College Student

[dirtleg]

My daughter is in her second year at Univ. of Missouri, using a MacBook G4 and she loves it. She uses it for everything, even taking notes in classes. We got her the Applecare and it comes in handy for getting tech advice at the University tech center, for free.
Her first day at school she was on the University net by just plugging in and logging on. Her room mate, with her shiny new PC, took over an hour to finally get everything loaded, set up and on line. She has many similar stories of the Mac/PC differences.
I would not be worried about 'problems' with a Mac. I would be worried about problems with Vista.

But, I'm just sayin'.

 

[Wallace25]

My daughter is in her second year at Univ. of Missouri, using a MacBook G4 and she loves it.

Just pointing out Macbook cant be G4. Intel chips in the macbooks. But that aside, Mac all the way. Not even another option.

 

[dcail07]

Ok I may of changed my mind. I just love those blackbook they look so sweet. Is the transition for windows going to be somewhat easy?(I will get it a month or more before college, I consider myself quite computer literate) Should I go with maybe the 15" MBP?

 

[diamond3]

The transition from windows will be easy. Just get on it and look at the features and play around with it. You will learn it fast because it will become addicting to see all the new features how well they work. Have you used iTunes? That gives you an idea of how easy mac apps are. You will see a slight change, but all easy and well worth it.

If you do want the mbp, I wouldn't go with the 17". It would be too bulky to be setting on the small desks or just to carry around all the time. 15 would work well. I would even consider the macbook due to the fact it is even a little smaller.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

is there any laptop available slimmer than a macbook?

The Macbook Pro. Only an inch thick, practically disappears if you look at it from the side.

 

[sjbillas]

Ok I may of changed my mind. I just love those blackbook they look so sweet. Is the transition for windows going to be somewhat easy?(I will get it a month or more before college, I consider myself quite computer literate) Should I go with maybe the 15" MBP?

I seem to be where you are 3/4 years on - i.e. at the end of my uni degree. And having used a 15" PowerBook (the old MBP) throughout, I cannot recommend Macs enough for college use. They’re stable, fun to use (something Windows users rarely experience), hassle free and will undoubtedly last you through your whole course and beyond.

I too deliberated about moving away from Windows 3/4 years ago, but trust me, within days you will hate windows with a passion and will never want to go back (admittedly I've not used Vista, although from the articles I’ve read XP sounds more user friendly!). You can be computer illiterate and have no trouble switching – Macs are designed for monkeys whereas Windows is designed by monkeys (naturally not to say Mac users are Monkeys!). As for problems with Macs; you will have far more hassle with viruses, faffing about with anti-virus software and crashes on a Windows machine than any other problem on a Mac. My Mac has had no serious system crash - EVER - just the odd crash of MS Office (ironic, I know) – although I now use iWork (Apple’s alternative). Simply put, Macs are for people who want hassle free computing and believe a computer should help and not hinder.

As for MBP 15" vs MB; for what you need, in terms of performance, I would say they would do an identical job. The choice is a simple trade off – portability plus a cost saving versus large screen. For me the 13" screen would be too small (however I have never used one) as I use my Mac to watch videos and I like a big screen for using a word processor. However, the 15" machine is comparatively more bulky (although not much heavier) and I have to carry it in a laptop bag rather than a rucksack.

Sorry for the long post – best of luck at College.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

but will the mac be an easy switch since I've never used anything other than windows? Will the mac be compatible for Microsoft Office? And I love the blackbook but I think the backlight keyboard is a neccesity for those late night papers in the dark dorm room. Correct?

I'm a somewhat good touch typist, and I got used to using a normal keyboard at night and stuff, but the backlight keyboard is just rockin! Sure, it's nothing you need, but you don't need the graphics card either. In fact, for what you'll need, the macbok is better. Better wireless range and battery life, but... that means you'll be missing all the extras that you probably want (but don't need)

 

[dcail07]

I'm gonna mess around with some Mac's at bestbuy in a few weeks on my spring break (no Apple store around here and the best buy is even an hour drive) This should help me make for sure of my purchase. I really want a mac real bad though.

 

[zblaxberg]

but will the mac be an easy switch since I've never used anything other than windows? Will the mac be compatible for Microsoft Office? And I love the blackbook but I think the backlight keyboard is a neccesity for those late night papers in the dark dorm room. Correct?

do what I did and go to the store...try out the different computers and get to know the operating system...btw don't even glance at pc's when it comes to college they aren't worth it

 

[knowledg333]

First off, I think you asked the wrong question, given that this is a mac forum. You must realize that you will certainly get no votes for a PC. Anyway, that being said, I would strongly recommend the 15" MBP. I bought a 17" MBP and loved it (even though I returned it due to monitor defect). Some people would say the screen is too large, but I liked the extra real estate. The 15" I know to be a comfortable size, as many friends of mine have that size. However, if you are going to be carrying it around on your arm like a notebook, then you might consider the black MacBook; which is durable, cheaper, and still pretty cool looking (even though it has the horrible glossy screen). You won't feel as bad when you treat it more ruggedly, because it's not worth as much, and your less likely to drop it because it is also lighter. For what you need this couldbe a perfect fit for you.

All in all, if you want the extra power, screen size, and matte screen, which would all be useful for potential graphics and video work, then go with the 15" MacBook Pro. It would be like sitting in a luxury sedan compared to a honda civic. Both would be good, but will be more comfortable and has a lot more potential.