Wife and I considering Mac Book Pro, but help is needed

[AVEGA]

My home computer is a 2007 Mac Mini (upgraded with 4 gig ram and 320 gig hard drive) and her home computer is a 2009 Netbook that is running Windows XP and the battery doesn't hold much of a charge. My wife and I both have iphone 6S + (64 gigs) and a New Apple TV (32 gig) and she is comfortable with Mac OS. The last windows operating system she got used to was XP and I have never touched Windows 10 (my work does 7) so I worry that we might be totally lost going into 10 . I haven't touched any Mac OS after Lion, but I am confident that I'll be fine with whatever the newest Mac OS is now mainstream. I have zero interest in paying for virus protection and that hassle and having a computer that sync's with our iphones would be a nice feature. When we tried to sync our new phones with our older computers and it refused, it said her Laptop needed windows 7 and my mac mini needed the newest iTunes (which I can't do)

We both have huge iTunes library (She is a ' parent' on my account so we share music and apps all the time)

So we are thinking about getting a nice powerful laptop that we both can use. I run a website so I need something that squarespace can run quickly and easily. I also edit podcasts and sometimes videos so I want a power house and something that will be future proof. We can't afford to buy new computers every few years so I want something to last us another 10 years or so.

Should we wait for a potential summer revision? I want the most RAM and fastest processor available (to be future proof) and I don't want desktop computer because we don't have much room in our apartment ( my mini is off in the corner and is uncomfortable to use ).

I'm halfway tempted to just get a new mini and get wireless keyboard and mouse and use on the 40 in HDTV but I like the idea of a laptop.

How do multiple accounts work on modern Mac OS? Will multiple accounts mean that she could everything set up for her on her profile (email, itunes, bookmarks on Safari) and I can have my own account with everything set up for me. I remember having multiple accounts on a mac was really limited and annoying. We probably won't buy a new mac book for a few months up to another year. How would we transfer everything over from my mac and her pc? I have a 1TB external harddrive which I do regular time machine backups on my mini will that work or would I need to format it to work on the newer Mac OS ? Can we install Apple apps on two accounts ? Would pages/numbers/ etc work on two accounts ? Microsoft suite ? any help would be nice

 

[Closingracer]

First off just to correct you..... You don't need to pay for Virus protection on Windows. Windows comes with a free service and plenty of other free services. Even than you don't really need it if you are cautious and know what Web sites you're going to.


Each account would have pages since it's free. As far as Microsoft Office if you buy office 365 you can put it on 5 computers so you'll be fine since at most you'll just use two licences for it

 

[Fishrrman]

If you're thinking of "going MacBook", be aware that NEW retina MacBook Pro models are just a month or two away from release. That's why you're seeing some good discounting going on now, with the current lineup.

The new ones will offer a very nice improvement in features over the current models, and might be worth waiting for if you can hold out a little while longer as you consider your options.

It might be worth a trip to a brick-n-mortar Apple Store (or perhaps BestBuy?) to do a "hands-on" with the current MacBook Pro line, just to see what it's like.

You could "go either way" -- pick up a current model at discount pricing, or spend a little more for "the latest and greatest".

I don't have any problems with the 13" model, but for a shared computer for the both of you, you might want the 15"...

 

[Closingracer]

If you're thinking of "going MacBook", be aware that NEW retina MacBook Pro models are just a month or two away from release. That's why you're seeing some good discounting going on now, with the current lineup.

The new ones will offer a very nice improvement in features over the current models, and might be worth waiting for if you can hold out a little while longer as you consider your options.

It might be worth a trip to a brick-n-mortar Apple Store (or perhaps BestBuy?) to do a "hands-on" with the current MacBook Pro line, just to see what it's like.

You could "go either way" -- pick up a current model at discount pricing, or spend a little more for "the latest and greatest".

I don't have any problems with the 13" model, but for a shared computer for the both of you, you might want the 15"...

Err what "features"..... All it will offer is the 6th Gen cpu's which is far from a "feature"

 

[Badrottie]

New Apple Mini is nice if you already have a LCD monitor and keyboard from your old Mini. MacBook Pro is little heavy I think you will be happy with 13" MacBook Air with better battery. Why not go to local Apple store for test drive and see what you like?

