So based on the answers so far I would like to say a few things. First, thanks for the advice! As far as software that is beneficial it's going to be used as basically a over powered iPad so any software that use on the iPad that is also on the Mac. Also I need the Mac to last me to hopefully after a 4 year college degree and in August I'll start my sophomore year in high school. Do you think with the proper care it'll last long and run good? I ask this because my windows laptop slowed down 2 months after I got it and was always trying to update random stuff.
It should do. I'm on a mid 09 MBP right now which I got more or less as soon as it was released. It had a hard drive failure at one point which I managed to sort out myself just by replacing it and aside from that little maintenance task it's running as smoothly as it did on day one. You should be able to do that with yours given that I mess around a lot with mine and tend to break stuff on the software side more than I should.
- Is AppleCare worth the money?
If you use education pricing, you might be able to get a good deal on it - I used it and knocked it from £280 down to just £60 which was something I couldn't turn down. But aside from that, your shout. Which Mac are you getting and how much would it cost to repair? Bear in mind that if you're getting an rMBP, while its failure rates on the hardware side will probably be very low, they can happen and it's an expensive laptop to repair in some respects next to standard MBPs.
- Is it worth it to go to Apple and get the whole experience or will a 3rd party retailer suffice when buying the Mac?
I... don't think it matters too much. It never stuck me that buying directly from Apple would make my experience more complete. If you can get your Mac at a better price or on a sooner date through a 3rd party retailer then by all means do so.
- What is the best protection against scratches?
Primarily, care. But otherwise I've seen people get plastic shells or stickers which cover the whole body of the computer to give it a new look which would do the job just fine. I always decided against this though because I thought stickers looked sort of tacky and I didn't want the shell to make my laptop bulkier. I've never had any severe scratches on it.
- Are there any reputable cases or sleeves that you can highly recommend?
I've used a Tucano Second Skin since I got my laptop. The sleeve is a bit beaten up and worn but it's done the job - the laptop's never been damaged when being moved around outside of where I live, and it's comfortable to carry. Not using as high-quality materials as some sleeves which are made out of leather, for example the Hard Graft (
http://www.hardgraft.com) ones, but it did the job for me brilliantly and I'd get another one.
- In the situation that the Mac gets stolen is there any software that I should have enabled or downloaded onto the Mac before hand?
I found out about an app called Prey the other day which looks interesting -
http://preyproject.com.
Otherwise, I believe iCloud will do the job.
- Is there any good software that is very beneficial?
It depends on what you want to do. There are a number of apps that allow you to easily fine-tune and clean up your Mac - Onyx is my app of choice because it's free, powerful, and not -too- hard to use although there are more user-friendly ones out there for people who aren't experienced on Macs. Adium is an exceptional IM client which can handle accounts from a lot of sources such as IRC, AIM, Yahoo!, Msn and (if memory serves) even Facebook Chat. And it's really customisable in appearance so you can have it look just as you want it to. If you're into that, of course. But aside from those, what you want to do with your computer will lead you into what apps to get.
- What is your favorite app?
Probably Safari, especially under Mountain Lion. It just feels so clean and sleek next to other browsers I've used. Cop-out answer, I know. Adium is great too for the above reasons.
- How long does a Mac usually last?
If it's got the power to do what you need it to do, then it'll last as long as you take good care of it.
- If you could go back in time what would you do to make te experience better?
Get rid of the standard hard drive and install an SSD immediately, if it's not an rMBP. It speeds everything up phenomenally. If you don't want to order an SSD with your Mac because it's usually cheaper to get it third party, you can actually install the original hard drive in your Mac into an external enclosure to have it function as a backup drive.
