MacBook for class?

[illegalprelude]

Hey you guys/gals.

I wondrous question for anybody who takes classes right now. Ive been debating on getting a MacBook for the soul purpose of college. I already own a PMG5 and a PC and I also own a Vaio laptop but its a 15.4" unit so its a little too big for class while a Macbook is much more discrete.

My question is though, is it even useful? Anybody here actually take their laptop to class and get something useful out of it?

 

[adiosk8]

I'm sure a lot of people take their MB's to class and get something useful. I have no problem bringing my 15' MBP everyday to all my classes, It's still really portable.

 

[onebloodonelife]

My college is a laptop campus, so every full time student gets a laptop, either a MacBook or a Gateway tablet. I have the MacBook and take it to every class. It comes in handy for typing notes instead of writing. Since it's so portable, it's easy to carry around while walking on campus. On the other hand, it's much easier to get distracted with a laptop with you in class.

 

[insomniac321123]

It does make it easier to take notes. I find that when I use my mbp, I type more information than if I had just written it on paper. It is easy to get distracted, but a little self-control, and you'll be fine. The only thing I can't do with my laptop are my science classes-too many drawings and diagrams.

 

[e12a]

Laptops are good to bring to class because sometimes the teacher goes too fast through their power point presentation. Usually I can get most if not everything down on a word processor compared to writing it down by hand.

 

[phungy]

It's very useful. I bring it with me everyday. In just one of my class (approx. 50-60 students) I see 2 black Macbooks, 2 white Macbooks, 1 Macbook Pro and 1-15" Powerbook. I'm sure there are more but those are the ones I noticed...

 

[CrzyCanuck72]

I never use mine in class because I have a very specific studying style that I don't want to mess with, but I carry it around most days to use between classes, and it is great for that. It's very portable, unlike the massive 17" Toshibas some people lug around...

 

[DaLurker]

I type all of my notes and I find its a great tool. Also I cleaned out my paper notes last semester and found I had a pile about 3 inches tall. I cleaned out all of my archives from Grade 12 'till now (3rd year Uni) and found a pile around 4 feet tall.

That alone was motivation enough to go completely paperless which meant bringing my laptop to school and typing all of my notes.

 

[breakfastcrew]

since you already have a vaio I would suggest a smaller vaio for class maybe one of those ultra portables with the ulv core duo processors.

 

[holamiamigos]

yup it works just fine.. imo 13" is the perfect size

 

[Fearless Leader]

I find it useful becuase my teachers can now read my assignments without straining their eyes. And I take all my notes on my MBP. I couldn't stand going from a 15" gateway to a 13" mb, thats why I have my MBP.

 

[flalaw]

i take my mbp to class every single day. all through undergrad i took notes by hand no problem. now that i'm a grad student i take all my notes on the computer, as does everyone else.

it's good b/c i can type a lot faster than i can write, but i feel like sometimes i get caught up in worry about formatting, spell checking, etc. also, i would need separate paper if i want to draw diagrams relating to the class notes. oh, you can't forget the always present distraction of being able to get on the web.

honestly, from my perspective i feel like its about the same whether you type or handwrite your notes. my advice is get the macbook (or MBP) just b/c its a great computer. then take it to class and see what you think about it.

 

[flalaw]

It does make it easier to take notes. I find that when I use my mbp, I type more information than if I had just written it on paper. It is easy to get distracted, but a little self-control, and you'll be fine. The only thing I can't do with my laptop are my science classes-too many drawings and diagrams.

i absolutely agree. i type a lot of stuff down that i feel like i could capture in fewer hand written notes.

 

[illegalprelude]

yea my thing is. sometimes teachers go so fast that by the time i look down, i either have no idea what ive written or im so busy that while im just writing down what they wrote, i have no idea what they've been actually saying. Typing is no problem sense i can be watching tv and typing something without looking so it makes it alot easier.

On that note, a similar question. How good are the mics built into them? Could you lets say sitting infront of the class click record with program X and actually record a lecture good enough to take home to tap into?

 

[3nm]

while i bring my MBP to school everyday, i seldom use it to take notes. when taking notes, i like to draw arrows and use the margins for important stuff. in addition, i need the flexibility for diagrams, formulas, equations, etc. also, pretty much anything that can actually be typed is available in pdf or ppt. but i guess this really depends on your major.

in any case, i think you should try out the MB's keyboard. i switched from a MB to a MBP because i get less typos with a more traditional KB. surprisingly, MB and MBP weight about the same. in terms of size, i haven't found the MBP to be that much bigger than a MB. try stacking a MB on top of a MBP (or your 15") and you'll see what i mean.

Hey you guys/gals.

I wondrous question for anybody who takes classes right now. Ive been debating on getting a MacBook for the soul purpose of college. I already own a PMG5 and a PC and I also own a Vaio laptop but its a 15.4" unit so its a little too big for class while a Macbook is much more discrete.

My question is though, is it even useful? Anybody here actually take their laptop to class and get something useful out of it?

 

[iLoveMyMBP]

i like to take my mbp to class and record the lecture or just everyday class. Very useful so i can listen to them with headphones on and take notes.