First of all, congratulations on getting into a higher-education facility.
1- Where should i buy the laptop from, should i wait until a back to school sale at apple (do they even have one) or should i but it off of kijiji.
2- what acsessories are a "must" for the laptop. I know i would like a mouse for sure because when i am at a desk i prefer to use a mouse instead of the track pad. And i will ned a case for sure, but is there any thing else.
3- for a university student, what are the essential programs that i will require in university.
4- how do i go upgrading the ram- i would like 3G so i just need to upgrade one of the sticks. where should i go to do this and what model is required in the macbook
1. You can buy the laptop from the apple store to get a lot of ad-hoc questions answered by people who know their stuff. There is not a whole lot of "customization" ability there though, so if you want a non-backlit version (for whatever reason), you'll have to do this online.
2. Other than a mouse and case, you don't really need anything else. Some people get "invisible shields", but those aren't necessary and really take away from the beautiful aluminum design. Personally I bought a backpack with a padded area for a laptop, instead of a sleeve in a bag. But you can do both and have maximum protection.
3. So no one here has said this but 9/10 your university provides very discounted versions of iWork and Office through an internal download or some CD give away from the school. I highly recommend not buying until you have further information (email the school's IT dept. or bookstore). Other than the office sweet, most of the programs you need are on the mac (iCal, mail, browser). I'd download adium for a better messaging client.
4. Don't do 3GB like many have said; instead, do 4GB if you want to get a great experience (and balance the seeding of memory correctly). Currently the upgrade is (I found) as cheap as $50, and crucial sells for $65. It could go lower within a few months, as ram does get cheaper quickly. Try to install it yourself, but if you are nervous about it, find a friend first. If they can't,
then go to the Apple Store and ask someone to do it. If you ask correctly, they may not charge if you just quietly ask for assistance. That may be just the niceness at my store though.
I've been wondering about iWork vs. Office 2008. Is one faster than the other? Is the compatabilty really that much of a problem? I have a feeling that I'm going to really like iWork once I get to really use it and I'd be kinda sad to learn that I have to use Office. I just didn't like the interface of Office 2004 (From what I saw in screenshots/demos), however, I DO find the "Ribbon" useful in the Windows verson of 2008. I'm torn. Anymore valid points and advice for one or the other?
Also, I remember the iPods last year being touches. I would so be happy if they are this year as well. I'm also going to look into applecare. I didn't know that the discount was so generous.
To your first point, I'd say that Office is way more cross compatible. Another thing is that sometimes you'll need to present your stuff to an audience, and the university computers may not be macs. In this case, you are covered by having .docx files. I do like iWork, but I think Office is just as good (a little buggy though).
Secondly, last year was an iPod touch 8GB or iPod nano with any purchase of a mac. Also, the free printer rebate always runs. This year it may be different, but probably not due to the high success last year.
as i was at my local best buy today talked to the tecnical guy. i mentioned i would like to purchase a mac for my next computer. he said asked wat i was studying in uni. I told him i am doing biomedical sciences and business admin. He then proceeeded to tell me he would not advise a mac as the software is not as compatiable with a mac.
So just truthfully, anyone is university, doing business especially- do youfind and hardware or software limitations with a mac in comparison to a pc.
There are no hardware limitations, but there may be proprietary software, like mathematica, that only works on Windows. There are some good substitutes for various other software (e.g. instead of MatLab, use R). Chances are as a business major you'll be doing some heavy excel/access work, so Office 2008 covers you.
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