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Community Newsletter: Q&A: MacBook or PC laptop for college?
- 8/22/08 4:21 PM
MacBook or PC laptop for college?
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 8/22/08 4:21 PM
Question:
Hi CNET! I'm ready to start college in a couple of months and
I'm shopping for a new laptop. It's an age-old question, but
it's the MacBook versus PC laptop question. I'm not here to
instigate a fight over Mac versus PC and how one is better
than another, but really to get an idea of what will be best
for me while I'm in school. I know that both laptops will do
pretty much the same, music download, word processing,
spreadsheets, digital photos, Internet and e-mailing. I
currently own a PC desktop at home and was thinking about
getting PC laptop, but a few friends suggested that I look
into an Apple MacBook as they do offer great incentive on
campus to buy one. If I get a MacBook now, is there a huge
learning curve switching from a PC to Mac? What makes them
different? Pros and cons for each? Does Mac work out
better for college--because maybe more students use them?
I'm not sure if that true. I'm quite iffy on the whole
MacBook transition, that's why I'm here to ask for advice and
learn from you. And by the way, my father says I have a limit
of $1,500 and no more than that. Thanks in advance for any
advice you can provide me.
--Submitted by Wendee F.
If you have any advice or recommendation for Wendee, click the reply link and submit your answer for her. But please keep your posts on topic, civil, and respect each other opinions and views. Any flaming or personal attack will be removed. Thank you!
Windows or Macintosh Notebooks Can Work Well in College
by lewisedge - 8/8/08 7:02 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It would be useful to inquire regarding what computer operating systems are supported by your college campus's IT department. If they don't support Macintosh, then your decision has already been made for you.
If you already have a Windows desktop computer running Windows-XP and have purchased good application software with which you're happy and comfortable you may find that many of those licenses will allow you to install it on a second computer. Notebook computers are still available with Windows-XP pre-installed.
If you make the transition to a Macintosh notebook computer you'll need to buy all new software to handle applications that are not included with the Mac OS. Outside college campuses about 90% of the business world is using Windows. There are some business Websites and many applications that do not support the Macintosh operating system. If you can accept that you may, at times, be isolated with your files and applications because you've chosen an operating system that is not used by most businesses and you can get Mac support on the campus the learning curve to make the transition from one operating system to the other is no big deal.
Macbook v. PC notebook
by aikibro - 8/15/08 10:59 PM In reply to: Windows or Macintosh Notebooks Can Work Well in College by lewisedgeI don't have a Mac, never had so in that regard I can't offer much help. Just to piggy back on some of the comments... what I can say is that you really should check with your college IT dep't. to see if there are any special requirements at your college that may be incompatible (or more compatible in some instances) than others. At my school for instance we have the option of taking our exams on our laptops, but the software is incompatible with Macs, so all my Mac classmates by default have to hand write their exams... in law school we sit 3-4 hour exams. Yours may not be as long... but still a consideration.
Additionally, as far as student discounts... again the school's IT department can guide you on that, at my school we're offered discounts with both Dell and Apple... through my girlfriend's job I also got an HP discount... and that's the direction in which I went. Check with your parents, see if there jobs (HR dep't may know) offers partner discounts.
Outdated Information
by thesledman - 8/16/08 8:09 AM In reply to: Windows or Macintosh Notebooks Can Work Well in College by lewisedgePlease dont take the previous post seriously. These are the words of someone that either has never used a Mac or hasn't used one in 10 years. The only thing you need to be concerned with is IF the classes and school program you take supports Mac. Most schools these days have their materials online, therefore compatible with any computer. In the unlikely event that there is a need for Windows you can easily install windows on your Mac. If you have an old computer with windows XP or Vista on it then you need to buy nothing, just run bootcamp and follow the simple instructions.
As far as the business world is concerned Macs run Microsoft Office just like a Windows PC, so Word , Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (called Entourage) are all the same, no learning curve. Mac's can run the Firefox web browser and the complete Adobe suite as well as most mainstream programs. You wont be entering the business world for another 4 years and even then it wont matter what computer you use in your personal life as they will issue you a computer. If you must use windows at work thats ok, in 4 years vista will be gone and windows 7, or whatever its final name will be, will be out. Besides if you really wanted to you can sell your now 4 year old Mac for 1/2 what you paid as they retain value unlike a Windows based computer.
You can rest assured that having a Mac on a College campus will not leave you lonely or isolated (lol) in most cases you will be in the Majority as most college students prefer the stability and ease of use of a Mac. This is a changing of the guard period right now as far as Computer Operating Systems go, and I suspect Lewisedge might be out of a job if there are no broken Windows computers to fix.
Outdated Opinion
by Luto Lopez - 8/16/08 12:02 PM In reply to: Outdated Information by thesledmanDon't take the previous post too seriously. These are apparently the words of someone who has purchased a Mac. Few who have made the error of paying 2X - 3X what they needed to for anything will face up to their mistake. And I've bought many PCs and several Macs - in fact I bought an Apple computer about the time they (Jobs et al) moved from their parents garage to their first real business location. So I'm no Apple hater - I'm just being honest.
