MacBook, Pro, or Netbook?
August 21, 2009 2:03 PM Subscribe
MacBook, MacBook Pro, or netbook for college?
I like this question but it's a little old.
I'm returning to school after a 9-year hiatus! I found out that about 105 hours of undergrad transferred, and it looks like I'll have about 20-30 hours to finish up a degree in something science or engineering oriented. I can probably do this in a couple of years considering it's mostly senior-level courses I need and I'll be juggling family life.
I was looking at the Samsung NC-10, but now I wonder if I'd need something a little more full featured. I also don't know if I want a keyboard that's not full size (although the NC-10 doesn't seem to small by specifications; I haven't played with one yet).
Portability is nice since I'm on a motorcycle and the campus is about 30 minutes away, so if I go Mac it'll probably be a 13". I've always used 15" notebooks before, will I miss those extra two inches?
The Pro has an aluminum body (so it's tougher I guess?); the Book is plastic. Big deal? We watch a lot of movies/tv shows on our current notebook (enormous, heavy, and hotter-than-the-sun Dell Precision M65), so I'm thinking the improved graphics performance of the Pro would be appreciated. I also have a Steam account and would like to dock the Pro to my 29" monitor and play a game occasionally (I realize I'll need something like Bootcamp). I know that if I went with a netbook this option would be out, and that's ok.
I can get a student discount from Apple, which makes the 13" Pro with AppleCare a little more affordable. I probably wouldn't upgrade anything except the memory (via Newegg) if necessary.
So, hive mind, guide me. Is the 13" Pro worth it? Should I just get the regular 13" MacBook? Am I going to need the extra processing power to run programs specific to my degree (I have no idea what those are; I meet with my advisor next week).
Catch: If I buy before September 8 I can get a free 8BG iPod Touch, which is a neat toy, but I'm trying to not let that factor into my decision. I'm a Serious Student this time.
I like this question but it's a little old.
I'm returning to school after a 9-year hiatus! I found out that about 105 hours of undergrad transferred, and it looks like I'll have about 20-30 hours to finish up a degree in something science or engineering oriented. I can probably do this in a couple of years considering it's mostly senior-level courses I need and I'll be juggling family life.
I was looking at the Samsung NC-10, but now I wonder if I'd need something a little more full featured. I also don't know if I want a keyboard that's not full size (although the NC-10 doesn't seem to small by specifications; I haven't played with one yet).
Portability is nice since I'm on a motorcycle and the campus is about 30 minutes away, so if I go Mac it'll probably be a 13". I've always used 15" notebooks before, will I miss those extra two inches?
The Pro has an aluminum body (so it's tougher I guess?); the Book is plastic. Big deal? We watch a lot of movies/tv shows on our current notebook (enormous, heavy, and hotter-than-the-sun Dell Precision M65), so I'm thinking the improved graphics performance of the Pro would be appreciated. I also have a Steam account and would like to dock the Pro to my 29" monitor and play a game occasionally (I realize I'll need something like Bootcamp). I know that if I went with a netbook this option would be out, and that's ok.
I can get a student discount from Apple, which makes the 13" Pro with AppleCare a little more affordable. I probably wouldn't upgrade anything except the memory (via Newegg) if necessary.
So, hive mind, guide me. Is the 13" Pro worth it? Should I just get the regular 13" MacBook? Am I going to need the extra processing power to run programs specific to my degree (I have no idea what those are; I meet with my advisor next week).
Catch: If I buy before September 8 I can get a free 8BG iPod Touch, which is a neat toy, but I'm trying to not let that factor into my decision. I'm a Serious Student this time.
How much will you be on campus and what will you be using your computer there while you're there? Mostly I guess I want to know if you'll be there for anything other than class, and if you plan on using it for taking notes during class.
posted by brainmouse at 2:13 PM on August 21, 2009
posted by brainmouse at 2:13 PM on August 21, 2009
The new 13" MBP does not run hotter than the sun. In the two-ish months that I've had mine, it gets warm but never even as hot as my old powerbook.
The 13" MBP seems enormous to me, coming as I did from a 12" powerbook. I run Adobe CS4 on it and it runs smoothly. I've had Photoshop, Firefox, iTunes and a couple other things all open and doing things more or less simultaneously and not noticed anybody hiccuping.
I think it's gorgeous and speedy and it fits (exceeds, even) my needs. YMMV.
posted by rtha at 2:21 PM on August 21, 2009
The 13" MBP seems enormous to me, coming as I did from a 12" powerbook. I run Adobe CS4 on it and it runs smoothly. I've had Photoshop, Firefox, iTunes and a couple other things all open and doing things more or less simultaneously and not noticed anybody hiccuping.
I think it's gorgeous and speedy and it fits (exceeds, even) my needs. YMMV.
posted by rtha at 2:21 PM on August 21, 2009
Don't get a netbook. Not enough juice or space. Will you need to run apps for school like Matlab or SPSS or SPice or whatever? If so you may need Bootcamp or VMware fusion or Parallels and you should budget money for that.
As for Pro vs Book, there's really no downside to the Pro other than cost. Do you need the difference in price between the Book and the Pro for something else very badly? If not, get the Pro.
If you're doing science or engineering then:
Am I going to need the extra processing power to run programs specific to my degree?
Very likely yes.
posted by GuyZero at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009
As for Pro vs Book, there's really no downside to the Pro other than cost. Do you need the difference in price between the Book and the Pro for something else very badly? If not, get the Pro.
