Which macbook should I buy for college?

I've had my heart set on an apple for about a year now and I'm going to purchase one for college this fall. Anyways, I just don't know which one to go with. My price range is about $1500 (including warrenty). I will be a typical college student this fall and I don't have any gaming needs. I was thinking of just getting the basic Macbook with:

13.3-inch widescreen display

1280 x 800 resolution

1.83GHz Intel Core Duo1

512MB memory (2x256MB SODIMMs)

60GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive2

Combo drive (DVD-ROM, CD-RW)

Is there anything that I should upgrade - like memory or hard drive? (I was thinking that I should get 1GB of RAM instead of the 512MB it comes with) Or should I just go to the next level up for macbooks??? Or I could just keep it simple and not upgrade anything - I don't need it for anything other than basic functions. Thanks for the help!

 

Depends on what you'll be doing with it. Basic school stuff like MS Office(I don't know what the Mac's Counterpart is,but you know what I'm talking about ),watching DVDs and for entertainment,that should be more than enough. I suggest getting 512MB in 1 SODIMM,because then that'll get rid of your hassle when you're upgrading(with 2 256's you'll have to get rid of at least one - dual channel increases performance and for that you'll have to get rid of both). Other than that you should be fine with the basic stuff. Maybe a combo drive if you plan on burning DVDs but it's upto you. Macs aren't meant for gaming anyways and the only other graphically intensive programs you can run are 3D rendering programs like Maya(which I don't think you'll be running) and Photoshop(which the Mac is more than capable of handling).

 

Usually cheaper to upgrade the memory yourself. MacBooks do run warm.

 

I'd honestly look at something else. Why spend more when you don't have to? The Asus W3J is probably the most popular notebook right now and would fit you fine.

 

if you plan on keeping it for 3-4 yrs spend the most you can right now, if you plan on changing laptops within two years get the cheapest macbook.

 

Unfortunately for him it is out of his price range. Also, if he has been looking at this for a year I think he kinda has decided on the brand and model and knows about the possible issues he may or may not face.

As for which level, I would say get the 2.0 and make sure you are buying through educational store online. You can get the 2.0 for 1199 and add AppleCare which extends the warranty to 3 years for 183. After tax you will still be under your 1500 budget and have a really nice notebook. Good luck with your purchase and let us know what you got and how you like it!

 

That is the only drawback but you can always buy a laptop cooler

 

You can get the educational discount at the Apple store, just bring your college ID or acceptance letter... That way you can get it same day and find out quickly if anything is wrong with it.

 

Apple has had some refurb macbook pros (1.83, 126mb x1600s) in the refurb. section ( http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=26403331&nclm=SpecialDeals) for $1599. I guess this may be stretching your budget a little bit, but it's a much better buy than any $1500 macbook. It's about the same weight as the macbook, plus you'll be able to play most games (if you're so inclined). You won't get applecare included, but I think you may be able to purchase that a little farther down the line.

If you're dead set on the macbook, I'd buy the most basic configuration and then upgrade the memory to 1 or 2 gigs. The 1 gig upgrade on the apple website is not a bad deal, but I would install the memory myself if I wanted 2gigs. Both OSX and the intel video card love memory. If you want more storage or a DVD burner, you can always buy external HDDs or DVD burners for much less than the apple upgrade price. You probably won't see a huge benefit from the upgrade to 2.0, so your money may be better spent on the memory.

One more thing, you can either buy the macbook from someplace like amazon or macmall for $999 or $1050 with free shipping or you can buy it from apple and get it for $1050 (edu pricing), pay tax, and get a free nano (after rebate).

 

Definitely more RAM. I have the 1.83GHz model and it's plenty fast. If you don't need a DVD burner, you can save a bit of money. I did upgrade to the 80GB hard drive however and maxed out the RAM via a third-party vendor. So far, things seem to be working just fine.

 

To get a cheaper price, go to the developer section and sign up for a student membership. The membership costs $100 bucks but the student pricing definitely makes up for it. I'm getting the $2500 MacBook Pro for $2000 (Or $2100 after the membership). At the retailing locations for students they are only offering I believe $200 off and then a few rebates on other gear (ipod & printer).