Getting a MacBook for college

Hey guys,
I'm wanting to get a MacBook for when I go to college. It looks like I'll be going to Vanderbilt right now, and here are their requirements for laptops:
Adequate processor/motherboard (e.g. "Intel Core Duo @2.20MHz w/ 667Mhz front side bus"); adequate video presentation size/depth and performance (e.g. "WXGA+"); adequate disk capacity and performance (e.g. "120MB @ 5400RPM"); adequate RAM (e.g. "2GB"); 10/100 Mb/s wired Ethernet w/ RJ-45 connector; 802.11 a/g wireless Ethernet; CD-Rom reader; Microsoft Windows Vista Business or Microsoft Windows XP Professional; Microsoft Office 2007 Professional (2003 is acceptable); adequate battery life; a service plan to ensure you have a working system for class.
I'm not sure what some of this stuff is, so which MacBook would you guys recommend for me? Also, do you really think I need Windows?

If you buy a macbook, the hardware, even in the base model, is going to meet those requirements. I dont know what idiot wrote those system requirements, but there hasnt been a processor that was 2.2MHz or a hard drive that is 120MB for a long time, but pretty much any laptop within the past 5 years is going to be okay for what youre going to need in college. I'm guessing that they want you to be using windows for Office, but office is available for OS X. I'd talk to someone who goes to vanderbilt and ask if there is software that all students use that requires windows.
if there is, you have 2 options:
buy a PC
or buy a copy of windows and use bootcamp to dual boot or parallels or VMware to run windows inside OSX

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Macbook for College/University??

I am most likely getting a macbook for university next year and was wondering if there was any issues with opening files, like class notes and powerpoints with notes on them? Also are there any issues with professors trying to open your files since they are from a mac computer? I know teachers couldn't open some students files that were from a mac in my high school, so I'm wondering how compatible they are for university? Thanks for your help!
Also to run windows on your mac you can use bootcamp, but do you need to have an installation c.d for windows xp or vista to run it? Thanks again!

dictionary. wrote:
So if you don't have any installation c.ds for windows you cannot use full windows with bootcamp, but can you still do some things?
Sure. OSX has a host of applications you can use. Pretty much any major category of application, and you'll find what you need. And yes - you would need a full (non-upgrade) version of Vista or XP.
ypw- I'm not sure if profs accept PDF or not, I don't see why they wouldn't. I think I would get iWork, since you have the option to save it as different things, and I heard it is more stable and advanced then Microsoft office for mac.
Nearly all programs have compatibility mode "save as" settings. If you're just sending it in an email attachment, that should be fine.

Need a MacBook for college

I will be going to college in the fall and need to get a new laptop . I have been doing some research about MacBooks but still can't decide what to get.
MacBook or the MacBook Air. I'll be going to college for business ( Accounting ) I just need the laptop for the web and writing essay, etc... I don't really need it for music and games, since I already have an iPad for that.

You should also ask this in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air forums. This is the forum for the white and black plastic MacBooks that were discontinued in 2010. You should also post this question there to increase your chances of getting an answer.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_air

Can I finance a MacBook for college?

I Would like to know if I can finance a MacBook for college

Following is one option -- but be very careful that there are no late payments and that it is paid in full in the time stated. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/finance/instant_credit

MacBook for college

I'll be studying electrical engineering this fall and will be buying a MacBook Pro. I'm stuck between the 13 inch rMBP (i7, 16gb ram, and 512gb ssd) and the base model 15 inch rMBP (quad core i7, 8gb ram, 256gb ssd). Does anyone have any insight of which would be better for an electrical engineering student?

Unless you require a larger display and the increased speed of a quad vs. dual core CPU, take the 13" model. If speed is critically important then take the 15" model.

Macbook Air for College?

I'm thinking about getting a MBA for college in the fall.
I do light/medium video/photo editing, a lot of multitasking, web surfing, etc. I like the idea of the AIr because it boots up so quickly and is much more convenient for work on the go. Has anyone experience noticable lag when video editing or photo editing with the MBA? Is there any reason for me to consider one of the Macbook Pros?

Even though I have a new iMac at work and a very good iMac at home, the 2011 MBA I got in December has become my workhorse and that includes using Photoshop CS 5 and iMovie. I briefly experimented with Final Cut and abandoned it, not because the computer couldn't handle it but because my project couldn't fit on the SSD and when I tried working from a USB drive I got some stuttering. This may not be an issue any longer with the new MBA having USB 3 ports (or if I were willing to remove a goodly bunch of media from my computer).