If you're doing science or engineering then:
Am I going to need the extra processing power to run programs specific to my degree?
Very likely yes.
posted by GuyZero at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009
I've got a macbook, and I find it very very difficult to use in the sciences. If you want to run any Microsoft Office 08 stuff, like Excel, many of the buttons and menus are in very different places. This makes it difficult when you are trying to duplicate some function that you've seen on a Windows machine. Often, when you have a problem or a question the instructor will kind of shrug and say: 'Oh, you've got a Mac. I don't know how to do it on that.' So, beware if you're taking any kind of stats class.
Other than that, it's great.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009
Other than that, it's great.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009
I have a netbook (an MSI wind) that I use in college. While I love it, I could never use it as my primary machine; I have an older generation 24" iMac back in my dorm room too for more intense stuff.
For note-taking the netbook is nice and compact (and cheap), but I would never want to rely on it more than that. If you're going to need to run a lot of engineering software and such, I'd definitely say go for the Macbook. I can't really help with vanilla Macbook vs. Pro, but I definitely can say if you are looking to do more than just take notes/surf the web, you really need more than a netbook.
posted by cvp at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
For note-taking the netbook is nice and compact (and cheap), but I would never want to rely on it more than that. If you're going to need to run a lot of engineering software and such, I'd definitely say go for the Macbook. I can't really help with vanilla Macbook vs. Pro, but I definitely can say if you are looking to do more than just take notes/surf the web, you really need more than a netbook.
posted by cvp at 2:25 PM on August 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
I can't type on netbooks at all.
I just went through law school with a Macbook and it worked great. I intend for it to be my primary laptop until stuff I need won't even run.
posted by yesno at 2:36 PM on August 21, 2009
I just went through law school with a Macbook and it worked great. I intend for it to be my primary laptop until stuff I need won't even run.
posted by yesno at 2:36 PM on August 21, 2009
I can chime in that the aluminum body of the Pros does come in handy. I tripped going up some stairs a about a year ago while I was carrying my Macbook Pro (on, but asleep) in my messenger bag. I used my hands to save myself from face planting on the cement steps, but my bag slammed into the lip of the stairs with a sickening thud. I thought for sure the Macbook was a goner. Quick examination revealed a dent on the left corner, between the hinge and the power cord connection. I held my breath and hit the power button... and it booted like nothing ever happened. Still going strong.
So if you're clumsy, go for the Pro :)
posted by geeky at 2:37 PM on August 21, 2009
So if you're clumsy, go for the Pro :)
posted by geeky at 2:37 PM on August 21, 2009
I can tell you I work at an engineering company right now with a 15" Macbook Pro, running Windows XP in VMWare for my engineering software (we're doing MATLAB, Maple, circuit design/PCB layout, mechanical CAD, and IDEs for a variety of microcontrollers). All of these run just fine with the VM, but we wouldn't have been able to do it without the VM. That said, the hardware is rock solid and we've had exactly one issue in the last year that required a trip to the Genius Bar, and I can't say nearly as much for the Dells my friends and I all had throughout engineering undergrad.
posted by olinerd at 2:38 PM on August 21, 2009
posted by olinerd at 2:38 PM on August 21, 2009
What type of science or engineering are you going to be doing?
If you are going to be running CAD at all or any sort of related visualization software (basic CFD and FEA---the harder-core stuff used to run only on UNIX), you are probably going to want a Windows laptop as most solid 3-D modeling software works best (or only) in a Windows environment. And a netbook won't cut it for that. You'll something beefier.
Often there are engineering labs available on campus with dedicated CAD machines, but there is nothing better than doing CAD work in your own space, if only to avoid the funky smell of engineering computer labs.
posted by chiefthe at 2:40 PM on August 21, 2009
If you are going to be running CAD at all or any sort of related visualization software (basic CFD and FEA---the harder-core stuff used to run only on UNIX), you are probably going to want a Windows laptop as most solid 3-D modeling software works best (or only) in a Windows environment. And a netbook won't cut it for that. You'll something beefier.
Often there are engineering labs available on campus with dedicated CAD machines, but there is nothing better than doing CAD work in your own space, if only to avoid the funky smell of engineering computer labs.
posted by chiefthe at 2:40 PM on August 21, 2009
Missed olinerd's comment on preview. It sounds like she has more experience with Mac and such software, so I defer to her on that portion of my comment.
posted by chiefthe at 2:43 PM on August 21, 2009
posted by chiefthe at 2:43 PM on August 21, 2009
I just got a pro 15".
I was contemplating getting a 13" but those 2 inches make a world of difference to me since I spend so much time on it. Also, I didn't like the fact that the 13" had very little room to rest my palms which made it rather uncomfortable.
Go to an apple store and see how everything feels to you.
A netbook will not get you through college.
posted by special-k at 2:47 PM on August 21, 2009
I was contemplating getting a 13" but those 2 inches make a world of difference to me since I spend so much time on it. Also, I didn't like the fact that the 13" had very little room to rest my palms which made it rather uncomfortable.
Go to an apple store and see how everything feels to you.
A netbook will not get you through college.
posted by special-k at 2:47 PM on August 21, 2009
The Pro has an aluminum body (so it's tougher I guess?); the Book is plastic. Big deal?
YES YES YES
I've owned Mac laptops since the original PBG4 came out and this new unibody thing is really really sweet.
The Pro is hotter than the core of the sun.
I have a 2.8Ghz purchased in December and its CPU is running at 57°C (which is warm but in no way "hot") as I type this. To keep things cool it helps to run with the 9400M and not the full graphics card.
