Community Newsletter: Q&A: MacBook or PC laptop for college?
- 8/22/08 4:21 PM
Get a Mac and you won't go Back (to PC)
by erg208 - 8/18/08 7:24 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Get a Mac. It's the best system. You'll have less worries about software freezing (esp. while typing that overdue paper). Appleworks and iLife is as comparable to Microsoft Office. I don't think there's much of a learning curve due to the fact that Windows copied most of their ideas from Macintosh. Regardless of which school you attend even there's less support from their IT department you'll always have other students using a Mac and can get them to help you in case you run into problems. From my experience, I have used Macs in elementary and high school (back in the 80s) only to be forced to use PC and Windows in college because my college's IT department didn't have enough Mac machines. As soon, as I graduated I bought a Mac laptop. MacBooks now run less than $1500 and you'll have more than enough to buy other software. Most colleges and universities offer 'educational discounts' on such items. Apple also offers such discounts. See http://www.apple.com/backtoschool/ Good luck and I hope you choose that MacBook.
Can run Windows OS on MAC
by pogi1119 - 8/19/08 7:56 AM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Through "parallel desktop", you can run windows using your MAC.You can do the opposite using bootcamp but running windows on a MAC O/S is much easier. This may solve your issue from a software point.
Now, hardware-wise, MAC has several add-on perks compared to PCs (ex: HD sensor, "push-button" battery level checker, "Two-finger scroll" mouse pad, Mouse with trackball, etc.
Note: I'm NOT a MAC user. (But will soon be)
Please stop with the "can run Windows OS on Mac" suggestion!
by endaugust - 8/19/08 8:25 AM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Why would Wendee, who is an incoming college student with many things to take care of and getting used to would buy a MacBook, which costs more than a comparable PC, then have to additionally spend hundreds $ more to buy the Windows OS and then have to INSTALL it on the Mac (like that is can be done in a flash), and then dual boot (or whatever you call it) to access the Windows program which would have automatically came with a PC?
Why would she want to do this? So that she can carry a book with a Apple logo on it and yet still run the Windows OS? It's either she makes the migration or she stays with what she's familiar with.
I would only buy a Mac and install Windows OS if I were a business that needs to have both platforms to perform my duties.
Otherwise, this is a ludicruous and expensive advice.
common sense
by bobportorange - 8/19/08 12:57 PM In reply to: Please stop with the "can run Windows OS on Mac" suggestion! by endaugustI completely agree with this post. I tried stating it earlier regarding the pointlessness of buying a Mac so that you can install Windows. If she purchases a Windows machine, she isn't going to run into a situation where she needs to run the Mac OS.
EXACTLY
by nippywiffle - 8/19/08 1:02 PM In reply to: common sense by bobportorangeI've tried on multiple occasions, to use Linux on my PC, instead of windows. I also tried using someone else's mac laptop for a while. Every time I've tried these out, I've though "well.. it works... but there's absolutely nothing here I can't do in windows... but there are some things I'm used to in windows, that I can't do here." So I just went back to windows.
I did not hate linux or mac os, I just had no need for it when I could do absolutely everything I could ever want to do, in Windows.
Why would she?
by chappejw - 8/25/08 12:07 PM In reply to: Please stop with the "can run Windows OS on Mac" suggestion! by endaugust"Why would Wendee, who is an incoming college student with many things to take care of and getting used to would buy a MacBook, which costs more than a comparable PC" - She would because if she hasn't decided which platform she wanted to use yet, learning one would be no different than learning the other. Mac is also on the rise at Ivy League Universities such as Cornell - http://db.tidbits.com/article/9177 This is due to Mac gaining more attention by switching to Intel processors so people can now compare the two different operating systems on equivalent Hardware. Why don't you take an unbiased look at the differences here...
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8813290501280973380&ei=nP-ySNrdFIyarAPxwKHDDA&q=Mac+OSX+vs+VIsta&vt=lf&hl=en
There is a large time difference in boot up and shutdown between Mac and Vista as shown here
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8813290501280973380&ei=nP-ySNrdFIyarAPxwKHDDA&q=Mac+OSX+vs+VIsta&vt=lf&hl=en
Still not convinced that Vista sucks? Perhaps Bill Gates has an opinion...
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8813290501280973380&ei=nP-ySNrdFIyarAPxwKHDDA&q=Mac+OSX+vs+VIsta&vt=lf&hl=en
... he basically just admitted that Vista sucks...!!!!! "Ask me after we SHIP the next version of Windows... Then I can give you a blunt answer.!" - ouch.!
Go linux!
by chi_photo - 8/19/08 9:43 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I would not spend any money on an expensive MAC let alone try to bother with Vista. Keep is simple, get the cheapest PC or laptop you can buy and install Ubuntu linux for free and about 25000 other free applications to your needs. Try it, and you'll never go back to a MAC or Windows OS again!
