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General discussion

Considering a MacBook or iPad to replace PC desktop, help!

Jun 28, 2019 5:16PM PDT

Hello, I have been using a desktop forever! Love the BIG SCREEN and WASHABLE keyboard! It is custom-made and uses Microsoft Windows 10 and Office. I have converted to Apple iPhone 8 Plus – and love it. Now I am considering changing to an Apple MacBook or iPad at the end of this year - as I would love the mobility option since I travel interstate a lot. Plus, my old desktop is showing its age and I'm tired of Windows 10 updates that change things on my computer all the time!! And I believe MacBooks/iPads are easier to use, compatible with iPhone and safer in regard to less viruses, etc.?

Firstly, what would you recommend? Secondly – on my desktop I have Quicken Personal 2012 software, MS Word, and Excel documents. Can I transfer my program and files over to an Apple MacBook/iPad? Or will I lose them completely? Also, will I be able to continue to use my monitor and keyboard with the Apple MacBook or iPad? I am an old lady of 74 and not really computer-literate. Hoping you can assist me. Thank you for all your help.

--Submitted by Mary B.

Discussion is locked

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In 2008, I was fed up with Windows so I bought a Mac.
Jun 28, 2019 6:12PM PDT

I do graphics and video so I really need a "muscle machine", but from what you've stated, a MacBook Air would probably be fine.
My company uses MS Office on pcs and they work perfectly with my Mac version of Office.
You could get an iPad pro. Many companies make cases with built-in keyboards. I would also invest in an Apple Pencil as well. If you like your iPhone, this might be a good next step. Also there's a fll set of Office apps for both iPad and iPhone. I made the switch and never looked back. Good luck!

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Depends upon your needs
Jun 28, 2019 6:15PM PDT

It all depends upon your needs. If the most complex thing that you do is viewing web pages and creating documents, spreadsheets or presentations, then the iPad would fit those needs. Originally I did not think that the iPad could replace a computer, but I have done so over the last six years and I have not looked back. Of course there are things that I cannot do on the iPad, yet. So I do have a Mac mini to perform those tasks, and those revolve around programming in c++ and using applications like R that are not written to run in iOS. So as all things, it really depends upon your needs.

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Convert to MacBook or iPad.
Jun 28, 2019 6:17PM PDT

First of all, I must say I am a dedicated desktop user but also have a laptop and iPad. Do not worry about your Microsoft documents, the iPad as versions of all of the Microsoft programs. This is great for me as I can edit on the road on my iPad and the changes are already in place on my Windows PC using OneDrive cloud service. Apples generally use the same ports for monitors and keyboards (HDMI and USB) or similar digital versions (Display Port and USB--C) that can be used with inexpensive adapters. The main problem is cost. An Apple computer will cost 2-3 times what a name brand Windows computer will cost and even more than a lesser known brand. For example, Apple recently announced that the STARTING price of the new MacPro will be $6,500 for the same capability of a $2,000 Dell or HP or a $1,500 MSI or Asus.

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eh?
Jul 5, 2019 1:18PM PDT

PLEASE tell me where I can buy a $1,500 Asus workstation that is the equivalent of a $6,500 MacPro! I'd love to buy some of those!

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bs
Jul 5, 2019 2:10PM PDT

There is an Apple tax but it is more in the 20% range than 200% range. Spec out a Xenon based system from Dell or MSI that matches the MacPro for $2k.

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Let's talk about those software titles.
Jun 28, 2019 6:21PM PDT

1. Quicken 2012. My bet is Quicken will want you to move to their cloud solution.
2. Word and Excel Documents. Frankly you can try Microsoft's Office or 365 but I'm old school and would look again to LibreOffice (free, etc.)
3. Programs? No. Files, Yes.

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Just switch to Pages and Numbers
Jul 5, 2019 6:51PM PDT

Pages and Numbers are the Apple apps that are like Word and Excel.

