Comments you leave on this blog are ALWAYS read, ALWAYS appreciated, and if a question is asked, I really want to answer it. The last post brought up a couple of things that need a response.
In a comment last post, Marrianna had this to say:
Jessica – would you write about your purchasing a new MacBookAire instead of a MacBook Pro. I sure would appreciate anything that was part of your decision for one laptop over the other.
Thanks, Marrianna
And I have been asked before, so I will share how I made my latest decision.
Apple Maven that I am, I probably buy too much technology.
I have worked for the last five years on a MacBook Pro 15 inch laptop and I have loved that laptop. And it is still going strong. And it is heavy and awkward.
But you know how it is . . . older computers can’t deal well with the newer systems. Newer browsers and software versions don’t deal well with the older systems or software. So, you get caught between a rock and a hard place.
I can upgrade the system on my old Macbook Pro, but when I did that with my old MacMini desktop of the same generation,, everything slowed to a snail’s pace – even opening folders on the desktop.
I also have some very old and beloved software which would not stand a chance of running on Yosemite, El Capitan, or any other amazing California landmark.
So, I had to do something. I don’t want to slow to a snail’s pace.
I, myself, am not a spring chicken (which never really sounded like a good thing to be on the food chain anyway), and I want a whole new set of *conveniences* in my life.
In generations past, at my age, I would have donned an apron, dyed my curls blue (instead of back to my natural color), baked an apple pie, and looked for somebody to call me Grandma. However, that just doesn’t fit. AND, I never had kids, so the grandma thing was not hopeful.
Hillary Clinton is about my age and look what she is trying to do. I think about that every day. (PLEASE don’t take this as some kind of challenge for a political argument – it is a celebration of womankind and how we think about age in this day. AND, it is something to motivate the hell out of you if you are over 60). That being said, if I had her schedule, I would have crossed the rainbow bridge by now, not just be WALKING (running) around with pneumonia.
So, I am not going to buy the new magazines on the rack about iPad Training for Seniors, but I had big decisions to make about a new laptop.
I want CONVENIENCE (and light weight if possible).
My sister (10 years younger, but much wiser) has a MacBook Air and I have been watching her just “having it” at hand for awhile. It has a smaller display than I am used to (let’s not even talk about reading glasses) but it is so lightweight that you could lift it up to your nose if you had to.
I want to have my technology as easy and close by as my paintbrushes.
I want everything in one place so there is no effort when I want to talk to you, posting my thoughts and my art, and being one of the few online champions of women of wisdom.
You can read that as “women of age” if you want. The creative web is full of the 30 and 40 something moms with young kids looking for themselves, looking for their creative authenticity with all the poetic angst of such quests and such youth, and often, looking for those kids as well! We did that, we’ve been there, or we chose not to be there in the case of having children..
How I digress. I have a great love of the moment, of living stress-free – as much in a garden as possible – and so I bought a MacBook Air – and I love it.
It makes life easier.
And that’s a GOOD thing.
Hi Jessica! I too have a 15″ MacBook Pro, it’s now 8 years old. I love the big screen but have run into the old system not playing well with the new systems thing. I finally dove in and got a MacBook Air for the same reasons you did–light weight, very portable, only slightly heavier than my iPad 2. I am so glad I did it. I’m loving it, it sits on top of the MacBook Pro which I have not yet given up! Would like to know what you did with yours? Is it something that could be donated as a useful item to the right charity?
But what are the differences? Actually I am enjoying my Ipad and only wanted a Mac of some sort to hold my pics from Arizona and to use a USB if necessary. I just found out there are USB’s for the lightning port on my Ipad. I should be getting my 64gb drive any day now! I don’t know what else I need to worry about getting a computer for. I’d like to know why I might want to have a computer in addition to my Ipad (storage is not a problem – I have 214gb still available). I have the Apple keyboard cover so it acts like a computer. What am I missing? I know one of my granddaughters is loving my older Ipad and isn’t using her old computer except for when she’s watching a movie on the Ipad and still has to write a paper for college lol; my other granddaughter insists she wants a mac instead of an Ipad. I’m kind of lost as to these differences.
And about HIllary – you are so right about yay, go older woman and break barriers! It’s good for all of us! And I’d be crossing that rainbow bridge too if I tried to keep up with her. From what I understand, she is always working doing fundraising for other democrats at the same time as campaigning for her run. The last I heard Trump insists on a few days off each week; I don’t know if that is still true now we are past the primaries. It’s hard to be on the go so much!
Timely article as I have need to replace my laptop and have been debating between the pro and the air. Like the idea of a retina display and more power and memory, but light weight is always good. Already have a decent desktop, iPad mini and iPhone. Yes, I am geeky…..Does your Air have enough juice to run photoshop elements? How much flash memory did you get?
I loved your comments about older women.
Wow – fun comments!
Deb, I am keeping my MacBook Pro because I have some old software on there that still works fine.But if you are not going to use it, I think it would make a great gift for someone.
Timaree – you bring up a great question. By the sounds of it, you do NOT need a laptop or desktop. I debated that myself because along with my desktop (a new Mac Mini), I have my iPad AND a 12″ IPad Pro with keyboard – both with max storage. I will be talking about the iPad Pro in a future post.
So, why do I need a laptop? Because I design and write books using the old version of Pages (not the word processing version, and because I use Photoshop regularly and there is no app replacement. Adobe’s apps are lame in my opinion. I cannot sit long at the desktop without some serious ouches, so to do the work mentioned above and to do my bookkeeping and taxes, I still need a laptop. But it doesn’t sound like you do.
Nan, my air is monster powerful – runs Photoshop with no problem. I got the 256 Gig, knowing that I can have all the storage I want with SD Memory Cards because the Air has a card slot (and 2 USB slots.
The only drawback is screen size and resolution (I am used to Retina), but you have to pay somewhere for the incredible lightness of being.
Dora – thank you. I think we older women are great and a force to be reckoned with!
Thanks for all the details. I have a MacBookPro that still works very well. When I updated the IOS El Capitan, I was amazed that the laptop to run faster. Since I hardly travel right now, my laptop is fine foe now. When you write about the iPad Pro, would you share how you use the Apple Pencil, please? I don’t know how or when to use it. Thanks so much.
Marrianna
Thanks for the information. I hope to retire in a couple of years and plan on updating to Apple something from my Mac Book Pro that I bought several years ago. I have the Ipad Pro and the Apple pencil. a great app to try with them is Amaziograph. Oh, what a rabbit hole it is, but so fun!!! Basically you can make mandelas, etc with a quick swipe of the pencil.
You go girl!!! From another 60+, no children, and at times happy as if 16.
Not a MAC person, but I did get one of the little lightweight tablet thingies. Loving it so far. Still use the laptop for some things. Still use my desktop for Photoshop.
I am now about to get my first cell phone. LOL
You’re right Jessica! I have decided that keeping the 15″ is the way to go. Sometimes I just want to work on a larger screen and I have photo shop and Bamboo on there