SuiteSuccess Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Need some knowledgeable help. My computer is a Dell Inspiron Laptop that I’ve had several years and it’s starting to crap out. My daughter who is in compliance and IT with a major Corp worked with it but really said time for a new one. She uses some high powered business laptop (Lenovo I believe) supplied by her work so no suggestions. Going to get a new one in next few months. I’m really leaning toward a Mac instead of windows based. My budget is up to $1500. Questions: Will my data and files transfer to a Mac? If a Mac which one? If a windows based laptop which one? Criteria: I don’t do a lot of picture editing, gaming, or anything that requires lots of fancy gadgets. It does need to have several USB ports, wireless connection, and an hdmi connection. Needs to run Office and I know Mac now has an Office Suite. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 I wish this site had a decent popcorn emoji 🍿 Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeBeFulltimers Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 I'm not computer savy but on the advice of my son and his wife I made the switch from DELL desktop to MACBOOK 10 years ago and have been VERY happy I did. Only use it for web surfing, bill paying, banking, etc though. Would buy another when necessary. Fulltiming since September 1, 2010 2012 Ford F-350 PSD SRW Lariat Crew Cab 2012 Montana 3585SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad & Jacolyn Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Never had a MAC. I have a Toshiba laptop and have had no trouble with it at all in 3 years. Brad Brad and Jacolyn Tucker the Wonder dog and Brynn the Norfolk Terrier 2009 Smart "Joy" 2004 VNL630 "Vonda the Volvo" 2008 Hitch Hiker 35 CK Champagne Edition VED12 465 HP, Freedomline, 3.73 ratio, WB 218" Fulltiming and loving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdixon747 Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 I’ve been using a Macbook Pro for many years and would never go back to a Windows machine again. Most if not all your data (docs, spreadsheets, etc) will transfer, but your programs / apps will not. Steve & Gail 2000 Volvo VNL660 Autoshift Detroit 60 12.7 "Semi Crazy" 2016 smart "Lil Crazy" 2018 Space Craft 48' TT "The Nut House" KJ4YGY & KK4CTE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Thanks folks. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geodog Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Whatever you get make sure it has a "SOLID STATE HARD DRIVE" ShortyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 The data will transfer easily. I'm in IT/telecom, and have watched a lot of customers switch to Macs. Their support needs and the number of issues they have drops by 5x or more. The machines last longer and are still worth something when they are old. We're finally getting around to replacing my wife's MacBook Pro after 7 years of heavy use in our business. It will still get $600 on eBay, and has had zero issues or maintenance. For you, I'd recommend the MacBook 12" in the current models. The high end option will be in your price range. It is super light, and the battery life is fantastic. You may want/need a USB-A adapter or hub for the USB-C port, maybe not. I rarely need one (and they are cheap). For a slightly larger screen there's the MacBook Air which is 13", and has a little more CPU power, but most people don't need that. I travel with the 12, working on our business and our software, with no issues or complaints about speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 28 minutes ago, Carlos said: The data will transfer easily. I'm in IT/telecom, and have watched a lot of customers switch to Macs. Their support needs and the number of issues they have drops by 5x or more. The machines last longer and are still worth something when they are old. We're finally getting around to replacing my wife's MacBook Pro after 7 years of heavy use in our business. It will still get $600 on eBay, and has had zero issues or maintenance. For you, I'd recommend the MacBook 12" in the current models. The high end option will be in your price range. It is super light, and the battery life is fantastic. You may want/need a USB-A adapter or hub for the USB-C port, maybe not. I rarely need one (and they are cheap). For a slightly larger screen there's the MacBook Air which is 13", and has a little more CPU power, but most people don't need that. I travel with the 12, working on our business and our software, with no issues or complaints about speed. Thanks 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 39 minutes ago, Carlos said: The data will transfer easily. I'm in IT/telecom, and have watched a lot of customers switch to Macs. Their support needs and the number of issues they have drops by 5x or more. The machines last longer and are still worth something when they are old. We're