Should I Change to a MacBook? if Yes, Where Do I Go to Get The Cheapest Deal for a Mac (MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro) ?

ranadom on 31/01/2018 - 22:34
Last edited 31/01/2018 - 22:34

Hello Ozbargainers,

I'm a lifetime PC user, and right now I'm considering migrating to a mac.
I work in the eCommerce industry and need to use my computer almost 24/7 for work and personal use.

Current use of my laptop includes: some coding (HTML, CSS, js), photo editing, creating documents & reports, etc. I'm trying to expand my skills by learning some programming especially in the area of Data Science (starting from the beginner stuff - python, SQL, etc). I've signed up for an online and an offline course and noticed that all courses encourage you to use a mac (UNIX). Most instructors are Mac users and are not familiar with windows, so when I encounter any technical issues (due to software error or version issue), I need to figure it out myself.

If there are any programmers out there, is it worth it for me to buy a MacBook?

If yes, which one should I buy? Is MacBook Pro a must, or can I get by just with a MacBook Air? (I ask this question because Macs are so damn expensive)

Does anyone know any special deals for Macbooks? Where and how can I get the deal?

Thanks for reading.

Computing

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 31/01/2018 - 22:36
    -2

    I've just reported this post for trolling.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/01/2018 - 22:44
      +1

      must be a spam account

  • [Deactivated] on 31/01/2018 - 22:37
    -6

    Mac = Noob
    Windows = Pro

    Sorry….

  • Presence on 31/01/2018 - 22:41
    +3

    ALL courses encourage you to use a Mac?

    Most programs are the same on all platforms. Can you give any examples?

    • ranadom on 31/01/2018 - 22:49

      So I've been doing a course on DataCamp and General Assembly. The courses are for beginners, so it includes tutorials on using the terminal and etc (just the Mac terminal).
      I've managed to get most things working on my current laptop.
      Guess when I said ALL, I meant the 2 I was doing. Not ALL of the course in the world.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/01/2018 - 22:44
    +4

    buy a dell

    • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:20

      Any good dell deals?

  • BudgetAce on 31/01/2018 - 23:02
    +4

    I've worked in the IT industry for over 20 years now. And it's interesting because tons of application projects whether it's for web portals, desktop app, mobile app, mainframe app, have all been coded on a Windows computer.

    Sure they would have different programming platform. Even for app on Midrange Unix Servers, the code was written on a Windows machine and uploaded to the development Unix server to run for testing. On the programmers own computers the coding platform also allows them to run local code tests.

    I personally dual boot Windows + Linux on my Dell Laptop for running different apps. But never had to buy a Mac just for learning to code.

    If Unix terminal is what you need, I would recommend that you get a normal Windows PC and either install Linux for Dual Boot or run Linux within Windows.

    • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 10:09

      Thank you for the comment.
      I will definitely try dual booting.
      Performance is another factor. People claim that Macs are generally faster but I've never used one myself, so I wouldn't know whether that's actually true.

      • Namesareapain on 01/02/2018 - 11:00
        +3

        They are liars, in fact macOS is likely slower than Windows and Linux.

      • apple2016 on 01/02/2018 - 14:11

        Macs are not faster as the hardware is the same. Mac Os might be more stable and less prone to virus than windows.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 14:23
          -1

          I agree
          Mac OS have about 10-20% market share in the world hence hackers are less interested to create virus for this OS. It is not right to say that Mac is more stable and less prone. It is simply because it is not used enough.

      • BudgetAce on 01/02/2018 - 16:28
        +1

        Google for the hardware specs of Mac even the latest MacBook Pro has the previous generation of Intel CPU. i.e. i5 or i7 7th Gen CPU.

        People don't usually go looking at Mac for the latest hardware. Plus Mac are notorious for having the least number of ports, i.e. the latest MacBook Pro 13 only has 2 USB Type C ports. Try finding a Wireless Mouse with a Type C dongle ?

        Also the latest MacBook series has done away with the MagSafe cable for the chargers, which I feel is a step backwards since it's now more likely people will trip over the power cable and drag the MBP down with them.

        Having said all that. The MacOS is one of the most stable OS out there. I would not say it is faster.

        • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:19

          Thanks for the comment.
          Can one state that OSX is more efficient at processing apps than Windows?

        • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 21:53

          @ranadom:depend on what apps.
          In general I don't think so

    • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 14:21
      +1

      This is also new to me. I can't believe there are any software that runs only in Mac but not in Windows, except the Apple iOS programming tool (I don't know what that is), for obvious reason.