Laptop for College

My brother's graduation present is going to be a MacBook for college and it is my responsibility to find one for him. I was just wondering if you had any suggestions. He is not very tech savvy but doesn't have trouble using what he needs because we already have a Mac.

Well you won't need to go pro then! (At least, not this time).
Here's some price comparisons to consider:
The stock white MacBook through the education store is $949.00.
The stock aluminum MacBook through the education store is $1249.00.
The main differences between these two machines are hard drive size (which is very easy to upgrade & replace yourself) and RAM type. The aluminum MacBook uses DDR3 RAM; the white MacBook uses DDR2. Both machines that I listed have the 2.0GHz core 2 duo processor.
Here's some other options currently available, under the "refurbished Mac" link (this is in the lower-left corner of the main store page).
The white MacBooks listed under the refurbished Mac link start at $849.00 and come with the same one-year warranty as a new Mac. They should be in "like new" condition when you receive it, should you choose to buy one. The only aluminum MacBook I see is priced at $1899, but I believe the higher cost is due to the machine coming with a Solid-State hard drive installed, rather than the traditional one with moving platters.
Personally, I'd go with a refurbished white MacBook--it costs even less than a new one through the education store and will perform just as well.
If you do decide to get a refurbished computer, take a good look at all the specifications (some machines have 1GB of memory; others have 2GB and they are listed as the same price) to get the most for your money.
~Lyssa

Mac For College

Okay. MacBook for college and I get a free iPod up to $229. Awesome deal, however; would it be possible to get that same deal on a refurbished model? So truly sorry if this is in the wrong category, but my iPod Touch limits my internet browsing. It's almost dead.

would it be possible to get that same deal on a refurbished model?
No.
(43987)

Macbook for Uni - Which one?

Okay so first I apologize if I have posted in the incorrect area.
So soon I shall be going to Uni, and I am looking at purchasing a macbook for college, but unsure of which one, I have my eyes set on the rMBP starting at £999, I will be paying for this on finance also.
Anyways my use case will be
Word documents
Software development
Networking
Emails
Steaming
So which computer should I get, the rMBP or a Macbook Air (1.4Ghz 8GB RAM 128GB SSD)?
I ideally need very good battery life, light weight and reasonable speed in compiling and general system performance.
Many thanks!

The 13" Retina model is going to be a more powerful machine - but the Air is certainly going to be lighter and have better battery life. If the maximum of portability and battery life top your must-have list, go with the Air. For better performance, and still lightweight and decent battery life, go with the MacBook Pro.
Good luck - hopefully you'll get some more opinions!
Clinton
MacBook Pro (15” Late 2011), OS X Yosemite 10.10, 16GB Crucial RAM, 960GB M500 Crucial SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

IPod Touch for college

When you order a macbook for college and get the free ipod touch via rebate how do you get the rebate? Does it get credited to your account or do you get a check...
If you know please let me know thank you.

Chris CA wrote:
You will get a check.
Make sure you photocopy everything before you send off the rebate.
Nowadays, the rebate doesn't even require paperwork. A friend of mine bought a Macbook last summer. She went online to fill out a rebate form and the check came 5 days later by mail. She never mailed anything. She only needed the receipt number.
Start here: http://www.apple.com/promo/

Getting A Macbook, Need Help Transfering Files

Ok I'm getting a MacBook for X-Mas (that is if Santa comes through :)) and I want to know the best way to transfer some of my files on my pc to my new MacBook.
Specificly I'd like to transfer some of the videos in my iTunes library over to my new MB. Are there tutorials here that show you how to do this? I know that I can have the people at my local Apple store do this but I'd like to do it myself, mainly so I can familiarize myself with my new MB.
If anyone can help me out here I'd really appreciate the help.
Message was edited by: Kyle Varnell

Both of these should help you get an idea of what you need to do.
Mac OS X v10.5: Sharing
Mac OS X 10.5: Setting up a Mac computer to share files with Windows users

Want to get a macbook but unsure about the compatability...

Hi peeps, im looking to get a macbook for University and was wondering if there are the programs I will need... I will need a word processing program, spreadsheet, something similar to powerpoint ect (MS office stuff) Is there anything like this for the mac that is compattable with windows aswell? Also will things like printers, scanners, mobile phone software work on it aswell? Sorry if these are dumb questions.
Thanks, Nick.

