Since he mentioned iMac and MacBook, it's important to know that Bedrock can only run on Windows 10. Java Edition supports Windows, MacOS and Linux.
I'd call Bedrock the "kid version", since it's more stripped down in features compared to Java, and getting access to w.i.p versions is a nightmare on Bedrock. If you want to play on older versions of the game, or want to play alot of custom maps, Java is the only choice for the former, and the superior choice for the latter.
On the other hand, Bedrock is much more optimized than Java, as such it will perform better on lower-end hardware. Java will tend to chug quite a bit pretty often, and the render distance will have a very big impact on performance. Bedrock can go way above the render distance of Java (32 chunks for Java vs 72 chunks for Bedrock).
For multiplayer, if local multiplayer is all you want, Java is your best bet, but if you want to play with friends online outside of servers, then Bedrock is a simpler and better solution.
In my opinion, the best overall experience is playing the Java Edition, with more options, mods, servers... It's a much cleaner experience.