Plan on Getting A Macbook Pro for College

[Bsarmini]

So yeah I am currently in my senior year of high school and will be going into my first semester of college in the fall. I've been working very hard on scholarships the past month to relieve financial stress from my parents and I managed to get a full ride to a highly ranked university. My dad said he wants to get me a macbook as reward and a graduation present.

So far, I'm set on the macbook 13" pro as opposed to the macbook air simply for the better power and retina display. Right now I am trying to decide between the i5/512gb/8gb or upgrading the ram to 16gb for an extra $240. Also curious about whether the processor is worth upgrading to the i7. This is supposed to be a laptop that I can use through all 4 years of college and med school as well so I am leaning towards 16gb but I feel bad making my dad pay that much even though I know he has no problem doing so. If anything I'll aim to convince him to let me pay the difference if I do upgrade anything. Last question is whether it would matter if I get it now or if I should wait for an updated release within 3-4 months?

Would appreciate some advice! Thanks

 

[Natzoo]

So yeah I am currently in my senior year of high school and will be going into my first semester of college in the fall. I've been working very hard on scholarships the past month to relieve financial stress from my parents and I managed to get a full ride to a highly ranked university. My dad said he wants to get me a macbook as reward and a graduation present.

So far, I'm set on the macbook 13" pro as opposed to the macbook air simply for the better power and retina display. Right now I am trying to decide between the i5/512gb/8gb or upgrading the ram to 16gb for an extra $240. Also curious about whether the processor is worth upgrading to the i7. This is supposed to be a laptop that I can use through all 4 years of college and med school as well so I am leaning towards 16gb but I feel bad making my dad pay that much even though I know he has no problem doing so. If anything I'll aim to convince him to let me pay the difference if I do upgrade anything. Last question is whether it would matter if I get it now or if I should wait for an updated release within 3-4 months?

Would appreciate some advice! Thanks

there will be a release around april- may called mid2015 model. Also don't forget you can get education discount like how i did. I am in my senior year too, and if you don't mind me asking what university did you get into, i got a full ride to auburn university.

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and also once you upgrade to the 15inch, everything is better, so if it is in your price range get the 15 inch retina or get a different brand (not apple) ;(

 

[Bsarmini]

there will be a release around april- may called mid2015 model. Also don't forget you can get education discount like how i did. I am in my senior year too, and if you don't mind me asking what university did you get into, i got a full ride to auburn university.

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and also once you upgrade to the 15inch, everything is better, so if it is in your price range get the 15 inch retina or get a different brand (not apple) ;(

Wow congrats on that bro! I'm going to hopefully be attending Tulane University

And yea I totally agree man my current laptop has a 15" display and I love it but I feel like the portability I'm going to need in college would be more suited for a 13" display? I don't know maybe someone could correct me on that. The battery life is also an hour shorter I believe. But yeah I am not worried about price that much because I can easily pay the difference for the upgrade. I just want something that will be comfortably usable for many years to come.

So do you think it is worth waiting for that mid-2015 model? Like what would be different in that model as opposed to the late 2014 model? Appreciate the reply btw!

 

[cbautis2]

Broadwell Processors that will be 10 - 20% faster and 30% more efficient than current Haswell CPU which should translate to over 12 hours of battery life in the pro 13". Another is inclusion USB 3.1 Type C and the rest are the same most likely.

IMO, it's worth waiting for Broadwell due to power efficiency and the die shrink from 22nm to 14 nm.

 

[Natzoo]

Wow congrats on that bro! I'm going to hopefully be attending Tulane University

And yea I totally agree man my current laptop has a 15" display and I love it but I feel like the portability I'm going to need in college would be more suited for a 13" display? I don't know maybe someone could correct me on that. The battery life is also an hour shorter I believe. But yeah I am not worried about price that much because I can easily pay the difference for the upgrade. I just want something that will be comfortably usable for many years to come.

