<p>I will start Harvard in the fall and I don't know what laptop to purchase. I definitely want a Mac, but I don't know which one. I really like the MacBook Air, because I really would only be using the laptop to write papers & surf the web. I won't download music, or watch movies, or anything like that. No frills. I've just heard so many reviews against the Air, so I'm doubtful. Does anyone have any advice? It would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>If all you're going to do is basic stuff, then I see no reason to get a macbook pro. They are priced the way they are because they are made for video and music editing. You'd be fine with a macbook.</p>
<p>Ugh. Friends don't let friends buy MacBook Airs. Macs are expensive even after the rebate - you can probably find a good laptop for half the price to suit your purposes.</p>
<p>if money is not a problem for you, then I don't see why you shouldn't get a macbook air. they are wonderful computers (expensive though), and if it suits your needs well (meaning you want a slim, light computer), go for it.</p>
<p>macbooks are a better value for your money though.</p>
<p>i will be heading to harvard this fall, and i went ahead and purchased a macbook air last weekend. it fit all my needs, and will save my back (but not my wallet ;) ).</p>
<p>it is all a matter of personal preference. do you really want a lighter laptop? can you do without a large hard drive and a cd slot?</p>
<p>wow I haven't posted here for awhile.</p>
<p>I think I talked about macs vs pcs somewhere else here...</p>
<p>For macbook vs. macbook air it is a personal choice, as said above. You are going to pay a premium for the small size, and you are going to lose some features. So if you're concerned about money there are better options.</p>
<p>Disc drives are not out of style yet. Are you sure you won't be longing for the ability to pop in a DVD, listen to a CD or install some software you bought at the store? You might be shelling out for an external DVD drive (not fun to lug around) before you know it. </p>
<p>You would also have to be extra careful not to have it stolen, because if I were a thief that would be the first thing I target.</p>
<p>Harvard is actually a pretty great environment for a Macbook Air because all the software you need is online at the FAS Download Center (photoshop, loggerPro, internet and email clients, Crysis, etc) so no CD drive will be necessary for the next four years at least for software purposes.</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn't take a mac (any mac) unless someone paid me, but if you enjoy the design/usability, then I don't think it really matters for your purposes which mac you choose. It's not like you'll be running Crysis on it and expecting 6+ hours of battery life.
For instance, I'll be bringing both a desktop and a laptop, with the desktop equipped to handle tough applications and games, and the laptop with average memory/video card capabilities, but very long battery life. You should check the battery life on macs in online reviews, and see if you can't get a better computer for your money.</p>
<p>I'd generally recommend a MacBook over a MacBook Air if you'd want to use a disk drive for much of anything. But if you're pretty sure you don't need to watch DVDS, listen to CDs, or install software, MacBook Airs are really convenient for carrying around to use in class and such.</p>
<p>I currently have a MacBook Pro rather than a MacBook since I value speed and hard drive space, but it sounds like those won't be a concern for you.</p>
<p>macs are whack!</p>
<p>If I were to get a Lenovo, would it be better that I have Vista or XP Prof.?</p>
<p>XP Prof.
XP Prof.
XP Prof.
Jesus effing Cristo stay away from vista</p>
<p>Vista is fine...honestly, it really doesn't deserve the bad rep everyone is giving it. Sure, it's not spectacular, but it's better than XP.</p>
<p>Wait, what? No, it's not! Even Microsoft admitted that Vista is a piece of garbage. The only problem is that it now costs extra to get a computer with XP, so many people stick with the preinstalled Vista. The biggest problem is that it's slower than XP, which isn't really noticeable on powerful desktops, but might become a slight problem on budget laptops.</p>
<p>Vista is not fine. Harvard beta'd it and refused to use it at all.</p>
<p>Perhaps you are running with dated infomation, my friend:</p>
<p>"Recommended minimum for new purchases: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB hard disk, Windows Vista or OS X 10.5."</p>
<p>The IT department isn't switching over because they need an OS that they're totally familiar with and can service efficiently. If one student's vista laptop went down and it took a few days to figure out the problem, that would not be a big deal. However, when you're maintaining hundreds of computers, you just can't afford any major downtime. Nobody could check e-mail! Civilization would collapse!</p>
<p>Personally I still recommend most buy XP. It provides better performance, it's more familiar, it's still supported and for the average user nothing in vista is really gotta-have stuff. However if you already bought vista because it's new and pretty, it's no big deal and you most likely won't have to downgrade. I hear service pack 1 smoothed out most of the major problems, and a large chunk of the moaners are just people who are annoyed about things being different.</p>
<p>Note: I haven't had a lot of experience with vista, so there's the chance I could end up coming back later with burning vista hate. Nonetheless I'm going to look into it for my new computer because of DirectX 10 (for the sexy video game graphics, of course).</p>
<p>lol olgita, Crysis is a damn good reason to have a PC, although for real a dual core mac is the best choice.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Vista is fine...honestly, it really doesn't deserve the bad rep everyone is giving it. Sure, it's not spectacular, but it's better than XP.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>WRONG SIR WRONG</p>
<p>My basic stance on Vista is that it un-PCs the PC. It made the windows interface way too much like a Mac, which although potentially a positive thing, turned out to be a huge negative. I like PCs b/c you can actually use them. You can get under the hood, mess around, and optimize it the way you want. Vista makes it a lot harder to do that, which is far worse to me than any of the minor bugs that they're sorting out.</p>
<p>Apple has an awesome promotion - buy a Mac and you get an ipod touch or ipod nano (8gb) free. or an ipod touch 16 gb for $100 (instead of its regular price, $400). I think I'm going to go with the Macbook Air.</p>
<p>@h-bomber</p>
<p>I was under the assumption that they just switched up the interface and where everything is located. (Has consistency ever been Microsoft's strong suit?) Once you get acclimatized to Vista all of the options you want should still be readily available. If you can provide me with a link to the contrary, I'll be happy to read it. (And hey, if you want to tinker, there'll always be Linux. ;) )</p>