View Full Version : off to college in august, do i wait to buy laptop?
brassguy
2006-06-18, 15:24
You guys are probably swamped with stuff like this - I even see "macbookpro now or later?" topic.
But my case is slightly different and unique.
I graduate high school tomorrow and then I'm off to college at the end of August.
I need to buy a laptop and I want to get a MacBookPro.
I hear that they are coming out with a new model in August.
Is this true? Should I wait until August to buy it?
Will there be a new model for me to buy early August? Or will it simply be announced then?
I have to leave for college the last week of August and classes start at the end of the month.
The laptop has to be purchased at the very least a couple weeks before I leave.
It is highly likely there will be an update in late July or sometime in August, so if you can wait till August, which it sounds like you can, then do so. If you need it right now then get it now. Thats the best advice anyone here can give you.
... Thats the best advice anyone here can give you.
Well, I'm off to bed then. ;) :p
turbulentfurball
2006-06-18, 17:22
Furthermore, don't think for a second that the current MacBook Pro will be obsolete as soon as an updated model is released. It's a very powerful machine and will serve you well for years to come. That is, unless of course you are a spec whore ;)
brassguy
2006-07-12, 16:05
ok, now it is over 3 weeks since I posted this and anyone has replied.
Has anything changed? Have any updates or improvements been made to the MBPs? If I were to buy a new one in a few days - would it come with 10.4.7 or 10.4.6?
Is it more likely or less likely now that a new model with a new chip will come out soon?
ThinkSecret seems to think now that the new chip model will come out in the fall (July 3rd article).
I'd wait until WWDC (August 7-9, I believe). There is a very real possibility that the MBP will be updated then - if not to the Core 2, than to a faster version of the Core 1 (2.18/2.33 GHz).
Buying a pro machine two weeks before WWDC just isn't very savvy.
WWDC = 7th = 11th.
I am in the same boat and I am doing the same thing. Waiting till mid-august to replace BOTH my computers. Course, even if I wanted a new desktop machine now I couldn't get it because I need it to be Intel so I can use boot camp, but even on my notebook purchase I am waiting. I plan to buy a MacBook, and yes, I think that the MacBook will be getting a Merom upgrade. Its a drop in replacement - why wouldn't Apple upgrade it?
Fahrenheit
2006-07-12, 16:32
But my case is slightly different and unique.
How is yours different in any way? :confused:
brassguy
2006-07-12, 17:19
well, I'm going off to college soon. That's how :P
The free printer deal ends in a week - and I'd like to get in on that.
I would feel bad if I got one around now and then afte WWDC there is an upgrade.
I leave for college August 23rd. And I need at least a couple weeks to transfer files and get used to OS X.
What a dilemma.
digitalprimate
2006-07-12, 18:04
The free printer deal ends in a week - and I'd like to get in on that.
That's the first time you've mentioned that.
What kind of printer will it be? Don't think getting a free printer is getting you a good deal - calculate the ink-cost into it and judge then. Especially if you're in college, I can imagine you printing a lot, so expensive ink (PER PAGE) is really a very bad deal.
Otherwise, I can't give other advice than already given here. You could try asking the same question on an on and in different ways, but the answer will always be the same:
It is highly likely there will be an update in late July or sometime in August, so if you can wait till August, which it sounds like you can, then do so. If you need it right now then get it now.
Usually, another "free" printer rebate deal begins at the same time the current one ends, so I wouldn't worry about it unless you're dead set on a particular model.
If you look here
http://www.apple.com/promo/perfectcompanion/
you will see a link for last quarter's promo.
MBHockey
2006-07-12, 19:54
I'm kind of in the same boat as you brassguy.
I will be a senior in college next year, and would like to upgrade to a MBP so i can use Windows-only CAD programs on my Mac. I would like to wait for them to pop Merom into the MBP because everything i've read points to those Core 2 Duos running somewhat cooler than the previous ones.
So i'm going to wait until the first week of September to see.
dark54555
2006-07-12, 22:39
considering you can get a samsung laser b&w printer for $40 if you watch buy.com, it's not like it's a great deal. Printers are cheap, period.
brassguy
2006-07-12, 23:26
So this new free printer deal started the day after the old free printer deal ended? wow.
Does this mean that they will start up another new free printer deal right away? It would be great to get a free printer and I can't wait any longer than early August.
It is only good for $100 rebate. I have no particular printer in mind - but the apple website only lists 2 printers less than $100 that you can use this deal for.
