Apple Mac Books

[Civic_Drift]

I'm off to university in a couple of months for my first year so I'm in the market for a laptop. I want to buy an Apple Mac book this time since I want to try a Mac out this time.

Anyone has any good suggestions as to which Mac book is the best in terms of space, quality, and good for an university student? I don't want the Mac book to be a brick so I was thinking about the Mac Book Pro (13 inch screen) but I heard it wasn't that great?

[Stephen81]

I've had my 13" aluminum Macbook for over two years now...got it a month before they began rolling them out as Macbook Pro's :banghead:

Anyways, the specs on this are obviously less than the 13" MPB but it's quick, and hasn't skipped a beat ever. I've used it every single day and it still looks and performs like day one. Been through the last two years of my degree with this and I think the 13" is a great size, nice and portable.

[Civic_Drift]

Glad to hear that you have a good experience with your Mac Book Pro.

Anyone else have opinions on the Air?

[dragonone]

the main thing to understand is exactly what you plan on doing with it. i have a powerful desktop at home, i rarely travel (i.e. for months), and i don't need to render or encode things for work/school so computing power is not too important to me. if you are just surfing, word processing, watching movies and listening to music, the Air is more than enough. The processor inside is similar to the Unibody Macbook (2.0/2.4Ghz) that the above poster was talking about ... 1.8Ghz, nothing to rave about but it will do the exact tasks the same way. It's actually faster in some aspects because of the SSD inside; anything that is not CPU intensive.

if this is you main computer, i'd get a 15" mbp and call it a day. it has better screen resolution than the 13", a much more powerful graphics card, and i personally hate staring at dinky screens for extended periods of time. if you can afford it, i'd get a 17". the other solution is to get a 13"/15" for portability, and a however big screen you like at home as an external monitor.

the Air is due for a Sandy Bridge refresh, and probably only to the 13". Also, wait for the yearly promo where you get a free ipod (up to $259) when you purchase a laptop, even from the refurbish section of the online apple store.

[sputnik]

Buy a comparable Asus for $400-500 less and spend the difference on beer.

[chkolny541]

^^ he needs to be a first year hipster, obviously the macbook is a required

First year was great, it was funny looking around the room at everyone with their fancy shiny new macbooks. :rofl:



but advice would be, go with the smallest screen you can. The 17 in. is fucking massive and awkward as hell. In uni it sucks when everyone has their laptops out on the table working on a project and some fucker pulls out his 17/19 in alienware and takes up the whole table.

I just got a new laptop this year as well (currently in 4th year) and i just went as cheap as possible (my main computer at home is plenty good for me) so i got a little 11 inch netbook, love it. Its incredible for traveling as well, 13 hr battery life is soooooo nice. Plus it was only 400$ so if it gets damaged or stolen it wont be the end of the world for me either.

[Afrodeziak]

go 13" for portability.

I upgraded to a 15" and now pretty much never take it anywhere. A bit of a large paperweight to lug around I find.

13" was a lot simpler.

[Jlude]

Don't listen to everyone who says "you're trying to be cool by buying a mac". Just buy what you want.

13" MBP would be perfect for uni... don't get the air IMO... it's not as sturdy as the MBP and you'll end up beating the shit out of it.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Jlude
Don't listen to everyone who says "you're trying to be cool by buying a mac". Just buy what you want.

You would think that as a university student, that price would be a factor in his decision. If it isn't, I can't wait to see him start a thread complaining about tuition costs, or parking prices or his student loan that just keeps growing.

Why drop $1500 on a laptop for no reason?


Originally posted by Jlude
13" MBP would be perfect for uni... don't get the air IMO... it's not as sturdy as the MBP and you'll end up beating the shit out of it.

You know what laptop is PERFECT for university students?

One that allows you to view webpages, use email and type up documents.

If you need a glowing white apple on your CultBookPro to validate your decision you probably lack the critical thinking skills required to get anything out of a university education.

[kvg]

I'm on a 2004 mac laptop right now. I use it for surfing at work and it works good as ever. I have 2 mac desk tops at home and have had no problems with any of 4 macs I have owned over the past decade. I'm very happy so far with apple products. Pricey though:dunno:

[max_boost]

Yea you can get some very good laptops in the $600 range.

