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College next year...Macbook Pro or PC laptop?
- Thread starter bobfitz14
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read the FAQs!!!
it clearly states in the FAQs of the page you listed:
Can I bring another kind of laptop?
Students who do not follow the requirement, and chose to purchase a laptop other than the program laptop will not receive support from the Computer Help Desk in regards to their computer. Building the same laptop through the Dell store to make it comparable to the program model is not acceptable, and will not be supported. Students with non-program laptops will be referred to a local vendor who can provide technical support at an additional cost.
So basically you can take another one - they just wont support you...
it clearly states in the FAQs of the page you listed:
Can I bring another kind of laptop?
Students who do not follow the requirement, and chose to purchase a laptop other than the program laptop will not receive support from the Computer Help Desk in regards to their computer. Building the same laptop through the Dell store to make it comparable to the program model is not acceptable, and will not be supported. Students with non-program laptops will be referred to a local vendor who can provide technical support at an additional cost.
So basically you can take another one - they just wont support you...
wow, your school sucks.. 
if you got the money, buy the mac.. if not, get a decent Win machine for 500-1000€... where's the problem?? if win7 had been released when I bought my macbook, (in 2007) I would never have switched to OSX.. win7 is fine.. no hassle to run bootcamp/VM, no compatibility problems...
if you got the money, buy the mac.. if not, get a decent Win machine for 500-1000€... where's the problem?? if win7 had been released when I bought my macbook, (in 2007) I would never have switched to OSX.. win7 is fine.. no hassle to run bootcamp/VM, no compatibility problems...buy the macbook you want
Make sure you buy a copy of 'office' and you'll pretty much be set.
They have just signed a deal with dell so make it sound like you can't do anything else but there is sweet F-A that they can do about it.
I live in the UK and when i started uni a couple of years ago I asked the uni would i be able to use a Mac for my courses, like would it be compatible with their networks and stuff, and they basically said "no" (which was crap) and pointed me towards particularly Dell but really any Windows Laptop, so being younger and never having owned my own computer or laptop i took their advice and got an HP pavilion with XP (vista was only just coming out and boy am i glad i didn't get it included Lol).
Anyway that thing died after only a year and a bit and needed to be sent off to pretty much be stripped out by HP and have everything replaced, this happened two more times before i finally gave up on it and it was out of warranty. Plus when i turned up for uni there were other students using macbooks absolutely fine, maybe the odd teething problem with the odd document or network thing but no more than the amount of glitches and stuff i had with the HP.
So in short my advice as having been in almost the same situation is:
- buy a macbook/macbook pro (or any computer you want and feel comfortable with)
- buy applecare (with student discount)
- shop around for mac office (this helps with the 'standardisaton' they talk about)
- ***EDIT: also get an external HD for back up, I lost pretty much everything on my old HP twice. Either that get a massive flash stick for putting like important essays and stuff onto.
I mean mac's aren't infallible but at the end of the day its your money and you should get something that you'll be happy with.
Make sure you buy a copy of 'office' and you'll pretty much be set.
They have just signed a deal with dell so make it sound like you can't do anything else but there is sweet F-A that they can do about it.
I live in the UK and when i started uni a couple of years ago I asked the uni would i be able to use a Mac for my courses, like would it be compatible with their networks and stuff, and they basically said "no" (which was crap) and pointed me towards particularly Dell but really any Windows Laptop, so being younger and never having owned my own computer or laptop i took their advice and got an HP pavilion with XP (vista was only just coming out and boy am i glad i didn't get it included Lol).
Anyway that thing died after only a year and a bit and needed to be sent off to pretty much be stripped out by HP and have everything replaced, this happened two more times before i finally gave up on it and it was out of warranty. Plus when i turned up for uni there were other students using macbooks absolutely fine, maybe the odd teething problem with the odd document or network thing but no more than the amount of glitches and stuff i had with the HP.
So in short my advice as having been in almost the same situation is:
- buy a macbook/macbook pro (or any computer you want and feel comfortable with)
- buy applecare (with student discount)
- shop around for mac office (this helps with the 'standardisaton' they talk about)
- ***EDIT: also get an external HD for back up, I lost pretty much everything on my old HP twice. Either that get a massive flash stick for putting like important essays and stuff onto.
