Opinion Needed on Macbook (college student)

I'm currently the proud owner of an iMac but since I transferred to a university, I've realized the convenience of having a notebook computer. It's portable, I can bring it on campus and work, etc. It's just more convenient to have compared to a desktop. My iMac is a 20 inch from late 2008, with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, and a 250 GB HDD. I was looking at the Macbook and figured I could probably sell my iMac and get one. I got a buyer who'll give me $800 for the iMac and I can get an open-boxed Macbook at Best Buy from a buddy of mine for about $700-800. I feel so left out sometimes because every Mac owner I know has a Macbook and I'm the only one with a desktop so I feel left out of the Mac culture. I just don't know if it's worth it. I'd go from a 20 inch screen to a 13 inch screen. I do a lot of guitar recording/music editing and DVD burning/creation and some iMovie stuff. So I want to know from you: should I do it? Is it worth it? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
Message was edited by: Warheart1188

Hi warheart1188,
What's the specs on that MacBook? One thing to consider, when comparing desktops vs. portables, is convenience. You'll going to pay the additional premium for portable convenience and in many cases will get a less powerful machine (for the same price as a desktop). While the 'gap' has been closed and there are some pretty powerful options in the Apple portable lineup, that $1,999.99 MacBook Pro is the same price as a 27.5" Quad Core iMac!
I personally went the portable route through college and grad school as I was more than willing to sacrifice the extra "umph" for 24/7 portable convenience. Not to mention, most universities will have labs on campus with nice desktops for situations where you need the extra power.

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Opinion needed on MacBook Firewire workaround

I've never really used iMovie and I've got a Firewire camcorder and I want to be able to get the video on to my new MacBook (w/o firewire)
I plan on buying an HD (aka USB) camcorder when new models are released in about a month. But, I need a workaround in the meantime.
I am able to import the video using an old G4 & iMovie 2.0. I figure that I should be able to transfer the imported video from my G4 to my MacBook (Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.)
What I really need to know is if iMovie 2.0 video will import to iMovie '09 and are there any disadvantages to importing via iMovie 2.0?
Thanks for the advice,
Double_A

Hi
Guessing department.
I would if I had an old Mac with iMovie 2
• Import from Camera to this
• It doesn't create an iMovie movie project icon as iMovie 4-6 does BUT a plain folder
• in this there is a folder named Media and in this Your imported material are stored as
QuickTime.mov files
• Copy them to an external Mac OS Extended formatted hard disk (UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange
will NOT work)
• as You only have USB/USB2 then it has to be used and when You connect this external HD to Your MacBook
drag the movie material over to the internal hard disk of this.
To work with it on an external USB2 hard disk might work for a while but will
be more and more problematic (stuttering etc.)
This is the way I would try to do it.
I would also see if I could find a more modern version of iMovie that would run on an Old Mac eg iM4
Yours Bengt W

Should I return this laptop? Ebay purchase. Please help - need more than one opinion! College student here

First, it was an amazing deal of $525 for a 2011, 6gb RAM, 640 GB hard drive.
BUT, i took it to the apple store and they said I should return it because...
1) the screws on the bottom meant the seller refurbished it because they arent apple screws
2) the hard drive failed their test which was sad for me to see
3) the RAM sticks are two different sticks, one apple stick and one something else
4) the keyboard only lights up in the middle which the apple people think is water damage but they cant really tell without opening it. they wont open it because of the screws.
The reasons I dont think I should return it are....
1) I can get a squaretrade warranty so if it does break I can return it
2) $525 for a 2011 mac laptop is sooo good and unheard of, but I may be able to find another similar deal on craigslist so this might not be a valid reason
3) i've been heavily using it for a week without any issues
4) i dont want to spend more new hours searching for a laptop
5) i might not be able to find one on time for when school starts
BACKROUND INFO #1: it has ZERO dents, scratches, or dings - nothing else except whats listed above is wrong with it
BACKGROUND INFO #2: I am a college student who has had 7 PC's crash in the past 5 years. I gave up on PC and invested in this mac. I'm tired of losing my files and forgetting to back it up into my emails every week.
so looking at all that, what do you think I should do? AKA if you were in my shoes you would do what?

Now you know why it was $525. Also realize you are getting a computer that isn't a warranty computer. How much did you save?
Read the fine print on the Squaretrade warranty. Make sure they won't turn it away for the same reason Apple does.
Can you live without the light? Even if it got wet in the past it boots now. If I buy a used car and the radio doesn't work but I get it for a really good price then I figure that's part of it if I can live with it and it doesn't interfer with day to day use.
It would be nice to know why the hard drive failed their test. Obviously if the computer boots it isn't total toast. Clearly somebody has been inside the computer to add RAM and maybe change the drive? That doesn't freak me in a used computer.
Maybe somebody can comment on non idential RAM but with some computers with RAM from a reputable upgrade source it doesn't matter. Post the exact specs of the second chip.
My only question is, how up-front was the person from whom you bought the computer? Did they tell you about the light? It isn't a critical part but it is something you can assume to be working unless they tell you it isn't. If they didn't, what else didn't they tell you?
Screws will freak Apple Service because they only look at stuff where they know 100% what's been done to it and nobody not-certified has messed with it. I have done all kinds of things to my computer that would have voided the original warranty 20x over but it long ago went out of warranty. It purrs.

