As you may remember in the post about my flower filled office patio, I confessed my big 27″ love of my life mac computer died. The screen just kept going white until it just stayed white. Weird!
I brought it into Mr. Mac fixit shop and they informed me the hard drive was failing. Seriously?! So I’m hoping they can still grab the info off of it to fix it up right. If not, I do have the backup system still at home. Lonely. Without it’s buddy.
My choice of course was to go with a new hard drive. So I’m upgrading from a 1 terabyte to a 3. Because my 1 was half full and we can’t have that! I haven’t been very diligent with ditching pictures I don’t need so I need to smarten up. One day…
Anyway, I’ve been working on the laptop now for a good week, and I must say, I have some things to say about this major change in (blog) life! For those of you that may be due for a computer upgrade soon, this post could be for you.
Desktop vs laptop – a review. Let’s compare!
Laptop
I own a macbook pro 113″ laptop.
It goes without saying, a laptop indeed has it’s place. It’s been super fun to bring it to bed, set it on the patio, take it camping… it just travels well with you.
What size is good?
My 13″ is plenty big for travel. In fact, it’s a little on the heavy side when taking on flights and such. BUT… I often wish I went for a bigger one. MUCH bigger. But do I ever wish I had smaller? No. Maybe it’s an age thing, but I prefer not to squint more than I already do.
Is bigger better?
Yes. Because there is less scrolling. Oh my goodness, this little guy has to scroll and scroll and scroll to see the same as a big screen with no scrolling. If you don’t like to scroll and constantly wonder why bloggers nowadays use such BIG pictures, go visit a large screen and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Trackpad or mouse?
Trackpads that come with laptops are just fine if you can remember the fancy keyboard shortcuts that do the same as a mouse. But I don’t appear to have any room left in my head to remember more, so mouse it is for me.
Corded mouses/mice???? are fine and reliable, but I do find the gliding movements and scrolling much smoother with a mac magic mouse. It’s one of those ‘try it so you know what I mean’ things.
Desktop
I own a 27″ mac desktop computer.
I’ll say right here and now that this machine was a total game changer for me. It took blogging to a whole new level. And I’ll tell you why.
What size is good?
There are MANY desktop sizes to choose from. Most will go by one they can afford. I get that. But do remember… if you are doing more than just text on your laptop, the bigger the screen you can go, the happier you’ll ultimately be in the long run.
When I went shopping, I viewed a 21″ and a 27″ mac. The 27″ came home. I thought I purchased a drive in theatre, it felt HUGE… until a week went by and it seemed to shrink down to a manageable size again. So… what I’m saying is, it may look HUGE, but it isn’t! It’s just right and could actually be bigger. 🙂
Is bigger better?
The bigger the screen, the more you can do. There is less scrolling. And more windows can be open at the same time. The pictures are wonderful for tweaking, and… I could go on and on. Go BIG. Please… go big. A big monitor is the Disneyland of blogging. You will giggle while you blog. And I look forward to hearing from you because you will want to write me and thank me later.
What about mobility?
True. Desktops need a desk. They are meant to stay put. But if you’ve made yourself a cool office, you won’t mind staying put! Trust me. If you’re buried in a small room squeezing you down a flight of dark stairs, you’ll resent your desktop! Plunk that thing near a sunny window in the fav area of your house and you’ll LOVE the thing. Location matters here. And this is why I gave up my dining room. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Does make or brand really matter?
I’m going to try very hard to be objective, because I indeed do have an opinion on this . But I say quality matters most, period. Go quality, no matter what brand you choose.
But I also must say, do your homework. Go visit a Mac store and a quality PC store. And compare to see for yourself.
My computer story
I’ve been a PC girl all my life. In fact I was so loyal that my white computers had turned yellow. One day a friend twisted my arm into getting a mac so I’d stop complaining so much.The final straw came when I was on my 3rd laptop mickey moused with a larger monitor. I truly thought my photos looked outstanding. UNTIL I visited my friend’s 27″ mac. My beautiful photos were a hideous shade of yellow. I gagged all the way to the Mac store.
I won’t lie. I struggled with the change. I may have even shed a few (thousand) frustrated tears. But I quickly learned if you have a question, google for the answer. EVERYTHING is online these days. And if you truly are at a loss and can’t do something, you can pay a guru to help you.
The monitor was the key. I’ve never seen such clarity as I did on the mac. It was like I stepped into the monitor and was inside every photo.
And I found mac environment easier to work with. With Macs, you have to dummy down and think obvious. If you want something, you click on it and drag it over to where you want it. With Windows you need to jump through hidden menus. It was a tricky transition. But now that I’m there? You know the rest…
My first Moving from PC to Mac review is HERE.
My opinionated wish for you
I want every single blogger on earth to own a 27″ mac workhorse of a computer and a mac laptop. I want you to have both. Because then you truly do have the best of both worlds. You can be mobile when on the run, and you can settle down and belt out work the way you really love to when you are home.
iPad?
Hit and miss for me. It’s a fabulous tool for sharing photos, and super mobile for browsing, but I wouldn’t use it in place of a computer. I prefer the laptop, much less frustrating.
iPhone?
