My daughter is off to Uni, which is the best option for her, a laptop for approx £500 and have some money left or a Mac then have no money left?
Did you really post that?
Cheaper with online backup (google drive/dropbox etc) do when it gets beer spilt on it or nicked it's cheap to replace.
Save the extra cash for beer and student riots.
Unless sh'e off to do one of them fancy artsy things where they actually use macs for design
"open source" or "proprietary". hmm.
ok, WinTel is not exactly "open source" but it sure ain't proprietary 😉
or, to use another analogy: cheap MP3 player vs expensive iPod?
Does she have a view ? If she'll take care of the machine then MacBook, if it's going to get bashed around at Uni then cheaper laptop.
2 adults, 3 kids (at or finished Uni) - all on MacBooks except me as I don't use a laptop since I got an iPad.
also if shes going to be doing some serious work (proper typing etc) would suggest laptop and spend the extra on a screen and keyboard. Makes life much nicer and might prevent some early RSI injuries.
I love my mac and use it 8-12 hours a day, I'll probably be buying a couple more before the end of the year too.
That said, they're a total rip-off.
If you "need" either the OS or the smallness of the MBA, then I reckon it can be (just about) justified. It's also much easier to justify when somebody else is paying.
Does she have a preference? What does she know?
macbook air!
Mac - They keep you dry when it rains...
Did you know that you can buy via Apple telesales?
Doing this you can gain access to discounts and promotions, currently in the process of doing this for my better half. She wants a MacBook Pro for her OU work.
The discounts and promo's are only available to students
[url= http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/campaigns/back_to_school?aid=aic-aos-naus-sea-bts-june2012-mactab ]Check me out![/url]
Macbook and the hdmi cable to connect it to the 56" plasma screen that all students have in their flat...
Nice computer, big screen... Just add the bluetooth keyboard and mouse...
Student discount on the mac too.
+ larger screen + keyboard + extra gig of ram (add £100 to the price for all the accessories)
edit: And I'm a dyed in the wool apple fanboi
@drinking. A couple of points to add.
The Macs are more expensive but you get much better quality hardware (fact is laptop manufacturers have to compete on price so if they can cheapen something and get away with it they will, that comes back to bite you).
The way a Mac works is simply superior, in terms of interaction with the machine, the software, reliability etc
The "danger" is that one you experience one mac product and see how well they work together you'll want more. Thats how it was in our family and over 5 years we've shifted totally away from Microsoft devices.
If you do go the Apple route, make sure to go through their [url= http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/education_routing ]education store[/url] or ring them up.
You will get 15-20% off, £70 itunes/app store voucher and 3 years Applecare thrown in.
Then you can joooooooooin uuuuussssssss!
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@drinking. A couple of points to add.The Macs are more expensive but you get much better quality hardware (fact is laptop manufacturers have to compete on price so if they can cheapen something and get away with it they will, that comes back to bite you).
The way a Mac works is simply superior, in terms of interaction with the machine, the software, reliability etc
The "danger" is that one you experience one mac product and see how well they work together you'll want more. Thats how it was in our family and over 5 years we've shifted totally away from Microsoft devices.
Mostly true, but I'm currently on my 4th logic board on my 6 month old MBA which isn't great.
It would be worth checking what the uni / course requirements are, because there are still some apps (e.g. Minitab) which need windows to run them - yes you can use parallels or bootcamp or similar, but unless she knows what she is doing, it can be harder to setup than it should be (e.g. Bluetooth mice need an additional driver in parallels etc).
If she did go for a mac, I'd go with a MBP.
jambalaya - Member@drinking. A couple of points to add.
The Macs are more expensive but you get much better quality hardware (fact is laptop manufacturers have to compete on price so if they can cheapen something and get away with it they will, that comes back to bite you).
Simply untrue.
Simply untrue.
Which bit?
The OP isn't getting a MBP for £500, unless it is secondhand.
Which bit?
Everything after the word "but".
My MB is essentially unusable now, no longer supported and not really all that old. Battery failed twice. Totally.
My PC laptop bought not long after for about €280 new was far more reliable.
no longer supported
How old is it then?
We use G5 towers (nearly 9 years old) and they have only just got to the 'no longer supported' stage. But they do still work...
We're doing samples of one?
How old is it then?
Significantly newer than 9years old!
I've got a first generation Intel Macbook and it's still going strong, bit tatty but everything works on it. I bought it second hand in 2008 for £500.
