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Original poster

Do I need a MacBook?

116 replies

TalskiddyTreacleMiner · 21/01/2021 19:58

I'm in the market for a new laptop I think. I say I think because i have an iPad which I use a lot, but I don't find it great for office type stuff - Word, Excel etc.

Over the years we've got through loads of Windows laptops as they seem to slow right down after a couple of years. The current one has got a failed motherboard and isn't worth getting fixed.

So I'm thinking of throwing a bit more quite a lot more money at a new one and am specifically looking at the latest MacBook Air with the M1 chip. Friends who have Macs tell me they last for ages and when I add up how much I've spent on cheapie Windows ones, I could probably have bought a Mac only once in that time.

But do I need one? I want one, but it seems such a lot of money to spend when I already have an iPad. I can afford it due to a recent windfall but I can't seem to justify it. Tell me how great, or not, Macs are!

OP posts:
MayYouLiveInInterestingTimes · 21/01/2021 20:45

I'm typing this on a MacBook we've had for 10 years. I definitely recommend Apple tech.

Pollaidh · 21/01/2021 20:54

I'm typing this on a 6 year old MacBook Air that still has a decent battery. It's only in the last year that I've noticed the battery not lasting as long, but it is still good for 4+ hours. At work we get top of the range laptops (Surface Pro, top Lenovo, Dell) and the last maybe 7 laptops I've had, over about 15 years, are usually good the first year, a bit ropey and with only a few hours battery life the 2nd year, and by the 3rd year need to be permanently plugged in. So disappointing and frustrating, and they're at a similar £1000+ price point. It's almost like they're programmed to fail by 3 years. We all get new laptops every 3 years and I have never made it through the whole 3 without needing a replacement!

Reliability-wise, my Mac beats any other laptop I've had by far. Crashing is pretty much unheard of. Occasionally gets a bit slow if I haven't switched it off for months or updated it, but that's it.

This Mac is honestly the best laptop I've ever bought and I'm planning on replacing the battery and handing on to my daughter and getting myself a new one in the next year or so.

It's also great for some specific software like software for authors. The only thing I don't like so much is the filing system, which I find much more difficult than the Windows, but it's probably just a case of learning on YouTube and I can't be arsed. I've got Office on it too, and that works well on Mac.

bottleofbeer · 21/01/2021 20:57

No, I hate them. My husband spent stupid money on one for me that was useless for my degree. Ended up giving it to my daughter and bought a seriously amazing windows laptop. HP Pavilion.

StillMedusa · 21/01/2021 21:00

My Macbook is 11 years old and still working! OK the battery life isn't great anymore, but plugged in it just keeps on going :)

I do use a chromebook for lying on the sofa Mumsnetting but the Macbook is there for anything more substantial :)

hollyangel · 21/01/2021 21:02

Do it! I was like you for years, dithering over the price, while replacing crappy laptops every few years. I was worried I would find it hard to use as I was very good at stuff on my other laptops and didn't want to be slowed down. But I adore it. All my photos are on it, I can Airdrop stuff across my phone and Ipad and it's so fast. The best bit is that it turns on in 1 second!

snowone · 21/01/2021 21:11

Ours is a 2011 model and it's quicker than most windows laptops I've used. It's great!

queenofthelamas · 21/01/2021 21:15

Mine is 8 years old. I got it second hnd and it's still going strong.

00100001 · 21/01/2021 21:18

I never understand why people compare a crappy £300 laptop to a MacBook.

Of course if you buy a piece of crap computer it's not going to be as good as £1000 one.

Its like buying a vauxhall Corsa and them looking at your mates Mercedes and going....oh that's so much better.

Of course it is!

Get any laptop with a SSD, decent processor and ram, and they'll all perform. Because a Mac is a PC now. Just with standardised hardware and bespoke software.

Pollaidh · 21/01/2021 21:25

As I get £1000+ laptops with work every 3 years I've had many opportunities to compare high quality professional laptops to the MacBook, and the MacBook wins hands down every time, especially on battery life and reliability (not crashing etc).

mrsrobin · 21/01/2021 21:29

YES you need one. Don't think about anything else!

pickyomix · 21/01/2021 21:34

I love mine. 6 years and still as fast and efficient with brilliant battery life. I've never had a laptop last half as long without needing to be on charge constantly.

Blahblah84 · 21/01/2021 21:35

I finally caved and got a MacBook Air 2 years ago and I love love love it!

Seriously - it's fast, it's light, it just works when it's supposed to, I can bring it in my handbag if I need to, I look at it everyday and smile because it's beautiful and it works!

OP, I've had so many cheaper laptops that only lasted a year or so before freezing or something crapping out - my last one was ridiculous, the whole screen came away from the keyboard and I had to sellotape it back together, which meant I couldn't fully close it properly.
Then I downloaded a Windows 10 update, which meant some of the keys on my keyboard stopped working - Confused. Awful.

