Deciding between a Mac laptop and a Chromebook
March 6, 2024 3:23 AM Subscribe
I've had Macs for decades. It's time to replace my current laptop, and I don't know if I can still justify getting a Mac instead of a Chromebook. If I get a Chromebook, maybe I'd switch away from iPhones, too. Given my use and preferences (inside), would a Chromebook that costs significantly less than $1100 be a step down in any meaningful way, or not?
The one I choose will be a birthday gift from my Mom, and I don’t need to penny-pinch. But I don’t like being wasteful, whether or not it’s a gift. If a Mac is wasteful at this point – i.e., my use and preferences will be equally well-served by a Chromebook that costs a lot less – I’d get a Chromebook. If not, I’d stick with a Mac, Namely, the 15” M2 Air that’s $1100 at Best Buy (which I have on order because I panicked when Apple just discontinued it, but it’s returnable. I ruled out Windows machines, and the M1, refurbished M2, and M3 Airs, along with iPads, for reasons I’m feeling solid about).
So, here’s my use and preferences…
My use leans towards a Chromebook, I think:
- I don’t think I make good use of a Mac’s power. Almost all the time I'm on my Mac, I'm using Chrome. I'm looking for stuff on the web or checking out my habitual sites, or using the web versions of Trello, Gmail, Google Photos, or Google Drive and its suite of apps, or I'm using a particular web app (Crosserville, for crossword construction), or I'm watching a video or movie.
- I barely use computer applications anymore. I’m worried that I’m forgetting something that I actually do still need a computer for, but all that comes to mind are Zoom, Preview, Messages, Notes, and my printer driver. I'm guessing all of those have decent analogs on a Chromebook -- though I would miss the seamless coordination of my iPhone's Messages and Notes with the Mac's.
- I don't purposely use iCloud. I'm not sure what use I might be making of the free level without knowing it.
My preferences might sway things back towards a Mac, but I don’t know because I’ve never used a Chromebook.
- It matters to me that Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface. A step down on that front would be a deal-killer.
- I keep devices a long time, so lack of longevity would also be a deal-killer. (The Mac I’m replacing is a 13” 2015 Air, and I wouldn’t be replacing it yet if it weren’t for this gift.)
- I need to be able to see the screen well, and I have age-related vision issues. Hence the 15” instead of the 13” M2 – I can make the text bigger and still see enough on a page, nice and crisp. And I don’t need serious portability anyway; generally, I use it at a desk or on the couch.
- I’m very used to the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and learning something new and switching over all my stuff feels daunting. Even more so if I also have to switch phones and apps. I do already use Gmail instead of Apple Mail, Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, and Google Photos (free) for storage. I wasn’t planning to swap out my iPhone for years (it’s a 12 Mini), but it does have a significant and unfixable problem, so if I’m switching to a Chromebook, I’d consider switching my phone, too.
I worry that there are important Mac advantages that I’m taking for granted as a lifelong Mac user, and that I’d turn out to miss. I don’t know what I don’t know. But then, maybe a Chromebook has advantages I don’t know about, too? I don't love Apple like I used to, when I wouldn't even have considered switching.
So, should I switch to a Chromebook?
- Which one?
- What will I miss if I do?
- Would the things I do now all be supported well enough with a Chromebook?
- Would it be best to switch my phone, too? To what?
- Beyond right-sizing a product & price to fit my needs, are there other advantages I'd gain in switching to a Chromebook?
I'm looking for either of two things here. If there are good reasons to stay with a Mac and not feel like it's wasteful given my uses, that'll be great. Or, if I should switch, being more confident that I'll get what I need from a Chromebook that’s a lot less than $1100 would be great, too -- especially if it comes with some direction about which one and whether I should really trade in my phone, too.
The one I choose will be a birthday gift from my Mom, and I don’t need to penny-pinch. But I don’t like being wasteful, whether or not it’s a gift. If a Mac is wasteful at this point – i.e., my use and preferences will be equally well-served by a Chromebook that costs a lot less – I’d get a Chromebook. If not, I’d stick with a Mac, Namely, the 15” M2 Air that’s $1100 at Best Buy (which I have on order because I panicked when Apple just discontinued it, but it’s returnable. I ruled out Windows machines, and the M1, refurbished M2, and M3 Airs, along with iPads, for reasons I’m feeling solid about).
So, here’s my use and preferences…
My use leans towards a Chromebook, I think:
- I don’t think I make good use of a Mac’s power. Almost all the time I'm on my Mac, I'm using Chrome. I'm looking for stuff on the web or checking out my habitual sites, or using the web versions of Trello, Gmail, Google Photos, or Google Drive and its suite of apps, or I'm using a particular web app (Crosserville, for crossword construction), or I'm watching a video or movie.
- I barely use computer applications anymore. I’m worried that I’m forgetting something that I actually do still need a computer for, but all that comes to mind are Zoom, Preview, Messages, Notes, and my printer driver. I'm guessing all of those have decent analogs on a Chromebook -- though I would miss the seamless coordination of my iPhone's Messages and Notes with the Mac's.