I have made a smooth transition from MS office to the Apple apps and have never looked back. You can open any files sent to you from MS Office and if you chose to export your work, rather than save, you can create a MS Word, Excel document to send to people that are using MS Office.

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Macbook or iPad
Jun 28, 2019 6:23PM PDT

Quicken won't work on a Mac unless you live in USA or Canada and you would need to buy the latest version. Ms Word, Excel etc. are fine depending on what your license allows.
Apple sell a keyboard case for iPad Pro which is adequate. Depending on how your monitor and keyboard connect you can probably continue to use them with suitable cables.

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Personally, I prefer the iPad
Jun 28, 2019 6:41PM PDT

The iPad is light, compact, and really fun to use (after an initial learning period). And if you have an iPhone, you’re well on your way to knowing how it works. The iPad comes with Pages and Numbers apps, which can import Word and Excel documents. The touch interface for these apps also take some gear-shifting if you’re used to a mouse on the desktop, but are both very capable replacements for Word and Excel. In fact, I personally prefer the touch-interface apps once I learned them.
Good luck with your transition—whatever you choose.

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Apple's Business Model Bugs Me
Jun 28, 2019 9:18PM PDT

My wife and I have been iPad users since 2010. The problem is that they're well over $1000 a pop. Whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone, they change the operating system. And those changes usually affect the iPad, as well. All of a sudden, your apps don't work anymore and you end up buying another iPad. I did it twice before I quit, but my wife has the iPad Pro. If they pull the support on that (and they do so at a far more rapid rate than Microsoft by far), bye bye, iPad. She also has a MacBook. So far, so good

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Your price statement is incorrect
Jul 6, 2019 7:57AM PDT

A very quick and easy look at Apple's website shows iPads starting at $499, $799 if you want a Pro. You lose credibility when you get your facts wrong. If a person does not require mobile data (she's got an iPhone so can use her hotspot cability for the iPad) then the cost is lower. She's probably like the size of the larger iPad Pro, so there's increased cost there, but that's about it. She doesn't appear to have a lot of music or photos to store locally (put in in the cloud) so doesn't need huge storage. She's a great candidate for the low-end iPads that are far less than you suggest.

Microsoft is also just as bad about changes to the OS, so this is pretty much a toss-up, although Apple is much more consistent in where basic controls are from version to version.

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Everything changes...
Jun 28, 2019 9:52PM PDT

If your reason for going to a Mac (or iPad) is to avoid change, forget about it. Every Mac version is like the next version of Windows, full of change. That’s the bread and butter of tech, put out a new and improved version that gets people (most people) excited. So you can resign yourself to change, and try to enjoy it. I enjoyed the transition between Windows 7 and Windows 10, personally. Now I’m using a Mac...running Mojave. Paid about $1500 for a nice Mac mini with an internal 256GB SSD and an external 500GB T3 super fast SSD. Works great, but could have gotten equivalent hardware for Windows for a lot less. The next release of MacOS will be different, new and improved for sure. As will iOS 13 after iOS 12.

One thing that doesn’t change is that Apple hardware will be proprietary and expensive. So make your decision about which track you want to follow. If Apple, be sure to save up enough. If Windows or Linux, learn to do your own support. In any of these cases, be ready to embrace change. That’s the nature of commercial products.

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Macs are proprietary
Jul 6, 2019 8:01AM PDT

Well, not as much as it seems, but additionally because Apple limits what hardware is used they are inherently more stable computers. I've used ALL the Windows versions, and ALL the Mac OS versions over the years, and in the past ten years Apple beats Windows hands down. And there's really nothing that compares to the Mac Mini for size and capability in the PC world. Love the Mac Mini!

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From what you said...
Jun 29, 2019 4:25AM PDT

Hi Mary, goodness me, 74 isn't old, we just have a richer life experience than the youngsters!

I'm not a great fan of Windows 10 either and have my plans for 2020. Moving to the Apple infrastructure won't free you from all change but will give you a little more control and friends who have taken that path have said, once you get over the sticker shock and (small) learning curve, they are very happy with the move. Typical comment is that it all works together seamlessly, which is what you allude to.