      I am looking for a new laptop too, for similar reasons as OP. I am definitely looking into Windows Core i7 8th Gen. Not sure which one is the best. I am sharing my thoughts, perhaps Op can find this useful.
      1. Dell XPS 13 - Small and portable, but very hard to upgrade stuff. Also there are reports of WiFi issues.
      2. Lenovo Yoga 920 - Same as above, slightly bigger, and convertible. Also has issues with WiFi.
      3. Lenovo ideapad 720s - many editor's choise award, but no touchscreen.
      4. Asus Zenbook UX430UN - Can't find reason to fault this one.

      • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:25

        I'm currently using Asus Zenbook UX303UB - i7-6500U, 8Gb RAM with 512GbSSD.
        I must say it does lag a bit when I run multiple tabs with some webapps/apps.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 21:52

          Did u find out why it lags?

          Is it the low ram?

        • ranadom on 02/02/2018 - 10:46

          @boohooimissout: Yeah, it's the low ram. These days if I have chrome, atom, outlook and slack open, that's about 70% of my RAM gone. I should upgrade my RAM, however, the max for my laptop is 12gb.(4gb is soldered on). Looking at the comments, I wouldn't mind a laptop with 16Gb RAM.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/01/2018 - 23:14
    +3

    if your considering to purchase,
    I would recommend you to instead to buy a MacBook Pro rather than an Air, as the air is not great for value as it doesn't have a great screen like the pro does, nor does it posses a better processor.

    If you need the USB A/SD Card IOs I'd recommend you to look into the purchase of an Apple Refurbished Stock for better value, as those stock comes with new housing and battery and 1 Year Apple Limited Warranty + Maybe another year of ACL warranty as stated in section 54? under reasonable durable

    However if you want to purchase those new models I'd also recommend you to either buy refurbished or even if you want new ones wait for Myers 20% eBay or even the very standard 10%. Maybe take a look at Officeworks/iFrog

    I'd only recommend the air as a used stock, or even if price is a major issue.
    However the Air advantage over the Pro is only battery life from memory? 12 Hours vs 10/9Hrs

    Plus if you didn't enjoy MacOS, theres always bootcamp for you to install

    btw buy the storage amount and RAM you need as its not upgradeable

  • No Username on 31/01/2018 - 23:19
    +1

    Depends on how much performance you want to use. If your doing more intensive work then use the Pro. The air is pretty weak spec wise. You can also have a look at DWI for cheap mac book deals. If you are planning to play around with data base such as SQL windows is better at those kinds of things.

  • crentist on 31/01/2018 - 23:51
    +2

    i did a web dev bootcamp a while back. almost everyone had macs and was up and running in the first day, while a few people struggled to get an ubuntu dual boot setup going.
    mac is good for unix stuff, and pretty nice to work on

    that said, its not as essential as it used to be. windows 10 has recently introduced its own linux subsystem, which gives you all the unix functionality within windows, and not just in a virtual machine.
    i havent used it very much, so i cant comment too much on it, but its supposed to be pretty decent. and it is pretty painless to set up
    you can also set up python using anaconda, which is pretty straightforward and lets you avoid all the terminal stuff. and it gives you jupyter notebooks, which is pretty great

    a lot of the mac use by instructors is habit from earlier years. im not sure id shell out for another mac anymore.
    also heard of people using chromebooks as good, cheap linux dev pcs, if you can deal with somethin a bit slower

    • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:19

      I've looked at Chromebooks as well, but I can't stand slow computers. So might as well stick to something more powerful.

  • trustnoone on 01/02/2018 - 00:32
    +2

    I use cmder as my console emulator on PC and love it (http://cmder.net/) I think you can also use Cygwin similarly? (https://www.cygwin.com/) honestly I haven't seen much difference between the two and I jump between my Win laptop and my mac book air.

    For javascript, HTML, CSS etc I usually use Webstorm to make changes then cmder or my mac terminal to run (For Electron and using Node) all of which are on both OSs.

    Honestly I don't see much difference between the two, if it helps you follow tutorials and you have the money then no worries, but other then that I haven't had any issues between the two besides a few little code changes for OS specific things.

    If you are learning I'd say the Pro of a mac is getting to play around with a terminal that might feel more native?

    My problems I have when dealing with both is honestly hotkey changes, mac uses command and ctrl and alt and a lot differs to how you use it on windows. Things like pressing enter on a folder renames instead of opens on a mac. It's not impossible to deal with but can annoy me sometimes.

