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 :
MacBook Pro 15" 2.2 GHz, or
iMac 21.5 inch 2.7Ghz + iPad 2 32GB Wifi+3G
iMac 21.5 inch 2.5 Ghz + MacBook Air 11" 64 GB (new July 2011)
I've worked out my budget and the three option cost almost same. Now my questions :
Is 11" too less for comfortable working ? And does the 11" MBA gives a good performance as far as web browsing and programming is concerned ?
This would be my first experience of college so I don't know what sort of portable computing I could need. If someone can tell me about this, it would make life a lot easier for me.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks
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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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.
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20" iMac Core Duo, 2GHz, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HD, 128MB VRAM Mac OS X (10.4.4)I love the portability my powerbook gives me. You can use a PB in your setup. You can run an external monitor for either PB or MBP. You can node. Universal Binary menas it is an application which has the components written for both PPC and Intel chips-so you don't need to do conversion. Nodes won't require you buy a nother license. so the answer is down to how much the 2 upgrades and 1 crossgrades will set you back vs how much use you'll get out of them. IMO the iMac is inexpensive (I mean that in a good way-worth hooding on to). Maybe just look at a refurb PB unless you really have the extra cash.
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Hello,
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Message was edited by: ubermatikHi Bee!
Thanks very much for your advice!
However, why do you suggest the 21.5" over the 27"? Do you think it is worth the extra screen size, because I can afford either?
It seemed to me that the iMac was the best option also - I'm in need of the power, but I'm still deliberating over size.
Also, on a side note, do you know of any iPhone apps that can help me with transferring files from home to college I'm getting an iPod Touch as part of the new deal Apple are running and I just wondered if there were any apps that I would find handy for transporting files etc.?
Thanks again! -
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my macbook is 5years old and its time for a new computer. i was planning on getting another macbook since its worked so well and ive never had any problems with it, but upon realizing they are discontinuing the macbook i decided otherwise.
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Hello, my name is Sam and I am currently editing on my mid 2009 macbook pro 17" laptop. I have a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and I upgraded my ram to 8GB. I have been using this laptop for editing videos since I got it in 2009.
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Thanks. At this point, portability isn't that important which is why I'm thinking of the upgrade. How do you figure that the iMac is better. The specs on my MBP are still superior with the i7 at 2.5GHz vs the iMacs i5 at 3.5GHz.... hm.. isn't the i7 faster than the i5?
Not in this case. The iMac has a "Haswell' CPU whereas the MBP has a 'Sandy Bridge' CPU, two different generations of processors. To graphically illustrate the performance differences between the two options look at the respective machines in this link:
https://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks
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If portability is not a requirement and the bank account is fat, the iMac is by far the better choice. A larger and better display combined with much superior CPU and GPU.
Ciao. -
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For me, having the MBP is great for when I want to write papers, conduct research, and everything else. The iPad is great for putting my PDF ebooks for school on it, conducting research, taking notes, and other media uses. I would only write your *.doc APA papers (like me unless you have to use the other standard) on the MBP only. I like the portability of the MBP over the iMac and being able to bring your whole Mac when you need to, over to your girlfriends dorm room may be priceless. Overall having a portable Mac is a big + for my needs. For me writing papers in my living room at home while the 46" TV is on instead of on a desk works best for me.
Taking notes on the iPad would work and you can sync them to the MBP for copy/pasting in your final paper. From my tests Pages is pretty good to convert a paper to *.doc but not at the point where I would trust it for a grade where proper APA format is needed.
Remember, this is how I am using my MBP 13" and iPad. Just wanted to offer this info up in case it would help you.
Sincerely,
G. -
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