Picking up on your love of your big screen and washable keyboard, I'd be inclined to suggest the MacOS route, rather than iOS, i.e. Macbook rather than iPad. I'd compare a tablet to your school rough book and a "PC" to your good copy.

On the hardware front, have you considered a Mac Mini, a small neat desktop system that will run MacOS? It might be worth investigating.

On the software front, there is a version of the installed Microsoft Office, fully compatible with the Windows version. I'd recommend that rather than Office 365, which is an online based system. If you use a third party browser like Firefox or Chrome, there are MacOS and iOS versions available. Quicken would be a problem but there is an alternative that for Mac that won't break the bank, Banktivity, which gets good reviews, check it out at https://www.iggsoftware.com/ or other options at https://clubthrifty.com/best-quicken-alternatives/ .

Whatever you decide, good luck!

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Buy an iPad and stick with your Windows PC for now
Jun 29, 2019 5:57AM PDT

Your question has a familiar ring. I have done work for a woman who I would guess is also in her 70s, but who may be not as adept at computers as you might be. She has had a Windows 10 PC but has gotten so confused about things that she talked her husband into getting an iMac. I thought this was a bad idea, because if she was confused about her Win10 machine which she had had for quite some time, a move to the different MAC OS was not going to be easy. Sure enough, she called me after about two weeks of ownership asking my opinion on what she should do, as she said finding her way around the Mac was too hard. She was talking about taking it back to the Apple store which is two hours away. I asked her which of her three computer experiences was the easiest for her, her Win10 machine, the Mac, or her iPad. She quickly said the iPad. Now in her case, her use is mainly for internet, email, and games. So my suggestion was to return the Mac if she could and stick with the iPad. In your case, you need a PC or Mac for Quicken. I think you should get yourself a plain Jane iPad 9.7" (often on sales for $250) and keep your PC for Quicken. You can get free basic versions of Word and Excel for the iPad which may well suit your needs, perhaps along with a BlueTooth keyboard for writing lengthy documents.

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Go for the mac
Jun 29, 2019 11:13AM PDT

I’m older too, and have the iPad Pro, an apple desktop and laptop.
Since all are used interchangeably with my work PC, I needed to know that all of the ms office documents, spreadsheets would be available to me on either platform. With the exception of ms publisher, they are. And you do not need to purchase the office 365 software to do this.

You use quicken though, I believe you’ll have the best experience if you use the laptop over the iPad for this.

I suggest you take a look at apples website for refurbished machines. They come fully warranted and you’ll save a bit of cash!

Good luck.

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Considering a MacBook or iPad to replace PC
Jun 30, 2019 1:17PM PDT

First let me say that switching from a PC to a MacBook simply because you like your iPhone can be a mistake. They do not work, look or feel the same. Apples operating system for their Computers is totally different than the operating system they use for the iPhone and iPad. However, your thought of getting an iPad may make sense for you because you seem to love your iPhone and an iPad is exactly the same except it has a bigger screen and no cellphone function. So if your iPhone does everything you need then the iPad makes perfect sense. Like any other decision involving purchasing computing devices, it always depends totally on your exact needs, wants and what you actually use a computer for.

TOO MANY UPDATES? - Switching platforms just because of the number of updates is another mistake. Apple has just as many updates and changes to their systems and in some cases more. Depending on the number of apps that you have installed and use on your iPhone or iPad, it is not uncommon to have updates almost weekly. I typically install about 35 updates per month on my iPhone and iPad. Updates, new features and change are a fact of life with this entire industry and will probably only increase with time.

VIRUSES AND MALWARE - By the way, it is true that Apple computers tend to be less prone to viruses and malware but they are not immune and I would not use this as the only reason to switch platforms.

