Hello friends

[RustProofCorn]

Well it’s time to turn to my friends at Mac forums again.

My wife has decided to go back to school for her masters in nursing. This gives me the opportunity to set up a new home office for her. We are gonna go apple of course.

Keeping in mind she is not going to use the computer for more than just schooling I need some help.

I know I want a dock with a monitor (recommendations please.) but I don’t know if see should get her the 13” or 15” system. Looking at mbp only. Should I get her this years model or will last years suffice?

I need some noise canceling headphones and some speakers as well unless the monitor speakers will do.

My budget is just north of 4000. Please help me set up my wife’s home office.

Thanks again.

 

[RustProofCorn]

I might add I need a good chair as well.

 

[chscag]

Welcome back.

Lots of rumors at Apple regarding a refresh of the 13" MacBook Pro and even the newer 16" model along with a brand new 14" model. So you might want to wait a bit and see what turns up. We do expect some delay however, now that the coronavirus seems to have caused a backup from the normal Apple suppliers in China and elsewhere.

As for a monitor recommendation, take a look at what Dell has to offer. The latest Apple monitors supplied by LG are out of sight as far as price is concerned. OWC has some nice docks, so you may want to look there.

Noise cancelling headphones and speakers, go to Amazon and compare.

A good chair, maybe Staples or Office Depot?

How far north of 4K are you willing to spend? LOL

 

[MacInWin]

Keeping in mind she is not going to use the computer for more than just schooling I need some help.

What will the schooling require? Are you interested in a portable (MBP, MBA) or a desktop (iMac, Mini)?

 

[RustProofCorn]

I probably need to have the office set up by the first of April so I don’t have a long time.

I’ll take a look at dell. Kinda want a 27”

On the headphones I want a good set. I know these are hard to find the right set so I was hoping for recommendations

I probably would spend 4-5k lol.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Since it’s nursing school (MSN) it will not be needing a lot of processing power. I don’t want the computer to be obsolete in a year. I need it to last for 4 years which is how long she suspects she will be in school.

I do want to do a portable with a dock station. I have a brand new iMac downstairs. She will be having to take this with her from time to time.

 

[MacInWin]

Ok, given the short horizon to get set up, think about the new 16" MBP. The keyboard is the more reliable scissors instead of the more dodgy butterfly mechanism that Apple tried in the MBP for a couple of years. Or, if the risk is acceptable to you, a refurbished 15" from Apple will be less expensive, and if you get AppleCare+, the MBP (including the keyboard) will be covered for three of the four years. I don't think the keyboard issue was a hugely wide-spread problem, but the issues of dust under the keys did occur more than Apple is normally known for. As Charlie pointed out, OWC has a nice dock assortment for you to look at, and their stuff is good quality.

For noise cancelling headphones, I'm partial to Bose, but there are other vendors these days that have petty good sets as well. Audio aficionados tend to rate the audio quality as opposed to noise cancellation, so be aware of that as you read various reviews. if she's studying and just wants to blank out the ambient noise, the sound cancellation is more important to her. I also prefer over the ear as opposed to on the ear or earbuds because I find them more comfortable for long periods of time. If the ear cups are large enough to fit to the head, there is no pressure on the ears themselves, making it better for long term use. For me, Bose is a perfect fit. But it's a very personal thing, so you should work with her on what she wants and prefers.

 

[MacInWin]

Chairs are also personal choices, but a good one with lots of adjustments and with some air circulation is what I prefer. Office chairs with height, arm, seat angle adjustments and good back support with mesh for seat and back suit me best. Wheels should roll easily. She really needs to go to a store to sit in several to decide what she wants.

 

[RustProofCorn]

As a wise man once said

That’s what she said.

Literally tho

 

[RustProofCorn]

Wow since when does Apple not have their screens anymore.

And dell has like 9000 monitor choices ThAts overwhelming and disheartening. Why they need so many?

 

[Slydude]

The LG monitors listed on the Apple site are a bit pricey. Might I suggest looking at some of LG's other monitor offerings. I picked up one recently founder $300.00 US to use as a second monitor for my iMac. Resolution is not as good as some of their higher priced models but is perfectly adequate for a second monitor (which I use for email and other tasks such as word processing).

I got this monitor on Amazon for just under $250.00 and a 34" version was under $300.00. My only complaint is I sometimes wish I had gotten a monitor with a more standard aspect ratio instead of the ultrawide.

Monitors are another peripheral that might be worth a trip to the store to look at them even if purchase online.



×

 

[Rod]

As you are going for a monitor you wont need a "large" display on your MBP which is a price advantage. My wife has a similar setup in her office and a 13" MBP serves her needs really well. She has the MBP on a tilted adjustable stand with a fan fitted as heat and ventilation are always an issue here in Bali. The stand tilts the keyboard but raises the screen to a height that means she does not have to look down for long periods (hard on the neck). This of course makes the keyboard less accessible so she has a Bluetooth, Apple, alphanumeric keyboard which eliminates the butterfly keyboard on her 2108 MBPr and allows her easy access without moving the MBP around.

As for model and specs the prices dont vary much between year, a 2016 model will not be substantially cheaper just because its older if you're buying brand new, so I'd go for a current model with at least 500Gb of storage and the fastest processor you can get. Not because she will need it now but looking to the future it will be a better investment. Charlie's suggestion is a good one but you could save a few bucks with the 13" model as stated. They are more portable too.

As Jake said, Bose make excellent headphones if you can stretch the budget that far but by all means check around. I recently bought a pair of Pioneer in-ear, noise reducing, wired earplugs for my iPhone and they are amazingly good for just over AU $100.00. Expect to pay $300.00 - $400.00 for a good pair and find a store where you can physically test them, comfort is a big issue.

 

[JohnCL]

The latest Apple monitors supplied by LG are out of sight as far as price is concerned.

They sure are nice though!

Wow since when does Apple not have their screens anymore.

They are there, very expensive!! The Apple monitors make the LG's look free! LOL

 

[IWT]

In post #6, RPC said:

I have a brand new iMac downstairs. She will be having to take this with her from time to time.

Really? What size 21 or 27 inch? That's no easy task. Or was this a typo?

Ian

 

[RustProofCorn]

In post #6, RPC said:

Really? What size 21 or 27 inch? That's no easy task. Or was this a typo?

Ian

Yeah that was supper confusing. What I meant there was... I have a brand new 27” iMac downstairs, but she wants her system to be portable. So similar size screen with a dock.

I think I deleted some of my post there on accident.

 

[badshoehabit]

Personally, and i have good eyesight (multi focal contacts), a 13" is too small.

 

[IWT]

Yeah that was supper confusing. What I meant there was... I have a brand new 27” iMac downstairs, but she wants her system to be portable. So similar size screen with a dock.

I think I deleted some of my post there on accident.

Understood

Ian

 

[texaseve]

As a nurse, my advice in addition to what is already written, would be to get another monitor. I use dual monitors for photo editing, and they have made my life much easier when I had to do question, study, answer sessions or write papers on the computer. She will appreciate it, believe me.

 

[NSMacGuru]

You mentioned having a dock, so I guess we can assume that she'll be using an external keyboard - good, regardless of the butterfly / scissors / etc. keyboard mechanism, saving wear and tear on the internal keyboard on a laptop is always a good idea.

And if she's a fussy typist, do consider aftermarket keyboards if the Apple-standard "chicklet" keyboards aren't to her fancy. If a lot of typing is involved, then something with good travel & feedback might be a good option.

 

[NSMacGuru]

And for what it's worth....

Apple will reportedly release MacBooks with new and improved keyboards soon