Student looking for Mac

[lewiskelly23]

Hey, so, I'm looking to get a Mac for school. My main school computer is a 2006 iMac which I do most of the work on. However, at home I use a PC laptop, which won't obviously run GarageBand or any other Mac software I need. Would a 2009 MacBook Pro be good for this or a new 2014 model Mac Mini, which seems to be pretty decent?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hey, so, I'm looking to get a Mac for school. My main school computer is a 2006 iMac which I do most of the work on. However, at home I use a PC laptop, which won't obviously run GarageBand or any other Mac software I need. Would a 2009 MacBook Pro be good for this or a new 2014 model Mac Mini, which seems to be pretty decent?

2009 MBP -- throw in an SSD & 8GB RAM, and it'll be more than OK for your usage.

 

[Tomorrow]

Hey, so, I'm looking to get a Mac for school. My main school computer is a 2006 iMac which I do most of the work on. However, at home I use a PC laptop, which won't obviously run GarageBand or any other Mac software I need. Would a 2009 MacBook Pro be good for this or a new 2014 model Mac Mini, which seems to be pretty decent?

What is your major that you need GarageBand for school?

 

[lewiskelly23]

What is your major that you need GarageBand for school?

Editing recordings of singers and backing tracks

 

[CooperBox]

Agreed, a 2009 MBP would be a good choice especially for mobility, and it's a model which is still supported. However getting something as new as possible is often advantageous, and the Mac Mini has a choice of i5 or i7 processor compared to the earlier MBP Core 2 Duo.

 

[Tomorrow]

Editing recordings of singers and backing tracks

This is a major?

 

[macs4nw]

Hey, so, I'm looking to get a Mac for school. My main school computer is a 2006 iMac which I do most of the work on. However, at home I use a PC laptop, which won't obviously run GarageBand or any other Mac software I need. Would a 2009 MacBook Pro be good for this or a new 2014 model Mac Mini, which seems to be pretty decent?

Contrary to what another poster above said, the currently sold 13" MBP (June 2012 model) has a 2.5GHz Dual-Core i5, with an option for a 2.9GHz i7 Processor. It's a reasonably-priced great little laptop that can be had for even less in the Refurb Store. And afterwards you can fairly straightforwardly put in an SSD yourself, as well as increase the memory to 16GB. The graphics (Intel HD4000) are the only real, potentially weak spot here.

The Mini will give you better performance in that department, but is that really an option for schlepping to school every day? Then you might be better off with a rMBP, but it will cost you considerably more as you have to purchase the config you want; it is completely non-upgradeable after the fact.

If you can live with it's graphics, I recommend that little 13" MBP (9.2).