Now to some of your more specific questions:

QUICKEN AND MICROSOFT OFFICE - You mentioned that you use Quicken 2012 and MS word and Excel. The good news is all your data can be transferred to a new computer, whether it is a PC or a Mac, but you will NOT be able to transfer any of your PC programs such as your Quicken Program or Microsoft Word and Excel from your PC to a new Mac. NoteSad Quicken, Word and Excel look and feel different on a Mac vs. a PC. You will need to purchase new versions of this software that will run on the Mac or pay for online subscriptions to these apps. So this is going to add to the already high cost of Apple products.
Also, if you decide to go with a MacBook, I highly recommend purchasing the AppleCare extended support and Warranty for any Apple product because of the extremely high cost of repairs to these products if something should go wrong. Not only are Apple products 2 to 3 times the initial cost to purchase but also 2 to 3 times more costly to repair.
Warning: Depending on your current setup of your PC there may also be some other conversion issues that popup when switch to a Mac or iPad especially if you currently are using an email client such as Outlook, Microsoft Mail on your PC now. If you are using web based email like Gmail, Comcast, AOL, Verizon, etc. then there should be no problems.

USING YOUR MONITOR, MOUSE AND KEYBOARD WITH A MACBOOK - You typically can use your current monitor with a MacBook but you will have to purchase an adapter to connect the two. They type of adapter would depend on the model of the monitor you have. The same goes for your current Keyboard, but may just be easier to purchase a new keyboard depending on the type of keyboard you are currently using.

USING YOUR MONITOR, MOUSE AND KEYBOARD WITH A IPAD - Connecting your Monitor and keyboard to an iPad is a totally different story. The iPad cannot be connected to a regular computer monitor, however if you really need the ability to connect your iPad to a larger screen you can connect to a large TV using an Apple TV adapter. You cannot connect your current keyboard to the iPad unless your current keyboard happens to be a Bluetooth keyboard but you can and I highly recommend purchasing a separate Bluetooth keyboard cover for the iPad which makes it much easier to type especially for long messages and documents. Just in case you were wondering, you cannot connect a regular computer mouse to an iPad.

PRINTING WITH AN IPAD - One other item that you did not mention is printing. I would assume that if you are using Quicken, Word and Excel, you would want to be able to print from your iPad. If you already have a printer that you can print from your iPhone then it will also print from an iPad. So you will be all set. But if you are unable to print from your iPhone now then you will need to purchase a newer printer that is Apple AirPrint capable.

SUMMARY - In the end, from what you have told us, I would probably recommend that you go with the iPad. But before you make that choice, I would suggest that you test all your needs by setting up your iPhone with exactly what it is you want to do such as Microsoft Office and Online Quicken and see if it actually meets your needs. If you can do everything you need on the iPhone then the iPad would be exactly the same but just larger and no cell phone.
Dana
Wayland Computer

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Thank you, Dana!
Jul 4, 2019 12:08AM PDT

A very informative breakdown for all things that should be considered!

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Glass half full perspective
Jul 5, 2019 3:57PM PDT

I feel this is a relatively negative spin on the switch and I wanted to spin it back a bit. So, although I agree that the love of an iPhone doesn't guarantee the love of a MacBook or ipad, there is something to being all in with a vendor. The integration between the phone, computer, iPad, AirPods, AppleTV iCloud etc. can be somewhat magical, but window integrates fine with the iPhone too.
Also, it is true that updates on both platform are plentiful, but working on both, I'd say they are maybe a bit more seamless in the Apple ecosystem, but definitely not a reason to switch. But in regards to viruses, malware, etc although it is true that no platform is 100% safe I would consider the safety (especially if you are talking about iOS vs windows) a very reasonable reason.
Programs you have like office, quicken etc will not transfer over directly (unless we are talking about Mac and Parallels which is a good option too) but most vendors offer upgrades between the Mac OS and Windows OS version and it sounds like you are probably due.
Connecting Monitors and keyboards do require the proper cables and/or adapters. I think some windows users do a disservice by calling everything a dongle. Although it is true that there are very few USB c ports on displays, there are very few DVI ports on PC's or even display ports and in many cases VGA ports. there are USB C to HDMI, VGA, DVI etc cables that can connect your computer to an external display. But that said, it is probably worth while to purchase a $29 usb c dock that has your display, keyboard, and mouse (if they are wired) all plugged into it and you can have a single plug at your desk that feeds your laptop, power, keyboard, mouse and display.
Things are different with an iPad, but not as different as you say. There are both Lightning to HDMI and USB c to HDMI adapters you can use to plug into a "regular monitor" in with depending on which iPad you purchase. There is even the option for a wired USB keyboard and as of iOS 13 a mouse, but I'm not recommending this. iOS still expects touch interface so you will not get the full benefit of an external monitor with an iPad.
Final thoughts, I still believe an iMac and a lower to mid iPad is a better combination. You can simply import your windows computer as is into parallels to help with any transition. You can spend $300 on the 9.7 iPad or $450 for the 10.5 air and you have the best of all worlds. I don't know your budget, but there are some very good deals on 2018 iMac 27" for around $1600 and you have room to upgrade ram and storage if necessary (storage is harder though). So for around $2,000 you have a nice upgrade to your desktop and good mobility.

