Moving to a Mac/macbook.. anyone made the jump?

[Mk1T]

Hi chaps,

To put things into perspective,

I have always owned samsung / android phones since the galaxy S3 came out.. and always had PCs / Windows laptops for the most part of my adult life..

I am not interested in iPhones at all really, nor have I owned any apple products..

So...

Being fed up of replacing my laptops every 2/3 years, is a Macbook a practial idea? From what I have read they seem to be far more robust than windows laptops in terms of longevity.
Granted, they are pretty pricey..

My current laptop was a pretty good spec 3 years ago, nearly £1k list price, paid about 800 iirc, HP, i7, loads of memory etc, just over time it's been horrific with bits breaking / constant windows 10 updates when you don't want them, glitches everywhere, USB bits not working, speakers not working, taking ages to turn on... it's useless.. and I treat my kit pretty lightly in the grand scheme, it doesn't even go out!

(Maybe I could get a desktop?)

As a complete and utter n00b, would appreciate any input incase I've just drivelled everywhere and overlooked stuff.

I also like doing photo editing on lightroom, spreadsheets, internetz and stuff. I don't game on it.


Cheers boys

 

[Usr117063]

Youd be going backwards with a mac, not worth it at all. Unless you need to use software thats osx only?

A desktop will will be robust and better than a laptop, easier to work on and theres more/cheaper parts. I built a pc last year for around £750 and its faultless, turns on in about 7 seconds (ssd) and can do most things you throw at it. For your needs you could build one for more like £600 and it would work fine for more than 2-3 years thats for sure.

If you really want just build a hackintosh ?

 

[Mk1T]

Youd be going backwards with a mac, not worth it at all. Unless you need to use software thats osx only?

A desktop will will be robust and better than a laptop, easier to work on and theres more/cheaper parts. I built a pc last year for around £750 and its faultless, turns on in about 7 seconds (ssd) and can do most things you throw at it. For your needs you could build one for more like £600 and it would work fine for more than 2-3 years thats for sure.

If you really want just build a hackintosh ?

Well, that pisses on that bonfire.. haha! That's awesome dude. I've not built a PC before though, for me I think a pre-built would be easier. Perhaps just a laptop with an SSD then!!

 

[Penfold84]

Upgraded my laptop to have an SSD card... performance is night and day... even updated my really old laptop and it improved performance so much we use both daily now...

Depends on what your using it for, but I wouldn’t have a computer without and SSD drive now...

However changing the drive wont fix the usb’s, speakers, glitches etc...

 

[Rubicon_]

I made the jump back in 2012 to an Air. Still use the same laptop daily and it still preforms effortlessly.

I honestly hate using windows now (unless 7), the macs just easy and the gestures come in so handy.

So yeah 6 years on and still no need to upgrade...

 

[botfch]

Same as above, I’ve moved over to Mac after the s**t show that is windows kept interrupting me at work. (updates, random driver issues etc etc)

The hardware isn’t as good and you pay more but the softwares much better and I can’t say I’ve noticed it being any slower than my windows laptop.

 

[boultonn]

Yeh I bought a macbook in 2012 and still going incredibly strong, they're an absolute pleasure to use compared to Windows and from the sounds of it you don't require anything Windows-exclusive so in the long term you'll definitely benefit from and enjoy a Mac.
If you know anyone at uni you can save 10-12% using uni discount.

 

[Marc.]

I bought a MacBook Air (2015 model I think) when my last laptop started dying, I much prefer it. Still works fine. Mind you, I don’t use it for much, if I were to start gaming again then I’d definitely buy/build a desktop PC.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Well, that pisses on that bonfire.. haha! That's awesome dude. I've not built a PC before though, for me I think a pre-built would be easier. Perhaps just a laptop with an SSD then!!

This is the crux.

Windows laptops have a lot of choice in hardware. Macs don't.

Entry level Macs have SSD, entry level PCs do not. It's a huge difference. If you just want a smart PC that will last longer than 2-3 years then spend £1500 on something from Lenovo. A ThinkPad or something.

The only reason to buy Mac is for software (unless you're so fussy about looks that you'd change OS for an apple light on the back of your screen.

 

[Nik]

Seriously, just buy a MacBook. I've never looked back, worth every penny simply for the build quality and OS. One you've got over the initial transition which will take a couple of days your productivity will be so much better away from Windows.

 

[boultonn]

you'd change OS for an apple light on the back of your screen

Just spent two grand on a new MBP and the apple no longer lights up ?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Had two Macbooks and two iMacs over the last decade+. Wish I'd bought one for uni. But there we go !

