For studying computer science/engineering...

Which would be better, a maxed out 13" MBA, or the base model Retina MBP? Those are the only two options I currently have.
This computer has to last me around 5 years, and I cannot upgrade to ram on the RMBP to 16gb.
I could also consider a regular MBP and upgrade to 16gb much later on but I'm rather have the portability of the other two options.

Actually the rMBP is not that portable. It does have a 15" screen.
Get a standard 15" MBP so you can upgrade it in the future.

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    I just happened to google "macbook for computer science majors" and this is the first thread I found.  Weird Since All the students are at Univ of Waterloo. I know different school, but same city. http://www.studentawards.com/forum.aspx?g=posts&t=30988

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    tmadhavan wrote:For example, our labs have things like Matlab and Mathematica, I'm not sure if there are any non-license equivalents. I need software for mathematics/graphs, development tools for HTML (any WYSIWYG?), Java, PHP, maybe Perl.
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    Atm I'm using Bluefish for editing web stuff, and Jedit for Java, tho it tends to bugger up sometimes and I lose keyboard functionality.
    Bluefish is nice, if you want GUI, try nvu (nvu.com). It's Open Source.
    I don't know Jedit and what you lose. There are TONS of JAVA Editors, also you can run eclipse (and with the new VE it rocks)
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    Anjuta, KDevelop, Eclipse, MonoDevelop, Emacs, Vi and so on..
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    Greets from Greece

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    Hey! I'm going to be a college student in just a few weeks, and one of the hardest things about it is trying to buy the perfect laptop. I have been searching for one with certain specs that still remains good in quality and relatively cheap.
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    adbdragonmaster wrote:
    Hey! I'm going to be a college student in just a few weeks, and one of the hardest things about it is trying to buy the perfect laptop. I have been searching for one with certain specs that still remains good in quality and relatively cheap.
    My specs are:
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    Oh yeah, I almost forgot, BluRay has only found itself on TVs as the norm for viewing entertainment. It still  has not caught up to the world of computers yet for some odd reason perhaps technology costs and barriers, but if you do find one, prepare to pay a pretty penny. You can buy an external one for not too much money but be sure the hardware you buy can decode and playback BluRay if you decide to go this route.
    *******DISCLAIMER********
    I am not an employee of BBY in any shape or form. All information presented in my replies or postings is my own opinion. It is up to you , the end user to determine the ultimate validity of any information presented on these forums.

  • IMac + iPad 2 or MacBook Pro for computer science students

    Hi there,
    I would be joining college this September and as usual I am looking for a new computer. I would be majoring in Computer Science and hence would be doing a lot of programming and that kind of stuff. I don't like taking a computer to my classes (it's very distracting) and will take my notes using pen and paper. I've narrowed down my options as :
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    Talk to the Computer Science Department at your school. They may have computer requirements. They will likely also have educational discounts on hardware and software. Some of your programs may be provided free by the school. So get the school's advice on what you will need for the Computer Science College.
    "I would be majoring in Computer Science and hence would be doing a lot of programming and that kind of stuff." does not tell us much. There are many programming languages and just as many IDEs. You need to pick a computer that supports these. You also will be taking other classes besides programming. You need to ensure your computer meets the requirements of these classes as well.

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    I am a Computer Science Masters student that is looking into switching completely off of Windows machines in my home in the next 2 to 4 years. I’ve never used Macs before, but I’m tired of feeling like my hands are tied with Windows and I’ve been impressed with the G4 Power Books some of my peers have. I’ve actually been so impressed that I decided I want to start my switch from Windows to Mac with the purchase of a new Mac powered laptop for school.
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    I'm not a compsci student, but I think I can give you some insight on what to expect...
    The G4 will handle a lot of what you throw at it, depending on how much RAM and how many things. I'm still running the stock 512MB and have found little-to-no need to upgrade at this time. I even went so far as to try a 1GB PC2700 SODIMM from my HP ZV6000 and it didn't change anything, so I'm good for now. Over the years, I've been impressed w/ the performance and efficiency with the G4 design and architecture, so I doubt there will be anything that it can't do based on what you're describing.
    Gaming may be another story, although with the latest rev. of the 12" PB, I am impressed and mildly surprised at the performance w/ gaming. I play Call of Duty and Doom 3 on occasion and both run great. Just remember to put your processor performance on "Highest" as to turn off the processor throttling (much like Cool 'n' Quiet on AMD architecture). I played Doom 3 last night w/ medium quality @ 1024x768 and it ran quite well... Call of Duty will fly even on battery (ie. reduced processor speed) or AC... I've yet to try Call of Duty 2 but I hear it's going to be a monster w/ system requirements.
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    I also use Office X (or 10)...have had no need to upgrade since it works very well for what I do. I've never used Appleworks...
    Future Software? -- Two words -- Universal Binaries...they will be around for many moons to come, and then some. Apple supported 68k for almost 11yrs (if I'm not mistaken) and software developers have already committed to Universal Binaries (aka. UB, or Fat Binaries) because of the sheer install base of PowerPC. The Intel transition will probably be in the 'teething' stage for another 2yrs before it's the standard Apple base across the board, and by then it will still only be a percentage of the PPC install base. Rest assured--your PPC Mac will be working long after you even upgrade (4-6yrs down the line).
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    Computer Graphics, well, I don't do graphics but I can say that almost everything Adobe makes runs and runs well on Mac hardware.. I think you'll love the Quartz engine too...it's really quick compared to Direct X (I notice this in gaming, but what do I know...).
    Good luck to you in whatever you decide...

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