YES! Don’t even hesitate. I resisted apps for a long time. I just loved the phone! But man do some of those apps help you in a big way! A common day of blogging consists of Instagraming something, which then flashes on Facebook, which transfers over to Twitter automatically, and all this is before I even blog about it. And I constantly message back and forth via Facebook Private Messages vs. texting… Facebook is free, texting is not.
Just know, all this didn’t happen overnight for me. I waited 20 years for a decent computer! But with the way the world works today, it really pays to set up right.
Cya online… hopefully from a revamped 27″ mac with that fancy new 3 Terabyte harddrive. Hurry home soon… I miss you so!
related post:
What are your current fav computer choices?
Thanks for the information. It was very helpful. I have not ventured into the Mac world but do know of many who have and they love it as well. Me, I stick with a small laptop and, of course, I’m still using windows. Some things just don’t change and the older I get the less newer stuff I want to have to learn. Maybe it’s a shutting down process! Have a great week and again, Thanks.
Hi Donna
We are total Mac people in out house, always will be, from iMacs, iPhones, iPads, iPods, yip totally addicted.
I have a desktop unit in my studio, a laptop that moves from room to room on my first floor and a Nook tablet that is in my bedroom. I am using a Sony Bravia 32″ flat screen television for the monitor. It is huge and it makes me happy! My laptop is a hand me down from my daughter in law. It is a Dell with a 14″ screen. It is a little heavy and a little cumbersome but it works. It is horrible for photo editing, however, so that gets done either at my work office or the studio. I am thinking pretty seriously about a Chromebook just because of the size and portability. While I like my tablet, there are some things that it just does not have the capability to do. My sister has an iPad and I am not terribly enamoured with it. What I do love is my iPhone. I had NO idea how I would love it! I have a Twitter account but still don’t tweet because I have no idea what I am doing. I have an Instagram app but don’t do that either because I don’t know what I am doing! I am certainly not afraid of technology (I sold computers and peripherals for years) but I just have the time to learn enough to keep up.
My son and I used to play the Mac PC wars. He=Mac, Me=PC. Until I had to buy a new computer and he was able to talk me into a Mac. I think mine is the 21″ IMac and I LOVE it! So true about the photos, they come to life!
I also have the IPad, but am thinking of trading that for a small laptop, the IPad can be frustrating at times. But I do need portability when I travel.
And I had to chuckle about the learning curve, sometimes I would be trying to figure something out and finally, duh! Well that makes sense!!
Hope you get your baby back quick 🙂
It took years for us to make the switch from pc to mac and what took us so long?????? I keep asking myself. My children have talked mac forever and boy, were they right!! There was almost no learning curve because it’s so easy. PCs and windows are just so difficult to navigate. I love iphoto…pop in the memory stick and the photos are there.
I have a 21″ imac desktop, ipad, ipod and plan to buy a 27 imac” soon. I move it around because it’s just not that hard to do. If I’m doing a lot in the kitchen, I put it in there, fire up hulu.com and watch shows while I work. I have a tv there, but I love to be able to stop it when I have to leave the room.
Good luck with yours.
I couldn’t agree with you more! It’s night and day between the Mac and PC.
Thanks for putting it out there in a way that’s easy to comprehend.
I haven’t started a blog yet (been thinking about it for a loooong time).
I love following you every day! You have a freshness that’s so enjoyable.
I’m off to show at Scott’s in Atlanta! North Building ~ See y’all there?
JP (Spoken Home Gatherings)
I have an Iphone, a mini Ipad (thank you kids for my mothers day gift) and a new Macbook pro (my original white one finally got old and slow). I don’t blog so all these work for me. I LOVE my mini Ipad. That is what I sit in bed and read blogs on. I have also recently downloaded some books. I slip it in my purse and it is always with me…….
This was a great post! Thanks for all the viewpoints and you have definitely sold me on a Mac. I have a newer HP Notebook and use that as my main computer with a medium size screen. I want bigger too! So I will just get a bigger screen and a Mac laptop next time. I have found Chrome to be a wonderful setup for me….things are so much faster than Firefox.
Donna, First let me say that I’m married to a Mac tech. When we met 18 years ago I was a PC girl but he refused to touch it. So, in keeping peace (and having just 1 computer – that we could afford) I switched to a Mac and I was SOLD. I have had a desktop (flat screen 21″ iMac) and my 17″ MacBook Pro (which I currently use) and I found that I used my laptop WAY more than my iMac. It’s funny, I use my iPad in bed and my iPhone in my car … seems that Mac has invaded my life, lol. I’m sorry that your iMac died. If we lived closed, I KNOW that my hubs could help ya. Anyways, thank you for such a fun (and beautiful) post : )
{HUGS}
~ Deanna
Hi Donna,
Our house is a mac house, i phone, i mac, mac book pro and my all time favorite is the i pad 4 ..I was a Pc person for years, but after constant virus problems replacing of computers every two years, slow up machines in less than a year…I made the switch..
