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Best Answer: Codee, Given your needs and your college coursework, I am recommending the MacBook Air. It is lightweight and extremely portable. You'll hardly notice it in a backpack or on your lap. The 13' would suit your needs especially with writing papers, electronic media reading, etc. You will have more use and compatibility with the surface, with the mac you my end up having trouble submitting your papers on time without the right 'apps', printing at school, i could go on but. Best Answer: Codee, Given your needs and your college coursework, I am recommending the MacBook Air. It is lightweight and extremely portable. You'll hardly notice it in a backpack or on your lap. How can the answer be improved?
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If youâre reading this article, chances are youâre thinking about buying a new Mac computer and may be in need of a little guidance. Fortunately, weâre quite familiar with Appleâs Macs, and weâre happy to help you choose the right Mac for you.
This buying guide provides an overview of all the Mac models available, and what each model is best suited for. To get more details, you can read the full review by clicking the product name in the product boxes that have mouse ratings.
MacBook Air
Models for sale were originally released October 2018.
What is it? The MacBook Air is Appleâs affordable line of laptops. Apple currently offers two 13-inch models.
Whoâs it for? The MacBook Air is ideal for the budget conscious. Itâs also for anyone who is always on the go, doesnât want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and needs a computer thatâs more versatile than an iPad.
What are the specifications? The two MacBook Air models have the same 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 (eighth-generation) processor and 8GB of RAM. All MacBook Air models come with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 617 technology. Apple claims 12 hours of battery life for both wireless web and 13 hours iTunes movie playback.
The main difference between the laptops is storage. The $1,099 model has 128GB of flash storage, while the $1,299 model has 256GB.
Apple used to offer the older version of the MacBook Air for $999. It had a 1.8GHz dual-core Core i5 (fifth-generation) processor, 8GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000. The company discontinued this model in July 2019, though you may find it for a limited time in Appleâs Refurbished and Clearance Store.
How do I connect stuff? The MacBook Air has built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a network. It also provides built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting a mouse or other peripheral. If you want to connect to an ethernet network, youâll need an adapter.
The $1,099 and $1,299 Models have only a pair of Thunderbolt 3/USB-C connectors. If you want to connect USB-A devices, you need either a USB-C to USB adapter, like Appleâs $19 one, or a USB-C hub that has USB-A ports.
How fast is it? The MacBook Air is quite capable of handling everyday tasks, such as sending and receiving email, browsing the web, and using office applications. You can even use it for editing short videos, or for working with JPEGs from your iPhone or point-and-shoot camera.
Macworldâs buying advice: The MacBook Air is a great affordable laptop for someone who does general-purpose work and moves around a lot, such as a student or a self-employed person. You canât easily upgrade the storage after purchase, so you should buy the model with the largest amount of storage you can afford.
Ready to buy a MacBook Air? Go to the Apple Store
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Apple discontinued its 12-inch laptop in July 2019. You may be able to buy one in Appleâs Refurbished and Clearance Store, but supplies wonât last long.
MacBook Pro
Models without Touch Bar were discontinued July 2019 and replaced with new models. Other Touch Bar models were released July 2018.
What is it? The MacBook Pro features a high-density display with so many pixels that images and text look especially smooth and clean. At normal viewing distances, you canât discern individual pixels.
Whoâs it for? The MacBook Pro is for the demanding user who wants a portable computer that also performs well. MacBook Pro models sit at the top of the performance chart of Mac laptops.
What are the specifications? The MacBook Pro is available in screen sizes of 13 inches and 15 inches. All laptops include the Touch Bar interface at the top of the keyboard.
There are four 13-inch models:
Apple has two 15-inch MacBook Pros:
The 13-inch Retina display has a native resolution of 2560x1600, and OS X offers a scaled resolution up to 1680x1050. The 15-inch Retina display has a native resolution of 2880x1800, and OS Xâs highest scaled resolution on those laptops is 1920x1200. These high-scale resolutions can accommodate the workspace of a larger-screen standard Mac laptop on a smaller Retina MacBook Pro if you can tolerate the smaller icons, text, and other graphics on the screen. If you use a third-party app such as QuickRes, you can set the Retina screen to use resolutions higher than the scaled settings OS X offers, including the native resolution.