So do you think it is worth waiting for that mid-2015 model? Like what would be different in that model as opposed to the late 2014 model? Appreciate the reply btw!

I would think its worth waiting but its only going to be a minor difference and i had a 2010 MacBook Pro for middle-high school. then in my junior year i got the 15' retina, and its amazing but like all apple products battery is not good. Thanks and congrats on Tulane University. if you do get a 13' don't get the air because of the specs. I have a friend in college and he has to download a lot of applications.

 

[Bsarmini]

Broadwell Processors that will be 10 - 20% faster and 30% more efficient than current Haswell CPU which should translate to over 12 hours of battery life in the pro 13". Another is inclusion USB 3.1 Type C and the rest are the same most likely.

IMO, it's worth waiting for Broadwell due to power efficiency and the die shrink from 22nm to 14 nm.

I would think its worth waiting but its only going to be a minor difference and i had a 2010 MacBook Pro for middle-high school. then in my junior year i got the 15' retina, and its amazing but like all apple products battery is not good. Thanks and congrats on Tulane University. if you do get a 13' don't get the air because of the specs. I have a friend in college and he has to download a lot of applications.

I'll most likely wait on it. Currently I don't really NEED it as much as I want it lol. Been wanting a macbook for a long time now. But I'll probably wait for the new model and see from there whether I should get a 15" or 13". Maybe if I'm lucky they'll bump up the ram to 16 on the 13" Are there any rumors on when the next model will be released? And thanks same to you on Auburn!

 

[Natzoo]

I'll most likely wait on it. Currently I don't really NEED it as much as I want it lol. Been wanting a macbook for a long time now. But I'll probably wait for the new model and see from there whether I should get a 15" or 13". Maybe if I'm lucky they'll bump up the ram to 16 on the 13" Are there any rumors on when the next model will be released? And thanks same to you on Auburn!

yeah, also for good deals go to macmall, bhphoto. they sell macs for good prices, and yeah if you don't mind can we like chat about college experiences since we both are like new. I wonder if i can still apply to Tulane and we both can go .

 

[Bsarmini]

yeah, also for good deals go to macmall, bhphoto. they sell macs for good prices, and yeah if you don't mind can we like chat about college experiences since we both are like new. I wonder if i can still apply to Tulane and we both can go .

Yeah currently looking on macmall since the price is low and no sales tax! And yea no problem dude pm me, I haven't actually collected any college experiences yet since I go in the fall But lol you'd be crazy to give up a full ride to auburn

 

[Natzoo]

Yeah currently looking on macmall since the price is low and no sales tax! And yea no problem dude pm me, I haven't actually collected any college experiences yet since I go in the fall But lol you'd be crazy to give up a full ride to auburn

the funny thing is that I'm applying out of state and didn't know it was possible to get a full scholarship, and also i did some things which got the scholarship, so technically i didn't get it but i didn't have to pay anything except for textbooks,food, and housing. but majority is free. Tulane is a hard university to get in, i wish u all the best. and we can chat or pm or gmail if you want.

 

[Bsarmini]

the funny thing is that I'm applying out of state and didn't know it was possible to get a full scholarship, and also i did some things which got the scholarship, so technically i didn't get it but i didn't have to pay anything except for textbooks,food, and housing. but majority is free. Tulane is a hard university to get in, i wish u all the best. and we can chat or pm or gmail if you want.

Same, the primary scholarship I got pays the tuition and fees in full but still leaves housing and meal plan so I am currently in the works of getting scholarships to pay those off as well. I know I can get some state scholarships for my ACT score that will help pay for most if not all of the other expenses. And yea sounds good!

 

[Meister]

What apps will you be running?

 

[Bsarmini]

What apps will you be running?

Honestly I've always been interested in photoshop and I would probably spend alot of my freetime on that but I also took a shot at video editing and my laptop couldnt handle it what so ever. So for the most part the basic apps but there will be TONS of multitasking going on so I dont want it to run slow if I'm working on 6 powerpoints, an essay, and watching an explanatory video on youtube.