I guess you could say we are apple addicted and mine is red~
My poor ole desktop- whom I refer to as “old betsy” is on her last leg. She’s been a good ole girl. I do have a huge monitor and love it! But I have been debating the laptop/desktop decision. Oh and it will be a MAC. Thanks for the review!
My Dad wanted to buy me a computer, but refused to get a Mac because if they were so great, why didn’t they have a bigger market share? So I have a PC that, years later, lurches and grinds, frequently is “not responding” and crashes. :(( I have an iPhone though, that I use for as much as I possibly can… LOVE IT!!! Will get a Mac as soon as I can. Thanks for the review; and the comments just confirm what we all know! 😉
Donna, Your post today could not have come at a better time for me! I have used a black MacBook 13″ since late 2007. I originally bought it expecting to use it thru graphic design program, which didn’t end up happening. It is now too old to upgrade anymore and I have been waffling on desk top or notebook and Mac or no Mac. I am seriously considering starting an art blog soon and so all of your comments have helped tremendously. Thanks!!
Thank you, this post has helped a ton!! I’m new at blogging and had just gotten a domain name when my computer crashed! I’m hoping to be able to replace it in the next few weeks. And I believe it will be a Mac this time around. It really doesn’t matter the brand it’s all scary stuff to my 42 year old brain!! But I can do this, I can do this!!
I have a Mac mini, an iPad 4 and a PC laptop. I love my iPad for email, blog browsing, Pinterest, etc. and since it’s so mobile, I take it anywhere I want to be plus I watch movies on it at night instead of turning on my big ole tube tv. I rarely sit at a desk anymore, so much so that the poor Mac mini has been relegated to a folding table until I can find/build a new one. My PC rarely gets used except by my eldest daughter who uses it to watch Netflix, lol. I have loved Mac and Apple since my days at a want-ad paper as a graphic designer. So easy, so fast, so I intuitive, they really are the way to go in my opinion. Oh, and I have an iPhone and it has made WORLDS of difference in texting, app usage, it’s just a well built, well thought out device! Mac fanatic forever!!!!! ;-). Now to see how to convince the hubby I NEED a 27″ iMac. 😉
I have a macbook pro, after much convincing…..my hubby came around and he is like you, now in love with his 27′ screen mac! I love to edit photos on that big ole screen. We also have an IPad ( each teacher in my school has one) as well as a “school” mac book pro. I wish everyone would just try a mac and they would fall in love!
I’m just about to have to make the same decision … laptop/iMac. I had virtually made the iMac decision, so your blog is timely for me. I have an iPad mini which I love. It introduced me to Pinterest and blogs! How could I not love it. So I’m now trying to write a blog myself and I think the iMac is a definite!
Hi Donna – This is off-topic, but I’m wondering… what is the script font that you use between paragraphs? It looks like my handwriting, so I would love to have it! Aloha!
You are a lucky girl! I have a MacBook Pro 15″ (laptop) and I L O V E it 🙂 We’ve never had a desk top .. yet. I started with PC’s and I can tell you what P C stands for .. can you guess? P iece of C rap. Yup, that sums it up for me. Apple is the best. And you are right, it can’t be any easier to use a computer. It took me forever to figure out how to get on the Internet when I got my first Mac. On a PC there is step to step .. and finally. On a Mac, turn it on and you are there. I actually had to get help to get on the Internet the first time, it was too easy! My husband still has a PC poor guy. He says he knows how to work it and doesn’t know the Mac. Well doesn’t take much 🙂 We have an Apple store right in town so I can go for help when I need it .. or call the 800 #. Unlike the PC folks I called for help, Apple folks are so nice and patient. I should get commission 🙂
Kinda funny that your post is about apple. I just recently purchased a Mac book pro. I am struggling too but getting advice from 2kids who have apple laptops for school. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks! We are slowly becoming apple snobs at our house. Love my new laptop!
Donna I have a mac 13″ laptop and the large desk top so I know what you mean. We are an ALL MAC family and always will be… they are just better! I do 99% of my work on the laptop because I never stay in one place very long and it goes with me… to work, on the couch, to bed… So I am going to agree with everything you said. I wish the laptop of the future is a large (and very light) laptop.
Susan
I cut my teeth on a Mac when I was 18. I LOVED the Mac. Then my job changed and I’ve been forced into a PC for the last 13 years. Really hate the PC. I’m seriously wanting a Mac for home but hubby balks at the price (he’s never used a Mac, so he doesn’t get it).
I have Big Mac envy. Seriously.
-andi
Thanks for the heads up on the desktop vs laptop. I have been thinking of getting a desktop and this helped tremendously. I have been working from a large laptop and I love it but it does have its drawbacks. Will be looking at the desktops soon.
Have a great day
I’ve always wanted to make the jump to a mac but sadly I am lacking in finances and courage lol… I will come back to this post when I can finally do it! Very informative and helpful – thanks!
I rock Android phone, and really have no complaints. Ok, I admit, iPhone feels and looks better, but in the end this Nexus 4 gets the job done. But, for sure, if I can choose, I’d always go with Apple products 🙂
I like this article 🙂
I am a pc user and now switched to mac which I am struggling too for a big big change hahaha but so far am loving my macbook pro