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Apple MacBook Pro - worth the money?

I'm starting university in September and I'm considering investing in an Apple MacBook Air with 13 inch display to replace my old laptop. The cheapest one I can find is from Argos at £829. But the question is, are they worth the money?

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Original post by hendo315
I'm starting university in September and I'm considering investing in an Apple MacBook Air with 13 inch display to replace my old laptop. The cheapest one I can find is from Argos at £829. But the question is, are they worth the money?


Yes - remember when you're a student you get a 10% discount as well :smile:

I love my Mac. I dont think I'll ever buy a Windows machine again or at least for the foreseeable future :smile:

EDIT: the 10% discount is only if you buy it from Apple directly
(edited 6 years ago)
You can get equipment with better specifications for your money - But if you're used to and more productive with MacOS, then buy a MBP.

If you tell us what you're looking to do with your laptop, then we can give you some more specific advice :biggrin:


EDIT: For example, I considered buying a Macbook Pro, but I tried out the keyboard and I absolutely hated it so I knew I wouldn't be productive on it due to the nature of my chosen degree and my hobbies, so I bought a ThinkPad because they (in my opinion) have the best keyboards because of the large amount of travel that the keys have. It's the small details that matter.

I cannot emphasise enough. You should really buy something that you are comfortable, and therefore the most productive with.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 3
Avatar for hendo315
hendo315
OP
2
Original post by Jack22031994
Yes - remember when you're a student you get a 10% discount as well :smile:

I love my Mac. I dont think I'll ever buy a Windows machine again or at least for the foreseeable future :smile:


Thanks for your super quick response! The student discount only applies when you buy directly from Apple though, right? If that's the case then the price Argos are advertising is less than the price Apple are advertising - even with the student discount!
I love the macbook pro it's such a smooth laptop to use.

You are paying a bit of a premium for the brand but they really are good laptops.
Original post by hendo315
Thanks for your super quick response! The student discount only applies when you buy directly from Apple though, right? If that's the case then the price Argos are advertising is less than the price Apple are advertising - even with the student discount!


No problem :smile: kinda part of my job of CA even though this not my forum :lol:

Yeah, youre right and if Agros are doing it cheaper even after the discount then go to Argos obvs! :smile:
Moved to Laptops, netbooks and tablets. :smile:
Original post by hendo315
I'm starting university in September and I'm considering investing in an Apple MacBook Air with 13 inch display to replace my old laptop. The cheapest one I can find is from Argos at £829. But the question is, are they worth the money?


The MacBook Air is garbage. It's literally got the spec sheet a £400 laptop from 2015, with a processor that is two generations behind the curve and a subpar display, and they're charging as much as a premium 2017-spec ultrabook for it. Yes OS X is nice and Apple's build quality is excellent, but they don't make up for the fact that such an expensive computer is essentially two years old before you've even taken it out of the box. If you really want a Mac then you are much better off buying whatever version of Retina Display equipped MacBook Pro that you can find on eBay for within your budget. If you don't want to buy used, then either keep saving for the entry level MacBook Pro or consider one of the many excellent Windows ultrabooks in the £800 region. But for the love of god, don't buy the Air.
except the OS on the Macbook Air is far superior to current the Windows OS
Original post by Jack22031994
except the OS on the Macbook Air is far superior to current the Windows OS


As somebody who uses both extensively, I agree that OS X is better. That's not enough to justify charging over £800 for hardware that would not have cost that much two years ago coming from any other manufacturer.
Thats fair I guess but for me the OS does outweigh it as I dont need any super duper hardware for what I do :smile:
Original post by Jack22031994
Thats fair I guess but for me the OS does outweigh it as I dont need any super duper hardware for what I do :smile:


That's where my "If you really want a Mac then you are much better off buying whatever version of Retina Display equipped MacBook Pro that you can find on eBay for within your budget" advice comes into play.
I guess but new ones are in my budget :h:
Original post by Jack22031994
I guess but new ones are in my budget :h:


Well it's OP's thread, it was him I'm referring to. If you can afford a new MBP then by all means go for it.
Reply 14
Avatar for Gadgetc
Gadgetc
You can never justify the cost of any Mac when comparing it to PCs. Most Mac software is also inferior to the equivalent at the same price point on a PC. Mac OS is smoother than the PC, but more difficult to troubleshoot with. I'm a power user of PCs in my workplace and a user of Apple hardware at home.
If the decision is Air or Pro I'd say Pro. If you don't need the connectivity then a new iPad Pro is probably more cost efficient than the air.
I would get a macbook tbh. They seem ideal for uni. Pretty sure they are silent and pretty fast for multitasking eg. Youtube, microsoft office and other stuff. Just don't be expecting to game on it in ur freetime lmao.
Original post by hendo315
I'm starting university in September and I'm considering investing in an Apple MacBook Air with 13 inch display to replace my old laptop. The cheapest one I can find is from Argos at £829. But the question is, are they worth the money?


No. The Air especially is hugely outdated.

It's nicely built if you like to sit fawning over the quality of the fit and finish and materials it's made out of. If you have a particular fetish for macOS software then it's also your only option.

But from an objective value point of view it's terrible value. £800 buys you a really good Windows laptop that is superior in every respect to the MacBook Air. You just won't have the macOS and a shiny apple logo on the lid to show off to people.
Reply 17
Avatar for hendo315
hendo315
OP
2
Original post by Blue_Cow
You can get equipment with better specifications for your money - But if you're used to and more productive with MacOS, then buy a MBP.

If you tell us what you're looking to do with your laptop, then we can give you some more specific advice :biggrin:


EDIT: For example, I considered buying a Macbook Pro, but I tried out the keyboard and I absolutely hated it so I knew I wouldn't be productive on it due to the nature of my chosen degree and my hobbies, so I bought a ThinkPad because they (in my opinion) have the best keyboards because of the large amount of travel that the keys have. It's the small details that matter.

I cannot emphasise enough. You should really buy something that you are comfortable, and therefore the most productive with.



Basically I'm looking for something to use on a daily basis for Uni work and general web surfing. The amount I'm willing to spend means that my choice is between the MacBook Pro (2015) or the MacBook Air (2017) and from what I've read the former would be better than the latter despite being older.
Original post by hendo315
Basically I'm looking for something to use on a daily basis for Uni work and general web surfing. The amount I'm willing to spend means that my choice is between the MacBook Pro (2015) or the MacBook Air (2017) and from what I've read the former would be better than the latter despite being older.


If you're into MacOS and if you definitely have to choose between those two, then I'd get the MacBook Pro.
Original post by hendo315
Basically I'm looking for something to use on a daily basis for Uni work and general web surfing. The amount I'm willing to spend means that my choice is between the MacBook Pro (2015) or the MacBook Air (2017) and from what I've read the former would be better than the latter despite being older.


The MacBook Air isn't really a 2017 device its components are from 2015 being sold at 2017 prices. It's an absolute con taking advantage of how much compromise people will accept just to own an Apple product.

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