Macbook Pro or Macbook for College?

[aeboi]

So a laptop is not mandatory but you know you will need??? Ummm, bit of an oxymoron there. Do you WANT a laptop, or NEED one? Two entirely different things.

Universities usually won't say that they're mandatory but since we're in the 21st century, it is fair to say that they're VERY helpful. I'm not going to mention how many times my GSI had canceled a class 1 hour before it was supposed to begin.

 

[Gryzor]

If the individual concerned only needs a laptop to assist with college work, anything by Apple is overkill. With the exception of high-end designers etc. who use highly powerful Mac Pros, most people buy Apple stuff because it looks good. Never mind the fact that you can have more power for less money in a normal laptop.

Don't get me wrong, I've got plenty of Apple products in my home, just not as a home computer.

 

[aeboi]

If the individual concerned only needs a laptop to assist with college work, anything by Apple is overkill. With the exception of high-end designers etc. who use highly powerful Mac Pros, most people buy Apple stuff because it looks good. Never mind the fact that you can have more power for less money in a normal laptop.

Don't get me wrong, I've got plenty of Apple products in my home, just not as a home computer.

There's no denying how apples are more expensive than their counterpart windows but to be fair, bias will rule in favor of apple since steve himself, by some degree, created these forums.

 

[Mac7]

Get whatever you could afford.

 

[Gryzor]

There's no denying how apples are more expensive than their counterpart windows but to be fair, bias will rule in favor of apple since steve himself, by some degree, created these forums.

Right, of course it will, but I find it highly amusing how people are automatically labeled as trolls when they say anything "negative" about their beloved brand (negative, meaning facts that Apply fanboys refuse to accept, such as their computer hardware being massively overpriced, spec-for-spec).

Like I said, I've got a lot of Apple hardware in my home, mostly in the form of iPods and similar, and that is for two reasons:

1. Yes, they look good
2. They function well, and in iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad guise, offer a far richer and varied portable entertainment experience than anything else out there.

I cannot apply the latter part of the second reason there to their line of computers.

 

[dallas112678]

So, I will be heading out to College in September to major in Office Administration and hopefully transfer to Computer Information Systems. Come September I will have the budget to spend on a laptop which Is not mandatory but I know I will need. I'm still kind of debating on getting an Apple laptop but i seriously want one because I want something that will last me through college without worrying about viruses, crashing, lagging, etc. I was thinking of either buying an entry level Macbook or the Macbook Pro. I am going to need MS Office although I have a main desktop Windows XP computer at home which runs good. This laptop should ideally last me through College even though I will MAYBE upgrade to another one halfway or sometime near the end. There are no Main Apple Retail Stores here in Puerto Rico so I'm stuck with Best Buy and Modernica which are resellers so I dont think I'll get a free iPod Touch or even an education discount. I'm also limited to buying in stores since my parents do not have a Visa, Master Card or American Express. So what should I get? Keep in mind the major/s I named both require alot of word processing, internet, use of applications and programs. I am also a person who loves technology and I'm into Graphic Design, I use Photoshop CS4 Extended alot on my desktop but mostly only when I'm editing my social network profiles. Opinions? Suggestions?

Common sense would say get a macbook, hell even a refurb because doing "alot of word processing" in office administration isn't all that intensive, a five year old computer would handle that just fine.

With that being said, your going to get the Pro since you obviously want to be a trend setter, so what was the point in even asking our opinions?

 

[chris2k5]

Don't listen to the moronic idiots who are telling you to get the MB over the MBP.

For only $150 more, you get core features that are so much more worth your money. Plus you don't have to worry about cracking plastic with the MBP. And college is 4 years. Pick the better MBP and be happy for 4 years. It will last that long.

The MB won't last the 4 years.

 

[KidZgOtMac]

Common sense would say get a macbook, hell even a refurb because doing "alot of word processing" in office administration isn't all that intensive, a five year old computer would handle that just fine.

With that being said, your going to get the Pro since you obviously want to be a trend setter, so what was the point in even asking our opinions?

It's not that I want to be a "trendsetter" because even if I get the MB I will be one because students over here go for the Windows computers and Apple isnt well-known or maybe its just that they are EXPENSIVE laptops! But, the MBP does have better features than the MB and will also last longer, so for a little bit more money (that I will have at hand) it will do just great.

Don't listen to the moronic idiots who are telling you to get the MB over the MBP.

For only $150 more, you get core features that are so much more worth your money. Plus you don't have to worry about cracking plastic with the MBP. And college is 4 years. Pick the better MBP and be happy for 4 years. It will last that long.

The MB won't last the 4 years.

Yes I know, and trust me... I'm going for the MBP. Unless something comes up that doesnt let me get the MBP, THEN and only THEN, will I get the MB.
Come on people..

Backlit keyboard
4GB
SD card slot
Aluminum unibody
Firewire 800

I mean, those are some good features that will make my experience a little better & simplify my college life a little more.

 

[Tmacfan4321]

13" MBPs are not expensive. They're in mainstream territory. MBPs with dedicated GPUs are pretty expensive for consumer laptops though.

 

[Rithem]

I absolutely love my MBP 15 inch.