opinions about MBA for college

[Beowulf666]

sounds to me like you're getting the MBA just because of its looks, and if that's the case, then you're really just wasting your own money, but hey, it's your money so knock yourself out.

Sounds like you only really need a macbook though.

 

[echozoom]

I too am considering the MacBook Air, as a university student. I have typed my notes for many years and always look for the thinnest and lightest notebook I can afford. From all of the posts that I have read since the Keynote, it has become clear that many people simply fail to understand the point of this notebook because they don't take weight issue into account. The weight of a computer, binders, and books adds up! Some people need the lightest weight possible and if all they are doing is internet browsing, iTunes, and word processing, having the fastest processor and such becomes irrelevant.

Of course, I also have a PowerMac G5 so that makes it easier to give up certain feature on my portable machine.

 

[Block]

A 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo is going to be a boatload better than the majority of education software sysreqs. I doubt the guy is taking engineering if he's considering a MBA.

I was mainly referring to the slower hard drive. A lot of research labs prefer their undergraduate researchers to be able to store a portion of their data on their personal computers (so they can work on it elsewhere, etc.), and sometimes programs like to open up a lot of data files at once to assess/analyze information. Of course the MBA would be able to handle it, but it would be at a slower rate in comparison to the other options (hence why I recommended a HD upgrade).

But I agree with you that the processor is more than enough to handle most educational programs.

 

[lbeaumont]

This all comes down to a personal preference, really.

But as another poster said, when you carry more books that weigh a lot more than a computer, a measly 2 pounds wont make a difference. If you find the MB too heavy, you need to harden up IMO.

Then again, a lot of my books are available electronically, so that too makes life easier.

If I had to choose - MB.

When I start uni in a month, I am going the MBP though.

 

[e12a]

if it were between the MBA and MB, i'd take the MB (black) any day over it. So much more power and HD space, I could care less if it could fit in an envelope.

alas, i have the MBP which I am happy with.

 

[Catch]

But as another poster said, when you carry more books that weigh a lot more than a computer, a measly 2 pounds wont make a difference.

It just amazes me how people can come out with a statement like that again and again. That is EXACTLY when it makes a difference...

If you know the limitations and you can live with them get the MBA over the MB every time. If weight and size is no problem go for the MBP. If you need editing applications, go for the MBP. If you are on a budget and need a chunkier more durable laptop (my experience), then go for the MB. If you need a portable editing facility for location production of video, go for the 17" MBP every time. IF you rip allot of music and watch DVD on the go then buy a MB.

C

 

[lbeaumont]

It just amazes me how people can come out with a statement like that again and again. That is EXACTLY when it makes a difference...

Again it comes down to personal opinions. Say you have 10 pounds of books and a MB, to go to an air it is still 8 pounds, that is a minuscule difference when you look at the bigger picture.

 

[Catch]

Again it comes down to personal opinions. Say you have 10 pounds of books and a MB, to go to an air it is still 8 pounds, that is a minuscule difference when you look at the bigger picture.

What if you have a disability that only allows you to comfortably carry 8lbs. Do you still think that those extra 2lbs are miniscule when you 'look at the big picture'?

I have two kids and no disabilities. I gym regularly and cycle 10 miles almost every day before I go into the office. I rock climb, ski, scuba dive and various other things. Will an extra 2lbs kill me or make me miss meetings? No. If I have the choice walking down the road with 2lbs less in my hand, I don't wear a rucksack to business meetings, its worth a premium to me as well as some others.

C

 

[lbeaumont]

We are talking about regular uni/college students though. Ofcourse the 2lbs in your disability scenario makes a difference, but to me anyway, I would rather take the two extra pounds for the MBs performance.

 

[Catch]

We are talking about regular uni/college students though. Ofcourse the 2lbs in your disability scenario makes a difference, but to me anyway, I would rather take the two extra pounds for the MBs performance.

Good for you. If I was a student, presuming I was not rich, I would probably take the MB as well. I would take the money I saved and hang out with my buddies in the student bar, take my girl out for a few meals, buy some music, go on a road trip and all that, but then again when I was a student I was in to motorcycles and parties more than technology. Those were the days!

The point is that anyone in their right mind looking at the MBA is weight and volume conscious...

Regards,

C

 

[kaiwai]

Someone sounds bitter. Dude lighten up, if his parents pay for stuff more power to him. It's none of your business who pays for what.

The fact that in 3 years time he'll be yet another slave to the state expecting instead nanny state to wipe his behind instead of his parents. Over dependency on parents result in a need for nanny state later on. It wouldn't be so bad if he was pathetic in his own right, but when I'm forced to pay for this patheticness via taxation, that's what I don't like.