Still have a ~2013 13" MacBookPro and probably a ~2011 iMac Nano which is feeling a bit slow these days but I barely use it more than writing an invoice monthly.

Hard drive failed on the first iMac (which was a refurbished unit) after about 5 years. Replaced it myself and sold the thing to a friend who still uses it today.

Aside from that I don't think I've had an issue over what must be 20 years of combined Mac ownership.

Look at the official Apple refurb store on their main site (bottom of the page) to save a bit of cash - which three of mine were from! - or find a friend with an NUS card as mentioned.

 

[Usr117063]

This is the crux.

Windows laptops have a lot of choice in hardware. Macs don't.

Entry level Macs have SSD, entry level PCs do not. It's a huge difference. If you just want a smart PC that will last longer than 2-3 years then spend £1500 on something from Lenovo. A ThinkPad or something.

The only reason to buy Mac is for software (unless you're so fussy about looks that you'd change OS for an apple light on the back of your screen.

How much are entry level macs compared to pcs? As ssds are peanuts these days, cost wise you will never get the same performance or stability if you buy a mac.

Macs are just generic hardware with osx. The only difference is the logo and the price.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

How much are entry level macs compared to pcs? As ssds are peanuts these days, cost wise you will never get the same performance or stability if you buy a mac.

Macs are just generic hardware with osx. The only difference is the logo and the price.

Not a fair comparison.

Entry level PCs are usually no comparison to entry level Macs. I also think the price comparison isn't the chasm it once was. You can spend a relatively small amount on a Mac and be confident you'll get good warranty and usability. With PCs it's more of a gamble and who you buy it from.

Dell warranty has been pretty good to me, they send out an engineer the next day and if you need a replacement you get that next day too (the fact I've had to use that service isn't a great plus though...)

Lenovo is renowned for making solid laptops, not had to use warranty but the machine I have now has been faultless and it's a decent powerhouse (quad core i7 skylake CPU with Nvidia GPU). Struggle to think of what you'd give it that it wouldn't handle (besides tasks you don't want to be doing on a laptop anyway). Cost wise they're a bit cheaper than Macs but it's not night and day.

 

[Usr117063]

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/apple-macbook-pro-13-space-grey-2017-10165801-pdt.html?store=1618&&istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istItemId=xltwlwlrpp&istBid=t&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~1004+(PLA)+APPLE+MAC+-+Adaptive~1004+(PLA)+APPLE+MAC+-+Adaptive+ad+group~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&kwid=GOOGLE&s_kwcid=DS!700000001428950!146764751648!!!g!!PRODUCT+GROUP&device=c&ds_kids=92700034901285928&PLA=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxILdBRBqEiwAHL2R830a-LGqJCj1XRqMOEgcE_YWiUWB1A2b-kP-tkufInud102x2modBhoC3OUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJ_SwKa7xN0CFVon4AoddbgNHA

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/optimusIX-17/

edit: I configured the pc to cost nearer 1200 like the mac, still at its base price every single spec is better. Pound for pound theres no comparison. And Im not a mac hater, its just facts. Ive owened macs and still own a macbookpro when they still did 17inch displays and a intel g5 at the minute, the g5 has an 8 core with 32gbs of ram not that matters at all since the ram is old as well as the processor, its unbelievable slow compared to my pc

 

[boultonn]

There always has been the price difference but you really do get what you pay for, not necessarily on technical components but on longevity, service/support, usability.
And the screens are amazing, 2560x1600 on a 13" screen definitely trumps 1080 on a 17" screen.

 

[botfch]

How much are entry level macs compared to pcs? As ssds are peanuts these days, cost wise you will never get the same performance or stability if you buy a mac.

Macs are just generic hardware with osx. The only difference is the logo and the price.

I disagree my Mac has been far more stable than my similarly priced windows laptop was.
Three times last year I had to delay presentations to potential clients because windows decided to update or a driver failed.

All comes back to what you use it for, general use I say go mac, but if its gaming or cad stuff stick with windows.

 

[N0ddie]

The only reason to buy Mac is for software (unless you're so fussy about looks that you'd change OS for an apple light on the back of your screen.

Apple logo on the lid no longer light up. ? Removed for ultra thinness ?

 

[Usr117063]

A well built windows desktop or laptop will not have issues like failing drivers or any problems for that matter. If you buy refurbished or hp/dell branded computers then expect a mass produced and not a well made pc. In terms of longevity its irrelevant, you treat the machine with respect it will go for decades, and yes I have a pc thats nearly 10 years old and still fires up, still on the same ram/cpu/mobo since leaving the factory bar a new hardrive and graphics card.

