Laptop vs Desktop for a High-Schooler?

[bluedoggiant]

So I'm freshman in High school, and I have the iMac in my sig as my only computer (500gb HD), the mbp and mb are mom and dad's.

Now, I'm getting a feeling, as a student, I should have gotten a laptop and I heard students are better off with them.

So I am thinking about waiting till nehalem comes out and I get a MacBook Pro
––
OR
––

Get a MacBook to go along with my iMac, but which would be a better deal? replace the imac with a macbook pro, get a macbook, or just keep my imac. When I use my iMac, i'm very happy, when i use the kitchen macbook, im like, "i can use this wherever", but im afraid if i get a laptop it will stay on my desk.

I'm also not sure if its a good idea to get one machine for all my goods rather than two, there are some pros and cons of each thing, but idk.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: MBA is not an option, and a laptop for using wherever in the house, thats why i'm asking, and I do take the family MB to school on certain days.

[squeeks]

you dont use laptops in High school...at least not that ive ever seen

stick with your imac, its a great machine

[Nugget]

you dont use laptops in High school...at least not that ive ever seen stick with your imac, its a great machine

Seconded. There's little reason to want a laptop in high school.

[squeeks]

all you punks with laptops in middle and high school suck i didnt get my first laptop until i GRADUATED:D

[tsice19]

Get the MacBook.

Even if you're in HS, you'll enjoy the portability and not be tied to a wall with a cord. Games may be iffy at times as far as performance goes, but other than that it is great.

My suggestion- Get the low-end macbook and buy the biggest HD and 4GB of RAM off NewEgg.

Also, get an external monitor so when you come home/get back to your desk, you just plug in and have a big monitor like an iMac.

I'm going to be a Freshman... that's just my 2cents though.

[wgilles]

Most high schools don't even allow laptops in school during school hours...
Anyway, unless you wanna ruin your high school career (socially) by ripping out the laptop in the middle of the day, stick with the desktop.

[ghall]

Your position seems to be geared more towards personal preference. I have a laptop (MacBook Pro) and I use it mostly at my desk, but I like the option of taking it downstairs onto the couch, or to school (at my high school we're allowed to have laptops). It's really nice to have that flexibility. Though IMO the ideal solution is both, if you can afford it. If you end up going with just the laptop, go for the Pro, it's quite a nice machine, and it's worth it if you can afford it.

My point is, it seems like your only factors are what you think will work better for you, and what you can afford.

Hope this helps.

[bluedoggiant]

Get the MacBook.

Even if you're in HS, you'll enjoy the portability and not be tied to a wall with a cord. Games may be iffy at times as far as performance goes, but other than that it is great.

My suggestion- Get the low-end macbook and buy the biggest HD and 4GB of RAM off NewEgg.

Also, get an external monitor so when you come home/get back to your desk, you just plug in and have a big monitor like an iMac.

I'm going to be a Freshman... that's just my 2cents though.

the macbook as my only computer is not an option, that is way downgrading, and i use my imacs power for a reason, video stuff, large HD for movies and music, and a moderately paced growing photo library, i can get that in addition, and agree with getting the lowest end MB as an ADDITION, but keeping the RAM at 2gb (no need for 4gb), and hd is fine at 120gb, i won't be storing anything on it but a couple documents to transfer home onto my imac and music.

Most high schools don't even allow laptops in school during school hours...
Anyway, unless you wanna ruin your high school career (socially) by ripping out the laptop in the middle of the day, stick with the desktop.

err, no, not really, we are required, for LA class, we type on the computers.

Your position seems to be geared more towards personal preference. I have a laptop (MacBook Pro) and I use it mostly at my desk, but I like the option of taking it downstairs onto the couch, or to school (at my high school we're allowed to have laptops). It's really nice to have that flexibility. Though IMO the ideal solution is both, if you can afford it. If you end up going with just the laptop, go for the Pro, it's quite a nice machine, and it's worth it if you can afford it.