I can see sputnik in the ING direct voice, "SAVE YOUR MONEY" lol

[sputnik]

Originally posted by max_boost
Yea you can get some very good laptops in the $600 range.

I can see sputnik in the ING direct voice, "SAVE YOUR MONEY" lol

I didn't say anything about saving money... I was recommending spending it on beer.

[Kg810]

Lol sputnik has so much hatred for Apple.

So the difference between the OP and sputnik is how they piss away their money.


Anyways, while I agree spending $1500+ on a laptop isn't the smartest thing, unless you can afford to.

I normally recommend against laptops, but if you are a student and need one for school I can definitely help recommend a good one. OP, can you tell me your size? I personally recommend 12-14" range, no smaller and no bigger.

If you let me/us know what size you are looking for and the weight of the laptop you want, it'll help us narrow down the suggestions.

[Jlude]

Originally posted by sputnik


You would think that as a university student, that price would be a factor in his decision. If it isn't, I can't wait to see him start a thread complaining about tuition costs, or parking prices or his student loan that just keeps growing.

Why drop $1500 on a laptop for no reason?



You know what laptop is PERFECT for university students?

One that allows you to view webpages, use email and type up documents.

If you need a glowing white apple on your CultBookPro to validate your decision you probably lack the critical thinking skills required to get anything out of a university education.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: so much hate!

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by sputnik
If you need a glowing white apple on your CultBookPro to validate your decision you probably lack the critical thinking skills required to get anything out of a university education.


Originally posted by sputnik
I didn't say anything about saving money... I was recommending spending it on beer.

This is true. Stupid kids in university need money for beer. Buy a cheaper laptop. There's nothing an Apple laptop can do that a non-Apple laptop can't for a third to half the cost.

I always thought the funniest argument for a $1500 Apple laptop was because Windows could be installed be installed on it if you don't want to us OS X. Well so can a $500 non-Apple laptop and it even comes with it so you don't have to install it!

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Kg810
Lol sputnik has so much hatred for Apple.

So the difference between the OP and sputnik is how they piss away their money.

I have 2 Apple machines and 2 PCs at home.

The thing I hate is people that buy Apple because it is little more than a trendy fashion accessory or they are convinced that "everything Apple is just better".

Not exactly good reasons to select a laptop. Especially one that is nearly twice the price of a PC the is comparably equipped.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz




This is true. Stupid kids in university need money for beer. Buy a cheaper laptop. There's nothing an Apple laptop can do that a non-Apple laptop can't for a third to half the cost.

I always thought the funniest argument for a $1500 Apple laptop was because Windows could be installed be installed on it if you don't want to us OS X. Well so can a $500 non-Apple laptop and it even comes with it so you don't have to install it!

But what about those commercials where Apple's don't get any viruses?

[heavyD]

Originally posted by max_boost


But what about those commercials where Apple's don't get any viruses?

Been using a Mac for over a decade and never got a virus.:dunno:

[msommers]

I bought a 14" HP from Laptop Depot years ago and beat the living piss out of it. I mean that thing went everywhere, was on for a good portion of everyday, been dropped etc and to this day still works albeit it's on its last legs.

14" was a good size I thought for looking at lecture powerpoints, typing up shit, some games and iTunes library. I hate reading papers on a screen so those always got printed off.

Seriously a 17" laptop for school is fucking retarded. The little piece of desk that spins up was just big enough for mine, sometimes not even.

I don't care if you get an Apple or PC but definitely don't get anything bigger than 14". I wouldn't get an Apple personally because the cost/benefit isn't worth it but its your cash, do what you feel is best.

Congrats on getting into school!