Windows laptop as most solid 3-D modeling software works best (or only) in a Windows environment
Macs run XP and later now via bootcamp (preferred) or virtualization. With the laptop there are some niggling issues compared to desktops but I've probably bought my last Windows-only box.
posted by @troy at 3:05 PM on August 21, 2009
YES YES YES
I've owned Mac laptops since the original PBG4 came out and this new unibody thing is really really sweet.
The Pro is hotter than the core of the sun.
I have a 2.8Ghz purchased in December and its CPU is running at 57°C (which is warm but in no way "hot") as I type this. To keep things cool it helps to run with the 9400M and not the full graphics card.
Windows laptop as most solid 3-D modeling software works best (or only) in a Windows environment
Macs run XP and later now via bootcamp (preferred) or virtualization. With the laptop there are some niggling issues compared to desktops but I've probably bought my last Windows-only box.
posted by @troy at 3:05 PM on August 21, 2009
Think carefully about what you're using it for.
Is this going to be replacing your current laptop as a gaming/movie watching/school machine? Get the MBP.
Or: this something to supplement another computer at home, just for toting to school? Get the netbook.
While a netbook CAN get you through college (mine is getting me by just fine), it's not made to be a primary computer, and is definitely not for watching movies or playing games on.
posted by iarerach at 3:31 PM on August 21, 2009
Is this going to be replacing your current laptop as a gaming/movie watching/school machine? Get the MBP.
Or: this something to supplement another computer at home, just for toting to school? Get the netbook.
While a netbook CAN get you through college (mine is getting me by just fine), it's not made to be a primary computer, and is definitely not for watching movies or playing games on.
posted by iarerach at 3:31 PM on August 21, 2009
My kids, one doctoral candidate in Music Composition, one undergrad liberal arts major, both have the current bottom line Macbooks maxed out with memory.
My oldest works with huge Finale files and other big ass digital music files, and gets along just fine. On repeated occasions he's resisted my suggestion to get a large external monitor, contending that he doesn't need it. He regularly deals with massive scores requiring formatting and printing.
My youngest excels at running umpteen bazillion open apps at once usually including multiple YouTube vids while syncing 35 gigs worth of ever changing ipod content.
Being "typical" students, neither of this pair is particularly gentle with these computers, and both get along just fine.
I'm w WinXP guy, but I find Apple laptops at any level extremely bulletproof machines.
posted by imjustsaying at 3:36 PM on August 21, 2009
My oldest works with huge Finale files and other big ass digital music files, and gets along just fine. On repeated occasions he's resisted my suggestion to get a large external monitor, contending that he doesn't need it. He regularly deals with massive scores requiring formatting and printing.
My youngest excels at running umpteen bazillion open apps at once usually including multiple YouTube vids while syncing 35 gigs worth of ever changing ipod content.
Being "typical" students, neither of this pair is particularly gentle with these computers, and both get along just fine.
I'm w WinXP guy, but I find Apple laptops at any level extremely bulletproof machines.
posted by imjustsaying at 3:36 PM on August 21, 2009
It depends on the field. Some science and engineering fields have ancient computer programs build for UNIX, and have migrated to OSX (and Linux) for desktops. Some fields have a few Windows only programs that may not even run in Vista / Windows 7. The good news is these programs are either free, or so expensive the university buys licenses and puts them on computers capable of running it.
But I'm curious why you need a laptop for school. In my undergrad and grad experience, laptops were for goofing off in class, and for doing work because the computer labs were full. I know my tabletPC recorded two lectures overall, and played a lot of games.
posted by pwnguin at 3:56 PM on August 21, 2009
But I'm curious why you need a laptop for school. In my undergrad and grad experience, laptops were for goofing off in class, and for doing work because the computer labs were full. I know my tabletPC recorded two lectures overall, and played a lot of games.
posted by pwnguin at 3:56 PM on August 21, 2009
I wouldn't use a netbook as a primary computer. That said, I did my undergrad in physics - and there really wasn't all that much computation, and what we did do tended not to require serious computer horsepower. This will vary depending on your exact coursework / major / etc, but I wouldn't automatically assume you need something very powerful.
For the price of the cheapest (education discounted) new macbook pro - you could get, for instance, both a desktop more powerful than any macbook and a light and longlasting laptop.
If you get a windows machine, and don't want to dual-boot linux - cygwin is your friend.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:02 PM on August 21, 2009 [2 favorites]
For the price of the cheapest (education discounted) new macbook pro - you could get, for instance, both a desktop more powerful than any macbook and a light and longlasting laptop.
If you get a windows machine, and don't want to dual-boot linux - cygwin is your friend.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:02 PM on August 21, 2009 [2 favorites]
The 13-inch MBP is one of the best laptops Apple has ever made. And I've owned, um.... seven.
The fact it can boot in Windows, Mac OS or Linux out of the box makes it a no-brainer, too. Future proof.
posted by rokusan at 4:23 PM on August 21, 2009
The fact it can boot in Windows, Mac OS or Linux out of the box makes it a no-brainer, too. Future proof.
posted by rokusan at 4:23 PM on August 21, 2009
I have a 15" MBP (previous generation), a Samsung NC10, and my wife has a MacBook that I use regularly.
The netbook is great for two reasons - it's small, and the battery lasts for 5+ hours. The keyboard on the Samsung is smallish, but very usable for typing compared to other netbooks I've tried. It's on the slow side, but not bad, and the hard drive is decent (120 GB). I think you can get away with plugging it into a keyboard and monitor at home. I think if I was a student today I would use one for some notetaking, although it's still hard to beat a good old notebook.
