Any Mac users on here??

[DelB]

Morning all.

Am considering moving to the world of Macs after many years on PC systems. I'd use it for work so 'Office for Mac' would be a definite requirement and I'd also use Photoshop or similar, as well as using it for web browsing and e-mails etc.

So, for around £1000 I have the choice of a 21.5" iMac, a 13" Macbook Pro or a 13" Macbook Air. I realise the Macbook Air doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, but does have Flash memory which in theory should make it faster to use - yes?

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Many thanks.

 

[Ethan]

Yep, switched to Mac about 7 years ago and not going back anytime soon.

The Air will be faster to use because of the solid state drive and should be more reliable in the long run. Not a huge memory though.

I have an iMac, a 13" MBP and a variety of other Apple kit. Both the iMac and MBP are great computers. I use the MBP for travelling on work and holiday.

I think it depends how much storage you need, how important lightness and portability is to you, but both the MBP and MBA are great pieces of kit, easy to use, reliable and well integrated. The new MBP with retina display looks fantastic.

As far as Office for Mac is concerned, you can do that, and OFM is in some ways a better developed package than the Windows version, but you can also use iWork, the Apple office suite, open Office documents in iWork, work on them, then export them back to Office.

 

[DelB]

Thanks Ethan - appreciate your feedback. I really like the idea of an iMac, but just worry that it might be too big for my office, which also doubles as the wife's dressing table!!! That was why I'd thought about the Pro or the Air. I don't actually need anything portable as such, as I'd be unlikely to require to take it very many places. It was more a case of it taking up less space.

 

[Ethan]

Thanks Ethan - appreciate your feedback. I really like the idea of an iMac, but just worry that it might be too big for my office, which also doubles as the wife's dressing table!!! That was why I'd thought about the Pro or the Air. I don't actually need anything portable as such, as I'd be unlikely to require to take it very many places. It was more a case of it taking up less space.

In that case, I think the MBP is better value and you get more oomph.

If either of you are involved in education, you can also get a decent discount on Apple kit through their education store.

 

[DelB]

Great stuff. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. :thup:

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Id look at the Dell Inspiron 14Z Ultrabook

£950 gives you an I7 3rd generation CPU
8GB RAM
250GB SSD Hard Drive
and a DVDRW drive

Whatever you buy....Dont Drop It !!!

Fragger

 

[DelB]

Whatever you buy....Dont Drop It !!!

Fragger

Speaking from experience, Phil?? :rofl:

 

[Picto]

I switched to Macs over 10 years ago now and still happy with them. Use a windows PC and laptop for work, which just reinforces my decision to stick with my Mac for home use!

Unless you need the grunt / screen of an iMac, i would personally go with the MBP or Airbook. The take it anywhere you want ease with the MBP or Airbook outweighs the appeal of the iMac's shinyness (although last time I was in the apple store upgrading my Mrs' iPhone, I had to fight the urge to buy one!)

As for the MBP v Airbook, unless you intend to travel with it a lot (on the train, planes, etc) I would go with the MBP. The SSD in the Airbook surprisingly doesn't make as much difference as you think - I guess the other speed factors are more dramatic.

That said about size, I travel a lot with my MBP and don't find it any hassle at all.

Good luck with your choice - at the end of the day, I don't think any of the three would be a wrong choice!!

 

[tallpaul]

Book an appointment at your local Apple store and test them all out. Only you know whether a desktop or laptop is more suitable but of the laptops I'd only go for the Air if you really need to carry it around a lot.

You certainly won't be dissapointed, I changed to Mac at home 5 years ago and remain constantly frustrated at how slow/unstable my work PC & Laptop are by comparison.

It's also worth noting that my 5 year old Macbook is still going strong. It's never noticeably slowed down and only the very latest release of OSX is not compatible. I've been through 3 previous upgrades of OSX with no loss of performance (or need to upgrade any hardware). By contrast my experience with Dell laptops is that they creaking at the joints after 2 years.

 

[munro007]

My iMac takes up less room compared to my old Sony laptop. The wireless keyboard & magic mouse are second to none. The graphic are amazing, so easy to use. Go for it, oh and no viruses to worry about. :thup:

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Speaking from experience, Phil?? :rofl:

Yes Im a PC Engineer, I have seen the aftermath and its not pretty

Fragger

 

[ScienceBoy]

I used macs all through my childhood. Only switched to PCs when I discovered the world of gaming and they macs had nothing I liked on them.

If I ever buy a laptop again I would consider a Mac, if I buy a desktop it will be a PC for sure as I love having the power (as I use it too )

 

[Rooter]

We have a MacBook pro 15" as our home laptop. It really makes sense if you buy in to the whole apple way of life, ie iPhone, iPad, apple tv... Personally, I don't like the apple o/s and navigations, I have used windows for too long! But it is really quick and looks nice! Lol

 

[DappaDonDave]

http://www.loleg.com/blog/2008/04/16/6752/

 

[Deke]

I am a Macbook Pro user after having three windows laptops all get virus problems or dodgy component failures.I have never looked back,they are awesome! I am also a bit of a Photoshop dude,give me a shout if you need any advice mate,welcome aboard the good ship Apple!

 

[munro007]

The good thing about iMac, you can run windows if i want to side by side. It gives you the best of both worlds.