Need a new laptop... have no idea

[Trials]

As of a few weeks ago I think I’m done with Mac. I fired up my Mac Mini to whatever the newest OS is. After that’s said and done basically none of my software works anymore because of a switch within the software. FML now it’s a useless paperweight.
Been using my surface pro 3 more often and I enjoy it so not sure what to do with the Mac mini.

Your error was in trying to put the latest OS on old hardware. My 5 year old laptop still performs like new and the original battery lasts for hours. But then I do take good care of my stuff, I still use an iPhone 5S and it runs all day on a battery charge too.

 

[shanekingsley]

Oh, and even though it is the only computer that you can boot to either the native Mac OS or a Windoze OS on the same platform, you don't want one because it is incompatible



Didn't quite make it did it

I have a Mac and it occasionally bugs up but I only use it for music. Not sure how much more simple I can make this for your ego - My wife doesn't want one. Just stop the drivel. Please.

 

[mimico_polak]

Your error was in trying to put the latest OS on old hardware. My 5 year old laptop still performs like new and the original battery lasts for hours. But then I do take good care of my stuff, I still use an iPhone 5S and it runs all day on a battery charge too.

You are correct 100%. It's been a few months since I turned it on so when I did and it said update, I didn't even read anything as I was rushing. 2hrs later, I try to fire up some software...it doesn't work...different software...doesn't work...third software...doesn't work. WTF.

Checked the updates and FML the new OS made some drastic change where all older software isn't compatible with it. Now I have to decide what to do with it. I don't think there's a way to (easily) revert back to the last OS....or reset the thing from scratch and lose everything anyway.

 

[Trials]

I have a Mac and it occasionally bugs up but I only use it for music. Not sure how much more simple I can make this for your ego - My wife doesn't want one. Just stop the drivel. Please.

No worries, you can't hurt my ego over your choice of laptop, I've been hearing the same drivel from the Windoze faithful since Win95

 

[oioioi]

As of a few weeks ago I think I’m done with Mac. I fired up my Mac Mini to whatever the newest OS is. After that’s said and done basically none of my software works anymore because of a switch within the software. FML now it’s a useless paperweight.
Been using my surface pro 3 more often and I enjoy it so not sure what to do with the Mac mini.

although @PrivatePilot has an attractive offer for the MIL. If I can convince her to learn a new OS.

the place in Burlington also has surface pro tablets and laptops sometimes
Not as common but they do have them.

 

[Trials]

.... I don't think there's a way to (easily) revert back to the last OS....or reset the thing from scratch and lose everything anyway.

If you bought it long enough ago, they came with the OS on a disc and you can re-install. Or you can buy a new primary drive, install an OS and slave your old one to retrieve the files.

 

[jc100]

It's a little part under/near the power switch as far as I know. My wife has been dealing with / speaking to the shop, so this is what they told her.

The laptop fell from about 3-4 feet onto the hardwood floor and landed right on the corner of the where the power butting is. After that, the power button could not be depressed at all and no light even comes on when the laptop is plugged in to indicate it's charging. That's all I know.

just a guess....Lenovos are armoured, they have a metal subframe I believe. If that got buckled it might explain the issue. I could be wrong though but I remember fixing something on my oldest Lenovo once, and found it very easy because of the way it was set up. I replaced the entire keyboard myself with no issues.

 

[mimico_polak]

If you bought it long enough ago, they came with the OS on a disc and you can re-install. Or you can buy a new primary drive, install an OS and slave your old one to retrieve the files.

I think it's a 2011 version...but have no clue where that disc would even be.

@oioioi For now the Surface Pro 3 is definitely worth the $500 I paid for it. Super happy with the performance for my needs. However when it dies, I'll stick with the SPX (whatever version fits price at the time) LoL

 

[daught]

I used to be a huge fan of IBM then lenovos but they have been degrading. I was recently in the market and I realized lenovo is no longer the undisputed king of business laptops. I ended up with a Dell Precision 15. XPS series is very similar. Meal body, easy to access internals, solid hinges, excellent body to screen ratio. HP also has some really nice low cost offerings.

 

[PrivatePilot]

although @PrivatePilot has an attractive offer for the MIL. If I can convince her to learn a new OS.

OSX is dead easy to learn and exponentially easier to use vs Windows. One of the biggest fears people have is change...but I've got lots of friends who I switched to Mac over the years and not one single one of them has ever looked back. Most adapted in literally days.

