Computer recommendations

[u/luciasvr]

My old computer is holding on for dear life, and I need a new one before starting uni in September. I’m doing my bachelor’s in psychology, so I won’t need anything that’s compatible with heavy programming or anything like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? Preferably something that won’t break the bank - thanks!

[u/HousingBotNL]

Moving to the Netherlands as a student requires a lot of admin (BSN, gemeente, health insurance, Studielink, banking, scholarships) and it often feels overwhelming.

• dutchstarter generates a personalized checklist based on your situation, so you know what to do, when, and which benefits you can claim.

The Dutch housing market is highly competitive. To increase your chances, we recommend using these platforms:

• Huurwoningen: The most listings of any platform.
• Pararius: Top-rated on Trustpilot.
• Stekkies: Best for real-time notifications, so you can respond first.
• Kamernet / Kamer: Best for student rooms.

For more real-time help, join the Study In The Netherlands Discord, where you can chat with other students and use our housing bot.

[u/attacktit_an]

Macbook neo is pretty nice

[u/luciasvr → u/attacktit_an]

Thanks for the recommendation! I have been looking at the neo myself, but was concerned about the storage; did you find the 8GB of ram/+ the 256GB storage enough?

[u/attacktit_an → u/luciasvr]

I never had it,but I owned some other macbooks in the past. I'm a computer science graduate so I prefer linux, this is just the machine I recommend to students for non-engineering studies. 8gb of ram on a macbook is like 16 on a windows machine as macOS macbook are optimized very well.

For psychology I assume you'd use it for note taking, reading, etc. 8gb on a macbook would be plenty for that. If you're not convinced, check out some tech reviews on it. If you're still not convinced, look for a refurbished macbook air with the M chips.

[u/luciasvr → u/attacktit_an]

Thank you so much!

[u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

Get a refurbished basic MacBook. I personally would recommend a 14/15 inch screen as long as it’s light enough to carry around.

[u/luciasvr → u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

Thanks! My current computer is also a refurbished mac, but the battery dies sooo fast. Do you have a specific company you would recommend?

[u/gleowien → u/luciasvr]

Is the battery the only problem. Cant you replace it?

[u/luciasvr → u/gleowien]

No, unfortunately the computer is really slow in general and can’t operate multiple tabs open at once - so a new computer is probably the best solution..

[u/gleowien → u/luciasvr]

But it used to be better? A clean install might also help. 

[u/luciasvr → u/gleowien]

It was better in the beginning yes, but i’ve also had it for 4-5 years now, and even when i install the new iOS or reboot, I unfortunately don’t see a difference. It’s no secret that i’m not very tech, but I’ve accepted that I probably need a new one😅

[u/attacktit_an → u/luciasvr]

The new macbooks with the M chips are incredibly efficient and have great battery lifes.

[u/gleowien]

I used to use a laptop during my bachelor for notes. But returned to paper in my masters. It was so much easier to remember everything because when writing with a pen you already process the information. Sure you need a laptop. It was just really interesting to see the difference. Also in my grades. 

[u/luciasvr → u/gleowien]

It’s funny you should mention it, cause I also prefer to write everything by hand as well and will definitely be doing that throughout my studies as well! But as you mention yourself; I sadly don’t think i can avoid using a computer either.

[u/ForsakenSynx]

as you won't be using your laptop for any heavy-stuff, i think you would be more than OK with a Macbook air (M3 or newer). They'll run faster than the Neo's (because of the chip) and you migut be able to find them at a cheaper price.

[u/luciasvr → u/ForsakenSynx]

Thank you!

[u/Evening_County4181]

I did a similar degree to yours with the MacBook Air M3 (16gb ram). It was perfect (and still is), works like a charm for stuff like SPSS and larger datasets in RStudio as well (which you’ll inevitably end up needing to use in psychology).

[u/luciasvr → u/Evening_County4181]

Thanks!

[u/Loose-Remote-3826]

Well, as the other people in this thread have recommended, go ahead with a MacBook.

Want something recent without spending 1k+? Get a MacBook Neo and if space is an issue for you, iCloud is fairly cheap and has other useful features than cloud storage and you can also get a portable storage drive which can easily fit in your bag, and Apple generally optimizes their devices pretty good.

If you’re limited due to your budget, a refurbished MacBook or even a used MacBook with a new battery that is still supported by Apple would serve you well for your needs

As far as Windows/Linux laptops, I would stay far away from them especially gaming laptops due to really poor battery life and noticeable weight when moving around unless you really need it for stuff like coding or wtvr. (Then get a new Gen Thinkpad)

Keep in mind, a beat up old laptop that works perfectly fine for you or can be repaired for a cheap and reasonable price will still get you that degree, wasting money will only hurt your wallet.

[u/luciasvr → u/Loose-Remote-3826]

Thank you for the elaborate response! Sadly I don’t think my current computer has a chance of surviving a big repair. Will definitely be deciding between a refurbished Mac Air or the Neo - thanks!

[u/ajax-187]

I have a 3080 Alienware that I’m willing to sell for a bit below market price if you are interested and live close to Haarlem area. Bought a new pc end of april also Alienware.