What Is The Best Mac Laptop For College - normalhorsechem’s blog

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It's mid-summer, and that can mean only one thing: School is coming. (Sorry, kids.) And with a new school year often comes the need for a new laptop. For college students in particular, it can be tough to pick the right model. How much should you (or, more likely, your parents) plan to spend? How much horsepower do you really need? Could a Chromebook get the job done? How about a tablet?

Best Answer: Apple remotes (made for the computers and not the Apple TV) are made with Infrared not bluetooth. This means your laptop has to have a infrared receiver. Picking the best laptop for college can make all the difference. Take a look at some of our favorites, and why you may consider picking one up for your next semester. Most individual []. Buyers Guide Best MacBook of 2018 — for College Students The 13-inch MacBook Air is the best MacBook college students can buy today. It's inexpensive for a Mac, has plenty of ports, and is light enough to carry with you all day.

Fear not: Even with hundreds of options, picking the right college PC is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines. And if you're just looking for the ultra-cheap options, skip down to the bottom. Note that CNET may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

1. Consider the curriculum

When it comes to computing, different students have different needs. Depending on the degree program, you might be able to get by fine with an inexpensive system -- something that's proficient at basics like word processing, web browsing and email.

Indeed, if that's all you need, and your college doesn't specifically require you to have a Mac- or Windows-based system, consider a Chromebook. For as little as $200, you can get one that boots and runs quickly and avoids a lot of Windows-specific hassles (like viruses and Blue Screens of Death).

On the other hand, if your course-load includes graphics-intensive stuff -- 3D modeling, CAD drawings, video editing -- you'll want to make sure the laptop has a higher-end processor (like an Intel Core i7), plenty of RAM (shoot for 16GB), a speedy solid-state drive and a discrete graphics card. Expect a price tag of at least $700.

I should also note that if you're looking for a MacBook, the price will likely be quite a bit higher. But Apple often offers student discounts that can help ease the pain. Right now, for example, students can get a MacBook Air starting at $999, instead of the $1,099 regular price. There's also a promotion that includes free Beats headphones.

2. Screen-size matters

Screen size is also an important consideration, not just for obvious reasons, but also because it dictates the overall size and weight of the laptop.

Anything larger than 15.6 inches won't fit easily (or at all) into a backpack. But if it's smaller than, say, 13.3 inches, it might prove too cramped for comfort. Whatever size you land on, be sure to note the weight of the machine. Anything over 4-5 pounds might prove uncomfortable to schlep around campus all day.

I consider a 13.3-inch screen to be the sweet spot in terms of comfort and portability. That's what you get in models like the HP Spectre x360, which weighs just 2.9 pounds and measures roughly half an inch thick.

Similarly, the aforementioned MacBook Air 2018 weighs 2.7 pounds and stands only 0.6 inch.

There are lots of other worthwhile choices in this category, including the nearly perfect Dell XPS 13 and convertible (i.e. 2-in-1) powerhouse Lenovo Yoga C930. Here are some other best ultraportable laptops of 2019.

3. Could you get by with a tablet and keyboard?

Perhaps, but ask yourself: What's the real benefit? Most students need a keyboard for taking notes and writing papers, so do you really need one that's removable? Are you ever going to use the screen all by itself -- especially if it's a large, unwieldy screen, like 12-13 inches? A detachable keyboard is one more thing to keep charged, one more thing to lose or accidentally leave behind in your dorm room.

Lots of students are drawn to the 12.3-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 6, but I don't like it. For starters, Microsoft stubbornly continues to charge extra for the keyboard instead of just bundling it. The tablet alone starts at $899; the keyboard will run you another $130. I honestly don't see the point; for the same money you can get a 13.3-inch laptop or convertible. Meanwhile, the Surface's rear-hinge design has always made it awkward to use on your lap, and it might also be a poor fit on those little auditorium-seat desks.

Similarly, Apple has tried to turn iPads into laptops, but once again I think it's a foolish hybridization. If you opt for a 9.7- or 10.5-inch iPad, you've got a screen that may prove too cramped for comfort. (And if you add a matching keyboard cover, you're definitely in for a cramped experience.) A 13.3-inch iPad solves those issues, but now you're looking at a much higher price tag -- and a tablet that's far too large to use comfortably as a tablet. Same lap/small-desk issues as the Surface, too.

I'm not saying a tablet-keyboard combo can't work for some students, but I think a convertible makes a ton more sense -- and gives you a lot more buying options.

