Posted on 06/29/2009 12:11:08 PM PDT by Williams
My daughter wants an Apple laptop for college in late August. Is there any reason to wait to buy one? Is anything new due out from Apple? Any suggestions on what to buy?
None. Why buy a Mac just to run Windows on it?
My daughter has a MacBook Pro and loves it. She’s at UT, no compatibility issues on campus. She’s been using it a year now.
Neither.
Mac’s might be “cool” but you won’t find them in the corporate world unless you work for Pixar.
Prices always go down. Wait until the last minute.
All work very well on a Windows based PC.
I would try to buy one with XP rather than Vista.
We have two Macs and two Windows PC’s in this home of just my wife and I.
We use Windows constantly for business.
Now, IF your child is going into an art or graphics based study, then I would recommend a Mac. They are superior for graphics.
Just an opinion...
Good luck.
Apple makes a good product, but they are expensive. I got a Dell laptop for about $600 about three years ago, and while it’s a pretty basic machine (by today’s standards at least) I feel I got my money’s worth.
Yes, an HP or store knock off for 1/2 price, and then let her have the cash. It’s a lesson in economics.
It’s almost better to buy a cheaper Windows laptop and then replace it in two years rather than trying to make one expensive laptop last for 4 years.
The problem with buying ANY apple product is that you (or your daughter, in this case) are then in thrall to Apple, a company that has admitted it designs products to fail so customers have to buy replacement parts from them. The new Macbooks come with sealed-in batteries. This is bad for two reasons. 1.) three years from now when the battery needs replaced you not only have to buy it from apple you have to pay them to install it and take it to an apple store 2.) If your daughter is using photoshop or some other memory hog program for a long time on a plane, in study hall or someplace else without a power hookup she can’t replace the battery when it runs out of juice. Apple says the batteries last five hours but all the WSJ shill who reviewed it did was play music and crank the screen brightness to 100%. I find that hard to believe if you’re playing or editing video.
In short, buy a computer that isn’t loaded with proprietary parts like all of Apple’s are.
I just bought my wife a dual core Dell laptop for $349.
To answer your question, the cheapest Mac lappie you can get. Then buy her a cheap Windows desktop.
The most common hardware question at the university here is “How can I get a better video card in my laptop?”. The answer is almost always “You can’t”. The motherboard has to be replaced. Students say they don’t need that video power but they discover games and video pretty fast.
A Mac you buy today is going to work fine on graphics for about 3 years. By then, the software will have outpaced the hardware. You can change the video card on a desktop but not a laptop.
Hint: Get more memory than you think you need.
Educational discount on Macs from Apple site
They now offer free shipping and a free iPod Touch
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/education_routing?mco=MTIxODk0Nw
Refurbished Macs with warranty
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac?mco=MTE3NjY
OEM copies of XP Pro 9 to run Windows software on the Macbook
$129 from Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RCAD4/ref=asc_df_B0018RCAD4839498?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=dealt760-20&linkCode=asn
What you won’t have to buy are anti-virus and additional security softeware
Much more flexibility with a PC, running Safari for it’s browser, and 3rd party virus protection. You can always upgrade a PC, but furgettaboutit for a Mac.
Apple is always coming out with upgraded versions of their products. Some examples would be new options for increased memory, processor speed, etc. Based on past experience, I would wait until right before school starts, although I have no specific knowledge of what might happen in the next couple of months.
The people telling you to go with a PC are wrong. Your daughter will be much happier with a Mac, and will never have to deal with the constant assault on PCs of viruses and spyware.
My son got a regular MacBook (not Pro) about 1 1/2 years ago. He has not told me about any features he is missing out on and the portability is great.
Have you or your daughter actually checked to see what, if anything, the school recommends?
Macs are cool, and a required accessory if you are gay, in design, fashion or architecture. Oh wait, that's all gay.
Buy a PC and either get more computer, or save money.
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