The apple update was pretty much a snoozer. If you just bought a mac, remember that most vendors (all, apple itself?) has a 2 week return policy, so if you think the upgrade is worth it. Get to it. However, that means... work & the systems are pretty much the same. i saw on another post that it is their version of clearance, and could be, not much is doing with the new 'books, but once you unleash the power, you'll remember to not judge a book by its cover.
I am looking to purchase a laptop this summer, so I have a couple of brief thoughts on the MacBook update:
- Low-end model is now nearly perfect for my purposes...512MB of RAM was too low for me, 1GB would be a good starting point. I will likely be going with this model as my first Mac purchase, I think I can survive without a DVD burner...
- Difference between low-end and mid-level models is now pretty goofy - $200 (CND) gets you a slightly faster processor, a DVD burner vs. CD burner ($10-$20 retail value max.), and a slightly larger HD?
- Black model is now arguably an even worse value compared to the other models. I'm suprised that Apple wouldn't choose to equip it with 2GB of RAM, in order to better differentiate it (though of course that would cause some complications compared to the MacBook Pro models).
I am looking to purchase a laptop this summer, so I have a couple of brief thoughts on the MacBook update:
- Low-end model is now nearly perfect for my purposes...512MB of RAM was too low for me, 1GB would be a good starting point. I will likely be going with this model as my first Mac purchase, I think I can survive without a DVD burner...
- Difference between low-end and mid-level models is now pretty goofy - $200 (CND) gets you a slightly faster processor, a DVD burner vs. CD burner ($10-$20 retail value max.), and a slightly larger HD?
- Black model is now arguably an even worse value compared to the other models. I'm suprised that Apple wouldn't choose to equip it with 2GB of RAM, in order to better differentiate it (though of course that would cause some complications compared to the MacBook Pro models).
Amazon is good for low price prices without taxes and, of course, no shipping charges.
Using the new student discount prices, you can get a 2.0GHZ C2D with 1GB RAM for $999. If you splurge the $68 for the 120GB HDD, you'll have the same machine I bought less than 2 months ago for $1499, save for the case color and Superdrive. If you really don't need the DVD burner in this machine, it's a good deal.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
not being hardware-savvy, could someone tell me what kind of memory i should be looking for (on ebay or amazon, or another place?) if i want to, like solipsism, get 2 1gb sticks outside of the apple store? i've seen youtube videos on how simple it is to upgrade macbook memory, and if it's cost-effective, i guess i'd do it. also, how easy is it to re-sell the leftover 2 512mb sticks, again on ebay or amazon? thanks.
not being hardware-savvy, could someone tell me what kind of memory i should be looking for (on ebay or amazon, or another place?) if i want to, like solipsism, get 2 1gb sticks outside of the apple store? i've seen youtube videos on how simple it is to upgrade macbook memory, and if it's cost-effective, i guess i'd do it. also, how easy is it to re-sell the leftover 2 512mb sticks, again on ebay or amazon? thanks.
I bought mine through Crucial.com via Amazon.com.
If you have a MacBook then you need DDR2 667MHz 200-pin RAM. You can verify this by choosing About This Mac under the Apple logo in the upper left corne or choose Memory in the System Profiler.
If you have a MacBook then you need DDR2 667MHz 200-pin RAM. You can verify this by choosing About This Mac under the Apple logo in the upper left corne or choose Memory in the System Profiler.
could i then put the two (replaced) 512 sticks into my brother's ibook g4, or will that not work?
Run on a G4 machine? Hahahahhaha, it may work, but how useable will it be. Tiger is slow as hell on a G4 machine.
i found that tiger speeded up my ibook g4 - much faster at normal tasks (finder browsing, copying files and loading graphix as well as window responsiveness) than panther was. i had tiger from 10.4.01 i think and was worried at first as it was slow, much slower than panther, but once 10.4.03 hit, i had wondered if suddenly i had more ram added to my computer as there wasn't the wait as well as thumbnails and previews were much faster. g4 runs tiger wonderfully.
Amazon is good for low price prices without taxes and, of course, no shipping charges.
Using the new student discount prices, you can get a 2.0GHZ C2D with 1GB RAM for $999. If you splurge the $68 for the 120GB HDD, you'll have the same machine I bought less than 2 months ago for $1499, save for the case color and Superdrive. If you really don't need the DVD burner in this machine, it's a good deal.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
the poor sod however is from canada and amazon do not ship here nor do we really have such outlets for those prices. we are in fact, in a desert!