And my intentions arnt to have the 'correct' opinion on that pcs are better than macs, after learning more about pcs in general I just see how much money is to be saved and want other people to save that too. I hate when people I know waste loads of money because they didnt know better

 

[Ben]

But if they’re happy with what they’ve got for the price, are they wasting money?

 

[Darren S]

Through and through PC owner here. My wife bought a 2015 MacBook Pro new and to be honest, it never got much use. Not a fault of the MBP itself or the Mac O/S, but the iPad(s) got a lot more daily usage instead.

It was a great device - small, light yet really quite powerful and quick with the inbuilt SSD. My mum inherited it a couple of months ago and we reformatted it for her beforehand. It was never that slow, but this was a kick up the arse - clean of all the previous apps and account information that we'd built up over the last couple of years.

You mention the lack of PC building experience? With a MBP - it was simply a case of holding down two keys while switching it on and it took you to a management section where the details of wiping it clean were very self-explanatory. The only other piece of information it needed was the wireless key for access to our internet - and off it went to download the latest operating system at the time, OSX High Sierra. Seriously - anyone could do this. Forget drivers and compatibility issues - it just works.

My mum is a total n00b with tech, but she's got to grips with the change in the front-end over her Windows 7 laptop, pretty quickly. That's really the biggest stumbling block of switching to Mac - the shortcuts and navigation around the front end is different, but in no way inferior to that of Windows. Once you learn a few keyboard shortcuts and your way around the likes of Finder, etc - you'll pickup the rest in no time. And if you ever switch to an iPhone, it's literally like having a mini sibling of the MBP with you. Totally seamless.

I'm no disciple of Apple. They have their flaws and I can understand some people's resentment at times towards them. But as a quality (premium?) product - they really are in a class above the majority of PC counterparts.

I would happily have one for daily usage, bar the fact that 99% of my PC is spent for gaming.

 

[Stay Puft]

Got a 2014 Macbook Air i'll sell for slightly lower than going rate. Used for no more than 50hours.

 

[Usr117063]

@Ben- If someones happy then alls well. I just thought it would be nice to spend half the price and get even more.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

Still run my MacBook Pro mod 2010 only thing I’ve replaced in all that time is the battery, it’s been absolutely faultless, great for just general browsing, struggles with booting apps now like photoshop but once running its fine, can’t complain for a 8 year old computer seen me through uni and a s**t ton on 3D/cad work

Now run a 2015 MBP Retina with SSD 3 year old and it’s still as fast as the day we got it,

I’ll never go back to windows now, they may have improved but I always remember them being s**t, like nothings connected, just basic stuff like if you weren’t in the iTunes app you couldn’t skip songs with they key board short cut where as on a Mac you could be in the middle of a document you hit next track and it does it

The gestures of the track pad sold one to me, one swipe and everything comes up, no clicking through tabs ect now the connectivity of ICloud (I know you’re a solid android user) is awesome, I can take a picture on any of my devices, I can pick it up on any other, aswell as iMessage can just pick chats ups on any device, it just works

They seem expensive but the build quality and fluidity of them are on another level, the os is built for the hardware and vice versa

Unlike windows thats just loaded into a random machine

Can always boot camp windows for best of both worlds

Its like comparing a insignia to a A4 they are a different class

 

[Usr117063]

@Mk1T Well as you can see the bias is towards mac. Perhaps look at a refurbished unit with a minimum 250gb ssd depending how much you will need to store, look at the clock speeds of the cpu, 4 core with 3.4+ will be sufficient for what you need but dont go lower if you want the computer to 'keep up to date'. 8gb ram minimum, ram is kinda overrated though, 16 would be plenty for you, I have 8gb in mine as another 8gb really doesnt add much to the performance (for what I need, gaming, cad..), also look at the ram as well ddr3 minimum for future proofing. Graphics wise you probably wont get anything decent in a mac for under 1k especially, again you wont game so not much of a problem, just make sure it has its own dedicated unit rather than being integrated with the cpu

 

[Gavin.]

I made the move to a Mac back in 2011 and still use the same one now, I couldn't go back to Windows as my main machine.

I work in IT and still daily have to deal with Windows issues on windows 7 and up. !0 is just as bad as the rest have been, just little bug/faults that cause issues and take ages to figure out why a certain thing is happening. Mac's just work.

 

[v15ben]

I made the jump back in 2012 to an Air. Still use the same laptop daily and it still preforms effortlessly.

I honestly hate using windows now (unless 7), the macs just easy and the gestures come in so handy.

So yeah 6 years on and still no need to upgrade...

Literally the same for me, swapped from a Windows laptop to a MacBook Air in 2012.
I've used it every single day since and apart from needing a new charger, it hasn't needed a thing.
2000+ charge cycles so far too.
I'd certainly recommend one dependant on your budget of course.