"HP Photosmart C3180 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier" $99.95
And "HP DeskJet 5940 Photo Printer" $89.95
sirnick4
2006-07-13, 00:01
Are you switching to the Mac platform?
Or are you familiar with Macs?
If you are switching, I recommend you getting a machine now. It is good to get a handle on the Mac platform before college starts, IMO.
brassguy
2006-07-13, 00:30
I am switching the Mac platform with practically no experience on Macs. Used some macs very briefly at school and at Apple Store.
Used Windows all my life. My current home desktop has Windows XP.
-----
Yeah If I buy now I'll have a little over a month to adjust. A week or two isn't enough time?
sirnick4
2006-07-13, 00:31
Yeah If I buy now I'll have a little over a month to adjust. A week or two isn't enough time?
A week should be fine. When I switched, I was impatient. I wanted to play on my new toy as soon as possible.
But if you can wait, then all the power to you :)
So this new free printer deal started the day after the old free printer deal ended? wow.
Does this mean that they will start up another new free printer deal right away? It would be great to get a free printer and I can't wait any longer than early August.
It is only good for $100 rebate. I have no particular printer in mind - but the apple website only lists 2 printers less than $100 that you can use this deal for.
"HP Photosmart C3180 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier" $99.95
And "HP DeskJet 5940 Photo Printer" $89.95
Thats too bad, up till late June the Epson C68 was on there for about $79 Cdn ($75 in the US store).
Screw Epson, and Double-Screw HP.
Get a Canon.
BarracksSi
2006-07-13, 05:15
Not to sound like an old guy, but back when I was in college, I had no real need for my own computer. I just kept using the university's computer labs. They worked fine for my purposes, and by the time I was ready to graduate, the then-new computers on the market were significantly more advanced than what was available when I started college.
Not to sound like an old guy, but back when I was in college, I had no real need for my own computer. I just kept using the university's computer labs. They worked fine for my purposes, and by the time I was ready to graduate, the then-new computers on the market were significantly more advanced than what was available when I started college.
Good point(s) (says another old guy). ;)
Is the new computer something that is required for a class? If not, and I was in your position I'd wait; I'd even wait for Leopard to be released (January 2007 seems to be some sort of a consensus). If you do that you'll not only get the expected August speed bump but the newest operating system, with integrated Boot Camp.
Good old fashioned note-taking, reading, thinking and a computer lab should get you through the first semester and into the next. Anyway, you should spend a lot of your time enjoying the LIFE that is freshman year. :)
In any event it seems like you're faced with a win win situation. Enjoy. Macs are teh winnn. :)
Screw Epson, and Double-Screw HP.
Get a Canon.
Amen.
Canon printers let you print until the ink is really empty, not artificially cutting you off early so they can make a few extra dollars. Plus, ink for Canon printers is generally cheaper.
Dorian Gray
2006-07-13, 07:48
Agree re Canon printers being preferable to HP or Epson for general printing, but is it so important to own a printer while at college/uni? My university has massive laser printers everywhere that spew out a page a second with much higher quality than anything one can afford at home, and they charge £0.05/page for A4. I took a small Canon printer (i250) to uni but I rarely use it. I wouldn't let printer offers sway your judgement when buying your first Mac.
Not to sound like an old guy, but back when I was in college, I had no real need for my own computer. I just kept using the university's computer labs. They worked fine for my purposes, and by the time I was ready to graduate, the then-new computers on the market were significantly more advanced than what was available when I started college.
Thats not how it works these days. My college very, very strongly recommends bringing your own laptop to school, almost to the point of requiring it. Of course I do go to a rich white kid college.
Unfortunately, my college's technology department seems to be full of boneheads. But then again, aren't most? I suppose that they do have to dumb themselves down to deal with the average student.
The good news is my college is actually about 50/50% Mac/PC, both in terms of on campus computers and student computers. That was actually a deciding factor (albeit a minor one) for me.
I have saved a literal ton of paper by using a iBook rather than taking notes by hand, its not even funny. I would not ever go back to hand written notes, since without spellcheck I don't do so well. Personally I got the Epsom C68 and it has not failed me yet, and I kind of had to get it since my schools computer network isn't Mac friendly. There PCs are so crapy I cannot use my USB stick, even though others can. I think its because the USB hub is USB 1.1 only, which leaves me out in the cold. Its formated to FAT 32, but still doesn't work there. It works fine on our inherited PC at home which is about the same age, strange.
sirnick4
2006-07-13, 09:57
Epson printers SUCK. My sister was only able to successfully print one page of paper with hers.