List down your needs.
by naipadtu - 8/19/08 10:52 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Your father (the president), allocated you (the manager) a budget of $1500. Being a wise manager you should list down what are the necessities (those things that you expect to do with your laptop), followed by luxuries (those things that you want your peers to see while doing the necessaries). If you already have the money, and what will be left of it after you purchase your laptop is yours, I suggest you buy according to your needs. Here are the facts:
Macbook $1,099.00 model:
2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB memory, 120GB hard drive, Combo drive
Macbook $1,299.00 model:
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 160GB hard drive, Double-layer SuperDrive
(http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook)
Necessity factor:
The major difference I see between these 2 models is that the former one allows you to write into CD-Rs although it gives you the capability to view DVDs and the latter has the capability of the former plus it allows you to write into DVDs. My question? Are you going to have a project that will require you the capacity of a DVD?
If you do decide to buy a Macbook, I suggest that you buy the $1,299.00. Because you also have a bigger memory (RAM, HDD) and a faster processor too! Savings $201.00. Hmmm should I keep the savings or buy something else...?
What will be the issues purchasing a technology that you haven't tried yourself? First is the learning curve. It doesn't matter what other people say. The fact exist that there will be a learning curve. If you're the type of person who likes experimenting (reading and updating yourself in terms of technology) and you're willing to take some degree of tolerable risk, then go for the MAC, anyway you can dual boot Windows with it, just in case you start to hate MAC's proprietary technology. Second issue will be the availability of softwares that runs on MAC. No matter what MAC fanatics praise about the software availabilities, it is a given fact that Windows (synonimous to doors, tables and chairs) has more. On the bright side, at least you got to learn other O/S with style. By the way one thing that concerns me as well is the weight. This particular model weighs 2.27kg.
For a cheaper price tag what PC can you get?
A lot, with the same specs as noted above plus fingerscan technology, wider & swiveling lcd, and most of all lighter.
Mac or PC
by dellmar72 - 8/19/08 11:39 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
So many question and answers... just buy pc computer... why?
I have both computer mac has different feature it some kinda new to others but the truth is mac no more different schoolers like it coz its different from the other conventional laptap. Why I recommend pc? One thing its upgradable parts are ready available whenever you need one... upon features..? the same it can both read word processing and internet functions are almost the same speed??? As lonngggg your wallet can buy... Just be practical baby...
MacBook or PC are one and the same!
by Thweed - 8/20/08 12:05 AM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
What you seem to be looking for is a laptop PC (PC does still mean Personal Computer).
You seem unsure of what OPERATING SYSTEM you want on your PC.
Mac's OS X (currently version is somewhere about 10.5.4) my personal favourite
Windows (Lord only knows how many versions that are now frozen in time)
Vista (the latest of Bill's efforts and, from my limited readings, still a challenge to work on, in and under)
Linux (sorry, I cannot offer an opinion here)
These are but 4 of a multitude. My response, alas, does little to aid in your search, but I hope it does define it more clearly.
ANY school of "higher education" WILL, I am sure, support the machine of your choice. And with the myriad of software developers, including MicroSoft, I am sure that a Macintosh will fill ALL your PC needs, and be an A+ choice.
Depends on your likes.
by shafiqkhan31 - 8/20/08 2:33 AM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am afraid I am going to advise you to do something very different than the rest. I have seen quite a few of the responses,which are quite pertinent.
When I moved from my high school to college, my father bought me my first fountain pen. Oh boy, that was the thing to have and use. That is some time ago. Today my grandchildren are about to move to colleges. They have desktop PCs. They all ,when they come to see me, use my Macbooks, and PC without much difficulty. I admit , the youngest one, only seven, occasionally seeks help from her cousins, but is quite conversant with PC and Mac systems.
So, in spite of all the good advice you have got, here is mine. You do not NEED any more than what you already have, a PC. However, to be in with the crowd, you buy what you fancy, dictated/guided by the fashion of the day (obviously). The money your father offered you is about enough to indulge your fancy, it does not have to be a computer, there are other things. To have a machine to carry around in college isn't so 'cool' now a days (in this area).
You are young and articulate, you have the ability to learn a whole lot more complicated things. You learnt to write so well. I assure you there is nothing more difficult than to write well. Any thing you buy will be fine . No difficulty will stand in your way, if you have inner belief in yourself and the love of your family.
Yours
MAC HArdware Advantages
by pogi1119 - 8/20/08 7:51 PM In reply to: Depends on your likes. by shafiqkhan31Yes, I admit there is a great issue of being "in" with a MAC. But puting that aside I still put great value into the hardware advantages of a MAC laptop. Of course budget is a critical issue. However, if you budget ias far away from the price of a MAC, then settle for the appropriate PC, but if your budget is only slightly lower than a MAC's price, go for the MAC.
Simple guide:
by jalywol1 - 8/22/08 7:35 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1) Call school, find out whether both systems will work well with their regular and on-line software.
2) Assuming both will work fine, make a list of tasks that you will be using the computer for. (Word processing, on-line courses, gaming, graphics, etc.)
3)Go to your local Apple or any store that has Apple (BestBuy has both, for instance) and try out MacBooks and then comparison PC notebooks in person. This step alone should tell you which user interface you feel most comfortable with.
