Help a Starving College Student T.T

[knocknak]

If you're having trouble paying for a new laptop, how can you pay $2000 for Complete or $5000 for Unlimited?

Hi! Well I purchased mine through a bookstore and Maya fortunatley had a student edition which was $300. I mostly buy my softwares from http://www.studica.com. They give huge discounts to students... so I'm very thankful to them...

Refurb macbook for $1100? OR...

1. Write up Microsoft's PR department, explain your situation, and tell them you'd like to be on the next MS 'laptop hunters' ad. Have them buy you a HP 17" for however much money. You can then:

a. Sell the new laptop in the box on ebay or craigslist, and add that to your original $1500.

b. Wait for somebody else to watch the commercial and give you a 17" MBP. (Total win!) OTOH, you may have to be as cute as Lauren for this to work.

c. Take remaining funds and invest heavily in snack ramen noodles and a portable hot pot for the dorm.

Hahaha that sounds fun! we'll see lol.

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I feel very fortunate that you guys are giving me feedback on what you guys think. To reply to some of the other posts, I do not feel offended nor do I feel you are lecturing me because I know that you guys are being honest and giving me your advice. I really appreciate all your thoughts.

I know that this little problem I'm having is very small and I'm just so thank ful that you guys are being really nice about it and answering as detailed as you can. Thank you!


Q)) I was just wondering. If i buy a low spec. macbook pro, is it easy to upgrade? I'm not good with taking computers apart and adding stuff to it. Can I have mac staff doing it for me?

 

[apersianboyCOM]

Q)) I was just wondering. If i buy a low spec. macbook pro, is it easy to upgrade? I'm not good with taking computers apart and adding stuff to it. Can I have mac staff doing it for me?

You can upgrade the RAM/Hard Drive but you can't upgrade the processor s what you get is what your stuck with!
You can take it to an Apple store and a genius will do the upgrades for you.

 

[gan6660]

Buy it in the summer so you get the free ipod touch and then sell it for $200 on ebay so you get that money back. Or you could apply for a best buy credit card and buy it there. No interest for the 1st 12 months.

 

[THX1139]

I appreciate how you manage to donate to charity when you're so strapped yourself but going without food so that you can give $50 to the church is ludicrous. They don't need your $50. You should go to the church you have been donating money to and tell them it's their turn to help you. What goes around, comes around. When you're out of school and making decent money, you'll be able to make up for lost donations to sooth your guilt.

If you get a student developer membership (I think it's $50), you'll get a one time major discount on a hardware purchase. I think it's around 20%.

What school are you going to?

 

[Thorbjorn]

FYI, if you buy at Best Buy on their credit you can get it interest-free for something like 18 months--at least that was the deal when I bought my MBA there back in October. If you're steady about paying off the debt monthly, you'd be good to go. Just don't be late with a payment 'cause then they'll slap the high interest rate on you immediately. Also, if you fail to pay off the debt by the due date, the accrued interest on the entire purchase will apply (not just interest on the remainder of the debt). At least that's my understanding of it. Ask a lot of questions before you go this route, though.

 

[RedTomato]

Well the thing is, the reason why I need a laptop is because my Animation department is closing down our computer lab due to budget cuts. This semester, I've been practically living in there but I recently found out that it would be gone by next semester because they could not keep up with the licenses on Maya. T.T If they had the lab open next semester, I wouldn't be in this dilemma. And only macbook pros meet the requirements that my school has regarding softwares I need to use and specs compared to PC and macbook.

To be honest, I fail to see why only a MBP meets the software requirements. Most industrial software doesn't actually need that great a graphics card. I run Final Cut quite happily on a MacBook even though the specs say it needs a discrete graphics card.

Waiting a bit longer to render won't kill you. Care to elaborate on which exact software you will use needs a MPB? We might be able to help with advice there.

If it turns out you do need a MPB, I agree with the others here - DON'T BUY NEW! Go to refurb, buy second hand locally (not off eBay) with AppleCare or seek a university discount.

This time of year, the final year students are leaving. You have a very good chance of buying a decent laptop off a final year student at a good discount, possibly even with all the relevant software if it's a departing student on your course. Try the arts and engineering students as well, both groups have lots of apple laptops.

 

[WoodNUFC]

First, I just want to say that I really admire your charitable giving, but I think you need to reevaluate it slightly. You said that you hate saying no when people ask, but trust me, no one would think less of you if you slimmed your donations. What I mean is, if you tithe to your church I would continue. I would stop giving to other charities for the time being. OR if you not tithing, just pick one charity to donate to instead of several others. Like one of the other posters said, maybe you should just donate time rather than money. I know several charities in my area that are in bigger need for volunteers than anything because they just can't help everyone with limited staff.

To be honest though, if you HAVE to skip meals to pay for a computer I'd say you really can't afford it. No one will think you are less talented if you are editing on a 15" MBP or even a MB. You have to look out for your well being over getting "the best" laptop. I'd have to agree with others and say that you should save money by looking at different options. The refurb store had high res 17" from last generation for $1899, or close to that, the last time I looked. That is a good option especially since you are almost there.

In all though, I understand about the whole notebook for college thing though. I don't know how I would have made it through the last 4 years without mine, especially when our school cut our labs. But you have to realize that you are not in the economic position to drop $2500+ on a laptop, and you shouldn't compromise to do it.