[tha_bandit]

consider buying used :dunno:, that way u can even buy an apple without spending too much, either way, all you need is a machine that can handle MS office really, nothing too fancy LOL

[kvg]

Originally posted by heavyD


Been using a Mac for over a decade and never got a virus.:dunno:

Same here. I had other pc's before and they were always shitting the bed. I will admit I don't know shit about how computers work, for all I know the run on magic. I just want something that works that I don't have to worry about.:dunno:

[dragonone]

how is a macbook very overpriced when you can buy it with the educational discount or refurbished, and with a free ipod that you can potentially sell?

the premium is for the build quality, service, and their OS (if you like it ...). i can't stand the majority of PC laptops after owning a macbook, all the case/keyboard flexing, the uncomfortable trackpads.... etc. raw/power / $$ - yes, there are way better deals to be had. to have all those above things in a PC, you'd pay more than you will pay with an apple laptop. this new laptop from dell (http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/dell-xps-15z-review/) is the perfect example, and the more expensive HP Envy line as well.

i mean... i'm not a fan of the ppl that work at the genius bar but they are courteous and respectful, and usually don't try to get themselves out of a warranty situation. try buying a compaq at futureshop and have a problem couple months down the road.

if you were to get a PC laptop around the $500 range, please research the reviews. there are very few good laptops in this price range, and reliability is very iffy right after one year.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by max_boost


But what about those commercials where Apple's don't get any viruses?
They get viruses, just much less risk than Windows. Since Macbooks and iMacs have been very popular over the past few years, chances of getting a virus have risen. It's still much less risk than Windows, but I see customers (those who are very computer illiterate I may add) that come in and complain they got a virus and was LIED to by Apple!

You know, not saying Norton is a great anti-virus, but it was made for the Mac since 2000.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by dragonone
how is a macbook very overpriced when you can buy it with the educational discount or refurbished, and with a free ipod that you can potentially sell?

The education discount only gives you $100 off. Yeah, you get the free iPod but that offer's only around during back to school time (when retailers typically have specials for all brands anyways)and there's only a limited selection of the iPods eligible. You could probably get $200 at the if you sell the iPod.

With refurbished, you only save $100-150 on the lower end models. The higher end models you can save as much as $500, but they'll still end up costing you ~$1500. I'm pretty sure the free iPod offers are not applicable on refurbished models.

While they're not not very overpriced after all that is factored in, it's still overpriced.


Originally posted by dragonone
the premium is for the build quality, service, and their OS (if you like it ...).

I've been using Apple laptops since the G3 days and they've all had some sort of physical issue, whether it be the laptop casing or the internals. None of my non-Apple laptops have had any issues. So in my case, your argument on the better build quality doesn't stand.

[Type_S1]

Don't buy an apple for university. I'm a 4th year student and have never used my laptop once at school other than when I am studying before exams up in the towers. There are tons of computer labs which I find much more convenient than lugging around a laptop constantly.

Plus mac's are pretty much garbage comparable to other computers in the price range so stick to something cheap that does the job imo. Had a compaq for 3 years until I broke the screen from being an idiot one day and it cost me $450 and worked awesome for me. Sure not the best brand but have a great desk top at home that I don't need to use my laptop at home.

So unless your one of those homo's that need to be cool and get a mac to look like your sooooo cool don't be an idiot...in 6 months your only justification for getting one is like all the other fanboys "it never gets virus's" :rofl: :rofl:

[dragonone]

well to be fair, the OP asked which mb to get. i'm not trying to convince him to buy an apple, i just don't agree with why it's such a bad purchase. there is no other product with the same set of features. whether you think it's overpriced is up to you. there are also laptop reliability studies done which sees a trend with premium laptops (not limited to Apple) having a lower malfunctioning rate. you can also try to find a laptop with a very similar feature set and compare the two side by side, and see if the differences appeal to you or turn you off. ppl pay the premium for the battery life and the screen on a 17" mbp. not all classes are in lecture halls with tiny swivel desks. what if it's for a graphics design course? a photography course? yes, back in my undergraduate years, i always had powerpoint handouts or had to print them out before class. but the occasional class i take now, everyone has a laptop ready because nothing is handed out.

don't take our word for it. i can tell you i fix laptops and only ever see toshiba's overheat, acer's power supply crap out, and never apples when in reality some ppl take them straight to the apple store to replace the logic board and i never get to see them. i'd seriously reconsider recommending someone to get a compaq tho because they are very crappy machines along with acers (except for the few that are popular on redflagdeals and backed by numerous reviews).

