Quite honestly I am not an Apple person. I too just couldn't deal with the hard drive space, I don't use cloud storage for anything. I also would not want such a small display. My laptop is a good bit bigger. I know the retina display is excellent it may be worth the money I can't say. I know my latest tablet has a similar display and for my poor eyes it's worth it. Has she been using an apple product or has she been using windows? It would be a learning curve if so. There's of course less worry about infection with Apple but it is not totally free of malware. That's one positive. The reason I don't use apple is justifying the price difference and the proprietary nature.

I wish I could be more helpful I am sure someone who has lots of apple experience Can chime in. Best of luck to her!

I'll bet more than half of her classmates will have Macs. And all of them in the arts will. Apple is cool, Windows PCs aren't for this age group. Two of my three took Macs to college.

If she doesn't already have one, her phone preference will be iPhone and not Android. IPhones and Macs integrate automatically and in very cool ways

For the college bound go with the Mac!

My grandson who entered William& Mary today took along his brand new Mac. He already had one but got the new one. He has a iPhone too. The whole family does except my son who is the "odd" one....lol

Mac all the way, I would if I could and I will next time. Students are always doing projects up to the last minute and you cannot count on Microsoft to work when you need it to.

My son, an IT guy, tried a Mac laptop about 1.5 yrs ago. When it began to fail this year, he went with something else - Something about performance and stuff per dollar spent was better elsewhere.

Another vote for the Mac!

She has already decided that she wants a Mac. The only decision left is between the Macbook Air and the Macbook Pro, as described in my original post. Thanks for the comments folks.

Mare, you might want to take a look at the Apple website to compare the two Macs for yourself. Things to consider include the facts that the Pro is half a pound heavier than the Air, and the Pro has a faster processor than the Air. Also, it would raise the price, but a larger storage capacity can be had on both -- the Air can have 512GB and the Pro can have 1TB.

The Retina Display is a much sharper image (2560 x 1600 pixels, compared to 1440 x 900 pixels on the Air's widescreen display), and if your niece is going to be spending a lot of time staring at the display, her eyes would appreciate the Pro's display.

Will your niece need an HDMI port? The Air doesn't have one, but the Pro does.

The best thing to do would be to go into an Apple store. There's one in the Lehigh Mall (presuming your niece lives near Wilkes-Barre). They have every model there, and your niece can do a good comparison. The folks that work in the Apple stores are very knowledgeable about the products and will be able to answer questions and give advice based upon how your niece will be using the computer and what her needs are. I'm sure some of the folks at Best Buy are knowledgeable, but they need to know just a little bit about a lot of different products, whereas the Apple folks know the Apple products inside and out.

I completely agree with Lindsey. Going to the Apple store for their expert advice is something I sure would do. To me the retina display is worth the money and possibly the hdmi port also. Only she will know what would best fit her needs. The people I have dealt with at Best Buy are woefully lacking in the knowledge of their merchandise.

Pro or Air, not a bad choice. However, you'll need to add in the additional $200+ for Apple Care. She'll need it.

The only thing better would be the Asus Zenbook, but that's a PC.

When my kids went to college I added their computers to my Homeowners policy as a scheduled item - just like a piece of jewelry. Then if it was stolen the insurance would cover the full amount. The added coverage was very inexpensive. An I'm happy to report none of them needed the coverage.

I am curious, Brushworks, why will she need Apple Care? I am asking because I just purchased an iPad Mini 4 and did not purchase Apple Care. I can still do so if it is needful. I was under the impression that that is the "insurance" all computers and appliances try to sell to purchasers.

I have been using Macs since 1984 and have never needed AppleCare, nor had a problem mechanically, with any of them. I currently have a MacBook Pro, 7 years old. I agree with going to an Apple store and talking with them about the different options. You don't have to buy it there, but they will be happy to discuss the options with you. Those seem like very good prices. It's nice if the students are getting a break on price. And yes, I have an iPhone as well and everything syncs nicely and without effort.

We have been to the Best Buy, but they didn't have the 2 models that she's looking at. She's leaving on Thurs and has left a lot to be done til the last minute. I doubt that she will have time to go to the Lehigh Mall. I'm pretty annoyed with her for letting things slide this long. I'm sort of backing off because she's on my nerves for procrastinating and I'm on her's for nudging her. At this point it's sink or swim for her, I'm tired of fighting with her. Thanks for your comments.

There are stores that sell PCs in every college area and town.

I value tech support and advice at an Apple store but not buying advice. The so called geniuses know hints and answers for using their products and diagnosing problems but they're too well trained in up selling any product question a would-be buyer may ask. If you're thinking about two alternatives they'll recommend the more expensive one whether it's a better choice for you or not.

Males at college may need or want an HDMI port for a TV connection but likely not females. Simply my experience.

I encourage Apple Care for college students because a student is going to bang on that thing a lot more than any of you do posting to garden web. :)

I've had Macs for 25 years now. I was doing graphics and desktop publishing at work, and the Mac is so much better for that. Still like them.

I'm retired now, and couldn't afford a Mac, and I don't like Windows. I bought a Chromebook, and it's been great. I enjoyed going into computer geek mode to learn all about it.

I have used Macs since 1986 and highly recommend them. My MacBook Air will be 3 y/o in late Nov. Never a problem with any of the Macs I've had. I've never bought Apple care. I've had all my Macs for 4 years or longer. I have friends who by PCs and I hear all kinds of complaint and they seem to replace them much more often due to one problem or another. I think if I were going to college and I could afford it I would buy the Pro. Since I am retired the Air is plenty for my needs. I have 4GB of storage.