- I don't purposely use iCloud. I'm not sure what use I might be making of the free level without knowing it.
My preferences might sway things back towards a Mac, but I don’t know because I’ve never used a Chromebook.
- It matters to me that Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface. A step down on that front would be a deal-killer.
- I keep devices a long time, so lack of longevity would also be a deal-killer. (The Mac I’m replacing is a 13” 2015 Air, and I wouldn’t be replacing it yet if it weren’t for this gift.)
- I need to be able to see the screen well, and I have age-related vision issues. Hence the 15” instead of the 13” M2 – I can make the text bigger and still see enough on a page, nice and crisp. And I don’t need serious portability anyway; generally, I use it at a desk or on the couch.
- I’m very used to the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and learning something new and switching over all my stuff feels daunting. Even more so if I also have to switch phones and apps. I do already use Gmail instead of Apple Mail, Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, and Google Photos (free) for storage. I wasn’t planning to swap out my iPhone for years (it’s a 12 Mini), but it does have a significant and unfixable problem, so if I’m switching to a Chromebook, I’d consider switching my phone, too.
I worry that there are important Mac advantages that I’m taking for granted as a lifelong Mac user, and that I’d turn out to miss. I don’t know what I don’t know. But then, maybe a Chromebook has advantages I don’t know about, too? I don't love Apple like I used to, when I wouldn't even have considered switching.
So, should I switch to a Chromebook?
- Which one?
- What will I miss if I do?
- Would the things I do now all be supported well enough with a Chromebook?
- Would it be best to switch my phone, too? To what?
- Beyond right-sizing a product & price to fit my needs, are there other advantages I'd gain in switching to a Chromebook?
I'm looking for either of two things here. If there are good reasons to stay with a Mac and not feel like it's wasteful given my uses, that'll be great. Or, if I should switch, being more confident that I'll get what I need from a Chromebook that’s a lot less than $1100 would be great, too -- especially if it comes with some direction about which one and whether I should really trade in my phone, too.
So this isn’t a question I think we can answer. My mom barely drove but loved “high end” luxury cars like Mercedes. There was no logical reason she needed anything but a Camry. There wasn’t a logical list of things you can check off and say it does it the same or better. But she found the one thing real or imagined a Mercedes would do and decide it was needed. Similarly iMessages and Notes are kind of a big deal and almost the only reason to buy into the Mac ecosystem. You wil also find the one app that doesn’t run basically as well as a native app and be frustrated.
I have an unlimited budget essentially and would choose and iPad or high end iPhone as a daily driver. I have no explanation why I have 3 high end laptops and end up using my phone but it’s reality.
posted by geoff. at 4:20 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
I have an unlimited budget essentially and would choose and iPad or high end iPhone as a daily driver. I have no explanation why I have 3 high end laptops and end up using my phone but it’s reality.
posted by geoff. at 4:20 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I bought used a 2017 model Macbook Pro for myself in 2019, and it's still going strong with zero appreciable difference in my usage experience. It hasn't slowed down and gotten laggy. It's still getting updates. I have gotten it serviced for normal (not extortionate) rates at the apple store without any issues.
You'd never get this longevity with a Chromebook. Those things are built to expire after three-ish years, and that doesn't just mean they lose their style or that they stop being "the latest"; it means they actively stop working. They get slow and laggy. You can't get them serviced. They stop getting security patches. They become unusable.
posted by MiraK at 4:49 AM on March 6 [8 favorites]
You'd never get this longevity with a Chromebook. Those things are built to expire after three-ish years, and that doesn't just mean they lose their style or that they stop being "the latest"; it means they actively stop working. They get slow and laggy. You can't get them serviced. They stop getting security patches. They become unusable.
posted by MiraK at 4:49 AM on March 6 [8 favorites]
I’m a lifelong Mac user and don’t see that changing soon, despite Apple’s slow degradation in software quality. But we also got our kids a convertible Chromebook to use for school/homework, and the one thing I really like and envy about it is the touch screen and ability to use it as a tablet. I would definitely go the flip route if considering a Chromebook.
posted by staggernation at 4:56 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
posted by staggernation at 4:56 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It sounds to me like the MacBook Air is the best choice for you, based solely on "It matters to me that Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface. " Chromebooks are...not that. Even the best Chromebook is effectively a web terminal with some OS features bolted on, and if you stray from the Chrome experience even a little they quickly become troublesome.
Combine that with vision issues, and the fact that Mac OS has the best accessibility features in the business, and I think you'll be the happiest with the M2. They are, frankly, amazingly beautiful machines, and maybe the best laptop that Apple has ever made.
posted by griffey at 5:01 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
Combine that with vision issues, and the fact that Mac OS has the best accessibility features in the business, and I think you'll be the happiest with the M2. They are, frankly, amazingly beautiful machines, and maybe the best laptop that Apple has ever made.
posted by griffey at 5:01 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
Best answer: Given the things you list as "deal-killers" (especially longevity), you should absolutely, hands-down get a Mac.
posted by caek at 5:30 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
posted by caek at 5:30 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Chromebooks do not have the longevity or maintain their value.
