Hi everyone,
I am a first time poster but long time user of the Oz-bargain forums. After 6 long and beautiful years together my MacBook Pro is on its last legs, and unfortunately I can battle use it anymore so I think it is time to invest in a new laptop. Like any good ozbargainer though I am keen to get the best deal possible, so that is why I am here!
What I am looking for: My MacBook Pro (13 inch) pretty much served my needs perfectly for the years that I had it, so I am probably looking for something similar. Perhaps the new MacBook Pro? I have been a Mac user for a while now and I have a iPhone (although I have an iPhone 5 haha but hey it's still going strong!) so I'm inclined to stay in the Apple family but I am open to being persuaded otherwise!
I primarily use my computer for internet browsing, watching shows, listening to music and often for work related things (this is pretty much just word processing, nothing complex). I also travel a lot, so something that is easy to travel with would also be a plus.
Does anyone know of any good deals out there at the moment that I might be able to snag? If it helps I'm Australian (currently on holidays here) but I live in New York so I'm able to purchase either here or in the US.
If anyone has any advice or tips, i would be very grateful!
Sounds like a MacBook Air would be a good option for you. Long battery life, enough power to do anything short of gaming (although I occasionally do play older games on mine), very light and thin, and you could stay using OSX. I assume you know that if you buy in Australia, you can get the GST back on your way out, as long as you leave within 60 days. The low Aussie dollar will help you, but I wouldn't be surprised if US came out cheaper even once you count tax and the exchange rate. I have a 13 inch, 2013 i5 Air with the 256GB SSD, which I find perfect for every day use. The only thing now that would stop me getting another is that I can see that they have gotten very expensive since I bought mine (I paid around $1300 for my one, seems they're 1800RRP now, I'm sure there are cheaper offers out there though).
If you don't mind moving to Windows, you can definitely save money by going to a Windows Ultrabook. I'm not sure what the offerings are like at the moment, but when I bought my Macbook Air, I was initially searching for a Windows Ultrabook. However, I found them all to be disappointing at the time. I've heard that things have gotten better since then.