MBP and college

[vp719]

hey everyone, i'm a senior in high school and am beginnin to plan for college next year. One of the biggest things i'm thinking about it what computer to get for it. I visited an apple store a couple months ago and really liked the macbook pro, I have a dell running XP right now and am sick of it, would a macbook pro be the best way to go for a laptop?
Also, if everyone suggests going for the MBP, i'd want to wait until leopard was released/updated MPB released - does anyone know hte time frame on these?

sorry if i should have searched before posting this, it's kind of spur-of-the-moment. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[jsw]

Leopard should drop late spring, but I'd wait as long as possible to buy any new computer - speeds get bumped, drives get bigger, RAM grows... unless you need it soon, and it doesn't sound like you do, ask again this summer.

 

[dllavaneras]

Also, consider waiting for the new platforms coming to laptops. (I think it's Santa Rosa). Then you'd get one sweet mac

 

[adamyoshida]

hey everyone, i'm a senior in high school and am beginnin to plan for college next year. One of the biggest things i'm thinking about it what computer to get for it. I visited an apple store a couple months ago and really liked the macbook pro, I have a dell running XP right now and am sick of it, would a macbook pro be the best way to go for a laptop?
Also, if everyone suggests going for the MBP, i'd want to wait until leopard was released/updated MPB released - does anyone know hte time frame on these?

sorry if i should have searched before posting this, it's kind of spur-of-the-moment. Thanks for everyones help.

Unless you have a specific needs for it, go with the regular MacBook over the Pro. Laptops are vulnerable things and accidents happen. Better to a $1000 machine than a $2000 one.

 

[dllavaneras]

Unless you have a specific needs for it, go with the regular MacBook over the Pro. Laptops are vulnerable things and accidents happen. Better to a $1000 machine than a $2000 one.

That depends on the uses the OP would give to the laptop. When working with design/video one needs the extra horsepower and a decent graphics card

 

[iW00t]

I recommend a Macbook as well.

My Macbook Pro is currently being fixed so I got a Macbook to tide through the time instead, woah, it is a sweet little computer. So small and light, and quiet to boot!

The Macbook Pro sounds like a jetplane taking off when its under heavy load.

 

[iW00t]

That depends on the uses the OP would give to the laptop. When working with design/video one needs the extra horsepower and a decent graphics card

The is a misconception. Unless we are talking about 3D rendering like Lightwave or Bryce or Maya or Blender (you get the drift) the puny design jobs like Photoshop and video editing do not warrant a dedicated graphics card.

Sorry to hurt your feelings, but those jobs are just not that intensive

 

[adrianblaine]

I got a 12" iBook during my 3rd year in Architecture school and recently upgraded to the 15" MBP. I realize the MacBook is a whole lot faster than an iBook, but as far as screen size, I could never go back to a smaller screen for school. If I was just using it to write papers and take notes in class I wouldn't mind the 13" screen, but I love my bigger screen now.

 

[iW00t]

The 13.3" MB isn't really as small as the 12" PB either, especially when it is widescreen as well.

It has pretty good amounts of room, and most important of all... no graininess. Bliss!

 

[.JahJahwarrior.]

I'm in the same boat as the OP and I'm considering MB, loaded with 2gb of ram and a big harddrive. I'm taking a PC desktop regardless, so I'll use one of those switch thingies so I can easily have two monitors running at once (MB's can do that, right? ) for work in myroom. If I'm doing intensive video editing, I'll be doing it in my room. If I'm writing a paper in starbucks, I can deal with a smaller monitor.

 

[ero87]

GET A MACBOOK, not an MBP.

MacBooks have this great "sturdy" feeling which is perfect for college. When you use a MacBook Pro at school, you're handling a $2000 precious device that requires intense caution just to keep from scratches.

with the MacBook, you're able to the slide it in your backpack without a case, for instance. you don't hafta baby it. And with enough RAM, it's way powerful enough for college.

...but seriously, get tons of RAM. 2 GB and you're really flying, but 1 GB shoudl be enough.

 

[e12a]

I have a better idea:
Ebay. 12" Powerbook. So freakin small...and they're selling like hotcakes. They can be had for pretty cheap depending on the little details.

But its as slow as molasses when compared to a newer macbook(pro).

I'm a first year in college. A 15" MBP is fine for me (I take it to 3 classes). Decent gaming capability during times of insatiable bored-ness. I play Company of Heroes with max resolution and medium settings.

a macbook's screen is just too small for me and i need the "gaming" aspect of the MBP. First week of school we had an inter-hall LAN party. it was awesome.

 

[dllavaneras]

The is a misconception. Unless we are talking about 3D rendering like Lightwave or Bryce or Maya or Blender (you get the drift) the puny design jobs like Photoshop and video editing do not warrant a dedicated graphics card.

