I am headed towards a Mac network college next fall and just recently got about $2,000 scholarship. What will be the best bang for my buck? I'm willing to spend more then that but I just need someone to head me in the right direction. I will really appreciate it if anyone can help me. Thanks alot.
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Best notebook deal?
- Thread starter dirtymop211
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Bang for the buck would depend on what you are planning on to do with it. Graphics/Image work would probably lean towards the MBP. MacBook would do you just fine for all the basic stuff.
I beg to differ, the grainy screens on the 15" Macbook Pros fare far worse in this regard. And yes I've owned both a Macbook and a 15" Macbook Pro.
The MBs have awesome screens, don't let the last post discourage you. The Macbook Pros on the other hand... here's to hoping they get LED backlit screens and less grainy bits soon!
matte mbpro screen is just fine... for me, i guess it's a matter of preferences.
you should not listen to anyone about that, you should check for yourself.
you should not listen to anyone about that, you should check for yourself.
it's only $999 if you get applecare for $183. you still have to pay tax, and you definitely have to be a ucsd student. what good does it do to post prices if not everybody has access to it?
to the op, i would either get a black macbook or a base macbook pro as has been suggested above. if you'll make use of the graphics card, go mbp. otherwise, give the macbook a shot.
You don't have to buy a new computer as much as one that will fill your needs... the simple writing and basic Internet research of a liberal arts major is a much different demand then then needs of a mathmatics, science, or engineering major, the college grads out here can get the latest and greatest.
A used G4 12" is easy to tote around, powerful and reasonable in price and then that $2000 burning a hole in your pocket can purchase a lot of stuff to go with it like a good printer, an extra extended life battery for freedom from wall sockets, an antenna and transceiver to boost your wireless RF power from 50 milliwatts to 500 milliwatts, and stuff like that.
Just a thought...
Elantoh
A used G4 12" is easy to tote around, powerful and reasonable in price and then that $2000 burning a hole in your pocket can purchase a lot of stuff to go with it like a good printer, an extra extended life battery for freedom from wall sockets, an antenna and transceiver to boost your wireless RF power from 50 milliwatts to 500 milliwatts, and stuff like that.
Just a thought...
Elantoh
Agreed with the last poster. Also, personally, I don't see the fascination with the black Macbook - there's nothing wrong with preferring the white version. If you don't perform any heavy activities on it, the 'sweet spot' for the Macbook is the higher class white version (2ghz, 1gig of memory), where you get the most bang for your buck. The black one is a rip-off: they charge you more than a hundred bucks just for a paint job.
So if you need less, go for that one, it'll be worth the investment, and then get some really handy peripherals like a printer/scanner or protective bag.
So if you need less, go for that one, it'll be worth the investment, and then get some really handy peripherals like a printer/scanner or protective bag.
Actually last time I checked they charged $50 more for the black one, upgrade the harddrive in the white mid-range one to the same as the black one.
Make sure you put a few hundred dollars aside for software -- you may want/need to pick up Office, Mathematica, etc., which thankfully offer great educational discounts. Just figure s/w into your equation.
How significant are the savings if a person does sign up for ADC and purchases a MBP?
well...ADC costs 99 for a student...and low end MPB 1599, middle 1999, 17" 2239...education: 1799, 2299, 2599...no discount: 1999, 2499, 2799...
plus ADC gives you additional stuff...look here http://developer.apple.com/products/student.html
adc hardware store: http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/ADC?qprm=38839
and...i'm gonna be purchasing this soon and a new MBP from ADC hardware store...heck of a deal imo.
Go refurb. If you need the MBP graphics or screen real estate, get it (or just prefer the look over the MB like I do) or get the MB refurb.
I weighed all this out when I bought my last notebook. I could have used the edu. discount, joined ADC or bought refurb. The prices on the refurb are generally double the discount of an education discount. So if you can live with a refurb, I (and many people) recommend them.
I ended up with a 1.83 CD Macbook for 799 from the refurb store and couldn't be happier.
A nice setup I would envy in college would be a MBP and and an external monitor for home use. Refurb MBP 1599 or 1999, plus a 22" Benq/Samsung for 299 (or a 24 for dell for 500ish) and a set of bluetooth keyboard/mouse and that is a screaming system.
I weighed all this out when I bought my last notebook. I could have used the edu. discount, joined ADC or bought refurb. The prices on the refurb are generally double the discount of an education discount. So if you can live with a refurb, I (and many people) recommend them.
I ended up with a 1.83 CD Macbook for 799 from the refurb store and couldn't be happier.
A nice setup I would envy in college would be a MBP and and an external monitor for home use. Refurb MBP 1599 or 1999, plus a 22" Benq/Samsung for 299 (or a 24 for dell for 500ish) and a set of bluetooth keyboard/mouse and that is a screaming system.
If your getting a Pro machine & upgrades, HUGE savings if you go with the student ADC. If you qaulify for EDU then buy the warrenty from that store and then your saving llike a bajillion dollars. Please make all leftover dollars payable to "BigPrince."
thank you thank you
thank you thank you
oh my god, i went to my bookstore today, and it is $999. and you don't need to buy applecare. if i didn't already have a macbook, i'd have bought it on the spot.