So why is it not supported? What model/spec is it and what OS/software are you trying to install?
ericemel - MemberWhich bit?
The quality is no better (and in some cases much worse) than other equivalently priced PCs.
- The hinge on my white Macbook has broken twice
- the front palm rest and screen surround on this machine has also cracked numerous times (design fault which should have been recalled)
- the chargers don't have proper strain relief (to look cool) so the cables keep fraying
- the GPU keeps going wrong on my dad's new MBP resulting in garbled screen display
- the touchpad keeps losing its click on my wifes MB
- the caps lock light on my mum's MB only works approx 50% of the time
- the backlit keyboard works intermittently on my work MBP
- charging light is intermittent on all our machines
And that's just off the top of my head. Probably a bigger sample set than most since my family has used Apple stuff since the Classic (what a great machine that was!)
Getting back on topic... I had a Thinkpad for uni and it's been brilliant. Kept going while I watched all my mates Dells etc fall to bits and slow down. Still using it seven years later so I would suggest getting one of those, plus they're better than macs anyway!
By not supported, I mean no longer upgradeable to the latest feature OS.
In terms of timescale, if I'd bought it at the start of a 4year Masters course, the batteries would have topped themselves completely during the 2nd and 3rd year exams and project/dissertation, and would no longer be upgradeable to the newest OS during the final year exams.
So as long as you don't mind a few trips to the Apple store to have it fixed, it lasted just long enough to do a degree course, before being discarded on the heap.
Gaffer tape the magsafe connector on (really do not want that coming out since the battery holds about 1sec charge on good day, 0s on a bad day), and it does run the latest Linux OS very well though, even if Apple don't give a hoot any more.
edit: as above - my money would now go on a Thinkpad. Would never spend money on Dell for personal use.
By not supported, I mean no longer upgradeable to the latest feature OS.
Yes I know - so what model/spec do you have?
The quality is no better (and in some cases much worse) than other equivalently priced PCs.- The hinge on my white Macbook has broken twice
- the front palm rest and screen surround on this machine has also cracked numerous times (design fault which should have been recalled)
- the chargers don't have proper strain relief (to look cool) so the cables keep fraying
- the GPU keeps going wrong on my dad's new MBP resulting in garbled screen display
- the touchpad keeps losing its click on my wifes MB
- the caps lock light on my mum's MB only works approx 50% of the time
- the backlit keyboard works intermittently on my work MBP
- charging light is intermittent on all our machinesAnd that's just off the top of my head. Probably a bigger sample set than most since my family has used Apple stuff since the Classic (what a great machine that was!)
Why do ya'll keep buying apples?
If you have no specific reason to use a particular OS or hardware go for the cheapest one. I can confirm that windows/os x/linux are all pretty much of a muchness.
By not supported, I mean no longer upgradeable to the latest feature OS.
Since when has 'no longer supported' been the same as 'won't run the latest os'? 😆
refurbished Mac for £719?
[url= http://store.apple.com/uk/product/FC969B/A ]http://store.apple.com/uk/product/FC969B/A[/url]
Black one, bought new in spring 2008, so just over 4years old when Apple decided it was no longer good enough for their OS.
Might whip out the HDD and sell it. I'm sure someone will pay good money.
I've recently got a Mac book pro - underwhelmed. It's a nice laptop, no better or worse than the windows laptop it replaced. Lot more expensive though (fortuntely it wasnt me who paid for this)
[b]Black[/b] one, bought new in spring 2008,
Are you sure you bought a Mac? That sounds like a much older G4 machine to me.
Why do people need the latest OS? Do the same people upgrade their groupset every time a new one is released?
Mac air, cheapest, smallest model is all she'll need for uni. It also happens to be absolutely amazing. Any potential draw backs pale in to insignificance after only minutes of ownership. Plus she will love you forever.
New features too on newer OS.
101% real genuine Intel Mac (Core2Duo iirc).
It'll run the latest Linux distros and probably even w8, with all the bling turned on.
never really understood that myself tbh.Why do people need the latest OS? Do the same people upgrade their groupset every time a new one is released?
Yeah I switched from whatever the last OSX was to the whatever the newest one is and made no change to my life!
In terms of timescale, if I'd bought it at the start of a 4year Masters course, the batteries would have topped themselves completely during the 2nd and 3rd year exams and project/dissertation, and would no longer be upgradeable to the newest OS during the final year exams.
