What Mac Is Best For College
- Which Mac Is Best For College Students 2017
- What Mac Is Best For College
- What Is Best Mac For College Students
- Mac Computer Good For College
I'm off to university – my first year for a BSc in Economics – and I need advice on which laptop to get. I would like a decent, light, fast and portable laptop. I have recently come to like very much the Asus Zenbook Touch UX31A. However, the MacBook Air seems to be a better contender. I have never used Mac OS before.
Temitope
If you are buying a laptop for a specific purpose, then you need to make sure that it does the job. In this case, the best source of advice would be economics department staff at the university you're going to attend. You may need to run specific business software for some parts of your course, and if your laptop can't run it, then you will probably need to run it in the university's computer labs. This can be inconvenient.
While I have no idea which programs might be needed, it's a good bet that your course will include Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, including programs written for Excel. Although Microsoft Office is available for both Windows and Mac OS X, I would recommend against choosing the Mac version. The huge gap has closed dramatically with Excel for Mac 2011, but it doesn't have exactly the same functionality, plug-ins may not work, and you'll find it harder to get help.
This doesn't mean you can't buy a MacBook Air if you want one. However, you may need to add a copy of Parallels software, a copy of Microsoft Windows 7, and a PC version of Office. See Excel for Mac vs. PC: What's the Difference? at the Parallels blog. This works, though the Mac keyboard is far from ideal for using the Windows version of Excel, and most of the keyboard shortcuts are different. You may need to translate them from workbooks etc using this very wonderful ExcelJet chart: Excel PC and Mac keyboard shortcuts side-by-side.
No more do you have to compromise on modern features if you want an “affordable Mac”, and that makes the MacBook Air one of the best laptops for college students. Read the full review: MacBook Air.
Once you've obtained a user name and password, you can log in and access personalized college information (course materials, registration, schedules, transcripts, financial aid, and much more). For best results, MAC recommends using MyMAC from a laptop or a computer. MyMac Mobile Navigation. Mac and PC Matchmaking. A computer isn’t just your average school supply, it’s your partner in crime through the next few years as you conquer college. But deciding which Mac is the best for students can be tricky. Some of this depends on what type of student you are, and of course your budgetary arrangements will be a significant factor. Best Answer: Codee, Given your needs and your college coursework, I am recommending the MacBook Air. It is lightweight and extremely portable. You'll hardly notice it in a backpack or on your lap. The 13' would suit your needs especially with writing papers, electronic media reading, etc.
It’s extremely expensive, but if you’re looking for unbridled power to get through professional workloads, the iMac Pro is the best Mac for you. Read the full review: iMac Pro 5. Apple Mac Accessories You can expand the capabilities of your Apple Mac computer when you buy Mac accessories and add-ons. The Apple mouse makes it easy to navigate with smooth scrolling, and the Magic mouse features a multitouch surface with gesture support. Best uses for mac comuters.
As mentioned here previously, the best deal is Office 365 for University. This supports both PCs and Macs – so you won't need to buy Office twice – and provides all seven major Office programs for four years for £59.99.
Bear in mind that you will also have to learn to use Mac OS X, so I'd try to get some hands-on experience before buying a Mac. It's not hard, but there is a time penalty for switching systems.
When it comes to the hardware, Asus has improved the Zenbook range since it first appeared, so now there's not much to choose. I think the MacBook Air has a slightly better keyboard, a much better trackpad, and better battery life. The Zenbook UX31A has a better, brighter Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels versus 1440 x 900 on the MacBook Air), and it's a touchscreen, which you can't get on a Mac. However, I do agree with the UX31A Touch review at Notebookcheck: the extra speed of the low-voltage Intel Core i7 processor isn't worth the extra cost over the Core i5 version.
Also, note that at this point, the MacBook Air has been upgraded to fourth-generation Core chips, codenamed Haswell, while the Asus Zenbook range hasn't. The Haswell version is the UX31A LA, but I don't know when it will appear. If you must have Haswell, then the Acer S7-392 is a comparable aluminium unibody Ultrabook with a backlit keyboard. It's worth a look if you can find one.
Finally, while all these machines are 'light, fast and portable' laptops, the portability has a price, in number of ports and upgradability as well as in financial terms. If I were buying a workhorse to run spreadsheets – especially if running Excel under Parallels and Windows – then I'd go for a MacBook Pro rather than a MacBook Air. The MacBook Pro has a 2.5GHz third-gen Core i5 processor compared to the Air's 1.3GHz version, and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics, for about the same price.
Mac user wants Windows workstation
I'm an architecture student and I've been using a 17in MacBook Pro for the past five years. It's on its last legs, and I want to use Windows as my operating system because some of the programs I use are made exclusively for Windows. I need a lot of space, memory, a good graphics card and something that doesn't weigh a lot. I've been investigating Samsung, Dell and Sony. The cheapest option is not necessarily the best.