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.

College student asking: macbook air or pro?

Im a second year college student currently with a 2 year old macbook pro 15", which I have discovered is way too heavy for me to be lugging around to the library and back and around campus. But I LOVE how big the screen is on it because on of the primary uses for me is watching tv and movies on it. My mom is really rallying to take my laptop so I can get a new one and I am consdering it. But I just don't know if I should get a Macbook pro retina display, also 15", or a 13" macbook air. which would be lighter and I would be able to take to the library and around. But i would sacrifice the screen size which it what i love about my current macbook pro. I NEED HELP

The Ipad is a TOY, its pure futility to attempt productivity on same, even though I own 2 Ipads, ....I wouldnt even think of comparing an Ipad with a genuine powerhouse like the Air.
Some people err in seeing the thin AIR and thinking is something like a netbook, which is just in actuality an over-inflated tablet. The Air is nothing like a netbook, ....have you or your dad check out the specs on the Air
http://www.apple.com/macbook-air/features.html
Between the Ipad and the Air ....is like comparing a childs pedal car to a genuine car.
Given the fact that you deem it for general school use etc, and a base Macbook pro is the roughly the same price as a Macbook Air,...YES, the Air is the superior choice.
Why? Weight,... only one moving part, ...no HD to crash from packing around campus.....ultra fast boot time, which is just incredibly important for turning off and on all the time, which IS what youll do on campus.
Also the new Air runs very cool, and is perfect for doing "bed /dorm room productivity", something College folk (as I did as well) do a lot,....bed full of books, and a laptop, on your lap.

Which computer is better for a college student? Macbook Air or Macbook Pro?

help.

DNA1421 wrote:
I am studying Psychology so I know I will have to do a lot of papers, and a lot of Internet use. I also need to be able to carry it wherever I go. I would like it to be capable for years of use.
Even the least expensive Mac can do papers and Internet; those are pretty basic tasks. So you dont need to go overboard with a Pro model. The only reason for you to get a Pro is if you want it to last as long as possible, but now that you can't upgrade most MacBook Pros, a loaded 13" Air would probably last just as long.
You could buy a lower-end Mac to handle what you need to do, and to make it last longer you can order it with more RAM and storage since you can't upgrade it later.
ds store wrote:
The 15" anti-glare, you likely will have to run Windows too to run software only Windows has (as well as keeping up with your skills there), and it's easier to run it as a program in OS X (virtual machine) than using Bootcamp which a weaker Mac will have to do.
OK, a couple things here. I have the 15" antiglare so I sure do love it but...where do you buy one these days? I don't think it's an option because I don't think it can be ordered any more.
Also, lots of college students can get through their program without ever using Windows, I don't think it should be assumed. The need for Windows compatibility has gone down as more required apps now live on the Web, which is platform agnostic.

Help with choosing a MacBook Air Model for a college student.

I am a college student and I am debating between the two 13 inch Mac AirBook models that Apple offers. I was wondering if someone can give me a breakdown of the differences and also, which model would be a better fit for a college student?

The two models are described here:
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) - Technical SpecificationsJun 10, 2013
Actually, there is only one model. You can purchase it with 128GB or 256GB of storage. But you can customize other features as well, such as the processor speed and the RAM size.
Asking which model is best for a college student is just like asking what type of car you should buy. It's up to you. In my opinion, if you're going to spend a bit of money to upgrade from the base model, the first place to upgrade would be the RAM size.

What is Automator and Does a College Student Need it?

I've been reading up on automater, attempting to understand what it is but i'm still confused. What i think it is: a system that performs tasks regularly for you rather than you having to go and do them yourself manually. is this correct?
Well...im a college student. im not running a huge business or anything like that, so what do i need automator for? i ask cause i want to use my new macbook to the fullest and am lost when trying to discover and see what i should use automator for. Anything?

Whether or not you'll have any use for Automator depends on how you use the computer. It's there to make using the computer easier, something that everyone can benefit from time to time.
One of the best references for Automator I've found is http://www.automator.us

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"

What MacBook Pro with Retina Display is recommended for college students?

I'm trying to decide which MacBook Pro with Retina Display to buy before I go off to college. I want to get the 2.6 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, and just the 512 GB of Flash. But I don't know which one is better for a business major. The 2.6 GHz Pro with Retina, or the 2.3 GHz Retina. My concers are the space, and this computer is suppossed to last me 4 years.

