I need a new laptop, I’m fed up of windows laptops playing up, not working, breaking just generally being slow and **** So I’m saving my pennies for an Apple of some sort. After years of iPad and iPhone use they just work, so I’m biting the bullet.

Now, which Apple unit do I get? I’m studying with the OU so all my content is online, I’ll just be using this laptop for assignments and research, I don’t need it for graphics or music. All the programs/software I need (word, excel etc) I get for free via the OU.

Cheers!

Either will be fine. The Pro might be a bit more future-proof. They won’t be any more reliable or faster than a new Windows laptop at the same price point, though.

Sounds maybe too overpowered for those programmes if you don’t need graphical stuff. I’m no expert.

Speaking of future-proof I know the air has just been updated, is there a new pro around the corner?

An Air would be perfect and you could alternatively use GSuite stuff to avoid ramming the computer with Microsoft software.

The Pro is not really any more future-proof – machines of the same age will both be supported equally. The only benefit of a Pro is that it has a bit more flexibility to expand but for the OPs requirement it isn’t really a concern.

I have a Pro (for design work) but in many ways I prefer the Air – especially for its portability.

The new Air also has two USB-3 outputs so you can also simultaneously charge it and power a second monitor if you wish without needing adapters.

Always found the Airs better for typing on and for trackpad use, because they don’t have the stupid sharp edge of alu where your wrists/palms go. Main advantage of the Pros is proper discrete graphics on the 16” version.

Can you get the educational discount via the OU? That makes a big difference.

It doesn’t sound like you need much processing power really. I have a 2018 MBP 13 which I use fairly heavily (large external display with 20 apps open including number crunching with Matlab and Photoshop), but even still, today I’d go Air since the difference in spec isn’t that much, while the Air is smaller, lighter, cheaper with (slightly) better battery life.

What user story do you have?

Are you looking for easy luggability so you can hang out in coffee shops?

Are you doing lots of online research and have lots of internet tabs open flicking between stuff?

Do you want lots of screen space to put your words in?

How good’s your eyesight?

Will you use a separate monitor for the big stuff?

Sat on an air here I’ve been using my own machine as much as possible rather than the hateful antiquated HP PC work have given me to use.

I’d defo get an air for your use. They’re lovely machines.

Assuming 13” for both, Air is fine for that use. Pro is better if you’re doing heavy stuff for longer (video editing, etc) as it’s less likely to get hot enough to throttle.

I’d probably pay the extra for 16GB RAM though.

Thanks all, sounds like an air is the way to go (as much as I thought) yeah I’ll be using the uni discount with Apple. Won’t be using it in coffee shops etc 😂 I do have a field trip next year but won’t be taking it out into the field…. A few tabs open whilst typing a word doc is my usual MO, I can always use my iPad as another screen?

Just updated my 10 yr old air to the latest 2020 version. Can say its better in any specific way other than being faster, but thats good, because the old one was pretty much perfect already so Im pleased they didn’t screw this version up (but pls Apple can I have MagSafe back?). Get the air.

It does sound like the Air is good enough fro your needs – and if your iPad is fairly recent there is a new feature called ‘sidecar’ that allows you to use it as a second screen – https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT210380

Perfect, thanks all!

Basic Macbook – neither Air or Pro IMHO

I moved from a 2017 macbook to a 2019 macbook air. The only advantage is the extra USB c slot and the slightly bigger screen. The macbook also doesn’t have a fan which makes it quieter and nicer to use.

Refurb store of course.

If you have a proper desk where you do most of your work I would recommend getting a couple of external monitors to work with. You can do your writing in one and reserach, email etc. in the other. I have this setup at work and it improves my productivity markedly. The monitors are just Acer HD 27″ screens so nothing fancy but work well for me.

I use them with a Lenovo ThinkPad 13 – not as sleek and sexy as a Apple device but has been pretty bullet proof.

