly isn't giving you what you want from it. A Mac will stay responsive, stay fast, stay safe, no weird blue screens and no constant software driver updates or incompatible software with hardware drivers. Like the old saying about Apple stuff goes, "it just works".

The iMac's are a better spec than even the top spec MacBook Pro - so make sure you really need a laptop/desktop and decide from there what route to go down. The iMac line I don't think will see a major update this year, despite the rumours.

With regards to the higher spec than a Mac statement, that may well be true - but will it work as smoothly and continue to work in years to come as well as when it was new like a Mac? Probably not, but you knew that from your previous machines

 

[droog]

Personally I wouldn't bother looking at yet another Windows setup. You've already said your 2 year old PC is slowing down and clearly isn't giving you what you want from it. A Mac will stay responsive, stay fast, stay safe, no weird blue screens and no constant software driver updates or incompatible software with hardware drivers. Like the old saying about Apple stuff goes, "it just works".

The iMac's are a better spec than even the top spec MacBook Pro - so make sure you really need a laptop/desktop and decide from there what route to go down. The iMac line I don't think will see a major update this year, despite the rumours.

With regards to the higher spec than a Mac statement, that may well be true - but will it work as smoothly and continue to work in years to come as well as when it was new like a Mac? Probably not, but you knew that from your previous machines

.

That’s horrible fanboy advice. All computers regardless of operating system require maintenance.
[doublepost=1536261112][/doublepost]

So the problem with spending the money... is the idea of spending $2000 on a computer...

In the past, I would buy a new windows laptop ($500) every 2 years. They would slow down terribly in that amount of time. Many times, I would use Linux for awhile, love how fast it is, but would get frustrated with not having Photoshop. One year I actually was able to use PS in Linux, but it would crash when I tried to put in text. That got old, so I would end up going back to windows and getting a new laptop.

So let's go back 2 years ago, when I decided I would somewhat future proof my computer. So I bought a nice desktop with ALL the bells and whistles. It was pretty close to top of the line at $1000 - my asus. I thought it would last me a LOT longer than 2.5 years. It still is ok - just not for a power user.

I actually was going to get the 21.5" iMac, top one at BestBuy. But there was something keeping me from buying it. I think it has been the i5 thing all along. I really like the idea of the TouchBar on the macbooks - but I am not sure how much I would use it with my setup of how I do things. I keep waffling about the 13" - wondering if it is too small. But I have been using my 12.9" iPad Pro a lot lately. So I may go with it.... but I think I am now waiting to see if they are going to update the iMac's. Especially since I missed the sale on the 2018 macbook Pros.

You are right about somethings... I have been looking at Mac's like I have windows PCs. I read about the longevity of a lot of the machines yesterday. But I am also checking out the more expensive laptops etc with Windows - you can get a lot higher specs for the same amount of money as a Mac....

Lady, you are just spinning your wheels now trying to justify a downgrade. ALL COMPUTERS REGARDLESS OF OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRE MAINTENANCE TO RUN OPTIMALLY. You run your machines into the ground every two years. You said it yourself.

 

[oVerboost]

Define maintenance...

My 2011 iMac is still running great albeit a bit slower on High Sierra with video editing etc, but other than that it’s been used 15 hours a day, pretty much daily for 7 years. Not a single issue and just noticing slow down.

 

[mreg376]

lol. The Asus crushes the Imac across the board. You will definitely feel slower if you downgrade to that imac. I don't know how many times I've seen people attempt to buy into Apple's ecosystem without the proper funds to meet their requirements and they are ALWAYS disappointed. No amount of IOS and MacOS integration will make up for the amount of computing power you are sacraficing to join the cult. Either put up the money for the Mac that suits your needs or stick with the Windows box. You'd be much better off taking the time to increase your knowledge of servicing a windows machine or getting a second job to afford the Mac that you need to perform you tasks. Either direction costs time. You pick what is best for you.

While all of that might be technically true, you do have to factor in the 99% reduction in the time you will no longer have to spend maintaining, updating, tweaking, rebooting, investigating and otherwise dealing with a Windows box. I know plenty of people who have their issues with their Macs, but NONE of them would go back to a Windows box. I have never had a Mac that gradually deteriorated over time, as did every Windows box I ever had for over 20 years.

 

[droog]

While all of that might be technically true, you do have to factor in the 99% reduction in the time you will no longer have to spend maintaining, updating, tweaking, rebooting, investigating and otherwise dealing with a Windows box. I know plenty of people who have their issues with their Macs, but NONE of them would go back to a Windows box. I have never had a Mac that gradually deteriorated over time, as did every Windows box I ever had for over 20 years.

Absolute nonsense. Why do people go around repeating this garbage?

 

[Momof9]

I do maintenance my PC's. I actually take really good care of them. But I am getting tired of replacing a PC every 2-3 years.

I AM a power user. Currently I have 2 windows of Chrome open with about 10 tabs each. I normally would have Thunderbird (6 email accounts - back up was 1.5 gb), PS is open most of the time. I have OneNote open at all times, sometimes a calendar or some other program.

BTW - I have the same email accounts and all of the emails in folders open on my iPP and it is fast.