Oh, and all I'm saying, if he was my kid, I'd give him an interest free loan, but I wouldn't just him something off the bat; and I'd make him pay for his education as well. Nothing like thousands of dollars sitting over ones head as a good incentive not to stuff around at university.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

The fact that in 3 years time he'll be yet another slave to the state expecting instead nanny state to wipe his behind instead of his parents. Over dependency on parents result in a need for nanny state later on. It wouldn't be so bad if he was pathetic in his own right, but when I'm forced to pay for this patheticness via taxation, that's what I don't like.

Oh, and all I'm saying, if he was my kid, I'd give him an interest free loan, but I wouldn't just him something off the bat; and I'd make him pay for his education as well. Nothing like thousands of dollars sitting over ones head as a good incentive not to stuff around at university.

Well then perhaps it is better he is NOT your kid.

 

[gescom]

Don't put the MBA on a stack of college term papers or you could lose it!!!

 

[Sesshi]

As other people have said, the MBA is not really your main computer. It's not even that great, general specs-wise, as a second computer. But it's the lightest Mac there's ever been.

As Catch has repeated, you don't have to be a weakling to appreciate a machine in the MBA form / weight factor. The sole reason many of you don't get this is because the Applezombies have never had an OSX computer of this weight class and you've never had experience of a computer that's actually all-day portable, something that we in the Windows world have pretty much taken for granted for a few years.

I'd echo the suggestion for an iMac/MBA combo if funds allow. But if the MBA is going to be your sole computer, no matter how much you want to show it off I'd say think carefully before you buy - You could be seriously compromising utility for portability which you'll regret down the line.

Personally, I would say that what a Uni student needs from a computer is a level of versatility that the MBA isn't designed to offer. I would say that the MBA is designed for people like us - professionals who need a notetaking / messaging / other light-use OSX machine on the move who already have other computers. In that vein, I'd say that a Macbook Pro would be a better choice if this is going to be your main and only machine.

sounds to me like you're getting the MBA just because of its looks, and if that's the case, then you're really just wasting your own money, but hey, it's your money so knock yourself out.

Sounds like you only really need a macbook though.

Which is in effect a prettified entry-level Dell running a prettified OS. Pot kettle black and all that

 

[eba]

I'd be careful about buying a MBA for college. Unless you know exactly what your computing needs will be for the next couple of years, you can't be sure that the MBA will meet them.

 

[jnc]

I'd be careful about buying a MBA for college. Unless you know exactly what your computing needs will be for the next couple of years, you can't be sure that the MBA will meet them.

...

You could say that about any machine =|

 

[aiongiant]

I'd be careful about buying a MBA for college. Unless you know exactly what your computing needs will be for the next couple of years, you can't be sure that the MBA will meet them.

i agree and hopefully not just students that do this LOL

in my experince theres 2 main uses most students do on thier laptops

1st it's mainly for IM, word processing, photos, etc
which the mba can easily handle and u can always get the $99 option for the superdrive if needed to rip cds or watch dvds

2nd uses is games/video editing/audio compositing + all the other stuff above
it's a macbook pro for you.

and lastly
if your on a small budget... and ALOT of students are
then the macbook is for YOU!

 

[eba]

...

You could say that about any machine =|

True. I just thought it went without saying that the MBA makes more compromises than most machines.

 

[q123123]

quick question

while everyone is talking about how the mba is 700 more expensive... people dont think about the fact that the good macbook that everyone loves (the black one) is actually only a lil less expensive than the mba. anyways i was just thinking that.

on another completely different thing:

300 bux to upgrade mba cpu .2 is it worth it?
im a pc guy so i dont know how well macs run , is .2 gonna make a big difference? i dont use it for gaming (i have a ps3 and 360 for that) i mostly download movies, write papers, and go online. occasionally i use my slingbox program to watch tv in class ^^ should i go for the 1.8 ?

 

[BOSS10L]

I just can't understand the logic. I understand that there is a viable market out there for the MBA, the question is, how many of those people believe that the MBA is worth it's current price? Look at the iPhone. I feel really bad for all those early adopters who were shafted by the price-drop. What happens after the initial rush is over and Apple realizes they can't sell these things and then drops the price on the MBA?

The OP is a college student. With the HE discount, the MBA is $100 cheaper than the MBP. As others have noted, you're talking about a 2lb difference between the MBA and MB, and a 2.4lb difference between the MBA and MBP. The average student will be carrying around 20-30lbs of books/supplies at any given time, so what does 2lbs matter?

I'm a "non-traditional" returning student in a week, and honestly, the $700 difference between the MB and MBA isn't a major issue for me, but I just can't rationalize spending that $700 in order to purchase an inferior machine, just because it weighs a few pounds lighter.

Based on the OP's comments, it sounds to me like he wants it for the "coolness" factor. I freely admit that I'm a little out of the loop as to what is "hip" these days, but pissing away $700 just for the sake of it doesn't ever seem as though it should be "in".

