Is a macbook pro good for student use?

It depends what you mean by 'gaming' OP. Remember, that windows laptops generally have better gaming specs than Macs which is the reason I didn't buy a mac.
Also be aware that a lot of games are only released for windows, and the big titles that are released for mac too are usually delayed.

Reply 21

Dr00n

13

considered a macbook air? They will feel quicker because of their SSD and you could probably use it for light gaming, like maybe mine craft and stuff like that

Reply 22

Samus2

17

Original post by mizzmegg

Hi, i have recently got a mac book pro 13 inch (about 6-8 months ago) when my old laptop broke and i needed a new one for 6th form.

For student work i have found it really great :biggrin:

There are so many different apps for students, including ones for graphic design and medical students, just a couple of examples (these can be pricey however). Also, there are other great free apps which i have found which have really helped my studies, so much so i plan to use in uni also. For example, iprocrastinate, which has been such a help in managing my schedule, revision and personal life! If you are disorganized like me, then such apps are great :smile:

Web surfing... what to say? I didn't particularly like the safari browser that came with the laptop so i got Firefox instead. I cant really think of anything else to say, its pretty self explanatory :L

I myself don't play any games- however my boyfriend does.... He has used my laptop for playing WOW and mine craft, and is impressed with the graphics, speeds etc. if that helps.

Oh, and the mac also comes with other great features such as 'time machine'. This allows you to restore your laptop to a previous date. So, god forbid if you ever lost all your files... you can just use time machine to go back to when they were all there, and Hey Presto, nothings lost :biggrin:

I hope this helps :smile:

Most laptops have this btw. It's called a system restore, it shouldn't really be used as a selling point for a MAC

Reply 23

Jadrian

Original post by ergo30

I need a new reliable laptop in September, is the macbook pro a good laptop?

I need it for:

Student work
web surfing
Some gaming :biggrin:

so is the macbook pro good for these uses?

All help appreciated :biggrin:

It's a little overkill for web surfing and games and you will have a dire gaming experience on one.

Reply 24

BoringComputerGuy

Original post by Junaid96

And the reason most PC users don't go back to a PC once they get a Mac is they're stupid enough to have switched to a Mac.

This comment is a perfect example of what annoys me in these Mac vs PC debates. Aside from the fact that your theory as to why people switch from PC to Mac is pure speculation on your part, you take a smug, condescending pot-shot at Mac users generalising them as being 'stupid'. If you don't like Macs, then fine, don't use one, simple as that. I run Windows, Linux and Mac machines at home and in my opinion they all have their upsides/downsides. There's no need to insult people based on which they opt for.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 25

mizzmegg

Original post by Samus2

Most laptops have this btw. It's called a system restore, it shouldn't really be used as a selling point for a MAC

A lot of computers come with music playing capabilities... Last time i checked i could still mention iTunes as a reason to why i like Mac's....
I was simply sating its one of the many features i like about mac computers...
But Macs also come with photo and movie editing software as standard (not sure other computers do), high quality resolution screens and an 'automator'...
I'm not sure if these are good enough selling points for you, but i personally find them very useful and are other good features of macs! :smile:

Reply 26

Wookie42

14

Original post by LoisArmour

I'm doing Business Management in Aberdeen

Oh you wouldn't run into any problems then. Its only for courses that require CAD software and stuff like that - Engineering, etc.

Original post by nexttime

I valued reliability, usability and customer support above all else, so the mac was the obvious choice. No one looks after their customers like Apple. However, if you value gaming, value for money or speed values, get something else.

Agree with all of that.

Reply 27

Samus2

17

Original post by mizzmegg

A lot of computers come with music playing capabilities... Last time i checked i could still mention iTunes as a reason to why i like Mac's....
I was simply sating its one of the many features i like about mac computers...
But Macs also come with photo and movie editing software as standard (not sure other computers do), high quality resolution screens and an 'automator'...
I'm not sure if these are good enough selling points for you, but i personally find them very useful and are other good features of macs! :smile:

I was talking about the time machine option.

Reply 28

gunner4lyf44

11

Original post by Rybee

Yes, only those who cannot afford one will say no.

What percentage of PC users buy a mac but then decide to go back to a PC? None. There's a reason why...

Im about to do that, I switched from PC to Mac and now Im switching back to PC. Mac is ****.

Reply 29

mizzmegg

Original post by Samus2

I was talking about the time machine option.

I know, i was simply making a point that computers come with many different capabilities, saying time machine shouldn't be mentioned simply because other computers have similar features is like saying neither can iTunes etc. Its rather silly... That's the point i was making.

Reply 30

Lunch_Box

15

Get the Macbook Air it's more portable if you need to take it to lectures.

Reply 31

jam12

1

I wouldn't recommend gaming on a Macbook Air, despite it be quite capable of playing some popular titles at low settings. The MBA 13" 2012 gets pretty hot when running anything remotely intensive - there is only so much you can do with the thermals considering the thin profile.

Reply 32

zenb

7

FYI - A modern macbook pro matches modern Alienware laptops in gaming performance even when running Windows... so having a Mac shouldn't stop you from gaming.

You simply can't compare a £500 Windows laptop to a Macbook because the 'PC is just as fast'. The main reason people buy Apple laptops is because they're extremely well made products. Hold a £500 HP/Dell/Toshiba etc and compare to a Macbook and you'll see why you're paying more.

It's totally up to you how you want to spend your money. As with everything, you can save money and buy an inferior product, or spend more for a quality one. There's no 'right' answer.

My recommendation, get a MacBook Air. Windows ultrabooks (of which some are great) cost around the same anyway.