I did more research on PC alternatives to the MBP. I found the comparable specs and good graphics cards etc then went to BB to see in person the ones I had picked out. Only 1 had a comparable display - the XPS, I did not like it at all - just not for me. The others just did not match up to what I was looking for.

SO now, I am waiting another week or so (I can get some good educational discounts thru Apple), to see if they might release a new iMac. For the same price as the 15" MBP, I could get an iMac with some upgrades. iMac is not conveniently portable, but I have the iPad Pro. But you could take it somewhere if you really needed, since it is an all in one.

Since mac's tend to last a lot longer, I am trying to think of where I see myself 6 years from now....

 

[sjackson]

If it makes your decision any easier, I bought a 27" 2017 iMac today direct from Apple (3.5GHz, 512 SSD) to replace my 2011 MacBook Air (MBA)(which will now become my backup or travel machine, my on-the-go machine is the 10.5" iPad Pro with Affinity Photo, Coda 2 etc for web development). I got the education pricing and a free pair of Beats headphones which I might sell or just use for the office. They won't replace my Oppo headphones I don't think. Anyway, I figured a few things.....

If they don't release a new model at the end of October (which I actually think is very likely), the advice will be to wait until December, then Feb, then June etc. I got fed up waiting. If they release a new machine it could have a lot of the issues the new MacBook Pro is having and to a lesser extent the iMac Pro (general observation notes a lot of chatter about that T2 chip in both machines but I'm open to correction). If they did release a new model I probably wouldn't buy it anyway until early next year to let the dust settle.

TBH I know the current specs are at least a year old but my MBA is 7+ years old and still doing a good job so even this "old" 2017 iMac is more power that I will need and probably will be in 5 years time. I was holding off and thinking of waiting until next year when my wife asked how much the MBA had earned me in the last 7 years and to just upgrade. That made a lot of sense to me.

 

[mreg376]

Absolute nonsense. Why do people go around repeating this garbage?

Because it's true?
[doublepost=1536437800][/doublepost]

If it makes your decision any easier, I bought a 27" 2017 iMac today direct from Apple (3.5GHz, 512 SSD) to replace my 2011 MacBook Air (MBA)(which will now become my backup or travel machine, my on-the-go machine is the 10.5" iPad Pro with Affinity Photo, Coda 2 etc for web development). I got the education pricing and a free pair of Beats headphones which I might sell or just use for the office. They won't replace my Oppo headphones I don't think. Anyway, I figured a few things.....

If they don't release a new model at the end of October (which I actually think is very likely), the advice will be to wait until December, then Feb, then June etc. I got fed up waiting. If they release a new machine it could have a lot of the issues the new MacBook Pro is having and to a lesser extent the iMac Pro (general observation notes a lot of chatter about that T2 chip in both machines but I'm open to correction). If they did release a new model I probably wouldn't buy it anyway until early next year to let the dust settle.

TBH I know the current specs are at least a year old but my MBA is 7+ years old and still doing a good job so even this "old" 2017 iMac is more power that I will need and probably will be in 5 years time. I was holding off and thinking of waiting until next year when my wife asked how much the MBA had earned me in the last 7 years and to just upgrade. That made a lot of sense to me.

I agree, and did the same thing. Bought a 27" 2017 iMac i7 about two months ago. I've been watching the issues of the new MacBooks and the "new" iMac Pro and could not justify waiting for a possible redesign to come with its own set of problems, including possibly no RAM door.

 

[oVerboost]

Agree with the last two posters, and did the exact same thing bought myself a 27" 2017 iMac and don't regret it one bit. The overall appearance on the next Mac won't change, only internal specs and the risk of a chip issue (T2) was a risk I didn't want to take. Plus the fact that this machine will do all I need/want for years to come and still keep a decent enough re-sale value when the time does come to upgrade again in 5+ years.

 

[maflynn]

Absolute nonsense. Why do people go around repeating this garbage?

I use both windows and macOS and even bought a Razer laptop and I needed to do a lot of tweaking and managing of the system to get a decent battery life. While windows has improved over the years, you still benefit from tweaking the system.

macOS locks you in to how apple wants you use it, but windows is more flexible, this can be a great thing, but it can also mean spending a lot of time making changes to get it to work the way you want it too. What makes matters worse is Windows inconsistent user interface. For example, you don't make changes just in the control panel, you need to go to the settings. I also found battery settings in the notification area as well, so I had to make changes in three different locations.

 

[alien3dx]

I use both windows and macOS and even bought a Razer laptop and I needed to do a lot of tweaking and managing of the system to get a decent battery life. While windows has improved over the years, you still benefit from tweaking the system.

macOS locks you in to how apple wants you use it, but windows is more flexible, this can be a great thing, but it can also mean spending a lot of time making changes to get it to work the way you want it too. What makes matters worse is Windows inconsistent user interface. For example, you don't make changes just in the control panel, you need to go to the settings. I also found battery settings in the notification area as well, so I had to make changes in three different locations.

that is why mac and ipad pro separate os . If apple gonna go arm route,we will have ui issue like windows 10.
** windows server 2012 touch screen