Just to add my own (very expensive) experience.
I bought my daughter a Mac Book Pro for her 18th Birthday -£2k. She loved it. I was the best Dad in the world etc.
Then I bought her a Mac Book Air – £1K as a graduation gift. She loves it. I’m the best Dad in the world etc.
The Mac Book Pro hasn’t seen the light of day since she got the Air and she’s planning on using the Air for her MSc.
The Mac Book Pro sits on the bookshelf like a very expensive ornament.

Seriously consider getting the Pro, but at the last minute buy the new Air, and with the money you save get a decent SSD external hard drive and a external monitor which can become your telly as well.

And with the change…..buy several beers, no, dozens, no, more .

If you have a proper desk where you do most of your work I would recommend getting a couple of external monitors to work with.

Or just use Spaces? Much easier and neater than having two additional monitors. I use several – one for work, one for internet, one for accounting, one for internal discussion (using Slack) and one spare. A quick F4 and I can drag to re-arrange to suit any particular need.

Depending on the course, it would be wise to check what software you are required to use. Some specialist software might be Windows or Mac specific, or there may be differences in the functionality between Windows and Mac versions.

If you buy a premium Windows machine for the same money you’ll pay for a Mac, you’ll find they are a huge improvement over the low-end machines.

Basic Macbook – neither Air or Pro IMHO

It’s 2020 now. Are you referring to the retired, overpriced, slow, and next to useless 12″ MacBook.. or one of the even older legacy ones?

Options now (new anyway) are… 13″ Retina Air (a top spec one of these would be great for all but graphics), 13″ Pro (avoid the lower spec ones here, as they offer little that the Air doesn’t, but the ergonomics aren’t as good) or 16″ Pro (great for graphics.. but still, if you’re typing thousands of words regularly, you’ll still end up plugging in a keyboard and mouse).

I’d go for an Air. I got a Pro a few years ago to be future proof and it’s good but, in retrospect, I’d prefer the lighter weight of the Air.

Or just use Spaces? Much easier and neater than having two additional monitors. I use several – one for work, one for internet, one for accounting, one for internal discussion (using Slack) and one spare. A quick F4 and I can drag to re-arrange to suit any particular need.

It’s not really the same, though – with an extra monitor you can have your source material open full-screen on one monitor, and the document you’re working on open on the other.

These days you can get some pretty good wide aspect monitors that are less hassle than running two separate ones and give you the same advantages

The Mac Book Pro sits on the bookshelf like a very expensive ornament.

I’ll dispose of it for you.

These days you can get some pretty good wide aspect monitors that are less hassle than running two separate ones and give you the same advantages

That would also work. Although I just use the laptop as a secondary screen, and do most of the work on the main (external) screen – it’s only 24″ but I’m not sure anything much larger would really fit on my desk 🙂

Sidecar is great for using iPads as extra monitors… if you’re tight for space.

It’s not really the same, though – with an extra monitor you can have your source material open full-screen on one monitor, and the document you’re working on open on the other.

I agree, but I was responding to the post about having TWO external monitors.
This comment:

I would recommend getting a couple of external monitors to work with

I use Spaces with a single external monitor and find it works very well. My lovely ultra-widescreen monitor is stuck at work right now so making do with an older 25” widescreen.

Some specialist software might be Windows or Mac specific, or there may be differences in the functionality between Windows and Mac versions.

Worth considering – as I found out this week on another thready, MS Excel for Mac (for instance) is limited compared to the PC version.

Looks like you’re sold on the Mac anyway, but I always think that despite the initial layout, the value for money isn’t bad when I compare the Macs I’ve had (usually get 6-7 years as a main computer) to the lower priced Dells and Sonys (more like 3 years)

I agree, but I was responding to the post about having TWO external monitors.

Ah, fair enough 🙂

I always think that despite the initial layout, the value for money isn’t bad when I compare the Macs I’ve had (usually get 6-7 years as a main computer) to the lower priced Dells and Sonys (more like 3 years)

They might have a slightly higher resale value, but for a similarly priced Windows machine I’d expect to get the same amount of use out of it (possible even slightly more, as they’re often easier to add more RAM to etc). All of my personal Windows PCs have lasted for at least that many years, apart from the one I spilled beer over but I’m not going to blame Bill Gates for that failure…

I have both and use the Air more often as its so much more ergonomic. The pro only comes out for serious business

@dakuan out of interest which one did you buy first and whatever it was lacking get solved by the second purchase?

