Best dorm mac?

[Koodauw]

As someone who just spent 4 years in college I would suggest a laptop as well. They just give you so much more flexibility as to where you can work. During finals week when all the labs are crammed full and the dorms are loud and full of distractions, the ability to go into some remote corner of a library and work is worth the weight of a MPB in gold.

As for which model, I think either MB or MBP will do just fine, it just comes down to preference. To me the bigger screen and other features are worth the additional price.

 

[dpaanlka]

BTW, all bets are off if Apple introduces something similar to the MM20, say a 12 inch MBP without a built in optical drive.

Yes, and call it the MacBook mini

My setup for school next semester will be a Mac Pro desktop and a PowerBook Duo laptop, for the exact reasons you specified above about the laptop being small and light... although because I would not be able to focus on anything but how crappy Windows is if I were using a PC, I stick to the PowerBook Duo running Mac OS 7.

Thankfully, I have quite a slew of Duo accessories, including the Ethernet adapter, and since Mac OS 7 and Mac OS X still talk so well together, when I return from class I just transfer all my notes from the Duo to the Mac Pro for further consideration.

Such a great note-taking solution that cost me about $100 (new battery cost, mostly)!

 

[polevault139]

I'm going to college in the fall and I am still torn between a maxed out MB or a 15"MBP w/ 2gb RAM. If only there was something in between.....

 

[Spartacus]

Buy a consol for the games

I just got done with Undergrad and let me tell you, having a 12" iBook was the most helpful part of my college career. I own a MBP now and though I love it to death, would rather have the iBook if back in college. I would have never used the benefit of the Intel transition for writing papers and surfing the net. I'd even go so far as to buy him a $600 iBook off Ebay and then an Xbox 360 for the games. That's what I would do. $600+$400=$1000 and you get the most portable, durable, longest lasting battery laptop (more so than even the MacBook) and a sweet amazing gaming system. If you really have plenty of money to spend, buy a nice LCD (I used a 1600x1200 20") to plug the 360 into and the iBook when at a desk (using the screenspanningdoctor video crack so as to allow screen spanning) This solution is the best for both work and play.

Be sure to get a nice backpack with a laptop compartment too.

 

[BenHoleton]

I don't know if this is feasible or not, but a laptop, with an external keyboard and mouse fvor when he's in his room typing (MUCH easier on a full size keyboard.) I run a business off my iBook and while I love the portability, I use an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor when i'm at my desk.

 

[Reaver]

My son is saving to buy a new mac to take to college in the fall (I'm helping out a little). The eternal question is laptop or desktop. He's decided to go with a pro machine either way, but is unsure which is most conducive to dorm life (mostly writing papers, internet stuff, probably [undoubtably] some gaming, etc.). When I was in college we used typewriters and Atari 2600s, so I am no help. Any college students out there care to chime in on this question? Thanks!

there is nothing wrong with the 2600 I wish I still had mine. and yes I would agree that a Laptop is the best bet, depending on if he will be lugging it around the campus or will it be staying in the dorm room I would say go 17 inch MBP and you can get cool add-ons like a TV tuner for it so you can watch and record TV on it.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I'm going to college in the fall and I am still torn between a maxed out MB or a 15"MBP w/ 2gb RAM. If only there was something in between.....

wat are you looking for im kinda lost?

 

[dukebound85]

MacPro = HUGE OVERKILL

Sounds like he'd be good with a MacBook. The only thing you mentioned that suggested he may need more would be gaming. In that case a MBP or an iMac.

Personally I'd go with the MBP, as that is what I have and I can't imagine having anything other than a laptop.

Don't waste your money..and if it is your son's money, don't let him waste his money. At the very least use the extra to buy a PS3 or something...just don't spend it on a computer about 10x greater than your needs.

Note: Although the MBP and the MacPro are both 'pro' the MBP is more comparible to the iMac in terms of performance.

heck even an emac would be fine in all seriousness. from my experience, it seems half have desktops and half laptops. if all your son is going to do is use it for papers and email and internet then the pro machines are waaaay overkill.

keep in mind that alot of the software your son will be using my only be avialiable on the schools lab machines (due to licenses) which tend to be alot more powerful (aka workstations and whatnot)

are you sure your son isn't just wanting the best of the best just for the sake of having it?

i easily got through 3 years on an emac when i started school in 03 for engineering. finally got a macbook since i needed someting portable.

if i were to do it over again id get a laptop but having a desktop was not as inconvienent as most people are saying in my experience esp if you live in the dorms.

my advice is to get a macbook and maxed out ram and a nice monitor

 

[dukebound85]

Just some random stats first...