I'm a Mac user who used Android phones for more than a decade and only switched to iPhone last fall because I wanted an Apple Watch for health reasons. I used to be very anti-Apple and tried three different Chromebooks (Samsung, Asus, and Google) over about 6 years before switching back to a Macbook Air M1.
If I were switching anything, I'd switch from iPhone to Android before I switched my laptop. Android phones are as good or better than iPhones in many ways. Chromebooks are no match for Macbooks if you're factoring in build-quality and longevity. Your $1100 Macbook will unquestionably last longer than your $400 Chromebook.
posted by dobbs at 5:39 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
I'm a Mac user who used Android phones for more than a decade and only switched to iPhone last fall because I wanted an Apple Watch for health reasons. I used to be very anti-Apple and tried three different Chromebooks (Samsung, Asus, and Google) over about 6 years before switching back to a Macbook Air M1.
If I were switching anything, I'd switch from iPhone to Android before I switched my laptop. Android phones are as good or better than iPhones in many ways. Chromebooks are no match for Macbooks if you're factoring in build-quality and longevity. Your $1100 Macbook will unquestionably last longer than your $400 Chromebook.
posted by dobbs at 5:39 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
Here to join the consensus for a MacBook. The quality of life will just be much nicer, even if you don't "need" the extra power, and longevity should also be a lot better. Also note that although Google claims that individual Chromebook models get 6.5 years of support (and they get much more useless much faster once out of support than Apple hardware) the timer runs from the introduction of the model which can result in an unexpectedly short purchase-to-brick timeline.
posted by implied_otter at 5:59 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
posted by implied_otter at 5:59 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It matters to me that Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface. A step down on that front would be a deal-killer.
Consider the deal killed. You absolutely, unequivocally, will not find properly designed, high build quality hardware that meets your standards. The vendors making them not only aren't in the same league, they aren't even playing the same game. Chromebooks, by definition, are not workstation-grade hardware. Macs, by definition, are.
posted by majick at 6:29 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
Consider the deal killed. You absolutely, unequivocally, will not find properly designed, high build quality hardware that meets your standards. The vendors making them not only aren't in the same league, they aren't even playing the same game. Chromebooks, by definition, are not workstation-grade hardware. Macs, by definition, are.
posted by majick at 6:29 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
I've found Lenovo Chromebooks to be well-made (I had one for five years as a 'secondary' laptop), however I echo other comments about Chromebooks being less powerful. They're less powerful by design, but for most standard tasks they're fine and the price point reflects this.
Full disclosure - I have little experience with Macs (not a member of the cult). Ubuntu Linux is running my daily driver laptop.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 6:31 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
Full disclosure - I have little experience with Macs (not a member of the cult). Ubuntu Linux is running my daily driver laptop.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 6:31 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I came the opposite direction that you're considering. I was on an MSRP $600ish (released 2018, bought at $440ish in 2019) touchscreen/convertible Chromebook with surprisingly good but not Mac-level build quality as my primary computer from 2019-2021, with a low-end Android phone. I now use all Apple products, which I typically get either lightly used or refurbished for cost savings.
I would enthusiastically recommend a budget-to-mid-range Chromebook over a Mac to someone who works virtually entirely in Chrome, is more concerned about upfront cost than maintaining high speed over a long period of time, has no particular attachment to the Apple ecosystem, and isn't concerned about being able to take in to a store for repair.
Once any of those factors change, I would be much more hesitant to recommend. There are very specific use cases Chromebooks are good for; however, unless you're sure that will be your use case for the full time you will have the computer, the Mac gives you more power and flexibility.
Chromebooks released in 2019 or later will get 10 years of updates, so the length of time you can safely use a Chromebook is comparable to the likely support life of a Mac; however the Mac will probably run faster for that period of time.
My original gateway into Macs was adopting a heavily-used 2013 MBP in 2021 that, despite a few hardware issues that weren't cost-effective to repair given its age (the battery life was terrible and the 'm' key didn't work, so I stayed plugged in most of the time and scripted the Caps Lock key to output the letter 'm'), was faster and more pleasant to use than my 2018-release Chromebook, plus had the syncing/continuity features with my iPad that were very helpful for productivity. I had adopted it just to be able to help a Mac-using family member with tech support, but ended up making it my primary computer.
So a newer Chromebook, particularly a lower-end model, won't necessarily feel like a performance upgrade over an older Mac now, let alone in 5-10 years.
posted by beryllium at 6:53 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
I would enthusiastically recommend a budget-to-mid-range Chromebook over a Mac to someone who works virtually entirely in Chrome, is more concerned about upfront cost than maintaining high speed over a long period of time, has no particular attachment to the Apple ecosystem, and isn't concerned about being able to take in to a store for repair.