 

[Natzoo]

Same, the primary scholarship I got pays the tuition and fees in full but still leaves housing and meal plan so I am currently in the works of getting scholarships to pay those off as well. I know I can get some state scholarships for my ACT score that will help pay for most if not all of the other expenses. And yea sounds good!

congrats, and hope all goes well. and congrats again bro. the 15'retina is not that fast or thats just my internet. but yeah if you can get the 13' with 16gb get it.

 

[Meister]

Honestly I've always been interested in photoshop and I would probably spend alot of my freetime on that but I also took a shot at video editing and my laptop couldnt handle it what so ever. So for the most part the basic apps but there will be TONS of multitasking going on so I dont want it to run slow if I'm working on 6 powerpoints, an essay, and watching an explanatory video on youtube.

Any macbook sold right now can handle any form of multitasking with basic apps like powerpoint.

When it comes to video editing and Ps it depends on the exact extend of what you are doing.
Chances are 99% that you will have no use for the ram upgrade, but if you want to be ready for every scenario, you might as well get the maxed out 15".

 

[BrettApple]

College student here.

I purchased a new 13" retina MacBook Pro July of last year (right before the mid '14) and went with the mid tier 2.4GHz (now 2.6), 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD model and it has served me well. It doesn't do anything my Late 2008 MacBook didn't. But it's faster, and prettier, and lasts far longer.

If you don't plan on using external storage, go for the 512GB option. Otherwise the mid range model should suit you just fine. Buy now if you need it now. If you've got something to use in the meantime though, feel free to wait for the next model. I got tired of waiting .

My primary uses are photography (using Aperture library on 4TB USB 3 drive, Photoshop, Pixelmator, and others); web browsing and development (Chrome, FFox, IE, Dreamweaver, Expression web, Visual Studio); media management with iTunes/VLC/Handbrake; Running VM's with Parallels for Web development and course specific software, Win 7, 8.1, and 10 currently; Video editing with FCPX and iMovie depending what I need; and general office use (Office 2011, iWork).

My 2008 MacBook had 8GB RAM in it, and I didn't feel I needed more when I bought my new one. 16 would have been nice, but I got a discount off the stock model at BestBuy. So far, I haven't regretted it, even running Aperture, Photoshop, FCPX, and Parallels it runs smooth. Of course I can stress it, but it's rare I NEED all of it at any given time. Mavericks and Yosemite have pretty good memory management.

Only thing that could use a boost is the Intel Iris, but it's pushing a lot of pixels on the internal display, and when I hook it to my 1080p screen it's smooth as butter. Once it clocks up it's fine, but many have noticed lag here and there while it's idling/clocked down. I haven't made it a big deal, but it's there.

Happy shopping and hope you have a good start to College! If you wait till fall I'd imagine the new ones may be out. If not though, the current offering is still pretty good.

 

[Bsarmini]

College student here.

I purchased a new 13" retina MacBook Pro July of last year (right before the mid '14) and went with the mid tier 2.4GHz (now 2.6), 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD model and it has served me well. It doesn't do anything my Late 2008 MacBook didn't. But it's faster, and prettier, and lasts far longer.

If you don't plan on using external storage, go for the 512GB option. Otherwise the mid range model should suit you just fine. Buy now if you need it now. If you've got something to use in the meantime though, feel free to wait for the next model. I got tired of waiting .

My primary uses are photography (using Aperture library on 4TB USB 3 drive, Photoshop, Pixelmator, and others); web browsing and development (Chrome, FFox, IE, Dreamweaver, Expression web, Visual Studio); media management with iTunes/VLC/Handbrake; Running VM's with Parallels for Web development and course specific software, Win 7, 8.1, and 10 currently; Video editing with FCPX and iMovie depending what I need; and general office use (Office 2011, iWork).