HP is okay. The ink is expensive though.
I haven't tried out a Canon (now I'm intrigued).
brassguy
2006-07-13, 13:27
BarracksSi. when did you go to college?
you make it sound like it was at least several years ago - and times have changed.
like Kraetos said - having your own computer at most colleges is virtually a requirement. It is strongly reccommended and a huge amount of the students will have their own laptops.
They even mailed all students a copy of Microsoft Office - just assuming that everyone had a laptop. (I had to request a Mac Microsoft Office copy).
Computer Labs they have - but it is so much more convenient to take notes with your laptop, type up stuff in your own dorm room or wherever than to always go to a computer lab.
All the Computer Labs for Communications are full of macs (my major).
BarracksSi
2006-07-13, 19:42
BarracksSi. when did you go to college?
you make it sound like it was at least several years ago - and times have changed.
Yeah, it definitely was several years ago. Our VAX/VMS system was still faster than regular internet, for example.
Even after finally getting a laptop in my last year (I knew that I couldn't keep using the school's computers), I never felt like I needed it to simply take notes. That seems like a sales-driven manufactured reason to me; I can't imagine any classes (outside of, say, law school) that really needed its students to take so many notes. The best notes I ever took were in a Sociology lecture where the professor would say, "Now write down this phrase... blah blah blah... Got it? Okay, what that means is this..." Notes from his class were the most efficient & informative that I had taken (indeed, my own note-taking style changed after that semester), and even they didn't go longer than maybe a single page of paper per lecture.
I would have wasted money by buying new notebooks every semester. Each class used, at most, maybe a quarter of the pages in a typical spiral notebook, so I've got several that have three or four subjects packed inside. At the same time, the money that I spent on notebooks was far less than I would've spent on any computer. Simply put, there was no justifiable reason for me to own a computer for note-taking.
Spelling? I can spell, and as a result, I know that spellchecker can't catch everything. It's just easier -- and more reliable -- to spell correctly from the beginning.
A computer isn't needed for writing drafts, either. That's like going into a recording studio to come up with lyrics to a song -- too many resources for that stage of production. Same thing for presentations. Plan it out, put together your outline, then rattle off a paper on the computer in one session. I got my A's and an invitation to present one of my papers at a conference while I still didn't own a computer.
I'll still contend that, unless your school requires it, and its computer labs are total crap, you probably won't need a computer. I'd say to wait. If you really need one (and not because you want to appear as "tech-savvy" as the other kids), you'll still be able to buy one.
digitalprimate
2006-07-13, 19:56
Seems like here in Belgium we're still accustomed to 'older', less hi-tech solutions, though the occasional laptop does peep up and in high-school and even primary school, students are getting used to having a laptop around all the time.
I also find taking notes on paper during courses a bit handier, because it's easier to draw arrows (to connect concepts together) and add small clarifications and stressing keywords.
I'm really bad at taking notes though, and I find that classes where you get the slides upfront, and you've printed them out, are the easiest to follow and understand.
I type a lot faster though than I write, so maybe I would have been a pioneer if I had had a laptop which also had the autonomy for a whole day of classes...
But for grasshopper-professors who don't structure their classes or don't have a syllabus or official notes, it's a lot better to just write them on dead tree.
MBHockey
2006-07-13, 19:56
I just think it's a different time now. All my classes (at my not so technically inclined university) do a lot of stuff online. Posting notes, assignments, test solutions, emails from professors, etc...
This stuff needs to be easily accessible very often.
I have never used my laptop to take notes. Granted I'm an engineering major, but still, even if i took all those other easy classes (:p) I believe i still would use a notebook and paper.
Having a computer at college is great. At my school, you are severely inconvenienced by not having one of your own. I think that is the trend at most universities nowadays, too, and I believe (if you can afford it) that is a good reason to get yourself your own computer.
A computer isn't needed for writing drafts, either. That's like going into a recording studio to come up with lyrics to a song -- too many resources for that stage of production. Same thing for presentations. Plan it out, put together your outline, then rattle off a paper on the computer in one session. I got my A's and an invitation to present one of my papers at a conference while I still didn't own a computer.
Getting A's on papers and presenting presentation has no bearing on how the paper should be written, clearly your personal skill got you those achievements. The average person certainly is not that accomplished at writing, and should most certainly write a draft (on the computer), edit it, then proceed to make a final draft. In fact, most accomplished writers I know have several drafts, and this would hardly be as convenient without a computer.