Once any of those factors change, I would be much more hesitant to recommend. There are very specific use cases Chromebooks are good for; however, unless you're sure that will be your use case for the full time you will have the computer, the Mac gives you more power and flexibility.
Chromebooks released in 2019 or later will get 10 years of updates, so the length of time you can safely use a Chromebook is comparable to the likely support life of a Mac; however the Mac will probably run faster for that period of time.
My original gateway into Macs was adopting a heavily-used 2013 MBP in 2021 that, despite a few hardware issues that weren't cost-effective to repair given its age (the battery life was terrible and the 'm' key didn't work, so I stayed plugged in most of the time and scripted the Caps Lock key to output the letter 'm'), was faster and more pleasant to use than my 2018-release Chromebook, plus had the syncing/continuity features with my iPad that were very helpful for productivity. I had adopted it just to be able to help a Mac-using family member with tech support, but ended up making it my primary computer.
So a newer Chromebook, particularly a lower-end model, won't necessarily feel like a performance upgrade over an older Mac now, let alone in 5-10 years.
posted by beryllium at 6:53 AM on March 6 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Nobody has mentioned the one thing that people who switch away from Mac laptops often miss the most: the trackpad. The Mac trackpad is a user experience that, once you are used to it, seems to be impossible to duplicate on Linux, Windows, ChromeOS, or elsewhere. The whole MacBook touchpad being a button, for example, is not something often found successfully implemented elsewhere. The multi-finger gestures that behave a certain way. The location of it, placed just so in relation to the edge of the keyboard and the edge of the laptop. It has a certain unique sensitivity. There's engineering and investment in it that shows.
posted by Mo Nickels at 7:01 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
posted by Mo Nickels at 7:01 AM on March 6 [9 favorites]
Best answer: Stick with a Mac, if only for longevity + your vision issues. But also, Mo Nickels is very right about the trackpad. If you usually use a mouse with your laptops, this won't matter, but if you rely on the trackpad, then an inferior one very quickly becomes a persistent annoyance, and most laptop trackpads are inferior to the Mac laptops' trackpads. That one thing will probably have a huge impact on your quality of life when it comes to computing and the general experience of using the laptop.
posted by yasaman at 7:36 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
posted by yasaman at 7:36 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I'm another person who continues to buy Mac laptops exclusively for the trackpad. The trackpad makes actual "lap" use possible without a mouse and I've never found anything that comes even close on another laptop.
posted by mjcon at 7:39 AM on March 6 [4 favorites]
posted by mjcon at 7:39 AM on March 6 [4 favorites]
These days, I tend to look at it like this:
1) Is there a choice that does the things you want in a way that makes you comfortable and with a minimum of stress?
2) If yes, can you afford that choice?
3) If yes, buy that choice.
It's only really complicated if your answer to 2 or 3 is no.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
1) Is there a choice that does the things you want in a way that makes you comfortable and with a minimum of stress?
2) If yes, can you afford that choice?
3) If yes, buy that choice.
It's only really complicated if your answer to 2 or 3 is no.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Chromebooks are great! They're such different products from Macs. Chromebooks are much much cheaper, you can get very good new machines for $400 or less. The software is very simple. The machines are significantly lower power but plenty for the highly optimized software that they run. They are limited in what they can do but you understand that part pretty well. (Don't overlook the ability to run Android apps; very useful to fill in gaps.) They're also very easy to configure and administer which I find freeing. Being able to Powerwash a Chromebook to reset it is a good thing.
One downside of Chromebooks is that there's a confusing array of choices and things are always going on deep sale. I read this blog to follow the market week by week. Honestly the main things you're selecting for are screen quality and form factor (ie, if it can work like a tablet with touchscreen). CPU and RAM are much less important, anything new labelled "Chromebook" will work OK for basic web use.
If you want a relatively powerful machine get something branded "Chromebook Plus", a relatively new designation. If you want a cheap inexpensive machine with lots of battery life and no fan noise, get anything based on an ARM CPU instead of Intel.
The other thing about a Chromebook is you are buying in to Google's ecosystem. That's quite a change from Macs where you are in Apple's ecosystem. For instance getting a Chromebook got me to switch from using Firefox on my desktop computers to Google Chrome. Firefox barely works at all on a Chromebook and the integration of browser state across computers (my bigger Windows machines) made it easier to use the same browser everywhere. I'm 100% OK with being in Google's ecosystem myself but folks aren't.
Final suggestion: you can get a cheap but working old Chromebook for $150 or less, often still new-in-box. If you're on the fence consider getting one just to try it out. You'll want something newer with a nicer screen and a bit more oomph for everyday use but a 3-5 year old Chromebook is still useful. I keep my old one around as a backup / beater.
posted by Nelson at 8:16 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
One downside of Chromebooks is that there's a confusing array of choices and things are always going on deep sale. I read this blog to follow the market week by week. Honestly the main things you're selecting for are screen quality and form factor (ie, if it can work like a tablet with touchscreen). CPU and RAM are much less important, anything new labelled "Chromebook" will work OK for basic web use.
