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Do I buy a Macbook Air for Uni?

J

jakeviner

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2014
1
0
Hello,
I am going to university at the end of September and don't know whether to buy a MBA or not. I'm doing a Psychology degree so it will mostly be used for essay writing and reading articles. I also use Netflix, twitter and tumblr often. I can't decide whether to purchase the smaller or larger hard drive version (I've decided on the larger screen) as I also have a relatively large iTunes library. I wouldn't be doing tasks such as Photoshopping or video editing either.
Even so, would a Macbook Pro be more useful?
Basically, I'm unsure of what the best Macbook to buy would be, any suggestions would be really helpful and greatly appreciated! I want to buy the best I can but don't want to waste money upgrading hard drives and processors if it wouldn't make much difference anyway, especially as I could purchase an external hard drive.

Thanks guys :)
 
macbook air 13" but if you don't care about the money go for a 13" retina, tiny little better to write
 
You have no need for the MBP. The MBA is a fantastic little machine, and you're going to love its portability. Save your money, and stick with the Air.
 
jakeviner said:
Hello,
I am going to university at the end of September and don't know whether to buy a MBA or not. I'm doing a Psychology degree so it will mostly be used for essay writing and reading articles. I also use Netflix, twitter and tumblr often. I can't decide whether to purchase the smaller or larger hard drive version (I've decided on the larger screen) as I also have a relatively large iTunes library. I wouldn't be doing tasks such as Photoshopping or video editing either.
Even so, would a Macbook Pro be more useful?
Basically, I'm unsure of what the best Macbook to buy would be, any suggestions would be really helpful and greatly appreciated! I want to buy the best I can but don't want to waste money upgrading hard drives and processors if it wouldn't make much difference anyway, especially as I could purchase an external hard drive.

Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...

As far as power goes, the MBA is more than you need. It really depends on budget and preferences. The retina display in the mbp blows away the air's display, however the air is lighter and arguably easier to transport and has an additional 3 to 4 hours of battery life which can be very useful if you are away from a power source for long periods of time. Transporting the 13 inch rMBP is still virtually as easy since it has a smaller footprint than the 13 inch air but weighs a half a pound more.

I would say display quality and battery life would be your biggest deciding factors. If retina isn't a big deal, get the Air. It will give you better battery life. If you want a better display and don't mind a slightly heavier machine, get the pro. It's footprint is smaller so it's easier to slip in and out of a bag, but it is slightly heavier and will get 8-9 hours away from a charger where the Air will get you 12 plus.
 
Last edited:
jakeviner said:
Hello,
I am going to university at the end of September and don't know whether to buy a MBA or not. I'm doing a Psychology degree so it will mostly be used for essay writing and reading articles. I also use Netflix, twitter and tumblr often. I can't decide whether to purchase the smaller or larger hard drive version (I've decided on the larger screen) as I also have a relatively large iTunes library. I wouldn't be doing tasks such as Photoshopping or video editing either.
Even so, would a Macbook Pro be more useful?
Basically, I'm unsure of what the best Macbook to buy would be, any suggestions would be really helpful and greatly appreciated! I want to buy the best I can but don't want to waste money upgrading hard drives and processors if it wouldn't make much difference anyway, especially as I could purchase an external hard drive.

Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...

You quality for university discounts too which may help a lot.
 
Get the Air, as it is lighter and the battery life is incredible. One charge lasts all day and no need to carry the charging brick. Even the base Air has more than enough processing power for your needs and it's PCIe SSD is amazingly fast.

IMO, the Air is perfect for a Uni student who will be toting their computer back and forth to school nearly every day...To take the portability even further, the 11" is even lighter yet there is no performance hit (although it lacks the SD card reader of the 13").
 
Last summer, I bought my daughter a base Macbook Air 13in (4GB RAM, 128GB storage) for university. She is a Government major, and it has been perfect for her. The benefits: easy to carry and long battery life plus a very reasonable price with student discount at Best Buy. She loves it.

Honestly, 128GB is plenty of storage for most students, since documents don't take up that much space. Productivity Apps (Office, iWorks) run great on a MBA, and most of your time will be spent using this software.

It's a great machine.
 
Uni doesn't require you to have copious amount of storage.

For portability, AIR. BTW I don't believe in external drives, you WILL leave that sucker in the dorm. But in your situation is very easy, just buy 2x what your iTunes lib size is, done.

For a little extra weight, go Pro, the 13" Pro has actually a smaller footprint than the 13" Air.
 
Hello,
I'm actually in a similar situation.
I use my computer the same as the OP but I am quite indecisive about which Macbook would be best for me. I'm considering the 2012 MacBook Pro or the 2014 MacBook Air 13". Also is the option of 4GB or 8GB that big of a deal? Or would I be fine with the base 4GB?
Thank you.
 
1. 4GB is PLENTY for everyday tasks, unless you're doing Final Cut, After Effects, Photoshop, or intensive applications. For work and productivity, you're FINE!

2.Get a 13" if you want real estate and want to use the SD Card slot. If you don't need an SD card slot, the 11 inch will be FINE (you will adapt to its size and the performance is the same. Just consider the lack of the 2 inches and the SD card spot).

3.I think it's better to wait for the 12" retina MacBook Air. If you need a macbook air now, you'll be fine for years with the 2014 models, or just buy a BASE model and then sell it once the rMBAs come out and buy the new model.

4. the 11 inch is ultra ultra ultra portable. It is an amazing machine. the 13inch is ultra ultra portable. I got my 13inch because I wanted an SD card and the extra screen real estate. You can't go wrong either way.


5. The $150 off Best Buy Coupon ends TOMORROW. You can stack it with a 10% off movers discount from USPS. There's an online link somewhere, just find it, fill out a temporary change of address, and cancel it when you're done. You'll get a 10% off coupon when you finish the form. TOMORROW is your last chance to get a pretty good deal for the base models (I paid $770 for my new 13 inch MBA, the 11 inch is probably like $670, and this is with 7% NY tax.)
 
Cchs229 said:
Hello,
I'm actually in a similar situation.
I use my computer the same as the OP but I am quite indecisive about which Macbook would be best for me. I'm considering the 2012 MacBook Pro or the 2014 MacBook Air 13". Also is the option of 4GB or 8GB that big of a deal? Or would I be fine with the base 4GB?
Thank you.
Click to expand...

The 4gb model is more than enough for your needs. I do more than that and my 4gb never slows down. I would recommend the air over the 2012 MBP.
 
I see 13" Airs at my university and they are great machines.

If you have a large iTunes library, buy an external drive for it all (it is easy to setup this way). That way you don't take up lots of SSD space & if something happens to your Mac you won't have to redownload or re-rip your whole library. On the same topic, putting a copy of your work on a small USB drive is very helpful should something go wrong.
 
jakeviner said:
Hello,
I am going to university at the end of September and don't know whether to buy a MBA or not. I'm doing a Psychology degree so it will mostly be used for essay writing and reading articles. I also use Netflix, twitter and tumblr often.

Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...

I do all that on mine for school and, IMO, an Air is overkill for such simple tasks, it's such an awesome machine in performance & style. Mine is an i7/8/256 model.

Unless you're professionally video editing, gaming or doing 3D/Design work, I think an MBA can handle pretty much everything. Not that an Air won't do those things pretty well if spec'ed properly.
 
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