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advice for college freshman
- Thread starter pkghost
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It seems like you're pretty set on getting a laptop. But I must say that the best bang/buck right now is with the iMac G5's. I had a laptop my first couple of years and unplugged it from my desk maybe twice the whole time. Sure it's cool to take home on weekends and stuff, but honestly, you're probably not gonna bring it to class to take notes or to the library, for whatever reason, you just don't see that going on too often (at least at JMU). I wound up geetting an iMac g4 when they first came out, and am still loving it (it needs ram though), the small footprint makes it ideal for college desks (which are VERY tiny in my experience). You really should consider getting the iMac: It's Rev B. and will last you significantly longer than the powerbook, plus it's compact enough that you can put it in the back seat and take it home on breaks w/out a prob. Good luck w/ whatever you guys go w/, but definetly wait till after WWDC before making any large purchases (Isn't that the second mac commandment or something?)
I'll definitely be getting a new powerbook within the next 2 months...but I was just wondering... with the current/hopefully updated in the near future PB 12" superdrive specs, how long will it last for regular school use (music, web, etc.) I thought about getting the refurb/used then buying a new one in 2 years...but with all the discounts right now it'd be $1399 which really isn't too bad.
I'm also going to be a freshman this year, and I'm getting a Powerbook next week (just waiting to see if there's any updates at WWDC). My question is, what size PowerBook would you reccommend? I know it's purely preference, but in your experience, is the 12" too small for long periods of work? I really like the 12", but if I'm going to be spending hours on it writing papers, I don't want the size to be a problem. I'm also going to be carrying it around a lot, so the less bulky the better. Any advice would be appreciated.
bslax28 said:
I'm getting a PB next week too! If there aren't any WWDC updates, hopefully there won't be one before school starts, cause I'll kick myself in the head. Anyway, size wise....I had the same concerns for the longest time. What I've decided to do is get the 12" and a 17" or bigger monitor with the price difference between the 12" and 15" PB. I went with the 12" because of its portability and I figured that for long periods of work, I would be in the dorm anyway (plus the external monitor could double as a tv
) I've read somewhere that the 12" is enough for everyday use, unless you mess with media alot.
Cram & Jam it.
My other advice to you is to go with the 15" size if you can afford it. Alternately, get the 12" and a monitor to span the screens if you feel like getting fancy.
Enjoy, college is fun & it will be over before you know it (I know b/c I just graduated). Also, make sure your classes are on or after 10 a.m. Good luck son.
My other advice to you is to go with the 15" size if you can afford it. Alternately, get the 12" and a monitor to span the screens if you feel like getting fancy.
Enjoy, college is fun & it will be over before you know it (I know b/c I just graduated). Also, make sure your classes are on or after 10 a.m. Good luck son.
I figured this would be the right thread for this....
1) I am off to Northwestern next year as a freshman and I've been debating between a Powerbook (if they update them) and a Power Mac G5. Currently I am using an old school 800mHz iBook G4, which is holding up well but definitely won't last me for much longer. For the past six months I've been saying I was going to get a PB for the portability, etc. However, recently I decided that it might be better to get a kickin' PM for a solid computer and bring my iBook with for when I need the portability... Advice? I was thinking a dual 2.0 PM...
2) People have been telling people to hold off because of the Cram and Jam promotion. Has that gone on for the past few years or was it just last year? Also, due to the recent surge in popularity of iPods do you think they'd still offer the promotion. I suppose there have been rumors of overstocking, so that would lean to yes... Just wondering what you fellas are thinking.
1) I am off to Northwestern next year as a freshman and I've been debating between a Powerbook (if they update them) and a Power Mac G5. Currently I am using an old school 800mHz iBook G4, which is holding up well but definitely won't last me for much longer. For the past six months I've been saying I was going to get a PB for the portability, etc. However, recently I decided that it might be better to get a kickin' PM for a solid computer and bring my iBook with for when I need the portability... Advice? I was thinking a dual 2.0 PM...
2) People have been telling people to hold off because of the Cram and Jam promotion. Has that gone on for the past few years or was it just last year? Also, due to the recent surge in popularity of iPods do you think they'd still offer the promotion. I suppose there have been rumors of overstocking, so that would lean to yes... Just wondering what you fellas are thinking.
If they do update the PB 12" at WWDC, should I:
1) Get the updated PB (how long does it take to ship/hit the stores?) and possibly lose the $100 edu rebate
2) Get the rev D PB and save more on top of the edu discount and rebate
and also, if they make a major update...like form factor or G5 (unlikely I know) or dual core G4 (..is that considered big?? ) will there most likely be flaws and should I just save the money and trouble by buying the rev D? I really won't be doing much media intensive stuff on there... I'm Chem E. Mostly web music MS office. Or is it worth it waiting for the update to ship...thanks for any and all advice! I definitely need more brains than 1 to wade through this update business
1) Get the updated PB (how long does it take to ship/hit the stores?) and possibly lose the $100 edu rebate
2) Get the rev D PB and save more on top of the edu discount and rebate
and also, if they make a major update...like form factor or G5 (unlikely I know) or dual core G4 (..is that considered big??
) will there most likely be flaws and should I just save the money and trouble by buying the rev D? I really won't be doing much media intensive stuff on there... I'm Chem E. Mostly web music MS office. Or is it worth it waiting for the update to ship...thanks for any and all advice! I definitely need more brains than 1 to wade through this update business