What were you studying? Unless it was video/photography why would you waste your money on a mac?
You can get replaceable batteries fitted and the 'about my mac' thingy tells you how many cycles it has done and how healthy the battery is.
I doubt many batteries have the same performance after 4 years especially if they are not fully cycled now and again.
ericemel - MemberWhy do ya'll keep buying apples?
Because we like OSX and more importantly own a load of really good/expensive Mac software already (Office, iWork, iMovie etc).
I'm reaching a tipping point though. As much as I like OSX, Windows 7 is really just as good.
seosamh77 - Member
never really understood that myself tbh.
Software compatibility, performance improvements, bug fixes to name but three reasons.
mastiles_fanylion - MemberBlack one, bought new in spring 2008,
Are you sure you bought a Mac? That sounds like a much older G4 machine to me.
He's in the same position as me, White Macbook - 2007 model (but bought in 2008) can't run Mountain Lion.
Anyway what I was getting at, yes they are nice machines and the software is generally pretty good, but don't buy them on the basis of them being more reliable than an equivalent or cheaper Windows laptop.
More importantly, she'd look a lot cooler in Starbucks holding a Macbook Air than a Dell X3480-bc and I imagine that's more important 8)
Why do people need the latest OS? Do the same people upgrade their groupset every time a new one is released?
Perhaps because they use equipment that relies on the latest OS to run and tha' helps then earn money and put food on the table. I can only speak for myself though. 🙂
Because we like OSX and more importantly own a load of really good/expensive Mac software already (Office, iWork, iMovie etc).
You [i]do[/i] realise that you do only get one licence for the software don't you? So when you install it on one machine you have to buy another copy for the next machine, so you could buy a PC and a corresponding legal copy of the software for it.
He's in the same position as me, White Macbook - 2007 model (but bought in 2008) can't run Mountain Lion.
So you buy an outgoing model (at a discount hopefully for your own sake) and wonder why 5 years later it won't run the latest OS?
A serious consideration with a laptop is the weight. Lugging a hefty machine around all day is annoying.
Apple replaced the top covers of the black/white MacBooks for free even if they were out of AppleCare. I had a a battery Replaced and a new keyboard on a 3+ year old black MacBook and then sold it for £500.
They may be expensive but the resale values are high, not something you can say about pc's.
If you are shrewd like me you sell your macbookpro every 1-2 years for £650 and buy a new or refurb with your discount and vat off for £670 8)
mastiles_fanylion - Member
You do realise that you do only get one licence for the software don't you? So when you install it on one machine you have to buy another copy for the next machine, so you could buy a PC and a corresponding legal copy of the software for it.
Really? I don't think that's the case. As long as it's removed from each machine as they get upgraded I think it's okay, and anyway it activates and runs with no issues.
So you buy an outgoing model (at a discount hopefully for your own sake) and wonder why 5 years later it won't run the latest OS?
No, it wasn't discounted or outgoing. It was sold as the newest machine out at the time, and they were sold for some time after I got mine.
MrSmith - MemberApple replaced the top covers of the black/white MacBooks for free even if they were out of AppleCare
Yes, and mine has been, several times now. Point is that they should have been recalled, just like the iBooks should have been when they all ate their GPUs.
No, it wasn't discounted or outgoing. It was sold as the newest machine out at the time, and they were sold for some time after I got mine.
It was a 2007 model bought in 2008 as you said yourself. ❓
As long as it's removed from each machine as they get upgraded I think it's okay, and anyway it activates and runs with no issues.
As long as you do that then yes, that is legal. I believe you can also run software on two different machines but not simultaneously.
Finally given up on my old acer laptop at 7 years old. Still ran XP fine (lid had fallen off but who cares it was only £500)
Some nice laptops around for £500 or less. As before get the monitor and keyboard for a proper desk setup and save problems later.
If software cost is a problem then Google Docs or open offce or full linux.
Bottom line:
Macs are quite nice machines physically, the OS is quite nice, but they are not double the price nice.
If you have the money to burn, then knock yourself out, but also check out the nice thin Toshibas and high end Sonys etc. Or get something designed to be robust rather than fancy, like a Thinkpad perhaps.
mastiles_fanylion - MemberIt was a 2007 machine bought in 2008 as you said yourself.
Yes, that is the model identifier 'late 2007' is a Santa Rosa C2D 64 bit Macbook. There are various 'Macbooks', identified by the date they were introduced.
molgrips - MemberBottom line:
Macs are quite nice machines physically, the OS is quite nice, but they are not double the price nice.
