Which Macbook Pro to buy as a college student?

There are 3 different Macbook Pro's out there that I can buy with the rebate / reduced price / free iPod Touch. The problem is I don't know which one to buy. Many people said that the difference between a 2.4 and 2.5 core 2 duo cpu is only 5%. Then there is a bit of difference from 256mb to 512mb of the 8600m graphics card.
Basically I will outline what I will be needing from a laptop so you guys can help me make the right decision. But for now before I say what the outline is, you bought your Macbook Pro; did you choose the right one? If you didn't and you could go back in time, which one would you have bought?
Anyways, obviously the laptop is for college work. So Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Photoshop and such. But of course there will be some gaming here and there. I am a Blizzard fanatic and I only play Blizzard games. From diablo 2, starcraft and now Warcraft 3 is pretty much all I play. I am not even going to try WoW as it could probably ruin my college carreer.
But the game I'm really anticipating is Starcraft 2. Which Macbook Pro would be able to handle that game in your opinion?
But I hope these information is good enough so you guys will know which one I should buy. But if you guys have any other questions on what I will be using the MBP for then let me know so I can help you help me pick the right decision.
Thanks!

If you're going to use your new laptop for college use/gaming/general use, my recommendation is going for the $1799 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz. I recommend this one over the others for a few reasons. As mentioned previously, the 0.1GHz in processor speed in essentially unnoticeable. With regard to RAM, its always best to have your system maxed out in order to achieve its full capacity. However, I do recommend going through www.otherworldcomputing.com or a 3rd party RAM merchant to purchase your additional RAM. You can get it for a drastically reduced price there, and then have an AASP install it for you. Bear in mind that installing RAM yourself could void your warranty. My point about the RAM is, the 2GB standard in the $1799 MBP version is sufficient. Also, the graphics card. 256MB should be sufficient to support your gaming, and unless you plan on getting a large display, it shouldn't be necessary to double the VRAM. So, based on the information you provided, the lower-end model should be plenty enough for your needs. Hope this helps.

Similar Messages

Which Macbook Pro is good for a college student?

Hi!
I want to buy the new Macbook Pro with Retina Display. My current laptop has 455 gb in which I only used 83 gb of it since the past 5 years I've been using it. I know that the original macbook pro is good too but its way heavier than the Macbook pro with retina display and therefore its easier for me to carry the macbook pro with retina display to school. Also it has 9 hour battery which is very good.
I will be storing music (2000+ songs), pictures, school documents (word, powerpoint, etc). I rarely do video editing or photo editing. I often have 3+ programs open while using the laptop and have 3+ tabs open on internet.
There are 2 Macbook Pro's that I am having troubles choosing from:
1.13-inch: 2.4GHz with Retina display... It has 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz, 4GB 1600MHz memory, and 128GB PCIe-based flash storage.
2.13-inch: 2.4 GHz with Retina display... It has 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz, 8GB 1600MHz memory, and 256GB PCIe-based flash storage.
I am planning on using this mac for a long-term use... but also know that I can buy an external storage when I run out of space.
Which Macbook is suited for my needs?
Thank you!

You say you are a college student but then leave out the most critical piece of information regarding choice of computer, what are you studying and what are the computer requirements for your course of study?
Select the computer that is most comparable with your professors and other students in your field of study. Music, etc. is not relevant, unless your field of study is music.
Get the most ram and disk space you can afford.

I am going to college this fall and can't decide which MacBook pro to buy!

I am going to college this fall and can't decide which MacBook pro to buy the 13in or the 15in. Mainly to type, browse the web, watch videos, and maybe some light gaming. I am worried that the 15in might be too big to carry around all the time. And worried about the 13in being too small and hurting my eyes over time. Once I do get one, I am most likely going to use it for the full 4 years. Please Help !

The 13" will do the trick for what you describe as your needs, Be sure to consider how you will backup your data -- need an external drive?
Also be sure to check with your college or division of study to see what they recommend. If they are hostile to Macs, you may be on your own for finding support. But in most major cities, that will not be too hard.

Which macbook pro to buy for editing?

