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Do college students need a MacBook Pro?

I'm a CS student who went from a Macbook Pro to a Macbook. Honestly, the size/weight difference was negligible. I wish I stayed with the Pro for the larger screen, scratch resistance, and better video card (for some WoW in the library).

That, and everybody else has Macbooks.
 
Does anybody really need anything?


When I get my MBP (probably next release, or next back to school season), I might keep this old powerbook to take to class still...

Hell maybe it will last me another year if I can get by without gaming :)
 
masse said:
Does anybody really need anything?
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Ha, good point.

"Do college students need a macbook PRO?"

From what I can tell at my university, the majority don't. Most either have macbooks or 15inch pc notebooks. The only powerbooks/pros that I see are in the hands of proffs or the occasional hardcore mac enthusiast.

I've had a powermac (which was massive overkill for what I did in school) for my batchelor of arts degree, but now that I'm starting grad school I want something portable (I am sick of using the university's computers and saving my work to a server). The macbook would be fine for all of the work that I'll be doing, but I want the extra features, especially the discrete graphics, of the pro. I certainly don't need it, but I do want it and I know that having the pro will stop me from pining after the next thing that apple releases.
 
Yeah, I'm headed back to grad school in the fall, and I need a laptop that I can take notes in class with.

The MBP doesn't seem meaningfully heavier or bigger, but I've noticed a bunch of people saying that they only see MBs in class, not MBPs.

Why do you think this is? Is the MBP too *nice* to take to class? Or does the small difference in size make a big difference when you're trying to fit 3 books and your laptop in your backpack?
 
naturallight said:
Yeah, I'm headed back to grad school in the fall, and I need a laptop that I can take notes in class with.

The MBP doesn't seem meaningfully heavier or bigger, but I've noticed a bunch of people saying that they only see MBs in class, not MBPs.

Why do you think this is? Is the MBP too *nice* to take to class? Or does the small difference in size make a big difference when you're trying to fit 3 books and your laptop in your backpack?
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Well, I think generally speaking, most college students have cheaper consumer laptops. I mean, just generally speaking you don't see that many college students with $2000+ laptops.

But aside from that, the MacBook's size and design is probably more appealing to college students, and also most of them don't need what the MBP has anyway, so the MacBook does just fine.

-Zadillo
 
It's been said a few times in this thread but the folks who are behind the MB and refuse to consider the MBP seem to ignore it so I will quote it once again:

Martin C said:
15'' MBP: 5.4 pounds
MB: 5.1 pounds

You cant carry an extra third of a pound? Oh, please.
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Daveway said:
I keep getting the sense that people continually make these threads to somehow justify their purchase and ease their mind of second thoughts about their machine.
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Amen brother.
 
Do college students need a mbp?

I am a uni student, and i'm studying architecture, which probably puts the most strain on any uni/college notebook

the macbook handles it fine

what you all forget is that the base macbook is still high middle class windows laptop
 
No, a macbook will work fine. Except that Apple discontinued the macbook, so your choices are a macbook air, and a macbook pro. And of those two, I would go with the pro.
 
The question I wanna ask to the OP is, does it even matter to you? Everyone has their reasons whether being it's required for their work, or personal preference. I'll admit that I probably went overboard on mine (high end 2010 15'') cause I wanted it to last throughout my university time. That being said, I haven't regretted it one bit. Although, I'll agree it IS a chore to carry around all day especially if you have textbooks on the side as well. But that's why this year, I picked up an 11'' as the perfect portable computer while the pro will sit at home, connected to a display and never leaving that spot.
 
psychstix said:
my school forces us to have a macbook prok, grades 5-12, kinda confusing.
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fail

sukion said:
the question i wanna ask to the op is, does it even matter to you? Everyone has their reasons whether being it's required for their work, or personal preference. I'll admit that i probably went overboard on mine (high end 2010 15'') cause i wanted it to last throughout my university time. That being said, i haven't regretted it one bit. Although, i'll agree it is a chore to carry around all day especially if you have textbooks on the side as well. But that's why this year, i picked up an 11'' as the perfect portable computer while the pro will sit at home, connected to a display and never leaving that spot.
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fail

aeboi said:
4 year old thread...just sayin ^^^
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win

palpatine said:
i hate it when people dig these things up!
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win
 
Mr. MacBook said:
Not like that.

But it's still kind of heavy and annoying to be carrying around class to class. And the size isn't too small.
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Sorry if I'm quoting you from all the way back, but have you ever actually carried one? Why don't you ask some of your friends to lend you a 11", 13", 15", and 17" laptop and carry each one of them around? That would help you get a better idea of what you would like the most.
 
ideal.dreams said:
And that is how you successfully dig up a 4 year old thread :p
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aeboi said:
4 year old thread...just sayin ^^^
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palpatine said:
I hate it when people dig these things up!
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C'mon ... it's an honest mistake. The kid is new to the forums, probably doing a MR search and saw something that he wanted to reply to. It's not the end of the world to bring a dead thread back to life.

Besides, y'all know that the new members that post common questions without searching get crucified around here. We shouldn't be killing the guys that are actually using the search feature.

just my 2 cents
 
seong said:
Sorry if I'm quoting you from all the way back, but have you ever actually carried one? Why don't you ask some of your friends to lend you a 11", 13", 15", and 17" laptop and carry each one of them around? That would help you get a better idea of what you would like the most.
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Mr. MacBook was banned. :)

Necrothread resurrection is a bad idea.
 
I'm in Australia and for the last two years, plastic MacBooks have been a rare sight. Honestly, the ratio of 13" MBPs to MBs seems like 50:1. I've seen just as many 17"s.
 
I used my non-retina 15" MBP when I was in college and did not find it burdensome AT ALL to carry it around. It really is quite a thin and light machine and most people with the 15" agree with that it seems. Yes, if you own a 15" MBP and an 11" Air, they will feel substantially different, but I don't own an Air and thus never found my MBP to be anything but really easy to carry around to a variety of places.

-EDIT-
Sorry for responding. Only just noticed this was an old thread dug up.
 
WTF! This thread is over 5 YEARS OLD!!! The dude isnt even in college anymore!
 
mr. Macbook said:
mind you, im not in college, but i cant see the reason of having a macbook pro in college. I've visited colleges, but the only macs i see in their cafes are macbooks.

If your a college student, don't you need something thin, light, small-screened and powerful? I cant understand how someone would lug around a 15-inch macbook pro instead of a light little macbook.
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no
 
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