Just my .02 GHz...

 

[aiongiant]

quick question

while everyone is talking about how the mba is 700 more expensive... people dont think about the fact that the good macbook that everyone loves (the black one) is actually only a lil less expensive than the mba. anyways i was just thinking that.

on another completely different thing:

300 bux to upgrade mba cpu .2 is it worth it?
im a pc guy so i dont know how well macs run , is .2 gonna make a big difference? i dont use it for gaming (i have a ps3 and 360 for that) i mostly download movies, write papers, and go online. occasionally i use my slingbox program to watch tv in class ^^ should i go for the 1.8 ?

i decided it wasn't enought of a difference for me
that small of a margin isn't worth the increase in price approx $300CDN for me i rather spend the $300 on a really reallly relallllyy nice sleeve LOL jk

 

[heatmiser]

I just can't understand the logic. I understand that there is a viable market out there for the MBA, the question is, how many of those people believe that the MBA is worth it's current price? Look at the iPhone. I feel really bad for all those early adopters who were shafted by the price-drop. What happens after the initial rush is over and Apple realizes they can't sell these things and then drops the price on the MBA?

The OP is a college student. With the HE discount, the MBA is $100 cheaper than the MBP. As others have noted, you're talking about a 2lb difference between the MBA and MB, and a 2.4lb difference between the MBA and MBP. The average student will be carrying around 20-30lbs of books/supplies at any given time, so what does 2lbs matter?

I'm a "non-traditional" returning student in a week, and honestly, the $700 difference between the MB and MBA isn't a major issue for me, but I just can't rationalize spending that $700 in order to purchase an inferior machine, just because it weighs a few pounds lighter.

Based on the OP's comments, it sounds to me like he wants it for the "coolness" factor. I freely admit that I'm a little out of the loop as to what is "hip" these days, but pissing away $700 just for the sake of it doesn't ever seem as though it should be "in".

Just my .02 GHz...

There's very little logic *in* this thread; it's mostly people trying to justify the existence of the MBA without regard to the reality of a college student's needs. I'm graduating in six months, and if I've learned anything in the past four years, it's how hard money can be to come by in college, and how little "flash" means at the end of the day. I wish more people here would stop selfishly answering why they'd like an MBA, and instead offer the guy some decent advice on buying a reliable computer to last him for a couple of years without his needing to buy a dozen accessories to make full use of it. It's a bit frustrating to see how much bad advice has been given, but maybe this is one of those things people have to learn for themselves.

 

[abcdefGARY]

Post deleted.

 

[ProPedderKustom]

I just can't understand the logic. I understand that there is a viable market out there for the MBA, the question is, how many of those people believe that the MBA is worth it's current price? Look at the iPhone. I feel really bad for all those early adopters who were shafted by the price-drop. What happens after the initial rush is over and Apple realizes they can't sell these things and then drops the price on the MBA?

The OP is a college student. With the HE discount, the MBA is $100 cheaper than the MBP. As others have noted, you're talking about a 2lb difference between the MBA and MB, and a 2.4lb difference between the MBA and MBP. The average student will be carrying around 20-30lbs of books/supplies at any given time, so what does 2lbs matter?

I'm a "non-traditional" returning student in a week, and honestly, the $700 difference between the MB and MBA isn't a major issue for me, but I just can't rationalize spending that $700 in order to purchase an inferior machine, just because it weighs a few pounds lighter.

Based on the OP's comments, it sounds to me like he wants it for the "coolness" factor. I freely admit that I'm a little out of the loop as to what is "hip" these days, but pissing away $700 just for the sake of it doesn't ever seem as though it should be "in".

Just my .02 GHz...

It's not an inferior machine if it does everything you want it to!

I will buy a MBA because it does everything I need with great power, sexy design, great battery life, and OS X Leopard. Sure there are faster machines, but this one will be very fast for my uses and the smiles to dollar ratio will be very high for me, a 20 year old college student.

I guess it just depends what you look for and need. I will pay a premium to get what makes me happy, satisfied, and productive. I don't want a MB because it looks clunky and cheap [plastic] to me. The MBP is too big for me to carry in my nice carry-ons and will be too tall when it is open when the person on the airline in front of my reclines his/her seat and I'm trying to watch a DVD I ripped to my hard drive. Moreover, I like having a feather-weight computer because it is just easier to bring everywhere. I am incredibly physically fit, more so that 99.5% of anyone on this website, but I still don't want to lug around a heavier machine. I travel quite frequently and need something that is as versatile and travel-friendly as I am. I know I am a bit of a special case but there are a lot of guys like me out there, they just don't post on their forum.

 

[dukebound85]

I am incredibly physically fit, more so that 99.5% of anyone on this website, b

i must be that .5% lol