Del XPS 13 or Macbook Air?

[tiffanyhenschel]

Hello fellow Geeks. I am soliciting your input for a technology decision. My district is buying new technology this summer for the teachers , and we get to choose whether we want a Del XPS 13 or a Macbook Air. :) I've done some online reading and watched YouTube reviews about both of them, but I am looking for pros/cons and specific experiences from people who have used either one.

Here are some factors to consider:

I have always used a PC, but that is because ... well, I've always used a PC. :-) I am willing to consider a change, but then again I don't want to change just for the sake of change.

I use a lot of Power Point presentations, but we are moving more and more to web-based applications like Slide Share and Slide Rocket. The staff collaborates using Google Docs. The students have the ability to upload assignments to an electronic drop box and to participate in online forums similar to Blackboard and Kidblog. I have used a Smartboard in the past but don't currently have one in my room.

Whichever system I choose, it will come with a docking station and external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The district is also providing iPads. I will have the capability to load presentations from the laptop in the docking station and then control it from anywhere in the room using the iPad.

What questions should I be asking? What are the issues to consider? Any insights?

[Marsilius]

I am a Mac user, and will only give one piece of advice. If you go to Mac, try Keynote for presentations. It is basically same as PowerPoint, but feels more fluid and flexible no intuitive, IMO. I love it.
Good luck on your choice! It works pretty well on the iPad, too, if a bit simpler and you have to be careful which type of graphics and fonts you use if you are transferring from laptop to iPad.
Check it out!

[tiffanyhenschel]

Thanks, Marsilius. I appreciate your opinion and your specific recommendation. That is the kind of help that I need to make my choice.

[peterpen53]

i own a MacBook Air 13" (MBA) as well as an iPad (still the first generation, but it is an iPad). I have not seen any Windows kit for nearly 5 years so bear with me.

Working with both an MBA and an iPad is near seamless. I cannot imagine a Windows PC beating that. For best results with presentations and so on, you might need to include an Apple TV ($100), unless this dock takes over the ATV's functions. The usual MS Office applications (Exc, Wo, PP and Outlook) are available for the Mac so if you need those that's no problem. Since you will be moving towards web-based applications I don't really see any problems regarding software. But for any stuff that will not go into Google Docs and that you may need to use on both the MBA and the iPad you may need to consider which cloud/syncing application you want to use, iCloud or Dropbox. Personally I prefer Dropbox if I can, but it sometimes depends on the service your software is set up to use.
I cannot envision an MBA working with this dock, though, so you might want to ask for more specifics.

I assume your school has an IT guy or department for support. I would inquire what is their stance towards either system. Often, when they have been entrenched in Windows for a long time, their knowledge about the Mac is very limited. And to be honest, you will need very little support with a Mac.

HTH and, of course, YMMV.

[calluna]

We use both of them here (educational technology is my livelihood) at my institution. The XPS13 is an ultrabook, not a netbook, and has all the horsepower of a regular laptop computer in the very small form factor. The Macbook Air is a fabulous little machine and I love it - but it is a netbook, which means that you are going to find yourself limited in the capability of the machine as compared to the XPS.

Here both machines work well, are reliable, have about the same screen real estate, good batteries, and are pleasant to use. From that standpoint I don't have any issues. The Macbook Air is I think a bit lighter.

The real question for me would be whether you would be doing anything more resource-intensive than web work, powerpoint, and document creation. I personally would go with the XPS because of its greater capability - faster processor, probably more memory and a larger hard disk. I'd say the Macbook Air is more fun.

FWIW, I am ambicomputerous and don't have a PC/Mac preference. Indeed, I use both every day. Hope this helps.

[dannzeman]

Tiffany, I'll preface this by saying I used to be a die hard Windows user. Was never interested in Macs. Then, I bought a Macbook Air and it changed my life. I'll never buy another PC.

OS X is just so much easier and more efficient to use than Windows. It might take a few weeks to adjust, but it's totally worth it. Also, the trackpad on the Air is unmatched by any PC maker. It's so good I don't even use a mouse.

Oh, and the best part about buying a Macbook is that you don't have to deal with any crapware installed by the vendor. There's also no need for anti-virus apps that'll slow down your computer more than anything else.

Using a Macbook Air is just a better experience than using any Windows machine.


