<p>I’ve been looking into laptops lately preparing for a purchase some time in the summer. The configurations I’ve considered are:</p>
<li>Macbook - 2.0 GHz, 2GB RAM or upgrade to 4GB RAM</li>
<li>Macbook - 2.4 GHz, 2GB/upgrade to 4GB</li>
<li>Macbook Pro - 2.4 GHz, 2GB RAM</li>
</ol>
<p>Could any of the techies around here shed some light on which would be the best value? I don’t really want to get the Pro as my laptop budget is somewhere around the low 1000s so 1500 is the absolute max and sort of pushing it. I was thinking of putting off buying the nicest computer for later - 3 yrs later maybe? Or even until graduation…</p>
<p>So I guess the real question is whether to upgrade the processor or the RAM or both. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>this is something that i have been looking at as i go away to college. i am in the same boat as I do not want to spend a lot and i was thinking getting a regular macbook but getting the upgrades of processor and RAM. that would be my bet, but i am not all that knowledgeable. </p>
<p>The answer isn’t that easy- it all depends on what you want to do with it.</p>
<p>If you are doing any heavy graphics manipulation on it (not just photoshop), then the Macbook probably isn’t the right choice. The main difference between the two is that the Pro model has a dedicated video card, whereas the Macbook’s video processor is integrated into the chipset. That means that the Pro can handle a great deal more as far as 3d modeling, etc. The regular Macbook is just fine for basically anything else (everything aside from graphics-intensive tasks like 3d modeling and games). </p>
<p>If the Pro is out of your cost range, the other option is to get a PC notebook. You can find a very fast (faster than the Macbook Pro) PC laptop for ~1500. Of course, that means you have to be OK with using a PC. I can recommend the best value for you in a Windows PC, if you want to go that route.</p>
<p>If you DO go with the regular Macbook, I suggest you configure the processor to the best one, and choose the lowest amount of memory. Then, buy Macbook memory from a 3rd party (it will be cheaper that way).</p>
<p>Thanks amosdudley. If I get the RAM separately, would I have to specify it’s for a Mac and not a PC? In most cases I’m assuming there will be tech support on hand wherever I get the RAM to help me install it, but just out of curiosity, is this hard to learn how to do by yourself?</p>
<p>I’ve had bad experiences with PCs and I’ve always been a Mac fan but my parents were reluctant to switch. Though I’m still curious which brands and/or models you would recommend for a PC.</p>
<p>Check the website of the architecture school you will be attending. They usually will list their requirements or you can email them and ask what their recommendations are. I think Penn St recommends a Mac; Syracuse and U of Cincinnati recommend a PC. U of Cincinnati has a computer store on campus to help you purchase.</p>