So all you guys are scaring me! I've Just graduated from high school and have been looking for a light weight, very portable laptop for school next year. My research eventually lead me to a macbook, and to this site.. where now I'm not so sure.
Should I get a macbook? I'm really sitting on the about 1k$ range.
Is there something better for the money somewhere else? or should I wait for the upcoming keynote to decide?
Thanks.
P.S. This would not be for any gaming, besides MAYBE world of warcraft, if that. But I'm still interested in the "still the outdated graphics" discussion that's going on.
So all you guys are scaring me! I've Just graduated from high school and have been looking for a light weight, very portable laptop for school next year. My research eventually lead me to a macbook, and to this site.. where now I'm not so sure.
Should I get a macbook? I'm really sitting on the about 1k$ range.
Is there something better for the money somewhere else? or should I wait for the upcoming keynote to decide?
Thanks.
P.S. This would not be for any gaming, besides MAYBE world of warcraft, if that. But I'm still interested in the "still the outdated graphics" discussion that's going on.
I'm not sure about WarCraft - but there is nothing to be afraid of. The MacBook will be fine for your student needs. It just isn't lightweight at 5lbs. But for a youngster, you'll be OK toting it around.
There are better values, in terms of computing power for the buck. But you'll have to put up with the Windows OS.
In any case, I'd wait until the June keynote before making any purchases. It less than a month away...
Thanks for the quick reply. Honestly best bang for the buck is what I'm really looking for atm, but the macbook is just damn pretty to top it all off
I'd be boot camping it as soon as I got it anyways. I've never used a mac and would want to take my time learning, while still retaining my ability to actually use the laptop effectively. (and know what I was doing)
Honestly, I don't think the learning curve is all that big; if you get your computer a month or so before you start college in the fall, you should be more than proficient at it's basic uses (if you put a little time into it). I also don't think that you will need to BootCamp; once you get to school and discover that you have to have Word or Excel, just grab the Mac versions.
WWDC is just under 2 weeks away, and Apple may or may not introduce a new machine. If they do, it may or may not be available immediately, and also will be a version 1. If your educatiuon is riding on it, don't get a version 1 of a machine.
So, I would really suggest getting a current MacBook and when you really need to, update the OS sometime next year. I still have a machine running OS 10.2; it does what I need it to do very well. I also used a machine running OS 7.? until just a couple of years ago; again, it did what I wanted it to do very well.
Your education is the most important thing in your life right now, so get something that you know works and upgrade slightly behind the latest updates to make sure that the upgrades also work.
Buy early and get to know the machine and the software.
Others have come to us with the same questions you might:
Bergermeister offers excellent advice; advice I rarely adhere to myself-- i.e. constantly jumping for the latest machine available on announcement day. As an educator, I think I must agree with the analysis. You will find your new machine more than enough for all your tasks, unless you are an engineer, when you may wish to hold for desktop. For the humanists, social scientists, and good ole fashioned students, what is there now is great stuff.
But I do jump at the new machines, and the rumors of new MBP and/or iMacs in a couple weeks have put my plans on hold for a couple of weeks. If they're there, I'll probably grab one, Rev 1 or not. I've not been burned yet, but the flaming balloons of those caught up in buyers' remorse and "credit card pay off date" angst, have sometimes fallen all around me. My only "mistake" was in my purchase of the Cube, and that was that it was, in fact, over-priced for what I got--though it did get me into a flat panel world, made even more wonderful by the iMac G4, but I've loved all my Macs, and that is a statement that goes back to the original, purchased in 1984! (Now that was an expensive adventure launched, but one I'm still giddy about having had the guts to take.)
Bergermeister offers excellent advice; advice I rarely adhere to myself-- i.e. constantly jumping for the latest machine available on announcement day. As an educator, I think I must agree with the analysis. You will find your new machine more than enough for all your tasks, unless you are an engineer, when you may wish to hold for desktop. For the humanists, social scientists, and good ole fashioned students, what is there now is great stuff.
I disagree. With new machines on the horizon now is the dumbest time to buy. If nothing else you can get a edu discount on a MB + AppleCare for about the same as the Amazon deal ($1,182.00 vs $1,178.99) after WWDC if you decide a MB is the way to go and its faster with more memory...
And yea...for a laptop you do want AppleCare.
