New Laptop? Ipad?

[Quader]

Hey everyone,

Much like many of you, I begin my program in the fall. I have been reading through all of the recent 'Should I get a new laptop?' threads but decided to make my own rather than hijacking anyone else's. I currently own a regular Macbook (unibody) which is about 1.5 years old. I have strongly considered purchasing a non-mac in order to more suit my needs.

I will be doing normal Microsoft Office tasks, email, and mostly using SPSS and SAS. I know they have made SPSS available for Mac's for a bit of time now, but I have still heard that it just doesn't run as well. I am aware that I can run Windows on my Mac, but that is not something I am entirely interested in. For that reason, I have been looking at some of the Lenovo Thinkpads, specifically the T430.

Part of me thinks it is a good idea to have a new laptop that I use for business/school purposes only(Cost: $1000 - $1500). With that being said, would I be better off just running SPSS on my current Mac and buying an Ipad on the side to use for my personal surfing, entertainment, etc. (Cost: $500)?

I have been wavering on this issue for quite some time and it has caused me some unwarranted stress. I would love to hear all of your opinions, thanks!

[Stately Plump]

I won't be using SPSS, but my plan is to keep my current laptop (Macbook Pro, 2+ years old) and buy an iPad and bluetooth keyboard for traveling, writing on the go, and basic "computer" needs.

As as side note, I just completed an Honor's thesis is Sociology which required I run SPSS on my Mac. I didn't have any problems with it.

[honkycat1]

I went through the whole first year not really using my laptop at all (maybe once or twice, but hardly necessary). It broke down, and I got an iPad instead. I also have two desktops (One at school, one at home). But if I didn't have the school desktop, then I would probably need a laptop. You need a computer at school that you can work with.

iPad is GREAT for entertainment, and its actually quite productive. I take it to meetings, take notes, sync my life together. If you don't have experience with apple products, I do recommend you give it a try. If you are a tech nerd like me and use it to its full capability, its worth a LOT more than what you paid for RELATIVE to what you would pay for a laptop IMO.

I would say, 85% of the things you do on your laptop ON THE GO, can be done just as easily and if not, more conveniently with an iPad. The other 15% of stuff that iPad can't do, well, you RARELY NEED to do it ON THE GO, so if you have easy access to a desktop or school computer, then you don't need it.

[bdexicon]

Your laptop isn't old. Get a copy (legitimate or not-so-legitimate) of Windows and dual-boot it on your Mac via bootcamp. There are some extremely easy tutorials online.

[honkycat1]

oh, your macbook is 1.5 year old? unless your wealthy, getting a new laptop for the sake of windows is a waste of money, IMO.

[Chasely]

Will your department provide you with a computer? I don't know if it's common, but depending on your concentration one might be provided to you. Since your laptop is so new I would just get a copy of Windows and install it on Bootcamp. Depending on how much hard drive space you need, I would probably spend a couple hundred bucks and get a SSD (hard drive) to replace your current HDD; it will make everything seem speedier. You can find good ones on sale for under $1/GB. I'm not sure if the older MBP have SATA III or not, so I would find that out since you can get SATA II drives for cheaper.

For getting a copy of windows, check out if your department/school is part of the Microsoft Academic Alliance. You might be able to get a legitimate copy of Windows 7 (usually Professional) for free.

An iPad in conjunction with a Mac and Dropbox make it really easy to go paperless, but I don't think it's worth spending the $500 for entertainment. You already have a good laptop that can do almost everything an iPad can. I don't have an iPad and I'm not even sure I would get one if I had the money. I have an Air that's nearly as portable.

[juilletmercredi]

Your Mac is still relatively new, and all of the tasks you plan to do you will be able to do on your Mac (even SAS, if you boot up Windows). I don't see the purpose of spending $700+ on a new machine just because you aren't interested in running Windows on a Mac - why not? A copy of Windows will be far cheaper than buying a new computer, and you may even get it free of charge from your university (I did). Then I just bought a copy of VMware Fusion, which a was $50 at the Apple store, and voila - I can run Windows programs on my Mac without rebooting.

I also second finding out if you get a computer. I have a little space on-campus that has a Windows computer - I share it with another student, but our schedules almost never overlap. I use that when I want to use SAS or do heavy duty stats use on SPSS. I also live on campus and all of the Windows computer labs here have SAS on them; next year, I'll live in a residence hall that actually has a Windows computer cluster in it. Even if I lived in graduate housing, though (I live with the undergrads because I'm a residential director), the libraries with SAS in them would be a short walk away.