There is a Mac version of Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and as a student you can get the Student/Teacher version (no limitations from the retail version other than licensing) for a good price - about $125.00 after the current rebate. Or you can get Apple's iWork '08 which has a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation application that can import and export in Microsoft Office format (with some limitations). You can also get the open-source NeoOffice which also has the same modules and also imports and exports in Office format.
As to compatibility with printers, scanners, etc. then the answer is "it depends". Many such peripherals are compatible, but not all, with older peripherals less likely to be compatible than newer ones.
Regards.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

Which MacBook for graphically intensive applications?

Hey all
Im planning to get a MacBook for my GCSE's, and im leaning towards the Air.
I will be running applications such as Adobe Photoshop CS5, After Effects CS5, Lightroom CS5, and Final Cut Express regularly, so would a 13" 1.86ghz MBA C2D Processor with 4gb of RAM be able to run these apps fast and efficiently with no lag? Or should I opt for the baseline MBP 13"? Im worried that it may be laggy as my cureent Core i3 HP can not handle AE well, but then again, it does have many problems such as slow HDD and only 3gb of Ram
Any help on which i should get? The 13" MBA 1.86ghz 4GB or 13" MBP 2.4ghz?
Thanks

For your needs the described MBA would perform worse than your I3 which is a faster processor. Stick to the 15" MBPs - I5 or I7 which have the better GPUs.

Thinking about getting a MacBook, using Boot Camp, anything I should know?

I'm going into 8th Grade and my parents are thinking about getting a MacBook for me. Now, because my school uses PCs with Windows, I will need to use Boot Camp so I can save things from Microsoft Office on a flash drive and take it back and forth from home to school. Before I do this I need to know if there is anything I should be aware of because I've seen some weird things on sites about Boot Camp like something called Fat32. I also need to know what version of Windows should I use. XP or Vista? I've heard bad things about Vista like how there are back ways in for Hackers, but it's really eye-catching with it's futuristic look. So should I just wait for Windows 7 to come out and replace Vista in the summer or fall of 2010? (Yes, for people who may not know, Microsoft is developing a successor to Vista known as Windows 7. I read about it in my dad's latest issue of Consumer Reports.)

When you get the computer you can run the Boot Camp Assistant program (Utilities folder) and print out the documentation (it's fairly long.) Read it carefully before proceeding. It should explain what you need to know about installing and using Windows on a Mac.
You can install any 32-bit version of Vista or XP with Service Pak 2.
Windows uses two disk formats - FAT32 or NTFS. Vista requires NTFS but XP can use either. OS X can read/write FAT32 formatted drives but NTFS is read-only to OS X. That means that unless the drive is formatted FAT32 you will not be able to transfer files between the Windows volume and the OS X volume. Neither Vista nor XP are any less secure. Both are vulnerable to viruses and malware unless you run anti-virus/malware software to protect the computer.
There are different ways to run Windows on a Mac. Boot Camp is only one:
Windows on Intel Macs
There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.
1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows XP w/Service Pak 2 or Vista. Follow instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the computer into OS X or Windows.
2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. Parallels is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. VM Fusion is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows applications without having to install Windows. The Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.
5. VirtualBox is a new Open Source freeware virtual machine such as VM Fusion and Parallels that was developed by Solaris. It is not yet fully developed for the Mac - some features are not yet implemented - but it does work otherwise.
6. Last is Q. Q is a freeware emulator that is compatible with Intel Macs. It is much slower than the virtualization software, Parallels and VM Fusion.
Note that VirtualBox, Parallels, and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system.
See MacTech.com's Virtualization Benchmarking for comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion.

Own an iMac and thinking of getting a Macbook

I'd like to get a Macbook for my fiance. I want to transfer some, but not all, of my files to her new Macbook when I start it up. Can I do this?
Also, can I copy my music files to her iTunes easily? (I don't want to move them from one to the other, I want them to remain on my desktop while copying them to her laptop) Is that possible?

Yes, you can. What I would do is turn on file sharing on the iMac, and connect to it with the Macbook. All you have to do is drag and drop files from the iMac to the MB. To copy the iTunes music, just drag the User(whatever the username on the iMac is)-music-iTunes music folder to the music folder on the MB. When you drag and drop files from one Mac to another, or even from one hard drive to another on the same Mac, it will copy the file rather than just moving it, so everything on the iMac will stay there.

Getting a MacBook for college

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