Kate C
The 17in MacBook Pro from around 2008 was a bit of a monster, weighing over 3kg, and Apple no longer does this screen size. Usually, 17in screens are used in laptops designed to replace desktops, rather than carrieds around. Choosing a 15.6in screen will give you more screen area, though dropping down to 13.3in – a big shift from 17in – will give you a more portable machine. Either way, the 17in MacBook Pro had a screen resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels, so even a good 13in Ultrabook like the Zenbook UX31A (1920 x 1080 pixels) would beat that.
It's usually a good idea to consult your university for advice on systems, but in your case, you already know which software you need to run. However, you have a trickier, technical question: do any of your important programs works best with Quadro graphics cards?
Many consumers are familiar with Nvidia GeForce cards (your 17in MacBook Pro has one), but very few know about the Quadro range. These are similar in hardware terms, but aimed at different markets. Gamers value speed (frame rate), so if rendering is taking a long time, they want the graphics card to drop it and move on to the next frame. Best wifi booster for mac. Architects and designers value detail and precision, so they usually want their graphics card to render things completely, even if it takes longer. Naturally, this comes at a significantly higher price.
Buying a portable with Quadro graphics moves you out of the consumer laptop market and into the workstation business. Leading examples include the Lenovo ThinkPad W530 series, the Dell Precision range, and HP EliteBook models such as the EliteBook 8570w. Dell has a Precision Workstation Advisor to help you choose.
A key phrase when buying this kind of system is 'ISV Certified'. This means it has been tested by independent software vendors (ISVs) such as AutoCAD to ensure that their software runs correctly.
Professional workstations are usually designed for power and robustness rather than mobility. There is at least one model that's different: the Dell Precision M3800. Dell previewed it at the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference as the 'world's thinnest and lightest workstation', and I think it's the first workstation with Ultrabook styling. It packs workstation components such as a fourth-generation Core i7, UltraSharp 3200 x 1800 pixel multitouch screen and Quadro graphics into a very sleek and comparatively light (2kg) package. I expect there will be a long queue for the M3800 when it arrives, unless HP comes up with something as good or better.
Another exceptional workstation is the HP Z1 all-in-one. Most all-in-ones are aimed at consumers, but HP's claim for the Z1 is that you get the power without the tower. The spec includes a 27in, 2560 x 1440 pixel screen, a choice of Core iX and Intel Xeon processors, up to 32GB of memory, and a wide choice of graphics cards. This includes four Nvidia Quadro cards from entry level (500M with 1GB of graphics memory) to high-end (K4000M with 4GB). Also unlike most all-in-ones, the HP Z1 is designed to be opened and upgraded very easily.
If price is not a problem, you could pair an HP Z1 with an ultralight portable such as a MacBook Air or a laptop/tablet hybrid such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S or Microsoft Surface Pro. The Z1 would give you all the screen space, power and graphics capabilities you need, while a Windows 8 hybrid would give you an ultraportable laptop plus tablet functionality plus digitizing pen (sketching and note-taking) features.
Whatever you choose, it shouldn't be hard to find something faster, lighter and much cheaper than your 5-year-old MacBook Pro. If yours has an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor, that's roughly the equivalent of today's Intel Pentium B970, so most recent Core i5 chips should outperform it.
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Thanks to the fierce competition, Apple is under more pressure to design the best Macs ever. As a result, we’re getting better and more powerful machines like the Mac Pro 2019, which is coming later in 2019 possibly alongside the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro.
In fact, if you’d rather not wait and want to get your hands on one of the best Macs now, there’s already quite a few excellent options to choose from, especially with Apple recently giving its MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro much-needed refresh.
To expand your choices further, the Apple computers are incredibly diverse. The best Macs cover everything from thin and light notebooks like the 12-inch MacBook, which is still on hand at third-party sites despite being discontinued, to professional workhorses like the iMac Pro.
Taking all these into consideration, it can be tricky choosing the perfect Mac for you. We put together a list of the best Macs we’ve tested ourselves – from iMacs to MacBooks – to help you with that important decision. Let’s dive in to all the best Macs you can buy right now, no matter your budget and use.
1. Mac Mini 2018
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i3 – Core i7 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 RAM: 8GB – 32GB Storage: 128GB – 2TB PCIe-based SSD Dimensions (W x D x H): 19.7 x 19.7 x 3.6cm
Mac Mini fans, rejoice! The Mac Mini has finally been upgraded with modern hardware, ushering Apple’s smallest Mac to the modern age and naturally warranting it the top spot in our best Macs list. This tiny thing is packed with 8th-generation desktop processors, a ton of RAM and some of the fastest SSDs we’ve seen – all while keeping the same adored form factor. It’s a tad pricier this time around, but with the raw speed on offer, you’ll find that it’s worth the price increase.