4)Buy the one you are most comfortable with and which will accommodate your usage needs. If you like the Mac, go with the Mac, if you like the PC, go with that. Do not feel like you MUST pick one over the other because you have insistent friends; trust your own judgement after giving both computers a thorough try.
Simple!
Everyone has different needs and preferences when it comes to their computer useage. I teach college, and also take courses myself, and I decided on a tablet PC for my laptop (HP tx2000). I love being able to annotate Power Points in lectures (either ones I am giving or taking notes from) directly on the slides on the computer with the tablet feature. There are no Mac tablets, so I had no other options since I wanted this feature.
On the other hand, since I also have a serious photography hobby, I have been considering a Mac for my desktop. When my current desktop started to fail, I went into the Apple store and spent quite some time looking at what they had to offer. I was very impressed with their products, and would have gladly purchased one, (especially since I still could run on them some expensive programs I have that are made for Windows). However, the configurations of computers that they had just would not work for me. The Mac Minis were underpowered for my needs, the all-in-one format of the IMacs, while very nice, did not allow me the monitor flexibility that I need, and the Mac Pro, which I would love, was just too expensive for me at the present.
If Apple had made the equivalent of the IMac without the monitor, I would probably have bought one.
So, the long and short of it is I ended up with an HP with an Intel Quad Core processor. I am not a fan of Vista, but Microsoft has made HUGE progress on this OS since it came out a year and a half ago. This machine works.
(I bought a Vista laptop when it was first released, and the damned thing just never worked right at all. The current version of this OS is really working quite nicely now (I have the 64 bit version). In the tablet notebook, I am also quite pleased at the level of inking functionality that has been incorporated into this OS. That is something that XP could simply not do.)
I suspect when it needs to be replaced in 3 or so years, I will again look at Apple and see if they have a product that meets my needs. If they do, I may very well change. Who knows what will have happened in the world of computers by then, though.
The moral of the story is: Don't go in with preconceived notions when you try out the computers. Try both types out and pick the one that works for you.
Go with the Mac.
by tominator293 - 8/22/08 8:25 PM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If I were you, I would not hesitate to go with the Macbook. In college, you need a computer that will be reliable. Forget all the things people say about Macs being incompatible or not appropriate for college. They are the #1 most chosen laptops among college students these days, and for good reasons. They are much more simplified for getting your work done. The file management in OSX is much better and more efficient. It can be a nightmare organizing work in Windows. Also, if there is a class that requires a Windows only application, just pick up a copy of XP and use bootcamp because it works great. The Mac will be a much more reliable system all because it's operating system is so superior.
One more thing... don't buy a Macbook until September because they are coming out with new ones that will be more powerful, have a touch screen trackpad, and more awesome in every way.
Good Luck.
A Timely Question
by charlesraimondi - 8/23/08 1:40 AM In reply to: MacBook or PC laptop for college? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I submitted to my daughter's entreaties and bought her a Macbook Pro with video and sound editing software in April of this year, and the bill came to about $6,000. Yes, that is not a typo, a Macbook Pro with video and audio software and most options for SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS, and a Blu-ray drive was NOT EVEN AN OPTION. In January of this year, I bought, for myself, an Acer Aspire 7720-6395 WITH a drive that would read Blu-ray discs as well as write DVD-R and RW, and with Vista ULTIMATE, for $864, that's EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS. I upgraded the Acer RAM from 2 GB to 4 GB for about $90 (money well spent), so you can consider the total Acer cost $954. (The Blu-ray movies look GREAT on the Acer) The Acer laptop has a HD just as big as the Macbook Pro, 250 GB, and a 256 MB GeForce 8400M GS video card. While the Acer has a very attractive WXGA+ screen, it is not the higher resolution WUXGA like the MacBook Pro was, and the Acer did not come with the video and sound editing software that my daughter's gold plated private college addicted her to. I test drove her Macbook Pro when I went to her graduation, and have to say that I was underwhelmed.
The fact is that, with a Macbook, you will get technology that is, in some respects, about 18 months to two years old, for three times the price of a comparable PC laptop.
I've been driving Vista on my Acer since late January, and I have to say that I find it rock solid; it hasn't crashed on me once, and while adjusting from XP has been occasionally disconerting, I like Vista just fine now, and XP on my office machines seems clunky in comparison.
So, if you want to drive a Jaguar, then you will probably want a Macbook to go along with that. If you want value, and you are not an art student whose faculty insist that you only use a Mac, then I would go with a PC. I have had good experiences with Dell (I have an 8 year old Dell laptop that I still use as a back-up or guest computer, as well as a Dell Desktop.) And, as I have said, I have had good experiences with my Acer 7720-6395, but I had a terrible experience with HP when I bought a convertible laptop tablet for a friend last Summer. I have also had a good experience with a Lenovo laptop, and Lenovo's technical support and warranty service was the best I have ever experienced (althought I didn't need support with the Dell).
By the way, if you are a gamer, then the choice is made, PC based without question.
I don't know what the market for Apple computers would really be like right now if it weren't for the captive colleges pushing Macs and their software.
Now I am trying to convince my younger daughter go with a PC laptop.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