 

[TechZeke]

Err what "features"..... All it will offer is the 6th Gen cpu's which is far from a "feature"

True. I mean, if you aren't into the USB-C thunderbolt 3 Techie BS then a Skylake revision wouldn't really offer much unless there are other features such as a higher resolution display or more desirable form factor. I have 4 different Intel architectures in my household (Sandy, Ivy, Haswell, and Skylake) and any concievable difference in speed is the speed of the storage.

Without looking at "about this Mac" there'd be no way to tell a Early 2015 12" MB from an Early 2016, for example.

 

[kschendel]

You don't have any immediate need, and you want a new machine to last as long as possible. To me that says that it would be prudent to wait and see what develops this summer. If the new models offer real advances for your situation, great, and if not, you can snap up a current model maybe at a discount.

With the right cabling and display setup, a new Mini might be a reasonable choice as well.

 

[mildocjr]

Err what "features"..... All it will offer is the 6th Gen cpu's which is far from a "feature"

Umm Skylake is a huge improvement over the current broadwell cpus, battery life is definitely a want

 

[Closingracer]

Umm Skylake is a huge improvement over the current broadwell cpus, battery life is definitely a want

It also is far from a "huge" improvement.....

 

[gngan]

My home computer is a 2007 Mac Mini (upgraded with 4 gig ram and 320 gig hard drive) and her home computer is a 2009 Netbook that is running Windows XP and the battery doesn't hold much of a charge. My wife and I both have iphone 6S + (64 gigs) and a New Apple TV (32 gig) and she is comfortable with Mac OS. The last windows operating system she got used to was XP and I have never touched Windows 10 (my work does 7) so I worry that we might be totally lost going into 10 . I haven't touched any Mac OS after Lion, but I am confident that I'll be fine with whatever the newest Mac OS is now mainstream. I have zero interest in paying for virus protection and that hassle and having a computer that sync's with our iphones would be a nice feature. When we tried to sync our new phones with our older computers and it refused, it said her Laptop needed windows 7 and my mac mini needed the newest iTunes (which I can't do)

You will not have trouble with the latest OSX because it’s not too much different from Lion.

We both have huge iTunes library (She is a ' parent' on my account so we share music and apps all the time)
So we are thinking about getting a nice powerful laptop that we both can use. I run a website so I need something that squarespace can run quickly and easily. I also edit podcasts and sometimes videos so I want a power house and something that will be future proof. We can't afford to buy new computers every few years so I want something to last us another 10 years or so.

To be frank, I don’t think any computer can use 10 years or so unless you are just doing simple task. If you were to evolve with technology (e.g. 4k) and maybe 5k/6k years later then any current computer won’t be able to do so.

Should we wait for a potential summer revision? I want the most RAM and fastest processor available (to be future proof) and I don't want desktop computer because we don't have much room in our apartment ( my mini is off in the corner and is uncomfortable to use ).

Yes, I would wait for the summer revision because it’s only few months ahead. If the revision isn’t much of improvement then you can get the current version with more saving from discounts.

I'm halfway tempted to just get a new mini and get wireless keyboard and mouse and use on the 40 in HDTV but I like the idea of a laptop.

That is another option. Does your wife do any intense work on her computer? Do you watch TV and use computer at the same time? Do you need to work outside of your home? If all of the answer is no then you could get a MBA and a Mini.

How do multiple accounts work on modern Mac OS? Will multiple accounts mean that she could everything set up for her on her profile (email, itunes, bookmarks on Safari) and I can have my own account with everything set up for me. I remember having multiple accounts on a mac was really limited and annoying. We probably won't buy a new mac book for a few months up to another year. How would we transfer everything over from my mac and her pc? I have a 1TB external harddrive which I do regular time machine backups on my mini will that work or would I need to format it to work on the newer Mac OS ? Can we install Apple apps on two accounts ? Would pages/numbers/ etc work on two accounts ? Microsoft suite ? any help would be nice

I have two accounts on my MBP (one for myself and one for my wife). We have different iTunes library and sync our iDevices separately. No issue whatsoever.
Your external HDD should work as a temporary storage to transfer (drag&drop) all the medias from your wife’s Windows to the new Mac (no format is needed).
I recall all my Apps is in my wife’s account too so it shouldn’t matter.

 

[mildocjr]

It also is far from a "huge" improvement.....

