Requesting a Macbook
If you’re new to MVNU or have personal experience with Apple MacBooks and would like to have an Apple instead of a Lenovo (Windows) this article has been written to help you understand the process.
A Lenovo Laptop
When shopping for a Windows laptop, we look for the following:
Specific hardware specifications that will work with a majority of software across campus.
A body that can withstand the rigors of 10 years of use
A warranty that covers any hardware replacements (except for Accidental damage)
With that understood our current standard model is the:
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 G4 ABA 15.6” Notebook
Ryzen 7 - 5725U
16GB RAM
512GB SSD
15.6” 1080p display
This model, including the warranty comes out to about $1000 per device.
Comparing to a Macbook
An attempt to compare apples-to-apples is difficult, since a Mac requires less resources to accomplish the same tasks. They have their own designed processor which is more efficient and can run Apple-specific software at a much faster rate while consuming much less power. As such, a reasonable comparison would be:
Comparable Apple MacBook Air 13”
M2 Processor
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
13.6” Retina Display
This model, including the warranty comes out to about $1160 per device.*
Alternatively, you can consider the following additions/changes
Similar Spec 13” Air | Entry Level 15” Air | Comparable 15” Air |
|---|---|---|
M2 Processor | M2 Processor | M2 Processor |
16GB RAM | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
512GB SSD | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
13.6” Retina Display | 15.3” Retina Display | 15.3” Retina Display |
Total (w/ Warranty) $1540* | Total (w/ Warranty) $1380* | Total (w/ Warranty) $1760* |
Conclusion
ITS is happy to provide you with access to an Apple Computer. Because they aren’t standard issue, we don’t tend to keep them in stock and would therefore need to custom order one. The lead times can vary depending on popularity, but once received ITS would still need a few days with it, in order to add it to our campus domain. If you are interested in purchasing a Mac instead of a Lenovo, please provide the following:
An email with the following information:
Name of person who needs the Mac
Details of type of Mac (specifications / color / etc)
Name of Budget Owner to approve department charge (anything over the initial $1000)
Account number of department account to charge
The appropriate person in ITS will custom-build a quote and send it through to reflect the current costs (in case they change) as well as to get official approval from the budget manager.
*Please keep in mind that this is not a one-time cost. The current laptop replacement cycle is 5 years and the overage cost will need to be allocated to ITS every time the computer is replaced.
There are a list of standard accessories that come with either set of laptops and that information can be found at the following article: Standard Accessories for Laptops - Knowledge Base - Confluence (atlassian.net)