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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that a 12 year old should NOT have a MacBook

145 replies

ChangedUsername12345 · 09/04/2016 23:19

It's her birthday soon and she will be 13 all she wants is a MacBook I've said she can have a Windows laptop... It's only for farting around on, what's the point?

OP posts:

coralpig · 09/04/2016 23:23

YAB a bit U

There's nothing wrong with a 12 year old having one. It is a bit indulgent of course.

However, if you can't afford it a Windows one will do her fine- more than. She certainly doesn't need a MacBook but they do last longer ( in my experience) are less prone to crashing and you don't need anti virus software. Your choice.

TooOldForGlitter · 09/04/2016 23:26

Well can you afford a Mac book? That's the issue surely.

There's nothing wrong with a 13 yo having one as far as I can see and if you can afford a decent laptop then what's the difference in getting her the one she wants? The amount of computer/online based homework is staggering and only increases as they get older so it's not like she's 5 and just using it for playing games.

foragogo · 09/04/2016 23:26

I don't think "doesn't really need" is the same as "should NOT have"

I would buy mine a 300 quid win laptop, purely becasue I have more than one child. if I only had one or shed loads of spare cash I might be tempted by a macbook. i know a just 11 year old one who does us eit very creatively, making movies etc. which is not as easy on a win laptop. don't think it makes much difference to a kid just doing their homework what OS it is or how overpriced or not it is.

Quietlygoingmad67 · 09/04/2016 23:30

My 13yo ask for one for xmas - we said no as it isn't within our budget for Christmas. She then asked for it for her birthday in Jan again it was out of our budget so she asked other family members for money towards it and for no other presents from us. She does look after it very well (probably because it cost her a fair amount) and uses it a lot too

ollieplimsoles · 09/04/2016 23:50

For Christ sake get it insured... I spilt a tiny bit of nail polish remover on mine, and the repairs cost over £400.

If her laptop breaks and its a windows, you can usually get someone you know who is good with computers (its dh in our family) to sort it out, but if your going down the mac route ots not that easy..

it's a bit of a waste if all she's doing is surfing the net on it. I have a macbook pro and an imac but I'm a designer and even I don't use it to its full capacity.

They are hard wearing though ill give you that. Once you've had mac you ain't going back.

Balletgirlmum · 09/04/2016 23:53

Depends on the 12 year old. Dd doesn't have one (dh does) but she uses macs at school for music & video editing. She is very into composing & spends a lot of spare time doing this.

But if it's for playing games & messing about then an iPad will do.

Quietlygoingmad67 · 09/04/2016 23:54

It is insured - don't worry! She uses her for editing videos and running an Etsy shop - she uses her phone for surfing the Internet

bloodyteenagers · 10/04/2016 00:14

Why not if its financially possible?
I found the parental controls far easier to set on smacked than I did Windows.

bloodyteenagers · 10/04/2016 00:15

On an iMac not smacked lol

CallarMorvern · 10/04/2016 00:23

DD moved schools and was behind as they used Macbooks for everything, she'd been used to Windows. We couldn't afford the exorbitant price of a new one, so ended up buying a second hand Macbook Pro, just so she could catch up. It's now 7yrs old, still runs the latest operating system and recent software and is lightning fast. I'm a Windows gal myself, but I have to confess it s far better built than any laptop I've ever had and DD uses it daily.

EverySongbirdSays · 10/04/2016 00:26

They are very expensive and I think they are adult indulgences, I think the same about iPads and i think children who have either are rich, spoiled or both. (unless there's a proven NEED)

YANBU - and no offence to anyone, it's just a personal view

CallarMorvern · 10/04/2016 00:29

Oh and as for farting around on it...DD does a lot of her homework on it, has learnt to play the piano it, uses it instead if a TV, composes music and keeps in touch with long distance relatives, who use imessage. And she's only 10, I imagine a 13yr old would find it even more useful.
You aren't unreasonable to find a Macbook affordable, but if it is affordable, you are unreasonable to think a 13yr old shouldn't have one.

EverySongbirdSays · 10/04/2016 00:31

Your childs primary school exclusively uses Macbooks?

gooru · 10/04/2016 00:33

If you can afford it, and if she is the type of girl to take cake of it, I would.