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I don't see it as a negative spin but rather a pratical spin
Jul 6, 2019 7:07AM PDT

You are correct that someone could use Parellels to run Windows on a Mac to be able to use other software that is either not available or does not work as well on a Mac but this requires another $200 to purchase Parallels and Windows. Plus she would probably have to hire someone to install it since she indicated that she is not that Computer savvy. I have had plenty of client try this approach for software that they wanted to use and many of them ended up going back to a PC or purchasing a PC just to run these applications. Many of them had problems with Parallels especially whenever they installed an upgrade to the Mac OS and then found that they had to also update or purchase a new version of Parallels. So now they not only have Mac updates to deal with but now Windows updates as well. This is not a practical approach at all for the general public. And would never recommend this to a non-techie client.
The other thing I find interesting is those that claim they switched 15 years ago and never looked back. A lot has happened in the past 15 years on the Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome platforms. There might be a lot that you are missing out on because time does not stand still.

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Switching to Apple
Jul 5, 2019 1:19PM PDT

Hi Mary- I'm in the same ball park as you on age. I switched from PC to Apple 15 years ago and wish I had done so sooner. Less complicated, far fewer crashes & other problems, and little to no viruses to worry about.

I noticed the first comment you made was you love the big screen. I do too, more so now that I'm aging. I suggest you look at the iMac. Reasonable on pricing, very utilitarian(will do everything you mentioned and more) and the screens(2 sizes) are far larger than MacBook or iPad. If you want portability, you could buy an iMac and an iPad for about the price of a MacBook Pro.

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My experience moving from PC to Mac
Jul 5, 2019 1:33PM PDT

In the late 1990s and early 2000s I built my own PCs. Eventually I got fed up with Microsoft releasing crap OS and vowed to switch when my PC died.
My wife's PC died first, and she wanted mobility; I got her a MacBook Pro. I used it a few times and was amazed at how intuative and easy to use it was. The next year I got myself a MacBook Pro.
We are both on our second laptops now,( both physical accidents, not problems with the machines) a MacBook Air 15" for my wife and a MacBook Air 11" for me, purchased in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Both are still going strong.
My only dilema is for the next purchase; do I get an iPad or another MacBook? They don't make the 11" Air anymore, and all the software I use for graphics and writing is available for the iPad, and I like the idea of cellular connectivity, so I'm leaning that way.
Hope that helps you!
Jim

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I went from Windows to a Mac and never looked back
Jul 5, 2019 1:36PM PDT

