Maris Stella High School

[blitz]

MintLeaf:

blitz:

I dont think the school can wait so long. The form must be passed up by Tuesday tomorrow.

Wow. Seems such a rush now. We had MS Office bundled in 2 years ago. You can always buy MS Office at Epicentre or from the Apple Online store later. Education price should be fixed. But I guess you can also get the upgrade when they release the new version. Having said that, I am still using MS Office 2003 personally since I'm on Windows, so unless the school rushes into the newer version, I won't be in a hurry to upgrade my DS copy of Office 2008.

If we have our own macbook that doesnt have MS software in it, can it still be used for school? I thougth iworks is enough to do school projects and whatnots

[skyjuice]

MintLeaf:

If a new version of MS Office for Mac is going to be released sometime this year, you might want to hold the purchase until then.

I spoke with Sapura staff and was told that the Pro is the better powered and durable one. But it's made of aluminum so a bit heavier than the White. The school will be using IWork mostly but when need spreadsheet or so, then still need MS Office. The price quoted is also a MS price, supposedly unlikely to get a better price outside. Decisions, decisions...

[MintLeaf]

blitz:

If we have our own macbook that doesnt have MS software in it, can it still be used for school? I thougth iworks is enough to do school projects and whatnots

Yes, you can use your own Macbook. The school will require admin access and will do some configuration for that Macbook. While it's true iWorks should be a good replacement for Office, I have seen my DS use MS Office all these while. Documents are given in Word format and I have seen ppt slides for Home Economics and Literature.


But if the school is saying MS Office is an option, then they should be standardising on iWorks for your DS batch. Otherwise, it's going to be a quite a challenge.

[MintLeaf]

skyjuice:

I spoke with Sapura staff and was told that the Pro is the better powered and durable one. But it's made of aluminum so a bit heavier than the White. The school will be using IWork mostly but when need spreadsheet or so, then still need MS Office. The price quoted is also a MS price, supposedly unlikely to get a better price outside. Decisions, decisions...

I just checked the specification. We are stunned that Apple has moved so fast. You will be getting the new generation Unibody, longer battery life Mac whether you go for Option A or B. So, it seems S$600 more only for[list=1]

[MintLeaf]

Just heard, S$150 to configure your own Macbook.

[38daddy]

skyjuice:

38daddy:

Hi all, is anyone trying the new route tomorrow?

What new route? Are there changes to the roads leading to MS?

Yes there is a new viaduct linking Tampines Ave 10 to Bartley Road, it take 15mins drives from Tampines to MSHS.

[MintLeaf]

At the apple web site, you can click on Compare from this URL

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTAyNTQzMzg

Two important differences I can see that you might want to consider. Option B has[list=1]

[VitoRelax]

38daddy:

skyjuice:

[quote=\"38daddy\"]Hi all, is anyone trying the new route tomorrow?

What new route? Are there changes to the roads leading to MS?

Yes there is a new viaduct linking Tampines Ave 10 to Bartley Road, it take 15mins drives from Tampines to MSHS.[/quote]Yes the new viaduct is good for Maris Stella from the East !

[MintLeaf]

blitz:

yes, according to the lady in the general office I spoke to, parents have their own admin breeze acct, different frm their children. It wasn't emailed to him, and hubby has no idea he has an account. Infact, I don't think we parents were informed of alot of stuff happening! Most of it I find out thru my son (who most times forget most things!) or this PNG forum.


Am I the only one like that?

Just saw this green letter to parents dated on 12 Jan. e-Portal trainings will be conducted on 23 Jan (Saturday) from 9 - 11 am. There are 3 time slots of half hour each with 15 minutes break in between. It says to change password upon first log in. And the reply slip for the training was to be submitted on 15 Jan (Fri) although DS is doing it only today. He didn't know he had to.

It is stated that you can contact Paul Leong or Tan Hui Kuan. Have you already seen this?

[skyjuice]

MintLeaf:

At the apple web site, you can click on Compare from this URL

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTAyNTQzMzg

Two important differences I can see that you might want to consider. Option B has[list=1]

[*]illuminated keyboard, ie, you can light up the keyboard in darkness (DH finds this useful)

[*]additional one FireWire 800 port and one SD card slot (Firewire is important for video input, if your DS is likely to use your video camera, check if the camera has Firewire output)

[/list]

Yes, I've seen this comparison page, thanks. We opted for Pro after all. Went to the store to check out the physical pieces, which incidentally, is selling Pro at $2488. Pro has a longer batt life compared to White so may reduce need to bring charger to school. DS's bag alr weighs a ton as it is. We also ordered the MS Office and insurance. Dun want to be fumbling for Office at a later stage when need arises. Though the White looks great, but I can imagine how it would be next yr-- after seeing so many yellowish Macbooks during the CCA Maze when the older boys presented to us in their Macs! Yes, we feel that $600 is not a lot to pay after all when weighed all these features and conveniences. Thanks, MintLeaf, once again, for your input.