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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

14yo girl - MacBook Air?

63 replies

CedricDiggory · 01/11/2017 22:35

Hi I hope this is okay to post here I’m just after a bit of advice.

I’m currently 13 but will be 14 by Christmas. This year I’m really fancying a MacBook Air 13”. I know that this is a huge thing and if I do have it then it will be my only present. I have been wanting one for almost a year now.

I have lots of reasons for wanting a laptop, specifically a MacBook. I’m currently in year 9, so I have my GCSEs coming up next year. I have a lot of homework because of this. I need a laptop to be able to do my work on.

I have an iPhone and iPad already so I think a MacBook would be ideal to sinc all of my data on and to store photos as my phone storage is quite small. From my MacBook I would be able to FaceTime people and iMessage them. For me this is a big part because most of my friends use apple devices so I can talk to them on that. I do however have my phone and iPad that I can do both of these things on.

A man I was talking to in Apple said that it could easily last me until uni and it is very durable. I want to believe this but as it came from the salesman trying to sell me a MacBook I find it hard to believe.

I want to be able to use the internet, watch Netflix, play games (only sims really), do schoolwork, video call and use social media.

I am aware that you can do nearly all of this on just a normal laptop and that’s where I’m stuck.

I know we could afford a MacBook but probably not comfortably.
I also love having things to unwrap on Christmas Day - if I have a MacBook it will be just that.

So, have you got any advice or laptop recommendations for me please?
Anything would be greatly appreciated

OP posts:

00100001 · 03/11/2017 09:28

Macs do crash.

I've had many in my office that won't boot long, keep rebooting or have malware and keyloggers installed.

lunabear1 · 03/11/2017 09:38

I have a MacBook Air Cedric and they're awful for playing sims on. I've had it for 3 years now (I'm an adult and bought it with my own money) and I'm looking at getting a new one in the next 18 months as it's not as fast as it was and tends to get very hot. I wouldn't have anything else now as mac are excellent (I also have a iPhone and iPad) and even though the syncing is handy it doesn't add anything to your phone memory as it's shared across all platforms so it doesn't leave your phone. I'd say stick to a pc until you leave school and get one for uni!

butterfly56 · 03/11/2017 10:29

You can FaceTime and iMessage on your iPhone and iPad.
MacBooks are serious amount of money for someone who just "fancies" one!
Start saving your own money at least half towards one of these then you may be able to persuade your parents to give you the other half which is still a lot of money!
Or better still save up and buy a second hand macbook if you are that desperate to have one.

Twooter · 03/11/2017 10:33

We got a Mac for to use along iPad and iPhones, but just find it so unintuitive we all hate it.

TheSnorkMaidenReturns · 03/11/2017 10:39

Cedric I'd start saving now, and start doing jobs such as babysitting and gardening for neighbours. I've had loads of babysitters over the years and nearly all of them started with the sole purpose of saving up for a Mac of some description. Get a refurb one for the Sixth Form and then smile sweetly at your parents for a new one for Uni.

RosyWelshcakes · 03/11/2017 10:39

rosy an 8-12 year old doesn’t need one either. Some DC may have and enjoy macbooks, but it’s a luxury good and there are decent laptops available to do what DCs need for much less money. Unless one is rolling in cash and ca

I suspect you’re generalizing.

hoyhoy44 · 03/11/2017 14:50

i have no idea exactly the price of mac books but if you can do everything you require from an apple product on ipad and iphone there is no reason for an third apple product ! i dont even know an adult with 3 apple products let alone a 13 year old !

chromebooks can be very good for the price otherwise there is many laptops available which are not apple but very capable as everything you would need them for at your age

can you get a keyboard for your ipad and use it like a laptop ?

just a quick search showed a macbook air 13.3 inch is around £850 and minimum wage for under 18 is 4.05 so somebody under 18 would need to work above 200 hours to afford one ! ive heard they are a very good product but you dont always have to have the best of everything, a certain brand of car may be the best, but not everyone can afford to buy or drive one, so they make do with alternatives.

RavenWings · 03/11/2017 15:59

I know we could afford a MacBook but probably not comfortably

And that's your answer right there, I think. Second hand one or another brand - it's unfair to ask for one if you know parents can't afford it and let's be honest - you don't need it. You want it.

Isadora2007 · 03/11/2017 20:22

My son was 15 when he wanted a MacBook for Christmas. We agreed he would pay for a third. Five years on and it was going strong until he sadly got it stolen the other week. It was a good buy for him as he used it for a lot of music. It lasted well and I believe it was worth the money.

Mominatrix · 03/11/2017 20:41

Cedric, I completely understand your need to have a laptop and the rationale for wishing to get a MacBook. I have a son in the same year (and same age) as you and I got him a laptop this year for his coursework.

I looked at the MacBook Air for him and decided against it because for the same price, you can get the faster, more powerful MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air is old in terms of the technology timeline. The MacBook pro has a faster and newer processor, and much better graphics.