• Everybody I know in my dorm except for a handful have laptops.
• Everybody I know who takes their laptop to lecture takes it to play games/surf on. I very rarely see people actually using them to aid their understanding of a subject in lecture, or if they are looking at notes, they're also typing on IM.
• Desktops take up too much space (the exceptions are the mac mini and iMac)
• Most of the time you don't do work on the computer.
• Laptops are more handy than desktops for collaboration and meeting with other students. like 100000000000 times more handy. If you only get one, a laptop is probably a better choice, even if it stays on the desk 99% of the time.

so true no one i see ever uses their laptop productivly in class. usually people are just web surfing.

as far as gaming.....there WILL be people in the dorms that have game systems that let you play (aka xbox). that and i would reccomemend not alot of gaming in the dorms since that is the time to be social and get work done towards your degree. not the time to play wow and waste 15hrs a day and flunk all your classes while paying a crap load for that priveledge

i would advise to join alot of clubs which are really fun

 

[Bubbasteve]

I'm in my second year of college and I'm the proud owner of an intel iMac...I really enjoy it because it's very space conscious compared to my roomy's dell but with that being said I plan on buying a Macbook this summer when the cram and jam deal starts and when leopard is preinstalled...

so my vote is laptop although I really love my iMac

 

[SpookTheHamster]

Bringing this thread back, have you considered getting a desktop AND laptop?

I'm talking something like an iMac or Mac Pro for the main computer, and a G3 or G4 laptop for on the go.

 

[8thMan]

Bringing this thread back, have you considered getting a desktop AND laptop?

I'm talking something like an iMac or Mac Pro for the main computer, and a G3 or G4 laptop for on the go.

Yes, but I'm trying to take into account the limitations as well as the spirit of first-semester dorm life. Are two computers really necessary? I can appreciate the advantages the base/mobile theme, but I'm not convinced, regardless of my son's protests, that anything more than one machine is needed.

 

[savar]

I've had a PowerBook of some sort since I started college in 2003. The laptop is probably the best choice for most college students. If you go into a college library, you'll see almost everybody has a laptop.

Obviously everybody in the library has a laptop...nobody's lugging a monitor, CPU, and surge protector to the library!

I was a CS/Econ major in college and I never regretted buying a desktop. You'd be surprised how many people never take their laptop off of their desk. People who do take their laptops to class don't do anything I can't do with a pen and paper. Some people I know did use the laptop so they could write papers at the library -- usually to get away from an annoying roommate. I had a single for 3 years straight, so that wasn't an issue for me, but I also used the public computers sometimes when I found myself not able to concentrate in my room.

Having said that, the CRT used up my whole desk, and made it hard to do any non-computer work. I had a separate table I used for spreading out papers to read/write/study.

 

[Martin C]

Like everyone has said, buying a laptop over a desktop is a given.

Buy him either a Macbook or a stock Macbook Pro if he wants the extra amount of screen space.

The top Mac Pro model is a ridiculous machine for him to ask you to buy if he is using the machine just for papers, the internet, and email.

 

[Xenesis]

Eh, I personally think that laptops are a general waste of time unless you're using it regularly and daily away from your desk.

I got a G3 iBook in '03 and it died in '06. I've been at University for two years now. It got much, much more use at high school between classes than at Uni (I'm a Chemistry Major), where I'd just leave it in my room at home because I didn't have to worry about losing my computer (be it theft, or losing the bag or whatever), or lugging around an extra 2.5kg all the time.

Then again, I don't live on campus (as that's not really the norm in Australia). I recently got an iMac 24", which is wonderful and quite honestly is more useful than a laptop.

I'd go something like an iMac, unless your son is like a CompSci or whatever major. It'll just be a distraction otherwise.

 

[Diatribe]

so true no one i see ever uses their laptop productivly in class. usually people are just web surfing.

Well, do what I did, tape the lecture with your laptop while you surf the web.

 

[Diatribe]

Are two computers really necessary?

Definitely not. As Adam said earlier, two machines are a waste most of of the time. You can only sit on one machine at a time. If you really need more screen estate than 15", which I doubt, just get an external monitor.

A 15" MBP is what I have and it serves me more than well. I had a laptop for all my college life and now for work where I travel a lot.
I still don't have a desktop computer as I love taking it with me on the veranda, to Starbucks, into bed, onto the couch, etc.

Just get the 15" MBP and he'll be good for a couple of years. Just get a big HD, because that he will definitely fill up

 

[FullCollapse]

well, as a college student who just finished his first semester at school, i would say it depends on his need for mobility. like most college kids i had a laptop, but when i return to school in two weeks i will be bringing a 20" imac with me.

why? i never used the advantage of portability that the laptop offered me. it was basically used as a desktop, once it was on my desk i never moved it the entire semester, except to clean. part of this is due to my laptop being heavy and having less than five minutes battery life, but at no point in my time with my laptop have i used it as a laptop, really.

the one nice thing about the laptop is that it's so easy to take between school and home. dragging a mac pro back and forth won't be so much fun. anyway, i would recommend an imac or mac pro if he can do without portability. if you do need it, a macbook would probably be just fine.

