College kids: help me persuade my daughter

[raccoontail]

Skip the ebay dealer. I put a 7200 RPM Drive in my ibook and hated it. They are louder and hotter than 5400s. When you are taking notes in a lecture hall, quiet matters. Besides, changing the macbook's hard drive is easy. Just wait until she fills up the stock drive, if she does buy a larger one online and swap it yourself. Some vendors even give a small trade-in for sending back the original one.

Your daughter is wise. I would take a trip to a bank and have her open a separate savings account just for this and deposit the money. She should buy it next summer because:

• Apple usually has summer back to school promotions for a free iPod
• Once she is enrolled she is eligible for a $50 discount on the macbook, and a much larger discount on AppleCare (a must buy for students!)
• She will learn the importance of saving and delaying gratification - student loans are bad enough, finishing school with credit card debt on top of that is no fun.

As a side note, take a look on eBay for the NEC mobilepro 780 or 790. These things never really caught on, but they are amazing note-taking and writing tools for college students. Just transfer files using the CF card - don't bother networking the thing.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

You daughter is smart. If this is going to be her one and only computer to get her through 4 years of school it would be insane to buy now. She'd be limping along towards the end of her Junior year, and def her Senior year. Now if you are going to upgrade her after her Sophomore year then she should take you up on your offer no question.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I put a 7200 RPM Drive in my ibook and hated it. They are louder and hotter than 5400s.

Nonsense. Now maybe you bought an old model or something but I have 7200 drives in both of my MBPs - an old 1.83 and the new 2.4. Both are Seagates and run both cool and silent. Today's 7200 RPM laptop drives are as energy efficient and quiet as 5400s. In fact Tom's Hardware's latest review notes that the WD 7200 RPM drives run even cooler than some cheap 5400 models.

 

[raccoontail]

The drives must have improved - 7200 drives were fairly new to notebooks when I got mine - it was a seagate and it was relatively loud, power hungry, and warm compared to the stock drive it replaced. I'm still guessing most college students can think of more fun ways to spend money than buying an extra 1800 RPM's.

Nonsense. Now maybe you bought an old model or something but I have 7200 drives in both of my MBPs - an old 1.83 and the new 2.4. Both are Seagates and run both cool and silent. Today's 7200 RPM laptop drives are as energy efficient and quiet as 5400s. In fact Tom's Hardware's latest review notes that the WD 7200 RPM drives run even cooler than some cheap 5400 models.

 

[fishniw]

Always wait

I'm a college freshman and I have been going the past 2 months without a computer. It was the best decision I could have made as much as I liked the old 'books. Trust me in high school you have no need for a laptop. All of my teachers would never allow it in class. The 6 month CD is probably the best option, resist the urge

 

[PaulinMaryland]

I would buy it from Apple so you can take advantage of the academic savings. Why would it be better to buy it from a dealer?

• faster hard drive at the same price
• to use a hard drive that has fall detection
• no sales tax

 

[dukebound85]

For Real?? She has the chance to get an awesome new computer that she does not have to pay for and she is complaining? If she doesn't want it I'll take it.

yea i wish my parents bought me computers lol

just get it without her knowing and give it to her as a present

 

[QCassidy352]

Any improvements between now and July won't be worth a bucket of warm spit.

nahalem...

 

[Airforcekid]

Dont do it!

Apple will release tons of minor fixs in Jan keynote and maybe even 2.6GHz. I would wait for the 1.2 version. If you want you can get a cheap powerbook for 300 thats aluminum and looks the same until summer.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Apple will release tons of minor fixs in Jan keynote and maybe even 2.6GHz. I would wait for the 1.2 version. If you want you can get a cheap powerbook for 300 thats aluminum and looks the same until summer.

That's actually a really smart idea. Put the money in a bank (or somewhere else where it might actually appreciate) and wait until later? If she doesn't want it now and you want something for her, then get her something that won't loose at much money or won't be that big of a risk.

 

[cherry su]

• faster hard drive at the same price
• to use a hard drive that has fall detection
• no sales tax

Apple has Sudden Motion Sensor (SMS) built into all of its portables. Most hard drives are decently shock resistant these days.

 

[Baffles]

• faster hard drive at the same price
• to use a hard drive that has fall detection
• no sales tax

Marginally faster hard drive, not really needed. Apple SMS is good enough for this for fall detection, and sales tax is easily offset by the free iPod.