    The macbook air runs fine with Electron, better then I expected it to be (though not as good as my gaming PC which is expected) but anything more intensive then that and I'd probably get something better. I hear apple is bringing out some new macbooks?? Not sure if true but might get a great deal if so? Also adding in that the battery life on the air is quite good I found and its obviously really light weight, means I can bring it with me to show code to whomever I need which is nice and easy.

  • AdamFury on 01/02/2018 - 01:34
    +2

    I’m currently doing an IT degree and going the opposite way. (Had a Macbook and now buying a windows based notebook) all the programs aren’t available on a Mac!

  • shadowarrior on 01/02/2018 - 02:07
    +6

    Are you a DJ on Centerlink?

    • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 10:06

      Being a DJ on Centerlink doesn't sound too bad.

  • stickyfingers on 01/02/2018 - 02:18
    -4

    Programmer here. Get a Mac.

    Even when I did IT at uni it was much better.

    Cheapest way is to wait for some 10% off Mac sales to come up.

    If you’re unsure, just buy it from the Apple Store and give it a go. You have 14 days to return it even after using it for a full refund.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 14:24

      Really, you can get a refund after 14 days? Even though it's opened, totally used, fingerprint marks everywhere, etc?

      • stickyfingers on 01/02/2018 - 18:06
        +3

        Not understanding the negs when I'm stating my opinion. OP asked for opinions and I gave mine without putting anybody else's down.

        @boohooimissout Yep, you sure can. Just like Ikea.

        We fundamentally believe you will be thrilled with the products you purchase from the Apple Store. That’s because we go out of our way to ensure that they’re designed and built to be just what you need. We understand, however, that sometimes a product may not be what you expected it to be. In that event, we invite you to review the following terms related to returning a product.

        Importantly, the rights described in this policy are in addition to the statutory rights to which you may be entitled under the Australian Consumer Law and other applicable Australian consumer protection laws and regulations.
        Please note there may be limitations on your right to return and obtain a refund for products, however these limits will always be subject to your statutory rights.

        For any undamaged product, simply return it with its included accessories and packaging along with the original receipt (or gift receipt) and original packaging within 14 days of the date you receive the product and we’ll exchange it or offer a refund based upon the original payment method. However, please note that we will only remit refunds to a Australian bank account where the name of the bank account holder matches the payor’s name/information. Please also note that we only remit refunds domestically and cannot remit refunds outside of Australia.

        Source (see the "Apple's Terms and Conditions for Individuals" link) at the bottom.
        Other source 1, other source 2

        You can always give the Apple Online Store a call on 133 622 to confirm. It's like a satisfaction guarantee. Apple trusts you'll like the product. If for any reason you don't and you haven't damaged the product they'll refund it within 14-days.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 18:08

          Not bad.

          But again I always know Apple excellent service.

          Just not willing to pay the price, I rather deal with poor service

        • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:27
          +1

          Cheers for the info.
          The 14 days return sounds pretty good.

          Just need to wait for a 10% off discount.

  • TSH on 01/02/2018 - 04:56
    +1

    Most of the internets and appz in the history of the internetz was built using osx clusternuts joined together with organic unix kernels.
    If all dem apples fell off the branches of the network, the internetz as we know it would cease and desist.
    The domain forests of the Amazon require low latency apple bake server racks to ping snacks between missing headphone jacks.

    All jokes aside, maybe buy a T-800 off gumtree. They were at least 20years ahead of their time. (good till 2026 unless skynet comes online earlier to launch a pre-emptive cryptocurrency called judgement coin…)

  • Godric on 01/02/2018 - 08:38

    Not Yes

  • Lando on 01/02/2018 - 09:03

    IT > Windows all the way

    Computer science > Mac (assuming no .net needs)

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 01/02/2018 - 10:04
    +1

    Macbook Pro Owner.

    Pro's of Mac:

    Great resale value.
    Everything just works
    Great design
    OSX is a fantastic OS
    You can install Windows as a dual boot.

    Cons of Mac:

    Expensive
    Some apps not supported (Windows) only
    Not easy/possible to upgrade hardware

    I'd go with other posters and buy a Dell or Lenovo and stick Linux on it. You get same features as a Mac (pretty much) and you can also dual boot Windows. Or even stick with Windows and use a VM.