Unless you're going to major in graphic design, photography, fashion design or something similar, you'll be best served by buying a PC. And if you are going into one of these areas of study that are heavily Mac oriented, as others have pointed out, you probably need to come to an understanding with your father that $1500 won't be enough to get you the Mac that you'll need/want to be on equal footing with your peers.
My granddaughter is just starting her second year of college. She used an Apple notebook (school provided) all through high school. When it was time to buy her a notebook to start college, we considered all the options, but for her business major, the choice was really pretty easy. Certainly she could have continued with Mac, but her $700 (with Office Pro) PC notebook does what she needs for about one-third the cost of what it would have cost to go with Mac with comparable features and functionality.
If you're one of the lucky ones going to a $40,000/yr institution, perhaps that $1400 saving wouldn't be all that important. But for my granddaughter at State U., it covers most of a semester's room & board, and means she only needs to work one job instead of two while going to school.
Point Proven!
by thesledman - 8/16/08 1:48 PM In reply to: Outdated Opinion by Luto LopezYou are the classic example of what I was writing about. I'm flattered you choose to copy my words instead of think of your own, also thanks for making it clear that you haven't used a mac on over 10 years. OS X is light years beyond what Apple originally developed, kinda how windows vista is different then windows 3.1 .
As far as the "Macs are only useful for the arts" debate, are you serious? This is 2008, Apple is a major player in the personal computer game. They are stealing market share from windows as well as Dell, HP etc. I believe they are now the number 3 computer maufacturer, a far cry from being built in a garage eh? Everyone , including your grandchildren, have an Apple ipod, and if they dont they sure wish they did. Your argument may have been valid 10 years ago, but so far your just showing your age. Macs are used on all walks of life now including science as well as the arts. Sure there are some companies the invested in software many many years ago that cant or wont upgrade but even then you can run windows on a mac!
Part for Part Macs are no more expensive then a windows based PC (Dell, HP etc.) . Let me make it clear, you cannot compare a Macbook to a garbage bargain computer. They are different breeds altogether. The sub $600 notebook is a throw away computer. Its may work great for email and web surfing but thats about it. It will not last you your 4 year stay at college, 1 maybe 2 years tops, and you'll be complaining and fixing it the whole time. You are buying old slow technology. The old adage "you get what you pay for" rings very true here. Macs hold their value, search ebay or craigslist, see for yourself. I'm sorry WDBINTX could not afford a decent computer for his/her granddaughter, I'm sure if he/she had the money he/she would have not forced her to learn windows after being raised on Macs, especially when stating college. Regardless of the cost of the institution you choose to go to, shouldn't you do what you must to ensure that your child/grandchild has the best tools and opportunities? Not saying you needed to buy a mac, but a nice quality sony or hp would certainly give the stability and longevity that a college student needs to survive.
Your entire post says nothing about the quality or performance of a Macbook, all its says is that you cant afford anything better then a bargain low end laptop. You state no facts or reason to choose PC over Mac at all beside perceived price. Although you make your finacial insecurities obvious you contribute nothing to this thread. I think you've make it clear why you stand where you do. Please re-read the original question, its wasn't about money. Also you might want to re-read my post as a reference on how to contribute and make a point.
On a final note I highly suggest you stop by an Apple store and check out the macs on display. Test drive it, kick the tires it doesn't cost anything to look. This way in the future when you decide to chime in on a mac/pc debate you will save yourself the embarrassment of posting Old outdated information out of ignorance.
You've brought up a very valid point
by rsimanski - 8/16/08 2:44 PM In reply to: Point Proven! by thesledmanYou've brought up a very valid point. I've been a computer consultant and troubleshooter for more than 10 years now, and the poor quality of the cheap computers being offered today disgusts me. The ways that the manufacturers cut corners to get the prices down severely compromise the performance and useful lives of these systems. On-board graphics controllers are the worst offenders, but so are poor-quality hard and optical drives and wimpy, underpowered power supplies. Moreover, the ventilation in those small cases is dreadful.
With desktop computers, for years, the rule of thumb has been that you need to spend about $1,200 for a good-quality system, and that doesn't include a monitor or peripherals such as a printer. With laptops, the cost is probably even higher. I build my own desktop systems, and I've only come across one laptop that could outperform them. That laptop, a Lenovo, cost my client $2,500.
