u/Candid_Farmer6268

Hi everyone,

I'm a junior project manager, and I took on my first project last year. My current windows laptop is on its last legs, and I'm looking to upgrade.

I’m really leaning toward getting a MacBook Air, but most reviews mention that Microsoft Project isn't compatible with macOS.

For those of you who use a Mac for work, how do you handle this? Do you use Parallels or Project 365? If you do, how do they work and are you able to open/edit files from MS Projects

Hi everyone,

I'm a junior project manager, and I took on my first project last year. My current windows laptop is on its last legs, and I'm looking to upgrade.

I’m really leaning toward getting a MacBook Air, but most reviews mention that Microsoft Project isn't compatible with macOS.

For those of you who use a Mac for work, how do you handle this? Do you use Parallels or Project 365? If you do, how do they work and are you able to open/edit files from MS Projects

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• South Africa

• Budget

Max R25 000, max $1500

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

No

• Screen size

15"

• Weight limit

Not fussed about the weight

• Purpose

Work, I am a junior project manager and project administrator

• Form factor

[Standard/Clamshell (a regular laptop)

• Intended usage

I currently use word, excell, powerpoint, chrome, MS projects, outlook, streaming sites, one drive, teams. I currently can use all of these applications but my computer is slow and sounds like its going to blow up when word and excell are open at the same time (which is most of the time)

• Desired battery life

At least 4 hours without being plugged in, currectly my laptop lasts about an hour- hour and a half

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, size, battery life, weight

• Info/Requirements

I really want something that has a nice colour, not black, grey or silver. I really like the look of Macbooks but been on Windows my whole life, Mac also does not run MS projects which I use daily. I need atleast 16gb RAM. Don't know if storage will be an issue since all my files are on One Drive.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to buy a new laptop, but I’m struggling to find something that both performs well and actually looks nice. Almost everything I see is just black, grey, or silver, and I’d really like something with a bit more personality/colour.

So far, the laptops I’ve liked most are:

1. ASUS Vivobook 14 (M1407)
2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8”
3. MacBook Air 15”

My concerns:

• I’ve seen mixed reviews about the ASUS and Surface, especially regarding long-term reliability.
• The MacBook Air looks amazing, but I’ve used Windows my whole life, so switching to macOS feels a bit intimidating. I also need MS Project, and apparently you need third-party software/subscriptions to run it on Mac.

Does anyone have recommendations for good-looking laptops (similar aesthetic to MacBooks/Surface) that are available in South Africa and actually reliable?

Thanks!