    When my MBP dies I will not be buying another Mac. They are expensive and the new models lack upgradability. Fortunately, I got this on when I was in KSA and it was tax-free.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/02/2018 - 14:30

      Agree with your points.
      I also want to add, I had a MacBook Air and iMac a few years back.
      Because of a need I install Windows 7 on bootcamp. And then later Windows 8 on both of them.
      I could swear I hate the way the touchpad works in Windows bootcamp, it's not as smooth as in Mac OS. I tried everything, I even tried 3rd party driver like Trackpad++, but no luck. Is that still the case?
      It was the main reason I sell it and change to Windows.

      To me Mac is like a beautiful thing that is yet so rigid, so user-friendly it can't do anything else.

  • yk300 on 01/02/2018 - 10:31
    +1

    I reckon it is worth it but not a must. From what you describe above, you don't need the Pro in my opinion. I have a MBA from 6 years ago still going strong.

    Just wait for the usual 10% off deal. Costco is also an option since they have great warranty.

    • ranadom on 01/02/2018 - 21:30

      I'm not a Costco member, but do they have an online catalogue?

  • sheepdog on 01/02/2018 - 15:54
    +3

    Software developer for many years (degree was s/w engineering). I've worked on both and much prefer using PC. Whilst all the applications I work on are deployed to Linux, we all develop on Windows machines. You'll get significantly better compatibility with development tools and that flexibility pays dividends.

    I used to run a unix env for dev but the trouble shooting when a piece of software fails is just too time consuming. I only ever switch to my Mac now when working on iOS code. If you need Unix emulation, just install Cygwin.

    In terms of machine, the core of what you need is RAM (16GB+) and a high end CPU - if you get an Air, you'll be hating life once you start running multiple instances of heavy IDEs. A dedicated GPU is also very handy so you can run multiple monitors and as many ports as possible is hugely valuable.

    I'm definitely seeing more Macs make appearances at conferences though - I think this can be attributed to the proliferation of languages/frameworks that originate from front end web developers compared to back end developers. Front end was traditionally felt to be more media than engineering, thus that whole Mac image went with it but the lines are very much blurred these days.

    • ranadom on 02/02/2018 - 10:48

      Thanks, sheepdog! Your insight is super helpful. I've just installed "Bash on Unbuntu on Windows 10" as well and trying to get my head around it.
      I should probably install Cygwin when it's required.

      The developers I personally know are front-end developers and they all preach "Mac".

      It looks like I will stick to PC. It seems like it's better to spend money on a laptop with better hardware than a Mac.
      If you don't mind me asking, do you have any laptops you've used in the past you would recommend?

      Cheers~

      • sheepdog on 02/02/2018 - 19:11
        +1

        My last 2 work laptops have been high end Dell mobile work stations (Precision range). They're bulky and I wouldn't recommend for consumers because of the price and weight, and the huge power adapters. As machines provided by work, they're great as work also provide docks for home.

        I'm actually buying a machine currently for home and I'm thinking either a Dell Inspirion 7000 or XPS, but a big part of that is because I want a decent GPU in a portable device, and I don't want it to look like a gaming rig. But yeah, I'm not any good with picking decent brands outside of what I've had in the past.

  • JUSTINO on 12/02/2018 - 21:29

    You should find a cheap deal and then price match at office works (I think a MacBook Pro would fit you)

  • Msfrugal on 14/02/2018 - 19:18

    Hi. Ok - forgive my ignorance as I ask this question; - I also posted this in another forum about MacBook but this is recent and probably more appropriate.
    Friends' 16 yr old High School son said he needs a MacBook for school to do recordings and stuff - he talking about the pro.

    This popped up on a local site:
    Is it ANY good for him? He may of course be a millennium child who ONLY wants NEWEST and BEST!!!

    I am TOTALLY ignorant but know the community out there are hugely knowledgeable.

    Worth getting? Can we upgrade anything?
    YOUr thoughts please.
    Appreciate any feedback.
    Seller said battery life still good.

    Photos of the specs as follows:

    "MacBook Pro (Mid 2012)
    2.3ghz intel core i7
    memory 4gb 1600 Mhz ddr3
    Intel HDgraphics 4000 1536mb
    125gb avail of 209
    210 solid state SATA drive
    Bootcamp 0kb of 40gb
    OSX DATA 1GB SATA disk: 1 TB data 580 gb avail of 750
    WIN DATA: 245gb avail of 250gb

    $550

    Great condition. Last of the upgradable models. Has SSD installed as main drive which makes it very fast. Disk drive has been swapped out with anothe HDD for more space. Also has windows 10 installed on seperate partition"

    THANK YOU for Your thoughts on this (would love a 15" screen myself!)
    Clare

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