i personally don't know anyone who buys a mac to be cool. i don't know how that came about. if anything, it's the alienware - gaming laptop bunch who game in lectures who are cool. and to the nerd inside me the m11x is a pretty cool machine.

again, not a fanboy of either, as i use both. i just don't agree with the extreme views that some of you have. and clearly some are much more informed than others.:banghead:

i'll leave you with a good review (http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/macbook-pro-review-early-2011/). you can find similar ones on numerous other non-Apple laptops as well. Lenovo comes to mind, and also the new Dell i posted earlier. for more Apple vs PC stuff, feel free to use the search button.:drama:

[nich148_9]

Sigh — wrote a nice, thoughtful reply and mis-clicked the "Reset Form" button. What a fucking terrible placement for a non-undoable function. Let's try this again.

If all you're going to do is take notes in class, browse the web, chat with friends and write papers, performance specs aren't even an issue. Battery life is the most important figure here, really.

With that in mind, Apple's lineup tends to fare better than their competitors in battery life. The 11.6" MacBook Air is a treat — SSD for speed, and the battery lasts hours and hours. It's also nice and light. That said, it's expensive ($1000 for the low-end model), but if you have the money, it's a good option. Their service is also pretty fantastic, from personal experience (I got a scratch on my iPad screen, and they replaced the product for free, on the spot).

A comparable netbook-type laptop from Asus, Dell, etc. will be cheaper, but they won't have the same battery life. They also won't have a solid-state drive for that price, and their build quality tends to be poorer. If budget is an issue, they're a decent choice, and will suit you just fine.

Have you considered a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard?

[gt2871r]

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=60950&vpn=VM174UA%23ABC&manufacture=HP%20Consumer&promoid=1324

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=58585&vpn=X52F-X3&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1324

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=60151&vpn=WZ294UT%23ABA&manufacture=HP%20Commercial&promoid=1324

Good laptops for school.

[tha_bandit]

Originally posted by Type_S1
Don't buy an apple for university. I'm a 4th year student and have never used my laptop once at school other than when I am studying before exams up in the towers. There are tons of computer labs which I find much more convenient than lugging around a laptop constantly.

agreed, and they are a fucking distraction in class anyways, i own a mbp and have only taken it to school like 3 times...


Originally posted by nich148_9

Have you considered a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard?

ahahha, serious? ahh shit, i bet i'll see people taking notes on ipads this fall (unless some ppl are already doing this, wasnt in school this previous sem), to me that would be :banghead:

[chkolny541]

^^ ive seen a few ppl take our their ipads, in this epic dramtic way to sort of flaunt it to everyone around then, check email, then either put it back away (because they cant do anything else with it ) or start playing bejewelled haha

[kvg]

When ever someone mentions apple it turn in to a hate thread.:rofl:

[max_boost]

I bought this laptop yesterday: http://www.visions.ca/catalogue/category/Details.aspx?categoryId=323&productId=7693

I was looking at macs/iPads etc. but I couldn't justify it. I do have a few friends telling me that the Asus E-Transformer is a really good tablet or wait for the new Samsung 10.1 tablet.

[Anomaly]

Originally posted by dragonone
the premium is for the build quality,



Yeah...no.
Look up the square trade laptop reliability studies, Apple is in 4th place, behind Asus, Toshiba, and Sony.



Personally, I would take an Asus and spend the rest on beer.

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by Jlude
Don't listen to everyone who says "you're trying to be cool by buying a mac". Just buy what you want.

13" MBP would be perfect for uni... don't get the air IMO... it's not as sturdy as the MBP and you'll end up beating the shit out of it.

:werd: Just let the guy do what he wants. So much hate on Apple products. I love it when I see people argue over the price of Apple stuff while they flaunt their designer clothing. Do you need to overpay for expensive clothes when you can get the same thing for cheaper? Or they do the "Apple is so closed and bad to developers." well excuse me, are you a developer? If Apple was truly crap, would they be this big now? They must be doing something right.