...The Macbook Air is a fabulous little machine and I love it - but it is a netbook,Woah, what?! The Air is definitely not a netbook. I don't know if you looked at the specs but the XPS 13 (http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-l321x-mlk/pd) and the 13" Air (http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html) are spec'd exactly the same. Same processor, same type and speed of ram, both come with SSD's, and even the same graphics chip. Both laptops can be spec'd exactly the same with regards to the amount of RAM and SSD space.

The only advantage the XPS would have is if you got it configured with the 1920 x 1080 display. The Air comes standard with a 1440 x 900 display. Even with the more hi-res display, I wouldn't give the XPS much of an advantage.

The Air is more than capable enough to handle any task you throw at it. I use it as my main pc when editing images in Lightroom and Photoshop or when working in Illustrator. I even use it to edit my video reviews in iMovie without any issues.

[jar]

The other side.

I'm a long term Unix user (20 years+) but I find the Mac products very limited and the iPad virtually useless.

[AltecGreen]

The other side.

I'm a long term Unix user (20 years+) but I find the Mac products very limited and the iPad virtually useless.


The Mac OS is a Unix kernel with a GUI wrapper built on top of it. You can run all Unix apps although you might have to build some using the usual Unix tools. One of the reasons Macs are popular in my field, science, is that you can run all Unix apps as well as things like MS Office at the same time. The ability to cut and paste between a X11 window and a Mac window is quite useful. The only reason you might favor Unix is because it can be a much more compact install for speed. But if you are looking for speed and compactness, Windows is even worse.

Besides, you can run Windows and Windows software on a Mac either through Bootcamp or virtually using something like Parallels or VMware. We do that a lot here at the lab. Most of the scientists use Macs but sometimes we have one or two oddball Windows programs we have to run. Using VMware or Parallels, you can run those programs without having both a Windows machine and a Mac.

[jar]

The other side.

I'm a long term Unix user (20 years+) but I find the Mac products very limited and the iPad virtually useless.


The Mac OS is a Unix kernel with a GUI wrapper built on top of it. You can run all Unix apps although you might have to build some using the usual Unix tools. One of the reasons Macs are popular in my field, science, is that you can run all Unix apps as well as things like MS Office at the same time. The ability to cut and paste between a X11 window and a Mac window is quite useful. The only reason you might favor Unix is because it can be a much more compact install for speed. But if you are looking for speed and compactness, Windows is even worse.

Besides, you can run Windows and Windows software on a Mac either through Bootcamp or virtually using something like Parallels or VMware. We do that a lot here at the lab. Most of the scientists use Macs but sometimes we have one or two oddball Windows programs we have to run. Using VMware or Parallels, you can run those programs without having both a Windows machine and a Mac.

But actually I find windows far more useful these days than either Mac or Unix.

[tiffanyhenschel]

Thanks for the responses so far. This is the kind of exchange that is hard to find when just browsing the web looking for reviews.

Peterpen53, the issue of file sharing is something to be worked out. From the distric's perspective, I'm sure it would be easier to make the decision at the district level. That way we would all be using the same platform and wouldn't have to worry about compatibility. I appreciate and applaud their giving us a choice, though. We have a good IT team and I'm sure they will be developing opportunities for us to learn what we need to know.

Calluna, part of the problem is that I don't even know what I'll be using it for six months from now. When I began teaching, everyone still used transparencies and overhead projectors. Now there isn't one in the building. I learn and adapt to be relevant to the real world needs of today's students, so as I make this decision I'm trying to look at what I will want in the future.

Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

Jar, is it just iPads that you find useless or tablets in general? I don't have a choice about the iPad; it comes with either machine. The purpose is to allow us to control presentations without being tied to our desks or the technology cart.

[tiffanyhenschel]

AltecGreen, forgive me for sounding ignorant. :) So is what you are saying that you find it easy to use either Windows based programs or OS based programs on a Mac? That flexibility is part of what you find useful?

[AltecGreen]

AltecGreen, forgive me for sounding ignorant. :) So is what you are saying that you find it easy to use either Windows based programs or OS based programs on a Mac? That flexibility is part of what you find useful?

In my work, I use all three. My main office computer and main and backup computers at home are Macs. The data acquisition computers we use in the lab are all Windows machines. I have access some of the World's largest supercomputers and those run Unix or their ilk.