I'm a college student as well and I'm going to be a sophomore engineering major. I'm currently sitting on a 2007 white MacBook. Yes, it is from the stone age. However, over 5 years, I have only used 280 GB of space. I'm going to order a 2.7GHz, 16GB, 512 SSD R-MBP this weekend, in the hopes that this, too will last me about 5 years. Honestly, if you have the money to drop, I would buy the fastest possible configuration, 16GB ram, and a 512 SSD so that you can comfortably use your computer for another 4-5 years. My white MacBook served quite well for 5 years. The thing about newer technology is that it may last longer. A Core2Duo processor from 07 is nothing compared to Ivy Bridge now. So I would max out the configuration if I were you. By 2017, Intel is going to be making processors that will make this R-MBP look like crap, so consider "future-proofing" your computer for the long run.

What about programs like excel and word? college students need these!!!

college students need to be able to access files, send files, and store files using the programs excel and word, why cant i have these on my iphone?

You can email then to your iphone.
Use plain text format when emailing them.
But as for saving them and editing them on the iphone, you can't.
You cannot save or download and save to memory on the iphone.
Hope this helps.

I have recently update to the OS Maverik and I use a projector with a mini display port adaptor to my MacBook Air, ever since the only thing that projects is my desktop picture. I cannot get it to project my school work that I need to teach my students.

I have recently update to the OS Maverik and I use a projector with a mini display port adaptor to my MacBook Air, ever since the only thing that projects is my desktop picture. I cannot get it to project my school work that I need to teach my students. Help!

Hi Becki514,
Welcome to the Support Communities!
The following articles may help you with your projector issue:
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1573
Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3382
Mac notebooks: How to use your computer in closed clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3131
I hope this information helps ....
Have a great day!
- Judy

Movers Coupon and EDU College Student Discount on Macbook Air

Hi,
I was looking to buy a Macbook Air this weekend at the
Best Buy West Hollywood Store 393
1015 N La Brea, Ave.
(323) 883 - 0219
I just got off the phone with a representative and they said only one coupon can be used in a purchase. I told them that on the bestbuy forums, corporate allows both coupons to be used. I then asked to speak to a manager but she said no. I felt they were rude and unwilling to help.
Any help would be great.

Hello bsanc007,
Thank you for sharing the details of your recent phone conversation with an associate at the West Hollywood, CA Best Buy (store 393). It pains me to hear you felt you were treated rudely by the phone associate and I am sorry if they didn’t display an attitude of helpfulness.
It appears the associate may be confused on the ability to combine the College Student Deals and Movers Coupon together toward a qualifying purchase. While most of our coupons aren’t able to be combined with one another, the stores have received communication that this is possible with these two coupons specifically. I would be glad to reach out to the leadership at this store to confirm the necessary details of these offers in an attempt to clear up any confusion. It is important that you bring both of your coupons in and have gone through the activation process for your Movers Coupon prior to your visit.
If you would like to make a visit to the store, I would recommend asking to speak with a manager in the event you are denied the use of these coupons toward your transaction. I hope you are able to provide me with an update after your next visit from your new MacBook Air!
Regards,
JD|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

My daughter is a college student. she needs to write and compile c programs on her mac for a class this semester. what is the best place for her to start to get the correct compiler etc. to use ? thanks

my daughter is a college student. she needs to write and compile c programs on her mac for a class this semester. what is the best place for her to start to get the correct compiler etc. to use ? thanks

If you know that you will not be asked to design GUI interfaces, and the C programming course will adhere to command line compilation environments, then get the Xcode command-line developer tools, and skip the extra complication of Xcode until you absolutely need it. Apple has kicked GNU C to the curb and is rightly so, using Clang/LLVM compiler technology.
Sign up for a free Apple Developer account using your Apple ID, and then visit the Mac Dev Center, and towards the bottom of the page, you will see additional downloads. Click on the associated, all down loads link. Know your OS X version beforehand, as the command-line tool releases are tied to general operating system versions, and the most recent Xcode version. That said, there are currently two March 9, 2015 command-line tools for Xcode 6.2 — one for OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and the other for OS X Yosemite.

College Student Deals Not Working - MacBook Pro

I went to my local bestbuy store to buy a MacBook Pro. I asked the sales associate if they offered a discount for college students because I am buying this laptop for college. He said yes you can get $150 off your MBP and directed me to "www.bestbuy.com/studentdeals". I signed up with my ".edu" email and received an email requesting confirmation. I confirmed my email and waited for the coupon deals for about 2 hours in store, but ended up going home because I didn't receive email. I called customer service multiple times and they were no help either. Any idea what the problem is? Any solution??

Hello Singh/ae1222-
Given how cash-strapped most college students typically are, every little bit of savings you can get will definitely help! I’m sorry to hear that you have not received your email with the details and coupons for our student deals.
While usually those emails will show up with an hour or two, there are times where it can take up to 24 hours as the email address does go through a verification process. In addition, some schools have filters in place on their email addresses that block marketing-type emails such as this from coming through.
If you haven’t received your email, I would recommend checking with the IT department at your school to see if this is an issue. Otherwise, you can also send me a Private Message with your .edu email address and I can see if we can check on it for you.
Sincerely,
Bill|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Opinion Needed on Macbook (college student)

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