When choosing the best mac for collegethere are a number of factors that we need to take into account, as an iPad is likely to be more than enough for a lesser investment.
However, if we also need a keyboard and a mouse, depending on the model, we can finally arrive at pay the same price as a MacBook Aircheapest apple laptop.
MacBook processors
If we’re talking about a Mac for college, we can’t talk about the iMac, Mac mini or Mac Studio rangebecause they don’t offer us the portability we need and they offer us the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro range.
In 2020, Apple released the first processor with ARM architecture, the M1. Since then, the Cupertino-based company has launched 3 new models (Pro, Max and Ultra), although only 3 of them are available in the laptop line: M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max.
At the moment, the M1 Ultra, Apple’s most powerful ARM processor, is only available (at the time of this article’s publication) in the mac studio (This will probably also come to the Mac Pro).
M1
Apple’s M1 processor was the first processor with ARM architecture that Apple has launched on the market. This processor is available in both the MacBook Air line and the iPad Pro line.
This processor includes 8 CPU cores and 7/8 GPU cores. Autonomy, visiting web pages, writing, taking notes, etc., is between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
M1 Pro
One year after the launch of the M1 range From Apple, the Cupertino-based company introduced the M1 Pro processor.
This processor is available in the versions with 8 and 10 processor cores and in versions with 14 and 16 GPU cores. According to Apple, the autonomy of this equipment reaches 20 hours.
M1 Max
The most powerful processor as of March 2022 in Apple’s laptop lineup is the M1 Max. This processor includes 10 CPU cores and up to 32 GPU cores (depending on model). The autonomy of the equipment with the M1 Max processor is approximately 20 hours.
To consider
A point that we must take into account when choosing a model of Mac or another is that are not compatible with Windows.
As of March 2022, Microsoft has yet to release an ARM version of Windows to install on Apple’s ARM processors, despite having been in the market for almost two years.
The reason why Microsoft has not yet released a version of Windows for these computers is due to a exclusivity agreement with Qualcomm in the old days.
According to various sources, this agreement will expire in 2022so it’s likely that by the time you read this article, you already have the option of installing Windows on MacBooks with ARM processors.
If the career you are going to study requires a specific application that is only available for Windows, you must find an alternative compatible with macOS before buying a MacBook.
Best Apple Laptops for College
As I mentioned above, buying a Mac that is not portable, It does not mean anything, unless we use an iPad to take notes and a Mac to study. If that’s your case, the 24-inch iMac is a great option.
Macbook Air
The MacBook Air is the entry-level model MacBook. This model is only available in a 13-inch version.
The keyboard is backlit, it is available with a maximum of 16 GB of RAM and 2 TB of SSD storage. It includes two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a headphone jack port.
Inside is the M1 processor with 8 CPU cores and 7 GPU cores.
The cheapest model, with 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of SSD storage, has a price of 1,129 dollars. On Amazon it can be found for less than 1,000 dollars.
The version with 512 GB has a price in the Apple Store of $1,399 and on Amazon it generally does not exceed 1,200 dollars.
It is important to choose the model that best suits our needs because, once we have purchased it, we can’t extend it later in any way since RAM and storage are soldered.
The autonomy of this model is 18 hours6 hours more than the previous generation managed by Intel x86 architecture processors.
Macbook Pro
The MacBook Pro line is available in 3 screen sizes:
- 13 inches
- 14 inches
- 16 inch
13-inch MacBook Pro with M1
The M1 processor found in the MacBook Pro, this is the same one found on the MacBook Air. The 13-inch MacBook Pro M1, however, has 8 CPU cores and 8 GPU cores (compared to the MacBook Air M1’s 7 GPU cores).
Like the MacBook Air, this computer is available with a maximum of 16 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of SSD storage. Features a backlit keyboard, Touch ID, Touch Bar, 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and headphone jack.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with the cheapest Apple M1 processor (8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD), It has a price of 1,449 dollars.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro
The 14-inch MacBook Pro features a display with technology XDR Pro Motion 120Hz, includes 3 Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, HDMI portan SDXC card slot, a MagSafe port for device charging (it doesn’t charge via the USB-C port like the 13-inch MacBook Pro), and a Touch ID to protect access to the device.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro processor is available at 2 releases:
- 8 CPU cores and 14 GPU cores
- 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores
basic memory part of the 16 GB of RAM and can be expanded up to a maximum of 32GB. Base storage starts at 512GB and we can expand it up to 2TB.
The MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro processor part of the 2,249 dollars.
16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro
The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro processor is available with 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores. It has the same characteristics as the 14-inch model.
The base model, with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, is part of the 2,749 dollars.
16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max
The 16-inch MacBook Pro includes the same features and ports as the 14-inch model. It is the only model with the M1 Max processor, a processor that comes in 2 versions:
- 10 CPU cores, 24 GPU cores and 16 Neural Engine cores.
- 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores and 16 Neural Engine cores.
This single version is available from 3,619 dollars. part of the 32GB RAM (supports a maximum of 64GB) and a 512GB SSD (expandable up to 8TB SSD).
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