<p>imo, the thinkpad keyboard is also much better than the chiclet style keyboards that macs use. additionally, the trackpoint (red nub thing) is more convenient than a trackpad – you don’t have to move your hand between typing/moving cursor.</p>
<p>you can get it even cheaper by choosing the basic win7 as opposed to win7 pro, and just get win7 ultimate through umich for about $20. </p>
<p>also, for future reference, you should virtually never upgrade memory/hdd when buying your computer. It is significantly cheaper to just buy those through sites like newegg or tigerdirect and install them yourself. kyletwentyeleven seems to be obsessed with ssd, but it’s really not worth the premium price yet. wait a few years and just swap it out when it’s actually worth it – in the meantime just get a 7200 rpm hdd</p>
<p>I am not obsessed with SSD, I’m just pointing out that SSD is the most significant computer upgrade you can get. Macs last longer then PCs, and are worth the price if you’re paying that much anyway. Thinkpads are nice and good reliable machines (probably among the best that run windows) but anything that runs windows is so frustrating.</p>
<p>I’m looking for like 4-5 years out of a MacBook Pro. I’m in LSA and will not be doing anything major aside from casual gaming and heavy-duty word processing on the MacBook Pro.</p>
<p>Should I get the 13 inch 2.3 GHz i5 core processor for ~$1250 or the 13 inch 2.7 GHz i7 core processor for ~$1600?</p>
<p>Will the cheaper MacBook Pro be slow and “out of shape” so-to-speak by my senior year?</p>
<p>Thanks (i didnt want to make a new topic about laptops, so I posted my query here)</p>
<p>^^
you most likely will not notice any difference between the two processors. seriously, though, you are paying an excessive amount of money for relatively normal specs.</p>
<p>@KyleTwentyEleven
You misunderstood me. I said that it might be a disadvantage if and when I get into Ross. Also I don’t really understand all these technical things about laptops and I just want a laptop that won’t give me trouble for 4 years. Also I was wondering if I would have to get an external hard drive for the MacBook air and how that works.</p>
<p>Any computer you buy will be slow in 4 years because of how fast technology moves. The latest processor upgrade is extremely significant, and is the biggest change in a long time (2x faster then the previous generations of processors). In 4 years, SSD will be the standard for sure, probably 8 GB of RAM will be the new norm, and graphics cards will probably be at least at a 2 GB standard. A Macbook Pro or high-end Windows machine will last for 4 years if you take care of it. </p>
<p>To get back to your question nubs, I have owned 3 windows computers in my life and all of them have gone through a stage where they go mad PMS, decide to act like children, or are in a rebelling period of their life. Every bit of research I’ve done on the Mac says that tech-frustrations are 1/10 that of Windows. I guess the great thing about OSX is that there are virtually no viruses to slow your computer (and for the ones that exist, there is free anti-virus software). You don’t get random crashes and stupid problems like you do on Vista. Also the computers are SOOO much better built then any window’s machine. </p>
<p>There’s tradeoffs, and if you’re price cautious, you shouldn’t be getting a Mac I agree. But in my opinion if you can afford it it’s worth it.</p>
<p>Perhaps relative to programs you use, but a high end laptop, if properly taken care of, will still be able to run most consumer grade programs (perhaps not the latest games) with no problem. I fail to see how PC wouldn’t last as long as Mac if it is properly taken care of. Most of the parts of a PC notebook and macbook are similar. Besides, by your definition of what it means to slow (your definition being speed relative to latest programs), PCs would last longer because most Macs are under powered (for the price range).</p>
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<p>You know they came out with Windows 7 awhile ago, right? Windows 7 runs fine. If anything, I have more frustrations with OS X.</p>
<p>Snails, it really doesn’t matter if you get a mac vs. pc for Ross. You should get an external hdd regardless of which computer you end up getting – always occasionally backup your computer in case something bad happens. External hdd’s nowadays are really cheap too, so it’s not much of an issue. </p>
<p>kyle, stop watching so much porn on your windows machines or get decent AV software. Even if you’re using a mac, you should still consider getting AV. You should never have to pay for AV now that they have FAR deals nearly every month for all the big names (norton, mcafee, kaspersky, avast, bitdefender, etc.)</p>
<p>also, although the mac may look more “attractive” than a thinkpad, the design is less functional. the build quality of thinkpads is second to none when compared to any other consumer laptop. they are extremely durable: spill-resistant keyboards, no screen cracking, etc.</p>
<p>Was that research performed on the Apple website ? C’mon. A mac will be just fine for anyone at UM, including Ross people, but let’s not get religious.</p>
<p>I’m not a mac fanboy by any means as you guys seem to be alluding to. I’m just pointing out that for those who aren’t in technically demanding majors, a Mac will serve very well. If you want to look at benchmarks, you will see that the Macs consistently destroy their competition. Yes I’m in LSA and majoring in Poly Sci, and while I have amble technical knowledge to understand the components of a computer and what separates good from bad, I have no intention of learning any thing beyond basics. </p>
<p>For anyone in LSA, Macs are the best choice. Sure a Windows laptop will work, but it the money you save will only be matched in frustrations down the road. </p>
<p>Lastly, I have not gone to only Mac websites. I’ve owned a Windows computer all my life until the last week, and the difference is remarkable. I belive that engadget.com and pcmag.com have the best reviews for anyone that is interested.</p>
<p>Also, @Infinit, I meant to say Windows 7, I have one vista computer and one window’s 7 computer in my house right now which is why I said Vista (which is twice as bad as window’s 7, I’ll give you that), but I have had consistent problems with both computers from the day I bought them.</p>