My daughter is interested in a laptop for senior year and college next year. She really wants an Apple MacBook so I am looking for the most affordable laptop for a student. thanks
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Most Affordable MacBook
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MacBook Air M1
Refurbished Mac - MacBook Air
Save up to 15% on a refurbished MacBook Air. Tested and certified by Apple including a 1-year warranty. Free delivery and returns.
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Contact the college to see whether she will need any particular software for her course, and whether that runs on a Mac.
I work in retail and just had a student nearly crying on the phone because they bought a Chromebook, used it, it won't run the software he needs and it doesn't qualify for return.
I work in retail and just had a student nearly crying on the phone because they bought a Chromebook, used it, it won't run the software he needs and it doesn't qualify for return.
MacBook Air M1. $699 at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - Walmart.com
Buy Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage at Walmart.com
www.walmart.com
Not surprising. Chromebooks are are OK for high school but college level work requires something with a little more intelligence and capabilities.
These are really very capable Macs. I did quite a bit of graphic design (Adobe Illustrator, InDesign mostly) on my base model M1 Air and it was quite decent at keeping up with that fairly demanding work.MacBook Air M1. $699 at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - Walmart.com
Buy Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage at Walmart.comwww.walmart.com
Presumably, you are talking about 5 years of use, including 4 year undergraduate program. I would go ahead and get the M3 MBA, rather than the M1. The base M3 model goes on sale for $899, which is only $200 more than the M1 on sale. Or, you can try to get the Apple education discount, which is $100 plus a $150 gift card. Apple no longer sells the M1, so that education deal is not available for the M1 model.
Anyway, paying $200 more for the M3 is well worth it over a 5 year period. That's $40 per year or about $3 per month.....you can't get a cup of coffee at Starbucks for that. Also, the M1 was released almost 4 years ago, so it is unlikely to receive MacOS updates for 5 more years. That alone would be worth the $200 to me.
Anyway, paying $200 more for the M3 is well worth it over a 5 year period. That's $40 per year or about $3 per month.....you can't get a cup of coffee at Starbucks for that. Also, the M1 was released almost 4 years ago, so it is unlikely to receive MacOS updates for 5 more years. That alone would be worth the $200 to me.
… released 4 years ago but Apple stop selling M1 new last year so 5 year timer may have started last year on M1. Choosing M3 is good advice but certainly not “most affordable” when M1 MBA is avail as refurb direct from Apple and eligible for Apple Care+.
Your right if “affordable” = least expensive. The thing is many college students drop over $100k on an undergraduate degree. For $200 difference, it seems kind of silly to buy a dated M1 MBA that might stop getting OS updates half way through completion of a degree. The laptop is the most important productivity device for most undergraduate students.
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@Macnificant can’t go wrong with either choice of M1 or M3 (or even M2).
Second this. Another alternative is M2 15” MBA which I found even bigger discount (and slightly lower price) than m2 13” MBA in my country.MacBook Air M1. $699 at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - Walmart.com
Buy Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage at Walmart.comwww.walmart.com
I have two in college right now, and they’re both very happy with their M1 MacBook Air laptops. They have the base 8/256 configuration. Neither has had a problem.
Yes, they are very capable machines, and this business that you can't do anything with a base configuration MBA except email and Youtube is pure malarky. Plenty of college students use these computers as their everyday productivity tool to write reports, do statistical analysis, make presentations, etc..
My only concern with buying a new M1 right now is how long it will get MacOS updates. The OP is looking for senior year HS plus college, so let's say 5 years of use. That's probably stretching it for OS updates, given the M1 was released 2020. If updates aren't important to the OP, then go for the M1 as the least expensive option.
I think the M1 support will be around for more than 10 years. The architecture of the chips is largely the same. The M3 has some features the M1 does not have, largely to do with graphics and video codecs. I think MacOS will be able to function just fine without the M3 features. Most applications will be able to function just fine on the M1 and M3, just not as fast on the M1. For notes, documents, spreadsheets, email, etc. the M1 should be just fine for many years in my opinion. I would have no issues buying a M1 system if I was on a budget.
Definitely one consideration out of many. Although, it doesn’t stop working or become a breeding ground for viruses/malware just because macOS updates are no longer available. I think refurb/used M1 systems will be the best value for the buck over the rest of this decade.
MacBook Air M1. $699 at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - Walmart.com
Buy Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch Laptop - Silver, M1 Chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage at Walmart.comwww.walmart.com
And, it's now down to USD649!
The neural engine on the M4 is 3.5x as powerful as the M1, it seems. Hard to say that’s insignificant as it seems it may play a significant role in upcoming AI related features. Without doubt though, I’m having no issues with performance whatsoever for what I do today.
AI is a big question for all current, and future, systems being sold. I personally have no need for AI in anything I do. I also think that AI at this point AI is still a marketing gimmick. AI may eventually find its place, somehow, and become really useful.
Apple has transitioned from many chip families. That was a problem for OS support. Hopefully the M series stays around for a while. That should make OS support more long term. Of course, Apple may arbitrarily decide to not support older platforms to drive sales. Even if Apple does that, the M1 system should still be functional for many years without the latest OS. I know people still running 11 year old Macs even though the OS is not supported.
Buy what is needed now, what can be affordable now, and don’t play the futures game.
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Sure.
But opinions on the usefulness of AI aside, technically, the fact remains that it’s more likely than not a non-insignificant point of differentiation between the M families, and if Apple goes all in on AI then it’s likely to affect the longevity of the devices.
And nobody who is on a forum to get basic information on the lifecycle of devices should be running an 11 year old Mac with an unsupported OS.
Like I said, I agree with most of what you wrote, but it’s indisputable that the neural engine is significantly improved.
If most affordable is the main criteria, absolutely sort by price.
Personally, if my daughter was about to go to college, I would spend the extra couple hundred bucks and buy the M3 on sale (recently @ $899). The least expensive California State Universities are going to cost about $9K per year for tuition, books and fees.....and that's a low estimate. Add living expenses and you are taking about $25K per year....$100K for her 4 year degree. The minor savings between an M1 and M3 on sale seems like a poor place to economize, given that a laptop is probably the most important tool for a college students.
Personally, if my daughter was about to go to college, I would spend the extra couple hundred bucks and buy the M3 on sale (recently @ $899). The least expensive California State Universities are going to cost about $9K per year for tuition, books and fees.....and that's a low estimate. Add living expenses and you are taking about $25K per year....$100K for her 4 year degree. The minor savings between an M1 and M3 on sale seems like a poor place to economize, given that a laptop is probably the most important tool for a college students.
Does she have to get the laptop for the senior year? The Apple Student Discount is much better than it is for school and perhaps worth waiting for, depending on circumstances.
Extra couple hundred bucks is nearly 40% more when you consider M1 MBA is $650 new !! For extra couple hundred bucks on top of your extra couple hundred bucks you can get TWO M1 MBA new !!
Yup.. it personal when one must decide what make most economical and practical sense when making purchase.
Or buy it with a credit card that adds a year of warranty. My Chase Freedom Unlimited, for example, offers this. No added charge.