What Machine to Buy

Briefly:

MacBook Pro or Mini
Get AppleCare
Don't be Cheap

People keep asking me what kind of computer to buy for home. I tell them that it depends on what they plan to do with the computer. Often they're not sure, but they really want a new computer. So here are some general thoughts.

Suppose somebody said:

"I hate shoes. I bought some once, and they cost a lot of money, and pretty soon they got all scuffed and ugly, and the high heels kept sinking into the beach."

That's silly, right? The kind of shoes you should buy depend on where you walk. Maybe you don't need any. Same with your computer.

Expectations

Stop right here if you think you can use the computer without learning and maintaining it, or if you think it's going to be cheap or easy. If you're easily frustrated and give up when things get complicated, save yourself a lot of trouble and don't even start. Buy an iPad, or buy a big TV instead, and pay to have the store hook it up.

Let's Start With Money

There's no sense in having a long discussion about what computer you might want, if you aren't going to spend enough money to get it.

How much you want to spend	What to do
Less than $600	Buy a $499 iPad (AppleCare adds $99.). Or buy a $300 Windows machine from Tiger Direct or Wal-Mart. (And buy antivirus.) Or buy a $300 Asus Eee laptop or $200 Everex tower that runs Linux or Windows. Or buy a used computer. Or buy a bunch of parts and build your own computer, and run free software. But don't ask me for help. I don't know enough about Windows to help you, and I haven't got the time to learn it. You can't use Linux without becoming your own expert. The iPad should "just work."
Less than $900	You can afford a Mac Mini, a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. I can advise you about setting it up. Keep reading.
Less than $1400 .. and some time	Good for you! Keep reading, I have suggestions. A MacBook Pro is about $1350.
I'm rich and want the best	Good for you! Read what follows, then hire a guy to set you up.

Other Costs

After you buy the computer, you've just begun to pay. You may spend more on attachments and software than on the basic system.

Your time. A computer is like a new puppy. You have to spend time taking care of it. Once you get the computer, you'll spend time learning to use it, and taking reasonable care of it. This means backing up your data and updating the software with security patches. You'll also have to spend time dealing with security, viruses, malware, and privacy (or hire help).

Mail and web connectivity. A dial-up modem connection might cost you $120/yr. When you use the computer to access the Internet, your phone will be busy, so you may want a second phone line. A high speed connection (cable or DSL) would cost you about $300-600/yr in the US. "Free" wireless is still a pipe dream in most places.

Software. You get some with the computer; you can get a lot for free; but you'll buy some software, and then have to buy upgrades. Microsoft Office is about $120.

Accessories. These can add up.

Extended Warranty. If you buy a Mac, get AppleCare, which extends the warranty from one year to three.

Recommendation

Get a Mac. Choosing a Mac will save you your time. Your computer is more likely to work, and less likely to have security problems. For example, in the first half of 2004, there were over 4000 new Windows viruses found, and none for the Mac. I find Mac OS X more reliable than Windows: I haven't had to reboot a Mac to solve a software problem in months. I use Mac, Windows, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD computers every day; I reach for the Mac when I want to get something done.

(Linux and FreeBSD are great. People who are willing to spend substantial time learning about systems, and maintaining and enhancing their software, can save a lot of money using free software, and they'll learn a lot, whether they want to or not. But this note isn't for those folks. It is for people who don't want to become more of a computer expert than they have to.)

The Mac Mini brings the price of a Mac way down. It's a great little computer. You can use your old monitor and keyboard if you have them. We have one connected to our living room TV; it shows photo slide shows and plays music. .

Mac OS X has all the advantages of a consumer oriented operating system, plus the power of a Unix inside. This note was started on a very nice computer, a black MacBook bought in 2006. It runs all the standard commercial applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Word, and it also runs powerful programmers' tools. MacOS X is the system I was waiting for.

Considerations

Laptop or desktop? You have to decide how to fit the computer into your lifestyle. Is it going to sit on your desk, permanently connected to the Internet? Do you want to take it traveling, or to the café to write and surf the web? You pay exta for a laptop, and have fewer display options: decide if this matters to you. My wife uses a MacBook Pro and attaches a big monitor to it when she is home.

Cost. PC hardware is cheaper and there's more of it. But if you get a Windows computer, you'll spend more time dealing with management of the computer, solving problems with the software, and preventing and recovering from viruses, and that's a cost too. What I tell my friends and relatives is, "If you get a Windows PC, I can't help you. You'll have to get help from somebody else, and you'll need a fair amount."

Marginalization. Because more users run Microsoft Windows, some web sites, hardware, and software assume that everybody does, and won't work for Macs. If there is something specific that you want to do with your computer, you should talk to someone who already does that, and find out what their setup is. (As of 2008, Macs have about 20% of the market.)

Reasons. Think about why you want a new computer.

My old computer has a virus. (Bad reason, disinfect it.)
My old computer is broken and too old to fix.
My old computer is too slow. (For what? might be virus infestation.)
I never had a computer before. (Better know what you're getting into.)
I want to do X. (Bingo. What's X?)

Here's the kind of comparison you want:

Application	Mac	PC	Linux
e-mail	safe	less safe	ok
Web browsing	safe	less safe	ok
Writing	=	=	(no MS Word)
Photo	best	ok	more work
Illustration	best	ok	?
Music playing	best	ok	ok
Movie making	?	?	?
Games	some	more	fewest
Run unusual device	?	?	?

What you intend to do with the computer determines what kind of computer to get. For example, I don't use the computer for games; your main use of a computer might be playing games that are Windows-only, so that would determine your choice. Similarly, you may have some particular hobby that uses a program that only runs on one OS: if so, then your choice is made. Or your employer may have stupid rules against Macs: too bad.

Which Mac?

