IMO, I don't think MacBooks are good choices for engineering students. For that much money, you can get a PC with much better specs. With the Mac, you will need to also get Windows because many of the programs you'll use are Windows only.

As for a calculator, I say get the TI-36X Pro. It can do everything (besides graphing) that a graphing calculator can do, and it is really simple to use. Plus, when you need to graph something, you can use MATLAB or Microsoft Mathematics (free) or any online program. Also, you can get it for about $20, and I'm pretty sure it can be used on the FE.

The pencil you linked to looks awesome, but if you would like a cheaper one, I recommend this kind. I've been using them for about a year, and they're awesome. You may want to invest in a few good erasers though.

Last summer, I bought a ton of graphing paper. I went through two notebooks over the entire year. All of my classes requried electronic homework submissions, so I learned to use LaTeX.

If I think of more, I'll add them.

I understand that you might not understand the discussion about mechanical pencils if you have never used a good one. I used to be the same way. But the way it feels to write with an "expensive" pencil is something that you can't match with a cheap one. I would highly recommend you take a look at the Pentel Graphgear 500. It is not expensive, but I am almost willing to guarantee you will enjoy it better than the pencils you are using. Also, it will last for years. I am not trying to persuade you in any way, just giving you an option should you choose to test the claim.

Also, I agree that a cheap calculator is fine for most students. However, in my EE program, the Ti89 is actually required, and honestly makes my job as a student a million times easier.