Macbooks are fine for university students. Intro price at a grand is perfect, and it has enough power to do what you want. If you want to game, then get a console, but mac does have steam. But otherwise it has everything you would need. Macbook pro is more for a power user, but it's good for the long run.

Also every laptop's durability varies, it really depends on the user. Does the owner abuse the laptop, or does he load it up with a ton of stuff to slow it down? PCs and Macs can be equally reliable, just depends on the user.

[Jlude]

Originally posted by kvg
When ever someone mentions apple it turn in to a hate thread.:rofl:

Every. Single. Time.



Originally posted by Zephyr


:werd: Just let the guy do what he wants. So much hate on Apple products. I love it when I see people argue over the price of Apple stuff while they flaunt their designer clothing. Do you need to overpay for expensive clothes when you can get the same thing for cheaper? Or they do the "Apple is so closed and bad to developers." well excuse me, are you a developer? If Apple was truly crap, would they be this big now? They must be doing something right.

Macbooks are fine for university students. Intro price at a grand is perfect, and it has enough power to do what you want. If you want to game, then get a console, but mac does have steam. But otherwise it has everything you would need. Macbook pro is more for a power user, but it's good for the long run.

Also every laptop's durability varies, it really depends on the user. Does the owner abuse the laptop, or does he load it up with a ton of stuff to slow it down? PCs and Macs can be equally reliable, just depends on the user.


QFT

[Kg810]

Originally posted by Anomaly




Yeah...no.
Look up the square trade laptop reliability studies, Apple is in 4th place, behind Asus, Toshiba, and Sony.



Personally, I would take an Asus and spend the rest on beer.

I would take SquareTrade studies with a grain of salt, afterall, they sell warranties for laptops. That isn't to say that their warranties are bad, I've heard and read good things, but their studies are bias in that they are trying to promote themselves and get people to purchase warranties.

Many causes of laptops breaking down or being deemed unreliable is because of the owner and the treatment the laptop goes through. University students will probably bang up their laptops and not take good care of their laptop cause their parents are paying for it. I'd bet actual hardware failure based on faulty parts or design flaw is quite rare, and most cases of unreliability is because of abuse.

I've had experienes with Toshiba (when I was at SAIT/MRU), Sony (friends and family) and Lenovo (work, personal, family) laptops and I can speak from first hand experience that Lenovo is a lot more reliabile and has better build quality than almost every other brand. I think my family has spilt full cups of water (hot and cold) and has soaked through the keyboard, through the internals and the battery. The lenovo laptops are still kicking like new.




Anyways, I agree with what Zephyr said and that the OP isn't making a wrong choice with a Macbook. There may be better choices overall, but it depends solely on what the OP wants and needs in a laptop.

Without knowing exactly what the OP wants, I'm still sticking by my recommendation of a Lenovo laptop, such as this one:

Lenovo Thinkpad T420s (http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=AA603E5675299BC4CF667BA5CD165AB4&action=init)

14.1" HD Widescreen (1600x900 LED Backlit
Under 4lbs of weight
i7-2620M (2.70GHz - up to 3.40GHz)
1GB NVIDIA Quadro NVS4200M
2GB DDR3 (Choose not to upgrade this as you can buy better ram and upgrade yourself for $35 for a 4GB kit)
250GB HDD 5400rpm (stuck with the default HDD, as you can get better HDD for a lower price)
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN

+

3Yr Basic Warranty + 3Yr ThinkPad Protection (this covers everything from spills, drops, etc. So feel free to abuse it, wear and tear it and have it replaced brand new)

for $1729.10 with "CAPSAVEINMAY" coupon

Keep in mind that the 3yr TPP warranty is $389, so you can get the above for $1340 with the regular 1yr factory warranty. I would definitely pick this over a 13.3" Macbook even though I prefer the 13.3" size.

I'm personally a desktop guy, so I would suffice with a $400-$500 netbook.

