<p>I was researching what laptop I wanted and I wasn't sure what type of MacBook I should get. I'll be starting my freshman year this fall.</p>
<p>Should I get MacBook Air, MacBook, or MacBook Pro?</p>
<p>Will MacBook Air work with ethernet?</p>
<p>depends on what you plan on using it for.
If you just plan on doing some word processing, emails/chat. web browsing, itunes. then regular macbook would do just fine.
If you're looking for ultimate portability then go for the air.
get the pro if you're doing some heavy graphic usage. intense gaming, photos, aperture, etc...</p>
<p>The MacBook Air doesn't support ethernet. Of course, 88888888 wouldn't admit that ;/</p>
<p>If you want something ultraportable, go for the Lenovo</a> X300.</p>
<p>You may want to pick up an [url=<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5024372/apple-cancels-all-iphone-3g-orders-releases-ibrick-3g%5DiBrick%5B/url">http://gizmodo.com/5024372/apple-cancels-all-iphone-3g-orders-releases-ibrick-3g]iBrick[/url</a>] though.</p>
<p>For all intents purposes, just get a MacBook and you'll be more than satisfied. I got a MacBook Pro simply because I wanted the larger screen (15") and am completely smitten by the aluminum design. Honestly, I don't think I could recommend a MacBook Air for college students, as IMO it's tailored to traveling business executives, etc. market.</p>
<p>If the MacBook Air doesn't support ethernet, would a MacBook or MacBook Pro support ethernet and wireless Internet?</p>
<p>Yes both of them do</p>
<p>Would I have to get extra cords for ethernet? Do college campuses usually have wireless internet?</p>
<p>Don't get the airbook- they had to sacrifice a lot to get it that small, such as how recent the chip is... (a college professor I know that only works with macs did a lot of research before he got his new mac, and told me this).</p>
<p>For the typical consumer (e.g. student) the macbook air is more of a fashion statement. you compromise some features for ultra portability. </p>
<p>I own a macbook and I am very content with the smoothness of running applications. Ask yourself what you will mostly be doing, because the macbook satisfies most people's needs. Unless you plan on doing graphics-intensive programs or you want good gaming experiences, the macbook is the more affordable/rational choice of the two.</p>
<p>Some really like the design (it's rumored the macbook will undergo a design change too in the near future) of the MBP, but I find the 13.3" screen suitable for carrying the notebook with me everyday. Some things are shrunk but overall it's portable enough for me.</p>
<p>The Macbook Air does not have a wired Ethernet connection. To connect to a wired network, you have to buy a USB-Ethernet dongle to attach to the single USB port provided by the Macbook Air. The price of style over function... Want a SuperDrive? It’s extra. Want more memory? Sorry, the Macbook Air’s memory is soldered to the motherboard. Want a larger hard drive? Sorry, the Air does not use a standard laptop size hard drive. It’s proprietary. Get the picture?</p>
<p>Which would be better MacBook or MacBook Pro? What's the difference?</p>
<p>The MacBook Pros are higher-spec machines. They come with a discrete video card, larger screens, LED-backlit screens (it's an option on the 17-inch model), and higher-spec options.</p>
<p>I'll be using it for undergrad (and possibly, grad school, too).</p>
<p>The only major differences between the MB and the MBPro are memory and hard drive size (and the video card if you really want to play games).
IMO, the only real difference is $800.</p>
<p>if you're this clueless about computers, you probably don't need a Macbook Pro...</p>
<p>all (or most) college campuses will have internet available in your dorm room, and you need to buy an ethernet cable to use that. not all schools have wireless, so poke around your school site to find out if yours does.</p>
<p>get a white Macbook. there is no point in getting an Air, the black Macbooks are overpriced, and it doesn't sound like you'll need a Pro (and those are overpriced, too). and just as a reality check, whatever laptop you buy most likely won't last you until grad school, whether it falls apart or is just completely obsolete.</p>
<p>yes don't get air.</p>
<p>berkeley has wireless in most of the campus buildings...if not all. i think. lol. The dorms also support wireless, however i heard it's better to to use ethernet cord in the dorms because i heard something about the network reseting every 2 hours or something.. and if you're on wireless you'll lose connectivity? i dunno. doesn't matter no air.</p>
<p>^
yea. i'm just hoping my mbp would last my undergrad years. then look for a new laptop afterwards.</p>
<p>Let's say I want to use my laptop for all 4 years in college.. so durability and specs are important.. will the specs become too obsolete if I get just a MacBook? Would the extra 800 for a macbook pro make the laptop last better so that I still have good experiences with my laptop when I'm a senior in college?.. I don want to wait for 5 mins for an application to load while I'm rushing a senior project...</p>
<p>After 4 years the specs on your laptop will be obsolete whether you get the MacBook or MacBook Pro. The biggest differences between the MacBooks and the MacBook Pros are screen size and graphics performance. CPUs are very similar.</p>