Discussion Which mac should I get for school?

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Exilink

Exilink

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So I HAVE to get a MAC laptop for my school. I never bought a mac before so I don't really know what is good
Should I get the macbook air or pro? I already have a PC laptop thats good as the 15" macbook pro...
so I don't need a good macbook pro to bring to school. and I think macbook air 13" is good for bringing to
school for lightness and slimness. But I don't know...Should I get the 13" macbook pro instead?
And when will the new macbook air or pro coming out? I need to get the laptop before July of next year...
should I wait? o_O
 
das_stig

das_stig

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I would go for a rain mac, but if thats not available, the new Mac Air is a nice piece of design without as many flaws as the Pro, the main one being the fan on the Pro sounds like a jet turbine while the Air is nice and quiet.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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Based on my experience, and I've used the 2011, 11" and 13" MacBook Airs (MBA) as well as the 2011 13" MacBook Pro (MBP) I'd say the a 13" unit would likely meet your needs for all-around computing. However, when you say "...need a Mac for school". What will you be doing with it and how long does it have to last you...and what's your budget?

Without knowing these details its easy to recommend the 13" 2.7Ghz i7 MacBook Pro as an all-around machine based on cost, power, portability, and longevity. I infer that you're using one of the fewer and fewer tools that's only available for OS X which is why a Mac has been specified? As long as only light gaming (or no gaming) is part of your criteria this machine will likely do you well for a long time. A recommended upgrade is a 7200 rpm drive (or hybrid or SSD (if possible)).

Now, a 13" MacBook Air is nice machine, is fast, has a great screen resolution (with a ppi count that makes it incrediby sharp) and is quite light, but if that that few pound saving over a 13" MacBook Pro is not paramount and you're not trying to impress your campus-mates with slick thin-ness of the MacBook Air, I'd say the 13" MacBook Pro recommended above is your best bet...and its a very fast machine for general use and lighter multi-tasking/threading use. It's a great compromise between power and portability.

Lastly, a MacBook Pro gives you the option to replace the optical drive with a second hard drive if desired. Something you may find quite useful over the life of your computer.

EDIT: In response to the noise MacBook Pro noise noted above:
When the CPU in the MacBook Pro does finally spin up (both cores are continually and FULLY stressed for an extended period of time (which, IME, is uncommon), the noise increases gradually. Though it is quite noticable, I don't find it irritating as it sounds, as noted, like a jet turbine slowly spinning up. I always think this sounds cool, but this is purely subjective. The MacBook Air's cooler will spin up under the same circustances and generally sounds the same while doing so.

I would not really consider this unless you know you plan to be stressing the laptop's CPUs fully and for an extended period of time for the majority of its use. Both machines are generally very quiet, in my experience.
 
musical marv

musical marv

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Go for the MBA which would be suitable for your needs as a student.This is the new MBA which just came out a few months ago.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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The MacBook Air is nice, but I'm not sure I'd give up an optical drive, just yet, for the sake of thin-and-light. I guess you can always use an external if/when needed.
 
farrengottu

farrengottu

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there are schools that require macs.. eh i would drop out.
you can see if your laptop can be a hackintosh. hackintosh.com has links for compatable hardware lists.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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LOL. Since you can do anything, of consequence, on a Mac that you can do on a PC (including, easily running Windows) I can understand. I would, howevever, like to know what, in particular, causes the requirement for a Mac.
 
musical marv

musical marv

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I have a MBP and hear nothing from my fan at all.It is the 13 inch model
 
leandrodafontoura

leandrodafontoura

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The Mac Book Pro is completly silent, that was a troll posting up there.

I would get the air, Pro is for prefessionals who needs mobility, the Air is for students. You may even consider an Ipad
 
halcyon

halcyon

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They're both good laptops. Personally, the "Pro" models I like better. However, if you're looking at the 13" model keep in mind that the MacBook Air has a higher resolution screen and its quite noticable. 1400x900 vs. the 13" MacBook Pro's 1280x800. If you don't need the optical drive or FireWire drives you could just get the MacBook Air, I guess. However, if you think you may want to ever change your hard drive (or add the secondary hard drive, I've mentioned) then the MacBook Pro is indeed the way to go.

Again, they're both really nice machines, IMO.
 
musical marv

musical marv

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You cannot wrong with either model. Curious did you get my email?
 
musical marv

musical marv

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Portability wise and better screen resolution also. Also has a SSD which is faster than the standard HD which comes with the MBP.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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Yeah, I guess higher performance does make it easier to use.
 
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starzty

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The size and weight really matter in classes, the MBA is the way to go. The macbook pro is only preferable if you'll be doing rendering or a lot of gaming. I recommend getting a case for it as they get bumped around a lot in school and aluminum is very soft.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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No matter what MacBook you wind up getting do get a shell-case for it. No reason to risk getting it marred up when you don't have to. I'd also recommend getting the Moshi wrist rest and Marware keyboard cover (I'm a bit anal about keeping my gear nice and in new condition).
 
musical marv

musical marv

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What are the pros and cons about these products? thanks Marv
 
halcyon

halcyon

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Well, IMO, the Pros are that they're protective. The cons are that they're not free (if that is to be considered a con).

Shell case
Wrist rest/guard
Keyboard Cover

...most people don't care about keeping their laptops in new condition, and unless you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro these items may not even be desired or available, so many would say, therefore, that they're a waste or not necessary. I swear by them though, they are unobtrusive and perform their function well, IMO. Which is to protect my investments and keep them in good condition.
 
halcyon

halcyon

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Well, if you're spending ~$80K-$100K for an education they probably figure you can get a laptop.
 
HugoStiglitz

HugoStiglitz

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Have you been to a Computer LAN before iam2thecrowe?
did you bring your own computer or expect the organizer / friend to supply one for you and everyone else?

i know of schools that do "provide one for you" and hike the fees up $1400 per year to cover it + a little more.
so you end up paying for it anyway but dont get a choice in what you spend your money on (MBA or MBP)
 
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megamanx00

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Depends on the programs you need to run. If it's just for something like iOS programming or some Mac program that doesn't need alot of processing power I'd get the air. On the other hand if you are doing to do alot of number crunching (financial models or something?) then the 13" pro is a better option and if you need to do some 3d modeling then you should get the 15" with a dedicated GPU. I don't consider a mobile version of the 6670 high performance graphics but for 3d modeling I'd sure take it over the HD 3000
 
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