Reply 33

Teenage Pirate

13

Original post by zenb

FYI - A modern macbook pro matches modern Alienware laptops in gaming performance even when running Windows... so having a Mac shouldn't stop you from gaming.

You simply can't compare a £500 Windows laptop to a Macbook because the 'PC is just as fast'. The main reason people buy Apple laptops is because they're extremely well made products. Hold a £500 HP/Dell/Toshiba etc and compare to a Macbook and you'll see why you're paying more.

It's totally up to you how you want to spend your money. As with everything, you can save money and buy an inferior product, or spend more for a quality one. There's no 'right' answer.

My recommendation, get a MacBook Air. Windows ultrabooks (of which some are great) cost around the same anyway.

FYI - no, the gaming specs don't even come close. What the hell are you talking about? Look at the hardware relevant to gaming on the alienware laptops that are priced at about 75% of the MBPs.

"An extremely well made product"? Sure, I guess the Mac fanbois can throw that one around. But just don't go around throwing out "facts" like Macs are more reliable (they aren't - middle of the pack) or that they have higher resale value (once again - they don't).

And honestly, most of the responses here from the Apple users just make me sad. You can play Minecraft so it's a gaming computer? Seriously?

OP: Save yourself a lot of money and trouble (dualbooting Windows to run software) and just get yourself a PC. Any specific recommendations? No. The beauty of the PC is that you can get just about what you need for the things you listed by looking around and customizing. You'll get it for a good price as well.

Reply 34

Sir Fox

18

To answer the basic question: yes, it is good for students. It's good for many more things but it fulfills all the basic needs a university student might have.

Whether you should get one is a totally different question :wink:

I got one two weeks ago and I don't regret it.

Reply 35

PVisitors

2

Original post by Teenage Pirate

FYI - no, the gaming specs don't even come close. What the hell are you talking about? Look at the hardware relevant to gaming on the alienware laptops that are priced at about 75% of the MBPs.

"An extremely well made product"? Sure, I guess the Mac fanbois can throw that one around. But just don't go around throwing out "facts" like Macs are more reliable (they aren't - middle of the pack) or that they have higher resale value (once again - they don't).

And honestly, most of the responses here from the Apple users just make me sad. You can play Minecraft so it's a gaming computer? Seriously?

OP: Save yourself a lot of money and trouble (dualbooting Windows to run software) and just get yourself a PC. Any specific recommendations? No. The beauty of the PC is that you can get just about what you need for the things you listed by looking around and customizing. You'll get it for a good price as well.

A same specced Alienware as the MBPR costs £1500, the same price a student could pay for the MBPR with their student discount. Not really 75% the price of a Mac. The same can also be said for the standard Macbook Pro specced the same as an Alienware. Then factor in that the Macbooks will have a much better battery life, dimensions and weight plus the more subjective elements of a multi-touch trackpad and keyboard alongside the better service care.

Likewise the Macbook Air is priced aggressively with ultrabooks.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 36

Sammydemon

18

Original post by PVisitors

A same specced Alienware as the MBPR costs £1500, the same price a student could pay for the MBPR with their student discount. Not really 75% the price of a Mac. The same can also be said for the standard Macbook Pro specced the same as an Alienware. Then factor in that the Macbooks will have a much better battery life, dimensions and weight plus the more subjective elements of a multi-touch trackpad and keyboard alongside the better service care.

Likewise the Macbook Air is priced aggressively with ultrabooks.

You also forgot to mention the retina display itself! The value is far in excess of the cheap 1920x1080 (16:9) TN display on any Dell, sorry, Alienware.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 37

PVisitors

2

Original post by Sammydemon

You also forgot to mention the retina display itself! The value is far in excess of the cheap 1920x1080 (16:9) TN display on any Dell, sorry, Alienware.

Indeed, I normally exclude that as it truly is one of its kind right now compared to battery technology et al which any OEM could match right now, but funnily enough they don't. Of course some people on here like to call the Retina display a gimmick too, lol.

Reply 38

Teenage Pirate

13

Original post by PVisitors

A same specced Alienware as the MBPR costs £1500, the same price a student could pay for the MBPR with their student discount. Not really 75% the price of a Mac. The same can also be said for the standard Macbook Pro specced the same as an Alienware. Then factor in that the Macbooks will have a much better battery life, dimensions and weight plus the more subjective elements of a multi-touch trackpad and keyboard alongside the better service care.

Likewise the Macbook Air is priced aggressively with ultrabooks.

15 inch screen (14 inch for Alienware) -
Alienware setup (gaming specs only): i7 with turboboost up to 3.6ghz (and it's got a fan so you can actually run it!), GeForce GTX 650M w/ 2GB gfx memory, 8GB memory, 750GB HDD
MBP setup (NO RETINA DISPLAY - CHEAPEST POSSIBLE SETUP): i7 with up to 3.3ghz with turboboost, GeForce GT 650M with 512MB gfx memory + Intel onboard gfx (irrelevant for gaming really), 4GB memory, 500GB HDD

Alienware price (without discounts. I'm sure Dell have some sort of student discount): £1,298
MBP cheapest possible price: £1,499

Basically, for 80% of the price you get a significantly better gaming machine when you buy Alienware.

I could run this same exercise by speccing up an Alienware machine to match a retina Macbook, but the price difference would be embarrassing for you (hint: it's bigger than the £200 here)

edit: oh yeah and the Alienware comes with Windows. There's another £alot that you need to pay to get games to work on a Mac. I really don't understand how the iFanbois have managed to get so high on Apple that they think it's actually a decent gaming machine. Face it, you're paying for the fruit sticker on the back, not the hardware.