College Student's Guide to MacBook Pro

College Students Guide to the Macbook Pro

What are they?

Macs, which are Macintosh computers produced by Apple, are one of the front runners of the Laptop and Desktop computer world. They run the OS X operating system, the newest of which is Snow Leopard (10.6). Macs have two different types of laptop; the Macbook and the MacBook Pro. This article is going to dive into the specifications and benefits of the Macbook Pro.

Specs

The Macbook Pros are all equipped with a MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port, mini DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio in/out, and a Kensington lock slot. As you move up the ladder from the 13 inch to the 15 inch and even to the 17 inch, there are more and more opportunities. The MacBook Pro 13 inch screen also has a FireWire 800 port, and an SD card slot, the 15 inch has a separate audio line in and audio line out, and the 17 inch has an extra USB port and an Express Card/34 slot instead of an SD card. They it also comes complete with a Trackpad. The Trackpad is the mouse and left click and right click, all rolled into one. It is a touch pad that is able to do everything a normal mouse would, and more. With the touch of two fingers you are able to scroll 360 degrees; three fingers and you can navigate through pictures and internet pages, and four fingers allows you to navigate through all open applications on the computer.
Another incredible feature is the backlit keyboard. If the sensor that is on the camera of the computer senses that it is dark, then the keyboard will light up, so that it is easier to see the keys.

The Macbook Pro specifically is unbelievable. The battery power, which is complete with up to 10 hours of use and over 1000 recharges, is incredible. I have a Macbook Pro, and I thought that there was no way it would stay alive for that long. But, it definitely proved me wrong, and still now, a year after getting it; the battery is just as strong. The other amazing things about the MacBook Pro in contrast to the Macbook are the aluminum unibody, and the speed. The 4 GB of RAM and 2.4 GHz allow the Macbook Pro to fly through tasks, and continue to look good while doing it. The original 250 GB can be upgraded to 320 GB or even 500 GB and the extra cost is not that much.

Price

A lot of people when buying a laptop discuss the price of Macs compared to PCs. It is true that when compared side by side, with no interest in actually comparing the system, Macs seem to be more expensive. However, once a Dell or an HP is beefed up to equal the specifications of the Mac, the Dell and HP are more expensive. So if you are looking for a cheaper computer, you can buy a PC. However, keep in mind that you are getting less technical specifications, and less impressive features, than on a Mac.

Performance and uses

For the average college student, Mac is perfect. The basic packages contain internet, word processing, email, music and most other things that you would need. But there are also many college students that are looking for more. Most Macbook Pros now, if you do not get the lowest basic package, have Power Point, Word, Excel and many more fun things. These are all great to have for any student.

Macs have, also, always been equated with artists. The easy to use artistic applications, like iPhoto and many more, come standard and make the Macbook Pro something every artist wants. With the ultra high resolution LCD screen that comes on the Macbook Pro, all the colors on all the artistic applications really pop.