 

[danward]

Bought my Macbook Pro in 2013, used it pretty much every day since, and it's still working just as good as the day I got it. Love it. The only thing I've replaced is the charger last year.

 

[Daz...]

I’m still using a mid 2012 MacBook Pro. Runs smooth with a SSD and 16gb RAM (which cost £60 at the time). Perfect for everyday tasks.

Got my PC for games though.

 

[PMac]

Still using my 2010 13” MacBook Pro.
Needs the SSD and upgraded Ram but still working well.

 

[Greeny.]

Just give it a go tbh, the biggest downside with them and any other Apple product really is that you're just paying for the name but if you're happy with that or get something second hand then who cares. Windows 10 is fairly shite, the only reason I use it is for game/driver support otherwise I would be on Linux as well.

In regards to Laptop/Desktop it all depends on what you want to do and where, a Desktop is always going to give you better power per £ along with better options to upgrade in the future but of course at a cost of taking up more room & not being portable.

 

[Jack!]

You pay more for a Macbook, but when you want to sell it four years later it's still worth a decent amount, whereas a £1k PC/Laptop that you buy today will struggle to fetch a hunner in four years time.

 

[White16valver]

Great thread ?

I have been considering an Apple laptop for photo processing etc, because of the Retina displays and the fact that 'Design people' seem to use them (so presumably they are suitable for that sort of thing) but they aren't cheap, so I'll have to check out the refurb section on the website. (Thanks for the headsup, @TheEvilGiraffe!)

My main concern, though, is that I want something that won't be riddled with malware and viruses if I inadvertantly click on the wrong thing online, and then cost me a fortune to re-gain access - it seems that I only ever read about PCs going down with some terrible ransomware or something.

Are Macs a lot less vulnerable to viruses? Do they even get viruses??

 

[boultonn]

Are Macs a lot less vulnerable to viruses? Do they even get viruses??

Been on mac for 9 years, never had a virus or malware (disclaimer: am an IT professional).
That said, when my aunt got some malware, all it took to rid the machine of it was a single run of malwarebytes (Free) to clean it up.
Would recommend Sophos Home (also free) anti virus as that will help stop you visiting malicious websites and block suspicious files (you can override it if you know it's safe). HTH

 

[Daz...]

More viruses are targeting Macs than what used to be about. It’s no different to Windows though tbh. Just be sensible with what sites you go on and don’t download something if you’re not 100% about it’s content.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Great thread ?

I have been considering an Apple laptop for photo processing etc, because of the Retina displays and the fact that 'Design people' seem to use them (so presumably they are suitable for that sort of thing) but they aren't cheap, so I'll have to check out the refurb section on the website. (Thanks for the headsup, @TheEvilGiraffe!)

My main concern, though, is that I want something that won't be riddled with malware and viruses if I inadvertantly click on the wrong thing online, and then cost me a fortune to re-gain access - it seems that I only ever read about PCs going down with some terrible ransomware or something.

Are Macs a lot less vulnerable to viruses? Do they even get viruses??

Never had a virus or issue in the last decade.

As above, just don't click anything too stupid.

As for the expense, it should last you a decade if you want it to.

I think my first MacBook was about £900 and I sold it for £600 about 4 years later.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

FWIW on the flip side I've never had a virus on my own Windows computer (about 6 years now since I switched back from Mac).

 

[White16valver]

Thanks for the feedback, chaps ?

I'm only online using sites I know are non-dodgy, but somewhere I picked up some trojan thing on an old laptop that sucked 95% CPU capacity every once in a while for no reason, and which seems to be a major hassle to remove

And don't we need active firewall protection to stop attempts to 'break in' to PCs through their ports? Or is that just scaremongering from 'back in the day'? (I am relatively IT-literate but haven't got the time/brain capacity to keep up with what the losers of this world are doing to ruin other people's lives.)

My main concern is that if I'm going to use a computer to process pics and give other people copies, I certainly don't want to be passing on computer-STDs...


I think I might just have to make the jump and be done with TBH. (If I could somehow get it through a business account, wouldn't it be 20% cheaper??)

 

[boultonn]

Mac and Windows both come with sufficient firewall protection to prevent most port based attacks, and a competent AV product will detect and remove 99% malware.
Standard other stuff to consider, make backups so if anything does happen you can just restore from that and I think you'll be golden.
I think if you're self-employed you can reclaim the 20% VAT in your tax return?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

I think I might just have to make the jump and be done with TBH. (If I could somehow get it through a business account, wouldn't it be 20% cheaper??)

Why would it be cheaper..? It isn't VAT free.

If your own company bought it as an asset then that has its advantages.