For my own work, Macs are more flexible. We all have to use MS Office products because we have to handle financial spreadsheets(Excel), memos(Word), presentations(Powerpoint), etc. However, I use a lot of scientific codes that are written on various languages and developed on Unix machines. Because a Mac is also a Unix machine, I can compile and run any Unix program. I can use VMware to run Windows programs on my Mac for the handful of Windows only programs I need to run occasionally. I find it more flexible because I can do all of that on one machine. You can have a Unix X11 window open, a Mac window, and a Windows window open at the same time on the same machine. You do sacrifice speed by running Windows virtually but it's not a problem unless you are running a graphics intensive game. If you are playing a first-person shooter, you probably want a Windows machine.

To decide, you really need to look at what you are going to do and the applications available.

[jar]

AltecGreen, forgive me for sounding ignorant. :) So is what you are saying that you find it easy to use either Windows based programs or OS based programs on a Mac? That flexibility is part of what you find useful?

For what you would likely use the iPad it should be fine. I just find it totally useless and brain dead when it comes to stuff I do.

It's probably great for showing or watching videos.

[Tony Rex]

There was almost a riot by teachers when my state govt. decided to switch to obsolete MacBooks from Lenovo Thinkpads, and charged twice lease for the privilege. Lenovo has affinity program for schools. You gotta give them a call and compare.

As for myself I got the hots for the X1 Carbon LOL

Tony

[calluna]

Dannzeman, I based that on our Macbook Airs, which to be fair are a bit older than the XPS. They are a base $1200 configuration, not the more expensive version, as well. See here (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415157,00.asp) for where I was coming from. I don't really consider the Air in its base configuration to be an ultrabook, but I take your point.

[Nonsensical]

I own and use a Macbook Air as well as a regular Lenovo laptop...and a desktop computer as well. Overkill, I know. In my defence, the desktop computer is 10,000km away in Melbourne, and I couldn't bring it with me.

Unless you live in China, I would go with the Macbook Air. I personally have compatibility issues with any and all Chinese websites (especially shopping ones) when it comes to using Mac OSX, but I haven't heard of any issues anywhere else in the world.

My mum owns an Asus ultrabook which is slightly lighter, and also quite fast. However, it seems to suffer from a variety of problems. I've had numerous issues with laptops and desktop computers in the past - not one so far with the Mac. It just seems to do what I need it to do without breaking down.

The battery life is, as noted, very good. As long as you're not watching videos on it, I think it goes at a rate of about 10%/hr just using the internet and Word etc.

The whole Mac layout, as well as getting to know how to use it will take some time. I do think it's actually simpler and easier to use than the Windows format, though. However, I'll never be able to live with just a Mac. Can't play many games on it...And I'm not willing to sacrifice the speed and install Windows on my Macbook Air as well.

[Marsilius]

Again, confession as a Mac lover. Simple to use, intuitive, and adequate for most purposes.

I LOVE dropbox (and use the little "star" tool on the iPad version of dropbox that keeps things loaded on your iPad so you can access them even when the net is down.

Also, be sure to check whether your district or school has as a policy about such things. Some places have [stupid? legalistic] policies that don't allow school business except on secure dedicate servers (like the soul-stealing? Blackboard).

IMO, ipads are not useless, but are less useful for more complex things. I can make a perfectly serviceable Keynote (powerpoint) right on the ipad, but it will be a little simpler.

I can NOT use it to make really great editions of music on Finale or Sibelius, though it does a great job of reading them, with the proper apps.

Aslo, on the iPad, check out apps like Fast Keyboard, which has all the little belles and whistles of a regular keyboard.

Finally, if yo are using iPads, then it makes a lot of sense to use with a Mac laptop, since the backup and transfer is so well integrated. In this sense, having enough space on iCloud to backup and share your email, calendar, and contacts, is probably worth the price of admission right there. For me, the iPad Mac compatibility would seal the deal.

Good luck!

[peterpen53]

For what you would likely use the iPad it should be fine. I just find it totally useless and brain dead when it comes to stuff I do.

It's probably great for showing or watching videos.

That's the whole thing. There are some things the iPad was just not made for and if you try to do these, yes, it will fail.