My point is, it seems like your only factors are what you think will work better for you, and what you can afford.

Hope this helps.

exactly, taking it down onto the couch. or on the bed, i would most likely be saving up for a monitor for it.

[Wild-Bill]

The only reason for high-school students to have laptops is..... wait... there is none.

Laptops + high school students = texting/chatting/surfing and not studying.

High school grades suffer = epic fail.

[noodle654]

I have a laptop and I am a high school student. I have reasons behind the choice though.

I am in a band and I record a lot and I bring my MBP to do recording and mixing. I also have multiple houses, so having a laptop of a must and I just would rather use laptops.

[bluedoggiant]

The only reason for high-school students to have laptops is..... wait... there is none.

Laptops + high school students = texting/chatting/surfing and not studying.

High school grades suffer = epic fail.

ughh, how many times am i going to say this, i use it to type in LA class, the teacher requires it. but at home, chatting and surfing is my goal:D

[arsenalGUNNER]

The only reason for high-school students to have laptops is..... wait... there is none.

Laptops + high school students = texting/chatting/surfing and not studying.

High school grades suffer = epic fail.

Thats not true. I am a Junior in high school and I have 8 classes and out of those 8 classes I use my MacBook for 6 of them, including AP US History, Sports Medicine, AP Spanish, English, AVID, and more. It is very helpful.

[FreeFlight]

The only reason for high-school students to have laptops is..... wait... there is none.

Laptops + high school students = texting/chatting/surfing and not studying.

High school grades suffer = epic fail.

I'm a junior in high school, and i own a MBP. Having the laptop versus a desktop is greatly advantageous. Being that I'm in three AP classes, I often find myself having to type papers up almost every night. Having the laptop allows me to take my computer wherever I go in case I don't have time to sit at a desk at home typing. Also, over spring break I had to write a ten page paper. I was able to take my computer with me and work on our college visit trip, without having to worry about cramming all the work in the night before school resumed.

Along with school work, the laptop works great for the small recording studio I run. I'm able to take it with me if i have to do some on-site recording, which occurred recently for a church band.

Finally, I don't text on my computer; that's what my cell phone is for. Neither do I "chat".. that ended around middle school. As far as surfing goes, I research when I need to research, and I get on mac rumors when I have some leisure time :D

So in my opinion, go for the MBP! Just my 2 cents :)

[The Flashing Fi]

ughh, how many times am i going to say this, i use it to type in LA class, the teacher requires it. but at home, chatting and surfing is my goal:D

So... What have you been using in LA class so far? I'm assuming that you're in the US, which means the school year is winding down. How have you gotten this far? Unless you go to a private school, I have never heard of a public school requiring a laptop.

It sounds to me that you're just looking for any reason to get a laptop. You say you want to transfer documents (I'm assuming from school?) onto your iMac. You are aware that you can set up a g-mail account and e-mail yourself any documents you worked at at school. Before you say that it's easier to transfer documents between your laptop and desktop (and how often are you expecting to do this anyway?) it takes all of 10 seconds to go into your gmail account and download the document.

[thegoldenmackid]

I have a laptop as a junior, it helps, but its not a necessity...it might be one of those, if its not broken dont fix it things

[jjahshik32]

So I'm freshman in High school, and I have the iMac in my sig as my only computer (500gb HD), the mbp and mb are mom and dad's.

Now, I'm getting a feeling, as a student, I should have gotten a laptop and I heard students are better off with them.

I thought this was true for college students as they can carry it around campus... but high school.. are you even allowed to bring your laptop to class? I remember when I was in high school I've never seen anyone carry a laptop around, I think 1 kid did but he needed it because he was deaf..