Sorry to hurt your feelings, but those jobs are just not that intensive

Not at all, it's always good to learn new stuff (in this case it saves the shopper a bundle ) I always thought video editing needed a decent card besides processing HP

 

[GraceMolloy]

I got the MacBook Pro listed below and I freakin' LOVE this machine. I absolutely positively could NOT be happier with it. It's far more powerful than I actually need for anything I am doing (should be a good machine for many years), my games simply Scream (Both M$ & Mac; though the fans do kick in pretty hard), and it's very portable no matter what others say about the regular macbook. Just get a good padded backpack to carry it around and you're beyond set.


I just got out of college so I can't really speak for that environment but I am an insurance agent so I have to be out and about fairly often. Trust me when I say that one of my friends in the business is ALWAYS complaining about how much his 17" dell weighs compared to mine (I swapped him one day so he could see the difference).

Being probably 18ish and most likely a male, I feel fairly certain that you would play some games on the thing. So the pro is a lot better on that mark.

This is not only a fantastic Mac but it's easily the best and most powerful Windows PC I've ever used.


If it were me in your shoes, the only factor would be price. $1000 is a hell of a lot of cash and a regular macbook isn't a bad machine by any means. But God this Pro is a sweet setup.

Good Luck in your decision.

 

[vp719]

thanks for everyones help, much appreciated. My computer now is just so slow i dont ever want to deal with it again so i was thinking the pro would stay faster longer, or will the regular macbook have just as long of life? I don't play too many games, but will have a ton of pictures, music, and smaller video clips to handle, along with whatever school work is necessary - most of you still leaning towards macbook? Thanks again

 

[MacDonaldsd]

There both great machines, it really depends on your budget and if you want the extra screen space on a MBP or indeed the added inconvenience of carrying it around.

 

[ljump12]

thanks for everyones help, much appreciated. My computer now is just so slow i dont ever want to deal with it again so i was thinking the pro would stay faster longer, or will the regular macbook have just as long of life? I don't play too many games, but will have a ton of pictures, music, and smaller video clips to handle, along with whatever school work is necessary - most of you still leaning towards macbook? Thanks again

Deffinatly get a macbook, not a macbookpro... Take the money difference, and put in 2gigs of ram and buy yourself a nice external harddrive....

macbook 2gigs ram >>>>>> macbook pro wit 512.

 

[mlw1235]

I had this same problem a few months ago. I ended up buying the MacBook, waiting for my rebates to come in, and then upgraded the RAM myself. The computer is (basically) perfect. (With the exception of this godforsaken crack on my palm-rest...but that should be fixed by the time you get it)

I got a free printer, 1/3 off on MS Office and a half price ipod with mine with all the back to school rebates. So definitely wait until August and buy AppleCare. No joke. Especially if you are switching, I did some very beginner things with OS X and Apple had it up and going over the phone in about 30 minutes.

The MacBook is very portable and is very light.


OTOH, my roommate has the MBP and doesn't take it anywhere. His backpack isn't big enough and its wide-screen is just awkward.

Also, plan on buying a travel sized bluetooth mouse, they are very helpful and can be easily placed into a backpack for easy mobility.

 

[vp719]

the macbook's lookin better by the minute - so what makes the MBP $1000 more?

 

[dllavaneras]

the macbook's lookin better by the minute - so what makes the MBP $1000 more?

Dedicated graphics card, faster processors, larger screen, backlit keyboard, faster superdrive (6x vs 8x), an extra firewire port (and an extra USB on the 17 inch). I may have missed something, but those are some reasons... I think the MBP can handle more memory as well

EDIT: the MB can handle 2 GB of RAM, the MBP can handle 3 GB

 

[vp719]

Also, consider waiting for the new platforms coming to laptops. (I think it's Santa Rosa). Then you'd get one sweet mac

whats 'santa rosa'?

 

[DarkNetworks]

Then you'd get one sweet mac

And a mac that'll last you a few years...

The main reason I'm off the MacBook is the GPU.

 

[vp719]

Gpu?

 

[Hadley]

i dont get why anyone says the 15 inch is not portable. especiallllyyyy compared to my last dell laptop, this thing is so light and easy to carry around.

personally i like the 15 inch screen a lot better, its got room for everything im doing on it.

 

[diehldun]

I'm a HS senior too, and I'm planning on getting a 15" MBP to replace my 17" PB during the summer. I've had my PB since I started HS, and I plan to use my future MBP through college.

I went to the Apple Store yesterday, and maybe it's because I'm so used to the 17" screen; I just felt more comfortable with the 15" screen size compared to 13" (I love the glossy screen option!). I'm also partial to the aluminum casing aesthetically, though it does scratch a bit.

I'm just REALLY hoping that Apple will release a new MBP with a new enclosure that looks different from the PB, though unfortunately I don't think that will happen.

(originally, the plan was to give my PB to my parents so we could use iSight/iChat, but now that Apple's stopped selling iSight, I don't know...)