If Apple comes out with a Santa Rosa MB thats a significant improvement over the current models and worth the rev 1 risks unless you intend on getting a new laptop before you graduate.
And since he's bootcamping then any learning curve is at his leisure. If he has to wait till XMas he's still better off waiting for a Santa Rosa update for a MB because this is a laptop he has to live with for a while.
Here's the MB games thread. Even with the current GMA there are quite a few playable games. WoW works well.
PS You don't need a desktop as an engineer...but a monitor would be nice for any major. The major downside at the moment is the GMA which is why a Santa Rosa update is very desireable.
As an aside...IMHO...having fun and meeting folks is the most important thing in your life right now...edumacation takes a distant third and tech toys really aren't on the radar. Just don't fail out or do anything tragic.
Having fun and meeting people is part of his education! So is impressing the girls with the fancy things his MacBook can do (without BootCamp).
I have been burned by Rev 1 machines enough times so that I would never entrust one to an imortant task unless I had a backup. Fortunately, I have four or five actice machines at any one time, so I can afford to take the risk; most people cannot, especially not those on $1000 budgets. If his MB goes down the week before his term paper is due, he is screwed, and it doesn't matter then how much fun he is having or has had (unless his term paper is about said fun) or how many people he has met (unless one offers to let him borrow a computer). He needs a dependable machine.
The MacBooks were also just updated, which means they will not likely be updated agin for a while (though this is no always the case).
I once taught a class at a university where a kid walked in with the latest laptop that he had just bought and loaded with tons of apps. Two weeks later, when his first essay was due, he failed to hand it in on time because he didn't know how to use the apps he had spent so much cash on; I got a hand-written essay three days after the deadline. A month later, at mid-terms, with lots of notes finally on his fancy machine (and I hoped an essay for me), the machine crashed and had to go in for repairs. Having not backed anything up, all was lost and he didn't do very well on his exams (he didn't have any paper notes) and handed in a hand-written essay to me (for half points).
Get the machine. Learn to use it over the summer. Apply it at school in the fall. Relish the fact that it doesn't die on you before your junior year.
I suppose I should clarify, I have a desktop that is my own and in great working condition, which will be coming with me also. This is why I really wanted to focus on finding a laptop that was highly portable and small. If a mac mini were to to be actually coming out, it would most likely be out of my price range. Yes?
Having fun and meeting people is part of his education! So is impressing the girls with the fancy things his MacBook can do (without BootCamp).
Um, dude...not even girls from MIT are all THAT impressed with what can be done with a MacBook.
Quote:
I have been burned by Rev 1 machines enough times so that I would never entrust one to an imortant task unless I had a backup. Fortunately, I have four or five actice machines at any one time, so I can afford to take the risk; most people cannot, especially not those on $1000 budgets. If his MB goes down the week before his term paper is due, he is screwed, and it doesn't matter then how much fun he is having or has had (unless his term paper is about said fun) or how many people he has met (unless one offers to let him borrow a computer). He needs a dependable machine.
Because universities no longer have computers...and if it's that "mission critical" then he shouldn't be looking at a MacBook at all but some Dell with a next business day on-site service coupled with accidental damage service (yes you can get that for $999...but the laptop will be fairly basic). And store everything online with a USB key backup.
Heck, if you're that paranoid use Google Docs with backups.
Quote:
The MacBooks were also just updated, which means they will not likely be updated agin for a while (though this is no always the case).
The MacBooks just got a speed bump...not updated. This is very different.
Quote:
I once taught a class at a university where a kid walked in with the latest laptop that he had just bought and loaded with tons of apps. Two weeks later, when his first essay was due, he failed to hand it in on time because he didn't know how to use the apps he had spent so much cash on; I got a hand-written essay three days after the deadline. A month later, at mid-terms, with lots of notes finally on his fancy machine (and I hoped an essay for me), the machine crashed and had to go in for repairs. Having not backed anything up, all was lost and he didn't do very well on his exams (he didn't have any paper notes) and handed in a hand-written essay to me (for half points).
Get the machine. Learn to use it over the summer. Apply it at school in the fall. Relish the fact that it doesn't die on you before your junior year.
Mmm...yah. And I knew a kid that played EQ his entire freshman year and bombed out. I guess these days it would be WoW. And there was a guy...waaaay back in 1986 that spent a year surfing the net (which existed even then) and lost his job at the computer vision lab and came yea close to being kicked out of the CS program.