It definitely is not good for gaming - move editing, yes but for proper gaming, you'd be looking at a Razer. I disagree with posters who thing that a laptop is not necessary at this age. All my son's homework assignments are given through am app on his phone and details are on their school intranet, including links to supplementary reading. Essay homework is expected to be done on a computer and emailed to the teacher. As he moves along in the GCSE curriculum, more work will be done on the computer, including group projects.

DUe to the need for students to have such costly electronic gadgets, DS's school has an insurance policy where laptops and other electronic devices are covered. I also made sure to purchase Apple Care to cover any accidental damage caused by DS at home.

Is an Apple necessary, probably not. However, I do understand the desire to have one seamless system if one has an apple phone and tablet. If it is a stretch financially for your family, there are other reliable brands out there which are more affordable.

Mominatrix · 03/11/2017 20:47

For those who wonder why I got an Apple laptop for my son, it has to do with being able to adminstrate his computer. As I have an Apple, I can control the settings, including parental controls, on his laptop from my computer. I wanted to know that if DS would be accessing the internet on his own devise, that I could have ways of limiting the scope of how long, when, and what he was able to access - he is only 13!

StealingYourWiFi · 03/11/2017 20:48

MacBook airs ARE lovely. I got one for uni. It’s done me 3 years beautifully, however you mention the sims. Whilst it CAN run the Sims, it is very very noisy with the fans running at full blast which is annoying and distracting. Also the air doesn’t have a CD drive so you’d have to download the games from Origin.

GothAndTired · 03/11/2017 20:55

I'm not against a 14 year old having one whatsoever.

But, yes, they do crash. I'm typing on one now that is 3 years old and it is a bitch for crashing.

dementedma · 03/11/2017 21:05

Ths is timely. Ds wants a macbook for Christmas. He is nearly 16 and in 5th year. He is really into music, sound technology, video editing etc and wants it for this. It is a huge buy for us and would be his only gift for Christmas and birthday combined. His two older dds are pissed off that we would even consider getting this as they had to buy their own laptops/macbooks when they were older and had part time jobs etc. But it is the only thing he wants and would use it a lot for school work and music technology.

00100001 · 03/11/2017 22:39

Well, demented I'd be pretty pissed 9ff too if was your daughters too.

00100001 · 03/11/2017 22:41

mominatrix you can do that on Windows too....
It's called parental controls.
You can set Web filters, time limits (both in terms 9f time of day and amount 9fntime spent etc) you can control apps.

you can password override it to allow extra time etc.

It also logs what they're doing.

00100001 · 03/11/2017 22:41

Comes as part of Windows

Dozer · 03/11/2017 22:50

DC of that age do not need such costly tech. If they have truly exceptional tech skills at a young age, perhaps.

It’s just consumerism / brand desire. Indulging this, unless you have lots and lots of spare cash (and even then), is silly.

Dozer · 03/11/2017 22:51

Dementedma, your DDs are right. He should earn it. Unless you bought or are prepared to buy gifts of equivalent cost / importance yo your DDs you’d simply be indulging and favouring DS.

Garlicansapphire · 03/11/2017 22:51

Hi! Good lobbying move coming on here to get some evidence to back your case!

My DS got a Mac last year for Christmas and he was 14. But he didn't get anything else and got a small birthday present too because it was coming up. I'm not sure if it's a MacBook Air - probably not - his Dad shopped around to get the cheapest new Mac available.

But it's not really for us to say what's affordable as all families are different. If it's an issue a good idea would be for you to save up and do babysitting to make a contribution towards the cost. That's what my friends kid did as he wanted a very expensive robot building present and his parents were impressed how hard he worked to save up for for his share of it.

Good luck!

Dozer · 03/11/2017 22:52

“He didn’t get anything else” is irrelevant!

Most people don’t have £1000 to spend on Xmas gifts for DC.

Garlicansapphire · 03/11/2017 23:04

If that's directed at me Dozer - the one we got my son was £400 - so as I said probably not a MacBook air - my XH shopped around for it as the cheapest Mac available and we split the cost. I still think that's a very big present which is why my DS didn't get a birthday present either.

But as I clearly said - maybe the OP should save up for it.

SoupDragon · 03/11/2017 23:09

I have a MacBook Air. It's lovely, yes, but a 13 year old does not need one. Hell, I don't need one! I fully admit it was an extravagance.

A laptop is a far better bet as everything you do at school will be geared towards windows. It's easy to move stuff between a laptop and your phone using something like Dropbox. That's how I move stuff as it's straightforward,

Garlicansapphire · 03/11/2017 23:18

Sorry but you can just get windows on a mac. Thats what I have on mine and DS's. I wouldn't dream of getting one without but some of the Mac applications like Pages are much better than windows apps for producing more professional looking presentations/reports etc.

RosyWelshcakes · 04/11/2017 03:16

If that's directed at me Dozer - the one we got my son was £400

You don't have to explain the choices you've made.

Your son has a MAC. End of.

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