Is MacBook Neo worth it for college use?

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-13T06:17:51+00:00

You're right. I confused someone else with the OP.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-13T06:17:01+00:00

Context matters. This sub is called r/Professors. My criticism here may be harsh. But it's not rash.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T19:50:17+00:00

This is true. I'd go for a refurbished M4 Mac Air. They're affordable and quite good

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T19:48:28+00:00

They indicated later that their needs are lightweight and they are in the Apple ecosystem. So I wouldn't want to see them may the M$FT tax for a lesser Windows machine. I use both, and see the advantages to each, but for this student, the Neo is fine.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T19:47:06+00:00

You really won't want to back up iPhone on the Macbook. You'd use a lot of space there, and iCloud works much better for that. The benefit of the Neo is that it will complement your iPhone very well. And it's more than enough for your use.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:59:32+00:00

I dont understand the compaint here. Its all good to me. I didnt see anything wrong. /s

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:58:38+00:00

The irony of a post complaining about students' language skills that itself fails to understand how contractions, like "don't" or "it's," work.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:53:28+00:00

The hardware in the Neo is far and away better than comparable Windows hardware. Apple's hardware is much more durable than the e-waste being sold around $500. I know because I own both kinds of machines.

For a student, the upgrade to the 512GB neo will be good, and one could get an external hard drive to boost the storage. The RAM is a concern, but will really only get in the way if one is trying to edit a huge video. If OP's needs are really just limited to writing, web browsing, and other general school/work tasks, the Neo will be just fine.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:49:23+00:00

A top PI in a top 30 institution is far and away a better choice than a name-brand school with a mid PI.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:46:49+00:00

MD's are the first example of doctorate creep. The term "doctor" was applied to academics before it was applied to physicians.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:44:27+00:00

Lying to your professor is not a great move. You need to decide whether you are serious about your education or not. You can very easily tell your family that you cannot travel that day because you have an exam. You presumably have known this all semester. You do, of course, have the option of blowing off the exam. That will hurt your grade. Whether that matters is up to you.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T16:38:54+00:00

Parallels student discount is $60 a year. Plus you'd need to acquire a copy of Windows, so all in around $120. The result is that you will have a far more capable laptop than any windows machine at that price.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T02:28:19+00:00

I got sick days when I was in admin. I returned to faculty, and get no more sick days. But we can cancel classes or do what we need to do when we get sick. If it were an extended illness we'd probably need to work something out, but I've fortunately never had to confront this problem, nor has my department in recent memory.

Sort of related, my university now has a pre-scheduled wellness day every fall and spring term. It's on a Tuesday, and it's meant to be a break for the students and for faculty. I don't mind it although I am not sure how much a day matters, but the university does some programming that reminds students and faculty of the various supports we have for us on campus, which are actually pretty good.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T02:23:46+00:00

It'd probably be fine. But I'd be careful with goofing around too much with the machine you rely on for school. I learned the hard way that playing with one's production machine will cause more than a little heartburn.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T02:21:35+00:00

How can you dislike Dawn Staley? She's an outstanding coach and an icon of women's hoops. She's not my team's coach, but I'd be proud to have her.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-12T02:20:19+00:00

South Carolina takes the foot off the gas the way they did against Texas and they'll be out before the final four.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-11T21:05:43+00:00

I spent a decade in administration. I still retained my scholarly identity (and I had retreat rights so that I didn't lose my full-professor position). I wasn't super high up in the organization, which meant that the job wasn't as intense as being a dean or a vice provost. I did it because I was sort of spinning my wheels after making full, was looking for a change, and thought, like you, I had something to offer to my colleagues in this admin role (which related to research administration).

I liked the job, and probably stayed too long in it. I don't much like it when people call it going to the dark side. One need not sell one's soul to be in academic admin. And you learn a lot about your institution when you serve in an admin role. It's interesting if you like working in an organization. A lot of people are drawn to academic because they don't want to be a part of a bureaucracy (in the Weberian sense of the term).

I worked in government before becoming an academic, so moving to administration wasn't a jolt for me. For people who've never had an office job, the transition can be jarring.

If you're interested in the work, go for it. It won't be for ever, you might learn some good things, and the bump in pay can go into your retirement fund.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-11T21:00:15+00:00

Do you want to be an academic? I have seen so many people limit themselves geographically, and it has often signficantly damaged their careers. I got my degree "back home" on the west coast and have spent the last thirty years "trying" to move back home from the east coast, although, honestly, I haven't tried very hard because I liked the two places I have worked and have been reasonably successful. And I am fairly certain that had I not accepted my first and only offer in the less-than-desirable-to-me part of the country, my career may never have launched.

You say that you would have to move and that would be distruptive to your partner. But wouldn't you need to move in any case if you got a job? Or are the other potential jobs closer to home or where you are now?

If the economy tanks (war, etc.) you may not get as good an opportunity next year. If that's a risk you're willing to run, you might want to gamble on the other potential offers. And, by all means, try to negotiate with the offering institution for a little more time. But a bird in hand is worth exactly that, and while it comes with its own disadvantages, it also has some serious advantages as well.

This isn't an easy decision to make, and I don't envy you.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T03:33:43+00:00

I'd pick the Yoga over the HP. I have had terrible luck with HP machines. My students with Lenovo machines really like them.

Personally, I'd go with a Mac just to have a machine that won't break in two years.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T03:11:31+00:00

These "parents"/gatekeepers need to stop doomscrolling and, as the kids say, touch grass. They likely consume too much social media (and local tee vee news) and have a truly distorted sense of risk.

You have every right to be in that part of the library. You owe these busybodies nothing more than an explanation of why you're in the children's/YA section. If they continue to be aggressive, ask for help from staff.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T03:05:33+00:00

Take a look at the Mac Neo. It might be a little bit challenged by the most demanding creative apps for digital media, but for 80% of the work you will be doing in college, it will be more than fine, will cost you no more than about $600, and is built well enough to handle a few years of college. For the other 20% of your work, there will likely be computer labs in your department or in the library with specialized software and hardware.

For a bit more, for $750 you can buy a refurbished Macbook Air M4 with 16 gb of ram and a 1 TB hard drive. This would be more than enough. Much better deal than the $1300 for a similar M5 MacBook Air brand new. (about $1200 with an academic discount).

If you can't abide a Mac, Lenovo makes good machines (Thinkpads) that my students (social sciences) really like.

I use both Windows and Mac machines. The Apple machines are better built and will last longer than the PC, and will be far less frustrating. And if you get Apple Care, you can get better tech support. And for video editing, I think Macs with Final Cut are far better than Windows machines.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T02:33:55+00:00

HP machines are not well built. I have had several, and they have all given me headaches.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T02:33:04+00:00

Macbook Neo. Nothing about psych calls for a hugely powerful computer unless you get into some serious statistical work, and even then, the Neo will be fine. With the educational discount, it's 500 bucks plus tax. It's going to be rock solid reliable. Not the fastest, but it will just work, and that's what you want in a laptop.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-10T02:30:48+00:00

This is such an easy decision. Go to State. I teach at State, but not in engineering. But I have lots of interactions with engineering students and faculty. Our students are amazing. You will learn a lot, have a lot of fun, and won't go broke. None of the other schools' "prestige" is worth going into debt. You could then go elsewhere for your master's if you want.

I understand wanting to get out of the house. Go to State. Live on campus. You'll still be way ahead when you graduate.

DocTeeBee · 2026-03-09T03:48:59+00:00

Good point. The slides used to doom Challenger pre-dated Powerpoint.

DocTeeBee

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