That said, if you wait a year or two, the performance of your average netbook is going to be much better than what you can get today, probably as good as your average laptop today.
Aluminum is NOT tougher than plastic. On impact, plastic will flex, scratch, or at the worst crack, but aluminum will DENT. Permanently.
iarerach has it right. It's been a while since I was a student, but I don't think computers are necessary to bring to class. Since you live at home and already have a computer I think you can get by without a new laptop or maybe a cheaper one like an Acer or Dell which is somewhat luggable. You might want to have a laptop to do project work, but I think for occasional use something luggable is fine.
posted by kenliu at 4:34 PM on August 21, 2009
The netbook is great for two reasons - it's small, and the battery lasts for 5+ hours. The keyboard on the Samsung is smallish, but very usable for typing compared to other netbooks I've tried. It's on the slow side, but not bad, and the hard drive is decent (120 GB). I think you can get away with plugging it into a keyboard and monitor at home. I think if I was a student today I would use one for some notetaking, although it's still hard to beat a good old notebook.
That said, if you wait a year or two, the performance of your average netbook is going to be much better than what you can get today, probably as good as your average laptop today.
Aluminum is NOT tougher than plastic. On impact, plastic will flex, scratch, or at the worst crack, but aluminum will DENT. Permanently.
iarerach has it right. It's been a while since I was a student, but I don't think computers are necessary to bring to class. Since you live at home and already have a computer I think you can get by without a new laptop or maybe a cheaper one like an Acer or Dell which is somewhat luggable. You might want to have a laptop to do project work, but I think for occasional use something luggable is fine.
posted by kenliu at 4:34 PM on August 21, 2009
Aluminum is NOT tougher than plastic. On impact, plastic will flex, scratch, or at the worst crack, but aluminum will DENT. Permanently.
The unibody macbooks are SOLID aluminum. Mine has fallen twice from the edge of my bed onto a hard metal lamp base (don't ask). The screen bezel has a dent but everything else is fine, and these falls would have SHATTERED a Macbook or shitty netbook.
posted by @troy at 4:39 PM on August 21, 2009
The unibody macbooks are SOLID aluminum. Mine has fallen twice from the edge of my bed onto a hard metal lamp base (don't ask). The screen bezel has a dent but everything else is fine, and these falls would have SHATTERED a Macbook or shitty netbook.
posted by @troy at 4:39 PM on August 21, 2009
One more thing. Schools can't require students to own high end computers in order to do classwork - they usually just require a basic computer that is reasonably priced for a student, or they provide computer labs for high-end work. A MBP is probably going to be overkill.
posted by kenliu at 4:45 PM on August 21, 2009
posted by kenliu at 4:45 PM on August 21, 2009
One more thing. Schools can't require students to own high end computers in order to do classwork - they usually just require a basic computer that is reasonably priced for a student, or they provide computer labs for high-end work. A MBP is probably going to be overkill.
Many schools have shutdown most or all computer labs, on the premise that most or all students due, in fact, have high powered laptops. I'd be careful with any assumption that you can rely on college computer labs these days, without doing some investigation of what your school offers. Some schools even make laptops required for first year students.
posted by gomess at 5:12 PM on August 21, 2009
Many schools have shutdown most or all computer labs, on the premise that most or all students due, in fact, have high powered laptops. I'd be careful with any assumption that you can rely on college computer labs these days, without doing some investigation of what your school offers. Some schools even make laptops required for first year students.
posted by gomess at 5:12 PM on August 21, 2009
A MBP is probably going to be overkill great!
Overkill. LOL. Now, I got through 7 2/3rds years of school without using a laptop in class so I kinda question the premise I guess. A laptop would be great for stealing time in the library between classes, since there's nothing more boring than being stuck on a college campus with two hours to kill between classes.
Overkill is too heavy or powerful for all tasks you're going to want to use the laptop for. ie 17", desktop-quality graphics card(s), 2 hour battery life. The 13" MBP is none of these things and I would recommend it to everyone for everything, since it is occupies the sweetspot of what a laptop should be.
posted by @troy at 5:47 PM on August 21, 2009
Overkill. LOL. Now, I got through 7 2/3rds years of school without using a laptop in class so I kinda question the premise I guess. A laptop would be great for stealing time in the library between classes, since there's nothing more boring than being stuck on a college campus with two hours to kill between classes.
Overkill is too heavy or powerful for all tasks you're going to want to use the laptop for. ie 17", desktop-quality graphics card(s), 2 hour battery life. The 13" MBP is none of these things and I would recommend it to everyone for everything, since it is occupies the sweetspot of what a laptop should be.
posted by @troy at 5:47 PM on August 21, 2009
Overkill means spending too much money for a high end laptop when you don't need the power and you are kicking yourself when the price drops after six months. I agree though, the MacBook does occupy the "sweet spot."
posted by kenliu at 6:15 PM on August 21, 2009
posted by kenliu at 6:15 PM on August 21, 2009
Anyone who says the aluminum MacBook Pro is not tougher than plastic has not experienced one. The thing is SOLID. It runs no warmer than any other laptop I've used, and certainly not hot.