The SPSS GradPack is $200 and works on Mac and Windows (one disc for both installations). Before you buy a new machine, why not purchase the copy of SPSS (unless you get it for free at your university) and try to run it on your Mac? Then you can test for yourself whether it runs well enough for you to do what you need to. I do have a Mac and I agree that SPSS runs better on Windows, but it still runs well enough on a Mac that I can do the majority of what I need to do from my Mac. When I can't, I go to the library.

[tupacodaman]

bootcamp lets you run windows on your mac, though you do have to reboot, but it is free. I've used it for two years for gaming, music making, spss, behavioral and neuroimaging data analysis, and have not had a single issue with any of those. also very easy set up

and parallels is an alternative, in addition to fusion, if you don't mind paying $50 so you don't have to reboot

[imonedaful]

Wow, your computer is only 1.5 years old and you are considering a new one? Man, my my laptop is about 5 years old now. It is a slightly heavy but very reliable Toshiba I use for just about everything. I was debating about getting another computer when I start my program. During my Master's I used my laptop quite often. Not sure whether to get a desktop or get a lightweight laptop to tote around.

[amandacarol1215]

I use SPSS on my Mac all the time and haven't had any problems with it. That being said, if you like your Mac and it is only 1.5 years old, I wouldn't recommend buying something new just to have it. We spend enough money in grad school!

[Cosmic Grad]

My program requires me to get a laptop and right now I only have an old netbook. I have been debating about getting a Macbook Pro (13 inch) or a relatively cheaper PC laptop (but one that would last me a few years) like this. (I'm only linking to this particular one since I liked it in the store and it has a DVD/CD player, which the ultrabooks on the market now do not have.

If I got a cheaper PC laptop, I would feel more comfortable "splurging" on an iPad for note taking. Question is, is the lowest end iPad ok for notetaking purposes? And will the content sync with a PC? I've never used Macs before so any advise or pointers would be appreciated.

[ANDS!]

What is your budget?

[Cosmic Grad]

I've budgeted $1000-$1500. I haven't bought a computer in a few years, except for a $400 netbook to replace my laptop which died a while back. (I knew I was going to be needing one in grad school down the road so figured I'd wait 2-3 years to buy something up-to-date.)

[ANDS!]

My recommendations:

Low Budget: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AI_1nJYa3Y. It is Lenovo's "budget" ultraportable, and has received rave reviewers from publications. One of the drawbacks is its battery life, but unless you project yourself to be on battery power for hours on end with nary a plug in site - isn't a problem. The 13inch version (which you should be looking at) starts at 719 for a Core i3 and 500gb of space.

Mid Range: Macbook Air. Really nothing needs to be said about it. Great keyboard, good battery life. Only comes in solid state drive options (keep it thin). 128GIGS of memory will cost ya about 1000 bucks on Amazon. A bit small for my tastes though, but it would compliment an iPad.

Pricey:

or Macbook Pro. 13inch MBP will start you of at 1200 and goes up from there. Thinkpad X1C is. . .depending on tastes. . .the least "sexy" of the laptops, but it is a "business class" laptop, and is well known for its distinctive style (all Thinkpads look the same). This one however is superthin, touted as the lightest ultrabook, and comes in at 14 inches and about 1300 MSRP (that will drop once it goes on sale) for entry model.

I will personally be getting the base model XIC (was going to get the U310, but the X1C looks very affordable to me). If your goal is to get a laptop and an iPad, I would go for the U310 and a 16GB iPad 2 (you don't need the new one); that would come in well under 1500 (if you are adamant on taking notes on the iPad).

[Cosmic Grad]

Thanks very much, this breakdown has been very helpful! I read a review of the X1C in this week's Wall Street Journal, in case you didn't see it: http://allthingsd.com/20120807/back-to-school-with-two-thin-laptops-one-pricey-one-not/

I was also considering it, but I'm usually the type to wait a few weeks until a product has been tested by the masses, and in this case I don't have much leeway.

[ANDS!]

I think the biggest complaints about the X1C are going to be in regards to the screen; however this is a business class machine, and it's not going to have a screen like the MBP and certainly not like the Retina. Reviews have said it is a nice screen for its class though. My last laptop was a Thinkpad, and it has lasted 6 years. I expect to be using the X1C for a similar period of time, unless they radically change the design to make an upgrade worthwhile.

FWIW some of the complaints that Mossberg has about the X1C are not found in other reviews from reputable sources.