Woodsey you'll love it. Have had a MBP for a few years now absolutely quality.
Pokering is easy and fine to use DB's with etc. Not only can you run windows (I've had 3 years of using parallels and never had a problem that I haven't caused by being dumb).
They are pretty strong/durable. I managed to have my laptop bag swing violently away from me on the tube with my last MBP and after it caught the railing full on in the middle of the bag I thought it would be in bits, just a crack in the screen ftw. Also managed to spill a full pint of orange squash on my keyboard last week whilst grinding which was one of the biggest epic fails in history, mbp took it like a champ still working fine!
They get very hot underneath which is a real concern if you want to have it actually on your lap with any regularity (if grinding with it and you need the loo one must drape a towel over ones knees or else ones knees will burn to shit).
Everyone seems to hate on macs because of their image and price combined with a lot of people who buy them and don't need them. If you actually have lots of picture editing to do etc then it will be a brilliant machine for you and be solid as a rock whilst running. Having said all this windoze has got better recently, the more it copies apples gui and tries to compete with linux etc the better for windoze. but I have been impressed with 7 since I got it, it's alot more stable. it's not super brilliant but it's better than all other windows versions i've used. I only got my pcs for pokering/computer games but I still cant help but use my mac for email/msn/internet surfing/photos etc
As someone said student discount ftw.
Cheers mate the picture editing is a major attraction I have to say, I've got into photography in a big way in the last couple of years. I have to wait till next month to buy anyway after I get a work bonus so will decide then.
What about all the apps they offer. I-work/apeture/final cut etc?
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