Come on. The probability that a Santa Rosa MacBook is going to be a complete dud is fairly minimal. Especially given it would be the Rev 2 of the MacBooks because the machine you're advocating is the Rev 1 MacBook released in May 2006 with a processor speed bump (or just Rev 1 if he's buying the older model off Amazon).
The real question is when Apple will offer one. It might not happen in time.
Comments
The apple update was pretty much a snoozer. If you just bought a mac, remember that most vendors (all, apple itself?) has a 2 week return policy, so if you think the upgrade is worth it. Get to it. However, that means... work & the systems are pretty much the same. i saw on another post that it is their version of clearance, and could be, not much is doing with the new 'books, but once you unleash the power, you'll remember to not judge a book by its cover.
- Low-end model is now nearly perfect for my purposes...512MB of RAM was too low for me, 1GB would be a good starting point. I will likely be going with this model as my first Mac purchase, I think I can survive without a DVD burner...
- Difference between low-end and mid-level models is now pretty goofy - $200 (CND) gets you a slightly faster processor, a DVD burner vs. CD burner ($10-$20 retail value max.), and a slightly larger HD?
- Black model is now arguably an even worse value compared to the other models. I'm suprised that Apple wouldn't choose to equip it with 2GB of RAM, in order to better differentiate it (though of course that would cause some complications compared to the MacBook Pro models).
I am looking to purchase a laptop this summer, so I have a couple of brief thoughts on the MacBook update:
- Low-end model is now nearly perfect for my purposes...512MB of RAM was too low for me, 1GB would be a good starting point. I will likely be going with this model as my first Mac purchase, I think I can survive without a DVD burner...
- Difference between low-end and mid-level models is now pretty goofy - $200 (CND) gets you a slightly faster processor, a DVD burner vs. CD burner ($10-$20 retail value max.), and a slightly larger HD?
- Black model is now arguably an even worse value compared to the other models. I'm suprised that Apple wouldn't choose to equip it with 2GB of RAM, in order to better differentiate it (though of course that would cause some complications compared to the MacBook Pro models).
Amazon is good for low price prices without taxes and, of course, no shipping charges.
Using the new student discount prices, you can get a 2.0GHZ C2D with 1GB RAM for $999. If you splurge the $68 for the 120GB HDD, you'll have the same machine I bought less than 2 months ago for $1499, save for the case color and Superdrive. If you really don't need the DVD burner in this machine, it's a good deal.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
not being hardware-savvy, could someone tell me what kind of memory i should be looking for (on ebay or amazon, or another place?) if i want to, like solipsism, get 2 1gb sticks outside of the apple store? i've seen youtube videos on how simple it is to upgrade macbook memory, and if it's cost-effective, i guess i'd do it. also, how easy is it to re-sell the leftover 2 512mb sticks, again on ebay or amazon? thanks.
not being hardware-savvy, could someone tell me what kind of memory i should be looking for (on ebay or amazon, or another place?) if i want to, like solipsism, get 2 1gb sticks outside of the apple store? i've seen youtube videos on how simple it is to upgrade macbook memory, and if it's cost-effective, i guess i'd do it. also, how easy is it to re-sell the leftover 2 512mb sticks, again on ebay or amazon? thanks.
I bought mine through Crucial.com via Amazon.com.
If you have a MacBook then you need DDR2 667MHz 200-pin RAM. You can verify this by choosing About This Mac under the Apple logo in the upper left corne or choose Memory in the System Profiler.
I bought mine through Crucial.com via Amazon.com.
If you have a MacBook then you need DDR2 667MHz 200-pin RAM. You can verify this by choosing About This Mac under the Apple logo in the upper left corne or choose Memory in the System Profiler.
could i then put the two (replaced) 512 sticks into my brother's ibook g4, or will that not work?
could i then put the two (replaced) 512 sticks into my brother's ibook g4, or will that not work?
Different RAM types and ther is only one user-accessible RAM slot. The other is hardwired to the logic board.
Download MacTracker . It will list, in detail, the type of RAM supported, and the number of slots available.
Different RAM types and ther is only one user-accessible RAM slot. The other is hardwired to the logic board.
Download MacTracker . It will list, in detail, the type of RAM supported, and the number of slots available.
would i be able to easily resell them on ebay or amazon (for around half of what i spent, $40-45)?
