Do you think I can use a new Macbook through college?

Question

Im in the 9th grade. Problem is, I need a laptop for school activities and I was think of getting a Macbook to use through school, but I don't know if it will last through all my years through highschool and college. Will the memory be enough? Will it last physically?

I'm usually very careful with expensive electronic, but I can get clumsy sometimes. Do you think I should get a Macbook or a differen't laptop?

Also, is there a way I can keep up with the updates for my Macbook because I don't know very much about Macs.

Thanks

Answer 1

No.

Most laptops will only last about 6 years.

And it would only be 3-4 years till you won't be able to install any new programs on it.



Just get a PC now, a Mac later.

Answer 2

I don't think a laptop is really necessary in the 9th grade for schoolwork, unless you go to really tech-savvie high school where everything, (and I mean EVERYTHING) is done through computers and the internet.



However, having a laptop is a very convenient luxury at any age, and if you can afford it, then you should get one. As long as your careful, the durability of a MacBook will definitely last you through the end of your college years. That being said, Apple updates the internal technical specs of its line of notebooks every 7 months, and MacBooks basically come with model years just like vehicles do. These upgrades include things such as memory, graphics card, processor, etc, but nothing too major. A complete overhaul of the MacBook happens about every 5 years (ex. the change from the white and black polycarbonate MacBook to the new unibody Aluminum MacBook).



Take this information and judge for yourself, whether you want a MacBook now or later. You'll only have the newest model MacBook for only a few months, at most, but MacBooks are still quality computers that you could certainly rely on. My friend at my college dorm uses his dad's MacBook from maybe 2003 that runs Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, and it works fine.



Don't worry about software updates for your MacBook. When connected to the internet, the computer will automatically search for updates to your operating system (OS) and any other applications that you may have such as Microsoft Word, iTunes, etc. Therefore, you may not have the most powerful MacBook, but your software is completely up-to-date.



Oh yeah... Apple >>>>>>>>>> Microsoft.

Answer 3

Ok, I don't know much about high school, when I got out you couldnt have a cell phone, pager, laptop, cd player, ect.... in school. In college though it can be a life saver if you will live off campus, you will not be tied down to the computer labs at school, mos computer labs will open at 8am and close at 11pm.

But don't assume it will last, lithium-ion batteries lose 60% of their max energy storage every 2 years, and every two years a $400 PC comes out that is twice as powerful as the $400 PC two years ago. PCs are super cheap(less than a lot of phones I see). Also a lot of software that is readily available is Windows only. I am an engineering student and I use a $400 Compaq CQ-60 running Matlab, AutoCAD, Solidworks, and Labview just fine. Call of Duty 4 runs pretty well also. At home I have a $50 Dell GX270 and it still flies.

As for RAM your minimum is 2Gb for XP, 4Gb for OSX(Mac) or VISTA or Windows 7.

Answer 4

A macbook is the best thing I have ever bought. I am in the 10th grade and If i didn't have my macbook I would be lost. In fact I am using one right now. They are very fun, easy, dont get viruses, great for memory and you can do almost anything on it. Macbooks are generally really strong but its not a good idea to drop it. I dropped my last one a lot and it never failed on me. just looked pretty beat up but still worked like a charm! Im clumsy too and I havent dropped my new macbook yet. The old one i dropped off the stairs while running down and it still survived!! And updates pop up automatically. You choose when. You can get updates every day, every week and every month. in other words..



GET A MACBOOK! Trust me :)

Answer 5

Definitely a Macbook. I'm in love with mine, and I'm so happy that I have one. Whenever I use my friends Dells, they are usually very slow and I personally just like the programs on a Mac. There are three different types of Macs laptops, but there are also desktops.

-MacBook ($1000) 500 GBS

-MacBook Pro 13-inch ($1199) 15-inch ($1699) 17-inch ($2499) *I'm not sure how many GBS these have, but most likely the most out of all 3

-MacBook Air ($1499) 128 GBS

Macs are great, and the features are even better. I've had mine for two years and its been great. Thats just my personal experience but I highly recommend them. Also going to the Apple store is great, and the workers really know what they are doing, so you could give that a try. Hope that helps!