Just my two cents :thumbsup:

[MrSector9]

http://corruptcitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/haters-gonna-hate-pink-suit-black-dude.jpg

[nich148_9]

Originally posted by tha_bandit

ahahha, serious? ahh shit, i bet i'll see people taking notes on ipads this fall (unless some ppl are already doing this, wasnt in school this previous sem), to me that would be :banghead:

I take notes on my iPad. What's weird about that?

[dragonone]

no shit, i bet the same ppl wouldn't say the same thing if it was an EEEpad transformer. docked or no dock lol. oh no, it might have just sprung up an android vs ios discussion.

[tha_bandit]

^^ i dont really care what OS it is, every OS has a use in my mind. Just saying that taking notes on a tablet seems like a pain, hopefully u guys are using a keyboard, LOL. I guess i'm old school, I prefer notes using pen/paper.

So you use an iPad full out as a computer during the day at school? Crazzzyyy kids....

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by tha_bandit
^^ i dont really care what OS it is, every OS has a use in my mind. Just saying that taking notes on a tablet seems like a pain, hopefully u guys are using a keyboard, LOL. I guess i'm old school, I prefer notes using pen/paper.

So you use an iPad full out as a computer during the day at school? Crazzzyyy kids....

I have a capacitive stylus and I use it to take notes during meetings at work on Penultimate app. It's just easier for some people like me. If I take notes on paper, it seems to disappear in the black hole that exists in my backpack :dunno:

[dragonone]

if the user was truly using the tablet like the $500 laptop suggesting ppl imply i.e. take notes, web surfing, music, watching the occasional movie... i don't see any features a tablet cannot do. you can even draw diagrams, something i would've envied.

but i'm with you on the paper. i take notes in evernote, sync, and print them out later on to study from.

[MPowered]

Sorry to bring up an old thread but it's back to school time. I'm looking for an Apple for my daughter. She's an art student and needs an Apple(No arguments).

Anyone running a good back to school or student sale?

[sputnik]

Originally posted by MPowered
Sorry to bring up an old thread but it's back to school time. I'm looking for an Apple for my daughter. She's an art student and needs an Apple(No arguments).

Anyone running a good back to school or student sale?

Macs do not go on sale. Apple dictates the price and they are the same across all retailers.

I like how she claims she "needs" it because she is an "art" student.

[wintonyk]

Originally posted by sputnik


Macs do not go on sale. Apple dictates the price and they are the same across all retailers.

I like how she claims she "needs" it because she is an "art" student.

They were 50 bucks off 2 weeks ago at futureshop. And they threw in Microsoft office Suite for free.

[tha_bandit]

Tell her to go here and fill in details: APPLE EDUCATION (http://www.apple.com/ca/education/store/)

Roughly 7% off all macbooks + $100 appstore gift card (back to school promo)

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by sputnik


Macs do not go on sale. Apple dictates the price and they are the same across all retailers.

I like how she claims she "needs" it because she is an "art" student.

They have education discounts. I hear that a lot of art professors prefer to teach with software on a Mac. So not having one can be disadvantageous depending on the instructor.

[Lagerstatten.ca]

It's true that some (if not a majority) of art+design instructors require their students to use Apple computers and Mac software.

They teach on those platforms and thus require their students to do the same. Students are welcome to use whatever they want, but support will not be given to those students.

This applied at ACAD and probably other Art colleges as well.

[Kardon]

I just came here to say despite the MUCH better resale value and better quality materials, and the well known reliability-you should definitely go save a couple hundred on a PC that looks like plastic junk :thumbsup:

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Lagerstatten.ca
It's true that some (if not a majority) of art+design instructors require their students to use Apple computers and Mac software.

They teach on those platforms and thus require their students to do the same. Students are welcome to use whatever they want, but support will not be given to those students.

This applied at ACAD and probably other Art colleges as well.

My wife finished her BFA in Photography at ACAD.

Macs were NOT a requirement. Many people in her class had PCs.

Adobe Photoshop, Capture One Pro, Microsoft Office and everything else one might need all run on both Macs and PCs.

[takkyu]

fyi, back to school promo is still going strong, picked up a macbook air 13" last night at chinook apple store and got student discount on macbook, applecare and a $100 itunes card.