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Which current MacBook Pro model is best for college or high school?
- Thread starter Hapasar
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Any current model will do that, hell even 2011 or 2010 or 2009 Macs will do that.
What it comes down to is portability and size. Do you want a real portable Mac like the 11" MacBook Air or the 13" MacBook Air with its more screen real estate than the 13" MacBook Pro or do you want to go all out on any MacBook Pro model? Again, any current Mac will do what you want, only budget and your desires are a stop gap.
What it comes down to is portability and size. Do you want a real portable Mac like the 11" MacBook Air or the 13" MacBook Air with its more screen real estate than the 13" MacBook Pro or do you want to go all out on any MacBook Pro model? Again, any current Mac will do what you want, only budget and your desires are a stop gap.
I think the base 13" is the best all rounder for a college student who doesn't do anything too intensive. It's the cheapest MBP you can buy (it costed me £850 after discount) and it's a better performer than the 13" MBA at the same price. Plus you get the option to put in 16GB RAM and SSD(s) if you need it. You say you want to do some iMovie editing, so ideally you want a dGPU but it really depends on how much editing you do.
I personally use my 13" MPB for some iMovie, lightroom, general university work and streaming HD, all while plugged into my 22" display and it hasn't given problems after almost 2 years of constant use. Had to up the RAM to 8GB though as 4GB just didn't cut it.
I personally use my 13" MPB for some iMovie, lightroom, general university work and streaming HD, all while plugged into my 22" display and it hasn't given problems after almost 2 years of constant use. Had to up the RAM to 8GB though as 4GB just didn't cut it.
None.
Get a MacBook Air. These days they're more powerful than the Pros of not too long ago and all in all they are at the top of their category. You can always grab yourself an external optical drive or external hard drive for when you might need one.
Get a MacBook Air. These days they're more powerful than the Pros of not too long ago and all in all they are at the top of their category. You can always grab yourself an external optical drive or external hard drive for when you might need one.
The 13" MBP .... get it with 8gigs of memory and then use it to death .They're upgradable as far as memory and hard drives go , and the battery isn't glued in so ,if needed ,it can be replaced relatively easily . 15's are great machines , but are kinda big and heavy to carry around , The retina machines are IMHO overpriced new technology . The airs are great machines , but I don't know how they'd hold up to the unavoidable abuse of college use ( thinking of what I saw former students do to their gear) , plus the 11's are maybe a little too small .
Good advice.
Base MBP and upgrade to SSD and 8 GB of RAM. Has served me well since early 2011.
Great mobile platform and you keep the flexibility of wired ethernet and DVD.
R
I agree. The Air is very capable, particularly when you consider that it comes with an SSD standard. The processor isn't much slower than the base 13" Pro. Plus the 13" Air has a 1440x900 screen vs. 1280x800 for the 13" Pro. The 11" Air is 1366x768, but that resolution works well with the smaller screen.
The Retina Pro is a different story, but it is also much more expensive, particularly for someone in school. I'd have no qualms recommending a Core i5 Air upgraded with 8GB RAM.
I used an 11" Air for nearly 2 years before recently stepping up to a 13" rMBP. The 11" is very portable (I'm still getting used to the relative bulk of the rMBP), and is easy to carry around in a bag (get a nice neoprene sleeve like the Tucano Second Skin). The 13" is bigger but still under 3lbs. If you will be carrying around an iPad and perhaps some textbooks (do they still make those
?) you'll appreciate saving the extra 1.5 lbs.I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I still think the 13" MBP is still the best choice for the average user. Unless you can't deal with the weight, thickness or screen of the 13", then why bother with the air? I mean you get a whole lot more for your money and the flexibility to upgrade, so unless OP has got a flexible budget, why not save money and get (what I think) is the better computer.
Hardly. I've owned a 13" MBP myself and used my mother's unibody Air. The latter has little in the way of added utility. It's not as though you can upgrade the processor or anything.
Most people don't want to bother with upgrades
If I had to recommend the base MBA or base MBP to someone in 2013, I would definitely say to get the MBA and upgrade the RAM to 8 GB. This machine would be more than adequate for the average user. The speed of the SSD is likely to keep a person much happier than the negligible advantage in processing power