Run on a G4 machine? Hahahahhaha, it may work, but how useable will it be. Tiger is slow as hell on a G4 machine.
i found that tiger speeded up my ibook g4 - much faster at normal tasks (finder browsing, copying files and loading graphix as well as window responsiveness) than panther was. i had tiger from 10.4.01 i think and was worried at first as it was slow, much slower than panther, but once 10.4.03 hit, i had wondered if suddenly i had more ram added to my computer as there wasn't the wait as well as thumbnails and previews were much faster. g4 runs tiger wonderfully.
Amazon is good for low price prices without taxes and, of course, no shipping charges.
Using the new student discount prices, you can get a 2.0GHZ C2D with 1GB RAM for $999. If you splurge the $68 for the 120GB HDD, you'll have the same machine I bought less than 2 months ago for $1499, save for the case color and Superdrive. If you really don't need the DVD burner in this machine, it's a good deal.
BTW, RAM prices seem to be dropping. I just purchased 2x1GB for $90 this week.
the poor sod however is from canada and amazon do not ship here nor do we really have such outlets for those prices. we are in fact, in a desert!
Should I get a macbook? I'm really sitting on the about 1k$ range.
Is there something better for the money somewhere else? or should I wait for the upcoming keynote to decide?
Thanks.
P.S. This would not be for any gaming, besides MAYBE world of warcraft, if that. But I'm still interested in the "still the outdated graphics" discussion that's going on.
So all you guys are scaring me! I've Just graduated from high school and have been looking for a light weight, very portable laptop for school next year. My research eventually lead me to a macbook, and to this site.. where now I'm not so sure.
Should I get a macbook? I'm really sitting on the about 1k$ range.
Is there something better for the money somewhere else? or should I wait for the upcoming keynote to decide?
Thanks.
P.S. This would not be for any gaming, besides MAYBE world of warcraft, if that. But I'm still interested in the "still the outdated graphics" discussion that's going on.
I'm not sure about WarCraft - but there is nothing to be afraid of. The MacBook will be fine for your student needs. It just isn't lightweight at 5lbs. But for a youngster, you'll be OK toting it around.
There are better values, in terms of computing power for the buck. But you'll have to put up with the Windows OS.
In any case, I'd wait until the June keynote before making any purchases. It less than a month away...
I'd be boot camping it as soon as I got it anyways. I've never used a mac and would want to take my time learning, while still retaining my ability to actually use the laptop effectively. (and know what I was doing)
Honestly, I don't think the learning curve is all that big; if you get your computer a month or so before you start college in the fall, you should be more than proficient at it's basic uses (if you put a little time into it). I also don't think that you will need to BootCamp; once you get to school and discover that you have to have Word or Excel, just grab the Mac versions.
WWDC is just under 2 weeks away, and Apple may or may not introduce a new machine. If they do, it may or may not be available immediately, and also will be a version 1. If your educatiuon is riding on it, don't get a version 1 of a machine.
So, I would really suggest getting a current MacBook and when you really need to, update the OS sometime next year. I still have a machine running OS 10.2; it does what I need it to do very well. I also used a machine running OS 7.? until just a couple of years ago; again, it did what I wanted it to do very well.
Your education is the most important thing in your life right now, so get something that you know works and upgrade slightly behind the latest updates to make sure that the upgrades also work.
Buy early and get to know the machine and the software.
Others have come to us with the same questions you might:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...laptop+college
Slide down to post #19 where I recommend to apps for students.
But I do jump at the new machines, and the rumors of new MBP and/or iMacs in a couple weeks have put my plans on hold for a couple of weeks. If they're there, I'll probably grab one, Rev 1 or not. I've not been burned yet, but the flaming balloons of those caught up in buyers' remorse and "credit card pay off date" angst, have sometimes fallen all around me. My only "mistake" was in my purchase of the Cube, and that was that it was, in fact, over-priced for what I got--though it did get me into a flat panel world, made even more wonderful by the iMac G4, but I've loved all my Macs, and that is a statement that goes back to the original, purchased in 1984! (Now that was an expensive adventure launched, but one I'm still giddy about having had the guts to take.)
Bergermeister offers excellent advice; advice I rarely adhere to myself-- i.e. constantly jumping for the latest machine available on announcement day. As an educator, I think I must agree with the analysis. You will find your new machine more than enough for all your tasks, unless you are an engineer, when you may wish to hold for desktop. For the humanists, social scientists, and good ole fashioned students, what is there now is great stuff.
