Backstory/Context: My wife is an aspiring writer and wants to self-publish a novel that she’s been writing. Currently she’s typing on my old Asus ROG gaming laptop that I no longer use. It’s (barely) running Windows Vista, it was built with Crysis in mind (really shows you how old it is), it’s bulky & heavy, and the battery is completely dead (no longer charges)
Originally, I wanted to get her a MacBook because she can switch between MacOS and Windows (via Boot Camp) to get the best of both worlds, that’s until I found out Boot Camp no longer works/exists. I also felt sticking with the Apple ecosystem might be better in the long run, allowing her to sync her iPhone, use iMessage/FaceTime/iCloud etc… when she’s not near her phone, better laptop design & portability.
I’ve been using MacBooks since Leopard-era and have experience with Apple computers before (candy colored iMac and 5200LC) so I know my way around an Apple keyboard & the shortcuts.
She, on the other hand, has only used Windows.
Definitely looking for laptop recommendations in general. Sure, it might be bias to post this in an Apple community but as an Apple user, I’d like to hear other opinions. Maybe there’s a Windows laptop with a similar feel/design of a MacBook? Perhaps the MacBook is the better choice?
Might be worth mentioning that I’ve heard horror stories about people finding spyware on Windows laptops (I think Dell/Alienware was the big one) and I’m totally out of the laptop game.
Already lots of good points here, but I’d add an additional thought: if the use case is writing plus lightweight computing (email, web browsing, messaging, etc.), you may also want to consider an iPad. It, too, plays in the Apple ecosystem along side her iPhone and provides a lightweight and portable device to work on.
They’re pretty dead simple to use and you aren’t stuck with a single, permanent keyboard. There’s multiple first and third-party options for keyboard cases/folios and you then have the option to use a nice desktop keyboard at her usual work location.
And, something that is much rarer on laptops, you also have the option of cellular. If connectivity and mobility are important, an iPad would provide both.