Laptop for university - trying to decide between Windows or a Macbook Pro
40 replies, posted
[QUOTE=xxdeadb0ltxx;31475449]Well, I've got a lot to think about for both laptops. I tallied the votes between this thread and Facebook and it's pretty much 50/50 for either laptop.
The thing that is concerning me is that the ASUS only has a 5 hour battery life, while the Macbook has a 7 hour battery life. This seems like a major disadvantage. I have classes from 8am to 5pm roughly..so anywhere from a 9-10 hour day before I can return to my dorm to charge my laptop. Is 5 hours enough? Is this above/below average? I'm hoping if any of you have some experience with school and laptops, you can give some feedback on the battery life. I dunno if 5 hours will be enough. I'm leaning towards the Windows laptop but I'm hesitant solely because of the battery life now.[/QUOTE]
I use my Asus Eee 1201T at school and usually have just enough to make it through the day. I bought this netbook based on specs alone and regret it, since a more efficient computer / bigger battery would mean that I could get more done in a day.
Im just going to throw it out there,
[url]http://www.johnlewis.com/231132818/Product.aspx?source=63258[/url]
Unless your heart is set on the asus, then you should check out something like this,
Or for £350 more you could get a standard dual core macbook.
Specs don't really matter on a small level for school laptops unless you want to use it for more than just school work or your program of study involves you using intensive programs. In the end, 99% of laptops will be able to web browse, type up documents, watch video, etc anyways so what you should be looking for more is the battery life, the comfort and form factor. The only exception is if you want to do more with your laptop or need specilized software that uses extra resources.
I'd actually suggest a netbook or an ASUS Transformer over a laptop for most college situations simply because they are super portable, don't involve you carrying a laptop bag everywhere and have good battery life. The TF is also a lot of fun to play with. However if you plan on playing PC games, using windows programs, or won't have easy access to a desktop workstation should you want or need to, then a normal laptop is better.
Macbooks are only good for college if money is not an issue and you are doing graphic design. Macbooks excel at graphic design as all the design programs are native to it, and OSX's workflow works very very well with the design workflow.
Be smart save the money and buy a windows laptop.
Look at the ASUS N53SV models. They are great and should handle anything you throw at them.
[QUOTE=benjgvps;31473227]If you're doing a lot of work with the mouse, you'll appreciate the touchpad on the MacBook. It's by far one of the best I've used. You may also want to compare the battery life, I personally weigh battery life over specs since a powerful laptop is not useful to me when I can't use it at all.[/QUOTE]
You can just buy a mouse.
And if battery life is a problem, get an Acer TimelineX, holds battery for 10-12 hours with okay specs.
[editline]2nd August 2011[/editline]
And don't get a HP, PLEASE, DO NOT.
They suck ass, but if you want a portable stove, get the ones with an aluminum case.
[QUOTE=xxdeadb0ltxx;31475449]Well, I've got a lot to think about for both laptops. I tallied the votes between this thread and Facebook and it's pretty much 50/50 for either laptop.
The thing that is concerning me is that the ASUS only has a 5 hour battery life, while the Macbook has a 7 hour battery life. This seems like a major disadvantage. I have classes from 8am to 5pm roughly..so anywhere from a 9-10 hour day before I can return to my dorm to charge my laptop. Is 5 hours enough? Is this above/below average? I'm hoping if any of you have some experience with school and laptops, you can give some feedback on the battery life. I dunno if 5 hours will be enough. I'm leaning towards the Windows laptop but I'm hesitant solely because of the battery life now.[/QUOTE]
You're going to a University. Not the Sahara Desert. There will be power points all over the place. Especially for something like engineering where they know people will want laptops and stuff. As long as you carry a charger with you at all times (they aren't exactly big any more), you will be fine.
I recommend [i]not[/i] buying the Apple product.
Believe me, I'm typing on my two-month-old Macbook Pro and I regret the decision.
[QUOTE=Shooter;31497997]I recommend [i]not[/i] buying the Apple product.
Believe me, I'm typing on my two-month-old Macbook Pro and I regret the decision.[/QUOTE]
Of course this is all based on opinion, but I absolutely love my Macbook Pro.
[QUOTE=Van-man;31473091]Lenovo Thinkpad
Makes MBP's it's bitch all day, every day.[/QUOTE]
Yeah Thinkpads are great, my sis got [URL="http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=411804"]this one[/URL], and now I want one badly :v:
I have that Asus. I think the most battery life I got from it has been 3:30, so don't go by the manufacturer specs for the battery.
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