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Resolved What should I get for college?

Please don't misunderstand, I use my laptop for light gaming, music production, surfing and photos. I basically take down everything the lecturer says, edit them later, and then posting them onto my personal wiki for mobile revision/reference. So for me, portability comes first.

The MBP, well it's good for my music and photos, but it feels like a ton(I'm not weak or anything, it's just that it's heavy when compared to my books).

The MBA would be a choice, but then another problem arises: 11 or 13?

The small screen on the 11"er would make long typing periods tiring, has less battery life, but it's friggin light and sexy.

13"es would do good for my eyes, the larger res is an added bonus, as well as the 7 hours of battery, but it's kinda over my budget by $50.

I'm ******** confused right now.

Help me out here.
 
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I'd say the MBP. If I remember I dont think you can upgrade the RAM down the road on the Air, also if the SSD / Flash drive goes bad I've only seen one other vendor other than Apple offer a replacement drive.

I think for "future" upgrades you'd have more room to grow on the MBP.
 
combataran said:
Please don't misunderstand, I use my laptop for light gaming, music production, surfing and photos. I basically take down everything the lecturer says, edit them later, and then posting them onto my personal wiki for mobile revision/reference. So for me, portability comes first.

The MBP, well it's good for my music and photos, but it feels like a ton(I'm not weak or anything, it's just that it's heavy when compared to my books).

The MBA would be a choice, but then another problem arises: 11 or 13?

The small screen on the 11"er would make long typing periods tiring, has less battery life, but it's friggin light and sexy.

13"es would do good for my eyes, the larger res is an added bonus, as well as the 7 hours of battery, but it's kinda over my budget by $50.

I'm ******** confused right now.

Help me out here.
Click to expand...

Id say go with whichever Air fits your budget. I have the lowest-end 11" Air and as long as you aren't planning on doing a huge amount of multi-track audio in Logic Pro (If you were you'd only be considering 15"+ MBPs), every current Mac should keep up (Heck, I still have a 132Mhz PowerMac 7500 from '96 or so in use for audio editing in ProTools 3 - and if that can do it, any current Mac can)). Photos are no challenge for the Air, and I haven't found the 11"ers screen to be hard to read, and the keyboard isn't nearly as bad as I thought it might've been.
 
earthwindnpyro said:
What should I get for college?

Condoms!
Click to expand...

Yes agree and use em... If you have a phone already use it an keep it till it breaks and just get the 13" MacBook Pro and save whatever money you get and oh, buy books and study materials. College is not about what you have or a status symbol and if you care what others think of you because you have "dumb phone" or maybe not a new Apple computer. You are there to learn both in the classroom and life experiences. When you graduate and get a job and make all your own money then buy the fancy material things.

Also work while in college and network your butt off.


Ps. If any spelling or grammar is a lof/in correct I typed this blazing fast while on the poooopppppeeer at work. G2G and make the $ now.
Oh wait I'm my own boss...
 
Lovin all of your replies guys. So...crappy K800i + MBA 11/13 combo. Sounds good?

Or...a 13" MBP. Still can't decide. Weight vs. less weight. Hmm...
 
combataran said:
Lovin all of your replies guys. So...crappy K800i + MBA 11/13 combo. Sounds good?

Or...a 13" MBP. Still can't decide. Weight vs. less weight. Hmm...
Click to expand...

I'm also going off to college but I plan on getting the 13" MBP with SSD. While it is heavier than the air, it's much more powerful. In the long run, the MBP will last you longer.
 
Fugue said:
I'm also going off to college but I plan on getting the 13" MBP with SSD. While it is heavier than the air, it's much more powerful. In the long run, the MBP will last you longer.
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That completely depends on your needs getting more complex over time. For instance, I know several graduate students who, in one case, is still using a PowerBook G3 and PowerMac G4 from 2000, and in another is using a First Gen 12" PowerBook G4, because all they do is type documents and run an elderly version of Mathematica - both things those machines are perfect for, and I think their upgrade plan is "when it breaks".
 
Fugue said:
I'm also going off to college but I plan on getting the 13" MBP with SSD. While it is heavier than the air, it's much more powerful. In the long run, the MBP will last you longer.
Click to expand...

And by lasting longer, do you mean it's future proof, or if you use both together, the MBA would break down first, is that it?
 
combataran said:
I'm stuck between a 13 inch 2011 MacBook Pro and a 13 inch 2010 MacBook Air, can't seem to decide whether I want performance+extra weight or ultimate portability+noob specs. Which one should I buy?

I mainly use my laptops to surf, play games at low graphics, and the occasional music production, documents, presentations, stuff college students do.
I could wait for the rumored Sandy Bridge MacBook Air, but who knows how long it will take. College is starting in a few months.

Also, should I get an iPhone as well?

Comments with details are appreciated.
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get yourself and current model MBAir (from the refurb section of AppleStore) and and iPhone and you will be set well and truly for college!!
light and to the point not to mention the 'cool' factor when you pull out the Air and everyone else is getting out their 'slabs'
 
Speaking of refurbs, are they any good? Cos' they don't have refurbs in my country, no Apple Store either, only friggin retailers.
 
halledise said:
get yourself and current model MBAir (from the refurb section of AppleStore) and and iPhone and you will be set well and truly for college!!
light and to the point not to mention the 'cool' factor when you pull out the Air and everyone else is getting out their 'slabs'
Click to expand...