I will be buying a macbook pro for my future editing as i will be traveling a lot. I use after effects, premiere pro, sometimes fcp 7 and occasionaly blender and cinema 4d. I will be watching a lot of movies and playing games occasionaly. I have a late 2009 imac with 4 gigs of ram, 3.06 ghz dual core processor, 500gb hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 256 MB. It is quite slow in rendering. I use full hd footage and put effects in my videos such as muzzle flashes or maybe a planet in the sky(that kind of stuff). What software requirements do you guys recommend for a faster editing and rendering? I am ok if it takes some time in rendering but ofcourse not ages. And also which macbook pro do you guys recommend (also from the previously manufactured mcbp)?
Thanks in advance.

Both will work fine with 1080p AVCHD but you will notice an increase in performance simply because Premiere LOVES a good GPU and the 750M is a good one as far as laptops go. Yes, its more but if you're serious about performance go with the better GPU.
That being said...save a bit and go with this below (same as your 2nd option but cheaper):
Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display - Apple Store (U.S.)
It'll save you $400. Bam! Thank me later. Apple's refurbished program is top of the line. Comes fully warrantied and you can get apple care, etc. if you want as well. It's like buying it new. These refurbished computers are often just ones bought and then returned within a few days by customers trying things out and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. They can basically be looked at like new.

University student, can't decide on which Macbook Pro to buy?

Hi everyone, I'm starting Television Production at University and they use Avid Media Composer 6.5 for all their editing. I looked at the system requirements for a Mac, and I know for a fact my macbook pro atm would never be able to cope with it. It's from early 2006, it has an outdated graphics card/processor and not near enough RAM or the right OS X to run it smoothly. And since I'll be at University for another 3 years, I've considered getting a new Mac because I'll need one eventually. I get a £1000 overdraft from my bank, question is, which Macbook Pro do I go for? I'd prefer to have one with 6/8GB RAM (recommended to run Avid), and i5/i7. Is there much difference in the specs between 13" and 15"? Does RAM/processor really matter when it comes to editing software? All in all I'm looking for a Macbook that'll last me for a long while and won't become outdated anytime soon, for under £1000.

For video editing I recommend 15". You will be happy you have the extra screen real estate. I also recommend buying with minimum installed ram then upgrade with 3rd party ram to 16GB. If you opt for the retina display order it with 16GB ram.

Which macbook pro to buy?

Hello all,
I am in the market to buy a macbook pro. Doesn't have to be anything spectacular, just something to serve me in the meantime. I want to spend no more than $1,100, therefore i decided to purchase on ebay.
But my main question is - Is it better to buy a early 2008 macbook pro 17" (A1261) or a current 09'-10' macbook pro 13" (A1278). I will be mainly using the macbook pro for editing video in final cut and editing photos in photoshop/aperture. On ebay - both units are in the same price range. I would love to hear your opinions.
Thank you

jp89 wrote:
Hello all,
I am in the market to buy a macbook pro. Doesn't have to be anything spectacular, just something to serve me in the meantime. I want to spend no more than $1,100, therefore i decided to purchase on ebay.
But my main question is - Is it better to buy a early 2008 macbook pro 17" (A1261) or a current 09'-10' macbook pro 13" (A1278). I will be mainly using the macbook pro for editing video in final cut and editing photos in photoshop/aperture. On ebay - both units are in the same price range. I would love to hear your opinions.
Thank you
Hard decision, I'd admit.
1. Processor. I think they're the same, so call it a tie.
2. Video processor. 13" has a better one, but if you can find a 17" with the 512MB memory, then it might be close to a tie.
3. Warranty. Unless the 17" has the extended AppleCare, solid win for the 13". Laptops just start wearing out after a few years, especially the optical drive and HDD.
4. Display. 17" is much easier for photoshopping and video editing.
5. Outputs. The 17" has a FW800, which is important because if you're doing REAL video editing, then you want a FW800 7200RPM external scratch disk. If you're just doing home video, it's not important.
6. Other stuff. Again, if you're doing this professionally or semi-professionally to use Aperture and Photoshop, then you're going to need to upgrade the internal HDD to a 7200 version, and you will want to consider upgrading to 8GB RAM. You can probably do both for around $250.
If I were an up and coming video/photo artist, I would definitely go with the 17", although I'd probably buy a brand new one. If I was in college, learning everything, the 13" is the better choice.