[ZiggyPastorius]

I voted for the Macbook. While in terms of bang-for-your-buck as a High School student, the iMac is definitely a better choice, since I got my Macbook, things are just so much easier. I'm still in High School, and sure, it's not needed, but if you can afford it, go ahead. I bought my macbook with my work money, and I can't imagine being without it now..However, if I understand your situation, you already have the iMac. So if that's the case, I'd say just use the iMac. Unless of course you feel you really need the Macbook, just keep the computer you have :) Good luck with your decision, either way.

[bluedoggiant]

I have a laptop as a junior, it helps, but its not a necessity...it might be one of those, if its not broken dont fix it things

I thought this was true for college students as they can carry it around campus... but high school.. are you even allowed to bring your laptop to class? I remember when I was in high school I've never seen anyone carry a laptop around, I think 1 kid did but he needed it because he was deaf..

private school, its a teacher thing, only that teacher allows it, one kid brought in the laptop into science class and it got snatched, so its only allowed for LA class

i have gmail, but when i get home i transfer using finder, i plan on getting .mac, but i set up the applescript for ichat so i can use my imac from school

the computer im using? a MacBook, family computer, i just feel i need my own thing cuz its kinda my moms, and i'd really like to surf and do little stuff on it in bed, and take it around the house, vacation maybe, when i goto my apartment in egypt, i go for a month, a notebook would be nice, and if needed, like im going over to a friend's house, and we wanna do something computer related, i have it right there. So seems the macbook looks like the better choice, but im not sure if its worth the money for JUST THAT and i may use it over my imac that a macbook pro would have to be an option, and im not so fond of that. like using a macbook pro for the stuff i mentioned, it could get damaged, macbook seems more durable.

[iTeen]

Go for the macbook, thats what i have. I like it because i have portability, if needed, i can take it into class for a presentation, writing a research paper, or simply taking it over to a friends house.
Mine stays on my desk like 30% of the time, i know that i would hate having to be grounded to the desk all the time due to lack of portability.
If screen space is an issue, get a external monitor.

btw, i am 15 and class of 2011!!!

[jjahshik32]

private school, its a teacher thing, only that teacher allows it, one kid brought in the laptop into science class and it got snatched, so its only allowed for LA class

i have gmail, but when i get home i transfer using finder, i plan on getting .mac, but i set up the applescript for ichat so i can use my imac from school

the computer im using? a MacBook, family computer, i just feel i need my own thing cuz its kinda my moms, and i'd really like to surf and do little stuff on it in bed, and take it around the house, vacation maybe, when i goto my apartment in egypt, i go for a month, a notebook would be nice, and if needed, like im going over to a friend's house, and we wanna do something computer related, i have it right there. So seems the macbook looks like the better choice, but im not sure if its worth the money for JUST THAT and i may use it over my imac that a macbook pro would have to be an option, and im not so fond of that. like using a macbook pro for the stuff i mentioned, it could get damaged, macbook seems more durable.

You just explained why a mb will do you good.. and honestly I think you should go for it and get the mb.

[bluedoggiant]

Go for the macbook, thats what i have. I like it because i have portability, if needed, i can take it into class for a presentation, writing a research paper, or simply taking it over to a friends house.
Mine stays on my desk like 30% of the time, i know that i would hate having to be grounded to the desk all the time due to lack of portability.
If screen space is an issue, get a external monitor.

btw, i am 15 and class of 2011!!!

haha, i think its your setup post that really triggered me to start this thread, cuz u said you were 15 (same age), and had a macbook so yeah

You just explained why a mb will do you good.. and honestly I think you should go for it and get the mb.

yes, ive been watching tons of youtube videos about it, i think im better off with a low specced mb, the mba would be nice, the price is not in my reach.

my worry is the fact i may use the mb over the imac:eek:

and all of this is making me think of a 12" PB

[Freyqq]

So I'm freshman in High school, and I have the iMac in my sig as my only computer (500gb HD), the mbp and mb are mom and dad's.

Now, I'm getting a feeling, as a student, I should have gotten a laptop and I heard students are better off with them.

