[jon.kiparsky]

The nice thing about a linux machine is you have six consoles to switch between with CTRL-ALT-Fn - this makes programming a joy.
You don't have that on a mac, but you can use a stack of terminal windows and use the splat key to bounce among them.

[modi123_1]

Hells bells.. It was bad enough programming on the black screen/green letter terminals, but I couldn't imagine having only a 13" port view into an IDE. Yikes. Not to mention a 128gb drive seems obscenely small for college. Good luck with that one, Chuck.

[supersloth]

AVReidy, on 27 March 2013 - 01:31 PM, said:

supersloth, on 27 March 2013 - 11:12 AM, said:

what's the 'for college' part got to do with it?

Quite a lot. I wouldn't buy a new laptop if I were not going to college. My current PC situation is apparently inadequate for college. You MUST have a laptop with at least 4GB RAM and Windows or OS X; I have 3GB with Linux.

i mean, really it just means you want a new computer. it's not like you came in here with actual college requests like "something light to carry in my backpack and also that runs word because that's all my actual school requirements before it's antiquated anyway"

[cfoley]

Have you checked if you will need to boot into Windows for any of your classes? A class that requires you to program in .NET is a good example.

Other than that, the weight, battery life and keyboard are more important than any other spec. Your budget also seems a little high. I recently bought a new laptop for my freelance work and PhD. I got a PC with similar stats to yours, omitting the SSD for £430 ($650)

If you can afford to blow the additional $1000 then go for the mac. If not, get a PC.

[carnivroar]

AVReidy, on 27 March 2013 - 12:46 PM, said:

sometimes I think 17 is too small. I guess I can get used to 13

[Ludwig Wittgenstein]

I do not see the logic behind wanting to purchase a MacBook Pro -- it is exceptionally overrated, and a huge waste of money. Go for a Lenovo IdeaPad U410. It is ~$800, so you'll be saving $800 that you can put towards something else that you like.

[no2pencil]

AVReidy, on 27 March 2013 - 03:31 PM, said:

supersloth, on 27 March 2013 - 11:12 AM, said:

what's the 'for college' part got to do with it?

Quite a lot. I wouldn't buy a new laptop if I were not going to college. My current PC situation is apparently inadequate for college. You MUST have a laptop with at least 4GB RAM and Windows or OS X; I have 3GB with Linux.

Really?! What's the reasoning behind 1gb being unable to cope with College?

Ludwig Wittgenstein, on 27 March 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

it is exceptionally overrated, and a huge waste of money.

So is college.

[Ludwig Wittgenstein]

no2pencil, on 27 March 2013 - 04:56 PM, said:

Ludwig Wittgenstein, on 27 March 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

it is exceptionally overrated, and a huge waste of money.

So is college.

Well, it most certainly can be depending on the degree with which you plan on graduating.

[stackoverflow]

I have a Macbook Pro and I purchased a Macbook Air for my wife. My excuse? I'm a software developer and I make bank. Why the hell not? Hell, I may go buy a third one.

Don't let people try to make you feel bad because they can't justify the cost. If you got money then use it. That's what it's there for.

[Jingle]

Macs are pretty durable and they do tend to last. I'm using a 4-5 year old pro and it easily meets all the requirements I have had for it. really most of the time all you will ever need is a pretty basic computer for College unless you are going to be running some massive graphic design type software you should have no problem. what you can do about the problem with screen size is get another screen. It is really nice to have the smaller laptop when moving around from classes but your right it is nice to have something larger for real work so my suggestion would be to get the air that saves some money to get a monitor with it.

[Nykc]

modi123_1, on 27 March 2013 - 04:14 PM, said:

Hells bells.. It was bad enough programming on the black screen/green letter terminals, but I couldn't imagine having only a 13" port view into an IDE. Yikes. Not to mention a 128gb drive seems obscenely small for college. Good luck with that one, Chuck.

Modi you would totally love my 8GB oversized 17" Dell Mobile Workstation. It can also be used as rape defense in the event I am ever attacked.

Personally I prefer the smaller screens. I love my 13" HP - it is portable and the ability to switch between countless workstations CTRL-ALT <- -> I am golden.

This post has been edited by Nykc: 28 March 2013 - 04:47 AM

[Programmist]

If you're not interested in building your own machine, you can get a more powerful machine from any of the Sager or ASUS re-sellers for equivalent money. They won't be as pretty as the Macs or have the same social cachet, but if you can get past that I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This post has been edited by Programmist: 28 March 2013 - 05:47 AM

[Programmist]

I will also second jon.kiparsky's Linux recommendation. I use Linux for all development except for one client who insists on no outside machines and provides 27" 2012 iMacs (because of the Android/iPhone development). While they are certainly very slick, I find that I am just as productive on Linux. Also, several of the apps I get for free on Linux are not available on OSX and I sometimes end up having to buy something equivalent. Luckily this client pays or reimburses for these expenses.

[Curtis Rutland]

To answer your original question, the retina MBP 13" is awesome. I just recently got one. I like it better than the air. It's slightly heavier, slightly thicker, but way more powerful with a crapton better screen.

If you'd rather go with a PC, look for the "small business" sections of the manufacturer's websites. Their business lines are usually so much better than their consumer lines, and their business support tends top be way better. I was personally looking at the dell latitude 6430u:

http://www.dell.com/...0u-ultrabook/pd

Looks pretty slick, and right in your price range. Dual boot windows/linux on there and you'll be set.

[carnivroar]

modi123_1, on 27 March 2013 - 01:14 PM, said:

Not to mention a 128gb drive seems obscenely small for college.

I don't know about that... I have a 64GB SSD and it's only halfway full. Disk space is overrated.