MacFormat readers share their beloved setups
“My New Year’s Resolution was to not buy another Apple product for an entire year…”
When graphic design student Jesseca Stewart bought a desktop Mac, she decided to go for the Mac mini. She explains why: “I did want an iMac for myself because we already have a family one that everyone uses. I wanted a work computer that would be used solely for my graphic design. This setup worked out much cheaper than buying the iMac, and as a student, this was a good decision!”
And it’s a choice she hasn’t regretted. “I really like my Mac mini, because it seems much easier to work on than my laptop. I always seem to get more work done this way rather than sitting in my bedroom in front of the TV with my MacBook. I find there’s something about having a desktop computer/ workstation that can make you more focused.”
But she didn’t buy an Apple display to go with it. “The HP display was cheaper. I’d love to be able to afford an Apple display, but it all comes down to cost.” Jesseca certainly didn’t skimp on her external mic, however. “I bought it [the BLUE Yeti Professional USB Microphone] for creating voiceovers on my YouTube videos,” she explains. “I wanted something that was a good price, yet delivered on quality. I also use it to record song covers with my friends. For the price, I would recommend it”
The Apple USB SuperDrive on top of her Mac mini shows she still uses optical discs, but she doesn’t think Apple made a mistake removing the internal optical drive from its latest Macs. “I think Apple probably annoyed lots of people by doing this,” she concedes. “I was one of these people because I play The Sims and I’d bought all the discs! But when I thought about the idea behind it, I think it was a really smart move. Apple is always the first to take the risks. Taking the disc drive from computers was a big risk, yet it’s a stroke of genius. All it’s doing is turning Mac users towards the iTunes store, so from a business perspective, its a great idea. CDs are well on the way to being a thing of the past, like floppy disks. It’s all about digital downloads and the odd USB memory stick now.”
And her next Apple purchase? “I’d like to say a Macbook Pro with Retina display, but it’s safe to say I have enough Apple products at the moment. Besides, my New Year’s Resolution was to not buy another Apple product for an entire year. I’m not sure if my commitment will last if another iPhone is released this year, though!”