Need advice on purchasing (some type of) Mac

[Gidney N Cloyd]

I work in an almost entirely PC-based higher-ed environment and we're seeing a natural increase in the number of Mac users, particularly as our online classes increase. That means we need to expand our support to them. I've had a little Mac experience but really haven't kept up with the different lines and models available.
If I wanted to get our department one Mac to have around to test things on, preferably something portable, what would be a good model to get? Doesn't have to be anything super-duper, just something that would allow us to "try it on a Mac" when issues come up.

Thoughts?

[struggle4progress]

1. What's the budget? What do most of the student users have? And what does "portable" mean to you?

The MacPro is probably a bit pricey for most student budgets and "portable" wouldn't be a good description of it

If "portable" just means "easily moved," the Mac Mini isn't a bad buy but it's so small it's tempting to move it while turned on -- and you're really not supposed to move it while it's turned on, since gyro forces can gimp the hard drive. But when transporting it, you need to carry the mouse, monitor, keyboard, and the Mini box itself, plus cables. The all-in-one iMac combines the screen with the computer, so transport involves fewer pieces : you haul around mouse, keyboard, and the combined monitor-computer, with fewer cables. The Mini's not nearly as sexy as the iMac, so I'd guess your students prefer iMacs to Minis as desktops. But the new iMacs are all quadcore, and that might give you guys an inappropriately powerful machine to test stuff on, when you're trying to figure out support for students with less powerful boxes

Mac seems to have discontinued the white Macbook. So if "portable" means "laptop", you probably want a Macbook Air or a 13" Macbook Pro. I'd guess the students are probably getting Macbook Airs or the low-end Macbook Pros as laptops

If I were in your position, my bottom line might be: aim low-end rather than high end, as easier on the budget and less likely to over-estimate students' computing power. So I might go for a low-end Mac Mini or Macbook Air -- or maybe even a refurbished older white Macbook

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. I think we're on the same page...

I'd like a laptop and it can be low end, though I'd rather it wasn't at the very bottom and could stay a viable machine for a few years. One big difference I see between the Macbook Airs and the Mackbook Pros is the amt of RAM they can handle. Money is ~some~ object but it might be best to spend a couple hundred more now to avoid buying a 2014 doorstop.
What do you think of the MacBook Pro i5 2.4 13 11? It doesn't seem much more expensive than the Airs.

[struggle4progress]

3. I only actually own a white MacBook, several generations of Minis, and a Mac Pro

so I really can't give you a deeply-informed comparison of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

[originalpckelly]

9. I've seen MacBook Pros, the 13 inch model.

If you are interested in saving money, Apple has a refurbished section on their store, and they give out warranties as if they are new.

If not, the 13 inch comes in at $1,199, but the discount is $100 on it, so you can get it for new for less.

I remember seeing a number that 80% of college student now use a Mac, at from what I've seen in classes, that looks accurate.

There is a lot of stuff that I don't like having come from a Windows world, but it is faster and more reliable. You can really tell the difference on the same machine if you use Windows and then come to a Mac.

And there is even a way if you hate to use Mac key shortcuts to make them like Windows.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. I'd go with a 13" MacBook Pro and here's why

The 11" MacBook Air and MacMini are below it in Apple's pecking order. There ay even be an iMac below it. But there is also a good bit above it, so that puts it in the middle. I think that's your sweet spot.

I would bet most Mac students have something comparable

Also, since you're testing to see what works on a Mac, I assume you're talking about online stuff (like from Blackboard, and that sort of company). In that case, literally any Mac will do as all the computing happens on your servers. All the Mac needs to do is serve it up in a browser window.

The latest 13" MacBook Pro (I have one) is little different to a user than the first of the aluminum body machines or the now-gone white MacBooks. From a user perspective, the OS is the very same and so is the experience. The bigger/newer machines just do it all a little faster. For most users, you can't tell the difference.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. Very helpful. Thanks.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. A word about Blackboard, specifically . . . .

. . . . my son is taking courses. His MacBookPro (one generation older than mine - so less than a year old) can't download everything from the school's Blackboard-powered web site. Some lesson plans and course materials - and even some tests - require some browser plug in or other. All the other students using Macs have the problem. None of the PC students do. It would be VERY useful if the school website had those plug ins (or links to them, at least) on the web site as a resource. Once you have the plug ins, all is well. One of the plug ins was specifically for users on a Mac connecting to Blackboard. I don't know who wrote it (Blackboard or some frustrated student), but it is absolutely necessary to have.

I am sure these specifics can apply generally to any other software package you guys might use.

[originalpckelly]

10. My iMac is the cheap one, and it is better compared to the MBPro 13 inch.

It's the higher end MBPros that are better in just about every way, aside from using lower RPM HDD.

[CreekDog]

7. I'd get the 13" MacBook Air

it's solid state so there is no startup or shutdown waiting, well, perhaps a few seconds on either end.

it's netbook weight, 2.9 pounds and the battery life is rated 7 hours. it's very portable for this reason.

you can get a refurbed one from the Apple Store (online) for $1000 or so and their refurbished stuff seems like it's reskinned and basically looks new and has the same warranty as a new product.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. I'll check the model out. Unfortunately this is a gummint purchase so no refurbs.

Thanks.

[originalpckelly]

11. Damn.

You are right.

The one problem with the MB Air is that the screens are higher resolution for any given size. So it means that you might not be able to see it as easily. My friend had to return her Air because it was so bad to read on for hours at a time.

You can lower the resolution and zoom in on things, but it's never like the comparative crispness of a display operating at a lower resolution natively.

[REP]

12. Mac Book - there's an education discount for those

It'll do everything you need it to. It will be slow running programs like PhotoShop and iMovie, but those probably won't come up a lot.

[suffragette]

13. If you are needing to troubleshoot things like accessibility, online access/compatibility etc

I'd get the midlevel Macbook Pro.

I'd also want to know what OS most students are using since that can make a difference, especially with what's built-in in terms of accessibility and interaction with software.

[REP]

14. I'd guess most students are running Snow Leopard (10.6.8) or Lion

Last edited Wed Jan 11, 2012, 04:18 AM - Edit history (1)

Since there's an education discount for Mac Books, and most got them within the last year or so. Edumacated guess.

[suffragette]

15. I'd also guess most at Snow Leopard with a few on earlier systems

and a few on Lion (though that will increase and may have already started to with new Christmas presents).
Especially with the online classes, you could have older students who might still be using Leopard or students using their parents' systems, which again often isn't the newest one.
With many accessibility options built in, these can vary from OS to OS, sometimes in small ways and sometimes in major ways, and also in the way they interact with other programs, especially some of the online systems.
Text to speech (TTS)has different voices and different ways of accessing them depending on the OS. Alex has been around for awhile now and is pretty good, but apparently in Lion you can access more voices, but have to add them (haven't had a chance to play with Lion yet). Recording text to iTunes as a spoken track changed (in a good way) from being possible with Automator to an easy menu selection.

[REP]

16. Yes. I know :-)