He he, and in addition to having a really fast computer, you even have the same screen estate that others have to buy the 15" MBP to get. All the cool guys have MBA. For the purposes as mentioned by TS, an Air should suffice.
 
I'm entering my junior year of college, and I have a 15" MBP and an iPhone.

First, check with your college (if you go to a university check with the university and then the individual school you are a member of) to see if they have requirements. For example, UConn doesn't require you to have a computer, but the School of Business at UConn requires you to have a computer that meets certain specs.

DO NOT bring your computer to class unless the professor explicitly says you need it, because you will find it to be a huge distraction. I have not had any classes where I am required to bring my own computer to class. (I'm a CompSci major)

The only time my laptop leaves my room is when I'm working in the study lounge, library, or a friend's room.

MBP is a better choice because it's more powerful and upgradable, and will ultimately last you longer. Invest in a second power adapter -- one that always stays in your bag and another to use in your room. I've always had two, but my friends with one always end up going back to their room earlier than planned because they ran out of battery and forgot their adapter. 7+ hours on most Macs may seem like a lot, but depending on your course load you may spend 20+ hour days in the library.

An iPhone definitely can be useful if you use it right. I have my personal, university, and school e-mail pushed to my phone, so whenever a class is cancelled I know immediately, not after I've hiked a mile to class. I also have recurring alarm clocks set for different times each morning depending on when my first class is, and I have my calendars synced to my phone, which include an alarm 15 minutes before each class starts. Whoever said that the iPhone will be a distraction because of games/texts/emails doesn't realize that ANY phone is a distraction because of these reasons.

And bonus points if you buy a multi-outlet extension cord / surge protector to bring to the library. You will make lots of friends!
 
VPrime said:
The iPhone is absolutely not needed for school.
You won't be typing notes on it.. you just wont. If any thing the iPhone will be more of a distraction (checking email, texting, playing a game..). So don't purchase one thinking it will help advance your education. It (and any other smart phone) wil be used as a toy.
The only benefit that you may use is the calendar, but really if you buy a laptop chances are you will have that with you at most times any ways.
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I disagree in between classes I was always using evernote to review some notes for a class when I had 2-3 min there are tons of chemistry apps that came in very handy plus taking pictures of notes etc helped a ton. An iPhone advanced my education though now an iPad may be a better alternative since both are instant on and off and run the same apps etc.
 
But they don't have the 13 MBAs or MBPs. And stock's kinda limited. I could, ask my friend who's staying in the U.S to buy it for me, then ship it through FedEx, but I'm kinda doubting the condition of the machine after all that though.

Anyhow, I kinda have something in mind here. Heck,
I want the 13 MBA. Should I opt for the base model and get an external HDD, or get the 256GB model?

Leave your comments below.
 
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combataran said:
But they don't have the 13 MBAs or MBPs. And stock's kinda limited. I could, ask my friend who's staying in the U.S to buy it for me, then ship it through FedEx, but I'm kinda doubting the condition of the machine after all that though.

Anyhow, I kinda have something in mind here. Heck,
I want the 13 MBA. Should I opt for the base model and get an external HDD, or get the 256GB model?

Leave your comments below.
Click to expand...

base model with 4gb memory then an external hdd
 
combataran said:
But they don't have the 13 MBAs or MBPs. And stock's kinda limited. I could, ask my friend who's staying in the U.S to buy it for me, then ship it through FedEx, but I'm kinda doubting the condition of the machine after all that though.

Anyhow, I kinda have something in mind here. Heck,
I want the 13 MBA. Should I opt for the base model and get an external HDD, or get the 256GB model?

Leave your comments below.
Click to expand...
RAM: You should certainly go with 4 gigs - this ought to be a no-brainer.

SSD: It's 80-85 % chance that 128 GB will be enough. This is a matter of personal preference, and depends totally on how many gigs you want to bring with you without having to bring an external drive in addition to your computer.

CPU: If you are going to do CPU-intensive tasks, such as gaming or video conversion, you might want to consider the 2.13 GHz.
 
Does anyone here have any experience with the 11/13 MBAs in college or elsewhere?

I'd love to hear them, cos' I don't really know anyone around me that uses a Mac, for that matter.
 
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Anyway, here are my choices so far:
11" MBA, 4GB RAM
13" MBA, 4GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
13" MBA, 4GB RAM, 256 GB SSD
13" base MBP
13" base MBP, aftermarket SSD.

I'm kinda leaning towards the 13" MBA, 128 GB SSD here. Any opinions would be terrific, as you can see, there are quite a few choices to choose from.
 
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combataran said:
Anyway, here are my choices so far:
11" MBA, 4GB RAM
13" MBA, 4GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
13" MBA, 4GB RAM, 256 GB SSD
13" base MBP
13" base MBP, aftermarket SSD.

I'm kinda leaning towards the 13" MBA, 128 GB SSD here. Any opinions would be terrific, as you can see, there are quite a few choices to choose from.
Click to expand...

I agree with 13" MBA. It's super light, but has a large enough screen for what you need (by the sound of it), and you already have an i5 desktop for heavy lifting. Sounds ideal imo.
 
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