Since the Mac runs OS X (obviously), and Windows through Boot Camp or virtualization, I'd say the MacBook Pro at $1,199 is a steal. Go play with one at an Apple store.
posted by santaliqueur at 6:39 PM on August 21, 2009
Since the Mac runs OS X (obviously), and Windows through Boot Camp or virtualization, I'd say the MacBook Pro at $1,199 is a steal. Go play with one at an Apple store.
posted by santaliqueur at 6:39 PM on August 21, 2009
Your advisor and someone in your department will be the two best people to ask about this, since it varies a lot. A physics grad student here told me that "in my field, it's NOT running Linux that causes compatibility issues"; yet the computer science department on the same campus is a Mac shop. Also, as mentioned earlier, you may end up doing most of your work SSH'ed into a shared server, in which case anything with a network interface will do.
By the way, as far as durability goes, please remember that the plural of anecdote is not data. Unless it's specifically billed as meeting XYZ standard (MIL-STD-810 is a common one in America), treat it like glass.
This wasn't one of your options, but might I suggest a Thinkpad?
posted by d. z. wang at 7:26 PM on August 21, 2009
By the way, as far as durability goes, please remember that the plural of anecdote is not data. Unless it's specifically billed as meeting XYZ standard (MIL-STD-810 is a common one in America), treat it like glass.
This wasn't one of your options, but might I suggest a Thinkpad?
posted by d. z. wang at 7:26 PM on August 21, 2009
Love my 13" pro.
The free ipod touch is the only "deal" Apple ever offers, and they won't offer it again till next summer. If you really don't want it you can easily sell it for close to $200- but do so fast since new models are coming SOON and will render your new touch far less desirable.
Also: bumping from 2 to 4 GB only costs $90 through Apple (Ed. price- yes, it used to be much more expensive).
posted by carterk at 7:28 PM on August 21, 2009
The free ipod touch is the only "deal" Apple ever offers, and they won't offer it again till next summer. If you really don't want it you can easily sell it for close to $200- but do so fast since new models are coming SOON and will render your new touch far less desirable.
Also: bumping from 2 to 4 GB only costs $90 through Apple (Ed. price- yes, it used to be much more expensive).
posted by carterk at 7:28 PM on August 21, 2009
I love my 13" white MacBook, but the plastic is definitely not holding up like I expected. It's already chipping. And since it's white the outside scuffs pretty easily. I'm not even a heavy user - an hour or so a day on the couch after work maybe.
That said, AppleCare is pretty awesome and I know all I need to do is make an appointment at the Apple Store and they'll replace the piece for me.
I also think the 13" screen is a tad small. I'm also super-blind. I knew it was small going in, but it was such a good deal and I knew it wasn't my primary computer. If I work from home and try to use it all day my eyes get a bit tired.
posted by radioamy at 9:31 PM on August 21, 2009
That said, AppleCare is pretty awesome and I know all I need to do is make an appointment at the Apple Store and they'll replace the piece for me.
I also think the 13" screen is a tad small. I'm also super-blind. I knew it was small going in, but it was such a good deal and I knew it wasn't my primary computer. If I work from home and try to use it all day my eyes get a bit tired.
posted by radioamy at 9:31 PM on August 21, 2009
I just got the newest 13" MBP, coming from a 13" black MacBook, previously a Thinkpad user. I think the new 13" MBP is fantastic. It runs much cooler than the black MacBook, and though I have no objective measurements, I think it runs cooler than my Thinkpads. (My subjective measure of this is how long I can use it on my actual lap before it actually feels too hot to be on my person.)
I think the 13" screen is fine, but I don't use a lot of screen real estate for the apps I run. It's light, and I don't feel like I'm lugging around a brick in my bag. I think the MBP will be worth it. You may need the extra processing power for school, and you can run Windows via VMWare Fusion or Bootcamp if you have to use Windows-specific programs. I have VMWare images set up so that I can run Windows programs for demos while I do presentations, and I run the presentations in OpenOffice natively on the Mac, which is better than Office for Mac in my opinion.
posted by bedhead at 10:12 PM on August 21, 2009
I think the 13" screen is fine, but I don't use a lot of screen real estate for the apps I run. It's light, and I don't feel like I'm lugging around a brick in my bag. I think the MBP will be worth it. You may need the extra processing power for school, and you can run Windows via VMWare Fusion or Bootcamp if you have to use Windows-specific programs. I have VMWare images set up so that I can run Windows programs for demos while I do presentations, and I run the presentations in OpenOffice natively on the Mac, which is better than Office for Mac in my opinion.
posted by bedhead at 10:12 PM on August 21, 2009
Charles Moore just wrote a column calling the new MBP a nearly "perfect" laptop, and the best Apple laptop they've ever made. I'm hearing a lot of happy talk about it from reviewers I trust.
posted by fourcheesemac at 12:14 AM on August 22, 2009
posted by fourcheesemac at 12:14 AM on August 22, 2009
I have a netbook (an MSI wind) that I use in college. While I love it, I could never use it as my primary machine
Exactly. Netbooks are great in that they are highly portable, convenient and affordable secondary machines, but if I only had one computer, it would have to be either a desktop or laptop with a decent sized screen and keyboard.
posted by Orchestra at 3:42 AM on August 22, 2009
Exactly. Netbooks are great in that they are highly portable, convenient and affordable secondary machines, but if I only had one computer, it would have to be either a desktop or laptop with a decent sized screen and keyboard.
posted by Orchestra at 3:42 AM on August 22, 2009
FWIW, I spent the last two weeks turning over every link I could find to decide whether I wanted to spend $250-$400 on a netbook or $1200 on a 13" MBP. Despite going in thinking I wanted an ultra-portable netbook, retaining my two-year-old Thinkpad as my primary machine, I ditched that idea for the MBP by the end. What tipped it for me?
