Buying new computer

[Miss Trust]

I have a desk computer Mac OS 10.6.8 and a notebook the same.

I am planning to buy a new computer, thinking maybe a mini or another laptop.

Are these two worth selling or do I just take them to the dump.

I am not computer savvy so I have no idea unless you speak in simple language. I have had both for about 10 years I think.

 

[honestone]

First of all, are you going to replace 2 machines with one? If that is the case, a laptop would be better. If you do purchase a Mac Mini, you will of course need a monitor and keyboard, and that could either come from your current desktop setup (that's what I did when I replaced my 2006 MacPro with my Mac Mini), or purchasing a brand new monitor, and a brand new keyboard.

Secondly, do you plan on "moving" anything form either of your machines to the new machine/machines? The new machine will, most likely, come with El Capitan already installed, and if you have any third party software (like Office 2011, for example), you will need to upgrade such software (that needs an upgrade) in order to use it on the new machine.

Third, do you have a backup to an external device? That is important.

 

[Miss Trust]

Why do I need a monitor and keyboard?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Why do I need a monitor and keyboard?

I think honestone was just mentioning that if you purchase a Mac mini, it doesn't come with a display/monitor and a keyboard/mouse. You could use the one's from your current desktop Mac, if they are compatible - i.e. the keyboard/mouse connect via USB or wirelessly, and if the desktop is an iMac, you would need a display/monitor.

C

 

[honestone]

I think honestone was just mentioning that if you purchase a Mac mini, it doesn't come with a display/monitor and a keyboard/mouse. You could use the one's from your current desktop Mac, if they are compatible - i.e. the keyboard/mouse connect via USB or wirelessly, and if the desktop is an iMac, you would need a display/monitor.

C

Exactly, Cory. And, that is what I did when I got rid of my MacPro desktop machine back in 2013, and purchased my Mac Mini. I had my Sony 19" Monitor and an Apple keyboard (plus Logitech mouse) that I was able to use with the mini. I still have the monitor, but have replaced the keyboard with another Apple one, and and a newer Logitech mouse.

 

[Miss Trust]

OMG, I didn't know that. I thought a mini was just like a laptop (notebook) only tiny. What are mini's used for then?

 

[Cory Cooper]

They are just small "mini" desktop computers. Not like an iMac, which is technically an all-in-one desktop, which includes a built-in display.



C

 

[Miss Trust]

Can you surf the net with it? Can you type somewhere on it?

 

[Miss Trust]

Thanks for your replies, I think I better go to the store and look at them and see what they are all about. I am looking for a computer that I can surf the net with, google a question, and carry it with me where ever I go.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Yes, definitely have a look at them.

If you want something that you can carry with you, you will want a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, which are the portable computers. The mini, iMac, and Mac Pro are all desktop computers.They cannot run on a battery, and aren't designed to be portable.

Hope that helps.

C

 

[Miss Trust]

O Cory, now I understand. I was so confused and I wanted to order it off the net for delivery, but I will go in and look at the Air and Pro to see if they are better than the macbook which I now have, but it is old.

Yes, that helps me a lot. Thanks Cory......

Miss Trust

 

[Cory Cooper]

No problem.

After your visit to the store, feel free to let us know if you have additional questions or concerns.

Good luck!

C

 

[honestone]

Miss Trust,

I have a MacBook Air, 13" model, and I really like the machine! It easily does the things you want, along with many, many other things. My model is a mid 2013 one, and it has a 256 gig SSD inside it. An SSD, in case you don't know, is MUCH, MUCH faster than a standard hard drive.

The Mac Book Air comes basically in 4 'standard" models/configurations:

MacBook Air 11" screen, 128 gig SSD

MacBook Air 11" screen, 256 gig SSD

MacBook Air 13" screen, 128 gig SSD

MacBook Air 13" screen, 256 gig SSD

They are very light, and as I said, very, very functional.

You would need to first decide how big of a screen you want. 11" is too small for me, so that is why I went with a 13" screen.

For the size of the SSD, I got the larger 256 gig drive for the following reasons:

1. I wanted as much free space on the drive as possible. That goes a long way towards minimizing any issues with the machine.

2. I like to watch movies, and TV series (like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Americans, etc.), and while I have a nice, portable external drive that I take with me (along with my MacBook Air) when we travel, when I need to download something (especially if it is large), I have the extra space on the machine to accommodate such large downloads.

3. There are times where I want to watch a series before I go to sleep, in my bedroom. So, having the series on my Mac makes that a snap.

To give you an idea about prices of the various models, here is a link to Best Buy, that shows various MacBook Air models, in various configurations:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/macbooks/macbook-air/pcmcat378600050008.c?id=pcmcat378600050008

Those prices are not necessarily the cheapest, but it will give you an idea.

I forgot to mention that the 4 "base" models I listed above all come with 4 gig of RAM. For my purposes, that is easily enough, and based on what you said, should be more than enough for your needs.

No matter which Mac laptop your purchase (or, for that matter, any Mac), you will need to perform the following tasks on a "periodic", consistent basis:

1. Do disk cleanup on your own, like deleting stuff you no longer need, moving any stuff you still want to another location, etc.

2. Make backups to an external device. That is so, so critical. There is software to do that, both free (Time Machine, comes with the Mac OS), and paid (SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner are two of the best).

3. Use disk maintenance/repair software to keep your SSD in tip top shape. Again, there is free (Disk Utility, comes with the Mac OS), and paid (two of the best are TechTool Pro and Disk Warrior). Disk Utility is fine, for most things, but I prefer (and use "religiously") TechTool Pro (I also have Disk Warrior). There is also an excellent freeware product called Onyx that performs some useful, disk cleanup tasks.

Finally, do you use any third party software, like Office 2011 for Mac, VLC media player, etc.? The new machine will come with at least the last version of Yosemite, OS 10.10.5, or a "new" version of El Capitan, OS 10.11.x (the x will either be blank, or a 1, 2, or 3). There is distinct possibility that some third party software you are currently using with OS 10.6.8 will need to be upgraded to work with whatever new OS the machine comes with. If the machine comes with Yosemite, OS 10.10.5, you will have the opportunity to upgrade the OS to El Capitan, through the App Store.