I need to justify this purchase...

blingem

The black macbook is hot, but get this. I have enough money for this and survival in the forseeable future, but I don't need the computer at all. I have a Dell Optiplex that's lasted me 3 years, and it could last alot more at no extra charge. However, the macbooks are SOOOOOOO cool. Someone, please, help me to justify this purchase. I'm a senior in college, and i may or may not find a job when I graduate (french and international studies major...) so the $2k would probably come in handy in 10 months when i become a real person.



What do I do?

backtomac

Quote:

Originally posted by blingem

The black macbook is hot, but get this. I have enough money for this and survival in the forseeable future, but I don't need the computer at all. I have a Dell Optiplex that's lasted me 3 years, and it could last alot more at no extra charge. However, the macbooks are SOOOOOOO cool. Someone, please, help me to justify this purchase. I'm a senior in college, and i may or may not find a job when I graduate (french and international studies major...) so the $2k would probably come in handy in 10 months when i become a real person.



What do I do?

Get a job.



Edit: BTW if I were gonna 'blow' 2k (at your age), I'd backpack across europe for a couple of months. What are you gonna remeber 20 years from now? Your black macbook or the 2 months you tramped across Europe?

bergz

Quote:

Originally posted by backtomac

Get a job.



Edit: BTW if I were gonna 'blow' 2k (at your age), I'd backpack across europe for a couple of months. What are you gonna remeber 20 years from now? Your black macbook or the 2 months you tramped across Europe?

Could even be a good job move as you could add some practical knowledge to your particular field of study.



--B

a_greer

Quote:

Originally posted by blingem

The black macbook is hot, but get this. I have enough money for this and survival in the forseeable future, but I don't need the computer at all. I have a Dell Optiplex that's lasted me 3 years, and it could last alot more at no extra charge. However, the macbooks are SOOOOOOO cool. Someone, please, help me to justify this purchase. I'm a senior in college, and i may or may not find a job when I graduate (french and international studies major...) so the $2k would probably come in handy in 10 months when i become a real person.



What do I do?

FIND A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I have been out since May, and since I worked at the school, a job tied to my enrollment...being jobless from then till now has cost me $1500+, and I live at HOME...life aint cheap, gas to interviews, constant resume printing, general living expences, cell phone, internet acces...



I just found some work starting later this week, but I am in the hole...lots and lots of saving and a credit card have gotten me through...



And remember, stuff on your car, like batteries, pumps, and so on only go dead when you can least afford it, it is a law of nature man.



Get a job, and get your priorities right.

progmac

sorry for not helping you justify, but don't get the computer. that money could be much better used for other things at this point in your life. and when stuff comes up, you don't want debt.

blingem

Been to france 3 times, and to singapore. I know, I don't really need the computer. But I'd be able to give the optiplex to my 13 year old sister, along with my Dell DJ. I have over 5k in the bank now, little car expense, no consumer debt and a good job over the school year. I'll need a real job once i graduate, but I want to buy something cool for myself. Although, backpacking through Europe would be great...



Any other opinions?

blingem

bump

g_warren

Why bump when you are already at the top of the bloody page?



Anyway, to answer your question, you seem to have decided that you are getting one already and just want someone else to tell you it's ok. So if it helps keep you quite, go ahead - buy your MacBook! I guess you could use it for uni work I suppose.

kickaha

Backpack, backpack, backpack. Try someplace *other* than France - they do exist. I spent ~3months doing so, and bounced from country to country having a blast. Much better than just hitting one city or country.

relic

Europe trip dude!!!! If you pass my way IM me and we can hook up, I'll smoke you out man.

backtomac

Since you've been to Europe consider moving out west, ski all winter and see if you can get in a Warren Miller movie. If you don't do it now, you'll only be a year older when you do.

blingem

So the consensus is don't buy a macbook?

hxc04

Yeah dude France sucks, go to the UK its waaay better. Don't spend the money if you don't even need to use it. Lame.

jeffdm

Quote:

Originally posted by blingem

So the consensus is don't buy a macbook?

I suggest you hold off as well. I would wait until either the current computer dies such that it isn't an easy fix or you have a stable job. It would suck to have take a hit to sell the thing.

progmac

Quote:

Originally posted by blingem

So the consensus is don't buy a macbook?

eh, now i'm thinking why not buy it? 1k isn't really that much money and i don't see spending it on something else changing your life that much.

mac voyer

Since you are going to buy it anyway, I say the best way to justify it is to get something that is going to last a while and take you much further than a MB can. Go for the 15" MBP. In a few months, you will have completely forgotten how much you spent on your notebook. It's not as if you are going to save the money and let it earn interest. So buy something you can really enjoy for a long time. As for that Dell, give it to a school and take a tax write off if such applies where you are. Then buy your kid sister a MB. Now go pick up your new book before someone talks you out of it. You don't need justification. I grant you absolution. Go in peace.

jeffdm

Quote:

Originally posted by progmac

eh, now i'm thinking why not buy it? 1k isn't really that much money and i don't see spending it on something else changing your life that much.

$1k is a lot of money for an unemployed person. Some were arguing not spending it at all on luxuries until there is some amount of financial stability.

splinemodel

There are always jobs that exist for the creative and risky. You can almost always make some (good) money by importing and exporting gray market goods. Nothing illegal, even: the risk is in the fact that it's not a standard job with a standard paycheck.



Even better, there's a lot of independent trading of French wine. You can probably even find a normal job with a small wine importer.

blingem

Quote:

Originally posted by Splinemodel

There are always jobs that exist for the creative and risky. You can almost always make some (good) money by importing and exporting gray market goods. Nothing illegal, even: the risk is in the fact that it's not a standard job with a standard paycheck.



Even better, there's a lot of independent trading of French wine. You can probably even find a normal job with a small wine importer.

Want to give me details? If I can find a job with a french wine importer, I would totally buy a mb....lol...so please elaborate...



Any other job ideas for a french major that will help me buy a mb?

splinemodel

Quote:

Originally posted by blingem

Want to give me details? If I can find a job with a french wine importer, I would totally buy a mb....lol...so please elaborate...



Any other job ideas for a french major that will help me buy a mb?

What I'm trying to say is that you often have to look outside the traditional avenues. You are a French major. . . what good is that? Well, the French make luxury goods.



I know some folks who used to import industrial sponges from Germany. they were used with a bizarre machine to clean out various large industrial devices. The moral of the story is that there is always a good job out there for those who think outside the box. Since I'm not you, and I don't know the things you do or about any of the connections you have, I really have no way to suggest anything specific. If you're willing to accept a challenge I'd suggest making chemicals for the nutritional suppliment industry in your basement. There's no regulation there, so that means opportunity. But you're interested in French, so I'd recommend finding any zone of opportunity that regards French. There's always opportunity in the gray market, since by virtue of being gray it's somewhat esoteric, underutilized, and often properly regulated (i.e. not regulated at all).

idave

Gee, there are a lot of sensible people here, well except for Mac Voyer who suggests getting an even more expensive laptop you don't need.



It's hard to justify any new computer these days unless your old one is many years old. Chances are a three year old computer nowadays is doing everything you need of it. So, it has to be considered a luxury purchase, i.e. something you want but don't need.



If you think you have enough of a cushion to get you through any unexpected hard times, go for it! (Consider the low end MacBook too. Why spend extra money on a color?) Otherwise, get a job and wait until you have the extra cash. Sometimes it's more fun anticipating something sweet than actually having it.