How to Choose a Mac

shyvas

shyvas

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I have sent my new Toshiba laptop back and have requested a refund. It broke down after a few hours.
Furthermore Windows 8 was a complete nightmare and I was utterly lost as I'm used to XP.

I am now considering purchasing a Mac as everyone says that they are really easy to use and don't catch viruses. The major drawback is the price but having checked my repair bills for my present computer, I have discovered that it has cost me the price of a Mac.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. :)
 
So you won't need a lot of memory or anything... I'd probably go with a base model 13 inch MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. They're the same price with similar specs, but the air is thinner, lighter, and does not have a cd drive.
 
AeryFairy said:
So you won't need a lot of memory or anything... I'd probably go with a base model 13 inch MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. They're the same price with similar specs, but the air is thinner, lighter, and does not have a cd drive.
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That's right. I'm not too keen on laptops and was considering getting the mini, however I don't use whether I can use my screen, keyboard and mouse.
 
I just read Apple is about to drop the price (shocker) on some of their laptops. Let me find the article and I will post it.

Here it is

Apple cuts MacBook Pro Retina prices, bumps specs

February 13, 2013 | Roger Cheng

The starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display drops by $200 to $1,499. The MacBook Air sees a price drop, too.

Apple today dropped the prices in its line of MacBook Pro laptops with Retina display while boosting processor speeds.The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina now starts $1,499, or $200 less than before. The higher-capacity 256GB version costs $1,699, or $300 cheaper than the original price. The processor clock speed also gets boosted to 2.6 gigahertz from 2.5GHz.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina gets a speed boost, with the lower-end version getting its clock speed bumped up to 2.4GHz from 2.3GHz, and the higher-end version getting bumped up to 2.7GHz quad-core processor from 2.6GHz, as well as double the RAM at 16 gigabytes.The line of MacBook Pros with Retina displays have always been a higher-end item that fewer consumers could buy.

The starting 13-inch MacBook Pro is significantly less at $1,199. With its own iPad sales cutting into Mac revenue, Apple is likely looking to goose interest with a minor price cut and spec upgrade

.Apple also cut the price of its high-end MacBook Air. The 256GB version now costs $1,399, or $100 less than the previous price.The prices have yet to take effect on Apple's Web site, but will change later today. http://m.cnet.com/news/apple-cuts-macbook-pro-retina-prices-bumps-specs/57569135
 
Once you go Mac, you never go back.

shyvas said:
I'm not too keen on laptops and was considering getting the mini, however I don't use whether I can use my screen, keyboard and mouse.
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All of that stuff should be compatible.
 
Spang said:
Once you go Mac, you never go back.
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Not true!! I started with a Mac Plus in the 1980s, several other Apple computers subsequently, but the POS Apple 2600 we struggled with years ago forced a vow from me to never buy Apple again. And their ↑↑↑ prices make that vow easy as pie to keep. :D
 
ledboots said:
Not true!! I started with a Mac Plus in the 1980s, several other Apple computers subsequently, but the POS Apple 2600 we struggled with years ago forced a vow from me to never buy Apple again. And their ↑↑↑ prices make that vow easy as pie to keep. :D
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Those Macs are from a different era. Doesn't count.
 
Macs, are expensive, yes; but I've had my macbook pro going on five years now, and it still runs like new. In those five years I've only had to have it repaired twice, the first time a card gave out about three years in. It turns out that it was actually under recall, so they replaced it for free - they also replaced the optical disk drive - which had been acting buggy since I dropped it a few months before. I didn't ask them to fix it or even tell them it was broken before sending it in - they replaced it out of the goodness of their hearts and desire for customer retention. The second time, it wouldn't turn on and I was unsure of what was wrong with it - so I payed a flat rate of $200 ($250? I don't remember) and sent it in.

Considering other people are replacing laptops in total every couple of years, I think that's pretty good - I expect to last a few more years at least. So up front you are paying a much more, but I feel it's actually cheaper over the long run, less replacing and less repairs. And the most excellent customer service I think I've ever had for any product, electronic or otherwise.
 
Spang said:
Those Macs are from a different era. Doesn't count.
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I have a looong memory! :D
And now also have son who builds me computers, bought me a little netbook several years ago for less than $250 that is still great. I have not had to ask him to look at one issue or problem, not one.(He puts linux on everything.) We have PCs here that are ancient but run fast and no problems the son can't fix quickly.

Plus Apple wants to patent the world, so that we all have to buy machines we can't even change a battery out of ourselves.

But yay to all who love and buy Apples; I'm glad we have a choice. :)
 
shyvas said:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000737.htm
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Software and plug-in threats
Although the Apple OS is more secure than many versions of Windows, any software, plug-ins, or other add-ons that are installed onto the computer that connect to the Internet can introduce their own security vulnerabilities. The most common ways to attack a Mac computer is through a third-party browser and browser plugins like Adobe Reader, Flash, and Java. Today, most Mac users will have these plugins installed and enabled on the computer, but in doing so compromise the overall security of the system.

Additional security threats
Finally, although a Macintosh computer is less susceptible to viruses because it is a human who's operating the computer you still can be a victim of Trojan horses, phishing, and other online fraud. If you're an Apple computer user, we still recommend keeping informed about how to keep safe while online. There is no such thing as a 100% safe computer, a Mac, Windows, and even Linux are all capable of being infected with a virus or other malware.
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Also, 3/4 of those premises are based on the fact that Macs are a lesser part of the total userbase. If more people use Macs, then more people will develop malware for it.

many of the Apple Macintosh users don't even run an antivirus protection program.
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Over at mac-forums.com there is a great thread -- the Official antivirus, malware, and Firewall FAQ thread -- and it's chock-full of information, including a link to this article:
As of today, all Mac malware is either extinct or cannot infect a properly-updated machine. Although there are situations that can lead to infection, they require dangerous behavior on the user’s part, such as not updating their systems or downloading software from bad sources, such as through most torrent applications. Right now, anti-virus software is still not necessary for most users. Will that change in 2013? It’s too soon to say. It’s certainly evident that the Mac is becoming a tempting target for malware developers, but Apple’s recent focus on security suggests to me that there probably won’t be much to worry about in the near future, barring the discovery of another vulnerability.
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Spang said:
Once you go Mac, you never go back.


All of that stuff should be compatible.
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That is good news.
Spang said:
Antivirus software is pretty unnecessary on a Mac.
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That is also the feedback that I'm getting from other Mac users.
ledboots said:
I have a looong memory! :D
And now also have son who builds me computers, bought me a little netbook several years ago for less than $250 that is still great. I have not had to ask him to look at one issue or problem, not one.(He puts linux on everything.) We have PCs here that are ancient but run fast and no problems the son can't fix quickly.

Plus Apple wants to patent the world, so that we all have to buy machines we can't even change a battery out of ourselves.

But yay to all who love and buy Apples; I'm glad we have a choice. :)
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If so, they aren't doing a good job as the majority of people have pc s. What really has put me off buying another pc is Windows 8. Furthermore Toshiba's hotline in not up to standard and I couldn't get the necessary help when needed.

I didn't know that there was a Mac forum which may prove to be helpful as I'm still undecided.
:thanks: for all of your comments and help.
 
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