The Apple Macintosh Buyer's Guide

Below, I have listed my recommendations. The models chosen are not necessarily the least expensive models at each level, but rather the ones I feel offer you the best value.

While I know price is a factor for many, my experience has shown me that just because you pay less you are not necessarily getting a better deal.

The models we recommend below are models we believe offer you the most value for your dollar.

The consumer models listed in the section below are the models typically chosen by the average home user. They are all good machines for the market each serves. There are three options: two desktops and a laptop.

1) The Mac Mini: a great little machine! I have two of them in my labs and they are rock solid. This is a great option for the buyer who already has a mouse, keyboard and monitor, and is looking to spend as little as possible.

2) The iMac: In my opinion, a better value than the Mac Mini, though it costs a little more. I have eight of them: 6 in my labs and two at home. While the mini, allows you to spend less, the iMac is really not that much more and includes a monitor and all peripherals. It receives my highest recommendation for those looking for a desktop machine. If I were buying desktop for an average home user, this would be the one.

3) The Macbook: Take everything I just wrote about the iMac and put it here, substituting laptop for desktop. If I were buying laptop for an average home user, this would be the one. (Note: they also come in a beautiful matte black for an extra $150.)

Now on to the Pro models. These models are for "power users": people who need the power these machines provide. These are also the machines you want if you simply want the most powerful Apple machines available. If you intend to spend most of your computing time editing photos or video, these are the models for you.

4) The Macbook Pro: This is a very powerful laptop. It is the computer I am typing this on and the one I use for hours most days. I love it. Whether I need to run Windows for certain school-related tasks, composite photos for the yearbook, edit a video project, or author a professional quality DVD, this is the machine I am likely using.

5) The Mac Pro: The ultimate Mac. It can do anything you want. This is the machine sitting on my desk at work. Orders of magnitude better than every other Mac. If you want the most powerful computer you can buy this is the model for you.

Finally, the Macbook Air. In my opinion, this is a niche product. It is an incredible design: very thin and elegant. However to achieve this feat, Apple chose to leave out a built in CD/DVD player and Firewire ports, and includes only one USB port. In a sense, it is a crippled machine with these omissions, however, what is acheived is a very light, very thin machine. Here is my recommendation:

6) MacBook Air: It is a machine I only recommend to a certain subset of users: the traveler. If you are someone who lives on the road a would like the option of an ultralight laptop (3 lbs) and are willing to give up a few standard (but important) features (firewire and built-in optical drive to start), then this is for you. Otherwise, look to the Macbook or MBPro.

Above you've read our recommendations, now it is time to find the model that's right for you.

Apple Computers

While you can buy your Mac elsewhere, of the nearly 30 Macs I have purchased in the last eight years, all but one of them was purchased directly from the Apple Store (online).

In my experience, the Apple Store is the best choice for purchasing Apple products and it receives our highest recommendation.

However, there is a section of the Apple Store where you will find your best deal on a new Mac on the web. Apple's refurbished machines are a great choice for those looking to save money (A LOT in many cases).

I have personally purchased refurbished products from the Apple Store and only have great things to say about them. These products in every way appear to be brand new; they are top quality and come with the full warranty.

By the way, I recommend you always purchase AppleCare with your Mac, especially the laptops. Not because your Mac (refurbished or new) is likely to have problems, but because, in my experience, it is worth every penny it costs if something does go wrong.

NOTE: Always make sure you get at least 2 Gigabytes of RAM; get 4 Gigabytes if you can afford it.

Click the link below to see Apple's refurbished offerings:

Refurbished Mac

One of the worst feelings a new Mac owner can feel comes when he purchases his new Mac only to find out a new machine is being released. The new machine you just bought is now the old version! Yikes!

The best advice I can give you is this: buy your new Mac when you WANT or NEED to buy it.

Something new will always be coming around the corner, if not today then in the near future. Don't let that get in your way. However, if you can wait, and the wait will not be longer than you WANT or NEED it to be, then wait and buy after the next release.

It always feels better to buy after the latest release than right before it.

Buy how do you know when to buy. My friends over at MacRumors do a great job of tracking Apple. If you'd like to see what they project, click the link below:

MacRumors' Projections