So I am thinking about waiting till nehalem comes out and I get a MacBook Pro
––
OR
––

Get a MacBook to go along with my iMac, but which would be a better deal? replace the imac with a macbook pro, get a macbook, or just keep my imac. When I use my iMac, i'm very happy, when i use the kitchen macbook, im like, "i can use this wherever", but im afraid if i get a laptop it will stay on my desk.

I'm also not sure if its a good idea to get one machine for all my goods rather than two, there are some pros and cons of each thing, but idk.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: MBA is not an option, and a laptop for using wherever in the house, thats why i'm asking, and I do take the family MB to school on certain days.

stick with what you have...you don't really need portability in HS

[comptr]

I thought this was true for college students as they can carry it around campus... but high school.. are you even allowed to bring your laptop to class? I remember when I was in high school I've never seen anyone carry a laptop around, I think 1 kid did but he needed it because he was deaf..
where have you been when I was in high school I always took a laptop. this was way over a few years ago. also most of my buddies brought laptops too.

[jjahshik32]

where have you been when I was in high school I always took a laptop. this was way over a few years ago. also most of my buddies brought laptops too.

I graduated in 2001, but all my high school years I've only seen a couple people with laptops.. and everyone else with just paper and pen. I guess things changes ALOT, I'm getting old..:(

[alphaod]

The MB is a very powerful computer. Also since it's high school, it doesn't play games very well which is a plus. Keeps you focused.

[comptr]

I graduated in 2001, but all my high school years I've only seen a couple people with laptops.. and everyone else with just paper and pen.
really in my high school there were quite a few. mostly people in computer classes brought them.

[bluedoggiant]

The MB is a very powerful computer. Also since it's high school, it doesn't play games very well which is a plus. Keeps you focused.

thats not a problem, im not a video game guy, if i were to play any game, it is to be The N (2D flash game, the best)

or FSX, which needs time and patience, and i only do that in the summer.

[jjahshik32]

really in my high school there were quite a few. mostly people in computer classes brought them.

All my computer classes either had your own dell that you sat at or you would go to the "computer lab."

[jjahshik32]

my worry is the fact i may use the mb over the imac:eek:



Thats similar in my decision to sell my mac pro since I have a 17" mbp... The mbp has only 1/3rd power as the 8 core mac pros but for most things the 17" mbp would do fine.. and I'm thinking about selling the mac pro to use the mbp as my main machine. I usually like to use one machine.

[dukebound85]

I thought this was true for college students as they can carry it around campus... but high school.. are you even allowed to bring your laptop to class? I remember when I was in high school I've never seen anyone carry a laptop around, I think 1 kid did but he needed it because he was deaf..

even in college you dont need a laptop


you do NOT need a laptop for classes PERIOD. let's get real, how can a school enforce that if not all families can buy their kids a laptop? seriously? they may need a computer but not a laptop

i say stick with your desktop and save the 1-2 grand personally

[jjahshik32]

even in college you dont need a laptop


you do NOT need a laptop for classes PERIOD. let's get real, how can a school enforce that if not all families can buy their kids a laptop? seriously? they may need a computer but not a laptop

i say stick with your desktop and save the 1-2 grand personally

I agree with you, I personally think taking notes on a sheet of paper is much faster and much more expandable (especially if you need to draw a graph/chart/equations).
In college I never used a laptop in class unless you absolutely need to run and use a certain program.

[dukebound85]

I agree with you, I personally think taking notes on a sheet of paper is much faster and much more expandable (especially if you need to draw a graph/chart/equations).
In college I never used a laptop in class unless you absolutely need to run and use a certain program.

after 5 years of college, i have never needed to use my laptop as a laptop. never taken it to class or nothing. it sits on my desk as a desktop.

i use my laptop's portability when running home or buisness trips. school obligations has not made me get a laptop in the least

is it nicer....sure but not more money nicer for school purposes

once again, my opinion, but everyehere on campus, there are labs if im have to check my email, which frankly to me can wait till i get back home lol

