Some Guidance Appreciated for a (Potentially) Migrating Windows User

[tubular]

If your fingers absolute refuse to learn “command-not-control,” you can swap modifier key functions in the Keyboard control panel. If you need something finer grained, look for a free app called Karabiner.

 

[polydeuces]

Thanks for that tip! I'm the type of person that enjoys the learning curve. There's been some occasional frustration, but I'm getting the hang of the command-not-control shindig.

 

[ignatius345]

In the RAM/storage equation, if money is a tight factor, I personally tend to prioritize RAM. It's pretty easy and fast (and always getting cheaper) to plug in more storage drives as needed over the lifespan of the machine -- but sadly the days of expanding RAM as needed in a Mac are basically over.*

* Unless you have an iMac 27" with user-accessible expansion slots, which unless I'm mistaken is the only RAM-upgradable machine left besides the "trash can" Mac Pro and (maybe) whatever its successor is.

 

[polydeuces]

In the RAM/storage equation, if money is a tight factor, I personally tend to prioritize RAM. It's pretty easy and fast (and always getting cheaper) to plug in more storage drives as needed over the lifespan of the machine -- but sadly the days of expanding RAM as needed in a Mac are basically over.*

* Unless you have an iMac 27" with user-accessible expansion slots, which unless I'm mistaken is the only RAM-upgradable machine left besides the "trash can" Mac Pro and (maybe) whatever its successor is.

Thanks for that input! I made the decision to go with the 8GB -- so far, no regrets. Everything runs super smooth & clean. 16GB seemed like it was a little overkill. My desktop had an AMD processor that was probably $80-$120 in 2010, and I'm not sure how much RAM it was actually capable of using, but it supposedly had 8GB (didn't feel like it). This feels like a huge upgrade for me. Plus, the SSD is insane -- I've never had a machine with one before, and I'm kind of blown away by how fast read/write speeds are.

I don't see my needs changing into super resource-heavy programs in the next few years, but in the event that my needs do grow, I wouldn't mind reselling this one in 3-4 years to upgrade.

 

[ignatius345]

Plus, the SSD is insane -- I've never had a machine with one before, and I'm kind of blown away by how fast read/write speeds are.

It's really remarkable, isn't it? I put an SSD in a Mac Mini that was starting to slog and it added years to its usable life. I think the Fusion Drives are a nice blend of speed and capacity (and price), but I'm pretty shocked Apple dares to sell HDD-only Macs at all anymore.

I don't see my needs changing into super resource-heavy programs in the next few years, but in the event that my needs do grow, I wouldn't mind reselling this one in 3-4 years to upgrade.

Good plan! 3-4 years is usually about when I do the old sell/replace cycle myself.