I disagree. With new machines on the horizon now is the dumbest time to buy. If nothing else you can get a edu discount on a MB + AppleCare for about the same as the Amazon deal ($1,182.00 vs $1,178.99) after WWDC if you decide a MB is the way to go and its faster with more memory...
And yea...for a laptop you do want AppleCare.
If Apple comes out with a Santa Rosa MB thats a significant improvement over the current models and worth the rev 1 risks unless you intend on getting a new laptop before you graduate.
And since he's bootcamping then any learning curve is at his leisure. If he has to wait till XMas he's still better off waiting for a Santa Rosa update for a MB because this is a laptop he has to live with for a while.
Here's the MB games thread. Even with the current GMA there are quite a few playable games. WoW works well.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=70500
Vinea
PS You don't need a desktop as an engineer...but a monitor would be nice for any major. The major downside at the moment is the GMA which is why a Santa Rosa update is very desireable.
Vinea
I have been burned by Rev 1 machines enough times so that I would never entrust one to an imortant task unless I had a backup. Fortunately, I have four or five actice machines at any one time, so I can afford to take the risk; most people cannot, especially not those on $1000 budgets. If his MB goes down the week before his term paper is due, he is screwed, and it doesn't matter then how much fun he is having or has had (unless his term paper is about said fun) or how many people he has met (unless one offers to let him borrow a computer). He needs a dependable machine.
The MacBooks were also just updated, which means they will not likely be updated agin for a while (though this is no always the case).
I once taught a class at a university where a kid walked in with the latest laptop that he had just bought and loaded with tons of apps. Two weeks later, when his first essay was due, he failed to hand it in on time because he didn't know how to use the apps he had spent so much cash on; I got a hand-written essay three days after the deadline. A month later, at mid-terms, with lots of notes finally on his fancy machine (and I hoped an essay for me), the machine crashed and had to go in for repairs. Having not backed anything up, all was lost and he didn't do very well on his exams (he didn't have any paper notes) and handed in a hand-written essay to me (for half points).
Get the machine. Learn to use it over the summer. Apply it at school in the fall. Relish the fact that it doesn't die on you before your junior year.
Having fun and meeting people is part of his education!
Um, dude...not even girls from MIT are all THAT impressed with what can be done with a MacBook.
I have been burned by Rev 1 machines enough times so that I would never entrust one to an imortant task unless I had a backup. Fortunately, I have four or five actice machines at any one time, so I can afford to take the risk; most people cannot, especially not those on $1000 budgets. If his MB goes down the week before his term paper is due, he is screwed, and it doesn't matter then how much fun he is having or has had (unless his term paper is about said fun) or how many people he has met (unless one offers to let him borrow a computer). He needs a dependable machine.
Because universities no longer have computers...and if it's that "mission critical" then he shouldn't be looking at a MacBook at all but some Dell with a next business day on-site service coupled with accidental damage service (yes you can get that for $999...but the laptop will be fairly basic). And store everything online with a USB key backup.
Heck, if you're that paranoid use Google Docs with backups.
The MacBooks were also just updated, which means they will not likely be updated agin for a while (though this is no always the case).
The MacBooks just got a speed bump...not updated. This is very different.
I once taught a class at a university where a kid walked in with the latest laptop that he had just bought and loaded with tons of apps. Two weeks later, when his first essay was due, he failed to hand it in on time because he didn't know how to use the apps he had spent so much cash on; I got a hand-written essay three days after the deadline. A month later, at mid-terms, with lots of notes finally on his fancy machine (and I hoped an essay for me), the machine crashed and had to go in for repairs. Having not backed anything up, all was lost and he didn't do very well on his exams (he didn't have any paper notes) and handed in a hand-written essay to me (for half points).
Get the machine. Learn to use it over the summer. Apply it at school in the fall. Relish the fact that it doesn't die on you before your junior year.
Mmm...yah. And I knew a kid that played EQ his entire freshman year and bombed out. I guess these days it would be WoW. And there was a guy...waaaay back in 1986 that spent a year surfing the net (which existed even then) and lost his job at the computer vision lab and came yea close to being kicked out of the CS program.
Come on. The probability that a Santa Rosa MacBook is going to be a complete dud is fairly minimal. Especially given it would be the Rev 2 of the MacBooks because the machine you're advocating is the Rev 1 MacBook released in May 2006 with a processor speed bump (or just Rev 1 if he's buying the older model off Amazon).
The real question is when Apple will offer one. It might not happen in time.
Vinea