(Apple prices as of 09/15/10) All computers have dual CPUs or better. All prices show AppleCare (3-year extended warranty): you should get this.

Mac mini (need a monitor, USB keyboard, and USB mouse also, if you don't have them already. Most brands will work fine.)
- --- 2.3GHz/2GB 500GB $599 + $149 for AppleCare
- Personally I would pay $100 extra to increase memory to 4GB, and $79 to add an external optical drive.
MacBook Pro (portable, includes WiFi)
- 13 inch 2.4GHz/4GB 500GB $1199 + 249 (MacBook Pro 2011 model)
iMac (all-in-one includes monitor, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, WiFi)
- 21 inch 2.5GHz/4GB 500GB $1199 + $169
- You will want a $29 battery charger for the batteries on the keyboard and mouse.

Of course you can spend more, and get more features. Keep reading.

(It is worth reading Ric Ford's MacInTouch web site to see what experience other Mac users are having.)

From my own experience I have concluded never to buy version 1.0 of anything form Apple. Often the first version of a product is rapidly obsoleted by a much better version. This happened with PowerBooks, with the iPhone, with Mac OS X... the list goes on and on.

Where to Buy

Apple sometimes sells refurbished machines for a modest savings. Check out their online page. Remember to buy AppleCare.

Online: Apple Online Store. I often buy Macs at the online Apple store because then you can have them "built to order" with extra memory, bigger disk, etc. Remember to buy a printer at the same time: it will be free with rebate. You can also buy Macs from Amazon and Other World Computing, if they sell exactly the configuration you want.

Apple storefront: worth a visit if one is near you. (Although buying online may save you the sales tax.) The storefront is where you will take your Mac if it needs service, or where you go for "One To One" training.

Not recommended: mass retailers, big box stores. Their salespeople and service are often poor.

There aren't any big bargains on Macs, even if you know an Apple employee. A few hundred dollars at most.

Add-ons

What do you have to buy besides the computer? This is where your personal computer becomes "Personal." It depends on your use. See the Essentials page for my suggestions.

Buy lots of memory. The more memory you put on your computer, the less trouble you'll have. Look for special offers from your retailer. If you are buying a configure-to-order computer from the online Apple store, consider upping the memory. Third party memory is cheaper than that supplied by Apple, but it may not be as reliable.

Internet Connection. You want high speed; where I live, cable modem is much better than DSL. All Macs come with built-in Ethernet. You should also get a firewall box or router, about $40, like a Linksys BEFSR41. Use wireless with caution; there are security traps for the non-expert.

Once you have a firewall box, you can connect all the computers in your house in a little network. They can share files and back each other up.

Buy a backup disk drive. Any file you don't want to lose should be stored in two places (at least). Mac OS X comes with a nice feature called Time Machine. Connect an external drive to your computer and Time Machine makes a backup copy of everything that you change. If you want to retrieve a lost file, you can find it easily. Huge external drives are cheap these days: get one and use it for your backups. Backup to CD or DVD is also possible, but requires you to do more work, and you might get lazy at the worst possible time.

Get a CD or DVD Burner. All current Macs come with a drive that will at least burn DVDs. This is how you get data off your computer to send to someone else, to take to Kinko's, and so on. Even if you are backing up your files to a disk drive, you should also back up precioius data occasionally to CD or DVD. Some drives can burn Dual Layer DVDs, and read and rewrite CDs. Others can "scribe" a pretty label on the other side of the disc. Decide if you want these.

Printer. You will need some kind of printer. A basic color printer is usually free after rebate with purchase of a new computer (they will make money from you on the ink cartridges). Printers are one area where you have to decide why you want a new computer. If you plan to print a lot of documents, you want a laser printer. If you print photos, you'll want a high-quality inkjet. An important issue is to find out the cost of the ink cartridges: some printer manufacturers lock you into their cartridges, give you a nearly empty one with the new printer, and charge a lot for a replacement. Printers are also an example of where the Mac loses out sometimes, because some printers are only fully supported only on Windows. We have a color laser, a B+W laser, and an all-in-one color inkjet/scanner/fax. You can now get all-in-one printer/scanner/fax devices with a color laser printer.

Other Devices. There's a huge variety of other devices you could connect to your computer, depending on your interests. Music composition and performance. Photo scanners. Video. Home security. Label printers. Depends on what you want to do. Your best bet is to talk to someone who uses a similar device already.

Take Care of Your New Machine. I mentioned doing a backup. Keep your software up to date. Learn how to use your computer. If you live near an Apple Store, you can pay $99 for "One To One" for a year's worth of personalized help.

Don't be cheap. An unreliable computer will drive you crazy. If you read the stories online of people who have been having trouble with their computers, a lot of them are trying to use an old piece of equipment, like an old scanner or monitor. Many times, the cost of time and trouble dealing with a problem device far outweighs the cost of just getting a new one.

Your next computer. Eventually you will want to replace your computer with a newer one. How long is a computer good for? It's hard to get help and parts for old machines: this is not a sinister plot, it's just that computer technology keeps advancing. A five-year-old computer is venerable, ten is ancient. 21 years ago, I carried a 16-pound MacPortable: it cost over $7000, and had 7MHz/2MB/40MB. Now these computers are antiques. The 2006 MacBook I began this page on weighed 6 pounds, cost about $1500, was about 30 times as fast with 2 CPUs, 500 times the memory, 4500 times the disk storage, and included Ethernet, two kinds of wireless, FireWire and USB connectivity. And it had a color screen.

Apple defines a product as "vintage" if it is more than five years old, and "obsolete" if more than seven years old. There is no service for obsolete products, and service for California-bought vintage products only in California. There is an Apple web page listing obsolete products. (The Mac Portable is listed as a desktop computer, not a portable computer.)