1) Yes, shiny-awesome-new-toy-I've-never-played-with-before was a factor
2) The difference in portability for me between netbook and MBP was negligible. I'm traveling for a couple weeks, and wanted something I could throw in my backpack without having to lug a second computer-specific bag. With a sleeve, either one fit my needs.
3) Flexibility and future-proofing, as mentioned above, with the ability to run things like VMWare (which I use for my job)
4) The construction of the MBP just feels like the designers hit the sweet spot at the nexus of durability/portability.
5) AppleCare. Enough said. The three-year extended warranty makes a ton of sense for me.
6) Did I really want two machines? Would I use a netbook enough after my trip to make it worthwhile? And when was I going to replace the Thinkpad anyway? I think this was the excuse I needed most, so I pulled the trigger.
7) Lastly, Consumer Reports has the new 13" MBP with the aluminum shell as its #1 laptop or netbook by a fairly comfortable margin. The netbook ratings all had minor/major caveats, the criticisms of the MBP by CR just seemed like nitpicking.
Good luck in your return to the classroom!
posted by GamblingBlues at 4:18 AM on August 22, 2009
1) Yes, shiny-awesome-new-toy-I've-never-played-with-before was a factor
2) The difference in portability for me between netbook and MBP was negligible. I'm traveling for a couple weeks, and wanted something I could throw in my backpack without having to lug a second computer-specific bag. With a sleeve, either one fit my needs.
3) Flexibility and future-proofing, as mentioned above, with the ability to run things like VMWare (which I use for my job)
4) The construction of the MBP just feels like the designers hit the sweet spot at the nexus of durability/portability.
5) AppleCare. Enough said. The three-year extended warranty makes a ton of sense for me.
6) Did I really want two machines? Would I use a netbook enough after my trip to make it worthwhile? And when was I going to replace the Thinkpad anyway? I think this was the excuse I needed most, so I pulled the trigger.
7) Lastly, Consumer Reports has the new 13" MBP with the aluminum shell as its #1 laptop or netbook by a fairly comfortable margin. The netbook ratings all had minor/major caveats, the criticisms of the MBP by CR just seemed like nitpicking.
Good luck in your return to the classroom!
posted by GamblingBlues at 4:18 AM on August 22, 2009
The Macbook Pro is 1100$ for students, so use your student discount.
I think that the slightly higher price for a Macbook Pro is worth it - while the processing power is only slightly higher for the basic model, you can expand the memory up to 8GB. But the rest of the upgrades are what really makes the difference - Unibody beats plastic any day [my 2 year old Macbook broke in a couple of places], new multi-touch mouse pad, backlit keyboard, better battery life and an SD slot.
posted by ye#ara at 6:41 AM on August 22, 2009
I think that the slightly higher price for a Macbook Pro is worth it - while the processing power is only slightly higher for the basic model, you can expand the memory up to 8GB. But the rest of the upgrades are what really makes the difference - Unibody beats plastic any day [my 2 year old Macbook broke in a couple of places], new multi-touch mouse pad, backlit keyboard, better battery life and an SD slot.
posted by ye#ara at 6:41 AM on August 22, 2009
If you live in a dormitory, I highly recommend buying a desktop and taking notes on paper. A laptop seems more appropriate if you'll often work in the library. You might also buy a MacBook Pro an external keyboard and mouse and a non-Apple big ass monitor. It's important that you never buy an external monitor from Apple, as theirs are extremely overpriced and offer virtually no advantage over cheaper models.
posted by jeffburdges at 6:59 AM on August 22, 2009
posted by jeffburdges at 6:59 AM on August 22, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks everyone!
I'm leaning heavily towards the low-end configuration 13" MBP with three years of AppleCare. If the 2GB of memory isn't enough I'll upgrade later from a third party (I searched on Newegg but it seems that they're not currently stocking memory for the 13" MPB, maybe that'll change soon).
The MBP will end up being my primary computer pretty soon, so I think that's what's keeping me away from the netbook right now. I have a dead desktop that probably just needs a power supply replaced, but even when that's operational we'd still surf on the couch and use the laptop for just about everything else. My current laptop is on it's last legs. It's powerful, but it's over 6lbs, rattles, and it feels as thick as a phone book. It also doesn't last more than 30 seconds on the battery, so it's not portable at all. I can't even take it from the couch to table without it shutting down. Even when new the battery life was pretty dismal (of course, this was never designed to be very portable; I had a Latitude D620 that was more portable but not quite as powerful). I realize that the 13" MPB is only a pound or so lighter, but damn it felt like a frisbee in the Apple store. By comparison, a netbook will feel like a pocket calculator to me.
The 13" MPB with three years of AppleCare is $1,282 after my student discount. I think the "free" iPod Touch is actually a rebate, so I'd have to spend an additional ~$230 and then mail in a rebate to get ~$230 back. That's around $1600 after tax (although there might be a tax holiday now, or in the near future). I don't know if that will be in the budget anytime soon. We'll be closing on our home in less than a week, and I'll probably have to wait for the $8,000 tax credit to buy, but that's a long time to wait. I'm already pulling money out of a rollover IRA to pay for school and books; I'm not sure if I can use those funds (penalty free) on a laptop (guessing not).
