"Should I Get a Mac?" - Answered

Yes! I get to practice my Apple Store skills on you now

You know I've always wanted to work at the Apple store (what a beautiful aspiration), so I can pseudo-simulate that and help you guys out right here! So let's get to it.

After using Mac for almost 7 years, I can tell you if you're any sort of graphic designer, application programmer, web developer, musician, video editor, photographer or writer (even an aimless one like me) - it's for sure worth giving it a shot.

If you have an Apple store, Best Buy or friend with a MacBook - try a Mac out! See what you like about the OS. It's a lot like the iPhone or iPad if you have one, nearly identical actually.

Apps like iMessage, FaceTime, iBooks and the App store really separate Apple - you can also take phone calls and reply to text messages straight from your Mac.

If you're a video editor, Final Cut Pro X is one of the top creative applications available, along with Logic Pro X for music.


The MacBook Air now starts at $899 and is a fantastic travel ultrabook (super slim and super lightweight laptop) for work/school or airplane commuters.

The new MacBook is Apple's latest edition to the Mac line-up and is slightly slimmer and more lightweight than any other Mac; it starts at $1299, but that's mostly because it sports a super high-res Retina display.

In my personal opinion, even though the display is beautiful - it's not so much necessary on a 12" display.

It's not like you'll be Photoshopping on a computer with a low-powered M processor anyway. It's more as a secondary machine for travel if you have a workstation already and need it for collaborating out of town, (in which case you may prefer the MacBook Air 11" as it's faster and $400 less.)

Next up is the popular MacBook Pro. They also start at $1299 with a Retina display, configurable with a Quad-core core i7, 16 GB RAM and dual graphics on the 15" starting at $1999.

Those are the laptops, time for the desktops.

I'm gonna do a really quick personal review here - I have four Macs in my house: two MacBook Airs, a MacBook Pro and an iMac. So after using all, I'd readily recommend the 13" MacBook Air or MacBook Pro for most first-time users.

But for the seriously at-home creative users, you can't go wrong with the iMac. The 21.5" and 27" versions are very slim with vivid Retina displays (4k and 5k respectively), Quad-core i7 processors, dedicated AMD graphics, 1 TB/configurable SSD options, up to 16 GB or 32 GB RAM, and an HD FaceTime webcam.

They start at $1099 to $1499 for the 21.5" and from $1799 to $2299 for the 27" model.

The verdict is this - if you're bent on getting a Mac and need portability, go for either MacBook Air depending on what screen size you prefer. If you want a full-featured Mac, go for the 13" MacBook pro; and if you hardly ever leave the house or already have a laptop/tablet (the lines are getting blurry these days), then definitely go for the iMac.

There are two Mac models I didn't mention - the Mac mini and the Mac Pro; as polar opposites, the Mac mini starting at $499, (you need a monitor, keyboard and mouse though, as it's a mini desktop computer,) is a great entry-level Mac for those who want to run a few Mac apps here and there, without necessarily needing a Mac laptop - while the Mac Pro is for, well pros, (professional video editors and music producers, mostly.)

The Mac I actually use is the MacBook Air, as it only weighs two pounds and I take my Mac everywhere from around the house, to the library or on the plane; I use it mostly for writing, digital art, recording - even playing games, Photoshopping and video editing.

You don't have professional creative to really take advantage of Mac, though; if you have an iPad or iPhone, you'll feel right at home - or if you're looking to get a new computer this Christmas, try these out! I'm sure you can find a way to talk a family member into getting you one, because you need it "for work".

Still not sure what Mac you like best? Want to know which one fits you most? Let me know in the comments below!