 

[timestoby]

since its 9 months away or wotever,why not have ur lazy daughter get a job and pay for half of it lol.

 

[arthursiew]

If you really think it's urgent to get her the laptop, just do so. Technology grows rapidly and there are new ideas everyday. You can never keep up with technology unless if you're as rich as Bill Gates. Apple will always keep releasing new products and theres no stopping to it. After July next year, there will be another update a few months later and she will feel the same like right now. I would personally get it right now, because the next update would probably be a speed bump, because Apple never changes the design of the notebook every update.
Also it's for school work, so if there's a big speed bump such as Nehalem. Will she really need the power? School work doesn't require that much power and a simple Core 2 Duo Processor will already be speedy for work.

 

[PaulinMaryland]

I get the feeling that some of you think that if I buy the MacBook now, it will sit in its box till next Fall. My daughter takes four AP courses. She has no computer of her own and hence must spend considerable time on my wife's computer. When our daughter is on it, my wife can't be. How much would you pay to avoid sharing a computer for 9 months?

Buy one Mac laptop now, then another in the Fall? Sorry.

 

[hogfaninga]

I get the feeling that some of you think that if I buy the MacBook now, it will sit in its box till next Fall. My daughter takes four AP courses. She has no computer of her own and hence must spend considerable time on my wife's computer. When our daughter is on it, my wife can't be. How much would you pay to avoid sharing a computer for 9 months?

Buy one Mac laptop now, then another in the Fall? Sorry.

You don't have to convince anybody here. It seems like you want to buy it for you, I mean her. Do it. You don't need to justify it to anyone especially to a bunch of people on a message board who you don't know. I assume you are a grown man and it is your money.

Personally I would wait b/c of the updates coming up and the back to school deal that will come next summer, but it is your money. Like I said, stop trying to convince us and do whatever you want. It is obvious you want to buy it for you, sorry I mean her .

 

[fxstb2002]

I get the feeling that some of you think that if I buy the MacBook now, it will sit in its box till next Fall. My daughter takes four AP courses. She has no computer of her own and hence must spend considerable time on my wife's computer. When our daughter is on it, my wife can't be. How much would you pay to avoid sharing a computer for 9 months?

Buy one Mac laptop now, then another in the Fall? Sorry.

Maybe you should have said this at the beginning, since this would actually be a real reason to buy it now. It came across as you had this money burning a hole in your pocket that you wanted to spend now, not that you might actually have a need for it now.

If she needs it, buy it. If she doesn't, don't.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I get the feeling that some of you think that if I buy the MacBook now, it will sit in its box till next Fall. My daughter takes four AP courses. She has no computer of her own and hence must spend considerable time on my wife's computer. When our daughter is on it, my wife can't be. How much would you pay to avoid sharing a computer for 9 months?

Buy one Mac laptop now, then another in the Fall? Sorry.

The fact she doesn't have a computer now doesn't help the fact that whatever computer she buys today will not carry her through her college senior year. Is that a goal or am I inferring too much?

If she needs a computer now, or rather you'd like her to have one so she gets off yours then buy her a used/refurb mini. I'm sure you could get a 1.5 core solo for a couple hundred bucks. Add on a $120 LCD monitor. Done. But if she only gets one college computer don't cheat her by trying to get her to buy it a year before she goes off to school.

 

[koobcamuk]

• The new aluminum MacBook is the last major improvement we're likely to see before Fall 2009,
  Wrong. There will be revisions on this model, so whilst the design may not change much at all from the outside, things will be improved as these new users find out where the new machines fall over
• Her MacBook will be the faster model (so she'll have the backlit keyboard) with a full complement of RAM,
  Good point
• I'm buying it from an eBay Mac dealer who will configure it with a 320GB 7200rpm hard drive, making it reasonably futureproof.
  Buy from Apple. If you've got the money, the warranty is excellent with Apple and if it's higher education you get an additional discount. Don't buy off ebay...

 

[jbrenn]

wait tell august you will get a much better computer there will be an upgrade by then and get the student discount. $50 of the low end mbs and $100 of the top end. $100 and $200 of the mbp. There is also the possibility that snow leopard will be out by then.