[The Flashing Fi]

after 5 years of college, i have never needed to use my laptop as a laptop. never taken it to class or nothing. it sits on my desk as a desktop.

i use my laptop's portability when running home or buisness trips. school obligations has not made me get a laptop in the least

is it nicer....sure but not more money nicer for school purposes

once again, my opinion, but everyehere on campus, there are labs if im have to check my email, which frankly to me can wait till i get back home lol

I've had classes that explicitly required you to have a laptop.;)

[dukebound85]

I've had classes that explicitly required you to have a laptop.;)

in high school though?

all of my engineering classes have been book and notebook classes. if not, then using the lab's workstations

[jjahshik32]

after 5 years of college, i have never needed to use my laptop as a laptop. never taken it to class or nothing. it sits on my desk as a desktop.

i use my laptop's portability when running home or buisness trips. school obligations has not made me get a laptop in the least

is it nicer....sure but not more money nicer for school purposes

once again, my opinion, but everyehere on campus, there are labs if im have to check my email, which frankly to me can wait till i get back home lol

Yea, I totally agree. Most of the time I couldnt understand why people were carrying laptops upfront and I always wondered how they are drawing all the graph/charts so quickly as the professor just rummages to the next graph/chart rather fast..

But most of the time by looking over at someone's laptop I did see them not paying attention and just web browsing or listening to music/watching videos and especially IM chatting.

[bluedoggiant]

in high school though?

all of my engineering classes have been book and notebook classes. if not, then using the lab's workstations

YES

is that clear?:cool:

[comptr]

All my computer classes either had your own dell that you sat at or you would go to the "computer lab."

So did we but it was our choice and we brought them. I see nothing wrong with bringing a laptop. As someone who is in collage my laptop never leaves me. I take it everywhere. Sorry if I seem like Its fine or something but I see nothing wrong with bringing laptops to high schools.

[tip]

in high school though?
I don't believe a public high school would require students to have their own laptops. There are a handful of private high schools here in Chicago that have started an initiative to have students have laptops, however, that is through the school with financing.

Back to the OP, I think a MB works just fine for school purposes.

[Ryuukumori]

Heh, I was in a similar situation as you (currently a Junior in HS).

But I managed to keep my mind off a laptop until college. It's all a teen hype for some of us who want a laptop rather than need one.

Do yourself a big favor- wait on a laptop for college. That's what I'm doing. You can always do your school work at home on your iMac.

Instead, get your license to drive around and get a good paying job for all the things you can do aside from a laptop. Trust me, waiting until you need one is a lot better, and you get the most potential out of a laptop you would not have to replace after you finish high school and enter college.

Not only would you save money, but you will probably find so much more if you had that $1k-$2k set aside for some different things! =)

[switcher3365]

I would get the laptop in college. There, you are guaranteed the ability to use it anywhere and it won't be as much of a distraction in the classroom as it would be in a high school setting.

Furthermore, although laptops can get stolen anywhere, bringing it to a high school is just a different kind of environment.

[chrmjenkins]

Keep your iMac and wait to get a laptop for college.

In 3-4 years when you go to get a laptop, here's what you can expect:

Blu Ray
SSD becoming standard
32nm, possibly 22nm Sandy Bridge chip (two microarchitecture revisions from now)
Better integrated graphics
Multi-touch out the butt
LED backlit standard for everything
etc.

:D

[Westsider 4 Mac]

For you, get a MB and keep the iMac. you'll be glad you did later.
As for me, My girls are in Middle school and High school. They both use MBP line laptops. I am a big believer in getting the most you can afford as needs change and expand over your original intent. Now, both of my girls are budding artists and the MBP with CS is great. :apple:

[craigverse]

My high school had had a dedicated laptop program that students could opt in to. This led to scheduling scheduling students with laptops into classes together. I used my laptop all throughout high school. (my handwriting is and always has been atrocious)

I'd go with having a laptop.