4. Don't sweat the storage

Once upon a time, the rule for buying a computer -- any computer -- was 'buy the largest hard drive you can afford.' These days, it's usually preferable to choose speed over size. That means forgoing the 1TB traditional hard drive in favor of a smaller-capacity solid-state drive (SSD), which will make even a lower-end laptop run at a faster clip while at the same time helping extend battery life. (SSDs have no moving parts and therefore consume less power.)

OK, but can you really get by on, say, 256GB of storage, or even 128GB? That's what you're likely to find in a lot of the more affordable laptop models. (A Chromebook might have even less.) But remember, we're living in a cloud-powered world: Most students stream their music and movies from services like Spotify and Netflix, and therefore don't need a ton of local storage for media. Documents (such as school papers) consume very little space, and will likely be housed on Google Drive or Office Online anyway.

5. Forget Microsoft Office -- unless it's free

Most students will need a basic suite of productivity tools -- word processor, spreadsheet manager, presentation builder -- to handle the basics of school work.

Good news: You may be able to get Microsoft Office 365 for Education for free. Microsoft currently offers the suite at no charge for students and teachers; all you need is a valid school email address. Failing that, Office.com (and Office apps for Android and iOS) offer free versions of the major applications with basic features enabled. They may well be enough for writing basic term papers and the like. And if the school doesn't specifically require Microsoft's suite, most students can easily get by with the likes of Google Docs, which of course is free.

Alternately, for a more 'traditional' productivity software experience, consider a free Office alternative. I'm partial to both LibreOffice and WPS Office; the latter is a particularly good choice if you're already acquainted with Microsoft Office, as it has a very similar interface.

6. Shop the campus store

Many college campuses have computer stores that claim to offer the best discounts on student laptops. Make sure you do your homework before shopping, however: These stores don't always have the best prices, and their selection may be limited compared to what you can find online or in a big-box store such as Best Buy.

The flipside is that buying from a campus store may entitle you to local tech support, which could be worthwhile for those times when a paper is due and the laptop is locking up.

Similarly, for any computer you're considering, check the warranty terms (one year is standard, but you can often extend it) and especially the company's tech-support options. Students tend to keep late hours, so 24/7 phone support is definitely a desirable feature.

7. I'm broke. What are my options?

For starters, watch for sales. This is exactly the time of year when stores like Best Buy and manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo start offering back-to-school discounts on laptops and accessories.

Right now, for example, Walmart has the Acer CB3 15.6-inch Chromebook for just $149. It's about as bare-bones as a laptop can get, but it's also about as inexpensive as they get.

Best Buy, meanwhile, offers a free-to-enroll College Student program, with a number of discounted laptops already available. One decent deal: The HP 14 for $319.99, a savings of $80. It includes an Intel Core i3 processor and 128GB SSD.

Dell has also kicked off its big summer school sale, with one particularly good deal for cash-strapped students: The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 laptop for $329.99, which is $60 off and includes a $100 rebate in the form of a prepaid Visa card. You can also get two years of premium support (including 24/7 help) for the price of one ($69).

Wherever you shop for your new laptop, be sure to see if there's a cash-back option by way of a service like Rakuten or TopCashback. Rakuten, for example, is currently offering 7% cash back on Lenovo computer purchases, while TopCashback will give you 4% back on Dell items. That may not sound like a ton, but if you're spending a few hundred bucks -- or more than a few hundred -- this is definitely a savings. (Use your cash-back credit card, too, for a sweet double-dip.)

Do you have any advice of your own to share for college-laptop shoppers? Shout it out in the comments!

Originally published on Aug. 8, 2017.
Update, July 25, 2019: Added new information.

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Thanks to the fierce competition, Apple is under more pressure to design the best Macs ever. As a result, we’re getting better and more powerful machines like the Mac Pro 2019, which is coming later in 2019 possibly alongside the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro.

In fact, if you’d rather not wait and want to get your hands on one of the best Macs now, there’s already quite a few excellent options to choose from, especially with Apple recently giving its MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro much-needed refresh.

To expand your choices further, the Apple computers are incredibly diverse. The best Macs cover everything from thin and light notebooks like the 12-inch MacBook, which is still on hand at third-party sites despite being discontinued, to professional workhorses like the iMac Pro.

Taking all these into consideration, it can be tricky choosing the perfect Mac for you. We put together a list of the best Macs we’ve tested ourselves – from iMacs to MacBooks – to help you with that important decision. Let’s dive in to all the best Macs you can buy right now, no matter your budget and use.