Dannzeman, I based that on our Macbook Airs, which to be fair are a bit older than the XPS. They are a base $1200 configuration, not the more expensive version, as well. See here (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415157,00.asp) for where I was coming from. I don't really consider the Air in its base configuration to be an ultrabook, but I take your point.

I would add that my MBA with 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD quite handsomely outperforms my MacBook Pro with 4GB and a spinning HDD in terms of speed and it has a much better screen. It would surprise me if with the proposed use Tiffany would need more than 256GB of local storage.
I looked at the 11" before buying my 13", but decided against it because of the smaller screen size. But it is equal quality to the 13". Also, even the weight of the 13" is hardly noticeable if you have to carry it.


Again, confession as a Mac lover. Simple to use, intuitive, and adequate for most purposes.

I LOVE dropbox (and use the little "star" tool on the iPad version of dropbox that keeps things loaded on your iPad so you can access them even when the net is down.

Also, be sure to check whether your district or school has as a policy about such things. Some places have [stupid? legalistic] policies that don't allow school business except on secure dedicate servers (like the soul-stealing? Blackboard).

IMO, ipads are not useless, but are less useful for more complex things. I can make a perfectly serviceable Keynote (powerpoint) right on the ipad, but it will be a little simpler.

I can NOT use it to make really great editions of music on Finale or Sibelius, though it does a great job of reading them, with the proper apps.

Aslo, on the iPad, check out apps like Fast Keyboard, which has all the little belles and whistles of a regular keyboard.

Finally, if yo are using iPads, then it makes a lot of sense to use with a Mac laptop, since the backup and transfer is so well integrated. In this sense, having enough space on iCloud to backup and share your email, calendar, and contacts, is probably worth the price of admission right there. For me, the iPad Mac compatibility would seal the deal.

Good luck!

+1 and then some.

[snedwos]

My parents are both teachers and use Apple products at work. My mother teaches primary and is in love with the possibilities the iPad has opened up for her in the classroom. Then again, pretty much her entire computer experience is based around OSX, (school's IT guy has been a diehard Apple fanboi for 30 years), so not entirely objective.

I would agree that the iPad Mac integration is probably the best combo for your job, though for myself I would buy the Dell simply because I think it looks cooler! I fell in lust with it when it first came out and I was researching new laptops to buy (ended up with the XPS 15).

The OS doesn't matter much to me, since I'd be installing Linux anyway, and ultraportables wouldn't be my preferred platform for gaming, but OSX is what I would suggest for a first time computer user (which Tiffany is not), and Windows for games (and I doubt Tiffany will be playing any FPS games in class with the kids).

After all that, yeah, go for the Mac.

[dannzeman]

Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

The only reason I can think for this is during that time of transition. Like I said, it took me about 2-3 weeks to get accustomed to OS X, but now I love it. The workflow is more efficient and when I have to use Windows at work, it just feels clunky.

One huge benefit to the Air and OS X is the trackpad and gestures. PC manufacturers just can't build a trackpad as responsive as Apple's. You won't understand how frustrating it is using a PC's trackpad until you get used to Apple's. The gestures just streamline basic operations in the OS. I'd take a few minutes and look at the gestures here (http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/gestures.html). You might think there's a lot going on there, but you'll pick 'em up quick and once you do, using anything else will just seem cumbersome.

[dannzeman]

Dannzeman, I based that on our Macbook Airs, which to be fair are a bit older than the XPS. They are a base $1200 configuration, not the more expensive version, as well. See here (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415157,00.asp) for where I was coming from. I don't really consider the Air in its base configuration to be an ultrabook, but I take your point.
That link you provided is almost comical. They're comparing a $1600 XPS to a $1200 Air, of course there's going to be hardware and performance differences.

You've got to remember that Air was the first laptop of its kind. There was no Windows equivalent. Anything that was as small and light as an Air on the Windows side was a netbook, and they couldn't compare to the performance of the Air. You can't not call the Air an "ultrabook". That's the term the PC industry created to categorize laptops there were intended to be in direct competition to the Air. It took the PC industry three and a half years(!) to come up with the term "Ultrabook" and just a make an alternative to the Air. A year later and PC makers are just now producing "ultrabooks" that rival the Air's performance.

[snedwos]

Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

The only reason I can think for this is during that time of transition. Like I said, it took me about 2-3 weeks to get accustomed to OS X, but now I love it. The workflow is more efficient and when I have to use Windows at work, it just feels clunky.