Several years ago, when Windows was trying to everything to everyone (and created the disaster which was Windows 7), I decided to get a MacBook Pro, and I've never looked back. At the time, I had an iPad, but I've never had an iPhone. That really didn't matter, much. I, now, have an Samsung Phone and tablet, and a MacBook Pro (since I store, and edit, my photos on my computer (and I have thousands), there was no way a tablet could replace a computer for me, despite the fact that I have a bluetooth keyboard). My husband tells me Windows 10 is so much better than all the other Windows systems, but I was done with Windows years ago. The Mac, to me, is much more intuitive to use, I find the updates to be relatively minor and, usually, they add features which I find to be convenient. It's all the things that go along with IOS that I find to be a pain, but I still use iTunes (which is going away - because I continue to use my "antique" iPod Nano!); but I also use Google Play and all the other Google services. And, I have the Mac version of Microsoft Office, Photoshop Elements and pretty much every other software program I might need on my Mac. The laptops of today can easily replace a PC. You need to figure out what you will be using it for, what size screen you need (I have a 13" which is fine, even for photo editing), and what software you need. All that being said...this is what I, personally, think is most important. Don't use an iPad (or other tablet) as your computer if you don't want to store almost everything in the cloud. They're not made for that. My solution has been this: I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 8, a Samsung Tablet (I'm thinking of switching back to a iPad at some point, but that's another story) and a Mac. I never travel with my computer. I travel, often for a week at a time, with my tablet and keyboard. However, it's not as convenient to use as a laptop so, if you're planning to travel a lot, you might want to consider the size and weight of your laptop before you buy. So...think about how much and what kind of storage you need, whether you'll be traveling with a laptop or tablet, which OS you prefer, and go for it.

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I've never Looked back
Jul 5, 2019 1:41PM PDT

I'm now a Retired IT Manager, before the iPad was released I was a Died in the wool PC Desktop & Laptop user.. I purchased the first iPad the Morning it was released for presale ... after receiving the wifi only version My intent was to try going for a Week without touching a PC Keyboard, I then upgraded to the Cellular version as soon as it was available.. Long story but I now have a 9.7" iPad Pro and the 10.5" iPad Pro... I never bothered with the clip on keyboards they seem more of a nuisance .. I worked for 6 Years as an IT Manager of a Large Trucking Company Managing over 100 PC's and Servers in 11 states and I rarely needed to use a PC... I would suggest just Buying one and give it a shot, I'll guarantee even if You find You still need a PC for Something Your going to want to hang on to the iPad... imho

Patrick Barnwell

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Both
Jul 5, 2019 1:41PM PDT

I have a MacBook Pro but I also have a pc laptop with the latter being fairly cheap. I find Windows does better with Quicken and Adobe (especially dreamweaver) than Mac but prefer Mac for music recording and film work. So I do my bookkeeping on the pc and update my website using dreamweaver. Everything else is done on Mac. I also have an iPad and while I do love it (have the new generation but not the pro), I still find the laptop my go to for more in-depth applications. But know that Mac is not good with Quicken so you may want to buy a cheap PC dedicated to that like I did. However, I’d steer clear of a lenova. I have that and hate it - wish I would have bought an acer. But it was only a few hundred bucks so I’m living with it for now. But I find it slow. I no longer use a desktop. Also note that all programs uncles cloud based will have to be changed for the Mac. You could get Parallels which sections off part of your Mac to use for windows bases apps. Some people love that but I found it a bit cumbersome. So that’s when I bought a cheap pc for certain programs

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Mary, we are in the same boat.
Jul 5, 2019 1:43PM PDT

The timing of this week’s topic cracked me up as I have been considering the same thing for a couple of years. Mary, we are of the same vintage. I’ve got an iPhone, iPad, and two Lenovo laptops (Windows 10) that are on their last legs. I took the plunge on July 1 and after reading all the responses I’m confident I did the right thing by getting a MacBook Pro. I’m picking it up today now that the setup and data transfer has been completed. I’ll keep the newer Lenovo for awhile just in case I get stuck. I accept there us a learning curve and I’m well stocked with cheat sheets and books. Of course there’s always the Apple store for classes. I’m actually excited about this new adventure. Go for it!

