<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I understand that I'm not a parent, but I am a student matriculating to a boarding school next year. My question is what kind of laptop should I get for boarding school? I'm looking right now at the MacBook Pro & MacBook Air, yet I have no idea what would be the best.</p>
<p>I'm open to any kind of laptops that work well with programming and other basic stuff (i.e. writing essays, presentations, etc). </p>
<p>Parents, what laptop do you recommend?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Some schools insist on a specific laptop to make support possible. Make sure your school does not insist on a specific laptop.</p>
<p>If you look around on the school website there is often something called “Technology Information” or similar. Have a look to see if there are specific requirements… And whether Windows AND/OR Mac are supported.</p>
<p>My daughter chose the MacBook Air over the MacBook pro and is really glad that she did. She’s told me several times that people tell her they wish they had the Air.</p>
<p>13" MacBook Pro. Light, powerful, versatile, reliable.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of the MacBook Pro getting burdensome overtime with its weight. Otherwise, the MacBook Pro sounds like it has the specs for programming.</p>
<p>Oh, and to the other posters, there is no technology information on the website. It says that it recommends either a PC or Mac.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure BS students don’t carry their laptops around all day. Maybe they do to the library for evening studying, but that’s about it. The super light weight laptops are a bit too flimsy for my liking.</p>
<p>@hastalavista I think it depends on the school. For example when I went for my revisit day all the students carried around their laptops because they used them in between and sometimes during classes.</p>
<p>My kids have desktops in their rooms and use either an iPad or laptop around campus. I’ve noticed a lot of kids using iPads this year.</p>
<p>The non-Retina display 13" MBP has a DVD drive, I’d say that’s machine to get…because you can watch disc-based movies and burn CDs (wait, people still use those?) if you want to…the Air does not have a DVD drive (neither does the Retina-equipped MBP).</p>
<p>If you don’t care about the DVD drive, get the Air. But remember that the storage space is limited compared to the MBP…you can get large solid state storage but it costs a pretty penny.</p>
<p>Well said. Thank you everyone. At the school that I’m matriculating to, most students carry around laptops. </p>
<p>I’ll bear the weight. The MacBook Pro seems to be the way to go. According to Apple, the MacBook has 500GB and a seven hour battery. All the more reason to buy I guess. Thank you again.</p>
<p>@PhotographerMom - My son mentioned that he’d like to bring his desktop with him to boarding school (in addition to the laptop currently required by his middle school) and that he saw many students, like your kids, who use a laptop around campus and a desktop in their dorms. I thought it seemed overkill - since I get by fine with just a laptop for work… and worried that it might, sigh, enable too much video gaming. But, am I casting an evil eye too quickly? Are there advantages to this multi-computing setup that I’m missing… other than, of course, ergonomics?</p>
<p>Video games run just fine on a laptop. 
Our kiddo requires the graphics computing power of his iMac for his EC so he is encumbered with a desktop, a laptop, and the school-required iPad. From what I’ve observed, this is not unusual, but the shipping stinks.</p>
<p>Deerfield provides MacBook Air for each kid. Light, works well, but hard drive small, so gets full fast if you try to download/ play a game-- probably why they chose MacBook Air over MacBook Pro.</p>
<p>Thanks @ChoatieMom. In our son’s case, the desktop is the one with the heavy duty graphics computing processor, which I suspect is why he’s keen to tote along. I don’t mind his doing so if there’s some value to be had, but in his case I wasn’t sure what that value was and we’d be shipping it a fer piece, perhaps like you. (In truth I suppose my larger concern is that he, being a fresh-faced frosh and we being brand new boarding parents would be arming him with a potential distraction that may be best saved for a later time… since he primarily uses the desktop for gaming at home.) But, that said, if in the absence of some EC that demands it, there is some value in having a desktop as well as a laptop (and other 1st world issues 
), I’m certainly open to learning from folks.</p>
<p>My D is on substantial FA. Most of the kids at her school have mac laptops ( we noticed this when touring) but I checked with the IT director before we bought her laptop. He said either mac or windows would be fine. D’s uncle the computer geek picked out an hp pavilion laptop that has worked just fine. With specials and rebate we paid $300 or $350.</p>
<p>At her school everyone has a laptop (technically not required) and they all carry them around all the time. Even though the hp is 5.5 pounds, it is still lighter than all the books she used to lug to and from middle school.</p>
<p>D’s school is not terribly status-conscious, but when D had a slight problem with her laptop, her roommate, trying to be helpful, told D her laptop “was crap.” When D related this to me, not sure if her laptop could be fixed or would have to be replaced, she said I LOVE my laptop. She does play games on it with no complaints. It has 640 gb hard drive and I’m sure her uncle checked out graphics capabilities, about which I am not knowlegable.</p>
<p>In case other low budget folks are wondering what to buy, hers is hp g6 2123 us. It is no longer offered but you could google the specs for comparison.</p>
<p>Oh, and as far as I can tell, no students have desktops at her school.</p>
<p>Hi Mussels- Both kids are into filmaking and take other classes that can (at times) require a desktop- or in their minds a trip to the computer room or library. Having everything they need in their room adds ease for multitasking and believe it or not less distraction. That said, with all these computers and gadgetry- their rooms do look a little like CIA outposts and I’m fairly certain there’s some Black Ops going on Thankfully their grades don’t reflect too much Black Ops going on… or I would shutdown the mission in a heartbeat. </p>
<p>In addition to all the above, my youngest says he does his best work when he’s not working on a movable object. I assume that means he prefers being chained to a desk under a bright light instead of lounging with his laptop on a comfortable chair, bed, or perhaps the floor in a friend’s room.</p>
<p>Both carry their iPhones or iPads/laptops around campus- mostly for communication, grade/assignment checking, in class work and homework on the run. When I walk down the halls to their rooms, it seems like almost everyone has a desktop. My best advice is to see what it’s like during fall term without it, and if your child still wants to bring it- load it up and bring it back to school for winter term.</p>
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<p>That’s fine if you’re within driving distance, but not much help when shipping/insurance is required. Keep in mind, too, that if you do need to ship, your student will be the one required to handle the shipping back home and, even with the school’s help, that can be a hassle.</p>
<p>ChoatieKid has a real need for the computing power of his desktop but is looking to downsize to the MacBook Pro because he says this latest high-end version now has both the graphics horsepower to run the professional version of FinalCut and the retina display required for editing. If he can find a Santa Claus to make this dream come true, then he will lose the desktop and his current laptop for the Pro which will, of course, be able to handle all the mundane academic tasks as well.</p>
<p>I don’t believe there is much case for a desktop unless you can transport it yourself or your student has a real need for some feature not available on a laptop. As @alooknac has nicely pointed out, all the computing power needed for the academic requirements of BS can be had in a small footprint for relatively low cost.</p>
<p>For those looking at Apple products remember to check for refurbished models on apple.com - they come with the same warranty etc and save a good deal of money. We bought D’s MacBookPro refurbed last year saving a few hundred $$. Now school is switching to all iPads starting in the fall…</p>
<p>^Great point, @Mom!</p>