My 2008 MacBook had 8GB RAM in it, and I didn't feel I needed more when I bought my new one. 16 would have been nice, but I got a discount off the stock model at BestBuy. So far, I haven't regretted it, even running Aperture, Photoshop, FCPX, and Parallels it runs smooth. Of course I can stress it, but it's rare I NEED all of it at any given time. Mavericks and Yosemite have pretty good memory management.

Only thing that could use a boost is the Intel Iris, but it's pushing a lot of pixels on the internal display, and when I hook it to my 1080p screen it's smooth as butter. Once it clocks up it's fine, but many have noticed lag here and there while it's idling/clocked down. I haven't made it a big deal, but it's there.

Happy shopping and hope you have a good start to College! If you wait till fall I'd imagine the new ones may be out. If not though, the current offering is still pretty good.

Appreciate the advice! Yea that really does put it in perspective for me. I think currently I would do just fine with 8gb of memory but what I am worried about is if I have this for 4-7 years, who knows how programs will change in terms of memory usage. I would like to get it no longer than shortly after my graduation since I might be going out of country for the summer and would like to have it with me when I go. I guess I could just wait as long as possible and see if the model releases or not. Again thanks for sharing the experience!

 

[Meister]

Appreciate the advice! Yea that really does put it in perspective for me. I think currently I would do just fine with 8gb of memory but what I am worried about is if I have this for 4-7 years, who knows how programs will change in terms of memory usage.

4-7 years from now, all spec requirements will have gone up, not just ram.
Again, if you are concerned about that, the high end 15" is the only way to go, but I would not advise to buy any upgrades now, just because the specs will go up at some point in the future.

 

[Bsarmini]

4-7 years from now, all spec requirements will have gone up, not just ram.
Again, if you are concerned about that, the high end 15" is the only way to go, but I would not advise to buy any upgrades now, just because the specs will go up at some point.

True, I see the point there. Well lets assume I go with an 8gb 512gb 13". How long do you think that will last me, technically. Assuming I take good care of it and physical issues aren't a problem

 

[Meister]

True, I see the point there. Well lets assume I go with an 8gb 512gb 13". How long do you think that will last me, technically. Assuming I take good care of it and physical issues aren't a problem

As long as you run the OS it came with and you keep on running the apps you run now, it will last pretty much indefinitely. At some point in time updates to those programms will require higher specs, but noone is forcing you to update.

In regards to Ps and video editing updates anything goes, because the future will bring many new things and the only Macs which are a bit future proof are the MacPros.

The best bang for the buck are be generally s standard configurations.
Particularly the 2.6/8/256 rmbp

 

[Bsarmini]

The best bang for the buck are be generally s standard configurations.
Particularly the 2.6/8/256 rmbp

I'm definitely going to keep that in mind. I'll probably go into an apple store and get a feel for them myself and make a decision from there. Thanks!

 

[Meister]

I'm definitely going to keep that in mind. I'll probably go into an apple store and get a feel for them myself and make a decision from there. Thanks!

That is a good idea!
Good luck

 

[maflynn]

True, I see the point there. Well lets assume I go with an 8gb 512gb 13". How long do you think that will last me, technically. Assuming I take good care of it and physical issues aren't a problem

I have a 2010 MBP and a 2009 Mac Mini still going strong. I think that Macs can last a very long time. It does depend on what you need them for and how well you take care of it.

 

[Natzoo]

I have a 2010 MBP and a 2009 Mac Mini still going strong. I think that Macs can last a very long time. It does depend on what you need them for and how well you take care of it.

I had a 2010 13' mac book pro, and last year it died and required over 500 dollars in upgrade, and i never dropped it and only downloaded apps such as games from well known developers such as XPlane. But ever since i got my 2013 15' retina with dual graphics I've been exploring everything really fast. But the battery left is still not good when running applications such as final cut and aperture.