I mean mac's aren't infallible but at the end of the day its your money and you should get something that you'll be happy with.
It sounds like all they are doing is buying laptops in bulk to ease their IT administration responsibilities. For that, you can't blame them. Having the entire supported student body on the same 1 or 2 machines makes their life a lot easier. If a part fails, they probably have a large supply of parts allowing for a quick fix. If an OS repair is needed, they will just restore you from their standard image in 20 minutes. That's why they require you to buy that exact model. I doubt that they are getting a significant kickback from Dell, that just happens to be who they have the contract through.
So, if you choose to buy your own computer, it sounds like that is fine, but you assume all responsibility for troubleshooting and repair. Note that this means if your computer craps out 2 days before finals, you are on your own. With their 'program' you'd probably go to IT and if nothing else, they'd give you a loaner. Note that Apple requires you send your computer in for repair, so turn-around time is several days to a week at best. This has already been brought up by another student in the thread - but don't underestimate the importance of having a computer at critical times during the year.
So, if you choose to buy your own computer, it sounds like that is fine, but you assume all responsibility for troubleshooting and repair. Note that this means if your computer craps out 2 days before finals, you are on your own. With their 'program' you'd probably go to IT and if nothing else, they'd give you a loaner. Note that Apple requires you send your computer in for repair, so turn-around time is several days to a week at best. This has already been brought up by another student in the thread - but don't underestimate the importance of having a computer at critical times during the year.
As wagawagawoowoo (hell of a name, btw) said, read the fine print. There os no way that you have to buy that Dell. The alternate question is what if you don't? I somehow doubt that they'll turn away your tuition check.
I'd also add that when I was in college, I knew several people in the political science program. Trust me, there is no special software that will be required of you. So, like many others, have paraphrased before me:
"Just get the MBP and don't worry about it. Not a big deal."
Also, I would take ajriggy's buying advice in regards to the AppleCare and the data backup.
Cheers,
DCBass
I'd also add that when I was in college, I knew several people in the political science program. Trust me, there is no special software that will be required of you. So, like many others, have paraphrased before me:
"Just get the MBP and don't worry about it. Not a big deal."
Also, I would take ajriggy's buying advice in regards to the AppleCare and the data backup.
Cheers,
DCBass
thanks for the advice, and you're English is fine!
i know! i have no idea why the heeelll they require that sh*t laptop for THAT much money...not worth it. it's a great school too but that's a poor decision on their part.
Yeah I say to the hell with that, I would definitely look into buying the MBP, even if you bought the PC and then sold it on Ebay I would think you could on get $200 for it. Fusion or Bootcamp either way you will be able to run all of the schools programs, and if they give you crap about needing a finger print reader for security just buy this.
thanks for the link to the fingerprint reader, that could come in handy.
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on that same page that you're quoting...
even if i wasn't getting a MBP for school, i would still buy MS Office immediately. how common is it that external HDs fail? i have thought about getting one for the new laptop i eventually get but i'm afraid of storing everything solely on that and it failing, or is it more common to have everything on the laptop's HD itself and have a copy of it all on the external?
finally, Applecare for $249 for three years of service would cover almost anything? i typically don't buy extended warranties but i think it would definitely be something to consider in this case.
i don't blame them for "requiring" a computer because as you said, i know it is pretty easy for them to approach a problem if everyone has the same laptop. it's just the fact that it is an absolute crap laptop for over a grand that i don't understand.
read my quote above. i would be an incoming freshman so i am required. also, as i stated above i would probably invest in an external and Applecare. if i do get it i would want it to last as long as possible!
How about still buying a MBP. Configure it so it would work in school. Use it for one to two months to make sure it works in the school environment without bugs. When successful sell the pc you were forced to buy. I mean it's your Dell laptop now and you can dobwhat you wish with it.
that's what i'm starting to lean towards, but when would a refresh of the Macbook Pro line likely come? the buyers guide says don't buy, so should i wait until the start of summer to get one? i don't think i could wait until October because by then i'm a couple months into school...
