Buying for college- Should I wait, or indulge?

[T-Stex]

The other issue with 2 computer is keeping track of what is saved on what and trying to keep them both upto date with your school work. I would say it is a waste of money for a college student to buy both a new desktop and a new laptop. Later on after a first year or so you can deside if you need or want a desktop as well.
Start out with just buying a powerbook or Macbook Pro. Dont get an iMac. unless after a while of trying the desktop replacement does not work.

Things you need extra to make up for many of the weakness of laptops.
Extranall monitor
Extranal Hard drive.
Extranal Keyboard and mouse.
Extranal Speakers.
and you should be good and will not noticed any real draw backs to going only one.

That's what I was getting at. If you've got an old laptop, and are planning on getting a new computer, that's different. I was getting at the fact that having two new computers won't serve you that well in college.

The setup above is exactly what I've got, and I couldn't be happier. I've got the laptop for portability, but all the necessary items to be comfortable using it as a full desktop replacement. I think that's the way to go.

 

[seenew]

thanks guys

Let me emphasize what I will be using this computer for.
I'll be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, so it will be almost purely media production. So yeah.
I don't think I'll really care much about take lecture notes on it, but taking a laptop out with me when I shoot photos and being able to view them on the spot- that would be nice.
And portability to and from home would be great, too. I'll be going home more often than I usually would because my girlfriend lives closer to home (her school is 1.5 hours away, mine is 4) and I'd like to see her..

It's just killing me to stare the specs AND price of the iMacs in the face and then get a more expensive, less powerful laptop. I mean, I do have a lot more time to think about this, but I wanted to hear what you guys thought.

I'll probably be reposting this several months from now, anyway, haha.

What about a new Mac desktop and an older Powerbook or iBook? Could that fit the budget?

OH, and is there going to be any way for FlashMX (v6) to run on these Intels? I hate, hate, hate Actionscript 2.0, so I won't upgrade to MX2004.

 

[Dynamyk]

Wait for the iPod deal, it's so worth it. Plus by then you will have extensive research done. I was in the same boat as you, cept I started looking around May and I waited and waited and finally the iBook update came and I've never been happier, cept I could do with another Gig of Ram

Patience is a virtue bro.

 

[ieani]

I'd probably have to agree. They said $2500, so they might be able to squeeze an iMac and consumer Mac Book in there, but not a lot of point to it.

I think there is many good reasons for this. I will have an Imac/Macbook combo for college next year.

Ill have a dekstop with a bigger screen and more power than the Macbook and then a portable with better battery life and durability then the Macbook Pro. Also my Imac screen will be big enough to double as a TV. Lugging two computers around will be easier than lugging one computer and one Tv.

 

[cwedl]

Wait until the last minute before you buy, in fact when I went to uni, I waited a week before I went and didn't have a computer for 2 weeks at uni!

 

[T-Stex]

Let me emphasize what I will be using this computer for.
I'll be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, so it will be almost purely media production. So yeah.
I don't think I'll really care much about take lecture notes on it, but taking a laptop out with me when I shoot photos and being able to view them on the spot- that would be nice.
And portability to and from home would be great, too.

With this in mind, I'd say go for the 15" MacBook Pro. You'll want a bigger screen than the smaller laptops have when viewing photos, and you'll get plenty of power out of it for the applications you'll use. Just wait until you really need it over the summer, and get the best laptop that you can comfortably afford.

 

[xparaparafreakx]

Now that I know what your going to do with your laptop, wait for the MBP with the 17" hopefully 1920x1200 monitor and blu-ray or atlease DL-Superdrives

 

[Timepass]

Let me emphasize what I will be using this computer for.
I'll be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, so it will be almost purely media production. So yeah.
I don't think I'll really care much about take lecture notes on it, but taking a laptop out with me when I shoot photos and being able to view them on the spot- that would be nice.
And portability to and from home would be great, too. I'll be going home more often than I usually would because my girlfriend lives closer to home (her school is 1.5 hours away, mine is 4) and I'd like to see her..

It's just killing me to stare the specs AND price of the iMacs in the face and then get a more expensive, less powerful laptop. I mean, I do have a lot more time to think about this, but I wanted to hear what you guys thought.

I'll probably be reposting this several months from now, anyway, haha.

What about a new Mac desktop and an older Powerbook or iBook? Could that fit the budget?

OH, and is there going to be any way for FlashMX (v6) to run on these Intels? I hate, hate, hate Actionscript 2.0, so I won't upgrade to MX2004.

Again I going to repeat DO NOT buy both a desktop and a laptop right now. Even an older one because you will live to regret it. One of them will almost never be used. I promise you I hardly ever use my laptop any more. For that past 1.5 years it gets used about 1 or 2 times a week. Papers are about the only thing I really use it for any more.