I think what Barracks was really saying is that, if you want to, you can get through college without owning a computer, but you better own a flash drive.
colivigan
2006-07-13, 20:07
Yeah, it definitely was several years ago. Our VAX/VMS system ...
Oh man, you really gave yourself away with that one! :lol:
I cut my teeth programming VAX FORTRAN on VMS, what a great operating system that was.
BarracksSi
2006-07-13, 20:18
Getting A's on papers and presenting presentation has no bearing on how the paper should be written, clearly your personal skill got you those achievments. The average person certainly is not that accomplished at writing,
I'm really not that much more skilled than average -- or at least I hope that "average" isn't so terrible.
A computer does not create skill, though. Nobody writes better because of a computer. They just make more mistakes per minute. ;)
But really, just because one production method allows for more steps doesn't mean that it's better. It truly isn't about how many drafts & edits you make. It's about keeping the production phase simple and efficient. "Work smarter, not harder," as they say. Only sadists enjoy bragging about how many hours they've spent or how many drafts they've completed.
My paper writing went like this --
- Highlight important things in my notes (just like an outline when you think about it; compiling an outline is just rewriting important notes),
- Write a rough draft (by "rough", I mean that you'll never be able to submit it because it's still full of incomplete thoughts; why bother composing every phrase at this stage),
- Type out a near-final paper, and proof & edit.
Sometimes I didn't highlight notes, and sometimes I didn't even do a draft. If you know a subject, you can write about it pretty darned easily.
I think what Barracks was really saying is that, if you want to, you can get through college without owning a computer, but you better own a flash drive.
We didn't even have flash drives yet; I used a floppy. :lol:
BarracksSi
2006-07-13, 20:22
Oh man, you really gave yourself away with that one! :lol:
Yeah I know.. lol
I never even programmed anything in college -- we just used those for internet stuff. One of my good friends and I would keep using those text-only terminals because, since there were no graphics to download, doing email and browsing discussion boards (software like vBulletin probably didn't even exist yet) was much, much faster.
torifile
2006-07-13, 20:40
What state are you in and does that state have a tax-free weekend? If so, you should wait until then and also try to get in on the iPod rebate. If you don't need the iPod, sell it and subsidize some of your computer purchase.
Getting A's on papers and presenting presentation has no bearing on how the paper should be written, clearly your personal skill got you those achievements. The average person certainly is not that accomplished at writing, and should most certainly write a draft (on the computer), edit it, then proceed to make a final draft. In fact, most accomplished writers I know have several drafts, and this would hardly be as convenient without a computer.
Thats true for the most part. Personally, I never write a draft or outline since I find that I always get lower grads when I edit etc. more; one look over and thats it for me. Look over it more than once and I try to reword stuff and go from an A to a C... :lol:
I'm really not that much more skilled than average -- or at least I hope that "average" isn't so terrible.
A computer does not create skill, though. Nobody writes better because of a computer. They just make more mistakes per minute. ;)
But really, just because one production method allows for more steps doesn't mean that it's better. It truly isn't about how many drafts & edits you make. It's about keeping the production phase simple and efficient. "Work smarter, not harder," as they say. Only sadists enjoy bragging about how many hours they've spent or how many drafts they've completed.
My paper writing went like this --
- Highlight important things in my notes (just like an outline when you think about it; compiling an outline is just rewriting important notes),
- Write a rough draft (by "rough", I mean that you'll never be able to submit it because it's still full of incomplete thoughts; why bother composing every phrase at this stage),
- Type out a near-final paper, and proof & edit.
Sometimes I didn't highlight notes, and sometimes I didn't even do a draft. If you know a subject, you can write about it pretty darned easily.
We didn't even have flash drives yet; I used a floppy. :lol:
Well, I guess it's just a matter of how willing you are to accept your first draft. The English language is such that it allows for far too many interpretations, its not like math. In my opinion an essay is best after being processed and refined to mean exactly what one wants, without the possibility of misinterpretation, which a computer allows for most easily... I don't want to derail this thread any further .... really.
In this day, a computer is essential for a post-secondary education, be it your own personal computer or the labs, a student is going to need one. The important thing is to choose what kind you personally need.
I know what you mean PB PM, I'm a single draft write too..
brassguy
2006-07-13, 21:18
What state are you in and does that state have a tax-free weekend? If so, you should wait until then and also try to get in on the iPod rebate. If you don't need the iPod, sell it and subsidize some of your computer purchase.
