DSA laptop upgrade help please

So got my approval letter yay!
It says I need to pay 200 contribution (but I started uni in 2014???)

Anyway it says they'll pay a lot towards my laptop etc (like 700+)
But in my recommendation letter from assessor it recommended a 360 laptop.
Does this mean if I want to upgrade to a Mac say 1000

I would pay 1000-360????

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Reply 1

claireestelle

Original post by Lovelylilly

Contact your supplier directly and ask what the upgrade cost would be to be sure. I believe they go from the date you applied rather than the date you started uni so I m afraid you would have to pay for it.

Reply 2

Tiger Rag

Original post by claireestelle

Yeah, it's from the date you applied and not started.

Reply 3

Jackieox

This was on another thread (And my own experience) you pay the 200 then pay like 500 to upgrade to a mac, so around 700ish x

Reply 4

BaronK

No one needs, nor should anyone want, a mac

Reply 5

Jackieox

Original post by BaronK

No one needs, nor should anyone want, a mac

Please tell me where i can find the windows version of final cut pro.

Reply 6

Tiger Rag

Original post by Jackieox

Please tell me where i can find the windows version of final cut pro.

It may be under a different name? (not familiar with it) Not exactly the same software though.

Reply 7

Klix88

Original post by Jackieox

Please tell me where i can find the windows version of final cut pro.

There isn't a Windows version - Final Cut Pro is Mac-only.

ETA: Sorry - I guess that was the point you were making!

Reply 8

urbanlocations

Original post by Jackieox

This was on another thread (And my own experience) you pay the 200 then pay like 500 to upgrade to a mac, so around 700ish x

I am thinking about upgrading mine as I have just got my letter.

Do you think I should pay the 700 pound? Also what Mac was it that you upgraded too.

Reply 9

Jackieox

Original post by urbanlocations

I am thinking about upgrading mine as I have just got my letter.

Do you think I should pay the 700 pound? Also what Mac was it that you upgraded too.

It's up to you.. You pay more depending on which you upgrade too, mine was the 11 inch mac air x

Reply 10

Miss_mischy

One question, if your were allowed to upgrade, would you be allowed to keep the laptop/mac at the end? It doesn't seem really fair that DSA pays for part of it and at the end you get to keep the laptop/mac. Surely they should only rent the laptop to you, since you would come out of uni with a laptop that other students had to pay 100% themselves. I understand DSA is to help disadvantaged students, but at the end you'd have an advantage of having a laptop/mac when others don't. I am being loaned one from the university (DSD rather than DSA), which is why I am curious.

Reply 11

Tiger Rag

You keep all the equipment given to you by DSA.

Reply 12

Klix88

Original post by Miss_mischy

As per OU Student's response, a uni loan is not the same as a laptop supplied under DSA. You get to keep the DSA laptop after you graduate - along with anything else funded by DSA.

Having said that, my DSA laptop conked out six months after I graduated. It had been locked down by the supplier, so I couldn't get it repaired as the crucial maintenance software was password protected at Admin level and I was never given the password.

Reply 13

urbanlocations

Does anyone know if you can upgrade to a pc tower instead of a laptop?

Reply 14

georgia00002

i upgraded to a macbook air 13" and payed only £188 pounds, so £388 in total, so do contact the suppier because i think it differs for everyone

Reply 15

illegaltobepoor

MACs are only needed for graphics courses. If its any other subject dont bother and get a I5 or I7 instead.

Reply 16

Charlie7701

Hi Georgia,

I'm going through the process now. My supplier's quote to upgrade to a 13" Air was nearly £600, on top of the £200 contribution.

Can I ask which supplier provided your quote? And how much SFE/DSA contributed to the cost of your laptop?

Reply 17

nikita16

Hi Georgia 00002
What is the name of your supplier?
Mine wanted £850.00.

Reply 18

Midgeymoo17

Original post by nikita16

Hi Georgia 00002
What is the name of your supplier?
Mine wanted £850.00.

For a Mac Book air that may not be as ridiculous quote as it seems because Apple charge £849 for a new thirteen inch Mac Book Air and just over £1000 for a 13 inch Mac Book Air with three year warranty.

To guess at what you could be expecting to pay for an upgrade 13 inch MacBook Air:

Apple Price + 30 % Profit Margin = £1103.7 (rember your supplier is a company and would want to make profit)
Minus the DSA Contribution (my guess is that this is around £300): £803.00

Now this figure makes a few assumptions
a) that your supplier would attempt the 30 % profit which is quite normal for business who are reselling someone else's device, however it maybe lower
b) that the cost of insuring the Mac is not more than insuring the other laptop you were recommended. If the cost of insuring the Mac is greater (which you would expect as it is more expensive) this maybe part the reason the quote is so high
c) That your supplier is quoting for the cheapest 13inch Mac Book Air. I would check with your supplier as their rules as to which Macs one can upgrade to and still use you DSA- namely ALL the technical specs of the Mac must meet or exceed that of the recommended laptop as such it maybe they are not quoting for the Mac Book Air but quoting for the Mac Book Pro putting up the quote.

Reply 19

Jackieox

Original post by Midgeymoo17

...Or go through Apple Education and it's £729 total for the Mac Air 13 inch and claim back whatever Student finance were going to pay...that's what I did anyway...