I'll be meeting with my advisor early next week and I'll ask if a laptop is even necessary. When I was a senior in 2000 the only person with a laptop in class was the douchebag conspicuous kid who wouldn't ever shut the fuck up about the Nice Things He Owned. I was making an assumption that everyone uses laptops in classes these days (but when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of u and mption. If I can get by for now with pen and paper that's ok with me (omg, my handwriting was awesome when I was taking notes daily, I can't remember the last time I wrote anything longer than a grocery list, it's been keyboard-only for so long, I wonder what it's like now).
Again, thanks for the advice.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:18 AM on August 22, 2009
I'm leaning heavily towards the low-end configuration 13" MBP with three years of AppleCare. If the 2GB of memory isn't enough I'll upgrade later from a third party (I searched on Newegg but it seems that they're not currently stocking memory for the 13" MPB, maybe that'll change soon).
The MBP will end up being my primary computer pretty soon, so I think that's what's keeping me away from the netbook right now. I have a dead desktop that probably just needs a power supply replaced, but even when that's operational we'd still surf on the couch and use the laptop for just about everything else. My current laptop is on it's last legs. It's powerful, but it's over 6lbs, rattles, and it feels as thick as a phone book. It also doesn't last more than 30 seconds on the battery, so it's not portable at all. I can't even take it from the couch to table without it shutting down. Even when new the battery life was pretty dismal (of course, this was never designed to be very portable; I had a Latitude D620 that was more portable but not quite as powerful). I realize that the 13" MPB is only a pound or so lighter, but damn it felt like a frisbee in the Apple store. By comparison, a netbook will feel like a pocket calculator to me.
The 13" MPB with three years of AppleCare is $1,282 after my student discount. I think the "free" iPod Touch is actually a rebate, so I'd have to spend an additional ~$230 and then mail in a rebate to get ~$230 back. That's around $1600 after tax (although there might be a tax holiday now, or in the near future). I don't know if that will be in the budget anytime soon. We'll be closing on our home in less than a week, and I'll probably have to wait for the $8,000 tax credit to buy, but that's a long time to wait. I'm already pulling money out of a rollover IRA to pay for school and books; I'm not sure if I can use those funds (penalty free) on a laptop (guessing not).
I'll be meeting with my advisor early next week and I'll ask if a laptop is even necessary. When I was a senior in 2000 the only person with a laptop in class was the douchebag conspicuous kid who wouldn't ever shut the fuck up about the Nice Things He Owned. I was making an assumption that everyone uses laptops in classes these days (but when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of u and mption. If I can get by for now with pen and paper that's ok with me (omg, my handwriting was awesome when I was taking notes daily, I can't remember the last time I wrote anything longer than a grocery list, it's been keyboard-only for so long, I wonder what it's like now).
Again, thanks for the advice.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:18 AM on August 22, 2009
Response by poster: douchebag conspicuous consumer kid that is
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:21 AM on August 22, 2009
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:21 AM on August 22, 2009
Late, but since you're leaning towards the MacBook Pro, here's a piece of advice:
You might need to run Windows apps for many of your courses, as others have suggested above. If so, note that the two main virtualization products for the Mac (VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop) can both run your Boot Camp partition as a VM within Mac OS X. This means you can have exactly one Windows environment on your new computer, and you have the option to run it as a VM for quick and dirty access to Windows stuff, or reboot into it as a fully-on-the-hardware Windows install for higher performance during heavy work sessions.
I did this for classes where I needed the Windows version of Office and SPSS and was very happy with this arrangement.
Given what you're saying about your rickety old laptop, I think you'd be pleased with the MBP. And if you want to hang onto your old laptop environment, you can copy that as a VM on your MBP with either VMware Converter or Parallels Transporter.
posted by jmcmurry at 8:14 AM on August 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
You might need to run Windows apps for many of your courses, as others have suggested above. If so, note that the two main virtualization products for the Mac (VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop) can both run your Boot Camp partition as a VM within Mac OS X. This means you can have exactly one Windows environment on your new computer, and you have the option to run it as a VM for quick and dirty access to Windows stuff, or reboot into it as a fully-on-the-hardware Windows install for higher performance during heavy work sessions.
I did this for classes where I needed the Windows version of Office and SPSS and was very happy with this arrangement.
Given what you're saying about your rickety old laptop, I think you'd be pleased with the MBP. And if you want to hang onto your old laptop environment, you can copy that as a VM on your MBP with either VMware Converter or Parallels Transporter.
posted by jmcmurry at 8:14 AM on August 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: That's pretty slick, thanks. I have a copy of Vista I'll load if necessary. I like the option of either Boot Camp or running it inside OSX.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:18 AM on August 22, 2009
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:18 AM on August 22, 2009
> I searched on Newegg but it seems that they're not currently stocking memory for the 13" MPB, maybe that'll change soon).
Check out Crucial for RAM upgrades. They are selling a 4GB RAM kit (2 x 2GB) for MBP for only $80. That's $20 cheaper than Apple, and you can sell the included Apple memory or reuse it for something else. Many people (including myself) only buy memory from Crucial because of the reliability.
posted by kenliu at 8:39 AM on August 22, 2009
Check out Crucial for RAM upgrades. They are selling a 4GB RAM kit (2 x 2GB) for MBP for only $80. That's $20 cheaper than Apple, and you can sell the included Apple memory or reuse it for something else. Many people (including myself) only buy memory from Crucial because of the reliability.
posted by kenliu at 8:39 AM on August 22, 2009
Just FYI - you might be eligible for free Microsoft software; at my institution, through MSDN, all STEM students can download (and get a license for) basically every MS product save for Office.
posted by unmake at 2:06 PM on August 22, 2009
posted by unmake at 2:06 PM on August 22, 2009
I bought a new MB pro 15" from a reseller for <1>
First, find an auction (using the model # form apple so you are not getting an older model) with the lowest buy it now price (+ free shipping) from a reputable seller (check their feedback to see that they have sold other MBs). Bookmark that page.
