The Freelancer's Game Changer - 16" MacBook Pro
My first Mac was a Plus... yes I go back, way back in fact. The MacPlus was a great machine for what it did back then... MacPaint anyone?
Through the years, I've been at the forefront of technology, owning most of the Apple Computer models when they were first introduced and always buying the top of the line. Some women love shoes... I love Apple Computer.
When I first started Beauty Cafe in '97 the apps I needed to run my online business were pretty much non-existent on a Mac and I had to buy a PC (I shudder in horror at the memory of launching FrontPage). But I had to do what I had to do... even then I still had a Mac. Thank goodness someone had the sense to bring Steve Jobs back to Apple.
My daily computer is a 27" iMac... a couple of years ago I upgraded the RAM and she's a workhorse going on 5 years (which just may be the longest I have ever owned a computer). I also had a MacBook Air which was great for quick portability.
The past 20+ years were spent focusing on the Beauty Cafe and family. I didn't have "real" vacations. Generally, they were quick family-based trips or to conventions for product shopping. I wanted the next chapter of my life to involve lots of travel. And lots of it.
So to test things out, last fall Chris and I took a small road trip to experiment with my work mobility set up. For the short term, it worked okay. I had some issues with the cloud and downloads, but when we decided we were going to Ohio for almost two weeks I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't work very well and got a bix anxious as to how we could pull this off. I considered upgrading to the 15" MacBookPro but I just didn't feel that it warranted the price tag because it wasn't that much more of screen size for me. We researched renting and purchasing a used iMac and just surrendered that we'd take the Air and if we needed to do something, we had the Best Buy card. :)
BUT two days before we left Apple released the 16" MacBookPro and voila!!
Can I just say how sexy my 16" MacBookPro is? Louboutin has nothing on you baby!! Nothing. The keyboard alone is magnificent. A definite return to the original keyboard that we all love. Gorgeous Retina Screen and the touch bar... oh the touch bar. To quote the Partridge Family, I think I love you!!
Finding accessories at the last minute for our trip was a challenge. In fact, I still can't find a decent hardshell case for it. But I did find a pretty cool backpack at Best Buy which not only fit the MacBook (in a sleeve) but my Canon 6d, all my lenses, and still had room for personal belongings.
On a daily basis, I work in Illustrator, PhotoShop, LightRoom, and Atom. There is not a moment on the MacBook that I "feel" that I need to use the iMac. The screen size is perfect and so much larger than the Air. I don't feel that I am giving up anything at all over the iMac. Overall it's pretty lightweight and the battery goes and goes just like the Energizer Bunny. Now I generally split up my days between the two computers.
As Dr. Seuss says.. Oh, the places you will go!! Yes. Yes indeed.