My computer screen paused for a couple of seconds as I waited for the email to go out. It was exhausting hearing my computer fans spin up to cool the processor when it was playing a video about the George Floyd protests. It was frustrating to wait as I saw my life flash by everyday when I was doing a normal task such as browsing websites to read current Coronavirus numbers throughout California. I couldn't take much more of this. I felt that I couldn't breathe. Plus, I was sick of seeing random popups by Windows saying that I didn't have enough space to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10. Since when did Microsoft become such an aggressive promoting salesman about upgrading to Microsoft teams? I got sick of my old desktop and decided it was time for an upgrade!
I recently upgraded my ancient desktop from the 2000s and that was long overdue. Ever since I was young, I was used to using Microsoft and Windows and I always saw Macs as overpriced computers that weren't as powerful as other personal computers offered by Dell. Or I thought that I could build a computer by by myself that was more powerful and at a cheaper price than what Apple offered. I didn't realize that Apple packages their devices in a sleek design that I couldn't source from other individual vendor parts. However, after switching my mobile phone from Android to iPhone a computer of years ago, I gained an appreciation of how Apple products were designed for the consumer in mind. Compared to other phone manufacturers that just slapped on a bunch of components together, iPhones were actually easier to use, the build quality was phenomenal compared to any other company, and their support was much better than any other phone manufacturer. Being able to resell my old iPhones for hundreds of dollars compared to a few dollars that my old android phones fetched made me realize that people really valued Apple and their brand was hot. I further decided to take the MacBook Pro plunge since the recently released 2020 MacBook Pro just came out with the new Magic Keyboard. I've used a lot of business laptops before. I've used the Lenovo T490s and Microsoft Surface laptops and I can honestly say that the build quality of the MacBook Pro is much better than either of them. Lenovo has a plastic build and the fans run constantly. Having a touchscreen didn't seem that useful due to the non-user friendly build and it was priced at $1500. The keyboard on the Lenovo T490s had a plastic feeling and it wasn't that great compared to the feeling of the new and improved MacBook Pro keyboard. Typing on the MacBook Pro was a much better experience compared to the Lenovo. I would say compared to the Microsoft Surface laptop with the Alcantara fabric, typing on the metal MacBook Pro just feels more satisfying for me as well. The Microsoft Surface laptop build quality was better compared to the Lenovo, but it just seemed not to be on the same build level as the MacBook Pro. The Surface fan would constantly spin and there would a a low audible hum at all times. I've only noticed the fans spin up on the MacBook Pro when I was putting together a time-lapse music video, otherwise it has been completely silent while doing everyday tasks such as checking emails or listening to music. Typing comfort and lack of fan noise makes the MacBook Pro a much better machine than other Windows laptops. The Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro is basically at small screen that offers shortcuts for word choices when you're typing an article, or how much you want to fast forward on a music video. It's nice to have and makes using certain applications easier to use because you can press a button on the Touch Bar to save you an additional more clicks with a traditional computer without it. Next, I would say that the audio quality on the MacBook Pro is far superior than what was offered on the Lenovo and slightly better than the Microsoft Surface. Depending on which MacBook Pro you get, the $1799 has even better speakers, but I was satisfied on my $1299 model listening to music and call quality. Moving onto the display, I would say that the MacBook Pro screen is much better than the washed out screen I experienced on the Lenovo. I felt that the Microsoft display quality was comparable with their high resolution and touch screen, but compared to most PC laptop displays, the screen quality that I've experienced on the MacBook Pro is much better than most out other laptop displays. Finally, if you're already using an iPhone, the integration with a Mac is seamless. The photos you take on your iPhone automatically sync up on your Mac and it's easy to send an email with the photo you just took on your phone. Using a computer to do work just felt more relaxing and easier compared to what I was used to on the PC. Finally, I'll say that the Mac operating system, Catalina just felt more simple and uncluttered compared to windows 10. I felt with Windows 10 that Microsoft simply wanted to merge a computer and tablet operating system together such as using a touchscreen for the user interface. The menus on Windows 10 would feature changing tiles and I was really annoyed with that. Also, the Windows OS would constantly update their software and I just felt that things were often pushed down on me that I really didn't want. With Catalina OS, I feel that it's more focused since Apple is able to control the hardware and software. Things just seem better designed for the end-user due to the different strategy than the Microsoft approach of trying to satisfy everyone's needs on multiple types of user input. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the MacBook Pro and recommend that anyone in need of a new laptop to purchase it. Please click my link if you're thinking of buying the new MacBook Pro. Thanks!
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As I recently flew within the domestic US last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see only a couple of people wearing masks within the airports I visited. Even though the news has gotten worse and there's now a fatality within the USA, I find it hard to imagine that the whole world is going to come crashing down. The tourism industry will definitely be taking a hit, but people still need to eat, a place to stay, transportation to get to work, etc.
Nobody knows how bad it'll be, but now's the best time to get a mortgage, re-finance, or start investing in the market with all this downturn. I recently attended a talk and read an article where "on average" every dollar invested in the market will double in 10 years. So if the market tanks further in the next couple of weeks or months, and you've saved up a sizable cash cushion that you don't currently need, why not invest? It's definitely a hard thing to do cause because nobody knows how bad this current drop can be and nobody likes losing money, but just remember that the 2008 drop was about 50% as a worst case scenario. If the market tanks down to that level of percentage again, it could definitely be worth the gamble to wade back into the market. Here's a photo showing how the bulls always win over bears long term. I had an interesting conversation recently when I explained that my workplace offered fitness classes with showers and the conversation was steered about saving money.
I've heard the rumors in college about how new professors often sleep and work on the school campus; and recently about google employees that were saving money by living in their car and doing everything possible on the google campus such as eating, sleeping, showering, doing laundry, etc. I hadn't realize that I could have done it at my current workplace as well! The only amenity I don't have access to is laundry service. However, I was educated that it could easily be done if I went to a laundry-mat. My living situation could be managed by work, if I chose to! I'm definitely not recommending this to my readers, but if times are really tough and you're fortunate to be working at a Fortune 500 where a company provides meals and showers, it is possible to lower your living costs by not renting out a place and living in your car. Ideally, it would make sense if you could live in a place like this https://sportsmobile.com/mercedes-benz-4x4-sprinter/ that would be less conspicuous and blend in the parking lot, but I'm sure a minivan could be converted something livable. This unorthodox living situation would definitely change your social life, reputation, and mental sanity, but you could definitely put that money saved towards a future down payment, retirement fund, or financial related goals important to you! |
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