An Apple A Day Is This Student's Way

When you're thinking about buying a college laptop, the $1000+ price tag for an Apple computer may seem (more than) a little out of your price range. (Trust me, I understand!) That investment, on top of the mile-long dorm packing list, will definitely set you back a pretty penny and send your parents absolutely crazy. Even so, hear me out: at least in my experience, making the investment is 100% worth it.

When I started at Catholic University in 2007, I went to the Apple Store, bit the bullet, and purchased a Macbook — and am still so glad I did. There are quite a few widely accepted reasons to splurge on these trendy laptops over lower-priced PC's, including some of my personal and pragmatic motivations:

The iPod Rebate
When you buy a Mac during Back to School season, you receive a $200 rebate on an iPod. This is exactly the cost of an iPod Touch, which has many uses besides just listening to your favorite tunes. You can answer professors' emails, keep a calendar, and check your Facebook to untag pictures from last night, all while sitting in your dining hall eating a (delicious?) breakfast.

The Printer Rebate
Sure, your school will probably have a computer lab with printers available to use in a pinch, but it's much less time consuming and less costly just to have one in your room. Printers can be expensive, but if you buy an Apple computer, your student discount also gets you a $100 rebate on a printer, which equals a free multi-purpose HP model that scans, prints, and copies like a champ.

Built to Last
The proof is in the product: Apple computers will stand the test of time and each series is designed with room to grow. Apple laptops are also a bit more protected against hackers and viruses based on the consumer market (I've never had a problem with viruses on mine in three years, knock on wood), plus Macs also are reputed to be more user-friendly, meaning fewer phone calls or reasons to cry out for tech support in the middle of the night with a paper due the next morning. They're also super-easy to connect to the Internet, and have a high-quality built-in camera and microphone so you can Skype with your friends (maybe even your parents) back home. (Your student ID also gets you $100 off the overall price of your shiny new Macbook from the get-go.)

I.M.H.O.
Since a computer is the biggest staple in an incoming freshman's new life, buying a Macbook is your best investment, in this student's humble opinion. It will absolutely last all four years, and will most likely make it through a couple of years in the real world, as well.

How do you like them apples?