What Macbook?

Buy a macbook air

 

Seriously if your on a tight budget your not going to get a cheap Mac in UK even a refurb MB 12" are £1000 lowest spec

All companies offer extended warranties for extra £'s so there is no advantage to anyone over another, if you intend to keep your laptop more than 2 years it's worth considering or even if you sell it at 2.75 years at least new owner has a little coverage

For Uni a small footprint laptop is a very good idea 12" or 13" ultra's

Personally I would not recommend the Air although good value the screen resolution is poor by todays standards so if your determined to get a Mac a refurb 12 MB is a very good option and comes with full warranty

else

There are also many fine other ultra portables available in the Windows world with core m/u processors which would be fine for your usage

So look at Samsung Tab pro S, Yoga's HP and Dell as you could easily be in the £6-700 range with touch and pen support as a bouns

 

I agree with @SteveJUAE.

I'd recommend the 12" MacBook for your usage. You do not need the Pro, nor can you afford it by the sounds of things. If you're considering the Air - don't. I would strongly suggest a Windows-based Ultrabook over an Air.

There's more differences than processor speed, but in terms of marketing/sales that's all Apple tends to show on their site. The rest is far too technical for the majority of people, so wouldn't mean anything to them.

I'd keep an eye on the UK MacBook refurb page and pick up one of the 2016 models when a colour of your choice becomes available.

By the way, there's no driver installation/reinstallation on macOS. There's no true viruses on macOS. There's no way/need to keep a Mac 'running as fast as possible' - it's done for you. You're going to be very bored if you're looking to "fiddle". That's the beauty of a Mac. You turn it on day one, restart for updates, but just close the lid and open again when you need it for the other 350 days of the year.

 

Pick up a refurb Air or the classic 2012 Macbook Pro. It's fast enough for your usage.

Buying the Macbook or the new Pros will cost you extra due to the dongles that you will eventually need to connect.

Brexit didn't help Apple prices in the UK. I regret not picking one up myself before prices were raised.

 

I stress again, do not buy a MacBook Air in 2017.

 

the screen is not that bad, don't listen to this man. He wants to waste your money

 

compared to a Retina display, the screen on an Air is absolute RUBBISH.
There is no way id suggest it for a college student, who spends long periods staring at a screen, but one that is comparatively blurry.

Get the entry level 12" MB. The screen is beautiful. It weighs nothing, and for general everyday computing tasks its going to be operating in turbo mode at 2.4 GHz.

 

I didn't even mention the screen. You just put the final nail in the coffin all by yourself.

 

For your use case, a MacBook Air is a great value. I believe there actually was a bump in 2015 to 16 to give them 8 GB. I think you'll see most of the benefit in the fast SSD and easy to manage OS.

--- Post Merged, Mar 13, 2017 ---

Consider his resources. The Air is fine for a few years. If it's about getting the work done, there is nothing wrong with that product.

 

Going back and forth between a Retina display if you have an iPhone and a non-retina on an Air brings nothing but constant disappointment.

Yes there is something wrong with the Air. The screen is 8 year old technology and it shows.

 

To be fair to Glockworkorange amd Wackery

It is true that the MBA does not restrict you in being productive in normal day to day workflow

But it is a poorer experience visually and given most of us consider the screen as a primary consideration for entertainment etc on our Mac's and the OP experience he/she is more likely to be thrilled with the retina than other internal specs

IMO we have advised the OP correctly to ensure he/she get maximum enjoyment and use even on this budget. You have to be more IT aware to choose the MBA over a MB to see the positives of the MBA