IME Windows laptops need replacing every year. In our family we have a number of Macbook laptops, one is 9 years old and still going strong.

gooru · 10/04/2016 00:34

*take care of it!

CallarMorvern · 10/04/2016 00:37

everysongbird Yes, exclusively Apple. She has since moved schools (again) and new school is also exclusively apple. It's not that unusual.

madwomanbackintheattic · 10/04/2016 00:39

I take it your kids are quite small then, songbird?
I used to be all offensive about this stuff too. These days I'm more sanguine.
Dd2 (who is dc3) got her iPad first (she is a keyboard user as she has cerebral palsy) for school. Two have iPads now, ds1 uses his for school as well. Dd1 had a crappy laptop for two years and sighed with envy at the kids with MacBooks, because they never had issues connecting with the school wifi, or any other tech stuff, so she approached us and asked if we would put half of the cost together for Christmas and her birthday. It took us a few months to decide, as they are hideously expensive, but ultimately she is off to university next year and this will be the computer she takes. I work for an educational institution that is entitled to the apple Ed discount (it isn't much lol) so in the end we did get her one. She uses it for 8-10 hours a day, I would say (more than anyone 'working') as she is on it all day at school and then again for three or four hours in the evening with homework.
It's probably the best thing we ever bought her. Without a doubt it is the most useful and the most used. She is 16 rather than 12, but to be honest, the amount of crap we have had trying to keep crappy laptops working with three of them, we should just have bought them all a MacBook to start with.

StillMedusa · 10/04/2016 00:42

If you could afford it... I'd say hell yes.
Far easier to use than Windows, no constant updating of antivirus software and they just keep on going! a £700 Macbook Air will last a lot longer than a £300 Windows.

Not the tiny new one tho..lack of ports... but a Macbook Air would be fab. Macbook Pro for serious music/editing.

We switched to Macs years ago. Only one of my kids has a Windows laptop and I have had to replace it every 2 years. DD2 has a 6 yr old mac still going strong, Ds1 has my old macbook pro which is also 6 years old and our big Mac is nearly 7.

They update well, are incredibly stable because their software is built FOR their hardware...and although the cases dent you can drop them down the stairs a few times (trust me ...done this!) They are also far more intuitive to use.

I'm not a blind Apple fan (for instance I don't rate Iphones and switched back to Samsung ages ago) but for reliability and also customer service... macs really are a good investment.

bloodyteenagers · 10/04/2016 00:43

What is suprising about schools using only macs?
A small school I go to (80 students) uses
Nothing but macs that are around 10 years old.

MitzyLeFrouf · 10/04/2016 00:45

There's no chance I'd spend £800 on a macbook for a 13 year old.

Saying windows laptops need replacing annually is absolute nonsense (but the kind of thing the Apple apostles love to spout). My Windows laptop has been going strong for 5 years with no sign of let up!

MitzyLeFrouf · 10/04/2016 00:46

There's no chance I'd spend £800 on a 13 year old's birthday present full stop no matter what it was for.

EverySongbirdSays · 10/04/2016 00:48

I've personally never heard of a school using exclusively Macs. Maybe it's not that surprising.

Yes maybe it is a case (in my case) of "just you wait til your own are pestering" - but it took me ages to afford my own Macbook and I'm a grownup!!!

StupidGirl4568 · 10/04/2016 00:50

OP try CEX or similar - I saw one there for £400 earlier (though it was the desktop version) but I believe they are thousands new.

pilpiloni · 10/04/2016 00:51

My children's schools gives them MacBooks to use from year 6 equivalent (so 10+).

They're light, durable and fewer issues than windows which is good because the kids have to bring them into school every day.

It's nbu - all depends on needs and budget.

gooru · 10/04/2016 01:14

Saying windows laptops need replacing annually is absolute nonsense (but the kind of thing the Apple apostles love to spout)

Not at all, Mitzy, and I'm not an 'apostle'. I'm actually speaking from experience. Over a period of seven years, I had seven Windows laptops. Each one got viruses, bugs, would crash repeatedly and so on, until they were simply unusable. I had to buy a new one every year, it happened like clockwork. Eventually I got so annoyed with all the money I was spending, I decided to pay more and get a Mac. It was the best decision I could have made - no viruses, no crashing, they keep working.

So no, in my experience, not nonsense at all.

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