Read the full review: Mac Mini 2018
2. MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
Apple’s productivity machine gets the latest Intel tech
CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 555X – 560X, Intel UHD Graphics 630 RAM: 16GB – 32GB Screen: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display Storage: 512GB – 4TB SSD Dimensions (H x W x D): 34.93 x 24.07 x 1.55cm
Which Mac Is Best For College Students 2017
If you want the most performance you can get in a MacBook without needing to pull off a heist, you’ll want to look into the MacBook Pro 15-inch. Now refreshed with hexa-core 9th-generation processors and up to 32GB of RAM, you won’t be held back by anything you throw at it – especially now that you can get Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics. With that kind of performance, the MacBook Pro takes a lofty spot on our best Macs list without breaking a sweat.
Read the full review:MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
3. Apple iMac (27-inch, 2019)
Apple’s most affordable all-in-one
CPU: up to 3.6GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 570X – Radeon Pro Vega 48 RAM: 8GB – 64GB Screen: 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display 5120 x 2880 Storage: 1TB Fusion Drive – 2TB SSD Dimensions (H x W x D): 51.6 x 65.0 x 20.3 cm
The iMac has long been one of the cheaper ways to get into the macOS ecosystem, and we’re glad that hasn’t changed. Though what has changed, we also appreciate. The new iMac is packing with 8th- and 9th-generation desktop-class processors, letting this stylish all-in-one reach that fabled 8-core performance. If you’re looking for an all-in-one Mac, the new 27-inch iMac might just be the best Mac for you, at least if you’re on a budget.
Read the full review:iMac (27-inch, 2019)
4. MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)
CPU: 7th-generation Intel Core i5 – 8th-generation Intel Core i5 Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 – 655 RAM: 8GB – 16GB Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2,560 x 1,600 Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.49cm
What Mac Is Best For College
The biggest issue with the older MacBook Pro was that it was still packing Kaby Lake processors while its rivals had moved ahead. Luckily, the MacBook Pro 2018 changes everything, making it more powerful than ever. It still has the controversial Butterfly keyboard, but that’s also been improved so that its quieter and more reliable. It’s not hard to recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018 to anyone looking for the best Macs.
What Is Best Mac For College Students
Read the full review: MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)
5. iMac Pro
CPU: 8 to 18-core Intel Xeon W Graphics: Radeon Pro Vega 56 - Radeon Pro Vega 64 RAM: 32GB – 256GB DDR4 ECC Screen: 27-inch 5K (5,120 x 2,880) Retina display (P3 wide color) Storage: 1TB – 4TB PCIe 3.0 SSD Dimensions (H x W x D): 65 x 20.3 x 51.6cm
Professionals and creatives need something that can handle any workload they can possibly throw at it. If you’re one such user, the iMac Pro isn’t just one of the best Macs for you; it’s the only Mac to consider. Not only does it have a vibrant 27-inch 5K display with a P3 wide color gamut, but it also boasts the most powerful hardware Apple could get its hands on. It’s extremely expensive though, so it’s really only meant for folks who have deep pockets and need that unbridled power to get through their daily workloads.
Read the full review:iMac Pro
6. Apple MacBook Air (2019)
CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617 RAM: 8GB – 16GB Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm; W x D x H)
Apple takes the MacBook Air (2018) and gives it a bit of refresh, adding True Tone technology to its display and an even more reliable keyboard. Unfortunately, it hasn’t upgraded the specs – which actually leads us to think that there might be a bigger update by early 2020. However, to be fair to this refresh, the 2018 version has already made our list, so this improved version is just as deserving or more so. But the best part is yet to come: this refresh is even cheaper, so you’re definitely getting more value for less.
Read the full review: MacBook Air (2019)
7. MacBook (2017)
Small and stylish
CPU: Dual-core Intel Core m3 – Core i5 Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 RAM: 8GB – 16GB Screen: 12-inch Retina (2,304 x 1,440) IPS Storage: 256GB – 512GB PCIe SSD Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.04 x 7.74 x 0.14~0.52in
While Apple has officially taken the MacBook out of its MacBook lineup, many third parties are still carry it. And because the 12-inch MacBook has found its niche as an ultraportable and lightweight laptop, it’s still deserving of a spot on our best Macs list… that is, until stock runs out. It’s low on ports, but that’s hardly a surprise in a laptop this thin. It can support basically everything under the sun with its Thunderbolt 3 port, anyway. It’s not as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but if you’re looking for a MacBook that’s easy to take with you wherever you go, look no further.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook (2017)
Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article
Mac Computer Good For College
- Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptops 2019
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