Back in December, a few weeks before Christmas, I bought myself a previous generation 15" MacBook Pro. This MacBook pro is outfitted with the 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4770HQ processor clocked @ 2.2GHz, 16GB of DDR3 1600 memory and a wicked fast 250GB PCIe SSD. I really didn't want a new MBP with the touch bar as they (Apple):
- got rid of MagSafe (why??!?!?!?! I LOVE the concept of MagSafe)
- only USB C ports, no conventional USB ports
- no SD card slot
- USB C charger/AC Adapter (uhhh)
I came to the conclusion that I wanted a Mac after the following thoughts:
- I support, administer and implement Windows environments for a living
- Using a different OS would be a "refreshing" and enjoyable experience when coming home
- Continuity between iOS devices would be enjoyable
- Wanted to begin some Illustrator and Photoshop work for some light web design
- Become a better macOS user
My Dell Latitude E6410, while a good machine, was starting to show its age even with a relatively fresh SanDisk X400 256GB SSD, 8GB of DDR3 memory and a fresh installation of Windows 10 - the first generation Intel Core i5 520M was really working hard. With wanting a new machine, and having those thoughts, I came to the decision of "yep it's time to buy a Mac". I was at one point really convinced that I wanted to build another gaming desktop, but truth be told -- I am getting to the point where I'd rather spend my time with my family, friends, working on my project car, looking for houses, etc.
Hardware: While initially being concerned that I was buying old hardware (which I essentially am) that would perform with some mediocrity, I came to realize how well macOS runs on this platform. I do not notice any worse performance than brand new Intel Skylake or Kaby Lake HP EliteBooks I am rolling out at work. The 4770HQ has plenty of horsepower to cut through a multitude of tasks that I throw at it. The Intel Iris Pro graphics does excellent with Illustrator and HD multimedia. When Bootcamping into Windows 10, I am able to play a lot of my favorite video games. Team Fortress 2 plays at an excellent 60fps, GTA V gets a respectable (for an onboard GPU) 35fps. This isn't no full blown gaming rig, but for what it is, it'll satisfy my gaming needs every few months for an hour or so.
Aesthetically, the device is very pleasing. Excellent keyboard - backlit is nice. Screen, quite possibly the best display panel I've ever looked at. Light years ahead of my 27" ASUS IPS, and I though that screen was excellent. The trackpad is great, no physical "click", but a simulated audible "click" noise and there is taptic vibration feedback. It is tough to tell the difference between that and a regular trackpad.
Software: I am absolutely in love with being able to send and receive iMessages and SMS messages from the Messages app on my Mac. This is something I do not know if I'll be able to go without. There are so many times where I am looking up parts, working on projects, etc. and trying to have a conversation with some friends. This really keeps your focus on the computer. The scrolling direction vs. a Windows/Linux PC is reversed. After using macOS's direction for a while, you'll feel almost lost when trying to use a PC. It is as if the scrolling direction being reversed makes more sense.
I still use Chrome on the Mac, not a huge Safai fan. I have just about every one of my applications on macOS. Spotify, Quicken, Office 2016, Photoshop, Illustrator, UltraEdit, VMware Fusion. Anything else, I can load up a VM of Windows for - I actually used the VMware P2V (physical to virtual) converter and made a complete VM of my Latitude and load that whenever I need Windows. It's really great... its as if the Latitude lives on forever. It is super handy when you've worked with a machine for a couple of years and just have so many little applications or documents that you may need at some point.
I strongly think the Dell/SonicWall Mobile Connect app for macOS is way better than the SonicWall NetExtender for PC. That, and Microsoft RDP work great.
Peripherals: I bought an Apple USB keyboard with number pad and a Mighty Mouse 2. The keyboard is good, the mouse is excellent. Just works flawlessly, is responsive and does everything as promised. I also bought a Henge Docks vertical dock. My MacBook Pro normally sits in this dock and I use my 20" ASUS IPS as a display panel over HDMI. My USB Canon color inkjet and Samsung M2070 laser printers work well. My new QNAP NAS performs well over SMB (have yet to enable AFP and setup TIme Machine).
