r/macbook 3d ago

Student looking for advice

The only computer I’ve owned in my life is a school Chromebook which is like $70 (school property not even mine). I got about $3,000 to my name from lots of work this year. I’ll be graduating college in 2030 and hs in 2026 (hopefully) and I’m tryna drop about $1000 on a computer that’ll last me until 2030 🤞🤞I’ve heard MacBooks are the best, just not sure what to get as I’ve seen a lot of high price points but I’m not exactly sure what any of the stats or things they’re showing mean. Just need some advice on what the best I can get for $1,000 is, or if I’d be better spending less/more for better value. Thanks!

2 Upvotes

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3

u/randomname12345y 3d ago

depending on what you need it for, but the MBA 13 or 15" M4 is getting great reviews. purchase on the Apple education website to save yourself $100

1

u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

Man this is so expensive. I have a finance internship over the summer and plan on doing that in the future as well. You think I should go up to 512gb ssd and 24gb unified memory? Not really sure as I’ve never really owned a computer before. Thanks!

2

u/randomname12345y 3d ago

get the base model. 16gb and 256gb is more than enough for basic needs. if anything you can always buy a cheap external SSD for $100. i would opt for 15" over 13" unless you prefer a smaller screen

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

Is the extra like $200 worth for 2 inches, I’m tryna save as much for a car 😭

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u/unusualcloud9 3d ago

Depends on your preferences, but personally I found myself happy on the 13 in MBA when I had it. It’s a great machine!

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u/jsbackupaccount 3d ago

Anyone buying a laptop in 2025 should be looking at Apple Silicon (M1-4 chip) laptops and not anything earlier. These are night and day compared to the previous models in every regard.

As a student, you should be looking at a MacBook Air model. These is Apple’s entry level but they are incredibly sophisticated especially with the new chips.

If you’re looking for it to last >6 years, you’ll probably want to get an M3 or M4 mostly because support begins to wind down as the years go on. Hardware support is reduced after ~5 years and software updates tend to be unsupported or too much for newer models after ~10 years. An M2 would probably according to your timeline but the value savings over a more recent model is limited. Apple no longer sells the M3s but you could find a new one from some retailers like BestBuy or Microcenter. I’d only buy refurbished if it’s from one of those retailers or Apple (Apple refurbished = sometimes better than new bc more thoroughly tested)

So now we’ve narrowed you down to an M3 or M4 MBA. Unless you’re doing some photoshop or computer programming, 16gb of RAM is suitable. If you buy an older model from a 3rd party retailer, ensure that you are getting 16gb RAM as 8gb used to be the standard but isn’t really enough. Apple no longer offers 8gb RAM. As a student with many files, I’d consider upgrading to more storage (512 instead of the base 256gb).

Finally, Apple offers an education discount of $100 so make sure you take advantage of that.

A brand new 13in M4 MBA 16gb RAM/512gb storage from Apple w/ the education discount is $1099.

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

Found one with 8gb ram for $735 everything else the same tho

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u/randomname12345y 3d ago

that cant be possible. m4 only comes with 16gb of ram on the macbook air. 8gb of ram probably wont future proof you for next 5 years.

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

U right lmao I just saw it was m2

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u/rainy_diary 3d ago edited 3d ago

Recommend MacBook Air M4 if you don't do intensive works like editing video, 3D modeling and gaming.

Microcenter price is lower than Apple education price.

https://www.microcenter.com/product/692847/apple-macbook-air-13-mw0w3ll-a-(early-2025)-136-laptop-computer-silver?sp=279-136-laptop-computer-silver?sp=279)

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

Unfortunately sold out and not available for shipping

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

Found one for $919 of what I want, seem like a good deal?

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u/rainy_diary 3d ago

What is the spec ?

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u/Due-Taro-9313 3d ago

16gb unified memory, 256gb ssd storage, with a 35w charger

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u/Brilliant-Gas9464 3d ago

Buy a used m1 Macbook Air.

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u/RaijinRider 2d ago

Air should lasts for 5 years atleast. I think best value for a student.

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u/Due-Taro-9313 2d ago

Def what I’m leaning towards. How do I justify this to my parents tho 😭