I don't own a Mac, but I would consider buying one if I could afford and justify it. If you're going to compare the cost of a Mac with that of a PC, then you should compare it with an equivalent-quality PC.
get a mac if you can afford it!
by mbamom - 8/22/08 8:12 PM In reply to: You've brought up a very valid point by rsimanskiI have used a mac for nearly 20 years -- started with strictly business applications needs (exec level) and now edit 18 years of family video into iMovies, use iPhoto, etc. our son preferred PC (Dell) for his first laptop - came with me to apple store and ended up emptying his bank account to buy a MacBook Pro - used computer to do all kinds of school related video and power point presentations for projects - now thinks that "Macs rule!"
macs require some learning but they are soooooooooooo smooth!
check and see what on campus support is available for macs & pc's, get the best computer you can afford -- go to apple store to see what you'd be buying -- free printers and/or ipods available to college students -- also student pricing offered on office '08 for mac which is only software you will need to buy - GOOD LUCK!
Consumer Report on Best Lap Top/ the Buck
by william4u - 8/23/08 10:15 AM In reply to: You've brought up a very valid point by rsimanskiGateway has a superior Lap Top for just over $800, worth checking into.
Hold on.
by de3strecht - 8/16/08 4:15 PM In reply to: Point Proven! by thesledman*The sub $600 notebook is a throw away computer. Its may work great for email and web surfing but that's about it.*
I'm a graphic designer and have been for 9 years. I was trained on Macs. However, I just bought a $478 dell, and it's pretty decent. I use it for design, portable documents and video capture. Sure, I probably could have gotten a better one for more money, and don't get me wrong- I love Macs, but your statement that I quoted simply isn't true.
Understood
by thesledman - 8/16/08 4:40 PM In reply to: Hold on. by de3strechtWhat do you think your getting for $600, honestly. I fully understand that we have to live within our means. If your budget is $600 then yes, you can get a decent laptop for $600. It will serve your needs, although slow and limited in abilities. If that what you have to work with then make it work. Understand the context in which I said that. The person I was replying to basically stated this $600 laptop was to get his granddaughter through college. Now honestly, do you think you'll still be using that computer 4 years from now? As soon as its feasible you will upgrade, regardless of mac or PC, but to a better computer. Your time is valuable and just knowing that a project can get done in 1/2 the time is enough to get you to upgrade. Of course if the money is not there then we must make due, I understand and appreciate that. I didn't mean to upset or offend you in any way just prove a point that you cant compare a macbook with sub $600 notebook, they are not the same.
Productivity is the name of the game
by rsimanski - 8/16/08 7:10 PM In reply to: Understood by thesledmanIf you are in business for yourself and you're competing with others on bids and stuff, productivity is crucial. I have had two-year-old systems that I've built myself that have consistently outperformed brand-new $600 junk piles.
Understood?
by jeffhall318 - 8/18/08 11:13 AM In reply to: Understood by thesledmanAre you seriously saying that you believe, in this day and age, that a $600 windows-based laptop won't last more than 2 years? I have a Dell laptop that I bought at the beginning of medical school, and I'm now in my last (4th) year, and still happily using it. I paid a little more than $600 ($658) for a Inspiron 6400 with a T2400 (1.86 ghz), Radeon x1400 (256 mb onboard, upto 756 mb shared, total 1 gb), 100gb 7200 rpm HD, 2 gb RAM.
However, the classmates of mine who bought a Mac at the same time (Fall 2005) got a system that won't run XP (since it's a motorolla RISC set-up), and have, as soon as they were able, either upgraded to an intel-based Mac or a windows-based PC. Office 2007 Ultimate set me back $60 with the Ultimate Steal deal from MS, while my Mac friends had to wait and pay full retail for Office 2008 (those who decided to upgrade).
And those who upgraded to the Macbook when it came out (a year after I got my laptop) got a computer with essentially the same specs as mine, with 2 differences, 1 good, 1 bad - 800 mHz FSB (mine was 600), and Intel GMA950 (built-in graphics card). Yes, after bootcamp finally came out, they could run XP, and thus some PC games, but the built-in graphics card limited the resolution and textures the computer would run.
I have never seen my friends with Macs get anything done more expendiently than me because of their OS. As you pointed out in an earlier post, MS Office runs on both OS's, and many other programs run through web browsers.
Ask this in our laptop forum.
by R. Proffitt - 8/18/08 11:18 AM
In reply to: Understood? by jeffhall318
The battery from Dell is rated all of 300 cycles. The fans are using plain SLEEVE bearings and we see these fail in years 2 or 3.
Yes, I'm seeing today's machines are designed to last just beyond a year of heavy use.
Bob
One other thing
by jeffhall318 - 8/18/08 11:21 AM In reply to: Understood? by jeffhall318If you are a person who likes to play computer games from time to time, one thing to note is this: if you get a Mac, you'll have to buy a copy of Windows, and a copy of the computer games you want, whereas with PC you've already got Windows. When you want to play a game, you'll have to close all of your programs in the Mac OS, shut down the computer, then reboot into Windows, then play your games, finish playing your games, shut down, reboot, then bring up your work in OSX. On PC, you just launch the game, play for a little while, pause the game, alt+tab over to your Powerpoint/Data tables/Word document/etc, do some more work, make sure the document(s) is(are) saved, bring back up the minimized game, and play some more.
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