To sum this up, I am really enjoying this machine. You of course to pay a considerable amount more than a spec-for-spec Windows PC. There is a premium paid. However, with how well the OS integrates with the iPhone and different apps work -- I think the cost is justified. I have no doubts that I'll eventually purchase another one when this one has many hours and years under it's belt.
- got rid of MagSafe (why??!?!?!?! I LOVE the concept of MagSafe)
- only USB C ports, no conventional USB ports
- no SD card slot
- USB C charger/AC Adapter (uhhh)
I came to the conclusion that I wanted a Mac after the following thoughts:
- I support, administer and implement Windows environments for a living
- Using a different OS would be a "refreshing" and enjoyable experience when coming home
- Continuity between iOS devices would be enjoyable
- Wanted to begin some Illustrator and Photoshop work for some light web design
- Become a better macOS user
My Dell Latitude E6410, while a good machine, was starting to show its age even with a relatively fresh SanDisk X400 256GB SSD, 8GB of DDR3 memory and a fresh installation of Windows 10 - the first generation Intel Core i5 520M was really working hard. With wanting a new machine, and having those thoughts, I came to the decision of "yep it's time to buy a Mac". I was at one point really convinced that I wanted to build another gaming desktop, but truth be told -- I am getting to the point where I'd rather spend my time with my family, friends, working on my project car, looking for houses, etc.
Hardware: While initially being concerned that I was buying old hardware (which I essentially am) that would perform with some mediocrity, I came to realize how well macOS runs on this platform. I do not notice any worse performance than brand new Intel Skylake or Kaby Lake HP EliteBooks I am rolling out at work. The 4770HQ has plenty of horsepower to cut through a multitude of tasks that I throw at it. The Intel Iris Pro graphics does excellent with Illustrator and HD multimedia. When Bootcamping into Windows 10, I am able to play a lot of my favorite video games. Team Fortress 2 plays at an excellent 60fps, GTA V gets a respectable (for an onboard GPU) 35fps. This isn't no full blown gaming rig, but for what it is, it'll satisfy my gaming needs every few months for an hour or so.
Aesthetically, the device is very pleasing. Excellent keyboard - backlit is nice. Screen, quite possibly the best display panel I've ever looked at. Light years ahead of my 27" ASUS IPS, and I though that screen was excellent. The trackpad is great, no physical "click", but a simulated audible "click" noise and there is taptic vibration feedback. It is tough to tell the difference between that and a regular trackpad.
Software: I am absolutely in love with being able to send and receive iMessages and SMS messages from the Messages app on my Mac. This is something I do not know if I'll be able to go without. There are so many times where I am looking up parts, working on projects, etc. and trying to have a conversation with some friends. This really keeps your focus on the computer. The scrolling direction vs. a Windows/Linux PC is reversed. After using macOS's direction for a while, you'll feel almost lost when trying to use a PC. It is as if the scrolling direction being reversed makes more sense.
I still use Chrome on the Mac, not a huge Safai fan. I have just about every one of my applications on macOS. Spotify, Quicken, Office 2016, Photoshop, Illustrator, UltraEdit, VMware Fusion. Anything else, I can load up a VM of Windows for - I actually used the VMware P2V (physical to virtual) converter and made a complete VM of my Latitude and load that whenever I need Windows. It's really great... its as if the Latitude lives on forever. It is super handy when you've worked with a machine for a couple of years and just have so many little applications or documents that you may need at some point.
I strongly think the Dell/SonicWall Mobile Connect app for macOS is way better than the SonicWall NetExtender for PC. That, and Microsoft RDP work great.
Peripherals: I bought an Apple USB keyboard with number pad and a Mighty Mouse 2. The keyboard is good, the mouse is excellent. Just works flawlessly, is responsive and does everything as promised. I also bought a Henge Docks vertical dock. My MacBook Pro normally sits in this dock and I use my 20" ASUS IPS as a display panel over HDMI. My USB Canon color inkjet and Samsung M2070 laser printers work well. My new QNAP NAS performs well over SMB (have yet to enable AFP and setup TIme Machine).
To sum this up, I am really enjoying this machine. You of course to pay a considerable amount more than a spec-for-spec Windows PC. There is a premium paid. However, with how well the OS integrates with the iPhone and different apps work -- I think the cost is justified. I have no doubts that I'll eventually purchase another one when this one has many hours and years under it's belt.