1. Mac Mini 2018

CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i3 – Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Storage: 128GB – 2TB PCIe-based SSD | Dimensions (W x D x H): 19.7 x 19.7 x 3.6cm

Hugely improved specs

Expensive

Mac Mini fans, rejoice! The Mac Mini has finally been upgraded with modern hardware, ushering Apple’s smallest Mac to the modern age and naturally warranting it the top spot in our best Macs list. This tiny thing is packed with 8th-generation desktop processors, a ton of RAM and some of the fastest SSDs we’ve seen – all while keeping the same adored form factor. It’s a tad pricier this time around, but with the raw speed on offer, you’ll find that it’s worth the price increase.

Read the full review: Mac Mini 2018

2. MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

Apple’s productivity machine gets the latest Intel tech

CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 555X – 560X, Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display | Storage: 512GB – 4TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 34.93 x 24.07 x 1.55cm

Powerful

Screen remains gorgeous

Lack of ports

If you want the most performance you can get in a MacBook without needing to pull off a heist, you’ll want to look into the MacBook Pro 15-inch. Now refreshed with hexa-core 9th-generation processors and up to 32GB of RAM, you won’t be held back by anything you throw at it – especially now that you can get Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics. With that kind of performance, the MacBook Pro takes a lofty spot on our best Macs list without breaking a sweat.

Read the full review:MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

3. Apple iMac (27-inch, 2019)

Apple’s most affordable all-in-one

CPU: up to 3.6GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 570X – Radeon Pro Vega 48 | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display 5120 x 2880 | Storage: 1TB Fusion Drive – 2TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 51.6 x 65.0 x 20.3 cm

Stunning 5K display

SSD upgrades are expensive

The iMac has long been one of the cheaper ways to get into the macOS ecosystem, and we’re glad that hasn’t changed. Though what has changed, we also appreciate. The new iMac is packing with 8th- and 9th-generation desktop-class processors, letting this stylish all-in-one reach that fabled 8-core performance. If you’re looking for an all-in-one Mac, the new 27-inch iMac might just be the best Mac for you, at least if you’re on a budget.

Read the full review:iMac (27-inch, 2019)

4. MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)

CPU: 7th-generation Intel Core i5 – 8th-generation Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 – 655 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2,560 x 1,600 | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.49cm

Much more powerful

Keyboard learning curve

The biggest issue with the older MacBook Pro was that it was still packing Kaby Lake processors while its rivals had moved ahead. Luckily, the MacBook Pro 2018 changes everything, making it more powerful than ever. It still has the controversial Butterfly keyboard, but that’s also been improved so that its quieter and more reliable. It’s not hard to recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018 to anyone looking for the best Macs.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)

5. iMac Pro

CPU: 8 to 18-core Intel Xeon W | Graphics: Radeon Pro Vega 56 - Radeon Pro Vega 64 | RAM: 32GB – 256GB DDR4 ECC | Screen: 27-inch 5K (5,120 x 2,880) Retina display (P3 wide color) | Storage: 1TB – 4TB PCIe 3.0 SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 65 x 20.3 x 51.6cm

Apple

Most powerful Mac you can buy

Very expensive

Professionals and creatives need something that can handle any workload they can possibly throw at it. If you’re one such user, the iMac Pro isn’t just one of the best Macs for you; it’s the only Mac to consider. Not only does it have a vibrant 27-inch 5K display with a P3 wide color gamut, but it also boasts the most powerful hardware Apple could get its hands on. It’s extremely expensive though, so it’s really only meant for folks who have deep pockets and need that unbridled power to get through their daily workloads.

Read the full review:iMac Pro

6. Apple MacBook Air (2019)

CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm; W x D x H)

Lovely design

Fantastic battery life

Underpowered

Apple takes the MacBook Air (2018) and gives it a bit of refresh, adding True Tone technology to its display and an even more reliable keyboard. Unfortunately, it hasn’t upgraded the specs – which actually leads us to think that there might be a bigger update by early 2020. However, to be fair to this refresh, the 2018 version has already made our list, so this improved version is just as deserving or more so. But the best part is yet to come: this refresh is even cheaper, so you’re definitely getting more value for less.

Read the full review: MacBook Air (2019)

7. MacBook (2017)

Small and stylish

Incredibly portable

Too expensive

While Apple has officially taken the MacBook out of its MacBook lineup, many third parties are still carry it. And because the 12-inch MacBook has found its niche as an ultraportable and lightweight laptop, it’s still deserving of a spot on our best Macs list… that is, until stock runs out. It’s low on ports, but that’s hardly a surprise in a laptop this thin. It can support basically everything under the sun with its Thunderbolt 3 port, anyway. It’s not as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but if you’re looking for a MacBook that’s easy to take with you wherever you go, look no further.

Read the full review: Apple MacBook (2017)

Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptops 2019
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