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Been there, done that.
Jul 5, 2019 1:56PM PDT

I'm somewhat older myself although I probably have somewhat more experience as I have dealt with computers pretty much my entire adult life. I started out on punch cards and my first computer was a Commodore PET (with a built in screen and cassette recorder to load BASIC from). I also owned the original IBM PC and started with IBM DOS 1.0 to Windows 3.0 and then all the way up through IBM OS/2 Warp (I was the original OS/2 bigot) until moving back to Windows NT and then to Windows 10. I've programmed for each of those so can say I know Windows and PC's pretty well (having built many and modified many more). I had tried Mac's over the years and was never enthused but as time went by and I spent more and more time fixing my family's various Windows machines from MS induced update issues, I began to take more and more notice of how stable things seemed for my Apple colleagues. In 2015, I was offered a choice between a high end Thinkpad or an Apple MacBook and I decided to take the plunge (after a particularly bad update had me restoring my entire windows machine). I haven't looked back for a second. Yes, it took me a few weeks to get used to figuring out the interface differences but despite the fact that I run beta software for all of the MacOS releases (I'm currently running Catalina beta right now), I have NEVER had a reason to restore any of my data and while I have my updates set to occur automatically, the only reason I know they have happened is that Apple asks me to type in my password rather than using Touch ID because of the reboot. The same windows and tabs that I had open, are opened and my files and documents are just the way I left them. MS has so many hacks and kludges in their system of supporting literally hundreds of thousands of different hardware configurations that this is impossible for them.

I should say that I also have an iPad and an iPhone and while I use the iPad to do pretty much everything I do on the MacBook, it isn't quite the same experience just yet. Apparently iPadOS (the next version of the operating system for the iPad) will fix much of that but I'm still from Missouri on that as it is much harder to use touch in a spreadsheet than a mouse/trackpad and I'm told that the mouse implementation they are coming up with is more about accessibility than for touch replacement. My Son on the other hand uses his iPad Pro for taking notes in his University Physics and Math courses as he can do things on that that he can't on his PC (that he ran Windows and then Linux and now MacOS on). You can use monitor and keyboard on an iPad (he does) but I suspect you'll find it less than optimal. Good luck how ever you end up... but I don't think you will miss Windows.

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BTW, IBM thinks the same thing!
Jul 5, 2019 2:09PM PDT

IBM found that it was cheaper to give their employees new MacBooks than to have them use 1-2 year old PC's as the support costs went down something like 300% when they gave their employees a MacBook vs a PC. I know from my personal experience that once a family member switched to a MacBook, I never got any more support calls from them (versus 1-2 marathon sessions a year). Things just work. (Plus you can take it to an Apple Store and have a "genius" show you how to resolve any issue). Their support is phenomenal. I had a hardware issue on my 2015 MacBook Pro (bad keyboard that was addressed by a voluntary recall and then a bad repair by a local authorized repair person). Apple swapped out the entire machine for a new one because I was unhappy with the repair. I didn't have to scream, yell, threaten or anything. This machine was 2 years out of warranty. They are an awesome company from that perspective (and I've had lots of experience with IBM/Lenovo/Dell/HP/Asus to compare against).

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This is easier than you think
Jul 5, 2019 2:06PM PDT

Best option in my opinion is iMac + iPad. You will not be satisfied with the smaller screen of a MacBook pro so price out the iMac you want and add ether the educational 9.7 iPad for $250-$350 depending on deal and size or if you want more power you can get the iPad Air for about $450.

Assuming you use the cloud for storage, your documents will be available on both devices. And with the upcoming side car you can get more use from the iPad as a secondary display and tablet input device.

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Apple bites
Jul 5, 2019 2:08PM PDT

Apple is, and always will be, third party adverse. Like mad dogs, they go after ANY third party product they can, trying to keep your options to Apple, or Apple, or maybe Apple. Apple products cost more than PC products because there are thousands of companies making products for the PC. Apple DOES make nice products but, for those of us on a budget and who want access to a large diversity of affordable products, PC is still the way to go. Personally, there us NO way I could afford an Apple equivalent to the powerful MONSTER of a PC that I use everyday.