MacBook Pro for GCSE

[GreySheep]

Does anyone know if a MacBook Pro will be a good laptop to use for GCSE years?

I’m clueless on this but DD is into photography so know it’s good for that but wondering if it’s good as an all round laptop for the GCSE years too?

I’ve tried googling but it’s all so technical. I’d love to hear from any parents whose DC have used a MacBook Pro during GCSE courses or hear if any other laptop recommendations.

It's fine and quite expensive but don't see why you need it in particular. My son's girlfriend is doing A level photography and doesn't use a Mac. I like Macs as that's what l learned on but there are plenty of alternatives. She should ask her teacher.

Do you have money to burn?

Thanks for the replies. @Confusedbeetle this would be a gift from an inheritance so it’s a one off special chance to get something she’d really love as opposed to something that ‘will do’.

I wouldn't. She doesn't need it for GCSE, and by the time she's doing further education and might need a better laptop, it'll be outdated. I'd get a Chromebook or decent cheaper laptop now, and save the expensive one for down the line when she needs it, so it'll be up to date then and able to handle the programs she needs.

No student needs their own computer.

Thanks for the replies but I didn’t ask if she needs one. This would be a special treat so the morality or justification doesn’t need debating.

I’m just literally asking if you can do GCSE work on MacBook Pro’s too? Or would a different one be better - e.g. would a windows based laptop be better. Questions like that.

What does her school use? If they use Windows, I would get a Windows laptop, for ease of transferring documents between home and school.

I have a MacBook Pro and bought the Mircosoft word package. Yes my MacBook was expensive but I still use it 8 years on where as other family members have replaced there cheap ones serveral times

DS needed to use a laptop for school and exams from 11 (SLD) and he had Macs all the way through because I needed to have one for work so he got my cast offs.

It was fine but it would have been slightly better to have a Windows laptop, as that was what they used at school. It's not like it used to be when Macs were Macs and Windows was Windows and never the twain shall meet but there was the odd issue.

There is also the issue that it is an expensive piece of kit that is likely to get bashed about or even lost or broken, particularly if it gets taken to school.

I would go for something else and try to think of something else as a treat. Or put the money in an account to be used towards a car when she is older.

Dds school recommends the Surface Pro over the Macbook. I must say it is fab.

I use a MacBook at home though at my school everything is done on windows. Have had no issues at all. I don't have the Microsoft software in my Mac. Anything I do on Microsoft at school opens up on my Mac on its software. When I work at home I just save it as a MS version too.

Dd has a Mac computer and does the same., and she used google docs a lot at both school and hone too. She's doing a levels now and we've not yet encountered any problems whatsoever.

My MacBook is about 4 years old now and it still works as it did when bought. I upgraded to get the best processor and storage at the time. It's not slowed down at all, and is in no way out of date for any of the work I do. The Mac computer is about 18 mi this old and again it's as new.

I've found the Macs seem to be much better at still working well for far longer. I used to upgrade my windows laptops approximately every 2-3 years max.

No student needs their own computer

Possibly not but it can make life so much easier when they do, especially now so many schools set homework and revision using computer and internet based packages and websites. They don't need to stay after school and at lunch time with work, they don't need to book computer time, etc. Dd has had a laptop of her own since being fairly young. During GCSEs and A levels she's used a home computer or laptop pretty much daily for school work.

No student needs their own computer everyone has to have one at dds private secondary. It is great, they fly through stuff and homework is more organised and all stored, so revision is much easier. It cost 700 though.

Thanks all for the suggestions and thanks @Aragog for your personal experience of using the MacBook. Good to know that they seem to last. It wouldn’t be going into school but they do a lot of online homework so a long lasting machine would be worth it.

No student needs their own computer - those with access arrangements make this their normal way of working do. Yes in the ideal world school should provide in this situation, but sadly we don't live in an ideal world. The only way to ensure this was DD's normal way of working and wasn't continually borrowed for other people use was for me to provide her own laptop.

I never set homework which requires a computer - I never take it for granted that all pupils have one.

Yes, there are some students who use a laptop in school because of need, but the school provides one to use on the premises.

My best friend won the lottery (£101k ish) the night before her wedding 8 years ago - very generously she gave me the 1k’ish and I used it to buy a MacBook in the states when I went on my honeymoon a few months later - it has never faltered , still works great , looks great and in that time my husband has had three different laptops. They’re great bits of kit

Thanks @mrsbyers that’s great to hear.

Yes I’d say it is really useful. It makes my DS want to use it, whereas his older cheap laptop he hardly used in the end and it didn’t resell well.

Also a lot of kids finding writing quite laborious and those with ADHD etc can find typing so much easier.

I expect my DS to get 5 years out of his. He’s on it all the time and loves it.

Why a Pro? The MacBook Air is fantastic and costs significantly less and is a more
Portable machine. Still very versatile and powerful

Just another comment in support of MacBooks and their longevity - I got mine in 2009 and am only now starting to consider replacing it (for gaming). But I don’t need to - I’m just impatient for loading time and in game lag. It’s still working great for internet browsing, word documents, spreadsheets etc.

@pepperup true it is worth talking to the Apple shop people and seeing what they say, air is less pricey. However DS uses some quite powerful software and it wouldn’t be good on air book. Arguably other Laptops are just as powerful and less pricey, because they are not apple, however kids love having them I think - the ease of use and the whole ‘look what I’ve got’ - which can be a big incentive to them using it more.

@Clearnightsky you’ve nailed it. I don’t just want this to be a practical laptop. I want it to also have the ‘omg look what I’ve got’ factor. This will be a special one off from the inheritance of a very missed family member so the special aspect is a factor in it.

Thanks @PrincessSarene Wow that’s a good lifespan and good to know.

Yes she can. I did. I didn't do photography But I did all my gcse work and as level coursework that I needed at home on a MacBook - I used the air. It's lighter and I traveled a lot which was a bonus for me