Trust use when we tell you get a Macbook Pro and the extranal stuff. Yes it cost a bit more but that the price you pay for portablilty and not having crippled apple hardware (sorry huge pet peave of mine about the ibook and iMac line). You will have the computing power you need for your work. Hard drive space for your work and still have conforts of a desktop. Going the daul route you are going to be giving up a lot of extra computer power and will live to regreat it. Plus if you dauled the laptop power would be cut to much to be useful.
Trust us get the macbook pro and the other stuff. DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT get a desktop computer. A lot of my friends run on laptops only (some went from desktop to laptops when they upgraded) and they love it. Laptops are the way to go for college students.

 

[C.J Mac]

I am also a student but I will be going into the field of music. I don`t have
a choice, I need a laptop so I bought a laptop. Thats what it comes down
to in my opinion. If you need it now then buy it. My course starts in March
so there is no point in waiting till June or October 2006 to buy a laptop
with a few months left in my course. Whats the point?

I will probably upgrade it when the time becomes necessary, but for now
I am happy with my purchase. Another thing to add is that I purchased the
3 year AppleCare plan so if there is something wrong with it; guess what
its going back, plain and simple thats why I bought for.

As for RAM I have enough for now, but I will likely upgrade to 1GB. Same
with BlueRay, I honestly doubt I will actually need it at this point , so why
worry about something that does not effect me now.

This is my first Mac, and from what I am hearing, switching from PC to Mac
I will not regret the change.

Just my 2 Cents.

C.J

 

[nutmac]

I've recently replaced 15-inch PowerBook G4 with 20-inch iMac Core Duo and I love it. That said, since you do not need to buy the computer in the near future, I would wait a bit and get an iBook replacement as well as external LCD.

That is, assuming iBook replacement will be equipped with DVI output like the latest iMac (most rumors agree on it having a 13.3" wide LCD and Core Solo CPU, but no word on DVI yet). Hopefully, Apple will at least release "Pro" version of 13.3" "iBook/MacBook" with DVI.

 

[MacDonaldsd]

Wait and Laptop

First of all you should wait because of summer offers for students from apple, plus your probably get a newer machiene than if you bought now.

Second get a laptop makes things much easier, means you can take it to around with you.

 

[ieani]

Again I going to repeat DO NOT buy both a desktop and a laptop right now. Even an older one because you will live to regret it. One of them will almost never be used. I promise you I hardly ever use my laptop any more. For that past 1.5 years it gets used about 1 or 2 times a week. Papers are about the only thing I really use it for any more.

Trust use when we tell you get a Macbook Pro and the extranal stuff. Yes it cost a bit more but that the price you pay for portablilty and not having crippled apple hardware (sorry huge pet peave of mine about the ibook and iMac line). You will have the computing power you need for your work. Hard drive space for your work and still have conforts of a desktop. Going the daul route you are going to be giving up a lot of extra computer power and will live to regreat it. Plus if you dauled the laptop power would be cut to much to be useful.
Trust us get the macbook pro and the other stuff. DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT get a desktop computer. A lot of my friends run on laptops only (some went from desktop to laptops when they upgraded) and they love it. Laptops are the way to go for college students.

But what is someone to do who needs the power of a macbook pro but the battery life of an ibook? Maybe not for this person but I think there are some great reasons to own two, which is still my plan.

 

[Andrew7724]

ah~ this is a great topic for us students looking to buy a laptop.
I for one will be studying design as well. I have an imac at home, but I won't bring it with me. So i'm considering buying a laptop.
but just one question though, it's kind of off topic, but anyways...

i assume that i will be using photoshop and illustrator lots, but currently adobe software are not binary softwares... i've heard that they even run slower than powerbook G4. so will macbook pro be able to handle what I will be doing? I assume that the school would not be that demanding, but I want to make sure as well....

 

[seenew]

Yeah, software is a big issue for me, still.
Through all the arguments, I am leaning towards the laptop now, but still not sure. I'll wait and see what new machines/offers come out in the summer. Also, to see how much money I can spend. Ha, can't forget that limitation.

But yeah, is that Rosetta emulator thing working out well? Will it run CS2 and Flash without slowdown? I heard great things about it on the Keynote, but of course, it was certainly biased, coming from Jobs himself...

 

[bodeh6]

Best thing is to wait for summer. more Apps will be universal and I recommend a laptop being a college guy myself. Very beneficial going to peoples houses working on projects, using in library, coffee shops. I have the iBook in my sig and love it. The only thing that taxes it from time to time is when I am going through iPhoto and importing all of my photos into it.

 

[dylangurl21]

I'm a senior in college and I have recently added an imac to compliment my ibook for several reasons: First, I got sick of plugging and unplugging my USB hub all the time, including ipods, printers etc etc. Especially if you would add keyboards, mice, and external harddrives. Secondly, I wanted the portability of the laptop, but the 250 gig harddrive of the imac stores my whole movie/music/photo collection and I dont have to worry (yet) about filling it up.