Buying a new laptop

[MollyMalone]

BestBuy and Apple stores should have at least a couple of the Logitech keyboard-case/cover models for you to audition (I like the "touch" of my Logitech better than the Lenova laptop keyboard or Apple's own compact wireless keyboard that came with my iMac & which I replaced with a full sized Logitech keyboard).

The reason I'm not suggesting that you promptly order one of these from Amazon (which probably has the best prices, although I think BB will, price match) is because it looks as if Amazon's standard return policy doesn't apply to computer/tablet-related products?

P.S. I also got a small Logitech wireless mouse to complete the iPad ensemble, but I almost never use it. YMMV

 

[MollyMalone]

BestBuy and Apple stores should have at least a couple of the Logitech keyboard-case/cover models for you to audition (I like the "touch" of my Logitech better than the Lenova laptop keyboard or Apple's own compact wireless keyboard that came with my iMac & which I replaced with a full sized Logitech keyboard).

The reason I'm not suggesting that you promptly order one of these from Amazon (which probably has the best prices, although I think BB will, price match) is because it looks as if Amazon's standard return policy doesn't apply to computer/tablet-related products?

P.S. I also got a small Logitech wireless mouse to complete the iPad ensemble, but I almost never use it. YMMV

 

[packrat]

Thoughts on buying refurbished from elsewhere other than the Apple Store? I'm leery of it-my dad sent me a link to a place called macofalltrades that sells refurbished Macs.

 

[aljdewey]

Packie, I've used an iPad with the Logitech case keyboard, and it's fabulous. Couldn't recommend it more highly IF what you want is a mobile device experience.

Honestly, I will say that I still moved to the MacBook Air for a few reasons. iPad functions like a mobile device and therefore tries to boot you to the "mobile device" version of websites you visit - which annoys me personally. Yes, you can still get to the 'traditional" version by going in through Safari, but it's a PIA to always been prompted to download more apps to do the "mobile" version of a website.

Also, I'd say the iPad tends to still be a mainly entertainment-focused device, which I found to be a bit less robust when I wanted to do a little more than emails or troll the net. YMMV, of course, but for me, the MacBook Air gave me much more of what I wanted.

 

[aljdewey]

Thoughts on buying refurbished from elsewhere other than the Apple Store? I'm leery of it-my dad sent me a link to a place called macofalltrades that sells refurbished Macs.

I don't have experience with off-brand refurb sites, but I'll tell you the reason I selected to do the refurb directly through Apple was the warranty. Apple's refurb units come with the same warranty as new devices, and that was a big feature for me since the Macbook Air wasn't a small purchase. I wanted some assurance it would perform as expected, and I felt confident in that warranty.

(By the way, 18 months in and not a single issue with the refurb unit from Apple, so score there.)

 

[msop04]

I'm currently in the market for a new iPad… i'm almost positive I'm going to buy refurbished one from Apple, so that I can get the warranty. I'm glad I read this thread, because I really want to get the keyboard for it as well. [emoji1360]

 

[MollyMalone]

I'll call my brother -- who is a Mac maven, runs Mac workshops as a hobby, even though one of his managerial responsibilities is overseeing the operations of the non-Mac systems in his office -- tomorrow night & ask what suggestions/observations he might have.

 

[packrat]

That would be great, Molly, thanks! I still haven't had time to really look at anything, other than scroll thru the available refurbished iPads and Air's on the website.

 

[tonysgeko]

Packrat, check this out http://slickdeals.net/f/8702647-app...1199-99-512gb-for-1499-99-fs-prime-amazon?v=1
I will try to tell you my experiences abridged version, with android and ipad tablet.

The android tablet crashed many times, maybe because i purchased a cheap brand. It would lose the wifi signal and when watching youtube would lag. It had 8gb of memory which filled up quickly and had to delete apps. The charger cord eventually broke. Ok, one night i plugged the android tablet to charge and by next morning the battery exploded, that was last straw.

My sister gave me an ipad 2 for xmas and although it has its quirks, like not all apps which are available on android can be found on apple's app store unless you attempt to jailbreak it, which i haven't. Or when using the safari browser some websites don't display properly. Sometimes apps do freeze or won't load but it's easily fixable by deleting and reloading the app or when the developer issues an update to fix the issue. I no longer worry about losing wifi signal, nor video lags. It came with a carrying case and rechargeable keyboard, but i don't use it. I lost the stylus too.

The ipad i have has 16 gb memory and i use it to check email,play games, watch movies, browse web, listen to music, as an alarm, as a phone, as a remote control, to do online banking when at home and not on public wifi hotspots. That was 3 yrs ago and the ipad is still going strong even after being dropped a couple of times.

Hope this helps.