The MacBook Pro does not have a SuperDrive, so if you need one, youâll have to buy an external USB optical drive.
What is the Touch Bar thatâs mentioned in the specs above? The Touch Bar is a new input device. It sits on top of the keyboard, and itâs basically a narrow touchscreen. The button and controls available on the Touch Bar change depending on the software you are using. Learn more about the Touch Bar.
What Is The Best Mac To Buy For A College Student
How do I connect stuff? No need to worry about wireless connectivity: The MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Itâs the wired connectivity you need to be concerned with. The MacBook Pro has only Thunderbolt 3 ports, which are compatible with USB-C. The $1,299 and $1,499 13-inch MacBook Pro models have two ports, while every other MacBook model has four.
If you have a Thunderbolt 3 device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that arenât USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, youâll need an adapter. We have a separate MacBook Pro Thunderbolt 3 adapter guide to help you decide which ones youâll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.
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How fast is it? The MacBook Pro models are, to no surprise, the fastest laptops Apple has ever released. If itâs processing power you seek, itâs the MacBook Pro you want.
Macworldâs buying advice: For the most demanding mobile Mac userâsomeone whose work requires a lot of processing powerâthe MacBook Pro is the ticket. If youâre looking at a 13-inch model, the $1,799 Retina MacBook Pro hits a sweet spot for price and performance. The money that separates the two 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models is a hefty chunk of change; the $2,799 MacBook Pro is the top-of-the-line Mac laptop, offering the strongest performance. If your work mostly involves internet access and other productivity tasks, however, go for a MacBook Air.
Ready to buy a MacBook Pro? Go to the Apple Store
Apple has refurbished MacBook Pro models available in the companyâs Refurbished and Clearance Store. Refurbs offer a modest savings over new models, though the inventory for 2018 refurbs runs out quickly. You may find only older models, so check back at a later date to see if there are any 2018 laptops available.
Apple tests and certifies all products in the Refurbished store. Supply is limited, so Apple could run out of refurb stock, and youâll have to check back if you missed your opportunity to buy. But once Apple receives your payment, the company guarantees your purchase.
Refurb products come with a one-year warranty.
Mentioned in this articleMentioned in this articleMentioned in this articleMentioned in this articleMentioned in this articleMentioned in this articleNext page: Mac mini, iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro
Iâm sure youâve heard the news by now: computer sales have been plummeting and itâs forecast that sales of tablets will outpacePCs as soon as 2015. Is this the end of the PC as we know it? Far from it. In fact, for evidence, just ask todayâs high school seniors.
This week, all three of my kids are graduating high school (no, theyâre not triplets. But close. Two are twins. The other is only eleven months older). Itâs a bittersweet and exciting time for our entire family. Weâll miss them when they all leave for their respective colleges in August. But then again weâll be coming home to a clean house. So there is an upside. At least until Thanksgiving break.
As a graduation gift from a combined group of people in our family, each kid was given enough money to help subsidize the purchase of a college computer this summer. And so I asked each one of them: what will you buy: a MacBook or an iPad? The answer was unanimous. What do you think it was?
I know youâre very excited for the answer, but before I reveal that, I need to first make note of Apple. All three of my kids, like most of their generation, have grown up on Apple products. In fact, two of them (the twins) were given free MacBooks to use for their entire four years of high school, a program initiated by our local school district. My older child, who attended a private school, bought his own.
This is the next generation. In just four years those completing high school this month will (hopefully) be entering the workforce or going to graduate school. This is a generation that will be demanding Apple products. They will expect their technology to be as user friendly, fast, and reliable as their MacBooks, iPads and iPhones are today. They will not be accustomed to Windows. They will not tolerate poor quality. Then again, by the time they hit their stride it may not matter much anyway as most of what theyâll be doing will be on the cloud. But companies must be prepared for this reality. If this trend continues and, subject to lots of other unforeseen factors, it appears obvious to me that Appleâs share in office technology is poised to significantly grow over the next decade if only to accommodate the expectations of the next generation of workers who are now and will soon be arriving.
