I advise to get the 13" MBPr late 2013 version. The Macbook Air is portable but you want something a little more rigid for a 13 year old. Plus MBA isn't the best for someone's sole laptop. It's more for convenience and light computing needs. The 13" MBPr would probably last her until she's 17/18 and getting ready for college.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MB Pro for a 13 year old...
- Thread starter Redsfan
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Probably into college as well, depending on what she does. People still walk around my campus with 2006/2007 MB/MBPs. You don't need much power for word processing and internet.
Get a speck cover all case to protect it, I have seen too many digs and dents on MBP's to not recommend not having one with kids dropping them! 
You might get tempted by a mac eventually
Well soon may be now, our hp just bit the dust with a motherboard failure and the wife wants a mac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
----------
Well she bought the mbpro with the specs I posted on here yesterday and it delivers next week...we will by her that clear case everybody has and she bought apple care to boot. She did get some money from family so all towards the mac. With kids in school they will actually use these things, and as long as it's taken care of she should have it for years.
Our hp just bit the dust, as it looks like the video card/motherboard failure issue has finally did us in. I had thought about using a tablet/android as an everyday device but I can't see it being ideal for work/home. I am scared of windows to be honest and the amount of junk in the market, so my wife thinks we should look at a refurb air (some april 2014) kicking around now, and use it as our everyday pc but with going away and running up bills I hesitage, but hesistate more to buy anything windows.
Any free movie apps like showbox currently work with mac's?
I recommend the rMBP, that display is so worth it. Even though you already have another one coming. Check for a late 2013 refurb, those are cheaper and not much different to the early 2014 MBPs.
A mac is a nice computer to go around and do stuff youreally shouldnt in the terminal with. WIsh I was 13 again
I'd get the mid 2012 13" macbook pro because it has dvd and ethernet which is nice for if you need to do some school ****.
I'd get the mid 2012 13" macbook pro because it has dvd and ethernet which is nice for if you need to do some school ****.
It's perfect. But I advise that you get get an external storage drive. 128GB is a bit on the low side, and if you can, try going for 256.
first choice was the 256 but wanted my daughter to save the money and settle for the 4gig ram/128 gig. I have my old hard drive along with enclosure that I can use for extra storage for her...just really debating how much ram we need, not to worried about storage as I have 2 working ext. hd's each 500 gig...
For general use, light gaming, etc, is 4 enough?
4GB is pretty tight these days. Keep in mind that nothing in the rMBP is upgradeable, because parts are soldered.
The SSD isn't soldered, but no one's making third-party upgrades for it yet, and I don't expect anyone to come up with one.
trying to save buck but for that reason concerned that over time we both might as well and want it to last...as it turns out both were ordered and will show up to our day same day likely
For my 2011 MBP I got 4GB of RAM and that was fine but my usage started to get heavier and heavier.
Do you have a return policy? Try it for as long as you can and if you don't maximise RAM then you wouldn't need 8GB.
In Activity monitor.
However I should clarify I max out my RAM because I DO have a need for it. Again, try it for the return period and if you max out RAM and the Activity Monitor shows yellow or red in "Memory Pressure" graph, then you should get more.
For example, as you can see here, atm I don't have much open so because of this the RAM graph is staying in the green. If it hits yellow or red, then it will be an issue.
Attachments
Gotcha and thanks for the info... Still no idea what to do lol... Save cash or spend a bit more to be safer.. Leaning on more ram and on board storage..... For now lol
Tbh, I would just future proof. Go for the more RAM if you can, the SSD will eventually be upgradable(you can change the storage in the rMBP's but the drives compatible with the late 2013/early 2014 models aren't out yet)
conincing ourselves the extra $170 is likely worth the investment, my android pals are begging me not to, lol...but I still won't buy the phones, ha.
Honesty? Don't listen to them. They are obviously biased. I'm biased too but I don't let that get in the way of trying to help.
Just go for the RAM it isn't upgradable but the SSD is.