Apple Computer for College

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Level 1

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Apple Computer for College

First of all, let me apologize for the length and classification of this question, there was no way for me to pick multiple categories.

I am currently a senior in high school, and will be going to college this coming Fall. I will be going into the Music Department, so I will need a Mac computer. I will also be studying Computer Science.

My question is this: which Mac should I get?

Since I will be a music major and I enjoy doing multi-track recording on the side, apart from the regular internet, mail, and word processing, the Mac will have to be able to handle Garageband, Logic Pro, and (possibly) Finale without a hitch.

I will be receiving financial aid for this purchase, so I don't have a definite price tag, however $2000 sounds like a reasonable ceiling. I will definitely be purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan. I am focusing on performance and longevity. I am very careful with my gadgets, and have resurrected several PCs and used them well beyond their expected expiration dates. Therefore, I fully expect this computer to last all through four years of college without me needing an upgrade.

What I Already Have/Will Definitely Purchase:

I won in a contest the iPad 2 a couple of years ago, and it has lasted well with no noticeable performance dips. I have the Clamcase for the iPad, which makes taking notes in class at my high school a breeze. Right now, that's my portable "laptop" for school. However, since I won it and didn't buy it, I had no opportunity to get the AppleCare plan, so if it breaks, that's the end of its portability.

I have a decent Windows 7 Ultimate PC that I fixed after a hard drive failure that I will be taking to college with me. I hope to do all my tinkering on that machine, so I don't risk any damage to the Mac. Also, I won't need Bootcamp or Paralells for Mac, because I will have the Windows machine.

I plan on purchasing one or two external hard drives. If I end up doing recording/mixing on the Mac, (if it is possible) I will use one of the drives for that program, saving space on the computer itself.

I have several thumb drives, and I don't have a massive video/picture/music library, so space is not too much of an issue for me.

I already have a printer and a monitor.

Macbook Air 2012:

I have done extensive research on the topic, and from what I've watched or read, the Macbook Air 2012 should support my needs. I absolutely love the design, and if my iPad or the case breaks, it will be just as (if not more) portable. I would upgrade the RAM to 8GB on purchase, but stick with the default space on the SSD. I was planning on the 13-inch model, but if there was a good reason, I could be swayed to consider the 11-inch with slightly less processing power.

Macbook Pro 2012:

Many friends have warned me that the Air won't be fast enough, and that I will need the Pro. I think the Retina display is great, but not for me, I just wouldn't find the extra resolution useful (I don't do photo or video editing). Then I could fork over more cash for performance upgrades.

My real worry with this machine is that my iPad will break, and I will try to take this notebook to class and back and end up tilting and damaging the hard drive. That or it will prove too bulky to take in my backpack. However I haven't had the chance to try it vs. the Air, so I don't know the performance difference.

iMac 2012:

I haven't extensively considered the iMac, but if given some good reasons, I could be persuaded. As I said earlier, my worry is that the iPad will break and I will be stuck without a portable machine (I handwrite much slower than I type). And in college, I'm not 100% sure that I will have the money on hand to purchase another iPad whenever I need one.

And that's it! Let me know what you guys think, I really appreciate any and all input 🙂 Even if it doesn't answer the whole question, any insight is helpful.

MacBook Air

Posted on Jan 20, 2013 12:56 PM

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Answer 1

Jon P D

Level 4

1,522 points

Jan 20, 2013 2:30 PM in response to lukewms95

based on what you said, expecially your fear of the ipad breaking, i would go with a macbook pro

i also would recommend you don't dismiss the retina machine, i have the idea that portability is a big issue and you'd be surprised how portable these machines are - the 13" retina model is only about half a pound heavier than the 13" air - it's basically the thickest end of the air (still thin!) all the way through and the 15 comes in at about 4 and a half pounds and the same thickness

another reason for considering the retina models - i noticed you would keep the standard storage on the air suggesting you don't need a lot - one of the main complaints with the new pros are the base SSDs which are pretty small, something you would have no need to worry about

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Answer 2

lukewms95 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 20, 2013 4:02 PM in response to Jon P D

Thanks for the speedy response.

I guess when compared to the Macbook Air, no laptop is portable, that's why I didn't really look into the Macbook Pro. I checked pricing, and it would be cheaper to just add an SSD drive onto a 13-inch Macbook Pro rather than go for a retina display, something I might go for instead. I just upgraded from an old tube monitor that served me well, so a retina display wouldn't do me much use.

One concern I have: I can definitely see myself unplugging the various plugs in my dorm, shutting the lid of the Macbook, and immediately turning it and putting it in my backpack. With an SSD Macbook Pro, would that be an issue? I know with a hard drive you risk damaging the disk if you tilt it while it is spinning, but would an SSD be prone to the same issue? Also, my backpack isn't particularly ventilated: while I don't do processor-intensive tasks (yet at least) could I risk it overheating?

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

Jon P D

Level 4

1,522 points

Jan 21, 2013 2:43 AM in response to lukewms95

hi again, sorry for my slow reply

the reason i was suggesting the retina models was, regardless of the screen, they are a lot thinner and lighter than their classic counterparts (not sure if you noticed this or not) - for example when compared to its regular variant, the 13" retina model is almost a macbook air, but with the power of a pro

as for the SSD question, what you said is fine, that's one of the benefits of a SSD - it has no moving parts so there's nothing that can physically go wrong if you move the computer while it' working

i'm pretty sure it wouldn't overheat in your bag, if you want to be extra safe just make sure it's asleep first but i'm a pretty harsh user with my MBA (e.g. fell asleep with it in bed once lol) and it's never overheated in the past

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Answer 4

dwb

Level 7

33,310 points

Jan 21, 2013 6:30 AM in response to lukewms95

First I strongly recommend that you determine if you want or need a notebook. By this time you probably have identified the college(s) you really want to attend and maybe even gotten early acceptance. Is the college you want to attend one that places emphasis on having a computer in class?

Any Mac you buy today is plenty fast enough to handle what you want to do, but there are two questions to ask yourself. 1) will the computer physically last the 4-5 years it will take you to graduate? The iMac and mini are much more likely to survive than a notebook. You probably wouldn't believe the number of ducktaped and otherwise jury rigged notebook computers I see on campus. 2) will the computer be able to handle 4-5 years worth of upgraded OS and/or software? I'm pretty confident about the iMac, mini and MacBook Pro but less so about the MBA.

Finally, I'm seeing loads more tablets with and without keyboard cases. Another possibility is to go with the desktop computer and reserve some $$$ for a future iPad purchase for portability.

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Answer 5

lukewms95 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 21, 2013 5:32 PM in response to Jon P D

I did not realize that! Thanks for that info, I will definitely check the specifications again. And good, that was one of my biggest worries. I'm not new to computers and their inner workings, but I would not feel comfortable trying to open up one of these nice laptops to replace any internals haha. And sleeping is just what happens when I close the lid, right? How long does it take after closing the lid to fully enter this mode?

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Answer 6

lukewms95 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 21, 2013 5:37 PM in response to dwb

Thank you for your response. I have received early acceptance to the university, and I definitely want to email them after your suggestion to ask specifics regarding computers in the classroom for Music and Computer majors (I will be double majoring). I personally love desktops, and the iPad is serving my needs well as far as notes go, so if I don't need a computer in the classroom (I'm fairly positive they will provide computer labs) I might go for that instead. The Mac mini worries me though... I know it's a dumb reason, but it seems just too small and too inexpensive (comparatively) to have the same power as the other options. However, I will research some more, especially into the available upgrades. Thanks!

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