People scoff at the cost of Mac hardware (and often cite the cost of workstations used only in high end animation and production studios as "proof" they are overpriced) but you can pickup a nice Mac laptop at Costco for $1200 that will still be running in 10+ years which can't typically be said for most PC machines except those in the similar price range. Like I said, my 2006 Macbook that's sitting beside me right now still boots and runs. It's certainly not speedy anymore by today standards, but it still does everything it did the day I bought it at Future Shop. I have 2 other 2010 "WhiteBooks" (which were my go to machines for many years) which are the same, although after 1400 battery cycles the battery on one of them is dead.

People want to compare a $2500 Macbook Pro to a $499 Walmart special and laugh and point fingers at the Mac, but it's like a Yugo owner laughing and pointing fingers at a Prius owner....but 10 years later the Prius (that admittedly cost more upfront) will still be running reliably with more years ahead for the owner while the Yugo went to the shredder 5 years ago.

Anyhow, I don't want to turn this into yet another Mac vs PC pissing match....just saying that a lot of people who rush to bash Macs have never actually ever used one.

The only reason I'm selling the machine I mentioned above is because I "upgraded" to a 2014 Macbook Pro retina 15" i7. 6 years old, runs and looks like new, was still well worth the $1100 I paid for it...and is snappier than my wifes admittedly fairly beefy work laptop she was just issued last fall.

 

[PrivatePilot]

As of a few weeks ago I think I’m done with Mac. I fired up my Mac Mini to whatever the newest OS is. After that’s said and done basically none of my software works anymore because of a switch within the software

You must have had some pretty old software on there. Have you checked that there's not new versions available? There often is...

This happened as a result of 32bit apps no longer being supported. 32bit support is legacy on any system now and is still only supported in Windows because of a lot of low end hardware and legacy software. Eventually it too will go away.

 

[mimico_polak]

You must have had some pretty old software on there. Have you checked that there's not new versions available? There often is...

This happened as a result of 32bit apps no longer being supported. 32bit support is legacy on any system now and is still only supported in Windows because of a lot of low end hardware and legacy software. Eventually it too will go away.

That’s exactly what it is. Whatever the new OS is stopped supporting the older versions. I’ll need to sit down with it and see what’s actually upgradeable before I bin it.
Lots of stuff on there and was still working great, especially once I got much more RAM in there but never got around to switching to the SSD.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Got a time machine backup? You can probably revert.

 

[Trials]

Got a time machine backup? You can probably revert.

Apple unfriendly's won't know that 'Time Machine' is one of the many utilities that is included in the Mac OS starting with Leopard v10.5 and later.

Mac OS Compatibility Guide by Mac Model

Easily check which versions of mac OS, iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS are compatible with your Mac model or iDevice.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[mimico_polak]

Got a time machine backup? You can probably revert.

Will try that, but I didn't think it allowed for reverting back to the older OS. As far as I can tell it's not that easy.

 

[Trials]

Will try that, but I didn't think it allowed for reverting back to the older OS. As far as I can tell it's not that easy.

It's a software utility, if you haven't been using the utility to produce hardware backups, it is not applicable,
and correct, you need an OS distribution disc version compatible with your old hardware to do what you need to do.

 

[mimico_polak]

It's a software utility, if you haven't been using the utility to produce hardware backups, it is not applicable,
and correct, you need an OS distribution disc version compatible with your old hardware to do what you need to do.

Looks like I may be SOL then. I know I don't have a disc as this unit never came with a disc or even a place to put it in. Ugh. This is why you read notices before you press 'install'.

 

[Trials]

Looks like I may be SOL then. I know I don't have a disc as this unit never came with a disc or even a place to put it in. Ugh. This is why you read notices before you press 'install'.

To be honest, I have Never seen an OS software upgrade that resulted in an actual lossless upgrade, once you installed it over your original operating system. The safest thing to do is to always shelf the original hard drive, then install the newer OS on a new hard drive, then a restore is as simple as swapping the hard drive back out.

 

[mimico_polak]

To be honest, I have Never seen an OS software upgrade that resulted in an actual lossless upgrade, once you installed it over your original operating system. The safest thing to do is to always shelf the original hard drive, then install the newer OS on a new hard drive, then a restore is as simple as swapping the hard drive back out.

Yup....literally 90% of my software stopped working. Hell even the Brother printer software **** the bed and I couldn't find an upgrade. Should look again and see what I can upgrade to the new software. But need time for that. Maybe this week. I most miss the fact of my original MS OFFICE suite which I've had for years.

 

[Trials]

I used to have SoftPC which was software that ran on top of the MacOS and enabled you to run Windoze as an application. That was very cool software because you could run all the glitchy MS software and watch the WinOS shell get a virus then crash without actually destroying anything on your Mac very entertaining.