Basic Model	Advanced Model
Laptop	Any MacBook Air ($1400) Base-model MacBook Pro ($1700) Nicely configured with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage	MacBook Pro with Pro or Max Chipset ($2400) Nicely configured with Pro Chip, 36 GB of memory, and 1TB of storage
Desktop	iMac ($1650) Nicely configured with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage	Mac Studio ($2000) Nicely configured with Max chip, 36GB of memory and 1TB of storage , but don't forget monitor, keyboard, and mouse

Laptops

Apple laptops come in two main flavors, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.  Both are excellent machines.  Recommendations are based on available hardware for Fall 2024.  A good multiport adapter (USB-C) from Amazon will give you some additional connectivity options for around $50.  Ethernet and HDMI are always a good option to have in your multiport adapter, but USB-A ports are still quite useful also.

Basic: any MacBook Air or base-model MacBook Pro
Starting around $1,000 for a 13" model, the MacBook Air can be configured however you would like.  We recommend the memory upgrade to 16 GB (you can't change this later... RAM memory modules are now soldered to the logic board) and then configure storage however you see fit (these are also soldered to the logic board now, so 256 GB may not be enough for the long term).  512 GB of storage seems to work well for most students (the university will provide you with a MS Office 365 subscription that includes 1 TB of cloud storage too).  $1400 for this setup will get you going and easily last all four years.  The same configuration in a base-model MacBook Pro 14" is around $1700, but it will add a more powerful processor and some ports back like HDMI and SD card. This is how we configure laptops for our faculty who prefer a mobile option.

Advanced: Macbook Pro with Pro or Max chipset
You can really spend some money here, so only venture into the Pro or Max chipset line if you are going to spend a lot of time editing media files.  MacBook Pros are extremely powerful out of the box, even the base-model line.  Students in music composition and MIS may spend more time than their colleagues working on recordings and video editing. The Pro or Max chips will speed up renders and complex multi-track tasks. A 14" MacBook Pro with M3 pro chip, 36 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage is what we recommend for media intensive operations.  This setup will go for around $2400, but you can upgrade a long list of components.  The Pro Apps bundle for education might be a good idea too if you do a lot of media editing ($200 additional). Remember, everything is soldered to the logic board these days, so upgrading later isn't an option.  One other thing to remember, only the Pro or Max chips will handle multiple external monitors (for more than two total screens, including the built-in display).  The base-model MacBook Pro and Air can only run one external monitor (for a total of two screens).  Most live audio applications are going over ethernet nowadays, like Dante, so make sure that multiport adapter has gigabit ethernet or better.

Desktops

Apple's iMac has been a true workhorse for over a generation.  It is rare to find any application that it can't handle and the monitor isn't just built-in, it is the whole computer.  The Mac Studio, however, is available when you need more punch.  Our recommendations are below.

Basic: the iMac
Add-ons for the iMac are also now prohibited due to soldered components, but a nicely configured iMac would include the base-model with 16GB of memory and 512 GB of storage.  We further recommend the ethernet option for a total of around $1650.  We like this setup so much, you'll see it in most of our offices.

Advanced: the Mac Studio
Again, you can really spend a lot of money if you're not careful.  For students who really need a desktop media editing station, a Mac Studio is a nice step up from the iMac or the Mac Mini and comes with Max or Ultra chipsets.  We recommend a Max chipset base-model with 32 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage, although you can upgrade as much as you like.  The price on this setup comes in just under $2000, but the Pro Apps bundle for education might be a good idea for an additional $200 if you plan on doing a lot of media editing. Keep in mind that a Mac Studio does not include a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.  Apple monitors are very expensive and look great, but much simpler and cheaper options are available online for 1/3 the price. Apple keyboards and mice are reliable and sturdy, so spending a few bucks more is probably warranted here.  They also recharge using a lightning cable, so you may be able to charge your apple accessories off your computer as well.  Ports include HDMI, ethernet, SD Card, USB-A and Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), so you probably don't need adapters.

Backups

A final thought about protecting your data.  Since the university includes an office 365 subscription and the 1 TB of attached cloud storage (OneDrive), you may choose to keep all your files in the cloud and minimize risk of catastrophic loss.  Purchasing iCloud storage and syncing your desktop and documents folders to the cloud is also a good strategy.  One of the best features of the Mac operating system, however, is time machine. Utilizing any connected external hard drive, time machine will backup your entire computer every hour that the drive is connected automatically (files, folders, apps, settings, and the entire OS).  For a little more than $50, you can purchase an external drive online such as WD's My Passport and let your Mac handle all the backups for you.  1TB is usually sufficient, but the larger your external drive, the longer your backup history can be kept before deleting old backups to make room for new ones.  Simply hook a time machine drive up to any new computer and you will transfer everything from your previous computer at the time of the last completed automatic backup.  Time machine can also let you search the backup history for files and folders by location, even previous versions of files.  For example, if you deleted a document on your desktop three months ago or made significant changes to that file, you can "enter time machine" mode and search the desktop folder of your user account all the way back to the very first complete backup and recover the file or a previous version of the file.  We attach a 1TB external drive to every faculty and staff computer and this feature has saved more than a few serious headaches!