Then go to bing.com and search Macbook Pro. Look at the sponsored results at the top (yeah, turn off adblock for this one) and you will see a 8-14% off coupon. Click that link to go back to ebay. Now just go to your bookmarked page and you'll see that discount at the top of the page.
Signing up at ebates.com will get you an additional 2% off.
Finally, if have been an ebay user for a while, look at your email mailbox for a link to ebay bucks. That gets you an additional 2% that you can spend on another ebay purchase in the future (takes 2 months to credit). voila!
You can also find really cheap applecare on ebay.
If you're at a university, you can get a copy of office for 9.99 through the Office at home program.
If you need windows and don't have a disk, buy vmware (also see the educational price on academicsuperstore.com) and install windows 7 beta. You'll have that available for free till next year.
posted by special-k at 2:33 PM on August 22, 2009
First, find an auction (using the model # form apple so you are not getting an older model) with the lowest buy it now price (+ free shipping) from a reputable seller (check their feedback to see that they have sold other MBs). Bookmark that page.
Then go to bing.com and search Macbook Pro. Look at the sponsored results at the top (yeah, turn off adblock for this one) and you will see a 8-14% off coupon. Click that link to go back to ebay. Now just go to your bookmarked page and you'll see that discount at the top of the page.
Signing up at ebates.com will get you an additional 2% off.
Finally, if have been an ebay user for a while, look at your email mailbox for a link to ebay bucks. That gets you an additional 2% that you can spend on another ebay purchase in the future (takes 2 months to credit). voila!
You can also find really cheap applecare on ebay.
If you're at a university, you can get a copy of office for 9.99 through the Office at home program.
If you need windows and don't have a disk, buy vmware (also see the educational price on academicsuperstore.com) and install windows 7 beta. You'll have that available for free till next year.
posted by special-k at 2:33 PM on August 22, 2009
Nthing the recommendation for the 13" MacBook alu.
It really is something else as far as laptops go. Solid, nearly perfect ergonomics. My only gripe is that mine has a glossy screen; they offer a matte alternative now though, so if you deal with photograhy a lot go for that one.
But really, it's just awesome. Quality through and through.
posted by flippant at 11:59 PM on August 22, 2009
It really is something else as far as laptops go. Solid, nearly perfect ergonomics. My only gripe is that mine has a glossy screen; they offer a matte alternative now though, so if you deal with photograhy a lot go for that one.
But really, it's just awesome. Quality through and through.
posted by flippant at 11:59 PM on August 22, 2009
Response by poster: Has anyone tried one of these keyboard covers? Do they interfere with typing or the tactile feel of the keyboard? Any recommendations for a laptop sleeve? I'll probably just toss it in my messenger bag or backpack; I'm not getting a dedicated case for it.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:37 AM on August 23, 2009
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:37 AM on August 23, 2009
Try these. Takes a few days to get used to but you wont notice the difference after that.
posted by special-k at 1:41 PM on August 23, 2009
posted by special-k at 1:41 PM on August 23, 2009
If you decide not to get a sleeve, you might still want to get some kind of plastic cover - the aluminum scratches fairly easily. Or you can just live with the inevitable scratches and dings.
posted by kenliu at 3:28 PM on August 23, 2009
posted by kenliu at 3:28 PM on August 23, 2009
Laptops are not a hedge against inflation. Worrying about scratches for resale value is just silly. Far more dangerous to your computer is outright theft. Thieves love those neoprene bags -- "steal me" they cry out.
I'd recommend a service like Adeona but it plain doesn't work. If Canonical were clever, they'd modify it to work with UbuntuOne and bam, problem solved.
posted by pwnguin at 6:18 PM on August 23, 2009
I'd recommend a service like Adeona but it plain doesn't work. If Canonical were clever, they'd modify it to work with UbuntuOne and bam, problem solved.
posted by pwnguin at 6:18 PM on August 23, 2009
Response by poster: Well the keyboard cover is mostly to prevent my cat from killing the computer. Yesterday she killed my DVR remote by curiously knocking over a glass of milk (liquid? again? no fucking way, not on my watch, let's get that shit outta there......spill). I'm not that worried about scratches to the exterior. It'll soon be plastere with stickers proclaiming my coolness. The sleeve is really just for a lil' cushion for the pushin' it'll get in my messenger bag during a commute.
Oh, and so far I'm not finding the matte option for the 13" MBP. Does that exist? I realize that glossy vs matte is a religious war, so I'm not going to go there.
Too. Many. Accessories. I'll probably get the $29 adapter to connect a 29" HD display. Oh, there's a $20 remote? Nice. It's starting to add up, and I think I need to step back and let my iLust fade a bit, then try to do some rational shopping.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:39 PM on August 23, 2009
Oh, and so far I'm not finding the matte option for the 13" MBP. Does that exist? I realize that glossy vs matte is a religious war, so I'm not going to go there.
Too. Many. Accessories. I'll probably get the $29 adapter to connect a 29" HD display. Oh, there's a $20 remote? Nice. It's starting to add up, and I think I need to step back and let my iLust fade a bit, then try to do some rational shopping.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:39 PM on August 23, 2009
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posted by jgirl at 2:12 PM on August 21, 2009