finally getting around to replacing my wife's MacBook Pro after 7 years of heavy use in our business. It will still get $600 on eBay, and has had zero issues or maintenance. For you, I'd recommend the MacBook 12" in the current models. The high end option will be in your price range. It is super light, and the battery life is fantastic. You may want/need a USB-A adapter or hub for the USB-C port, maybe not. I rarely need one (and they are cheap). For a slightly larger screen there's the MacBook Air which is 13", and has a little more CPU power, but most people don't need that. I travel with the 12, working on our business and our software, with no issues or complaints about speed. I don't know much about MacBooks but I've been thinking about trying one. Maybe you would answer a couple of questions. When there are OS upgrades for Mac, is the upgrade free like on an iPhone or do you have to buy it? If so, about how much is the upgrade? Or, is running the latest OS not as important on a Mac as you think it is on Windows? Also, what is required to run a Windows program on a Mac? I have several programs which I use and are not available for Mac. Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 All of the software is free. The Apple "office" type products are free too. Linux/Mac upgrades are less critical, because they are already far more secure than Windows. Mostly it's about new features and more interoperability. There's an incredible amount of cohesion between Macs, iPhones, and iPads. I have a desktop, laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I can switch between them easily in pretty much anything, like typing text messages on my computer instead of the phone. Stuff just all works together. I can start doing something on one and then just instantly move to doing it on the others. That requires the more recent OS version on all of them. You can run Windows software using a full virtualization product, or using an emulator. A VM is a full working Windows machine inside of your Mac (or Linux, or another Windows machine). Emulation is just running a program in the Mac OS that gets translated into its language on the fly. VMware and VirtualBox are two products to look at for virtualization. I use VMware because it's also what runs my company infrastructure, but I think the free VirtualBox product is a strong option for most users. Crossover is your top choice for emulation. I don't use it, but hear great things about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Thanks Carlos Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Carlos, Add to the questions. My major use away from home for my laptop is at the East Coast Rally. I need it for spreadsheets, powerpoints, printing Avery name badges etc. I’ve read and been told a Mac will do all and Epson Projectors will interface? 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Sure, it does all that, and printer support in Macs is 99.9% universal. No drivers, just plug the printer it or have it nearby. You can use Keynote instead of Powerpoint, Numbers instead of Excel, and Pages instead of Word. Keynote blows away PP. Numbers is less powerful than Excel for power users, but more usable for people like me who use it lightly for pretty proposals and reports. Pages does both the work of Word and the work of a page layout product, making beautiful documents easy. OpenOffice is free and more like the MS products. It can open and save MS files. And of course you can buy Office standalone or Office 365 for the Mac. When I travel I can connect to any printer and projector without a second thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 1 minute ago, Carlos said: Sure, it does all that, and printer support in Macs is 99.9% universal. No drivers, just plug the printer it or have it nearby. You can use Keynote instead of Powerpoint, Numbers instead of Excel, and Pages instead of Word. Keynote blows away PP. Numbers is less powerful than Excel for power users, but more usable for people like me who use it lightly for pretty proposals and reports. Pages does both the work of Word and the work of a page layout product, making beautiful documents easy. OpenOffice is free and more like the MS products. It can open and save MS files. And of course you can buy Office standalone or Office 365 for the Mac. When I travel I can connect to any printer and projector without a second thought. Great. Thanks so much for the great information. Confirms what Sdixon747 told me over the phone. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 I'm in IT also and if you want the hardware to last, get a Mac. If you want to replace every 1-2/3 years, get a PC. If you want just cheap, easy access, get a chromebook. Whatever you get, as mentioned above, get a solid state drive and max RAM for whatever you get. MS Office on the mac is basically same as MS Office on Windows. A few things will be different, but easily learned. For your other requirements, there will NOT be any USB/HDMI/etc ports on a new mac. There will be 4 USB-C ports and you will need adapters if you actually need to physically plug in to something. However, most everything nowadays is wireless, so you really don't need to plug into anything directly (printers, cast/airplay to TV/etc). If you do wnat a Mac, get a refurbished one from Apple, save a couple hundred bucks. