Larry Magid: Macs are getting cheaper and Windows PCs have gotten better

If you re looking for a low-cost Apple Macintosh the Mac Mini may be the machine for you Although Apple is known for premium pricing especially for its iPhones and iPads the Mac Mini has reliably been an affordable option now even more so with Amazon selling the greater part fresh model for Related Articles Magid Largest part Google Apps work on iPhones but not vice-versa Magid Amazon upgrades Alexa with AI and a new Echo for kids New Tesla update adds Mad Max mode deletes option to set top speed Magid Meta expands Instagram and AI teen safety efforts Magid Google refines its Pixel Watch With its M chip GB of memory and GB of SSD storage it s more than enough for largest part users Those who need additional space can pay for the GB version or totally connect an external SSD such as the Micron Crucial X TB Portable SSD which sells for about Unlike other Macintosh models the Mini doesn t come with a screen keyboard or mouse It does have a small speaker but it s tinny and monaural You can add external stereo speakers for as little as The rest of the components are also relatively inexpensive There are wireless keyboard mouse combinations for under and -inch monitors for around And if you re upgrading from another machine even an old Windows PC you may already have one or more of these components I haven t tried the Mac Mini but I do have a model Even though mine has an older M chip and half the memory GB it s been a great workhorse I can run several programs at once including a browser Microsoft Word Excel and a scant other apps with solid performance The newer model would be even faster That doesn t matter to me since my current Mini is already fast enough for my demands but it might matter to people doing heavier tasks like video editing If you re looking for a laptop I can also recommend the MacBook Air -inch with the M chip now on sale for on Amazon compared with from Apple Before buying anything this time of year check for Black Friday sales from Apple Amazon and other retailers Or for an even better deal consider used equipment from Walmart and other vendors I was surprised to find refurbished MacBooks at Walmart com for under The greater part sellers give you days to return a computer if you re not satisfied Windows PCs I m not suggesting you should necessarily choose a Mac over a Windows PC My main computer is a four-year-old HP All-in-One from Costco and I m extremely happy with it I ve also been impressed with laptops I ve reviewed from HP Lenovo and other PC makers There was a time when one could credibly argue that macOS was more stable and less error-prone than Windows but I no longer think that s true The Windows machines I use are extremely reliable I keep my desktop running in a low-energy sleep mode when not in use and I ve gone months without restarting it with no performance degradation or crashes It s been years since I ve seen the blue screen of death that once plagued Windows users One thing I prefer about Windows is the availability of touchscreens Apple reserves touch for iPhones and iPads not Macs Particular Windows desktops like the HP All-in-One on my desk and multiple Windows laptops have touchscreens that can make computing more convenient I also like that specific Windows laptops including the HP Omnibook I reviewed in June have screens that can rotate all the way back so you can use them as tablets or put them in tent mode for presentations No Mac offers this flexibility Compatibility One of the arguments for buying Apple products is their ecosystem which allows iPhones iPads and Macs to work well together For example you can use iMessage on all your Apple devices and you can easily access your iPhone from your Mac But there are also strategies to integrate iPhones and iPads with Windows Microsoft s free Phone Link app lets you send and read text messages or make calls from an iPhone using your Windows PC I especially like that I can type texts on my full-sized keyboard rather than pecking them out on my phone Running a Mac inside Windows My setup is admittedly strange but I ve even located a way to use my Mac Mini from my Windows PC Google s free Chrome Remote Desktop lets you connect different computers on your home arrangement I run my Mac Mini inside a tab in my PC browser Despite its name Chrome Remote Desktop also works in Microsoft Edge I can do everything I need on the Mac using my Windows screen mouse and keyboard and I can even connect my iPhone to my Mac and run iOS apps from the PC I can also copy things from the Mac into the clipboard and paste them into a Windows App The only limitations are that it can t access the Mac s microphone or speaker remotely though since the machine is in the same room I can still hear its audio Whether you prefer Mac or Windows or like me use them both the good news is that even the budget machines are powerful enough for the vast majority of use cases These days choosing a computer is less about specs and more about what fits your life and budget Related Articles in Californians have cut back on food to save money survey finds Nvidia beats earnings expectations even as bubble concerns mount Despite specific residents pushback San Jose approves allowing concerts at PayPal Park Photos Atherton s majority of expensive mansion of on the sphere for million Backlash prompts Santa Clara County to hit pause on agricultural rezoning plan Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist Contact him at larry larrymagid com