<p>I am an avid Mac User and I am considering buying a Mac book pro 13 or 15 for my college. I am an engineering student and I hope the Mac will suffice. Please give me your suggestions. Any other laptop suggestion is welcome.</p>
<p>The apple online store offers an education discount and free apps. Can you give me details on the discount? Do I need a letter or some document from my college to avail the offer?</p>
<p>Hi again Prudent,</p>
<p>I purchased the Macbook Pro 13 for my son, but he will not be an engineering major. However, the research I did prior to the purchase indicated that this would be an acceptable laptop for an engineering student. However, you may want to check the websites of the schools to which you’re applying and see if they have any particular requirements.</p>
<p>As for the 13 vs the 15, most of the opinions I found recommended the 13 because it would take up less space.</p>
<p>Apple does not require any documentation for the educational discount. When you order it, you just need to type in the college you attend or to which you’ve been accepted.</p>
<p>Many colleges have tech departments that sell computers to students at a discount, so again, you may want to check your schools to see if any will offer a better deal once you’re there.</p>
<p>As you are an prospective engineering student I would suggest you wait to see which school you select. Most will have specs, some will have specific requirements. You can then decide how closely you wish to follow those.</p>
<p>FYI, under the college life tab, there is a ton of discussion on this topic - you might want to look there as well for more info.</p>
<p>Just responded to your car thread. Wait until the summer computer sales. Most college websites will list the appropriate laptop/desktop for student needs. I know the School of Engineering at UW-Madison has different requirements than for the majority of students there. For engineering students a Windows based system may be best as I recall. It is far too soon to think about all of the college details, even if you know your college. Wait until July to begin searching to get the best specs and price. Put college details on hold and enjoy your final year as a HS student/child.</p>
<p>Your college will have specific systems requirements for you as an engineering major (we know that as we had a kid who majored in engineering and a husband who IS an engineer). Wait until you figure out where you are going to college…then find out from THAT school what you should get. </p>
<p>Worse comes to worse, you can use the computers in the labs at the school if you don’t have your own by the time starts…and that IS one way to save money (be it for tuition, or that car you seem to want).</p>
<p>I was an engineering student and found there weren’t really any requirements on the kind of computer I’d need. I had a strong desktop since I’m a bit of an enthusiast, but, really, just about any computer out there nowadays can run Matlab or Mathematica fine, and if you need to do some heavier lifting, then you’d need a desktop replacement laptop, and those are just a giant waste of space and money. There’s always school computers, which you may be required to use, anyway, because they don’t always have a full site license for the software you’ll need.</p>
<p>RacinReaver offers good advice. Prudent, seems to me you will be able to get a lot more for your money (which is limited) by getting a PC. Macs are great computers but they carry a price premium.</p>