If you can hold off till just before school starts then buy it then. From what I can tell you could use todays laptop for school. They are still pretty amazing machines.
or
Wait till the summer and buy todays laptop on the referb store and save a bucket of money. That is what I did and have absolutely no regrets. Bought my computer for $1200 less then what they were originally retailing for. Still with a full one year apple care warrantee.
firstly you should be able to get applecare for waaay less because you are a student, when i bought my mbp back in october it would have cost a non student £195 (this is from the apple store in Glasgow) but with student discount cost me £47. So you wont have to pay full price as long as you go to a store and show proof of student status or go online and order off the apple higher education store.
as for external HD's i don't know how reliable all of them are but as an extra back-up keeping the odd important thing on a flash drive as well means only thee most bad luck ever would see you lose everything.
And seriously no matter what their stupid brochure says they cannot 'force' you to buy a laptop of a particular kind, especially as it is not actually vital to your course (i.e. you don't need special program's or software).
Plus having office will mean if your computer did bugger up you'd have an essay backed up on a flash or HD and then you could just go on a uni computer or a friends and finish it off providing, as i'm sure they will, that they have office for windows.
I cannot believe the price and specs that they expect you to shell out for on that dell machine, it'd pretty disgraceful.
the discounted Applecare sounds awesome. is it common for people who don't have limited space to have everything on their internal HD and an external as to have 2 copies of everything?
and i already have a 4GB flash drive, but i wouldn't know how to format it to work with Macs. can any flash be re-formatted or would i have to buy another one?
finally, i completely agree about the price for that Dell they "require." they usually make minor adjustments for every graduating class but i wouldn't expect any major changes for my graduating class who will be enrolling this fall.
to be honest i am not an expert on how people use their HD's, i think some people do a clone of their existing HD with everything on it and others just drag and drop various files such as documents, music, photo's, onto them to keep a 2nd copy. All of your app's that come with your laptop will be reload-able through the CD that comes with the computer.
The flash drive wont need to be reformatted, you can just shove it in and start working, provided you have the equivalent software.
All my flash drives had my files from my old HP and i didn't need to re-format, I think the point of flash drives is to be pretty universal and work on almosy any system. Obviously if you have highly specific Windows files they wont open but the majority will, if you have any PDF's you wont believe how much quicker 'preview' is than Adobe. I don's use adobe for viewing PDF's anymore.
i hope this is helpful, like i say i am mainly just offering my two cents as i was in a similar situation when i started uni and feel for you, it's a stress! Lol.
seems reasonable. everything was helpful so thank you for the multiples of lengthy posts
, hopefully when all is said and done i get into my first choice school (which has no requirement) and get my first Mac!
so i'll be a freshman in college in the fall, and i have a little dilemma. most of my schools want me to buy a Windows laptop through the school, they already have them customized and everything with what you "need."
i understand where they're coming from, with a laptop issued through the school they'll cover all potential problems and there's no compatibility issues. then what is Bootcamp for Macs? if i understand correctly it will run (almost) any Windows operating system without any flaws on a Mac. (big side note: what i don't get is that three of the schools that require i get a PC laptop through them have Mac computer labs at the school, what's the point of that...?)
i am REALLY tired of Windows, i've been waiting for college so i can get a Macbook Pro. however, 3 of my 6 schools require i buy a Windows laptop through them, whether it's an HP, Dell or whatever. f*k that! i have no choice. ignoring the money issue, is such a bad idea to get a Macbook Pro (most likely within a couple months) then get the school issued laptop in August/September and use both? i would have the school one for school work like essays and projects, then the MBP for leisure.
i haven't made the deposit to any of the schools i've gotten into so far so i'm not actually devoted anywhere yet.