[The Flashing Fi]

in high school though?

all of my engineering classes have been book and notebook classes. if not, then using the lab's workstations

No, not in HS. You said in college you don't need a laptop. That is not true. I'm doing engineering too, and a few of my classes explicitly required a laptop. Without one, you would have been lost.

[compuguy1088]

All my computer classes either had your own dell that you sat at or you would go to the "computer lab."

Same here, though I also had a Alphasmart Dana for note taking, and writing assignments (The reason why is kind of complicated), otherwise a computer may be unnessary. My limited experience with APUS shows that typing notes is better than writing, depending on the speed of the lecture. It can help in some classes in college as well (worked out great with note taking in history). I have a Macbook Pro SR 07' 2.4 15". Overall I would stick with the iMac, there is no real need to have a laptop in high school. It would be more of a distraction than a help. What may help is the investment in a Alphasmart Neo if you do a lot of writing or note-taking.

Go for the macbook, thats what i have. I like it because i have portability, if needed, i can take it into class for a presentation, writing a research paper, or simply taking it over to a friends house.
Mine stays on my desk like 30% of the time, i know that i would hate having to be grounded to the desk all the time due to lack of portability.
If screen space is an issue, get a external monitor.

btw, i am 15 and class of 2011!!!

Class of 2007 here :D

[aaron.lee2006]

The only reason for high-school students to have laptops is..... wait... there is none.

Laptops + high school students = texting/chatting/surfing and not studying.

High school grades suffer = epic fail.

I'd love to know why you'd automatically think that. I have either my MacBook Pro or iBook at school and I couldn't imagine a day without it. I use it to study everyday, in my media and communications classes. Many of the students at my high school have laptops, many of them being Macs. And yah we're a public school. It's becoming more and more common to see kids with laptops at school.

[TSE]

Personally, an iBook G3/G4 running Panther/Tiger is decent enough for taking notes, Excel, spreadsheets, internet, basic photography stuff. If it has atleast 40 GBs of HD Space, and 512 MBs of RAM, I think that would be decent enough.

I am a Freshman in high school and had an iBook G3 Clamshell 466 MHZ, Combo Drive, 320 MBs of RAM, 40 GB HD, running Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2). I then got a first generation BlackBook in May 2006 from inheritance, the Uncle died about 2 days after buying the MacBook and I got to get it. I didn't use it for about 2 weeks after receiving it because I was tranced from the event, so I couldn't return it. I decided to keep it. I gave the iBook to a friend for a birthday present. The MacBook had numerous problems and after receiving 3 more MacBooks to replace it, they gave me a MBP for free. Even the MacBook was overkill, and now I even have more overkill. The iBook was wonderful, had a brand new battery so it lasted about 4 - 6 hours. It was more portable, more durable, and I wasn't afraid to bump it. I could run iTunes, FireFox, and Word all at the same time without much trouble.

You could easily buy the iBook I had with the same specs for 200 dollars shipped. It is better for a high schooler, that way, when you get to college you can buy a brand new, spanking top-of-the-line laptop for your whole 4-5 years of college life.

[dukebound85]

YES

is that clear?:cool:

you sure its not just a want rather than a need lol.


seriously NO hs can enforce that policy unless they finance it. too many families cant afford to give their kids a laptop


is that clear? :rolleyes:

require a computer ....ok as a family can have one computer at least but require a laptop no way as laptops are more for one individual and are more expensive to begin with


either way i think you should stick with the imac and get a lap top when you trueley need it. think of it his way, the longer you hold off getting a laptop, the better it will be lol

[Ryuukumori]

you sure its not just a want rather than a need lol.


seriously NO hs can enforce that policy unless they finance it. too many families cant afford to give their kids a laptop


is that clear? :rolleyes:

require a computer ....ok as a family can have one computer at least but require a laptop no way as laptops are more for one individual and are more expensive to begin with


either way i think you should stick with the imac and get a lap top when you trueley need it. think of it his way, the longer you hold off getting a laptop, the better it will be lol

Heh, I second that.