If you have the money to burn, then knock yourself out, but also check out the nice thin Toshibas and high end Sonys etc. Or get something designed to be robust rather than fancy, like a Thinkpad perhaps.
Yep.
So you buy an outgoing model (at a discount hopefully for your own sake) and wonder why 5 years later it won't run the latest OS?
Hard to know where to stand on this one. I suppose I'd be slightly peeved myself if I was in that position, but then again, there are SEVERAL laptop manufacturers that are making and selling machines currently that won't be up to spec for running Windows 8 on, and that's literally just round the corner!!!
Imagine it, you go into Currys/Comet today, buy your £300 laptop, then want to put Windows 8 on it when you get a cheap discount promotional price on it cos you bought your laptop within a month of it being released, only your computer is of such a lowly spec already, it won't run it!!!
Mac's are great. But then so are computers in general to be quite honest. Think of what they let us do!
Main reason to get a Mac though, is if you [i]need[/i] a Mac for any particular reason, or if you just genuinely prefer the software and the hardware and are prepared to pay the extra price for them.
That said, buying a Mac can be considered like buying a BMW/Audi/Mercedes/VW against a Ford or a Vauxhall. They all do the same job, the premium products feel slightly nicer to use but you do pay the premium for it... BUT... With a Mac as per BMW/Audi/Merc/VW when you come to sell it in 3/4/5 years time, it still has a fairly substantial resale value, whereas a Ford/Vauxhall/Windows laptop is worth the square root of naff all within about 6 months of being bought new.
If you're the kind of person that when buying a new car, is mainly bothered about the VFM, buy a Windows laptop. If you want a premuim experience and are the kind of guy that would buy an expensive car cos it offers a nicer experience to the user (even though it does the same job), buy the Mac and enjoy it (though for god's sake, don't be smug about it!). If you're the kind of guy that buys a "new" car that is 10 years old already and costs less than £1k (basically if you're from Yorkshire), then buy a 6 year old laptop for peanuts from a refurb place, whack a bit more RAM in it, put a clean install of XP on it (or possibly even Ubuntu) and tell her "in my day we didn't have computers, count theeself lucky!"
Is the Mac really worth £500 more than an Laptop when money will be tight.
Thanks for the comments so far
I doubt many batteries have the same performance after 4 years
It was 2 years and 1 year for my batteries. Went from reasonably OK (90%ish) to instantly fubared on the next charge. Both did the same.
My Asus battery has degraded to about 95% in 4 years.
So you buy an outgoing model
It was the current model when I bought it, although like any technology, within a few months of course there'll be a newer model.
In fact, I'd held out for the new MBP model, but when I heard of so many screen issues (yellow cast on half the screen, etc.), I bailed, and bought the smaller 13in MB, which was only a few months after release.
I use an iMac at home, nearly a year old now, and a Windows laptop for work, running XP.
I prefer my Mac, but XP is fine for my work, I'm well used to it and it gives me no bother.
However, this weekend I borrowed a new-ish laptop running Windows 7. OMG that was horrible! What have they done to Windows? Ruined it.
Is the Mac really worth £500 more than an Laptop when money will be tight.
Short answer no
unless she needs it specifically it will be used for Facebook, typing and things you probably don't want to know about.
Any laptop will do.
Leave posh expensive things till she can afford them.
quite nice, but they are not double the price nice.
Not really double the price either. I priced up a Sony and a HP of similar quality (ie not the cheapo plastic ones) and to get the features i needed like powered FireWire 800 to run a digital back they were coming out at the same price or more.
If you buy the ram/hd upgrades from apple the price jumps but only a mug would do that when they are so easy to change yourself.
I don't understand people buying them because they look nice, that's just a vanity purchase.
Is the Mac really worth £500 more than an Laptop when money will be tight.
imho, not really, unless the course is very Mac oriented.
(all though I got mine for less than the closest equivalent Dell)
Ohh and by the way, I use Macs at work but have a PC laptop at home for personal use - simply because I couldn't justify the initial outlay (I just use it for music, pictures and a bit of interweb).
But judging by seeing the natural lifetime of machines at work I can see why Macs are preferred for many - we set up our business nine years ago with two Power PC Mac G5s - they both still work (albeit unable to run the latest OS) and have been used until very recently. They still sell for £100 on Ebay.
