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apple mackbook pro?

rydmohr

rydmohr

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May 6, 2006
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ducati monster,07 fjr13
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Jeff
Sooo, school me on this wonderment of technology. My daughter is off to collage and is in need/want of this.
Where can I buy at a good price?
Does it come with bundled software?
What software should she have, marketing/creative writing degree.
Any necessary/cool accessories? Thanks :ride


I know some of you think apple is crap but this is what she wants. :laughing
 
One of the most important things with macs is knowing the update cycle and not buying right before a refresh. Looks like the macbook pro is due to be updated soon:

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

It comes with the operating system and a suite of basic software for music, photos, video, etc. She should probably get a version of Word or some other similar word processor or her university teachers (like me) will grumble at her txt or rtf files.
 
You can't really save much money on Apple devices, since they control the pricing. No one place will have it significantly cheaper than Apple itself. It used to save you ~10% on Amazon + about $50 when they didn't charge taxes.
 
zignut said:
One of the most important things with macs is knowing the update cycle and not buying right before a refresh. Looks like the macbook pro is due to be updated soon:

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

It comes with the operating system and a suite of basic software for music, photos, video, etc. She should probably get a version of Word or some other similar word processor or her university teachers (like me) will grumble at her txt or rtf files.
Click to expand...

Not true at all! An update or upgrade costs little to nothing unlike Microsoft.

Here at the top three things you will need for your daughter!

1. Apple Care extended warranty - Its a must have. Anything goes wrong and they fix it. That alone is worth the investment.

2. Software bundles? I would get Mac Office which should cover all her teachers requirements for homework and assignments.

3. Students get a %10 discount on Apple hardware and honestly the best hardware imo is the smallest. A 13 inch mac book pro with an external monitor for serious work is proper. An external monitor will cost 100.00 bucks and save her shoulders/back in the long run. I used to have a 17" and now I swear by the 13" mac book pro. Please stay away from the MacBook Air. Its a hassle if you are not a tech savvy person.

4. A thumb drive for backups. Just drag and drop, super easy and cheap! Laptop gets stolen but your data is safe!

If you got more questions let me know.
 
Her school probably has a deal with Apple - check here.

Unless she's doing processor eating stuff - I'd look at the Apple Refurbs first; you can still get AppleCare on these too.

Buy AppleCare - 3 years of support via phone and the apple store. In my case, when I've fleabayed the computer at 2 years, I've typically gotten 60-80% of what I paid for it because AppleCare is transferable.

I'm surprised that anyone would accept a .rtf or .txt file - if work is being accepted electronically, I'd expect it to be as PDF files: you can still do markups, make notes and stuff, and then still revert to show the original- like in the real business world.

The Apple software has the ability to export stuff it generates into common file types - just like GoogleDocs - I won't buy Office ever again.
 
Not too many discounts to be had on Apple stuff in the real world, but schools often give deeper discounts than can be found elsewhere. Apple offers educational discounts so they can get moneyed youth addicted to their second rate, overpriced product, and ensure a lifetime of consumption. Chances are, the bookstore at her school will have the best price.

Schools also have group license discounts on lots of software, not necessarily thru the bookstore, but maybe thru the computing resources dept. or whatever they want to call it.

Bottom line: in all likelihood she can get a better price than you if she does a tiny bit of legwork. If you want to pay for it, have her find out the prices she can get thru her school, and reimburse her.

EDIT after I saw maxandgrinch's post: in my experience as a TA and guest lecturer, I almost never saw students turn in .pdf files. IIRC I think I had one class that we used them for, but word and excel files were the norm. I agree that.pdf is a much more professional format, though. Regrettably, professionalism is something not taught or endorsed in "higher education" anymore.
 
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Entoptic said:
Not true at all! An update or upgrade costs little to nothing unlike Microsoft.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, I was referring to hardware updates, not the OS. You don't want to buy a laptop only to see a new one come out the next month with a faster processor, or a better screen, or new aesthetics or whatever.

I agree that you can't really find deals on new macs, short of the Apple education store. Apple inc. is very good at controlling prices, it seems.

I disagree with some other posters about the warranty. These products tend to get senile and/or break down >3 years into their lifespan. Isn't the extended warranty good for only 2-3?
 
zignut said:
Just to be clear, I was referring to hardware updates, not the OS. You don't want to buy a laptop only to see a new one come out the next month with a faster processor, or a better screen, or new aesthetics or whatever.
Click to expand...

Rule is if you need it now, buy it now. The minor bump in speed is minimal. But if you can wait then why not wait.
 