MacBook Pro smell and need help deciding on which MacBook Pro to buy

So I bought a 17-inch MacBook Pro from my brother in August of 2009. He bought it in March of 2008. A couple days ago I noticed that my MacBook Pro has been releasing a really bad smell almost as if burning plastic. But the smell isn't that bad. What could be wrong with my MacBook Pro? I'm getting a New 15 or 13-inch MacBook Pro in June so idk if I should just not worry about it? And I need help deciding if I should get a high end 13-inch MacBook Pro or a low end 15-inch MacBook Pro?

What could be wrong with my MacBook Pro?
Take your computer to an Apple Store. The staff will be able to check as to the cause of the smell.
I'm getting a New 15 or 13-inch MacBook Pro in June so idk if I should just not worry about it? And I need help deciding if I should get a high end 13-inch MacBook Pro or a low end 15-inch MacBook Pro?
Why not ask in the MacBook Pro (Late 2008 and 2009) forum area?

MacBook Pro or Air for a College Student

Hi, I am a college student and want to switch over to Apple. I not sure which MacBook is correct for me. I had an iPad 2 but it really did not work out for me because I just like having an actual laptop with me, so I got rid of the iPad. I basically use my current HP laptop for surfing the web, typing papers, doing research and and for my large music collection. I am unsure if i should get the 13 inch MacBook Pro or the 13 inch MacBook Air. What the the pro and cons of each? Any fellow students out there that could help me out?

Actually for you the 15" anti-glare would be the better choice.
1: Larger screen, it's only slightly bigger than the 13", sits about 3 feet wayfrom eyes.
2: anti-glare option, lets you "see the goddarn screen" in nearly any enviroment, class, outside etc.
3: more powerful dedicated graphics card (less you get a 3D gaming itch, better video.web animation) 30-45 points on Cinebench
4: can survive more OS X upgrades with CPU + dedicated video card
5: flexibility, you have the performance if your needs change, need to run Windows in virtual machine
6: lasts longer if you take care of it because of the more horsepower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0wo6dIsMU
Also search for "glossy" "Mac screen" in Google images, you'll see pictures people have taken where the screen is unreadable.
13" drawbacks
1: Integrated only video,
2: hotter machine because of integrated video (Intel HD 3000)
3: glossy only option
4: overpriced, any $400-$800 Win 7 cheap laptop is basically the same thing and you get a larger screen
5: can't successfully weather as many OS X upgrades having only CPU and doing double duty for graphics
6: need to hunch closer to the screen, almost placing it on your chest
IMO if your going to be paying $1500+ with AppleCare for a Mac laptop, get something that will last a bit longer AND make you happy.
The AIr is for those who know they operate within it's limitations, since you don't exactly know that...
If later you do decide a Air is better, you can sell the 15" and there would be a lot of interest and buy the Air.
You buy the Air and decide you need the 15" then you won't have a lot of potential buyers for the Air as you would for the 15"

Which macbook pro should I buy?? 13 or 15??

I am planning to buy a macbook pro but I don't know which macbook pro I should buy.
Games are not that important to me, however I play games such as call of duty, nba 2k, need for speed sometimes. Portability is important to me because it is compulsory for bringing laptops to school. I am confused on buying which macbook pro because the gpu of 13 is bad but 15 might be too big and heavy.
So which macbook pro should I buy?

Hi Lawrence,
You've point out some of the important factors. For me, the choice would be easy. I'd gladly put up with a bit more bulk/weight to have a 15" display. ymmv

Which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

Either one will do the job. The more powerful the CPU, the faster it will perform. I suggest that if the budget is tight, go for the i5, if not go for what the bank account will allow.
It is nice to have a fast CPU, but they are not essential to the overwhelming applications that most people use, especially in a non-vocational context. On this forum there are the 'speed freaks' who will tout the virtues of faster CPUs, yet most have never compared two MBPs side by side and experienced the differences of real world results.
Ciao.

Which macbook pro should i buy?

I am looking at buying a new macbook after 6 years with my current one which is running really slow. I will be using the macbook pro with the retina display 13 inch to -
1. Add photos and videos as well as edit them as well possibly by using adobe photo shop
2. Surf the internet
3. Update my blog
4. Basic Web design
Which macbook pro should i buy for the tasks that i plan to do??
The 256GB with the i5 processor and buy a 1TB external hard drive
or 256GB with the i7 processor and buy an external hard drive
or go max out at buy the 512GB with the i7 processor

Consider this option.
lknights1987 wrote:
or go max out at buy the 512GB with the i7 processor
Best.

