Laptop for University

[mrsir2009]

I've got a 13" and its great to carry round etc. Light gaming is also pretty good on it. Mine has 4GB of RAM, which I would suggest if your going to be doing programming, mulittasking or gaming.

-Peace!

 

[Cool Runnings]

Applecare will only extend to 3 years from the purchase date of your Mac, not the purchase date of Applecare.

The same goes for Sweden. So i doubt it's any different in Germany.

 

[Amasashi]

A MacBook Pro 13" or 15" would be more than adequate for your needs. Which ever model you get, be sure to only go for the baseline configurations. The higher specced ones are a rip.

Personally I would go for the 13. Since you'll be carrying it around often, that extra 2 inches will make a world of difference.

 

[neal.young]

Personally, I would go for the 15'' MacBook Pro. I am going to college next year too, and I'm getting a new MBP with a hi-res screen in a couple of weeks. The 15'' is nicer than the 13'' because you can have 2 windows open next to each other, which is very nice when writing a paper and doing research online simultaneously. With the 13'', the screen isn't wide enough to see 2 windows next to each other very well.

Also, I don't know if other colleges have this, but at the University of Minnesota bookstore, you can get free AppleCare when you buy a new MBP in addition to the significant discount you already get when buying for education.

 

[aiqw9182]

The ONLY thing that may be on the 'iffy' side with using the 13" for what you want may be gaming. Although you did say that graphics were not overly important, in which case you can just turn down the settings a bit and I'm sure you will have no problem.

The 13" is perfectly capable for gaming. The games he listed aren't demanding.

 

[mrsir2009]

I have owned a 15" MBP too, and it is a lot heavier to carry round. The games you want ta play don't require a 15" anyways.

 

[wisty]

OK next question would you recommend the AppleCare Protection Plan? Is it really necessary?

AppleCare is like any insurance. If you can easily afford to replace your laptop, don't bother, it will probably be cheaper without insurance.

If a broken laptop will totally screw your finances up (i.e. you are a student), then get the insurance. You can't afford the risk.

That said, my AppleCare paid for itself.

 

[xi mezmerize ix]

Screw a laptop, you're gonna need an 8-core Mac Pro with 8 TB of HD space.

I honestly think 90% of people know the answer to their question before they ask it.