You're even lucky to have an iMac... right now, I don't own Macs at all. I'm only here cause I'm researching into its extremities, and one day, buy a Mac.

[Zwhaler]

you dont use laptops in High school...at least not that ive ever seen

stick with your imac, its a great machine

Yup, I am kind of in his situation, and I have been using a late 06 iMac and have no regrets. My friend bought a MacBook... and it sits on his desk forever and ever.

[iMpathetic]

Let me just throw a couple things in here..

First of all, I'm in the same psition as the OP. Sort of. Right now, what I have is a powerbook and a maxed out powermac G4. I can say that the desktop does imdeed get neglected when I have the laptop - I don't think I've fired it up in months.

Secondly, my next setup shall be a dual G5 and an IBM Thinkpad X41. The PCness of the thinkpad will probably cancel out the behemothness of the G5, and they'll most likely both get used the same amount.

Hope this draws some useful parallells. :)

[Wolf04]

you dont use laptops in High school..
That's a pretty huge assumption. To be honest, I got my first laptop just before going into high school because my high school had a laptop program within the academic program and my whole school had wireless, so it was very convenient to do work. That Toshiba lasted me almost 5 years...I'm almost done my first year in university and now I'm using a temporary laptop from my dad.

Anyways, I'd say to get a Macbook Pro. Perfect for note-taking and powerful enough to play the occasional game. After seeing how note-taking and studying using a laptop, I never turned back. Either way, laptops are the way to go these days.

[bluedoggiant]

Ok guys, I'm sticking with my iMac, even though the MacBook in the kitchen is just so tempting, I think I just want one for fun and surfing, ill stick with my imac until college, my original plan, then get a macbook pro, but you never know...:D

[compuguy1088]

Personally, an iBook G3/G4 running Panther/Tiger is decent enough for taking notes, Excel, spreadsheets, internet, basic photography stuff. If it has atleast 40 GBs of HD Space, and 512 MBs of RAM, I think that would be decent enough.

I am a Freshman in high school and had an iBook G3 Clamshell 466 MHZ, Combo Drive, 320 MBs of RAM, 40 GB HD, running Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2). I then got a first generation BlackBook in May 2006 from inheritance, the Uncle died about 2 days after buying the MacBook and I got to get it. I didn't use it for about 2 weeks after receiving it because I was tranced from the event, so I couldn't return it. I decided to keep it. I gave the iBook to a friend for a birthday present. The MacBook had numerous problems and after receiving 3 more MacBooks to replace it, they gave me a MBP for free. Even the MacBook was overkill, and now I even have more overkill. The iBook was wonderful, had a brand new battery so it lasted about 4 - 6 hours. It was more portable, more durable, and I wasn't afraid to bump it. I could run iTunes, FireFox, and Word all at the same time without much trouble.

You could easily buy the iBook I had with the same specs for 200 dollars shipped. It is better for a high schooler, that way, when you get to college you can buy a brand new, spanking top-of-the-line laptop for your whole 4-5 years of college life.

What would be better in your situation would be to get a Alphasmart Neo, or a older Alphasmart 3000. Then save up for something better after you graduate.

Ok guys, I'm sticking with my iMac, even though the MacBook in the kitchen is just so tempting, I think I just want one for fun and surfing, ill stick with my imac until college, my original plan, then get a macbook pro, but you never know...:D

I got a MBP for graduation, last August. It may be overkill for some things, but it is nice carrying around the horsepower (especially with some light gaming and video encoding).

[bluedoggiant]

What would be better in your situation would be to get a Alphasmart Neo, or a older Alphasmart 3000. Then save up for something better after you graduate.



I got a MBP for graduation, last August. It may be overkill for some things, but it is nice carrying around the horsepower (especially with some light gaming and video encoding).

video encoding is my thing, i have a 2.8ghz imac just for that.