Answer 6

It should last, though you'll probably need to replace the battery at some point. The biggest problem would be that by the time you graduate college, you'll be using an 8-year old laptop. Not a big deal if you just use the computer to write papers, but if you plan on becoming an engineer or physicist, you'll need a pretty high-end laptop when you get to college to run simulations.

Answer 7

If you are buying a laptop a MacBook is a no brainer. The MacBook is a great laptop. Contrary to what some people claim Apple's laptops are very similarly priced to similar PCs. They just don't make junk like Dell/HP.



Also the suggestion to build your own laptop is comical at best. Apple laptops are just as upgradeable as every other manufacturers laptop out there.

Answer 8

you could, but they are way more expensive, and by the time you go to college, it will be pretty outdated even with software upgrades (which can be expensive as well). If you are looking for a notebook/laptop that will last, i'd go with a PC based one, you can find way more software apps etc for free, and the hardware updates will be far less expensive, ALSO service on a mac is apple exclusive which also tends to run into more money.

Answer 9

No. Macs cannot be upgraded to the same extent PCs can. With a PC, you can add more RAM, change out the graphics card, and make other significant hardware changes impossible to do with a Mac.



Best bet is to buy an ASUS. Roughly the same price point, but it will have greater processing power and should last longer without needing an upgrade.

Answer 10

Macbooks are pretty good computers. You should be able to expand the memory as needed, which is easy to do.



Psysically, they have issues with the batteries and hard drives, as well as some graphics processors, but they are not especially common.



As far as the updates, they are pretty well automatic. Apple will let you know when updates are ready, and will prompt you to install them.

Answer 11

Yeah, it will last. I have had mine for four years and it still competes with modern laptops. It has 2 gigs of memory, which I can upgrade, I recently upgraded my harddrive to a 500 gig, and the processor is a 2.16 GHz intel core 2 duo. I have dropped it once and nothing went wrong, not dents or anything.

Answer 12

It depends on how would you use your laptop.



If you just use it for writing papers and surfing internet it would last a long time. But if you use it play games and play in media entertainment very often it won't last long. In this case I would suggest you to get a regular gaming laptop coz it is more robust than others and last longer ...

Answer 13

I've had my macbook since the beginning of my junior year of high school and i'm now a senior. it still works like a champ and isn't slower or anything. i plan on taking it to college. i might take it to a mac store before i go to clean out all the memory that i don't need. i definitely recommend it. they're amazing

Answer 14

A MacBook is a great computer, but batteries for laptops only last four years, so I would not get it so soon.

Answer 15

Yes, I am currently in my 3rd year of University and my macbook has been nothing but great! It is slim, the battery lasts long, and it isn't that heavy! I highly suggest getting one for college.

Answer 16

i could in my opinion pass with a I7 or greater, SSD + Extpersistent for the movies, 8-16GB of ram inspite of the undeniable fact that it would be costly. in my opinion i'm finding into SSD + Ram enhancements for myself. additionally in case you plan to maintain this component for extra suitable than a 300 and sixty 5 days get the apple care with as some years as conceivable, issues ensue terrific guard your investment. at the instant im employing the overdue 13' I5, 4GB ram and 500GB HDD, its ok, with updates and mountain lion its "ok" yet for video and good artwork load you go with for extra, battery life isn't 7hrs, good brightness is like 3-5 in my very own workloads, yet lots extra advantageous than a common computing gadget.

Answer 17

Get a PC for half price or less

www.dell.com

Inspiron 15

Answer 18

It depends on what you prefer, Windows or Mac. And it will defiantly last you! You can always update software. :)

Answer 19

maybe, mac makes a decent product, until now. snowleopard is a flawed system and shouldn't be bought if you wish to be secure and keep all your data...

Answer 20

Sure. It'll last.