Last year we had a clear out of old PCs bought seven yearsago and they were simply binned as being worthless and unusable. Even our £14k 'investment' in a rack work server 3.5 years ago is now worthless - in fact the only thing of value is probably the rack box.
We have now taken the decision to only buy Mac from now on (especially as the things we needed PCs for (testing etc) can now be done via the internet or on a Mac.
molgrips - Member
Bottom line:Macs are quite nice machines physically, the OS is quite nice, but they are not double the price nice.
No, they are triple the price nice when using them all day everyday in the context i work in. Mac Pro and/or MBP running 10.8 vs old PC running XP is the choice i have at work. No contest.
It's all very well talking about work situations & machines capable of powering digital backs, but I'm not sure whether that is particularly relevant to the OP.
The laptop will be used at uni. Probably mainly for internet & word processing? When I was at uni, any specialist software (cfd/fea stuff) had to be accessed on the uni computers or through the network.
Laptops at uni from what I have seen don't generally get well looked after. It will be lugged around, possibly dropped, possibly have stuff spilt on/in it, potentially nicked etc.
I don't know how much more durable a Mac would be, but unless it would be sufficiently more capable of dealing with uni life then I would go for a half decent laptop, and buy a back-up drive, keyboard, mouse & maybe monitor at the same time.
I would imagine a Mac would be more likely to be the Target of thieves?
All things to consider. Although, perhaps that is a cynical view of things.
For a uni machine I would get a cheap as chips PC and just run Google Apps - thereby securing your data with a guarantee of no loss of that important dissertation.
But still keep local backups somewhere (external HD, USB stick, or better still, the Uni network).
Still possible to get totally locked out of "cloud" based accounts.
I guess so, buut we have used Google email and apps at work for two years now and it has been almost faultless (and they provide great customer support too).
But I guess with important work you can never be *too* safe.
Yeah I switched from whatever the last OSX was to the whatever the newest one is and made no change to my life!
A few things seems to have changed for me:
1) Mountain Lion seems to manage its memory better
2) It has robbed me of the battery time remaining indicator on the status bar
3) I get an annoying pop-up everytime CRC or whoever wants to sell me something by email
4) My 4G dongle now only works intermittently
5) The only way I can now VPN in to work using said 4G dongle is via parallels
6) It now hangs for a few seconds when waking up from hibernation
So on the whole, Mountain Lion appears to have broken many more things than it fixed, and the fix shouldn't have been broken in the first place
The base level Macbook Air 13" is £859.20 with the education discount. You also get a £70 apple voucher, and 3 years apple care warranty.
I've had a good hard look and not been able to get anywhere near the equivalent Windows laptop spec & form factor at that price, as i7 SSD windows ultrabooks are a fair bit more.
You can buy a cheaper windows laptop, it just won't be as nice. It's a bit like the age old Cotic Soul vs On-One question...the fancy-dan geekboys (like me) on here would pay the extra, but if you didn't understand and don't care what an i7 SSD is then save £400 and get a dell or hp windows laptop.
She will love you forever if you get a Mac though...
i7 SSD windows ultrabooks are a fair bit more.
a) do you really need a super thin computer? Of course not, it's a luxury, which is what I alluded to above.
b) are the base model macbook airs i7? It says i5 on the website.
In fact it's a dual core i5 and only 64GB hd which is tiny. Also only 4GB ram. For that money you could do way way better with a normal windows laptop. I can't think of any application where super thin size is a requirement. Maybe if you have some kind of disability.
if you didn't understand and don't care what an i7 SSD is then save £400 and get a dell or hp windows laptop
Now you are being silly. Of course HP and Dell do i7s and SSDs, and for less money, which is the point. Don't try and make out that Macs are higher performance than PCs, cos that's garbage.
See, I've got nothing against Macs, but fanboi-ism really gets on my nerves. The insides are the same nowadays, the OSes are comparable, the build is nicer on Macbooks, and the software and peripheral environment is different (meaning that the more strictly controlled driver/hardware setup means less dodgy crap to break your computer). That's just about it. There are no other differentiators.
drinkingwally, you haven't said what course she's doing - although I doubt it would make much difference to the choice. Is there any information on the university website? It's possible (although unlikely) that they specify a minimum configuration, or Windows-or-nothing... Worth checking out.