So without question my kids all plan to use their graduation cash for an Apple product. Getting a Windows 8 computer never even entered into the conversation. In fact, they tell me that arriving at their new university with a Windows 8 device would raise eyebrows among their fellow incoming freshman. âWhy would you buy that?â they would likely be asked, according to my daughter. Maybe sheâs right. Maybe not. But the very fact that this would be a concern for an 18 year old should also be a concern for Microsoft.
Enough about that. Letâs assume that, for a college student, itâs an Apple world. Which brings me back to the original question: assuming you could afford both, which one do you take with you to college? A MacBook? Or an iPad? Itâs the same question thatâs being asked now by millions of employers and employees around the world. Do I ditch the laptop? Do I get a tablet? The answer is important, particularly for those that manufacture these computers. And if you manufacture laptops, particularly MacBooks, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
All three of my kids, without fail, plan to purchase new MacBooks. They might not be able to afford the higher end MacBook Air. Theyâll definitely take advantage of the discounts offered by their colleges. They may even consider something used. But they are buying MacBooks. Not iPads. And the reasons are obvious.
Laptops, like the MacBook, are work devices. They are used to do essays, write papers, surf the web, perform analysis and submit assignments. And it doesnât matter what your specialty is. All three of my kids are taking history, math and science classes and Iâm predicting that they all will wind up focusing on either business or science. Whatever the curriculum, they will need a computing device thatâs a work device. Sure, theyâll want it to provide entertainment too, access to Facebook, an option to send the occasional tweet, the ability to watch movies and stream music. But first and foremost theyâll need a computer.
And a tablet is not a computer. Itâs a recreation device. It can be used to type out the odd email or quick status update. But take a look around you. People are using their iPads for reading books, perusing magazines, watching videos, surfing social media. Future employees, particularly those that need to be filling out forms like purchase requisitions, time sheets and workorders will be using their iPads and other tablets as data input devices. But those that will be writing reports, creating spreadsheets, responding to multiple emails and designing new products will need a work device, not a recreation device. And that will always be a laptop, not a tablet.
Laptops are faster and more powerful than tablets. Their screens are bigger. Their keyboards are better. They are becoming lighter and lighter. They hold more local data (and even in this cloud based world itâs still much faster to do work locally). They can run many productive programs that a student or employee needs to do their work and all at the same time. Many do (and will soon) offer both mouse and touch screen functionality. They are just better working tools. It seems like even a high school kid knows that.
So why the big fall in PC sales? Thatâs easy: up until only a few years ago a PC or laptop was our only choice. And lots of people had more than one because they needed something for when they were mobile. And that was primarily just to check email or some other non-intensive task. Tablets like the iPad can now serve that purpose for those types of users. But the student, the employee, the business owner, the professional, the tech person...they will always need a more full-functioning, productive device.
Which is why the bottom hasnât fallen out of the PC market. Itâs significantly declined as a result of other choices we now have available. But, like newspapers, books and terrestrial radio, PC sales wonât ever go away. There will always be a strong market for laptops. If you donât believe me, just ask any kid going to college. You may think itâs all fun and games away from home. But when given the choice, theyâll take a work device over a fun device.
Besides Forbes, Gene Marks writes weekly for The New York Times and Inc.com.
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What Is The Best Mac To Get For College
Iâm sure youâve heard the news by now: computer sales have been plummeting and itâs forecast that sales of tablets will outpacePCs as soon as 2015. Is this the end of the PC as we know it? Far from it. In fact, for evidence, just ask todayâs high school seniors.
What's The Best Mac Mascara
This week, all three of my kids are graduating high school (no, theyâre not triplets. But close. Two are twins. The other is only eleven months older). Itâs a bittersweet and exciting time for our entire family. Weâll miss them when they all leave for their respective colleges in August. But then again weâll be coming home to a clean house. So there is an upside. At least until Thanksgiving break.
What's The Best Mac For A College Student![]()
As a graduation gift from a combined group of people in our family, each kid was given enough money to help subsidize the purchase of a college computer this summer. And so I asked each one of them: what will you buy: a MacBook or an iPad? The answer was unanimous. What do you think it was?
