Which MacBook is best for students?

If you’re a student just starting college or returning to university, having a good laptop in your backpack is a must. Laptops are essential for taking notes, attending online classes or workshops, building projects, and working part-time.  

And one brand which has offerings to cater to a variety of these diverse needs is Apple. MacBooks are popular amongst students for their smooth performance and easy-to-understand, fluid user interface. But with several variants on offer, some might find choosing the right MacBook a tad overwhelming. And so, we put together this little breakdown of all the current models in the line-up, to help you find the variant just right for you. Read on.  

For the light users: 15 and 13-inch MacBook Air M3

Are you looking to buy a laptop that is powerful enough to handle multi-tasking in college, but don’t necessarily require it for super heavy tasks such as editing or programming? Well, the 15-inch M3-powered MacBook Air is the one for you then.

ALSO READ: Apple MacBook Air M3 launched in 13-inch, 15-inch variants

The device gets 24GB of memory and up to a 2TB SSD, which allows it to make light work of reports and spreadsheets for assignments. That said, the chip on the device, combined with the Liquid Retina Display and a six-speaker sound system with spatial audio support, means light video editing on the device is not a hassle either.

And if you can live with a four-speaker setup, but want something that’s even more compact and portable, look no further than the 13-inch MacBook Air M3. 

Best for heavy users: M3 series 16 and 14-inch MacBook Pro

If your courses involve dealing with heavier programmes, be it for editing, or coding, you can consider investing in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, with either the M3 Pro or M3 Max chipsets. These laptops with up to 16-core GPUs and 40-core GPUs, and up to 128GB unified memory (Or RAM), also make easy work of heavy tasks such as 3D modelling and engineering simulations. What’s more, they can also be used to train large language models, should you happen to dabble in developing AI applications and platforms as part of your course.  

Say you want something equally powerful in a more compact package though. Well, we recommend you check out the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the same chipsets. Storage on the device is a tad lesser though (Up to 2TB), and so is the unified memory (Up to 24GB).  

The best of both worlds: 14-inch MacBook Pro M3

Now, what if you wanted something that can do a little bit of everything? Whether it is light work such as putting together a deck for your next presentation in class or some heavy work like editing videos on Final Cut Pro. Say hello to the base 14-inch M3-powered MacBook Pro.  

The device gets up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB storage. What’s more, it should easily last you all day between your classes and that internship you’ve just got. Only difference is, it gets slightly less powerful 8 and 10-core CPUs and GPUs respectively, and 24GB of memory. While it sounds like a downgrade, it really isn’t, because the device can still give most similarly priced rivals a run for their money.  

ALSO READ: Apple MacBook Pro M3 vs MacBook Pro M2: How fast are the new laptops?

Should you happen to be a movie buff, binging on the device in your free time is a treat as well, with its Liquid Retina XDR display and six-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support and support for spatial audio. General navigation on the device is a breeze as well since it gets ProMotion Display technology with refresh rates of up to 120Hz. 

For the ones on a budget: Apple MacBook Air M2

The M2-powered 13-inch MacBook Air might have been around for almost two years now. However, it remains an extremely potent offering and suffices for most everyday use cases. The 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU mean day-to-day multi-tasking including working on reports on Microsoft Word while streaming your favourite movies and web series on the side, or maybe attending a FaceTime call while working on a group project, is a breeze.  

What’s more, the laptop also allows for some light photo and video editing, or illustration, if it’s a hobby, without breaking a sweat. Add to it that it gets up to 18 hours of battery life at a stretch, and the M2-powered MacBook Air still makes for a great investment. 

We hope this helps you start your new academic year with the best-suited MacBook, for you.