Macbook pro 13 or 15 for university student?

[sweetheartdans]

I am attending unviersity next year. I will be commuting and live 10 minutes away. The campus is quite small so there isnt much walkin around. I will be studying primary teaching so I know I don't need to run powerful applications. I have decided to get the MBP and this will be a high school graduation present.

I will be using the macbook pro for word processing, powerpoints, surfing the web, essays, emails, facetime and photobooth, watching movies and downloaded TV shows, calendar program and iLife. I also will start playing SIMS 3.

I won't be using the laptop for note taking in lectures and tutes. The only times I need portability include the library, study groups, group projects and studying outside of my house.

My eyesight is not the best so I was thinking the MBP 13 with an external monitor (much cheaper than the MBP 15). I would then have portability when
needed. However, I though the MBP 15 will last me longer and the weight wont be too much of a concern as I don;t need much portability. I do like the screen size of the 15 much better (using a 15 inch laptop now).

I am considering purchasing an iPad 3 in the future if I decide on the MBP 15

What option would be best for my uses?

Thankyou

 

[henry72]

The MacBook Air would be a better choice if you are going to get the 13" MacBook Pro because of the screen resolution and the flash storage.

However, 15" MacBook Pro is not a bad choice at all. It will last you for ages and you can upgrade the Ram or hard disk later on If you are planning to play games on this machine, I'd say go for 15" and also because the weight is not a problem for you. You might also want to consider the high resolution option for the 15".

Go to your nearby Apple store and check it out

 

[jmpnop]

The MacBook Air would be a better choice if you are going to get the 13" MacBook Pro because of the screen resolution and the flash storage.

However, 15" MacBook Pro is not a bad choice at all. It will last you for ages and you can upgrade the Ram or hard disk later on If you are planning to play games on this machine, I'd say go for 15" and also because the weight is not a problem for you. You might also want to consider the high resolution option for the 15".

Go to your nearby Apple store and check it out

Agree with this, 13" MBA would be a better choice if you're not going to game on it. Its the perfect balance of size and portability and the flash storage makes everything snappy.

 

[RolandNights]

I'd say the 13" if you're going to get an external monitor. I also assumed it was a typo when you mentioned the iPad3....you meant if you the 13", right? I just assumed so because it's cheaper than the 15", making the iPad3 more affordable.

With the external monitor in mind, the 15" is more attractive when you're studying outside of home. I'm not sure if you do that often, but in your field of academia, there's tons of papers and presentations. That extra two inches is really nice for when you want to compare documents/PDFs side-by-side for writing essays and making presentations. You also mentioned you had bad eyesight, so greater estate would allow you to make things bigger on your screen, without making it seemed as crowded as the 13". Also, the screen size and high resolution one are great for watching movies and gaming.

 

[Young Spade]

Get the 13. I couldn't see anybody using a 15 inch laptop in lectures; it just isn't practical. When you're also trying to stuff as many books into your bag as possible, you're going to love having the 13 (or even wish you had an Air).

I went for the MBP 13 since I don't need more than what it offers and I already have a great external monitor to which I FINALLY ordered the cable online today.

 

[MacinDoc]

With a 13" MBP, it would be easy for you to upgrade the RAM and the HDD in the future, and it's small enough to fit in a typical workspace.

When you get the chance, upgrade the RAM. OS X loves lots of RAM. Just don't get it from Apple.

Also, don't forget the Universal Access control panel if you want to make some tweaks to adjust for your eyesight.

 

[palpatine]

I have an MBP 13. I think it will be plenty powerful for your needs. It is a great deal considering the specs, assuming you are OK with the lower resolution. Personally, it doesn't bother me, and I would think it wouldn't bother you (higher resolution=smaller text on the screen=trouble for someone with eye issues), but you'll want to try it in the store.

The 15" is an awesome machine, but way more power than you need, so you would be spending about 1000 dollars for two inches of screen real estate.

I am just throwing this out there, and I wouldn't recommend it as your only device, but I haven't taken my MBP to campus for a long, long time, because the iPad is more than enough for me. I've started several threads on the topic if you are interested (see my profile -> stats). Again, I would want a computer at home (for final formatting and other tasks the iPad doesn't handle well), but for campus, it is great (especially for reading).