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opinions about MBA for college
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It's a bad idea unless you can connect your own wireless router to the school's ethernet (which I don't see why you couldn't). If you can use your own router, you can afford the Air, and you want it, go for it. You'll also need the external disc drive too, though, so it will be costing you twice as much as a MacBook.. just be sure you want to pay all that extra for a slimmer lighter more attractive machine.
I agree. The MacBook is still a light and portable computer, and also attractive (the white stands out).
The MacBook has an ethernet port built in, so you don't have to sacrifice one USB port for it if you were to have a MacBook Air.
Also, the MBA costs a lot more than a MacBook, even though it has a smaller processor, smaller hard drive, less ports and no optical drive built in (you will have to buy it separately, and it uses the only USB port you've got).
Don't let these guys get you down. I am also a college student. I have always loved ultraportables and my needs seem to be very similar to yours. I have had various Sony and IBM ultraportables and loved them all. Yes they are extremely expensive, but I can afford them and I like having what I want - PERIOD.
This computer will be great for you and I and we can have a club to love our MBAs...and the other guys can stay in their club for "MBA is too expensive and you should have gotten a MB because we say it is better for you". A lot of people don't understand what you and I see - that we are willing to be extra, even a lot extra, to actually get what we wants / what meets our needs. I don't need a ton of power to do what I need but I need battery power, style, and light and thin package.
This computer will be great for you and I and we can have a club to love our MBAs...and the other guys can stay in their club for "MBA is too expensive and you should have gotten a MB because we say it is better for you". A lot of people don't understand what you and I see - that we are willing to be extra, even a lot extra, to actually get what we wants / what meets our needs. I don't need a ton of power to do what I need but I need battery power, style, and light and thin package.
If you have the cash, get a Imac and use the MBA as your secondary class taking notes computer, then you are set.
most colleges are wireless these days. I'll be getting a MBA, which I have an iMac already to go with it, and I'll also be using it for the same stuff.
I think the idea about your own wireless router is a good one. Failing that, if you're going to have to be hooked up by a cable to access the network I don't see the problem in using a USB hub.
ya, use a powered USB hub... leave everythign plugged into that, then blam!! one wire and everything is connected.....
...well maybe 2 if you want external speakers
... wait,... 3... power cord.. but you get the picture hah
...well maybe 2 if you want external speakers
... wait,... 3... power cord.. but you get the picture hah
I'd still recommend the Macbook over the Macbook air, although it's heavier it gives you so much more in terms of connectivity, and as you said you'd be importing music I imagine that optical drive will prove itself very useful to you.
Also as a point worth noting, the Macbook has gone through a few revisions and has most if not all of the kinks worked out of it.
The macbook air is still a first revision, so you can probably expect there to be some minor problems. Not something you want to be dealing with in college.
Also as a point worth noting, the Macbook has gone through a few revisions and has most if not all of the kinks worked out of it.
The macbook air is still a first revision, so you can probably expect there to be some minor problems. Not something you want to be dealing with in college.
3lbs uber alles
3lbs is pretty compelling. You will notice the difference hauling it around. The LED screen will definitely outclass the normal MB screen.
But, with a macbook you can easily upgrade the disk to a larger, faster model (I think it is SATA), and you can have 4GB of memory. My wife's MB is pretty sweet, but 5lbs is kind of heavy for that size/class of notebook.
It is a tough call.
3lbs is pretty compelling. You will notice the difference hauling it around. The LED screen will definitely outclass the normal MB screen.
But, with a macbook you can easily upgrade the disk to a larger, faster model (I think it is SATA), and you can have 4GB of memory. My wife's MB is pretty sweet, but 5lbs is kind of heavy for that size/class of notebook.
It is a tough call.
2lb is really not that much when you consider all the other stuff most students carry around.
MacBook Air is a computer using tech from two years ago for a several hundred dollar price premium. It's only slightly thinner than the MacBook at its thickest point and requires the same size of bag to carry because it is the same width and depth.
MacBook Air is NOT an ultraportable. If you got a MacBook then you could spend that extra money on an external display for your room which you could couple with an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and work comfortably with.
$1799 for a computer which doesn't beat the ORIGINAL MacBook is really asking too much. Remember, the new MacBook had a major revision a few months ago where they added much more powerful speakers, media keys and a much better graphics chip.
If you get MacBook Air then it will sound like a PSP or an iPhone. It has just one mono speaker and will be very, very tinny.
In short: MacBook Air is a waste of money.
MacBook Air is a computer using tech from two years ago for a several hundred dollar price premium. It's only slightly thinner than the MacBook at its thickest point and requires the same size of bag to carry because it is the same width and depth.
MacBook Air is NOT an ultraportable. If you got a MacBook then you could spend that extra money on an external display for your room which you could couple with an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and work comfortably with.
$1799 for a computer which doesn't beat the ORIGINAL MacBook is really asking too much. Remember, the new MacBook had a major revision a few months ago where they added much more powerful speakers, media keys and a much better graphics chip.
If you get MacBook Air then it will sound like a PSP or an iPhone. It has just one mono speaker and will be very, very tinny.
In short: MacBook Air is a waste of money.
