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SMkdesigns

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 2, 2007
229
0
I am a college student. I have my iPhone and I use it constantly all the time. I don't have a ton of money to spend at all. So for the same price as a macbook I can get a 20 inch Imac slot bigger sceen nice to look at watch movies on with a larger he. Or I can get the macbook and have a fast portable machiene. I can't decide if I bought the macbook and took it to school and I have my iPhone I would use my iPhone to. Check email and surf the web fast. I guess the only benefits of havjn the MacBook would be that I could type my papers anywhere.

I don know I am stuck
 
See my signature. I am not in college anymore, but make out just fine with this combination.

IMO, the power boost that you get with an iMac is well worth the lack of portability -- plus, if you want to do anything that requires a dedicated GPU, get the iMac.
 
I would find it impossible to not have the macbook and only a desktop, since 3/4 of my classes I type my notes or read of the powerpoints during lecture. Its really your decision..both will work just fine for you but the macBook would be more practical for being a college student.
 
I got my MBP before my senior year of college. Before then I had a desktop and the ability to take my computer to class and take notes as well as the ability to bring my computer to group meetings, social gatherings, or just into the living room of my townhouse was something I'm not sure how I was able to live without before.

As far as the macbook and iphone competing, although I didn't have an iphone while I was in college, now I use mine for checking mail, or quickly looking something up when I'm away from my computer. I don't think the two would have competed when I was in school, they certainly don't now.

Overall, I think the ability to take notes in class would make the macbook a winner in my book.
 
Get a MacBook.

You've got basic needs (typing/email/web). I'm sure the portability will come in handy at some point.
 
if you are a collage student short on cash, I'd say to buy a mac-mini. You can probably get a cheap monitor and that's all you would need.

I find the mac-mini to be more upgradable than the imac, and when a newer more powerful model of Mac comes out, you won't feel cheated for spending a lot of money.

I currently have a mac-mini and think it's simply awesome. I'm a software developer and do a lot of photo editing with Lightroom. The Mini works great on my 20" non-widescreen monitor. I would recommend against a wide-screen monitor with the mini.
 
You could also get the MacBook and an external display. You'd be able to have the portability a notebook computer provides and the screen real estate a desktop provides.
 
the iMac has better build quality I feel. Probably will last you a longer. Has cheaper apple care.

I however, am never comfortable with a screen and computer being integrated into one.

I for one believe the iPhone 3G is a powerful enough mini-computer to use. However, if you type notes in class then the iphone will be inadequate.
 
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