JackTheTripper said:
Rule is if you need it now, buy it now. The minor bump in speed is minimal. But if you can wait then why not wait.
Click to expand...

I'm holding out for iPad 9. I hear that one is going to be the best.

In other words, I take your point. Sometimes we just want something right away. On the other hand, I always check that website I listed because it is sometimes worth waiting when a major update is in the works (for example, the "retina" screen).
 
I totally agree with you and was going to post that link. Right now I'm waiting for the refresh to replace my 2006 MBP. I was just saying if you CAN wait, do it. But if you can't then a bump of .2 GHz or a new charging connector isn't really a big deal.

Funny you mention iPad 9. Was just saying to the wife we have an iPad 3 (not 3.1) and I don't see replacing that for 2 - 3 - 4 years. Or until it breaks.
 
rydmohr said:
Sooo, school me on this wonderment of technology. My daughter is off to collage and is in need/want of this.
Where can I buy at a good price?
Does it come with bundled software?
What software should she have, marketing/creative writing degree.
Any necessary/cool accessories? Thanks :ride
Click to expand...

I've got a Pro and an Air, both 2012 models and honestly, unless she's needing a bunch of internal storage, an internal CD drive, or running Photoshop the Air works really well and costs a lot less. As for getting a good price on one, Apple offers a student discount that drops the tax; so the unit is retail out the door. The only software she might want to buy to go with it is Microsoft Office for Mac because it's got Word.

If she goes for an Air get the Apple external CD drive, it's choice.
 
My kid swears by his Macbook Pro. He's at UC Santa Barbara, and they buy him a new one every year (he's got a pretty good gig). My wife gets every other old one. I can't believe how much they cost.
 
zignut said:
Just to be clear, I was referring to hardware updates, not the OS. You don't want to buy a laptop only to see a new one come out the next month with a faster processor, or a better screen, or new aesthetics or whatever.

I agree that you can't really find deals on new macs, short of the Apple education store. Apple inc. is very good at controlling prices, it seems.

I disagree with some other posters about the warranty. These products tend to get senile and/or break down >3 years into their lifespan. Isn't the extended warranty good for only 2-3?
Click to expand...

A hardware update would be something that a programmer would be interested in but this laptop if I understand correctly is going to be for word docs and iTunes blah blah. I do not feel that a hardware update would be of interest unless it was a huge one.

The warranty is for accidental issues. I cracked the screen, a key from the keyboard came off, or a USB slot has been bent. I agree that their systems start to crap out after the warranty but that really tells you how well they make their systems.

JackTheTripper said:
Rule is if you need it now, buy it now. The minor bump in speed is minimal. But if you can wait then why not wait.
Click to expand...

+1

Beauregard said:
I've got a Pro and an Air, both 2012 models and honestly, unless she's needing a bunch of internal storage, an internal CD drive, or running Photoshop the Air works really well and costs a lot less. As for getting a good price on one, Apple offers a student discount that drops the tax; so the unit is retail out the door. The only software she might want to buy to go with it is Microsoft Office for Mac because it's got Word.

If she goes for an Air get the Apple external CD drive, it's choice.
Click to expand...

I would stay away from the air and here is why. I have one and when the wifi speed drops or there is no wifi you are screwed. Also you can't really take apart an air all to well to fix any major issues. I know that is being super picky but that is where I stand on it. For a college person it may be a great thing but at the same time the thinness of it is scary.
 
Entoptic said:
I would stay away from the air and here is why.

I have one and when the wifi speed drops or there is no wifi you are screwed.

Also you can't really take apart an air all to well to fix any major issues. I know that is being super picky but that is where I stand on it. For a college person it may be a great thing but at the same time the thinness of it is scary.
Click to expand...

iirc, those are both issues with the macbook pro (no ethernet and hard to fix; granted easier to fix than an air.)

for the wifi issue, you buy a $30 usb-to-ethernet adapter.

i don't think those are deal breakers for most people.
 
mike23w said:
what hassle?
fewer ports? no superdrive?

i've never heard anyone complain about their air...
Click to expand...

Exactly. Physical media (DVDs, CDs) are dead. When the Air first came out, I couldn't believe Apple would try to sell a laptop with a Superdrive...but now I can't remember the last time I popped any sort of disc into my computer.
 
I paid full retail for my MacBook Pro Retina ($2500) and it was the single best computer purchase i've ever made. I work in the industry (3D graphics) and have been working on notebook projects for 12 years. The Retina book blew my mind..
 
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