One huge benefit to the Air and OS X is the trackpad and gestures. PC manufacturers just can't build a trackpad as responsive as Apple's. You won't understand how frustrating it is using a PC's trackpad until you get used to Apple's. The gestures just streamline basic operations in the OS. I'd take a few minutes and look at the gestures here (http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/gestures.html). You might think there's a lot going on there, but you'll pick 'em up quick and once you do, using anything else will just seem cumbersome.

Actually, PC trackpads can be every bit as responsive as Apple ones. It's not a hardware issue, it's drivers. In fact, Synaptics trackpads (which are in nearly everything have been capable of multitouch gestures for donkeys' years, well before Apple made it a big thing. No proprietary drivers had been made though.

The difference in performance for my trackpad when I'm using the crap windows drivers and the pretty decent Linux ones is huuuge!

[tiffanyhenschel]

Also, be sure to check whether your district or school has as a policy about such things. Some places have [stupid? legalistic] policies that don't allow school business except on secure dedicate servers (like the soul-stealing? Blackboard).



Policies can always change, but I don't think this will be an issue. Many of the teachers use Edmodo and Kidblog even though the official district program is Gaggle. We also all have classroom Twitter accounts.



The OS doesn't matter much to me, since I'd be installing Linux anyway, and ultraportables wouldn't be my preferred platform for gaming, but OSX is what I would suggest for a first time computer user (which Tiffany is not), and Windows for games (and I doubt Tiffany will be playing any FPS games in class with the kids).


Nope, no gaming for me unless you count Scrabble or Words With Friends. :-) My sons are gamers, but they have their own computers that they bought themselves.




Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

The only reason I can think for this is during that time of transition. Like I said, it took me about 2-3 weeks to get accustomed to OS X, but now I love it. The workflow is more efficient and when I have to use Windows at work, it just feels clunky.



One of the most vocal is my brother, who has worked with a Mac for a year. He is a programmer, though, so that may have something to do with it. He did acknowledge that if I "just wanted a computer that worked with no hassles" then the Mac would probably be my best choice.

Thanks again, everyone. I definitely feel like I have better questions to ask and know what to look for when I go for a hands on trial.

[caribbean_skye]

Side note Tiffany: *If* you go the Mac route, I do have some websites/links that can make the transition/learning easier.

~A very happy Mac lover on her MBA.

[dannzeman]

Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

The only reason I can think for this is during that time of transition. Like I said, it took me about 2-3 weeks to get accustomed to OS X, but now I love it. The workflow is more efficient and when I have to use Windows at work, it just feels clunky.

One huge benefit to the Air and OS X is the trackpad and gestures. PC manufacturers just can't build a trackpad as responsive as Apple's. You won't understand how frustrating it is using a PC's trackpad until you get used to Apple's. The gestures just streamline basic operations in the OS. I'd take a few minutes and look at the gestures here (http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/gestures.html). You might think there's a lot going on there, but you'll pick 'em up quick and once you do, using anything else will just seem cumbersome.

Actually, PC trackpads can be every bit as responsive as Apple ones. It's not a hardware issue, it's drivers. In fact, Synaptics trackpads (which are in nearly everything have been capable of multitouch gestures for donkeys' years, well before Apple made it a big thing. No proprietary drivers had been made though.

The difference in performance for my trackpad when I'm using the crap windows drivers and the pretty decent Linux ones is huuuge!
Yes, they can be. But, they're not. Just go into any computer store and play with them and you'll notice the difference right away. And these are brand new PC's that should be running at their peak. On PC's they're laggy and even miss input gestures, while on Macs it's like the hardware is reading my mind. This isn't just coming from me, either. Read any review of an ultrabook The Verge, Engadget, Gizmodo, AnandTech, etc. and they'll point out the difference.

I'm not addressing the Linux angle because it's not relevant to the topic.

[dannzeman]

Side note Tiffany: *If* you go the Mac route, I do have some websites/links that can make the transition/learning easier.

~A very happy Mac lover on her MBA.
Would be interested in seeing these. I'm still finding neat little tricks after a year and a half of owning mine.

