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College Student: Which MBP?

M

maddan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 15, 2008
156
0
I want to know which MBP to get to fulfill the following needs:

Word Processing
Spreadsheets
Slide show Presentations
Music and Movies (16GB+)
Videos
Lasts for 4+ years
Lightning fast (regardless of age; 4+ years)
Browsing
E-mail
PDF
Plenty of document storage room (I remember one of my friends that had a mac that would not save or download any more files; they had used up all the space; can't have that happening to me over the course of 4 years)

Suggestions?

FYI: Keep in mind I will be studying marketing and will probably be using a graphics program.
 
The base 13inch will be sufficient for your needs. It also depends on the screen size you would like, but in terms of power, the 13inch is fine. Also, I would recommend buying a good external hard drive for your extra documents (you can also use it for backing up)

Also, If you wish, you can upgrade the HDD to a bigger one and add more RAM.
 
Any MacBook Pro will be fine for you. Documents and presentations don't take much space so don't worry about the size of the HD and you probably want to back them up as well so invest on an external HD ASAP. I also recommend AppleCare because then you can have peace of mind for at least 3 years but it can be bought anytime during the first year after purchase when you're still inside the 1-year warranty
 
Okay, and do you think it'll last me the 4+ years I will be in college for?
 
Hellhammer said:
If your usage doesn't change, it will. With AppleCare the warranty is extended to 3 years so if it needs repair, it'll be free
Click to expand...

Great; I forgot to mention I actually might be doing some graphic design, mainly business-related (ads). Does that change your rec.? I am currently going for the 15-in 2.53 GHz (although I will wait until june-july for the new line).
 
maddan said:
Great; I forgot to mention I actually might be doing some graphic design, mainly business-related (ads). Does that change your rec.? I am currently going for the 15-in 2.53 GHz (although I will wait until june-july for the new line).
Click to expand...

For Graphic design the 13" base mbp is just fine, you could even get by with $899 student priced MB.

The 13" is better for carrying around. Trust me, smaller is better when you're walking around campus. When you need the bigger screen, just use it at home and hook it up to a big monitor(check fatwallet or other deal sites for good deals on 21inch and up monitors).

As to document space, you can carry around a 32-64GB flash drive, and that will be plenty(it's not like you're doing video editing, just graphic design). You can also, if need be, carry a small usb powered hd drive(around 320GB). And lastly don't forget the Internet! You can save your files as attachments to mails, and just save that mail as a draft, or use other free (or paid) online storage services.
 
maddan said:
Great; I forgot to mention I actually might be doing some graphic design, mainly business-related (ads). Does that change your rec.? I am currently going for the 15-in 2.53 GHz (although I will wait until june-july for the new line).
Click to expand...

Don't wait. I hate playing the waiting game for something insignificant like the new Core iX processors. I only waited for last summer because I wanted to save more money (educational discount, free iPod). The 13" MBP will do just fine, it can handle moderate gaming so Photoshop and apps like that will run smoothly. I hardly switch to my 9600M GT graphics card except for gaming in Windows, where the 9400M isn't recognized.
 
maddan said:
Great; I forgot to mention I actually might be doing some graphic design, mainly business-related (ads). Does that change your rec.? I am currently going for the 15-in 2.53 GHz (although I will wait until june-july for the new line).
Click to expand...

If your graphic designing isn't 3D or heavy video editing with e.g. After Effects, you should be fine. There will be new MBPs sooner than June, probably March, I guess

SnowLeopard2008 said:
Don't wait. I hate playing the waiting game for something insignificant like the new Core iX processors. I only waited for last summer because I wanted to save more money (educational discount, free iPod). The 13" MBP will do just fine, it can handle moderate gaming so Photoshop and apps like that will run smoothly. I hardly switch to my 9600M GT graphics card except for gaming in Windows, where the 9400M isn't recognized.
Click to expand...

Arrandale delivers up to 30% better performance than similar Core 2 Duos, so are you still calling them insignificant? I'm sure GPUs will get updated too. By waiting, you get a bigger bang for your buck and you may want to wait till Back to School promo as well
 
Hellhammer said:
If your graphic designing isn't 3D or heavy video editing with e.g. After Effects, you should be fine. There will be new MBPs sooner than June, probably March, I guess
Click to expand...

Hmm... does anyone know when the next media event is?
 
Go for the 13" Badboy Pro, it's the best model for you. Maybe upgrade the RAM a bit later to 8 Gb to further future proof it and make it badder. Good luck!
 
maddan said:
Hmm... does anyone know when the next media event is?
Click to expand...

Invitations usually go out 1-2 weeks before the actual event so until invitations have been sent, we can't be sure. Moreover, Apple doesn't arrange a media event everytime something is updated so the update may be a silent one. Apple just held an event on Wednesday so I doubt there will be one within few months.
 
OKAY!! A lot of you have recommended the 13 inch, so I give in! lol

Will the glossy screen be a drawback? I currently have a desktop PC with a really nice large 20" Matte screen, and I love it. I can't imagine having the lamp next to me being reflected in a glossy screen; too distracting IMO.


What do you guys think?
 
maddan said:
OKAY!! A lot of you have recommended the 13 inch, so I give in! lol

Will the glossy screen be a drawback? I currently have a desktop PC with a really nice large 20" Matte screen, and I love it. I can't imagine having the lamp next to me being reflected in a glossy screen; too distracting IMO.


What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

You'll be glad, especially when you can fit more things in your bag!

As long as you don't have ADHD or don't have the sun directly reflecting in the screen you should be fine. Only when the screen is black and devoid of programs running will it really be a problem. Only you can say for yourself, however unless you're willing to fork over $$ for the 17" there's no around it with the apple laptops(I hear you can put some screen filter or something over it, not sure how well it works though).

If there's an Apple store nearby, test it out there(maybe even bring a flashlight to simulate the sun :rolleyes:) or find a friend who has one.
 
macrumorsMaster said:
Only you can say for yourself, however unless you're willing to fork over $$ for the 17" there's no around it with the apple laptops(I hear you can put some screen filter or something over it, not sure how well it works though).
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure you can get the 15inch mbp's with a matte screen. It's like a $50 dollar option.
 
I would go for the 15" with the dedicated GPU and the matte. Great portability. Then a separate monitor for home and that would be perfect in my opinion.
 
kellen said:
I would go for the 15" with the dedicated GPU and the matte. Great portability. Then a separate monitor for home and that would be perfect in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Okay, thanks. But what exactly is a "dedicated GPU"? I don't want to go over my budget of $2,000.
 
Paul B said:
Just get the 13" Macbook and an external monitor.
Click to expand...

I would suggest the same. A bigger display will be good. 13inch MBP will be enough for your needs. 15inch will also be good.

Check out the refurb store also. You might find some good deals. Use that money for Apple Care.
 
I would recommend the base 13inch with 4 gigs of ram upgrade, depending you might need a HDD upgrade or just get an external one, and with all the multitasking youll probably be doing you might want to get an external display, wallymart will give you some good prices on those, you could get a cheap 20 inch for <$150.

Enjoy
 
maddan said:
Okay, thanks. But what exactly is a "dedicated GPU"? I don't want to go over my budget of $2,000.
Click to expand...

A dedicated GPU means the 9600 GT Graphics vs the 9400 M

I would personally recommend the 13 inch for more portability unless you want to game...
 
Go with the 13" Badder Boy Pro and a 24" Cinema display (refurbished $599). It's best of both worlds; enjoy your new badder boy!
 
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