Macbook questions

[panzermonkey]

Hello everyone, I am considering buying the higher priced white macbook and had a few questions regarding it.

1. How long will the macbook last? I need it to last 4 years without giving me any major problems. I have heard that they used to have quite a few hardware issues....have they been resolved now? I will be living in hot and humid climate, and lugging it with me to the university everyday . . . so does that make any difference in its usable life?

My other choice for laptop was the Lenovo T61 14.1". How does the macbook compare to the T61.

2. Can anyone give me how exactly does the student discount/free iPod nano deal work? Do we get a free iPod in addition to the current student discount?

3. Does anyone know when Office 2008 is going to be released? Should I buy Office 2004 now or wait? Is there any upgrade option to go from Office 2004 to 2008.

Sorry for asking so many questions...and thank you for your time. I really am exited to get my first mac.

 

[flopticalcube]

I can only really answer your first question. Most of the major issues with the MacBook have been worked out. There are still alot of G3 iBooks around and they are at least 4 years old. If you purchase AppleCare you will be fully covered from any breakdowns for a full 3 years. In all probability, and if you take reasonable care with it, you should still have a perfectly functioning and usable machine at the end of the fourth year.

 

[mkrishnan]

Welcome! Some of the questions you're asking... well, okay, all of them, get asked a lot, so it may benefit you to search this forum. There was even a recent fairly detailed discussion thread, I think, about the T60 vs. the Macbook.

2. Assuming that offer comes out again, it's traditionally been the student discount price plus either a free iPod Nano (lower end model, I think you pay and then get a rebate) or the equivalent discount towards a more expensive iPod. It usually runs in the late summer / early fall. Several threads about it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/304996/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/306019/

3. Also several threads about it, the expectation is it's the latter half of this year, but no guarantee that this will mean before school starts.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/308160/

EDIT: Here is the discussion of the Macbook and the T60.

 

[skubish]

Hello everyone, I am considering buying the higher priced white macbook and had a few questions regarding it.

1. How long will the macbook last? I need it to last 4 years without giving me any major problems. I have heard that they used to have quite a few hardware issues....have they been resolved now? I will be living in hot and humid climate, and lugging it with me to the university everyday . . . so does that make any difference in its usable life?

My other choice for laptop was the Lenovo T61 14.1". How does the macbook compare to the T61.

2. Can anyone give me how exactly does the student discount/free iPod nano deal work? Do we get a free iPod in addition to the current student discount?

3. Does anyone know when Office 2008 is going to be released? Should I buy Office 2004 now or wait? Is there any upgrade option to go from Office 2004 to 2008.

Sorry for asking so many questions...and thank you for your time. I really am exited to get my first mac.

1. Buy Applecare. The Macbook should last 4 years but you will probably want to upgrade before then.

2. There is no free iPod deal currently. Last year it was a free nano or $179 off any other iPod. Yes it including the regular student discount as well.

3. Not sure.

 

[Dynamyk]

1. How long will the macbook last? I need it to last 4 years without giving me any major problems. I have heard that they used to have quite a few hardware issues....have they been resolved now? I will be living in hot and humid climate, and lugging it with me to the university everyday . . . so does that make any difference in its usable life?

If you buy Applecare and upgrade the RAM it will last you 4 years.

My other choice for laptop was the Lenovo T61 14.1". How does the macbook compare to the T61.

No clue sorry

2. Can anyone give me how exactly does the student discount/free iPod nano deal work? Do we get a free iPod in addition to the current student discount?

When the deal comes out (I'm guessing mid-june), you buy the laptop and the ipod with your student discount and mail in for the price of a nano.

3. Does anyone know when Office 2008 is going to be released? Should I buy Office 2004 now or wait? Is there any upgrade option to go from Office 2004 to 2008.

Just download NeoOffice for now, and wait, nobody officially knows when it's coming out.

 

[janey]

If you buy Applecare and upgrade the RAM it will last you 4 years.

AppleCare only covers up to 3 years from date of purchase, whether or not the computer itself lasts 4 years or more is well...an individual thing.

When the deal comes out (I'm guessing mid-june), you buy the laptop and the ipod with your student discount and mail in for the price of a nano.

??? Apple hasn't announced their program for this year just yet. It changes slightly each time.

Just download NeoOffice for now, and wait, nobody officially knows when it's coming out.

Office 2k8 is supposed to be released later this year.

 

[panzermonkey]

Thank you for the quick responses people. I think I will go with the macbook + applecare when/if the student discount with free ipod deal comes along.

 

[Ubuntu]

Thank you for the quick responses people. I think I will go with the macbook + applecare when/if the student discount with free ipod deal comes along.

Just thought I'd mention that they're extremely anal about the rebate process, they ask for you to cut the labels off of the boxes (no big deal) but then sent me the mail back (took two weeks to get back apparently), claiming that the name specified was not the name of the consumer who purchased the macbook + iPod. It was, there was just a spelling mistake. But like, surely it would have been simpler to call us and tell us this? They were probably trying to use every legal move possible to reject our rebate call .

Good luck.

 

[mccldwll]

Many universities offer 4 year warranty programs (don't know if applecare plus one, or separate from applecare), but probably not keyed into nano rebate (if offered) or free printer. Check with your university's comp store. However, if will upgrade w/in 3 years, might want to go w/ standard applecare.

 

[Dynamyk]

AppleCare only covers up to 3 years from date of purchase, whether or not the computer itself lasts 4 years or more is well...an individual thing.

Obviously care is implied. Generally, if your laptop lasts past the Applecare period, it will last the 4th year once you continue the same standard of care.


??? Apple hasn't announced their program for this year just yet. It changes slightly each time.

I know, that's why I'm guessing. But I asked the Apple Store here and they said it's just a matter of time

Office 2k8 is supposed to be released later this year.

But we don't know a date

Just trying to defend myself

 

[flopticalcube]

Just to note you don't have to buy AppleCare until the MacBook is nearly 1 year old as Apple has a 1 yr warranty anyways but if you buy it in the first 90 days after you buy the MacBook, you get the free phone support for the rest of the year as well. Your edu discount will apply to AppleCare.