please don't flame or anything
Well, first of all good luck with college!! I was also a poli sci major and loved every class I took. It's really a fascinating field and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
That being said, just wanted to throw my two cents in here too - I know this has become a lengthy discussion but hopefully I can help! My college didn't have the option of buying a laptop through the school, but I ended up going with a Dell because they were so much cheaper and I really didn't know any better at the time. My school offered limited support for all machines, both Mac and PC, but couldn't really do anything too in-depth. That was fine for me because I was covered under Dell's warranty anyways, which ended up being a nightmare as their tech support is horrible. Needless to say, the Dell failed two years in, so I ended up buying my MacBook. Once I had my Mac, and no longer had to deal with the abysmal tech support from Dell, I found that it's so much easier to just go to my local genius bar than to have anyone else try to help me. (I was in the city so it was easy for me to do that, but if you're going to school in MA then you're probably fine, we've got lots of Apple stores). Basically what I found was that regardless of my school's support of Macs, I found that using Apple Care was my preference the few times I needed something fixed. Because, oh yeah, my MacBook had far, far fewer problems than my Dell ever did!
So good luck, and go with the MBP if that's what you really want - you'll probably have a much better experience on it than you'd have on the school's Dell. As others have mentioned before, there's no way a school can mandate what computer you buy unless it's for a very specialized purpose (for instance, I know of some engineering and technical schools that include computers in the tuition because all their students need to be on the same platform, but that of course doesn't apply if you're studying poli sci or anything like that). So if you're going to any liberal arts school, my bet is that they don't include the cost of the computer in the tuition, and definitely won't turn you away if you decide to buy something else! Even if they do include it in the tuition, that's what ebay is for
Just out of curiosity where are you looking other than Quinnipiac, if you don't mind me asking?
Use the external drive for backup. Keep the working copies on the actual computer and use the external drive for backup only. External drives are perfectly robust, but any drive can fail. Your only protection is to keep multiple copies.
If you go the MBP route, you definitely want Applecare, especially if it is going to be your only computer. Don't fool around with any computer that requires a lengthy warranty turn-around process.
The likely reason it is a 'crap' laptop for the price is that they likely spec'ed this laptop 1-3 years ago, and have not turned over to a new model yet. If you were buying it in the first year of a new model for the school, the specs would likely be somewhat more appealing. Note that the laptop manufacturer has to make special arrangements to keep that particular model available to them over a relatively long period of time, and this likely explains the price premium. Remember that you are not buying this computer for its specs. You are paying the premium for it because you have direct support available to you in the case of any problems, freeing you up to think about your school work rather than computer issues. The brand, specs, or operating system does not make the student.
Well, first of all good luck with college!! I was also a poli sci major and loved every class I took. It's really a fascinating field and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
That being said, just wanted to throw my two cents in here too - I know this has become a lengthy discussion but hopefully I can help! My college didn't have the option of buying a laptop through the school, but I ended up going with a Dell because they were so much cheaper and I really didn't know any better at the time. My school offered limited support for all machines, both Mac and PC, but couldn't really do anything too in-depth. That was fine for me because I was covered under Dell's warranty anyways, which ended up being a nightmare as their tech support is horrible. Needless to say, the Dell failed two years in, so I ended up buying my MacBook. Once I had my Mac, and no longer had to deal with the abysmal tech support from Dell, I found that it's so much easier to just go to my local genius bar than to have anyone else try to help me. (I was in the city so it was easy for me to do that, but if you're going to school in MA then you're probably fine, we've got lots of Apple stores). Basically what I found was that regardless of my school's support of Macs, I found that using Apple Care was my preference the few times I needed something fixed. Because, oh yeah, my MacBook had far, far fewer problems than my Dell ever did!
So good luck, and go with the MBP if that's what you really want - you'll probably have a much better experience on it than you'd have on the school's Dell. As others have mentioned before, there's no way a school can mandate what computer you buy unless it's for a very specialized purpose (for instance, I know of some engineering and technical schools that include computers in the tuition because all their students need to be on the same platform, but that of course doesn't apply if you're studying poli sci or anything like that). So if you're going to any liberal arts school, my bet is that they don't include the cost of the computer in the tuition, and definitely won't turn you away if you decide to buy something else! Even if they do include it in the tuition, that's what ebay is for
Just out of curiosity where are you looking other than Quinnipiac, if you don't mind me asking?
thanks for the personal experiences, and i'll send a PM about the other schools.
thankya, and i know that having a PC over a Mac or the other way around won't make me a better or worse student. i realize having the school issued computer would make things more convenient in case of tech problems but that doesn't really justify the $1150 for a computer i have no say about.