If you want a relatively powerful machine get something branded "Chromebook Plus", a relatively new designation. If you want a cheap inexpensive machine with lots of battery life and no fan noise, get anything based on an ARM CPU instead of Intel.
The other thing about a Chromebook is you are buying in to Google's ecosystem. That's quite a change from Macs where you are in Apple's ecosystem. For instance getting a Chromebook got me to switch from using Firefox on my desktop computers to Google Chrome. Firefox barely works at all on a Chromebook and the integration of browser state across computers (my bigger Windows machines) made it easier to use the same browser everywhere. I'm 100% OK with being in Google's ecosystem myself but folks aren't.
Final suggestion: you can get a cheap but working old Chromebook for $150 or less, often still new-in-box. If you're on the fence consider getting one just to try it out. You'll want something newer with a nicer screen and a bit more oomph for everyday use but a 3-5 year old Chromebook is still useful. I keep my old one around as a backup / beater.
posted by Nelson at 8:16 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
You're used to the iOS and Mac world. Design and build quality are important to you. Someone else will be paying for it. It's a no-brainer. The Macbook Air having more horsepower than you might need shouldn't deter you from getting one.
You're probably aware that some new models were released yesterday, so prices on the previous models (at least the ones still being sold) have dropped. You might also find a good deal on a refurbished one.
posted by emelenjr at 8:31 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
You're probably aware that some new models were released yesterday, so prices on the previous models (at least the ones still being sold) have dropped. You might also find a good deal on a refurbished one.
posted by emelenjr at 8:31 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
I just switched from Mac to PC for my work computer so here's my perspective. Get the Mac. For the price difference, that's not worth putting yourself through the hell of switching.
A few gripes that are somewhat relevant to you would be:
- Mainly, everything will be arranged differently. You'll constantly need to be googling where to find various settings. Things like volume control, track pad sensitivity, blue tooth settings. Especially if you don't use software a lot - when you do need to use it, the software will be annoyingly different.
- Screenshotting sucks on a PC, compared to the mac, if you do that frequently.
- There is no equivalent to Preview that I can see. I downloaded the free Adobe Reader App until I pay for Actrobat Pro (need for work), and when somebody sends me a PDF that I want to look at, I can't even rotate it 90 degrees if they scanned it wrong. So, extreme PDF viewing limitations. This is likely to apply to things like that microwave manual you downloaded to find out how to stop the beeping.
- Do you use Photos integration at all? (Take a pic on your phone, then upload to Facebook (etc) while surfing on your laptop maybe?). That won't happen on PC unless maybe you switch phone too.
- The PC calendar and contacts programs are awful - but I think you said you use google for that though.
- Your fingers are going to have to adjust to the different keyboard layout. Not something to be underestimated if you're over a certain age, haha. (Command is basically replaced by Control, but they're in different spots). Also, the key spacing might be different and the feel of the keys plasticky compared to mac.
- In Windows 11, which you'll likely get with the new computer, it is impossible (without command line wizardry) to turn off automatic Windows updates. You can delay them by up to a few weeks or schedule them to happen late at night, but you can't just turn them off. So once your hardware gets too outdated to work on the newest update, it will just be bricked - you can't use the old "I just won't update it anymore and it will keep working" trick to keep the aging computer plugging along.
- And finally, Windows literally feeds you ads. I was typing away in Microsoft Word when a (discrete) banner popped up at the top saying "Sign up for fslkfjwekjrr AI Tool for only $2.99/mo with our special deal." I mean, WTF.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:32 AM on March 6
A few gripes that are somewhat relevant to you would be:
- Mainly, everything will be arranged differently. You'll constantly need to be googling where to find various settings. Things like volume control, track pad sensitivity, blue tooth settings. Especially if you don't use software a lot - when you do need to use it, the software will be annoyingly different.
- Screenshotting sucks on a PC, compared to the mac, if you do that frequently.
- There is no equivalent to Preview that I can see. I downloaded the free Adobe Reader App until I pay for Actrobat Pro (need for work), and when somebody sends me a PDF that I want to look at, I can't even rotate it 90 degrees if they scanned it wrong. So, extreme PDF viewing limitations. This is likely to apply to things like that microwave manual you downloaded to find out how to stop the beeping.
- Do you use Photos integration at all? (Take a pic on your phone, then upload to Facebook (etc) while surfing on your laptop maybe?). That won't happen on PC unless maybe you switch phone too.
- The PC calendar and contacts programs are awful - but I think you said you use google for that though.