 

[Tarkovsky]

Who is ever going to need more than an Ibook g4 for takin notes in lectures? You can pick one up second hand cheap. Not to dispute the usefullness of portable computing, I wonder if anyone has used the full capabilities of their laptop on the move aside from playing games on the train. Sure you may video edit on it, but you are hardly going to do that away from your main work station...

However people who tell you that a laptop is just fine for word processing are entirely incorrect. Uni rooms are poorly lit, with cheap crap seats. As any student will tell you, leaning over a murky little laptop keyboard and fiddly pad that hurts your fingers, typing your 1999th word, in your 23rd hour with your tenth cup of expresso is far from ideal.

Having a seperate keyboard and mouse and monitour is a good answer, yet the cost of buying a cheap ibook with a seperate Imac isnt going to be that different, considering the price of displays.

Furthermore consider the age old problem of computers failing... In this scenario one can back up essays between computers and always have a work station available. Also window swapping is a total chore and having seperate machines to research and type on is really quite something.

No one at uni wants to carry around an expensive laptop fearing droppages or knife point robberys etc... and all that portable power is useless unless your some kind of gypsy computer games designer.

If you at looking to treat your son get him an imac as they are great for DVDs and such, well powered and totally unobtrusive. Then grab a second hand ibook as they are functional, cheap and comparitively expendable.

 

[Cybergypsy]

I had the same problem, MB was great but a PITA to keep charged....ended up with a G4 imac.....from ebay for 300.00 Might trade up if something newer is around the corner....

 

[Detlev_73]

I finished my B.A. in May '06, and found that a PowerBook (now MacBook Pro) was just fine. I've thought of replacing mine with a MacBook Pro, and considered going down a notch to the MacBook. I had a G3 iBook, and came to the conclusion that the screen resolution on the iBook was too constricting. My vote would be for the 15" MacBook Pro; if there is any Windo$w application the he needs to run, you can just boot in Win XP/2000 and work that way.

Also: gaming while at school? I know kids need to have fun now and then, but you need to stress the fact that while at school, it is expected that he get GREAT grades. I hate to sound pedantic, but if graduate school is even a remote possibility, it is to your son's advantage to ONLY get A's and one or two B's throughout his undergraduate career. Graduate schools offer the BEST compesation, teaching assitanceships, support, etc to those folks that demonstrate to be serious about commitment to academic pursuits. Please don't get me wrong: school is FUN, FUN, FUN but there are FAR too many distractions at universities nowadays to be a genuine benefit.

Best of luck to your son at school; hopefully with the preparation he'll get he can make a 6 digit salary after he's done with school!

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

i think it depends on what he's doing with it. If he needs something with a lot of storage get a desktop, if not a lappy will do just fine.

Even if he does need a lot of storage, external drives are cheap.

To the OP: Budget between $1500 and $3000 for a BTO Apple notebook. $1500 will get you a solid MacBook, while $3000 will trick out a 17" MBP. Both machines should last through a four-year undergrad program with no problem whatsoever.

Just wait a week or two before you order. MWSF is less than a week away.

 

[SpookTheHamster]

Yes, but I'm trying to take into account the limitations as well as the spirit of first-semester dorm life. Are two computers really necessary? I can appreciate the advantages the base/mobile theme, but I'm not convinced, regardless of my son's protests, that anything more than one machine is needed.

I don't know what the edu prices are like in the US, but over here it would cost the same to get an upgraded iMac + a G3/G4 laptop as it would to get an upgraded MBP, so it's really not worth it. So there's not really any reason NOT to.

If you do give in and go for just a laptop, get him an extra keyboard, mouse and monitor. The resolution on laptops is a pain, but not as much as the keyboard and trackpad. Oh, and don't get a mighty mouse.

When I was at college (we do college then uni in the UK) I had a PowerBook. I only took it in for a week or so after I got it, as it was such a pain to write notes on. Also, having a laptop in class provides far too much distraction. If the lecturer thinks you need to work on computers, the class will be in a computer lab.

 

[smartalic34]

first, I would recommend a laptop. you just can't beat the portability. if the roommate is too loud, or if research needs to be done at the library, a laptop is very convenient- not to mention, when the weather is nice, nothing beats working outside! maybe it's my personal preference, but I'm much more productive when working on my own machine. as far as a laptop being distracting, I would recommend against taking it to class. pen/pencil and paper can always do the trick! a MBP would probably be better than a MB if your son wants to do any hard-core gaming or wants a larger screen. you're looking at either 5.6 lbs for the 15" or 6.8 lbs for the 17"... not too heavy at all.

 

[8thMan]

Thanks for all the input on this thread. Overall it seems to me that a 15" MBP is the way to go. It is certainly a compromise: it is not as sturdy or expandable or cheap as a desktop, but it is mobile and powerful and seems to fit in well with the demands of college life. And since it will not be purchased until next fall, it will benefit from at least one revision... 802.11n/GPU/speedbump+/HDD+ perhaps?

These kinds of sites will always be popular, as long as computers continue to evolve, and people continue to dream about buying them.