My school had irritating network security that involved installing a Cisco security client that was incompatible with anything newer than WinXP, which in turn required the installation of a custom-made version of Norton Antivirus with unmodifiable settings that sucked up system resources and forced hard disk scans at inopportune times.
Luckily, the IT guys were too lazy to come up with any security for Macs, so I ditched my aging Inspiron for a MBP and never looked back.
Those school policies are bull***** and I feel for you. The PC makers come up with sweetheart (i.e. kickback) deals with the schools to sell overpriced PCs to students, which is where they ditch old/unsellable inventory. Hope you get some sort of MB, for spite, if nothing else.
Luckily, the IT guys were too lazy to come up with any security for Macs, so I ditched my aging Inspiron for a MBP and never looked back.
Those school policies are bull***** and I feel for you. The PC makers come up with sweetheart (i.e. kickback) deals with the schools to sell overpriced PCs to students, which is where they ditch old/unsellable inventory. Hope you get some sort of MB, for spite, if nothing else.
so i'll be a freshman in college in the fall, and i have a little dilemma. most of my schools want me to buy a Windows laptop through the school, they already have them customized and everything with what you "need."
i understand where they're coming from, with a laptop issued through the school they'll cover all potential problems and there's no compatibility issues. then what is Bootcamp for Macs? if i understand correctly it will run (almost) any Windows operating system without any flaws on a Mac. (big side note: what i don't get is that three of the schools that require i get a PC laptop through them have Mac computer labs at the school, what's the point of that...?)
i am REALLY tired of Windows, i've been waiting for college so i can get a Macbook Pro. however, 3 of my 6 schools require i buy a Windows laptop through them, whether it's an HP, Dell or whatever. f*k that! i have no choice. ignoring the money issue, is such a bad idea to get a Macbook Pro (most likely within a couple months) then get the school issued laptop in August/September and use both? i would have the school one for school work like essays and projects, then the MBP for leisure.
i haven't made the deposit to any of the schools i've gotten into so far so i'm not actually devoted anywhere yet.
please don't flame or anything
Both my daughters are in college now and both have MBPs. They love them. The university supports both Mac and PC computers. Double check before you buy a PC. Are you really sure the schools require PCs? (I'm a college administrator and there are not too many colleges I'm aware of that lock you into one or the other). If so, it's probably because their network can't support Macs. But I can't imagine there's any software you'd be using that isn't available to run on the Mac. Just make sure before you go the dreaded Windows route!! Good luck with everthing.
so i'll be a freshman in college in the fall, and i have a little dilemma. most of my schools want me to buy a Windows laptop through the school, they already have them customized and everything with what you "need."
i understand where they're coming from, with a laptop issued through the school they'll cover all potential problems and there's no compatibility issues. then what is Bootcamp for Macs? if i understand correctly it will run (almost) any Windows operating system without any flaws on a Mac. (big side note: what i don't get is that three of the schools that require i get a PC laptop through them have Mac computer labs at the school, what's the point of that...?)
i am REALLY tired of Windows, i've been waiting for college so i can get a Macbook Pro. however, 3 of my 6 schools require i buy a Windows laptop through them, whether it's an HP, Dell or whatever. f*k that! i have no choice. ignoring the money issue, is such a bad idea to get a Macbook Pro (most likely within a couple months) then get the school issued laptop in August/September and use both? i would have the school one for school work like essays and projects, then the MBP for leisure.
i haven't made the deposit to any of the schools i've gotten into so far so i'm not actually devoted anywhere yet.
please don't flame or anything
Sounds like you'll have to purchase the windows machine. That's not to say you could save some money and purchase a Mac, too!
Habitus
My school "recommended" that I get a laptop from them (they were all PC's) but I already had a macbook so I just kept it. THe only issue I had was the CAD software doesn't work in OS X, but the engineering dept has their own computer lab with big monitors that I use for CAD. My mac works fine for everything else.
Buy the computer that YOU want, not what your school wants you to buy since they get a kickback
Buy the computer that YOU want, not what your school wants you to buy since they get a kickback