- Your fingers are going to have to adjust to the different keyboard layout. Not something to be underestimated if you're over a certain age, haha. (Command is basically replaced by Control, but they're in different spots). Also, the key spacing might be different and the feel of the keys plasticky compared to mac.
- In Windows 11, which you'll likely get with the new computer, it is impossible (without command line wizardry) to turn off automatic Windows updates. You can delay them by up to a few weeks or schedule them to happen late at night, but you can't just turn them off. So once your hardware gets too outdated to work on the newest update, it will just be bricked - you can't use the old "I just won't update it anymore and it will keep working" trick to keep the aging computer plugging along.
- And finally, Windows literally feeds you ads. I was typing away in Microsoft Word when a (discrete) banner popped up at the top saying "Sign up for fslkfjwekjrr AI Tool for only $2.99/mo with our special deal." I mean, WTF.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:32 AM on March 6
I don't use Macs because I'm not going to embrace the Apple/Mac ecosystem, and I'm happy with options on pcs. Macs are well built, last, and have excellent battery life. I have a tablet - Chrome-based. A Chromebook will not offer the experience you enjoy on a Mac and will not last as long. If you want to be a little frugal with Mom's generous gift, a refurb will be an excellent choice; Apple makes sure that refurbished devices are in excellent condition.
posted by theora55 at 8:56 AM on March 6
posted by theora55 at 8:56 AM on March 6
Just chiming in to say: I have a macbook as my personal laptop, but I am not otherwise in the apple ecosystem. My phone is an android, my browser is Firefox, my spreadsheets and documents are on MS Office and Adobe (which my employer pays for actually), etc.
Laptops are less restrictive than Chromebooks in this regard. With a Chromebook you really would be married to one ecosystem, but things are a lot more flexible if you choose a windows or apple laptop.
posted by MiraK at 9:36 AM on March 6
Laptops are less restrictive than Chromebooks in this regard. With a Chromebook you really would be married to one ecosystem, but things are a lot more flexible if you choose a windows or apple laptop.
posted by MiraK at 9:36 AM on March 6
Response by poster: Ok, this follow-up is so late in the thread that I should probably post it as a separate question, but I'll try it here first...
Many years from now, when Apple stops supporting the 15" M2 (which they were selling up until two days ago), will they stop supporting the 15" M3 (which they started selling two days ago) at the same time? Or will the M3 have a couple more years of runway left? Is that a marketing decision, or is there some aspect of the tech that drives when Apple stops support? If the latter, is that aspect of the tech shared or different between the M2 and M3?
$200 separate the 15" M2 and M3 right now, and if I wait for the first sale on M3s, that'll be even less. If you've talked me into sticking with Mac -- and I'm 90% sure you have -- then maybe I should hold off and go for the M3, if it'll last longer. Its other benefits won't matter to me, I think -- it's just even more of the power I already won't make full use of, and otherwise very close to matching feature-for-feature.
Thank you so much for all the hugely helpful input so far -- I'll respond more specifically with my takeaways etc. in the next day or so.
posted by daisyace at 10:34 AM on March 6
Many years from now, when Apple stops supporting the 15" M2 (which they were selling up until two days ago), will they stop supporting the 15" M3 (which they started selling two days ago) at the same time? Or will the M3 have a couple more years of runway left? Is that a marketing decision, or is there some aspect of the tech that drives when Apple stops support? If the latter, is that aspect of the tech shared or different between the M2 and M3?
$200 separate the 15" M2 and M3 right now, and if I wait for the first sale on M3s, that'll be even less. If you've talked me into sticking with Mac -- and I'm 90% sure you have -- then maybe I should hold off and go for the M3, if it'll last longer. Its other benefits won't matter to me, I think -- it's just even more of the power I already won't make full use of, and otherwise very close to matching feature-for-feature.
Thank you so much for all the hugely helpful input so far -- I'll respond more specifically with my takeaways etc. in the next day or so.
posted by daisyace at 10:34 AM on March 6
Best answer: when Apple stops supporting the 15" M2 (which they were selling up until two days ago), will they stop supporting the 15" M3 (which they started selling two days ago) at the same time?
Unfortunately this isn't known in advance: unlike Google or Microsoft, Apple does not currently announce at release time how many years they plan to support a Mac. Historically, they have provided 5-8 years of MacOS updates and then another two years of security updates from date of original release, but they haven't made any promises about the exact support time for recent models. (I don't expect it to be shorter than in the past, however, given the trend in the industry is toward increasing support times.)
In recent years Apple has been dropping support for multiple years' Mac models at a time, sometimes without a clear hardware rationale. However, this is likely because of wanting to phase out support relatively quickly for older Intel Macs (and, yes, a marketing decision). It's possible and maybe even likely that the M3 Macs will be supported longer than the M2 Macs, but impossible to predict right now.
then maybe I should hold off and go for the M3, if it'll last longer
If you're happy with your current Mac and want to hold off a bit, there's no harm to waiting longer to see if you can get a better price on either the 15" M2 or the 15" M3. (Of course, if you need a new computer now, that's a good reason to get one sooner, though!)