I know youâre very excited for the answer, but before I reveal that, I need to first make note of Apple. All three of my kids, like most of their generation, have grown up on Apple products. In fact, two of them (the twins) were given free MacBooks to use for their entire four years of high school, a program initiated by our local school district. My older child, who attended a private school, bought his own.
This is the next generation. In just four years those completing high school this month will (hopefully) be entering the workforce or going to graduate school. This is a generation that will be demanding Apple products. They will expect their technology to be as user friendly, fast, and reliable as their MacBooks, iPads and iPhones are today. They will not be accustomed to Windows. They will not tolerate poor quality. Then again, by the time they hit their stride it may not matter much anyway as most of what theyâll be doing will be on the cloud. But companies must be prepared for this reality. If this trend continues and, subject to lots of other unforeseen factors, it appears obvious to me that Appleâs share in office technology is poised to significantly grow over the next decade if only to accommodate the expectations of the next generation of workers who are now and will soon be arriving.
What Is The Best Mac For College Students
So without question my kids all plan to use their graduation cash for an Apple product. Getting a Windows 8 computer never even entered into the conversation. In fact, they tell me that arriving at their new university with a Windows 8 device would raise eyebrows among their fellow incoming freshman. âWhy would you buy that?â they would likely be asked, according to my daughter. Maybe sheâs right. Maybe not. But the very fact that this would be a concern for an 18 year old should also be a concern for Microsoft.
Enough about that. Letâs assume that, for a college student, itâs an Apple world. Which brings me back to the original question: assuming you could afford both, which one do you take with you to college? A MacBook? Or an iPad? Itâs the same question thatâs being asked now by millions of employers and employees around the world. Do I ditch the laptop? Do I get a tablet? The answer is important, particularly for those that manufacture these computers. And if you manufacture laptops, particularly MacBooks, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
All three of my kids, without fail, plan to purchase new MacBooks. They might not be able to afford the higher end MacBook Air. Theyâll definitely take advantage of the discounts offered by their colleges. They may even consider something used. But they are buying MacBooks. Not iPads. And the reasons are obvious.
Laptops, like the MacBook, are work devices. They are used to do essays, write papers, surf the web, perform analysis and submit assignments. And it doesnât matter what your specialty is. All three of my kids are taking history, math and science classes and Iâm predicting that they all will wind up focusing on either business or science. Whatever the curriculum, they will need a computing device thatâs a work device. Sure, theyâll want it to provide entertainment too, access to Facebook, an option to send the occasional tweet, the ability to watch movies and stream music. But first and foremost theyâll need a computer.
And a tablet is not a computer. Itâs a recreation device. It can be used to type out the odd email or quick status update. But take a look around you. People are using their iPads for reading books, perusing magazines, watching videos, surfing social media. Future employees, particularly those that need to be filling out forms like purchase requisitions, time sheets and workorders will be using their iPads and other tablets as data input devices. But those that will be writing reports, creating spreadsheets, responding to multiple emails and designing new products will need a work device, not a recreation device. And that will always be a laptop, not a tablet.
Laptops are faster and more powerful than tablets. Their screens are bigger. Their keyboards are better. They are becoming lighter and lighter. They hold more local data (and even in this cloud based world itâs still much faster to do work locally). They can run many productive programs that a student or employee needs to do their work and all at the same time. Many do (and will soon) offer both mouse and touch screen functionality. They are just better working tools. It seems like even a high school kid knows that.
So why the big fall in PC sales? Thatâs easy: up until only a few years ago a PC or laptop was our only choice. And lots of people had more than one because they needed something for when they were mobile. And that was primarily just to check email or some other non-intensive task. Tablets like the iPad can now serve that purpose for those types of users. But the student, the employee, the business owner, the professional, the tech person...they will always need a more full-functioning, productive device.
Which is why the bottom hasnât fallen out of the PC market. Itâs significantly declined as a result of other choices we now have available. But, like newspapers, books and terrestrial radio, PC sales wonât ever go away. There will always be a strong market for laptops. If you donât believe me, just ask any kid going to college. You may think itâs all fun and games away from home. But when given the choice, theyâll take a work device over a fun device.
Besides Forbes, Gene Marks writes weekly for The New York Times and Inc.com.
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