I have and use both. The Air is a much better shape to do work on, the Pro has more grunt without getting hot or noisy. I’m sure they could combine the wedge shape of the Air with the power and heat dissipation of a Pro… now that they don’t have to squeeze discs into any laptop… it’s maddening that they don’t.

As for anyone still fretting about Windows support, like this is 2010… don’t. Either use Virtual Box if you come across a few Windows tools you need and can’t find a Mac equivalent for.. or go the whole hog and give you Mac the full split personality…

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/boot-camp

If you just want a Mac then that’s perfectly reasonable, but your reasoning is flawed. If you paid Apple money for a Windows laptop I absolutely guarantee that it won’t have any of the issues you list. The problem isn’t “Windows laptops,” it’s spending £300 on a laptop and then comparing it with something costing four figures.

Your use case is primarily Microsoft Office. You’re proposing to pay double the price of a PC laptop for something that will do an inferior job. It’s the wrong tool for the job in this instance, IMHO.

I have a monster i7 MacBook Pro, the last with a DVD drive. It’s nice to use but a boat anchor. I also have a nice HP work laptop that is half the weight an 13.3″ screen. Also fine.

Looking for what you do, I’d probably go with a MS Surface now. Apple have little answer to that at the moment. I think Apple are moving iOS towards a standalone operating system and then iPads will be detachable MacBook Airs. But the surface is already there.

For Office we are moving to Teams on all devices. Seems to be Ok, but some of the apps are a bit unstable (PPT) and outlook isn’t in Teams (yet). This connectedness is where things are going and platform is not a factor.

I’m still using an Air that I bought nearly ten years ago, during which time it’s seen off 3 windows laptops that have been supplied by my employer.

My Air is on all day, every day, writing reports, browsing, listening to music, streaming TV and PP presentations. I use Office (although I hate Word) and if wasn’t for the fact that some of the educational institutions don’t support Apple with their testing software, I would never use a PC.

For the first 5 years of it’s life it was thrown into a laptop bag and carted around the country. It always boots up in seconds and rarely crashes. When I had a problem with the keyboard it was replaced FOC despite being out of my warranty period.

Yes it cost 4 figures, but nearly ten years use out of a laptop that has had so much use is a bargain to me. Apple’s back up has been superb too. If it died tomorrow I’d be buying another a few hours later.

As others have said the Air is much nicer to type on than my neighbours Pro.

It’s 2020 now. Are you referring to the retired, overpriced, slow, and next to useless 12″ MacBook.. or one of the even older legacy ones?

Oooooof how very dare you my 12″ MacBook was none of those things thanyouverymuch.

I see they are discontinued though 😭

I think Cougar hit the nail on the head.

I also think purchasing laptops to be futureproof is a bit of a false economy as at the top end stuff you pay 100% more to get something 30% faster, ends up better value to get a more mid range machine and change every 4 years rather than keeping a high end machine for 8 years.

Future proofing peripheral interface is a bit more tangible.

If I was in position of OP i’d be looking at my overall setup for productivity, setting up a nice screen, desk, seat, keyboard, using neat USB-C hub which should be a supported interface for several years to come and use a mid range laptop and laptop stand so it also works as a 2nd screen.

Yes it cost 4 figures, but nearly ten years use out of a laptop that has had so much use is a bargain to me.

My 17″ Dell laptop cost me £600 and has been in daily used since 2008. If mine dies tomorrow and you get another 10 years out of yours (assuming your “4 figures” is ‘only’ £1,000), you’ll have caught me up in cost/year. Good luck! (-:

(This isn’t strictly true, it’s had a few upgrades over the years, SSD and the like. But, y’know.)

If you are not a graphic designer or on IT professional I’d suggest saving your valuable student pennies and getting something like a Chromebook.

For what you are speccing £250 will get you a great device, then get a monitor for home/apartment work.