New Mac

[johnwallaby]

A few weeks ago, I bought a Macbook Air to replace my aging iMac. The iMac's surprising 10-year-lifespan was aided by Apple continuing to provide OSX compatibility all the way though El Capitan... it shipped with Tiger!

Best Buy was offering the Macbook Air for hundreds off regular price in the days leading up to Apple's recent education event. For

Comments

[johnwallaby]

Windows has improved a lot in the past decade, particularly in the realm of security. More recent OS updates have made it easier to disable annoyances, though it is still very aggressive about installing updates (part of that improved security). Windows PCs are a better bargain than ever for those who need more than a Facebook machine. Microsoft has made apps for both Android and iPhone (ex. OneDrive) to make it easier to sync data between Windows and your mobile.

I used to strongly encourage family to use Macs as it helped to reduce the amount of time spent fixing computers at family gatherings. These days the Macintosh's value proposition is not what it once was. Declining sales, tablets/Chromebooks, and renewed Intel-AMD competition have driven non-gaming PC prices to insanely low prices. Meanwhile, prices for Apple products have remained stubbornly high. (Hence why I seized the opportunity to snag a discount)

Nowadays I recommend Chromebooks for family that asks for a web browsing machine. They do 100% of the web browsing a Macbook can, but at 25% the price. All of the photos and documents are hosted by Google, so there's nothing to back up. Of course, they pair well with Android phones too.

[sunfire]

The main thing I've heard about what makes Windows 10 a nightmare is all the spying it does. There has to be a way to turn that off. I definitely agree that PC prices have dropped to the lowest prices seen in years. I don't play PC games, so all I really need mainly is a device that can surf the web. I have also noticed a rise in the popularity of Android based phones compared to the declining sales of Apple iPhone. One of the phones I am considering is the Samsung Galaxy S9. In any case, you have provided some great insight and information! Thanks! It will definitely help in my research to find the right phone and my next computer.

[johnwallaby]

I've seen refurb or pre-owned Galaxy S8 phones for about half of what a new S9 costs. I'm still rockin' a Galaxy S 4 and it gets the job done. :)

Whatever phone you get, just make sure to buy a case... the glass and metal frames on newer "flagship" phones may look great, but they aren't durable at all.