People with dorm-living experience--mac pro, or macbook pro?

switchingsoon · August 17, 2006 4:09PM

So I just ordered Mac Pro, but I'm considering exchanging it for a macbook pro.

I will be living with two roomates. We will have a TV.

I originally got a mac pro because I will be doing film (i'm a freshmen). I'm starting to have second thoughts on whether I'll be able to get anything done in my room. I have a feeling a lot more people than just us will be in our room.

So, I ask this question: do you recommend exchanging it for a macbook pro, or do you think it's feasible to keep a desktop?

crunchy1 · August 17, 2006 5:43PM

For film I think both would work fine.

I dormed all through undergrad and took media studies. A laptop would work well as long as you have external storage to edit from. Benefi would be you could take it anywhere and edit if your dorm room was too crowded or noisy. ON the negative side, laptops are easy prey to thieves. Plan on locking down with a cable. Even with a lock it can be stolen, breaking lock or just forgetting to lock it in the first place.

A tower is not portable, but will be alot harder to steal.

zachpruckowski · August 17, 2006 5:48PM

I'm glad I had my iBook last year as a freshman, and I'm using it again this year, just because Spotlight+Notes = insane awesomeness. But I'm buying a Mac Pro. So my advice would be: get your Mac Pro, and if you can afford it at some point, pick up a cheap notebook (like a G4 iBook or Powerbook) in the refurb store or online.

gon · August 17, 2006 5:51PM

Don't worry so much.

There's a million options. You can use peaceful negotiation, threats or bribes to arrange that the room is quiet when you need it to be. You can go around the ruckus by working some other time. You can ignore the noise and work in it, or use closed headphones and listen either to the video or to music of your own. Worst case (big project due after four days of nonstop student party) just temporarily relocate your computer and yourself to whatever room or space you know to be quiet.

Doesn't the school offer access to video workstations, too?

switchingsoon · August 17, 2006 5:55PM

Yeah.

I think I'll be fine.

I think my brain went through a momentary spasm, that's all. It looks like I may be picking up a cheap laptop pc.

splinemodel · August 17, 2006 6:21PM

Get the MacBook Pro. You won't have much room or desk space, and at times you'll need to leave the dorm room. Chances are, there are some loaded out Macs in a cluster somewhere on campus.

knee of justice · August 18, 2006 9:25PM

I'm in the Film and digital media major at my college, and my Powerbook has been servicing me just fine.

switchingsoon · August 18, 2006 9:47PM

Oops. .I just decided to stick with the mac pro. I'm transferring files to it right now.

warbrain · August 18, 2006 11:02PM

The Mac Pro will be much better suited for you. The fact that it's a heavy tower compared to a lightweight laptop will make it harder to steal (but I would still lock it up to something anyway) and it'll be enough of a beast that you won't need to upgrade for as long as you're in college.

bergermeister · August 18, 2006 11:21PM

Agreed. Invest in a good desktop beast that will last the whole college run, and then get a low-end portable to tkae notes in class, impress girls in the library, do some editing at Starbucks (just make sure you get noise cancelling headphones). If need be, you can upgrade the portable in two years and not waste that much money.

Invest in good noise cancelling headphones and if need be a small quiet room, like a piano booth (don't know if they are available in the USA; here in Japan, where things are very cramped, they are very popular).

warbrain · August 19, 2006 9:23AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bergermeister

Agreed. Invest in a good desktop beast that will last the whole college run, and then get a low-end portable to tkae notes in class, impress girls in the library, do some editing at Starbucks (just make sure you get noise cancelling headphones). If need be, you can upgrade the portable in two years and not waste that much money.

Invest in good noise cancelling headphones and if need be a small quiet room, like a piano booth (don't know if they are available in the USA; here in Japan, where things are very cramped, they are very popular).

Piano booths are so silent it's wonderful. My school has them, and there have been plenty of times that I've had to record an interview and went there just because it was so silent.

trtam · August 21, 2006 2:29AM

To protect your investment, I'd put a padlock on the "improved" latch and then run a cable and lock through the handles.

celemourn · August 22, 2006 11:08AM

Here's the real solution to your dilema: GET RID OF YOUR ROOM MATES!

Two years of college and four years in the Army taught me one VERY important lesson:

Roommates SUCK!

That, or I'm just anti-social.

Hmmm, anti-social computer geek/physics student who frequents online forums... Nah, it'd never happen! ;D

slughead · August 22, 2006 1:41PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celemourn

Here's the real solution to your dilema: GET RID OF YOUR ROOM MATES!

Two years of college and four years in the Army taught me one VERY important lesson:

Roommates SUCK!

That, or I'm just anti-social.

Hmmm, anti-social computer geek/physics student who frequents online forums... Nah, it'd never happen! ;D

Yeah screw roommates.

switchingsoon · August 22, 2006 1:42PM

oh...i got...and have....a mac pro.

it's very nice.

cosmonut · August 22, 2006 2:50PM

I ALWAYS recommend a notebook to college students.

zachpruckowski · August 22, 2006 2:55PM

Yeah - a mac book pro would be fine for the next few years, and is portable. It's a massive pain to have to walk a half-mile or more to get to your computer to do stuff. I'm going to have to set-up some sort of remote desktop situation with my iBook and Mac Pro.

celemourn · August 22, 2006 2:56PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmoNut

I ALWAYS recommend a notebook to college students.

I got a PB G3 Wallstreet for freshman year back in '98. I later regretted the lack of expandability so much that I built my own Windows Tower. I regret that even more.

My experience has taught me that, for ME, a laptop should always serve as a satalite, and not as the exclusive and primary computer. untill we get socketed chips and MXM standard anyway.

jeffdm · August 23, 2006 6:33PM

If I had the money in college and there was sufficiently powerful hardware, I would have gone with notebooks. College life generally means moving a lot more than normal, and lugging around a workstation during the moves isn't any fun, which I know because, I kid you not, I had an Alpha workstation, bought second hand though.

You can't easily take the workstation home during winter break, or to your destination for spring break, etc. A MacBook Pro, even a MacBook, can run Final Cut Studio very well, you just need an external hard drive for storage.

celemourn · August 23, 2006 6:39PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffDM

If I had the money in college, I would have gone with notebooks. College life generally means moving a lot more than normal, and lugging around a workstation during the moves isn't any fun. And you can't easily take the workstation home during winter break, or to your destination for spring break, etc.

<nod> The ideal, of course, would be a desktop or tower for the dorm room, and then a tablet or notebook as a satalite. If you got the cash. For those ambitious Computer Science students out there, Apple has a sweet deal on a one time hardware purchase through the Apple Developer Connection if you register as a Student Developer. Just remember though, you only get the discount ONCE.

I'd tell you how much a Mac Pro is, but

a) you wouldn't believe me

b) Steve might zap my account... I think I'm not supposed to tell. ;D

lundy · August 23, 2006 8:14PM

You can tell.

It's $1999.

People with dorm-living experience--mac pro, or macbook pro?

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