I am looking to buy My wife a laptop for Christmas,I usually buy Dell but am thinking Mac this time.

she just uses it to surf the net,email, facebook.She will be using it at home.

Last year we got my mother (who is probably about your wife's age) a 13" MacBook Air for X-Mas and she loves it. The 13" Air is an easy recommendation.

I am leaning towards the air but the pro is about the same price.

Get the Air - the flash storage of the Air is going to make it seem much snappier than the standard Serial ATA Drive (standard HD) in the Pro.   Plus it is lighter which I find convenient even for just walking around the house.  You could upgrade the Pro to a SSD but that would cost another $200 (assuming you get it from Apple). 

Edited December 16, 201213 yr by shellylh

Having owned both, the Air was the best choice for me. Lighter, snappier with the SSD and just so thin and unobtrusive. IMHO, the 13" Air is the way to go for what she will use it for.

Looks like I will go with the 13.3 air.

Thanks for the replies.

I'll butt my head in. If that is all she is doing, wouldn't an iPad fit the bill/be cheaper/be more portable/have longer battery power?

I'll butt my head in. If that is all she is doing, wouldn't an iPad fit the bill/be cheaper/be more portable/have longer battery power?

She wants a laptop,I have a iPad ,she likes using my laptop instead.

13" Air is the right choice, Tom!

I got a 13" Air to replace my wife's Dell last year, and it's worked out well for her. A bit of an adjustment going to Mac OS, bu not terrible. The size has been great for her, she says she's hardly aware of carrying a computer ... and the lack of required tech support from me has been swell.

I'll butt my head in. If that is all she is doing, wouldn't an iPad fit the bill/be cheaper/be more portable/have longer battery power?

 

I love my ipad, but if I had to choose just one, I would choose a laptop. 

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by shellylh

I would as well shelly. I figured I would suggest it...just in case. 

I bought the 13.3 macbook air,Didn't go for the apple care should I have?

I'd say it depends on how often you expect your wife to take the Air out of the house.

 

The more it lives at a desk, the less chance of it being damaged by a drop or something like that. Conversely, the more you take it with you, the more likely it gets dropped, bumped, or bruised.

 

I'd say it depends on how often you expect your wife to take the Air out of the house.

 

The more it lives at a desk, the less chance of it being damaged by a drop or something like that. Conversely, the more you take it with you, the more likely it gets dropped, bumped, or bruised.

 It will not be leaving the house ,just moved around in the house not on a desk.

I always get AppleCare with laptops, especially ones that have no user serviceable parts.

I'd get extra warranty on anything using SSD

I will add the apple care later I have a year to do it.Looking at hardcases to protect it now.

I'd still do it -- those SSD's are proprietary.

I've never bothered to get applecare. It's like every other extended warranty. If it paid off, they wouldn't offer it. Apple offers really good deals on depot repairs for out of warranty problems.

AppleCare doesn't cover accidental damage.

 

True, but I've found the Apple Store employees to be much more willing to give free repairs even in the case of accidents when I've had a bunch of years left on my AppleCare. Of course, YMMV.

 

Also whats with needing to get extended warranties for computers using SSDs? Unless you are running a server or some other I/O heavy application I don't think there is much of a chance of burning out a drive in the likely 3-5 years of use the computer will get under typical "home computer" use.

Edited December 20, 201213 yr by TMoney

As I understand it AppleCare does cover accidental damage on iOS devices now (along with a few other changes to iOS AppleCare). Not sure if there's been any changes to laptops. 

^ Mostly cover. AppleCare+ for iPhone and iPad covers up to two instances of accidental damage for $49 plus tax. Also, you can only buy it at the time of your iPhone/iPad purchase or by physically bringing your iPhone/iPad to a Genius Bar within 30 days of purchase.

I bought AppleCare when I bought my 15" MBP two years ago, because the laptop was expensive as heck and I didn't want to lose my investment (also, AppleCare is cheaper if you have a edu discount, which I do). Ironically, the only problem I had with the laptop happened last month, and it was a documented problem (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4088) with the 2010 MBPs that Apple was fixing for free, *even if one didn't buy Applecare*. So, I wouldn't bother getting AppleCare if I bought a 13.3 inch air - no moving parts means less to break down, anyways.

they are readily available third party.

For the Air?

 

EDIT:  (does the usual 'wanders off and...' business)

 

EDIT #2:  Oh, well look at that.