[Annie]

My tuppence: I have always used a windoze based pc and the idea of a Mac was alien to me. I'm an old lady, figured I was too old to make the change...then I played with my son's Mac Book Air. Oh wow! Immediately went out and bought an ipad and love the way the OS just doesn't get in the way of what I want to do and I require it to handle many of the things on your wish list. When this pc of mine eventually blows up, I'll get a Mac. Never thought I would say that.

Hope this helps.

Annie (aged 51 3/4s)

[Annie]

Side note Tiffany: *If* you go the Mac route, I do have some websites/links that can make the transition/learning easier.

~A very happy Mac lover on her MBA.
Would be interested in seeing these. I'm still finding neat little tricks after a year and a half of owning mine.

+1. All geek mac techie stuff gratefully received.

[snedwos]

Dan, so many times I hear people say that they will never go back to a PC after a Mac, but I also hear PC people complain that Macs are cumbersome and inefficient. Can you shed some light on why this is? Is it a thinking style issue, maybe?

The only reason I can think for this is during that time of transition. Like I said, it took me about 2-3 weeks to get accustomed to OS X, but now I love it. The workflow is more efficient and when I have to use Windows at work, it just feels clunky.

One huge benefit to the Air and OS X is the trackpad and gestures. PC manufacturers just can't build a trackpad as responsive as Apple's. You won't understand how frustrating it is using a PC's trackpad until you get used to Apple's. The gestures just streamline basic operations in the OS. I'd take a few minutes and look at the gestures here (http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/gestures.html). You might think there's a lot going on there, but you'll pick 'em up quick and once you do, using anything else will just seem cumbersome.

Actually, PC trackpads can be every bit as responsive as Apple ones. It's not a hardware issue, it's drivers. In fact, Synaptics trackpads (which are in nearly everything have been capable of multitouch gestures for donkeys' years, well before Apple made it a big thing. No proprietary drivers had been made though.

The difference in performance for my trackpad when I'm using the crap windows drivers and the pretty decent Linux ones is huuuge!
Yes, they can be. But, they're not. Just go into any computer store and play with them and you'll notice the difference right away. And these are brand new PC's that should be running at their peak. On PC's they're laggy and even miss input gestures, while on Macs it's like the hardware is reading my mind. This isn't just coming from me, either. Read any review of an ultrabook The Verge, Engadget, Gizmodo, AnandTech, etc. and they'll point out the difference.

I'm not addressing the Linux angle because it's not relevant to the topic.

I was just pointing out that it's not a hardware issue. In terms of machinery, the touchpads are perfectly good, and could be made to work as well. It's not so much to do with PC makers as Windows just not being very good. My mentioning Linux was just to illustrate that point, since it's the same trackpad on the same machine.

I do agree Apple are leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else in the Just Working department. To go slightly (OK, rather a lot) offtopic, if most PC makers were to ditch Microsoft and take up some form of Linux distro (or fork their own), whether they could have the sort of success Android is having vs iOS.

[tiffanyhenschel]

Side note Tiffany: *If* you go the Mac route, I do have some websites/links that can make the transition/learning easier.

~A very happy Mac lover on her MBA.

Leslie, it sounds like your links are welcome here. Please do share!

[caribbean_skye]

For whatever reason I thought there were more links... Will have to go look for them. Some of these may repeat the same information, it's been a while (4 years) since I've looked at these and these were forwarded to me. Dan: I'd be curious if there was anything here you didn't already know.

I hope this helps.

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/
http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/
http://theappleblog.com/2007/01/30/5-tips-for-a-new-mac-user/
http://www.macinstruct.com/
http://www.mactricksandtips.com/2008/03/mail-folder-tips.html
http://www.videojug.com/tag/mac-os-programs-and-tips

Hidden Dock Animation -- http://cnettv.cnet.com/tekzilla-daily-os-x-hidden-dock-animation/9742-1_53-50002461.html
http://cnettv.cnet.com/tekzilla-daily-mac-os-x-quick-dock-magnification/9742-1_53-50002389.html

*** Top Ten Programs To Download On A Mac -
http://www.videojug.com/film/top-ten-programs-to-download-on-a-mac

Firefox tips
http://cnettv.cnet.com/quick-tips-turn-off-firefox-url-suggestions/9742-1_53-50002641.html
http://cnettv.cnet.com/tekzilla-daily-reduce-memory-usage-firefox/9742-1_53-50005657.html