Which macbook pro retina should i buy?

Hello guys! Im really not sure which macbook should i buy:
1) Maccbook pro retina early 2013 with 256gb/8gb/hd 4000 or
2) Later 2013 macbook pro retina with 128gb/4gb/iris graphics.
Im going to use it for photography and to edit videos, but nothing professional. And also for basic stuff that i need in university or even to play some games like simcity and the sims 3/4..
What do u think guys?

I see you are choosing from the refurbished units. Good move.
I would concentrate on RAM size, SSD size and of course price. In my opinion those are bigger factors than the difference in GPUs.
4 GB of RAM is sufficient of most programs but some applications do better in 8 GB. You cannot upgrade RAM and memory demands are likely to grow over time. So 8 GB is future proofing the system.
A big question is do you need 128 or 256 GB of SSD? How much storage do you use now? How much more are you likely to use (more music, photos, videos…)? If this will be near 100 GB then I would opt for 256 GBs of SSD. The SSDs are not upgradeable while under warranty.
Refurbished, Feb-2013, 8 GB, 256 GB, Intel HD Graphics 4000: $1,230. <<<- #1 In your list
Refurbished, Oct-2013, 4 GB, 128 GB, Intel Iris Graphics: $1,100. <<<- #2 in your list
For the difference of $170 I would choose the 8/256 GB model.

I am going to university this fall for engineering and I was wondering which macbook pro (13 or 15 inch) would be better.

I am going to university this fall for engineering and I was wondering which macbook pro (13 or 15 inch) would be better. Is the larger screen worth the extra weight ? I will be doing some computer programming and I feel like reading code on a smaller screen could be a bit of a pain. Also, what is the best option in terms of backup? I don't anticipate having a lot of video but I will have some pictures, music files as well as regular documents and spreadsheets. I'd also like to get an idea of how good the battery life is. Thanks in advance:)

The 13" will do the trick for what you describe as your needs, Be sure to consider how you will backup your data -- need an external drive?
Also be sure to check with your college or division of study to see what they recommend. If they are hostile to Macs, you may be on your own for finding support. But in most major cities, that will not be too hard.

I'm 51 years old and recently retired. I have a new IPad Air. Which MacBook should I buy to go with it? I don't understand flash storage. It feels like I would have a bunch of flash drives to keep up with. Help an old lady out!!!

I'm 51 years old and recently retired. I have a new IPad Air. Which MacBook should I buy to go with it? I don't understand flash storage. It feels like I would have a bunch of flash drives to keep up with. Help an old lady out!!!

Depends on how you want to use it. Flash storage on the newer macbook and macbook air are built in. A macbook air is the most light weight and a very good machine. It will do all you want it to do unless you are running some very intensive programs. If you go to the apple store on line you can compare the different macbook pro" and macbook Air's.

Aspiring Photographer, Which MacBook should I buy?

I'm looking for which MacBook I should buy (Air vs. Pro vs. Retina; 13" vs. 15"). I'm aspiring to become a photographer and hopefully get to travel around the world. I don't care at all about weight of the MacBook; if I have to lug it around, then I will. I just wish for it to have enough battery life that'll get me through the day (maybe a movie or two for plane rides), fast, great screen resolution, and quite a lot of memory to store my photos as well as editing them. I am making the switch from a Windows PC and this will be the second Apple product I will have ever purchased (first being an iPod Touch). I am in no hurry to buy one and price will definitely be taken into consideration. Duly note that I don't speak 'computer', so as much as possible I request that suggestions and comparisions be typed in simpler terms. Thank you for help and the time it took for you to read/respond to my question ^-^. Have a wonderful day ^-^.

The MacBook Air is still my favourite. It has the newest features, and its battery life and light weight are two important features the others can't match.
The Retina display is undeniably gorgeous, but that's the extent of its appeal. The MBA's display is very sharp and more than adequate for every imaginable purpose. Everyone who picks up my MBAs remark on how light they are. That doesn't surprise me any more, but it is the one Mac I use most often, probably owing to its portability. I can count on at least three days of battery life during occasional use. Configured the way you indicate, it will almost certainly suffice for the duration of your undergraduate work and is unlikely to become obsolete for years thereafter.

Which Macbook Pro to buy as a college student?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for