Thinking about a new Mac...
-
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 06:30 last edited by
I've got an Apple IIe that I'm not using.
More than enough power for someone retired.
Let me know if you're interested. I can throw in some floppies. -
I bought the LG monitor from the apple site. Perfectly fine. They have 24 and 27”. Honestly I forget which I bought.
The monitor has several USBc and regular USB ports so it acts as something of a hub.
I have that with the top of the line MacBook Air from last September, and it’s a great setup.
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 11:37 last edited by@jon-nyc said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
I bought the LG monitor from the apple site. Perfectly fine. They have 24 and 27”. Honestly I forget which I bought.
The monitor has several USBc and regular USB ports so it acts as something of a hub.
I have that with the top of the line MacBook Air from last September, and it’s a great setup.
Yeah, I was specifically thinking of what you do when it comes time.
@Klaus , yeah. Portability is not high on my list of needs. I spend 90% of my time at my desk. If I want to consume content, or travel, my old iPad Air (2) does it pretty well, particularly with a Brydge keyboard attached to it. Mrs. George has an 11" MacBook Air and I have an account on it, so I can access all my stuff should I need to.
Like I said, I'm just spitballing here.
The one nice thing about the MacBook Air is the fact that it's a larger screen than my iPad.
-
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 12:05 last edited by Klaus 8 Jan 2020, 12:06
If you don't need the portability, I'd not get a notebook. The Mac Mini or iMac give you more bang for the buck: better performance, longer lifetime (upgrades), more repair options, more connectors. The iMac also gives you a very clean look with minimal set of visible cables.
-
If you don't need the portability, I'd not get a notebook. The Mac Mini or iMac give you more bang for the buck: better performance, longer lifetime (upgrades), more repair options, more connectors. The iMac also gives you a very clean look with minimal set of visible cables.
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 12:28 last edited by@Klaus I have a 27" iMac (2014) now which I love.
The reason for the upgrade is that D2 is using a hand-me-down 27" iMac from 2011. It's getting long in the tooth and the internal hard drive (which had a recall that she never took care of and now is out of date) has died. I want to hand mine down to her.
If it weren't for that issue, I'd stay with what I have.
-
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 12:53 last edited by
If I ever do buy another Mac, it will be a MacMini. Loaded with memory and SSD and you have a very compact and capable machine.
-
If I ever do buy another Mac, it will be a MacMini. Loaded with memory and SSD and you have a very compact and capable machine.
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 13:01 last edited by@mark said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
If I ever do buy another Mac, it will be a MacMini. Loaded with memory and SSD and you have a very compact and capable machine.
If you're going to hook it up to a reasonable monitor (27" or larger) there's no advantage to compactness, is there? And, you have more cables.
-
@mark said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
If I ever do buy another Mac, it will be a MacMini. Loaded with memory and SSD and you have a very compact and capable machine.
If you're going to hook it up to a reasonable monitor (27" or larger) there's no advantage to compactness, is there? And, you have more cables.
wrote on 1 Aug 2020, 13:54 last edited by@George-K said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
@mark said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
MacMini.
And, you have more cables.
Hmm ... wonder when Apple will make the MacMini take power input via USB-C too. The power cable is the only "extra cable" required by the MacMini today over a MacBook Air. The MacMini also gives you most of the legacy ports you want.
-
topic:timeago-later,5 months
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 13:42 last edited by
Looking at prices for various options here.
I'm looking at 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
If I go with the Mini or the Air, I'll have to spring for a monitor and a webcam (I'd keep my keyboard and mouse):
The price for the iMac is for this year's Intel version with an i5 processor, I assume that when Apple releases a new iMac this year, as is rumored, it'll be priced pretty similarly. Looks like the MacBook Air gives the same features as the iMac for a better price, even after all the add-ons.
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 13:58 last edited by
I may buy a new iMac when it is released with a new ARM chip (not the current one; I want more than 16GB of RAM).
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 14:09 last edited by
Why a Dock with the mini?
-
I may buy a new iMac when it is released with a new ARM chip (not the current one; I want more than 16GB of RAM).
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 14:13 last edited by@klaus said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
I may buy a new iMac when it is released with a new ARM chip (not the current one; I want more than 16GB of RAM).
I've seen videos of performance with only 8 gigs of RAM on a MacBook Air. For the stuff that I do, 8 is probably adequate, and 16 is overkill, considering the videos I've watched. But...
Link to videoThe other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now. That's a big deal for me with my aging eyes.
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 14:15 last edited by
@copper said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
Why a Dock with the mini?
Hooking up external devices: I have a 4 bay enclosure which stores my Time Machine data, media (books, music), and another backup drive.
-
Looking at prices for various options here.
I'm looking at 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
If I go with the Mini or the Air, I'll have to spring for a monitor and a webcam (I'd keep my keyboard and mouse):
The price for the iMac is for this year's Intel version with an i5 processor, I assume that when Apple releases a new iMac this year, as is rumored, it'll be priced pretty similarly. Looks like the MacBook Air gives the same features as the iMac for a better price, even after all the add-ons.
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 14:46 last edited by@george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
I'm looking at 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
That's what I have.
I just bought a webcam this week, delivered xmas eve. It's sitting in the box still by my desk.
Up to now I've been using my iPad for zoom calls.
-
@george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
I'm looking at 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
That's what I have.
I just bought a webcam this week, delivered xmas eve. It's sitting in the box still by my desk.
Up to now I've been using my iPad for zoom calls.
-
@klaus said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
I may buy a new iMac when it is released with a new ARM chip (not the current one; I want more than 16GB of RAM).
I've seen videos of performance with only 8 gigs of RAM on a MacBook Air. For the stuff that I do, 8 is probably adequate, and 16 is overkill, considering the videos I've watched. But...
Link to videoThe other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now. That's a big deal for me with my aging eyes.
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 15:13 last edited by@george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
The other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now.
True, I also want a 27". If they don't sell a 27" iMac anymore, I'll maybe go for a Mac Mini with external display.
-
@george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
The other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now.
True, I also want a 27". If they don't sell a 27" iMac anymore, I'll maybe go for a Mac Mini with external display.
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 15:15 last edited by George K@klaus I have to wonder what the thinking is behind the rumored 24" version. Monitors are getting bigger and bigger.
Why would they do that?
ETA: I assume that all I would have to do is hook it up with an HDMI cable, right?
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 15:29 last edited by
You forgot the vegan leather desk mat.
vegan leather
That is a new one on me
image url) -
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 15:45 last edited by
@george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:
@jon-nyc how big is that monitor you have?
24".
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HMUA2VC/A/lg-ultrafine-4k-display
-
wrote on 26 Dec 2020, 15:48 last edited by
Funny I decry the creeping screen sizes. I remember being disappointed when they phased out the 21" iMac and I had to buy a 24. Equally when they kept making phones bigger.
Yeah its easier to read. But I have to carry my phone.
I guess I could live with a 27" monitor. Just seems so extreme. I'm right here, sitting in front of it.