Which MacBook suits which study?

At iUsed, we sell four different types of MacBooks: the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Retina, and the MacBook Pro Touch Bar. Depending on your field of study, the most suitable MacBook can vary. Based on different areas of study, we advise you on which MacBook is best for you.

Media, Communication, and IT

If you’ve chosen a study in Media, Communication, or IT, you can be sure that you’ll be working a lot on a laptop. In Media and Communication, you often work with heavy graphic programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator. If you’re studying IT or ICT, you’ll also work with demanding software, like creating mobile apps or working with Artificial Intelligence. For these studies, a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Pro Touch Bar is suitable. These two MacBooks are incredibly powerful and can easily run heavy programs. The MacBook Pro or MacBook Pro Touch Bar with 8 GB of RAM can handle programs like Photoshop and InDesign, but not video editing software. To ensure that programs don’t stutter on your MacBook, choose at least 16 GB of RAM.

Economics and Management

In Economics and Management studies, you’ll be writing a lot of reports, giving presentations, and doing a lot of research online. These tasks don’t require a lot from a MacBook. That’s why we recommend the MacBook Air! This MacBook is also the most affordable option among all types of MacBooks. Additionally, the MacBook Air is lightweight, so it’s easy to carry to the lecture hall. A MacBook Air can easily handle programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Outlook. If you need to process large datasets with programs like SPSS and Microsoft Excel for your studies, choose a MacBook Air with at least 8 GB of RAM.

Construction and Infrastructure

Are you passionate about construction and infrastructure? Do you want to design bridges, dikes, and buildings and ensure people can make the most of them? Then you’re probably pursuing a study in the field of construction and infrastructure. If you’ll be creating a lot of designs for buildings or bridges, you’ll be making 3D digital models. The programs used for this are often demanding, so it’s wise to purchase a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Pro Touch Bar for these studies. These MacBooks can handle graphic programs better than, for example, a MacBook Air. Be sure to choose a MacBook with at least 16 GB of RAM. 3D modeling requires a lot from your MacBook, so having plenty of RAM will prevent it from stuttering and allow you to store many designs.

Healthcare & Wellness + Education & Childcare

Are you studying in one of these fields? Then you’ll likely be applying a lot of practical skills and spending less time behind your laptop. You’ll probably use your laptop mainly for writing reports and other documents, giving presentations, and researching online. For these tasks, the MacBook Air is the best option. It’s the cheapest model and is easy to carry around. If you don’t need to store many files, 4 GB of RAM should be enough. If you want to be sure that you won’t run out of memory quickly, opt for at least 8 GB of RAM. Keep in mind that the MacBook Air’s RAM cannot be upgraded after purchase, so choose carefully.

Natural Sciences & Technology

Are you studying in the field of Natural Sciences & Technology? This is a broad field, so what you’ll be doing can vary widely. If you lean more toward the natural sciences, you’ll likely be working in labs, and you won’t need a MacBook with very advanced specifications. In this case, a MacBook Air with 8 GB of RAM is usually sufficient. If you’re heading more into the technology field, you’ll be doing a lot of programming. In that case, choose a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Pro Touch Bar, as these MacBooks can easily handle programming software.

Law & Governance + Sports & Nutrition

If you’re studying in one of these fields, you’ll probably be using your MacBook mainly for writing essays, reports, and papers. You’ll also be spending a lot of time online looking for sources for your assignments. We recommend the entry-level MacBook Air. It’s the cheapest MacBook in our selection and is suitable for processing text, streaming videos, browsing the web, and sending emails. This reliable MacBook is affordable and has a long battery life, so you can take notes all day during class without needing to recharge. The MacBook Air is your ideal study companion!


Disclaimer: We’ve described which MacBook suits which field of study in general terms. It may not always perfectly match, so always check with your program before buying your MacBook. Additionally, we don’t provide MacBooks with the mentioned software pre-installed. You can usually get these through your school or study program at a discounted rate.