It is so quiet, you cannot tell it is running, just like one of those electric cars. And let me tell you, if you have any problems with your eyes, this is the way to go. It is extremely clear. I also have the Ipad 3, which I use all the time, but since I am doing serious typing and photo editing, I felt I needed a laptop ($4000). I also wanted to get out of the room I was stuck in, which was seriously hot, especially in the summer.
This purchase however, led to other dilemas. I use Chrome and for now (at least the last time I checked) the only browser that looks really clear on this laptop is Safari. After much frustration and research on the internet, I found that Chrome makes a beta that they are always working on and yeah! it is clear!! However, Microsoft Office for the Mac is not clear and is really pretty awful to use. So, I had to purchase Pages by Apple, which I will first have to get used to, but doesn’t look as full a program as Word, at least at first glance.
I wear glasses and previously have used what is called progressive or non-lined, in which you can see distance and close-up in the same pair. I also had a pair of just reading glasses. I’d been using old reading glasses to use on the computer monitor (and putting my head so close that sometimes I’d bump into it). But now, I couldn’t get the laptop close enough, so I needed to go to the eye doctor for “computer glasses.” I finally got the appointment with the eye doctor, bought the glasses and I’m now out another $250.
Once I got the glasses, I realized that my desk didn’t work well to type with the laptop. I was used to typing on the lower shelf with the keyboard. Since I am short, I had to find a desk that was shorter than normal, which of course came at a premium price, plus shipping – $300 more. Unfortunately, the only place I have for this desk is the hot room I wanted to get out of. It seems to me to be another tale of the hole in the bucket, but even though it may seem like it, I’m really not complaining. It is a wonderful laptop, which I would recommend.