I just know in retirement I will want a laptop that I can connect to 1-2 good sized screens. Like FallGirl I am an accountant so I live in spreadsheets. Also I like to surf the net at a desk setting. Sure I use my phone plenty for stuff but I would like the option to get into producer mode as opposed to consumer mode at times. But I have 9 years to go so that might change. My wife and I have only ever bought 2 laptops in 32 years. One ended with with a child. We always have a laptop from work. Like I said a good screen is important to me as I get older.
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I bought one of the new MacBook neos in March when I found that our laptop’s hard drive was not working and my old MacBook Air couldn’t be updated. I do t use it much, but I am happy with it.
My iPad had to be replaced in Feb after it ran out of memory. My husband took the old one & my new one has double the capacity. I do practically everything on it, reading, email, web surfing, social media.
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My daughter had only had Macs since her first laptop (back in 2011). The last time she needed a new laptop (2024) she went with an HP laptop instead. It was a tough decision but she is very happy with her laptop. It was cheaper and more compatible with some gaming stuff she does.
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This isn’t specifically a Windows vs Mac issue, but Macs tend to have more limited options with more consistent quality, while Windows have a greater variety of options, with more variable build quality. You have the option to buy something with cheaper components for a substantially lower cost with Windows, where you may not have that option with Macs. Many do not prioritize components lasting 10+ years, as tech is likely to become obsolete long before that point, so I expect many do like having this option.
I’m typing this message on a 5-year-old Windows laptop that I bought for $150. It has 17 inch screen, i7-1165G7 processor, and 32GB RAM. It doesn’t have CPU performance on par with the newest laptops (it is similar to a new Macbook Neo), but is suitable for my typical daily home usage – Internet, email, Zoom, Excel, reading books, etc. I also like having a large 17 inch screen and having physical touchpad buttons instead virtual ones, which is challenging to find in newer laptops.
I’ve had no significant issues during the time I’ve owned this laptop, and have had no signs that any problems may appear in the near future. Nevertheless, I can confidently say that my laptop will not last 10+ years. The problem is not that I expect it to mechanically fail or have BSOD. It’s more I expect the technology to be too outdated to be sufficient for my needs. This is why I typically replace laptops.
After I retire a working laptop from my daily usage, I may keep it active for other things. For example, I have an active Windows Vista laptop that I mostly use for home automation, which has been running continuously for nearly 20 years, and is still going strong. I can’t recall the last time I’ve had to reboot or restart applications on this laptop for a reason other than power loss across full neighborhood – something measured in years. I have also have a PC in my remote work office that is 15+ years old. While the older PC still works very well today, I also have a newer PC that has newer tech and superior performance, which I use for simulations and other performance-intensive activities.
I’ve never entered the IOS world. I have a Google Pixel and an HP laptop, all purchased from Costco which offers returns/replacements for two years and concierge phone assistance forever as far as I know.
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Such an interesting thread! I’m also looking at what my ‘next chapter tech’ will be after 15 yrs with a work Dell laptop and home tower PC.
Hoping for travel and working remotely so looking to a laptop. Son is adamant that a Mac would be best - but I was leery, thinking it would be much different than a Dell.
Is the transition from a Dell type computer to Mac a big change?
Reading here about the ability to run Word and Excel and Google Docs on a Mac is making me rethink…
As someone posted upthread, there is a version of the MS Office Suite for Mac. If you are a casual user of these apps, you will be fine once you get used to the Mac interface. However, if you are a power Excel user, there are some functional differences between the iOS and Windows versions. For example, certain keyboard shortcuts differ and some features aren’t present on the Mac version. It doesn’t translate well for me, so I use my Windows device for Excel.
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I thought the Mac version of Excel was wonky too. I made the switch to Numbers/Pages which I actually like better now.
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This is a timely topic for me. I have my Ipad and Iphone, but only a work laptop. I will be retiring in 9 months so I told H that I need to start looking for my own laptop. As a lifelong PC user I am going to stick with a PC even though I do like Apple products. When we were at Costco a couple of weeks ago we looked at the laptops there. H is my computer guy and he thought there were several that would work for me. I’m thinking this might be my big Black Friday purchase for this year.
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I just replaced my ancient Lenovo (a hand-me-down from our son’s HS years) with an Acer from Costco last week. When we got to the cabin this year, I discovered the laptop didn’t make it through the winter though, to be fair, it had been dying a slow death for some time. I chose the Acer because it was the least expensive thing Costco had, and I still balked at the price. (When will these things be free?)
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So interesting to hear the perspectives.
I’m definitely not at this point a ‘power user’ of Excel. Spent my career in Word and just started using Excel a few months ago (for retirement projections and budget tracking).
I’d like to learn more Excel since it seems really fun and productive in many ways.
I think I will go to Best Buy and talk to some of the folks there re: Apple vs Dell laptop and hear what they say. Feel much more prepared now thanks to this thread 
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I would have agreed with you at some point in time, but I now use the keyboard with my iPad just fine (the Apple branded 1/2 case/keyboard combo) and it feels weird to be on a “big” keyboard.
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If you are a casual user of Microsoft Office, Excel, Word and don’t want to pay the subscription prices then try LibreOffice. It’s free to download and works great. It’s programs built (and built upon) created by many people who want to liberate (hence the name) from the stranglehold and money grabbing of Microsoft.
It took me awhile to get the courage to download but it’s great! No problems. And free. I love the programs (truly compatible and work the same in most every case but I truly didn’t want everything in the cloud). Some things just don’t need broadcasting. Excel works great as does the familiar MS word (especially if you’re used to older versions.)
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I agree! I’ve been using LibreOffice for about three years and am quite satisfied. I basically use it for simple spreadsheets and documents and there is plenty of online advice if I can’t figure something out. Iirc, I was able to open my old Excel and Word into that program and then save as LibreOffice files.
I’ve also been using Google docs and sheets for stuff I want to share.
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I have an iphone and an ipad with a full-size keyboard cover. I also have a Windows desktop. I use the desktop for my website and more involved tasks. H and D also have windows desktops. They both use android phones. S has a windows laptop and iphone. I like having my windows desktop because H, D & S can troubleshoot for me. When I have problems with my phone or ipad, I go to apple store.
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Late to the thread. I have an old Surface Go PC. Love it, but they don’t make them anymore. It is small and can act like a tablet for travel, but I plug it in to peripherals including larger monitor & full keyboard when home. Anyone have something similar but current?
We got H a more updated Surface and he still uses it. It doesn’t do AI and he hasn’t decided what he’ll get next. I have an Ipad Air because the tech guy said it would do AI.
My friend has a Samsung tablet and loves it.
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PC. I don’t like Apple product though. Lol
When I retired I received several Visa gift cards. One of the things I bought with them was a Samsung tablet—I wasn’t happy with my Kindle (at least at that time, Amazon blocked installation of apps from Google store–only Amazon apps allowed). I expected to use the tablet as mainly an e-reader.
We already had a 12” laptop we used when traveling. Since we got the tablet, the laptop has stayed home–the tablet can do everything the laptop can, while taking up much less space.
Love love love that tablet–on my second one, as I had filled the memory of the 1st one , got a good trade in for the old one, got one with lots more memory.
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