Macs that are refurbished by Apple are functionally equivalent to new Macs (a far cry from the heavily-used Mac I talked about upthread), and 15" M2 Airs should be available through the Refurbished store for years to come, so you won't lose the option of getting an M2 if that's what you decide on. (They can pop in and out of stock, but you can use Refurb Tracker to get alerted when your preferred model comes back available.)
If you wait a few months you may see 15" M3 Airs pop up in the Apple Refurbished store as well, in addition to any other sales from third-party vendors - it typically only takes a few months for refurbs to become available. Prices in the Refurb Store also only ever go down.
posted by beryllium at 11:55 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately this isn't known in advance: unlike Google or Microsoft, Apple does not currently announce at release time how many years they plan to support a Mac. Historically, they have provided 5-8 years of MacOS updates and then another two years of security updates from date of original release, but they haven't made any promises about the exact support time for recent models. (I don't expect it to be shorter than in the past, however, given the trend in the industry is toward increasing support times.)
In recent years Apple has been dropping support for multiple years' Mac models at a time, sometimes without a clear hardware rationale. However, this is likely because of wanting to phase out support relatively quickly for older Intel Macs (and, yes, a marketing decision). It's possible and maybe even likely that the M3 Macs will be supported longer than the M2 Macs, but impossible to predict right now.
then maybe I should hold off and go for the M3, if it'll last longer
If you're happy with your current Mac and want to hold off a bit, there's no harm to waiting longer to see if you can get a better price on either the 15" M2 or the 15" M3. (Of course, if you need a new computer now, that's a good reason to get one sooner, though!)
Macs that are refurbished by Apple are functionally equivalent to new Macs (a far cry from the heavily-used Mac I talked about upthread), and 15" M2 Airs should be available through the Refurbished store for years to come, so you won't lose the option of getting an M2 if that's what you decide on. (They can pop in and out of stock, but you can use Refurb Tracker to get alerted when your preferred model comes back available.)
If you wait a few months you may see 15" M3 Airs pop up in the Apple Refurbished store as well, in addition to any other sales from third-party vendors - it typically only takes a few months for refurbs to become available. Prices in the Refurb Store also only ever go down.
posted by beryllium at 11:55 AM on March 6 [1 favorite]
Macs that are refurbished by Apple are functionally equivalent to new Macs…
And carry the same warranty as a new Mac.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:13 PM on March 6 [2 favorites]
And carry the same warranty as a new Mac.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:13 PM on March 6 [2 favorites]
Given your parameters, I would definitely go for the Mac. I have a similar experience to others in having bought a MacBook Air in 2014 and it's still the best computer I've ever owned. I have replaced the battery once ($280 AUD) but that's the only time it's ever needed any sort of attention. I'm absolutely convinced it's better value than the alternatives, if only because of the longevity that you just won't get with a ChromeBook.
I also love the trackpad setup and this is the first laptop I've owned where I've never felt the need for a mouse.
But, really, it's the 'Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface' part that gets me. I'm absolutely over the moon to be using a device that just works and feels nice to use. Every single time. For 10 years and counting.
posted by dg at 5:19 PM on March 6
I also love the trackpad setup and this is the first laptop I've owned where I've never felt the need for a mouse.
But, really, it's the 'Macs are beautiful, solid machines with carefully designed hardware and user interface' part that gets me. I'm absolutely over the moon to be using a device that just works and feels nice to use. Every single time. For 10 years and counting.
posted by dg at 5:19 PM on March 6
I'm no fan of either, but get the mac.
posted by falsedmitri at 5:36 PM on March 6
posted by falsedmitri at 5:36 PM on March 6
Best answer: I am a lifelong avid Mac user*. I recently bought the 13” M2 MacBook Air and am frankly blown away by the performance and build quality of this machine especially compared to even the most recent version of the MacBook Air.
when I worked refurbishing computers that had been donated to an organization that refurbishes them and provides them to folks who need them, we considered chrome books the worst of the worst. They were essentially useless ewaste within three years of introduction.
* i’ve worked as an Apple authorized service provider repairing and refurbishing Macs for over a decade at a couple of different organizations.
posted by hollisimo at 6:04 PM on March 6 [1 favorite]
when I worked refurbishing computers that had been donated to an organization that refurbishes them and provides them to folks who need them, we considered chrome books the worst of the worst. They were essentially useless ewaste within three years of introduction.