This might come across as a bit abrasive...actually it probably is...
Quit being such a pansy. your 12 inch vaio is a pain to carry around on campus? poor you. i guess those textbooks that weigh 5 lbs don't bother you as much as having to "drag" that hunk of junk around?
Get the Macbook. The MB is time tested and is easily one of the best laptops ever made. you just can NOT go wrong with it. But...how will you ever deal with the burden of hauling an extra 2 lbs of weight.
Quit being such a pansy. your 12 inch vaio is a pain to carry around on campus? poor you. i guess those textbooks that weigh 5 lbs don't bother you as much as having to "drag" that hunk of junk around?
Get the Macbook. The MB is time tested and is easily one of the best laptops ever made. you just can NOT go wrong with it. But...how will you ever deal with the burden of hauling an extra 2 lbs of weight.
If you have an iMac or a Mac Pro to do all your work at home with, I'd say go for it.
However, if this will be your main computer, save yourself some money and buy a normal MacBook. They're faster and cheaper. A bit heavier, granted, but they're still Apple laptops, i.e. they're still quite light and portable. With the cash you've saved, you might as well get an external display for working at home. MAkes it so much more comfortable IMHO
So yeah, if you don't own a "real" computer already, buy a standard MacBook. The MBA really only is a secondary computer.
Edit:
Oh, and don't underestimate the need for performance when doing normal college work. My laptop does get quite sluggish when I have to write term papers, thanks to several instances of Powerpoint, Word, Acrobat reader, Outlook, Firefox etcetera. People always think "yeah, I don't use <insert memory /CPU heavy app>, so I don't need the performance", but running a ton of not so memory /CPU intensive stuff will slow your machine down as well.
Might be a lot better on Mac OS, but working with Windows, it can get hellishly slow.
However, if this will be your main computer, save yourself some money and buy a normal MacBook. They're faster and cheaper. A bit heavier, granted, but they're still Apple laptops, i.e. they're still quite light and portable. With the cash you've saved, you might as well get an external display for working at home. MAkes it so much more comfortable IMHO
So yeah, if you don't own a "real" computer already, buy a standard MacBook. The MBA really only is a secondary computer.
Edit:
Oh, and don't underestimate the need for performance when doing normal college work. My laptop does get quite sluggish when I have to write term papers, thanks to several instances of Powerpoint, Word, Acrobat reader, Outlook, Firefox etcetera. People always think "yeah, I don't use <insert memory /CPU heavy app>, so I don't need the performance", but running a ton of not so memory /CPU intensive stuff will slow your machine down as well.
Might be a lot better on Mac OS, but working with Windows, it can get hellishly slow.
thats kind of the point though is it not? "All the other stuff most students carry around" is exactly why a 2lb reduction is important... Personally, thats the ONLY reason I ordered it. I do agree with the poster above though regarding the fact that this is new technology. It is always a gamble to buy into revision 1 hardware. If you are prepared to take that risk then the MBA with a powered USB hub should be perfect for you...
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I do agree with the poster above though regarding the fact that this is new technology. It is always a gamble to buy into revision 1 hardware. If you are prepared to take that risk then the MBA with a powered USB hub should be perfect for you...
C
Well if my bag weighs 20lb then dropping 2lb is only losing me 10%. Every day I'd still be carrying 90% of the weight I was before. The weight reduction could probably be better achieved in another area where it doesn't cost several hundred dollars.
Question: Do American students just have a few grand sitting around behind their sofa? geeze, when I went off to university I was told "buy it yourself" when it came to my computer.
Kids these days, so spoilt and parents willing to throw around money at the drop of a hat.
Kids these days, so spoilt and parents willing to throw around money at the drop of a hat.
Thats your opinion. I used to do allot of mountaineering. On some routes we even dropped potentially life saving equipment that only weighed a few hundred grams. There are people out there that put a big $$$ price on weight reduction. I do because I hate carrying around something heavy between meetings. Could I do it? Obviously I could, but why would I want to given a choice? Don't forget the people out there, older executives for instance, mobility challenged people would be another group, that might find it physically hard to carry ANY weight...
At the end of the day, if weight and volume is not important to you why on earth would you want a MBA? I'd take a 15" Pro machine any day if it was not for size and weight. The MacBook is not a big enough weight saving for me to drop the power of the Pro... just my own personal opinion all this mind you.
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READ THAT
If 2lbs is such a big deal, you'd be better off using the $500 saved by purchasing a macbook and putting it towards a gym membership.
I think college students today have more access to money. A lot of kids these days are working bigger jobs in college, not just serving or bartending. Also a large percentage are making spare money or significant amount of money online.
I workout 4 days a week, and I find the MacBook Air to be much more portable than a MacBook. MacBook's are like a big textbook when you think about it. A lot of College kids on campuses don't carry bags all day long around, so if they can just slip in a lightweight laptop with a notebook they are all set.
How feeble are you that an extra pound or two is that onerous? Sorry but I think marketing may have you hypnotised. Resistance makes you strong! Get a MacBook for god's sake! The MBA is a cripple, however pretty.
[note, it's late here and honest opinions leak out]
[note, it's late here and honest opinions leak out]