 

[Catonow]

Obviously, it's your money, so do what you think is best. But if the computer truly is for your daughter, then you should do what she prefers, as long as it won't cost you more money than you are comfortable spending.

As others have noted, there will be at least one revision between now and next summer. Granted, it is highly unlikely to be a full redesign, but at a minimum there will be speed bumps. Other possibilities include:

- Faster or better graphics processor

- bigger (and faster) hard drive option

- SSD option (prices bound to fall)

- bugs in the first revision ironed out

There is also talk of a tablet or other notebook formats coming; it might behoove you to wait and see.

Also, there is a chance that the next operating system will be out by then, and if you buy a new laptop with it preinstalled, you save money that way too.

I agree with (some) others here that the 7200 HD custom build seems unnecessary. If you buy from the Apple Store, do you have to pay MD state sales tax? If not, then get the education discount, and you save a bundle. I do know for a fact that you don't have to pay sales tax on Amazon purchases, and they often provide discounts or rebates on top of that, so that could be another inexpensive option.

You could always buy the extra RAM (which will be even cheaper by next year) and self-install, it is easier than ever on the new MBs. In any event, you should make sure to buy the Apple Care warranty, it will cover her for 3/4 of her college career (assuming she's not on the five-year plan).

 

[Demosthenes X]

The fact she doesn't have a computer now doesn't help the fact that whatever computer she buys today will not carry her through her college senior year. Is that a goal or am I inferring too much?

Unless the girl is planning on getting her MD and specializing in neurosurgery, a new MacBook will be fine all the way through college. The way you talk, you'd think the laptop will spontaneously combust after three years... the technology in the MacBook after the next revision will not be appreciatively different from the technology in the current one. Yes, it might get a minor speed bump, but for the vast majority of college work, it won't be noticed.

Word processing, internet, email, and MSN are the biggest tasks a college student uses their laptop for. The Compaq laptop I had in 1998 would handle those tasks... I don't know where you get the idea a laptop will suddenly be unable to handle those tasks in a few years' time...

 

[f1]

Maybe i'm a bit harsh, but um your buying your daughter a brand new computer, and she's complaining? I say she either takes the computer now or you spend it on yourself and enjoy!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Unless the girl is planning on getting her MD and specializing in neurosurgery, a new MacBook will be fine all the way through college. The way you talk, you'd think the laptop will spontaneously combust after three years... the technology in the MacBook after the next revision will not be appreciatively different from the technology in the current one. Yes, it might get a minor speed bump, but for the vast majority of college work, it won't be noticed.

Word processing, internet, email, and MSN are the biggest tasks a college student uses their laptop for. The Compaq laptop I had in 1998 would handle those tasks... I don't know where you get the idea a laptop will suddenly be unable to handle those tasks in a few years' time...

Of course the computer will not spontaneously combust, but if you are going to tell me an iBook 1.33 is a comfortable computer to use today I'd probably understand your train of thought. An iBook 1.33 was, of course the top of the line consumer computer back in late 2004, 4 years ago.

Personally I would not want to be using an iBook 1.33 today. Why because programs like Photoshop...even Photoshop elements, will have a hard time with it. Heck 10.5 can barely run on an iBook 1.33 so please don't tell me that laptops don't get a little crusty after 3-4 years because they do. That is why I have to upgrade every 2.5-3.

 

[aethelbert]

Unless the girl is planning on getting her MD and specializing in neurosurgery, a new MacBook will be fine all the way through college. The way you talk, you'd think the laptop will spontaneously combust after three years... the technology in the MacBook after the next revision will not be appreciatively different from the technology in the current one. Yes, it might get a minor speed bump, but for the vast majority of college work, it won't be noticed.

It's not just the speed of the hardware. Notebooks are subject to general wear and tear, especially when they're being carried around so much as a college student would from class to class. There's a big difference between leaving it on a desk and lugging it across campus every day. If bought now, the warranty would hardly get her half way through college. What happens if something goes wrong then? It's not cheap to get fixed and losing your computer in college could easily lose you a lot of productivity and time.

Sound more to me like you want the computer for yourself. If that's the case, then buy it for yourself. If she wants the computer for college, buying it this far out doesn't make sense. Waiting nine months can bring a new OS, free iPod, better hardware, iLife revision, et al.