Not in terms of what it provides over broadwell. The jump from haswell to broadwell was pretty small, it's a bigger jump going from broadwell to skylake in both power consumption and power, so yeah, in terms of processor upgrades is a huge improvement considering Skylake should be a tock.

 

[Closingracer]

Not in terms of what it provides over broadwell. The jump from haswell to broadwell was pretty small, it's a bigger jump going from broadwell to skylake in both power consumption and power, so yeah, in terms of processor upgrades is a huge improvement considering Skylake should be a tock.

It isn't.....

 

[AFEPPL]

I'd go with the laptop.
I would either look for a last gen rMB and get a discount or wait until the new rMBP laptops are due (WWDC) and either buy the week before and return it if you like the new update or they are better priced.

 

[Spudlicious]

How delicious it is to be wrestling with the which-new-computer-to-buy conundrum. I keep hoping one of my machines would get zapped by a solar flare or something so I could justify the sweet pain of splodging some dosh on a new one!

The OP, I am certain, would get to grips with Win10 quicker than boiling an egg, but he's so obviously an Apple devotee, a member of the Jobsian swarm, that he should only consider a Mac. As for his wife's netbook, if that could be traded for a block of strong cheddar cheese a very good deal would have been done.

 

[maflynn]

Umm Skylake is a huge improvement over the current broadwell cpus, battery life is definitely a want

I think the processor improvement is not has large as you think it might be, AFAIK, the biggest improvement is battery (and heat).

 

[bruinsrme]

Personally I would try to wait. As others have said sky lake will introduce some improvements, incorporation of usb-c and so on.
If you discover skylarks isn't for you, reputable places like B&H will have some decent sales on the previous generation macs.
Virus protection: as others have said, Windows comes with it's own/ if you buy the computer at Best Buy anytime they say free antivirus software just say no. Don't even let them put it in the same bag as the computer. Whatever they offer you is awful and is like a virus itself.

You mentioned Windows. Boot camp is easy, Windows 10 is fine, CNET and other sites have detailed procedures for the privacy settings.
If you are going to boot amp I recommend at least a 512g hard drive.
The Office 365 for 5 computers and 8 tablets can be had for less than $80 on Amazon. You can repurchase from Amazon for the following years. Setup and double verification can be difficult to work at first but now that it's set up logins are quick. I use one drive for all my office work and pictures.

Stay away from the super cheap eBay office 365 deals. From what the sellers have told me is you're buying a single license from a group license and they own the account. I spent the extra $15 for peace of mind.

Apple apps can be installed on multiple devices whether it is under the same account or under the family setup.

I have the 2015 MBP, 2.8g processor, 16g for ram, 512g ssd and the dedicated gpu. Most of my time is spent in Windows 10 but now I have the luxury of OS X as well.
My next MBP with be maxed out.

I use the new keyboard with my MBP and with my hp work computer. It's a fantastic mobile keyboard.
The Microsoft 4000 mouse is a fantastic take anywhere mouse.

 

[AVEGA]

I bought some time on my current mini.
I did maintenance, cleaned up hard-drive and made more empty space, have basic wallpaper, very few desktop items, cleaned out apps and start up programs, and made dock as few applications as I can.
I can't go down from 1080p resolution because my eyes are so used to it.
So I have done a few mini things to help speed up my mini and it is helping.

I probably bought a few more months

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Any current Apple computer will blow your 2007 mini away.

If that's still working for you at all, then buy any of apples current offerings and they'll be great for years.

My only point is that no laptop is likely to last 10 years, they can do, but with being moved around and limited thermal capacity 5 years is all you can expect any more is a bonus to be honest and you may need a new battery before then.

I just wanted to point out this before you bought a laptop, desktops tend to be more stable and last longer, especially those with desktop class CPU's in them. So if longevity is a key component of your buying criteria a laptop is not the way to go.

 

[AVEGA]

Any current Apple computer will blow your 2007 mini away.

If that's still working for you at all, then buy any of apples current offerings and they'll be great for years.

My only point is that no laptop is likely to last 10 years, they can do, but with being moved around and limited thermal capacity 5 years is all you can expect any more is a bonus to be honest and you may need a new battery before then.

I just wanted to point out this before you bought a laptop, desktops tend to be more stable and last longer, especially those with desktop class CPU's in them. So if longevity is a key component of your buying criteria a laptop is not the way to go.

Your probably right, at least 5-7 years would be great.