Assuming it's a "normal" course, I'd get a 400-500gbp Windows machine, ideally with enough money left over to get a basic home/student version of Microsoft Office. I can't see any justification for a Mac at university, however much nicer (subjectively) they may be.
Although weight can be an issue I would maybe steer away from Mac Book Air and similar as they are very limited in storage.
We recently used Handbrake to copy lots of DVDs to my boy's laptop which is really convenient. If you do something similar it may reduce the amount of stuff your daughter has to cart about (if she likes films) although I guess you could just stick them on USB keys if needed.
The new Lenovo Thinkpad X131e might be worth checking out. It is a 11.6 inch i3 laptop with USB3 and HDMI out and is designed for the education market - i.e. tough - and has good battery life.
http://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-thinkpad-x131e-laptop-aims-at-hardcore-students-31241110/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/aug/24/cheap-computer-laptop#
Personally, I'd have a 11" macbook air and a c20" monitor for use at home
Ha ha ha!
So a bunch of middle aged men are discussing what the best laptop is best for an 18yo off to uni!
Get the Mac - all of her friends will have a Mac and she will feel left out if she has a crappy brick of a laptop.
Get the Mac Book Air. They are dam cool but most of all it is the best laptop available that is actually portable and she will be lugging it around all day, to and from lectures (if she goes!), the library and the union and actually using it wihout wanting to plug it in to charge.
The 3 year apple care free will mean when it breaks she can take it to the apple store and they will fix it. Rather than you having to do it, getting frustrated and then buying a new laptop for Xmas in her second year. Also because its a lovely mac she will take more care of it in the first place.
she will feel left out if she has a crappy brick of a laptop.
Whatever princess wants, princess gets, eh?
You could offer her a 'crappy' (ie normal) laptop and 500 notes, see what she says then.
Also because its a lovely mac she will take more care of it in the first place
Lol, and we're the ones who know little about students, are we? Hehehe.
Re the weight, there are plenty of laptops that weigh that little and are perfectly adequate for surfing and student work. An i7 is a complete waste unless she's doing computational modelling or something. Which is unlikely on a personal laptop.
An i7 is a complete waste unless she's doing computational modelling or something. Which is unlikely on a personal laptop.
I'm far from being a student these days, but back then I used the same software I do now, and I use the grunt of my i7 MBA quite regularly for modelling and statistical analysis
Seems so yep.Lol, and we're the ones who know little about students, are we? Hehehe.
I'm not saying she will take care of it to the same extent you or I would, I don't know the girl.
But it is definanely true that kids take a lot more care of the things they want/like/cherish than things they don't. Buy her the crappy laptop because Daddy knows best and she will break it. Buy her the thing she wants and will feel proud of and she will try to look after it.
If she says she doesn't want a Mac then she doesn't need it either but with the student deal and the 3 year waranty and back up of the Apple stores network it is actually quite a sensible option.
+ she will fit in with her friends. The average 18yo girl with a crappy laptop will definantely come back from her first term wanting a MBA for xmas. Not all 18yo girls are created equal.
(For context I have a "crappy" £500 laptop so not a fanboi in the slightest!)
I've got the best of both worlds - PC/laptop hardware, Mac OS X on top of it 🙂
PC hardware is from 2008 era, yet runs OS X 10.8 rather nicely...
Back to the OP's question...
I'd opt for a Mac, for it's simplicity and stability. And I'm a Windows/Linux systems admin for my day job....
molgrips - Member
An i7 is a complete waste unless she's doing computational modelling or something. Which is unlikely on a personal laptop.
PMSL
I doubt the majority of students have a Mac Book. If they do and she's feeling jealous, she can just get over it, part of growing up.
Molgrips, thanks for calling my post garbage, and implying some sort of disability, but do NOT call me an Apple Fanboi! I spend most of my time in Visual Studio, not caring about the hardware at all.
I've spent time looking at this for myself, and could not find a 13" i5 4gb Ram, SSD equipped laptop for less money than £859. YMMV. but Dell do not do 13" laptops with a decent processor for less money than Apple.
Finally though, if you actually read my post - I actually recommended that she would be better off getting a PC! Back to the OP,[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Series-NP535U3C-13-3-Ultrabook/dp/B008KGXMF6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_4 ]This one looks like a good place to start[/url]
Buy her the crappy laptop
No-one's saying buy anything crappy. £500 is NOT a crappy laptop.
If my daughter came back from uni at Christmas begging me for a grand's worth of kit she didn't need I'd tell her to save up.