Mac vs. Windows

Does anyone here have a Mac and if so, would you mind sharing some opinions? I have an HP laptop that I bought from Walmart because I just needed a laptop for one more semester of college and my Toshiba semi-bit the dust (it's on the second or third battery and now can't be used unplugged cause it won't hold a charge. RIP). Then I decided to go to grad school, so I have two more years. There's nothing wrong with my HP at all, but I'll be able to actually afford a Mac now and I've always sort of wanted one.

I'm specifically looking at the MacBook Air 13 inch and I would love to have the newest one, though I don't know how I feel about the price. I'll only be writing papers, browsing the web/doing research, and maybe watching videos sometime (I save the heavy Netflixing/DVD watching for the Toshiba) so I don't think I need the Pro. The fancy new retina stuff doesn't really matter much either because I don't do anything with art and therefore don't need an extraordinary screen.

Is it worth it to upgrade to a Macbook, or should I wait until I actually need to look at new computers someday? Does anyone, especially a Windows convert, have one and have opinions between the two? Does anyone have opinions on the AppleCare warranty? I hate buying warranties cause I never end up needing it or when I do it's "not covered" but if I'm dropping $1k on a computer and something fries, I want a new computer.

Also there's an Apple store near me back home, but I highly doubt I will be able to get there for months if at all, so my options seem to be an off-brand Apple-esque store and Best Buy. I've had fine luck with Best Buy for some electronics like my tablet and GPS but have never bought an actual computer from there. Worth it?

I'm very conflicted right now. :(

I have a Mac and converted from Windows. Throughout the majority of college I had an HP and it did what I needed it to do and was reliable for a good while, until the physical internal fan pooped out and broke. There were multiple shenanigans involved trying to get a new Windows computer and getting ones with irreparable issues, and it was kind of a hot mess.

By the time this was all getting resolved I had come to the decision that I wanted to generally go into design (this was the summer before my last year of college) so I decided that I should take the plunge and get a Mac (since the RAM and processors speeds are more up to the rigors of design programs than Windows machines counterparts usually are). I got a MacBook Pro and I loved it to death. I did get insurance for it (from the store I bought it from, not from AppleCare) but that was exclusively because I was going overseas the fall after that summer to study abroad, and it seemed that it would be super foolish to go overseas with a new and uninsured computer.

I went overseas with it and it worked great and there were no issues at all. I think one of the overall better things about a Mac is the reliability (updates don't tend to cause fatal issues which does and has happened with Windows) and their long-lasting nature. Unless you run across a rare hardware issue you can expect your machine to last a significant amount of time.

Because the system is based on UNIX (just as LINUX is) too, the programming itself is more robust - Windows is not UNIX-based, which opens it up to both flexibility and vulnerability. It is advisable to have some antivirus software on your Mac but it is often available for free, and while you should still practice wise behaviour online Macs are not as targeted or as vulnerable to viruses as Windows machines are.

That being said, the cost is of course a factor. I do not know if you would be interested in it, but used Macs are available. The ones available from this site were often used for educational purposes, etc, so you're not getting something from an individual for instance. This site is featured in MacWorld so it's not sketchy or weird or whatever. It's a thought if you're open to the idea of a used computer if the cost reduction is worth it to you . . . I totally understand if you want to get a new computer though, so you can feel it's entirely your own.

I'm thinking that since I can't find the newest ones for cheaper yet (I understand why) I might just spend the extra for it. I'm on the fence of buying it from Best Buy, this store near me (Apple premier partner I guess), or getting it online where I can get a student discount of like $50 and a free pair of Beats headphones..but the I may have shipping and I have to wait.

How old is yours and how does it work now vs new? I hear for Applecare you really only get 2 years extra coverage past the warranty but some people wait to get it until their year one is almost up. However phone service is done after like 90 days so is it worth it for that?

I have a different one now, because I upgraded in terms of RAM (16 now as opposed to the 4 that I had in my previous Mac).

Unfortunately in a strain of mid to late 2011 models, which is what my first Mac was, there was an issue with the physical connection of the GPU within the computer which caused display issues. My Mac had that issue after about three years. I still have it waiting around because I could get the GPU reballed (reballing is the connection issue), but due to the fact that it would cost and I'd have to have it shipped professionally to do that I simply haven't yet. I would not take that as a good or typical example of what you will or should experience. There was nothing else wrong with the computer besides that, however, and I expect that when I do get that fixed it will work 100% (after some updates cause it's been sitting a while). Like I said, unless you have a rare hardware issue like that it'll run like new if you treat it well.

This Mac I have now is a 2014 model and works fabulously. All you need to do is keep it up to date really, just make sure when those update notifications pop up you do them, because there's usually a good reason you should (often for security, etc).

I got both of these Macs physically from an Apple section within a Best Buy, so I can't attest to what it's like to buy one online. It's nice to be able to walk in, get it, then be able to get your hands on it and begin to get used to it right away. I personally never purchased AppleCare and never saw a reason to, so I can't really speak to it at all. I have known people who have used it but I never have heard about if or when they have needed it.

Windows hands down... i feel like all apple products are really hard to controll and they make you pay for everything. I have noticed that some apps on the app store they make you pay for stuff that you can get for free on windows or samsung.