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How to Buy a Mac in 2025
It’s easier than you think
It crossed my mind the other day that while I’ve published quite a few model-specific Mac buying guides, I’ve never published an overarching buying guide for the Mac itself.
That’s why you’re reading this today — it’s about time I reveal exactly how to buy the right Mac and ensure you end up with a purchase you don’t regret and which serves you for many years.
The good news is that, just like my iPad buying guide, this Mac buying guide reveals how deceivingly simple the process is. I’m not going to dive into the weeds with spec choices — that’s for another day — but I will provide a simple three-step process for defining which Mac you need and then outline the benefits of each model within the line-up.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Define your budget(s)
This might sound like an obvious step, but it’s scarily easy to jump straight into the process of buying a new Mac without really thinking about how much you actually want to spend.
That’s how Apple gets you.
To ensure you don’t overspend, I recommend setting two budgets.
The first is your ideal budget — it’s the amount you want to spend if everything lines up and your attention isn’t…
