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Buying a Macbook for my colllege bound son

R

ronross

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 14, 2008
25
22
MO
Hello and thanks for allowing me to post.

I am getting my son a Macbook or Macbook Pro for when he goes to college this fall. Should I wait or is it OK to get the current models now?

Is Apple planning on any new releases soon which would cause me to wait?


Thanks again.



RSR
 
By him a refurbed MB for $999 - $1,200.

More than sufficient for any degree in College.
 
I think you have some time to wait until he will actually need the laptop. If i were you i would just wait until at least July just to be certain that you can get the most bang for your buck. If he wants it now though, there is absolutely nothing wrong with current line-up.
 
If he doesnt absolutely need it now, you can also wait for the free ipod with computer purchase. :)
 
I'm in the same boat -- shipping my oldest off to college in the fall.

I've decided to hold tight until I see whether a major refresh is in the pipeline for the summer. If it's a major revision they are sometimes not immediately available, that way she can decide whether she wants the newest and "greatest" MB or just wants the black MB I promised her.

Chances are large she would hold on to this for the entire 4 years, so I think it is worth the wait-- one advantage is that her school is on the quarter system, so she starts later...

JT
 
Don't get it too near his first day at college though... we want the novelty to die off (or at least subside) before he starts, if he's to concentrate in class.

I was stuck to my MB for about two days when I got it. :D
 
I'm going to wait for a month or two. I'll buy something then since I want him to go to college with at least an Intel processor and a dual boot machine.

Used or refurbished is out of the question since it's not a matter of economics. He will use the computer for school since he's been using a PC for school for several years now. He is very PC savvy with some Mac experience, but I want to get a dual boot machine with a bit of horsepower.

Thanks to all for your posts.


RSR
 
yea i would really really really look hard whether he needs a laptop or just a want.


i just graduated and never once needed my laptop for mobile purposes


also, make sure he thanks you for the computer. i wish my parents would have bought mine for me lol
 
Same boat here. My son will be a college freshman in august. I agree with comment about horsepower. At this point, we're waiting until July 1 to see what might happen to the current MBP lineup. You just never know. My son is a gamer and I'd like to get him a laptop that can boot into WinXP, plus has a dedicated graphics card in it.
 
ronross said:
Used or refurbished is out of the question since it's not a matter of economics. He will use the computer for school since he's been using a PC for school for several years now. He is very PC savvy with some Mac experience, but I want to get a dual boot machine with a bit of horsepower.

RSR
Click to expand...

Just to note - refurbished machines are new machines that have been returned to Apple for various reasons and have had an extensive look over on them to ensure that everything works correctly. Many people even say that refurbs are better than new machines since they are cheaper and are less likely to have problems since they have been looked over by Apple. Unless a redesign come out this summer, refurb machines won't be substantially different from the current model since the older Merom machines aren't that much different from the new Penryn machines and if not already, Penryn refurbs should be appearing shortly. And the benefits of simply Penryn over Merom aren't that great - namely a *slight* bump in power (most likely not noticeable) and a *slight* increase in battery length. Just something to consider if you didn't already know about them and saving money can be good even when money is not a problem.
 
Wait until the Summer because there could be updates. Also you can get a free iPod/Printer with the back to school promotions.
 
dukebound85 said:
yea i would really really really look hard whether he needs a laptop or just a want.


i just graduated and never once needed my laptop for mobile purposes


also, make sure he thanks you for the computer. i wish my parents would have bought mine for me lol
Click to expand...


It's probably a bit of both. I want to believe he'll use if for school (WashU-StL) but I suspect it will be a gamer box as well, which is why I want an Intel processor.

He studys alot and most likely will travel to the library, although most info is now available online.

And yes, he certainly will thank me. He appreciates everything we do for him.
 
All i have to say is screen size, its worth the little extra money. Get the 2.2 Pro model from last year. Should be around $1550 just a little more than the high end macbook. I couldn't imagine typing a paper on a small 13" glossy screen and having to scroll all the time. Screen size was a big factor on my decision as performance is almost the same...
 
ronross said:
It's probably a bit of both. I want to believe he'll use if for school (WashU-StL) but I suspect it will be a gamer box as well, which is why I want an Intel processor.

He studys alot and most likely will travel to the library, although most info is now available online.