* i’ve worked as an Apple authorized service provider repairing and refurbishing Macs for over a decade at a couple of different organizations.
posted by hollisimo at 6:04 PM on March 6 [1 favorite]
I'm afraid I've bought into the mac ecosystem, I've got 2 mac minis (the one I'm using to read this post on is my TV box, an older intlel model that's passed it's obsolescence date, but is great as my entertainment system. When an even older mac pro had suicided on me a couple of years ago, I was thinking about another refurb and happened to be in the local costco who had an incredible deal on the M1 (new at the time) mac mini. I jumped on it and have been very happy. In addition, I have a iphone 13 mini (I want a phone that fits in my pocket) and an apple watch because my boss didn't want me looking at my phone when it buzzed (a compromise instead of banning personal electronics) I've also owned multiple ipads and ipods (yes, I'm an old). I currently have a small chromebook tablet, that has become my bedside reader. I like it and it seems to have lots of life in it, even though it's a few years old. My next tablet though, may be a microsoft surface. I just want a great tablet, but have been unhappy with the browsing experience on the ipad.
Hold out for the M3 I don't think the monetary difference is big enough for you to get less than the most recent.
posted by evilDoug at 8:50 PM on March 6
Hold out for the M3 I don't think the monetary difference is big enough for you to get less than the most recent.
posted by evilDoug at 8:50 PM on March 6
Best answer: I think that if you read reviews and comparison shop you can find a really nice Chromebook with a good trackpad, etc.
To me, the question is: how annoying is it for you to switch computers, possibly at an unexpected moment? Something will break, either hardware or software, in 1-7 years but probably about 3. You could luck out and get a Chromebook that lasts, but it’s likely you won’t.
Often, it’s a driver issue. ChromeOS automatically updates and something quits working. Maybe the manufacturer quit testing their trackpad driver on that machine, and now you can’t type without accidental thumb clicks. Or the function key mapping that lets you control volume, brightness, etc no longer works. Or the power management screws up, so it won’t go to sleep anymore.
the Chromebooks are less expensive. They’re probably less expensive overall, even over the next decade. And if you just do web stuff and document work, they can be great. But they aren’t reliable in the way the Mac is.
posted by Headfullofair at 9:14 PM on March 7
To me, the question is: how annoying is it for you to switch computers, possibly at an unexpected moment? Something will break, either hardware or software, in 1-7 years but probably about 3. You could luck out and get a Chromebook that lasts, but it’s likely you won’t.
Often, it’s a driver issue. ChromeOS automatically updates and something quits working. Maybe the manufacturer quit testing their trackpad driver on that machine, and now you can’t type without accidental thumb clicks. Or the function key mapping that lets you control volume, brightness, etc no longer works. Or the power management screws up, so it won’t go to sleep anymore.
the Chromebooks are less expensive. They’re probably less expensive overall, even over the next decade. And if you just do web stuff and document work, they can be great. But they aren’t reliable in the way the Mac is.
posted by Headfullofair at 9:14 PM on March 7
Response by poster: Thank you very much, everybody! This really helped me feel better about going with a Mac even though I won't demand as much of it as it could deliver. And then, Best Buy lowered the M2 by another $100 and credited me when I asked, which made it even better. That also widened the gap enough that I feel better about not waiting and getting the M3 instead. It even made the new M2 less than the refurb price -- Before, the refurb was $80 less. I have gone the refurb route before and agree it's usually a great way to save a little, but not for only an $80 difference compared to new. Although I do think that a lot of those refurbs right now probably ARE the new M2s that they just stopped selling. Anyway, now the refurbs cost more than new.
I had seen that Google stepped up to 10 years before retiring Chromebook models, but it sounds like other factors might well keep them from being useful for that long. Even if the other issues (e.g., trackpad -- I didn't know!) are addressable via choosing carefully, that longevity factor alone is pretty convincing. Add in visual accessibility and the hassle of making the switch, and it's even clearer. It'll be the first Mac I'm getting in my no-longer-enchanted-with-Apple phase. But it sounds like it's still a reasonable choice for me even now that I'm not emotionally tugged to it. I appreciate the help!
posted by daisyace at 2:12 PM on March 8
I had seen that Google stepped up to 10 years before retiring Chromebook models, but it sounds like other factors might well keep them from being useful for that long. Even if the other issues (e.g., trackpad -- I didn't know!) are addressable via choosing carefully, that longevity factor alone is pretty convincing. Add in visual accessibility and the hassle of making the switch, and it's even clearer. It'll be the first Mac I'm getting in my no-longer-enchanted-with-Apple phase. But it sounds like it's still a reasonable choice for me even now that I'm not emotionally tugged to it. I appreciate the help!
posted by daisyace at 2:12 PM on March 8
I would miss the seamless coordination of my iPhone's Messages and Notes with the Mac's.
- I don't purposely use iCloud. I'm not sure what use I might be making of the free level without knowing it.
iCloud delivers the seamless coordination of your iPhone's Messages and Notes with the Mac.
posted by sudama at 12:07 PM on March 11
- I don't purposely use iCloud. I'm not sure what use I might be making of the free level without knowing it.
iCloud delivers the seamless coordination of your iPhone's Messages and Notes with the Mac.
posted by sudama at 12:07 PM on March 11
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posted by azpenguin at 4:14 AM on March 6 [3 favorites]