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I am Being Begged From my Very Confused Friend!

M

mrcowdude20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2011
173
0
Philadelphia, PA
Okay! So, my friend currently has just an iPod Touch. He's been saving money, and saving money and finally has just over $1,300. (doesn't have a job) Since I love Apple :), he depended on me to make HIS decisions! I don't want to lead him in the wrong direction. His choices are as follows:
  • MacBook Pro
  • iPad 3 (when it comes out) and a Windows Laptop
What he needs it for:
  • school essays / homework
  • fun (games)
  • internet
  • fooling around
  • experience
I know that the MacBook Pro will be better for school work, but what about the laptop (Windows)? I think the iPad and laptop would be better 'cause the iPad is portable, but than again, the Mac would probably last though / until college (currently, he is in 7th grade), where as the Windows will not last him THAT long. So, what should he do?
*If extra details are needed, I'll be happy to provide them.
**Sorry for the long story. Thought I needed to get most of it in. :)
***It will be his first BIG purchase.
****Thanks for ALL help!
 
refurb MacBook Pro 13, and save some of the money. that's plenty of computer, and he should learn to save some as well as spend.
 
13 MBP - Make sure he understands some games (dont know which games he plays) may require windows and he will need a windows license.

I 2nd the refurb idea also
 
I would wait until the new iPad is announced, which is due to be announced on the 7th March if you believe the rumours. You can't really make a decision until you have the correct information. I am assuming that you can wait until then.

Personally I would go for the MacBook Air over the 13" MBP. Better screen plus speed of SSD drive and a little easier to carry around.
 
iPad 3 when it comes out, NO windows laptop, why would he need one anyways if he already has the iPad for portability.

If he wants more computing power on top of the iPad, why not choose a Mac Mini with cheap peripherals?
 
I agree on the 13 in MBP...

But there is still a way for your friend to get both a Mac and an iPad 3 for under $1300.

Sign up for a refurb me alert for 2010 Mac mini less than $500. I know it works 'cuz I just bought one last week. So that's $469. Then you need a monitor, which can be had for $99, an Apple BT keyboard for $69 and a Logitech or MS BT mouse for $49 (or less). You will also need a DVI to VGA adapter which costs about 2 bucks plus shipping on Monoprice. Total about $1190 (plus tax and any shipping charges, btw the mini ships for free). You can save money by going with an Apple wired keyboard for $49. I don't recommend a non-Apple keyboard. You can opt to spend a little more to get the magic trackpad for $69 instead of the Logitech mouse.

One up side is you have a decent machine that can run Mountain Lion. Another up side is you can use the iPad 3 as a second monitor. Another up side is the 2010 minis still came with optical drives. Only you and your friend know if a mini will be "good enough." Another up side is the gaming experience on the iPad 3 will likely be better than that of even the MBP.

One down side is you have a less powerful Mac than you would have if you bought the refurb MBP. The mini geekbenches at 3300 while the MBP comes in at 5900. Another down side is you don't have a portable machine and are utterly dependent on the iPad 3 for carrying around. This is another place where my experience may shed some light. I have not carried my netbook nor my Macbook to any class or meeting since I got my iPad 1.
 
On a budget go for the 13" mbp (refurb) and forget about the iPad. He basically still has his iPod touch so what does he need the portability for. If the mbp is too big to lug around then get an air. He can save some more and buy an iPad 3 later.
 
Does he really need a MBP

If he isn't going to be gaming that much and only play occasional games then how about buyin a MBA instead? It's light ad portable and a joy to use. Instead I carrying a heavy MBP in his backpack then a MBA would be much better for his needs.
 
Recommendation for about $1200:

1. Refurbished MacBook Pro 13". Check out the "refurbished" section on the Apple Store. Look for a 2011 model, not a 2010 model. Right now they sell a nice on (4 GB, 500 GB disk) for $1019 instead of $1199 for a new one. The $180 difference will pay for the rest.

2. External hard drive for backups. That is an absolute must unless whatever is on your hard drive has zero value for you. The cheapest 1 TB USB drive will do very nicely.

3. A printer if you want to print anything. The most economical way is to buy a cheap black and white laser printer. Look around to find cheap offers. There is always _some_ cheap printer for sale somewhere. With a laser printer, the toner cartridge in the printer will last you for ages without trouble. If you want to print colour photos, it's cheaper to print them at some shop because otherwise the ink costs a fortune.

In two years time when the Mac gets a bit old, you buy some more RAM, and a faster or bigger hard drive.


Jb07 said:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD313LL/A

This will be perfect for him.
Click to expand...

Exactly that one.
 
Your friend is in the 7th grade. The purchase will probably last to college (no drops please), but he will most likely want an upgrade by that point.

His/her interests may change over the years. You might consider something with a quad core as that might last longer for new software (as the dual cores disappear). For instance, I use a dual 2.5 mbp for Avid/Final Cut Pro Editing and it is so slow due to new editing software requirements that it needs to be replaced soon.

I always buy refurbished from the Apple Store. New laptops will come out soon and their will be many bargains when that happens from all stores.

You can always get a cheap pc notebook for now or a used mbp, save the money and wait a year or so to see what comes out in 2013-2014.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A406 Safari/7534.48.3)

Make sure he knows limitations of osx as far as gaming goes, so I third a refurb mbp. On second thought just make sure he is well informed about all his options and then he should make a decision for himself.
 
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