I'm going to get my advertising degree and I'm looking into getting a macbook pro.

A few things, I don't need a HUGE screen, 13.3 will suffice (mainly due to cost) and I want something newer. I'm ok with a refurb. Now I need to find the best price....

Any help would be greatly appreciated or tips on what to avoid/look for when buying a mac.

Asus zen book i7, dual core. Its under two pounds. 13.3 inches as well.

Fixed.

You will get way more bang for your buck going windows over mac

Well if he's going into advertising, he's obviously a pretentious douche bag, so the Macbook fits him.

QFE, although I also like advertising, when it's something I care about.

LOL

Well anyways, I think I am going to side with PC after this internal battle I've been having for a few months now.

Going to be buying from xoticpc.com

QTF Zonata. How I feel about the marketing team at my company as well. They only "can," use Macs. Yet the rest of the company has PCs.

You went on the wrong forum for sound solid advice when it comes to picking a MacBook. This place is filled with Mac haters, and needless to say, it's not going to give you the unbiased opinion you need. Regardless, I'll throw you a bone.

The reason why the advertising and media realm use macs is not for the power they seek, really if you're looking for a powerhouse computer for gaming hands down PC if the cost efficient way.the main reason why macs are "overpriced" is for its reliable and easy operating system. Hands down, if you want a computer that's going to let you run photoshop, final cut pro, sprinkled with some personal programs, Mac OS will be the most stable system with the lowest probable factor to blue screen/ lose your work. This is why they use macs. Lion's new operating system allows you to create multiple desktops from one computer, so you don't need to hook up 2 monitors to have that convenience, you have it as is.

Keep in mind though, you need a Mac if only you're going to utilize a lot of it's core features to really get your money's worth. If you don't plan to learn how to use Final Cut Pro, alongside with Mac's iCal, mail, address book and it's new free service iCloud, you shouldn't buy a Mac. A lot of people get caught in the Mac factor when all they need is a shitty NetBook for Facebook.

TLDR: too much biased advice, buy Mac if you plan to learn final cut pro for your field because it's the best video editing software, and if you don't want a shitty operating system that sucks ass and is unreliable/unsecure. You pay for reliability, not for power.

Oh and for power, since you're starting out, just get the entry model 13's, trust me it's more than enough to get you through college, you won't be directing movies, I promise. And by then, you'll need a new comp anyway. Apple also offers educational discounts for college students, just show your Id at the store and they'll chip off a hundred bucks off the price, and a good amount of the warranty too if you plan to buy it.

Remember again, Mac = reliability and ease of use. Don't have a driver for a printer but its supported by Mac?? No problem, your Mac will download the driver and install it itself. Computer has a issue with software/top case is damaged?? Apple store will repair it within the day if they have the part, no shipping/waiting 2 weeks. Its a company about creating easy to work with efficient products, not unstable octocore machines which use 20% of its processing power.

For the record, I don't own any Mac computers at all, I build pc's and still use the same pc I built 5 years ago.

@Seij

I think your points are invalid;

; The price tag is bigger because of the gimmicky bullshit and elitism that Apple can get away with Macs.

; Photoshop runs exactly the same on Windows, and being a hobbyist Photoshopper for several years, I have never had issues with Photoshop on any of my computers (Xp-Vista-Win7). Final Cut Pro can very easily be replaced by several video editors, such as Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere, or even Pinnacle. Regarding personal software; Mac's limiting amount of programming languages really hits personal software; with Windows/Linux, several languages can be used to build great programs yourself, while Mac programs have to be built in the lower quality cross-platform languages, or you can pay for access to better Apple programming tools. Crashes/BSODs are a thing of the past; as long as you aren't using crappy Asian-built software, you'll be fine.

; How'd you pull this one out of your ass?

; All of these can be replaced by better/free software/services.

; So do modern PCs :|.

All in all; the computer you get doesn't really matter, you can easily get a computer for half the price of a Mac Book that have the same, if not better specs; if you want to cough up twice the amount for the shininess and smooth interface, well then, you're a douche that deserves the lost money.

And good day to you.

prz dont turn this into a religious back-and-forth, that kind of bullshit belongs in politics discussion forum IMO, because anyone arguing so strongly for one and against the other is a misinformed, pretentious douche by definition. as a mac/pc atheist, I am the clear victor in this debate.

You F*CKERS bastardized this guy's thread-- he was asking for help in choosing a mac.