this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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Need Suggestions: MacBook or Windows Laptop? (kbin.social)
submitted 1 year ago by Hallowed_Grave@kbin.social to c/apple_enthusiast@lemmy.world
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Backstory/Context: My wife is an aspiring writer and wants to self-publish a novel that she's been writing. Currently she's typing on my old Asus ROG gaming laptop that I no longer use. It's (barely) running Windows Vista, it was built with Crysis in mind (really shows you how old it is), it's bulky & heavy, and the battery is completely dead (no longer charges)

Originally, I wanted to get her a MacBook because she can switch between MacOS and Windows (via Boot Camp) to get the best of both worlds, that's until I found out Boot Camp no longer works/exists. I also felt sticking with the Apple ecosystem might be better in the long run, allowing her to sync her iPhone, use iMessage/FaceTime/iCloud etc... when she's not near her phone, better laptop design & portability.

I've been using MacBooks since Leopard-era and have experience with Apple computers before (candy colored iMac and 5200LC) so I know my way around an Apple keyboard & the shortcuts.

She, on the other hand, has only used Windows.

Definitely looking for laptop recommendations in general. Sure, it might be bias to post this in an Apple community but as an Apple user, I'd like to hear other opinions. Maybe there's a Windows laptop with a similar feel/design of a MacBook? Perhaps the MacBook is the better choice?

Might be worth mentioning that I've heard horror stories about people finding spyware on Windows laptops (I think Dell/Alienware was the big one) and I'm totally out of the laptop game.

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[–] BobaFuttbucker@reddthat.com 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

macOS and Pages have long been many writer’s tools of choice. If you wife really wants windows or a windows app (or just a safety net while learning), Windows ARM can be downloaded for free and only has the following restrictions without a paid license:

  • cannot set a custom background
  • the occasional watermark appears telling you to activate windows

Everything else works fine.

You can install UTM or the free version of VMware Fusion (current Tech Preview supports 3D video acceleration and fast drag and drop file transfer), allowing your wife to have a fully-functional Windows environment.

And the new MacBooks are incredibly fast and energy efficient. If all she’s doing is living in a word processor a MacBook Air will be more than enough, and should go about a full day or more on a single charge. Obviously with a windows VM the battery life will be slightly worse, but nowhere near as bad as many flagship windows laptops.

[–] stewie3128@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

If all she's doing is living in a word processor, she can use a tablet with a keyboard, or any old laptop with Debian/Ubuntu and LibreOffice on it.