Not a state that is going to have one. And the site clearly says "Computers and software also are tax-exempt as long as their costs do not exceed $750. " A MB or MBP would be way over that.
-------
My thoughts flow more freely writing on computers than on paper. It is way easier to edit, rewrite, move around stuff, etc on computers. You'd probably have to type most things up anyway - just easier if you put everyone on a computer.
Plus my handwriting is TERRIBLE. I can barely even read it.
Pen and paper is out. :D
But I have decided to wait until WWDC. or until further news Thanks for all of your advice and keep it coming.
sirnick4
2006-07-13, 22:03
What state are you in and does that state have a tax-free weekend? If so, you should wait until then and also try to get in on the iPod rebate. If you don't need the iPod, sell it and subsidize some of your computer purchase.
That's a good idea. I don't think Texas, however, allows this. When your purchase is over a certain amount of money you do not get the tax-free benefit. I don't know how other states do it though.
Very clever.
brassguy
2006-07-13, 23:09
now another q - Glossy Screen or no Glossy Screen?
is there any sort of glare problem?
Since most classrooms have bright lights, I'd say non glossy.
BarracksSi
2006-07-13, 23:48
Well, I guess it's just a matter of how willing you are to accept your first draft.
Why should anyone accept a first draft? All it's for is making sure that the ideas are in the right order. Write too much, and you might as well be writing the final draft.
But anyway, yeah, I'm derailing the thread now, too.. lol
sirnick4
2006-07-14, 00:01
I saw a glossy screen on a MBP at an Apple Store. It looked funny to me. The lights in there are really bright so there was a glare. I think I still prefer the matte screen. But, if in the right environment, the glossy screens look really nice :)
Brassguy, have you checked what types of computers your college supports? I teach at a college and here the incoming students are REQUIRED to have a computer. If you don't have one the college buys one for you and charges you for it.
That being said most students do buy through the college as they get an education discount and the college stands behind the support for the computer and software. The students that show up with their own computers often find that they have problems doing certain things on the network and also that the support they get can be rather minimal (the college can't support every random software set-up that shows up).
I can't think of anything more frustrating than showing up with a brand new computer and finding you can't print to the college printers, or access the college servers, because of a conflict with some random bit of software or some misconfigured firewall setting. Check with your college and buy through them if you can. Here at least those computers come fully set-up to function smoothly on campus. And if something goes wrong you can walk over to the computer center to get it fixed rather than spending time with tech support on the phone.
brassguy
2006-07-20, 18:57
Yeah my college supports macs. They heavily recommend macs for Communications majors – like me. The school has many mac filled computer labs.
You can get a student discount on Dell, Gateway, and Apple computers from my college.
Their computer recommendation page is a little outdated though.
For Apple – they recommend “Powerbook G4
iBook 1 GHz or faster”
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Another q: 100GB Serial ATA drive @ 7200 rpm OR
120GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm??
and what the heck does 7200 or 5400 rpm mean?
I'm thinking that I should go for max hard drive capacity because I may want to run windows XP via bootcamp.
BarracksSi
2006-07-20, 19:31
and what the heck does 7200 or 5400 rpm mean?
7200 RPM = Honda engine redline; 5400 = Chevy redline.. ;) :lol:
Actually, what it means is the speed of the hard disk platter. It doesn't start spinning for every moment of access and then stop -- it'll spin constantly, and the reader head will skip around as needed to access data. The faster drive will get to a chunk of data more quickly, which equates to faster read/write access.
Regarding the size of the HD, I'd get as big as you can afford. I went from a 30 GB iBook to a 60, and it's packed to the gills already.
MBHockey
2006-07-20, 20:37
Haha...you can't even get SATA drives in those model Macs they recommend...they should fix that up ;)
Edit: Actually, i think you're asking us in general what to get...not that that's on their site...whatever :)
brassguy
2006-07-22, 02:09
Looks like waiting was a good idea.
A new printer deal started the day the old one died. Same deal. Nice. I still get a free printer.
And the Merom chips have just been released. That is a good sign. I hope.
Regarding the size of the HD, I'd get as big as you can afford. I went from a 30 GB iBook to a 60, and it's packed to the gills already.Price/space is an important consideration. Functionally there isn't much of a difference between a 100GB and 120GB drive. If the 100GB one fills up, so will the other.
I think there are roughly two kinds of people - ones who never fill any drive, and ones who'd fill any kind of drive.
Unless you play games using disk images instead of disks, I don't think Windows and apps will need more than 10GB, so it's not a big deal which size disk you have with Boot Camp.
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