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished 2003 International Eagle 9200i, Cummins ISX, Freedomline 2007 Teton Scottsdale XT4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 19 minutes ago, lockmup68 said: I'm in IT also and if you want the hardware to last, get a Mac. If you want to replace every 1-2/3 years, get a PC. If you want just cheap, easy access, get a chromebook. Whatever you get, as mentioned above, get a solid state drive and max RAM for whatever you get. MS Office on the mac is basically same as MS Office on Windows. A few things will be different, but easily learned. For your other requirements, there will NOT be any USB/HDMI/etc ports on a new mac. There will be 4 USB-C ports and you will need adapters if you actually need to physically plug in to something. However, most everything nowadays is wireless, so you really don't need to plug into anything directly (printers, cast/airplay to TV/etc). If you do wnat a Mac, get a refurbished one from Apple, save a couple hundred bucks. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished Shannon, Do most of the refurbs have the Thunderbolt 3 connections or 2? 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 2 minutes ago, SuiteSuccess said: Shannon, Do most of the refurbs have the Thunderbolt 3 connections or 2? depends on the model year, but quick search looks like all are USBC/Thunderbolt3 2003 International Eagle 9200i, Cummins ISX, Freedomline 2007 Teton Scottsdale XT4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Just now, lockmup68 said: depends on the model year, but quick search looks like all are USBC/Thunderbolt3 Thanks. Researching seems that the 3 is twice the speed. Not that I need it but if I'm going to get one might as well get latest upgrades. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 do get Applecare. 2003 International Eagle 9200i, Cummins ISX, Freedomline 2007 Teton Scottsdale XT4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 3 minutes ago, lockmup68 said: do get Applecare. 👍 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 +1 on refurbs. Also check out Best Buy open box deals, which are often a couple hundred off. And check Amazon warehouse, I got my $1550 laptop for under $1200 there. One call to Apple and they changed the sell date of my machine to current. Best Buy card users get a discount, and if you are a new card holder you get double discount on your first purchase. We got 12% off iPhones that way. On Applecare, I don't give a blanket "get it." I think it does add value, but I just try to explain to people... Macs are very reliable. When they fail, they are expensive to fix. So judge the insurance value. Also note that many credit cards add a year. I had a machine fixed by Amex at 3.5 years because it failed after Applecare expired, but the Amex extra year covered it. I would give no thoughts to the ports. As noted, most things are wireless, and USB-C is FAST no matter what. Adapters are cheap/small/easy to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 4 minutes ago, Carlos said: +1 on refurbs. Also check out Best Buy open box deals, which are often a couple hundred off. And check Amazon warehouse, I got my $1550 laptop for under $1200 there. One call to Apple and they changed the sell date of my machine to current. Best Buy card users get a discount, and if you are a new card holder you get double discount on your first purchase. We got 12% off iPhones that way. On Applecare, I don't give a blanket "get it." I think it does add value, but I just try to explain to people... Macs are very reliable. When they fail, they are expensive to fix. So judge the insurance value. Also note that many credit cards add a year. I had a machine fixed by Amex at 3.5 years because it failed after Applecare expired, but the Amex extra year covered it. I would give no thoughts to the ports. As noted, most things are wireless, and USB-C is FAST no matter what. Adapters are cheap/small/easy to use. Thanks again. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 I wish this discussion had started before I bought my Chromebook. KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted January 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 15 minutes ago, rickeieio said: I wish this discussion had started before I bought my Chromebook. Rick, Was talking to another forum member on the phone. We’ve got some damn smart people here. Just wish I was one of them.😀 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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