And yes, he certainly will thank me. He appreciates everything we do for him.
Click to expand...

well the mb isn't awesome for games.

what i would do is get the mb and for games have him get an xbox or something

i mean it isnt worth the extra 700 or so to get a mbp with a lil better gaming ability when you could get the mb and xbox for cheaper

bestthereis27 said:
All i have to say is screen size, its worth the little extra money. Get the 2.2 Pro model from last year. Should be around $1550 just a little more than the high end macbook. I couldn't imagine typing a paper on a small 13" glossy screen and having to scroll all the time. Screen size was a big factor on my decision as performance is almost the same...
Click to expand...

or just get an external display. this would be cheaper than the mbp for sure

mb+external 19inch monitor for 200 bucks is a better option for screen real estate than a 15inch mbp
 
I'm a freshman this year, and got the MBP 15.4" before the penryn update. I love it, and the extra power and size is great for my design major. However I think the regular macbooks do everything he'll probably need it to do at WashU (great school btw). Wait for the free ipod, or even better I got a free 3yr applecare through my school.
 
phatcat said:
Why buy a refurb, when you can use your son's student status to make a brand new purchase for the same price?
Click to expand...

Good point, but I was speaking more to the fact of getting an MB over the MBP. Go the cheaper route of the two...
 
dukebound85 said:
or just get an external display. this would be cheaper than the mbp for sure

mb+external 19inch monitor for 200 bucks is a better option for screen real estate than a 15inch mbp
Click to expand...

Its really not convenient to haul around a 19" monitor to the library...
 
your son sounds like me lol. I'm going to university this september and i'm going to get a macbook pro. a macbook will probably be fine but i might play the occasional game and i plan on going to the library a lot. I think the macbook pro is a good investment if you intend to keep the notebook for a long time.
 
I just finished my first year of college with my MBP so I hope I can offer some guidance. I absolutely love my MBP. I personally feel that the white macbook is quite feminine, so I would try to stay away from that (sorry to all the males with the white MB). Not to mention the white MB trackpad and palm rest turns kinda nasty after awhile. My brother is going to UF in the fall and will probably be getting the blackbook for that simple reason.

As far as screen size goes, I think the 15in. is much better for writing on, although I do have a 42in. plasma I hook up to that makes it even better! Writing is made much easier when I am in the library with the 15in compared to my friends 13in MB. Also, you do not have to tilt your head down so far with certain desks that are low. A major bonus because the desks at my library are really low.

Weight is not a problem with the MBP, especially if you are not moving it around very much. I personally like to take notes by hand because I learn better that way and I am not distracted by AIM or Facebook. Although there are some classes where those are a necessity to get through the lecture.

To answer your question, I would wait. Like others have mentioned on here, you can get a free iPod and a decent printer for free. The MBP is much more powerful than what I need it for, but there is something about the prestige and look of having one. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I have seen multiple rumors suggesting that Apple is going to do a complete revision soon due to the new chipset required, perhaps near the begging of the school year, end of summer area after the iPhone dust settles. There is no harm in waiting 2-3 months.

I am pretty computer savvy myself and picked up OS X fully in about 2 days. It was hard to drag me away from the computer in those two days because I was in love lol, but it really took no time at all.

edit: I have had to have Apple replace my HDD in the first month and just had them replace my battery. Bad luck or typical? Your call. I also plan on keeping mine for awhile unless Apple does something drastic with their touch interface that I like. Bring on iPhone v2!
 
My daughter is also starting college this fall, and I am also looking into buying her a new Macbook. I just want it to be an aluminum case. so I keep waiting for some news...and yes I hope it is before August. Please Steve. :)
 
I'd think long and hard about whether your son or daughter needs a laptop as powerful as the MacBook or MacBook Pro. An iMac combined with an EEE perhaps.

Because when he/she takes it to lecture, he/she will NOT be taking notes on it.
 
Jack Flash said:
I'd think long and hard about whether your son or daughter needs a laptop as powerful as the MacBook or MacBook Pro. An iMac combined with an EEE perhaps.

Because when he/she takes it to lecture, he/she will NOT be taking notes on it.
Click to expand...

An iMac ties you to your desk. harder to steal though.

My kid willl have his desktop rig with him, but I see him migrating over to the MBP full time. seems like a good fit, the MBP.
 
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