Be warned though, I was a Windows girl through and through, so the first couple of day were frustrating. But you get the hang of the small differences between Mac and Windows you're away.

Oh yeah, Airdrop - love it. I used to spend so long trying to get my previous laptop to print stuff, I have a wireless printer and it just never seemed to recognise it, but this just worked straight away.

I hope this thing lasts for years, but I will never go back to Windows.

Blahblah84 · 21/01/2021 21:38

Just wanted to say about the M1 chip thing - if you plan to use it for work and would need to draft documents etc, then maybe get a new one but from 2019 or something...

I dunno, I couldn't get my head around Mac Pages (the Word equivalent) it was really annoying to use, so I got the MS Office package for Mac and it's perfect.

m00rfarm · 21/01/2021 21:40

My first was bought in 2012 and is still going strong. The replacement I bought in 2017 is still referred to as my new Mac. It feels new. My son is 19 and has to have the new iPhone every time it comes out (he pays). He has had a Second hand 2013 Macbook for six years and never whines about it being slow or out of date. His laptops used to fail regularly every few months. That tells me everything. I’m only sad that it took me so long to buy my first one!

Sweetpotatoaddict · 21/01/2021 21:42

MacBook Pro user with M1 chip. Only had it a few weeks but love it. No issues as yet using office on it. Love the function bar along the top, makes everything easy 😃

infinitediamonds · 21/01/2021 21:52

I'm using an 8 year old Mac. I've had to replace the battery and the charger but other than that its still going well.

The only thing is there are still things that aren't Mac compatible. It isn't great for some sites I need to access for university, and the uni IT people won't suggest anything to help at all - they expect everyone to be using Windows and Chrome so everything is optimised for those systems. In the last year I think things have actually got worse - someone way more techie than me said thats about companies adding extra security with more people working from home and as a by-product locking out Macs.

My previous MacBook only lasted about 5 years though - the screen broke and then I paid to have it replaced and then it broke again so I gave up on it.

HastySlander · 21/01/2021 22:04

Honestly do it! I purchased a secondhand 2 year old map in my 3rd year at uni when I was 21. I then replaced mine and it went to my brother now just been passed to my step brother and still going strong despite being 9 years old

BeBraveAndBeKind · 21/01/2021 22:33

I've been buying macs since 2001 but have only had to buy four in that time (and one of those was a switch from desktop to laptop and another got a cup of coffee thrown over it) The current one has been going for seven years and it's still fast.

In contrast, we use Surface Pros for work and a new one lasted 18 months before it broke.

Original poster
TalskiddyTreacleMiner · 21/01/2021 22:38

You've all talked me into it. Now need to decide whether to go with StormFront with a three year guarantee but wait two weeks for delivery or pay a bit more and get it from the BT Shop who will deliver next Tuesday. Sadly John Lewis are out of stock and they have a two year guarantee.

OP posts:
StillMedusa · 21/01/2021 22:45

If you aren't desperate I'd wait for John Lewis.. their guarantee is great. My first mac had a problem 18m in (very unusual!) and they replaced it no quibble. I bought my chromebook from them for the same reason..I trust them to come good if needed!

1990s · 21/01/2021 22:48

You get what you pay for. Pay for an excellent computer! Smile

I’ve had two in the last 12 years, the 12 year old one is still fine (including battery life pretty much), it was just a bit heavy.

In terms of Word etc, I just use the Google suite versions instead, no problem at all, if you open a word file etc it just converts to Google’s version, and you can convert to sent back as a .doc, or you can install the Office suite.

You won’t regret it!

lastqueenofscotland · 21/01/2021 22:49

Teams works fine on a browser with the newer macs
I love mine

floorboard · 21/01/2021 22:49

Yeah, me too.

I’ve had my MacBook Air 6 years. It’s as fast if not faster and more reliable than my 3 month old £1500 HP laptop.

The OS is a bit different and I sometimes forget and have to google how to change settings and things (eg when setting up a second monitor and stuff) but it’s no Great hardship and tbh a lot of stuff is more intuitive anyway.

1990s · 21/01/2021 22:50

@m00rfarm

My first was bought in 2012 and is still going strong. The replacement I bought in 2017 is still referred to as my new Mac. It feels new. My son is 19 and has to have the new iPhone every time it comes out (he pays). He has had a Second hand 2013 Macbook for six years and never whines about it being slow or out of date. His laptops used to fail regularly every few months. That tells me everything. I’m only sad that it took me so long to buy my first one!
Just realised my “new” one was probably bought in 2017.... Grin
Blurp · 21/01/2021 22:54

The thing is, are you buying cheap Windows PCs? Because you can't compare that to a Mac that cost 5 times as much.

I have a MacBook Air that's lasted 11 years, and is on its last legs, but it was well over 1k new. I could have bought 3 reasonable Windows PCs for the same price and they'd probably have lasted 5/6 years each.