Also find this website has some cool software:
http://www.freemacware.com/

CNET TV
***http://cnettv.cnet.com/change-default-screenshot-format/9742-1_53-50075643.html
- SCREEN SHOT (CMD-SHFT-3)

[peterpen53]

I think I can add a few:
- http://macmost.com/video-list, short (around 5 min. each), free and most often very practical video tutorials for the entire Apple eco-system. Very suitable for new users IMO, but old hands will still learn a trick or two.
- http://www.screencastsonline.com/index.php: in-depth video tutorials on both OSX and iOS software by Don McAllister. Not free, but a subscription is very worthwhile, as he is generally considered to be one of the best in the business and it will give you access to his entire back catalogue.
- http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/?pt=TB-TAGLINE. Really well done ebooks on various aspects of Apple hard- and software. Useful for both new and advanced users.
Depending on your own degree of nerdiness, you could follow the blogs of David Sparks (http://macsparky.com) and Katie Floyd (http://katiefloyd.me). Both are lawyers who love to put their Macs to productive use in their daily work. I'm always amazed at what is possible. David is also a fairly prolific author of ebooks specifically made for the iPad, and he sells them for a real steal (links to be found on his blog).

[Marsilius]

I can add one that is out of date, but still useful: http://www.pure-mac.com is an interesting place to good look at software by category and check out some free trials. The App Store has made this concept almost obsolete, and probably redundant to all the other links above, but maybe worth a gander.

[chiaroscuro]

I'd go for the Air, hands-down, for so many reasons (many have already been mentioned here).

I don't know if you like to stand or move around as you present, but if so, here's something to think about: I use a Macbook Air and Keynote for presentations at work and Keynote is much better than Powerpoint, IMHO, but the downside is that the Airs (at least the current generation) don't work with Apple Remotes, so I have to use the Keynote Remote app on my iPhone (also available on iPads). It requires that both devices be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and a simple, one-time set-up. It works well but it's not nearly as simple and fail-proof as the Apple Remote I used for years with my old plastic Macbook (pair the devices once and then point-and-go as long as the battery in the remote lasts [it lasts for years and is really simple to replace]). The remote is easier to operate one-handed and it looks more professional and is less likely to be mis-interpreted by passers-by than presenting while holding and appering to be fiddling with your phone. If your phone or iPad runs out of battery or if the Wifi goes down, you're either tethered to the laptop or you have to appoint someone to be the slide-changer. Also, if you use a passcode on your phone, you'll have to disable it before presenting and remember to enable it afterward. The one upside is that you're less likely to forget to bring your phone with you versus the remote (one less thing to carry).

The Airs seemed to have a lot of problems displaying properly once connected to a projector or smartboard (lots of fiddling with settings, connecting and reconnecting, blank wallpapers, partial screens, etc.) but whether by fortune or bug fixes --probably the latter-- I've had less and less of these over time and now it's pretty much smooth sailing. Your mileage may vary.

[tiffanyhenschel]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. After looking at reviews online, reading responses here, asking questions of the district tech people, and doing my own hands-on at Best Buy, I have decided to go with the Mac. We are supposed to receive them [I]before[I] we report back for beginning of the year professional development in August, so hopefully I'll have time to play around with it this summer to speed up the learning curve. :)

[peterpen53]

Good for you! I doubt you'll be sorry.

[caribbean_skye]

Although it's not in the spirit of the original post, it does go along with some of the later posts in this thread.

I came across this recently and thought I would share.

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/50-tips-to-get-you-started-with-your-new-mac-1045852

[stevekolt]

Good decision, we went fully Mac (MBA, an iMac on both of our desks, iPad, and iphones) about two years ago and have zero regrets.

[dduran]

I know it's an old thread but why not get a Mac and install Windows? :)

[caribbean_skye]

For those of us who use iOS devices...

Apple's finally issued an OSX patch for the critical SSL flaw. Here's the
info.

http://9to5mac.com/2014/02/25/apple-releases-os-x-mavericks-10-9-2-with-facetime-audio-contact-blocking-mail-fixes/

Apply the patch ASAP. If you have iOS devices, update them as well. *Once
you have patches in place, consider changing all the passwords you've used
on HTTPS sites since September 2013.* Worst case, nothing between then and
now has been secured. :/