Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: MacBook or PC laptop for college?

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1231346

This article lays to rest all the old PC/windows arguments about Macs.

Go with the MacBook. Either the refurbed one for $899 to $1099, or the new one with an Education discount & Free iPod.

k

I have worked with both platforms for years administering large networks in education and corporate environments and that experience isn't applicable to your question. What is applicable is utility of the system and the cost to the individual. Most of the issues dividing the two platforms have gone away and personal preference of the college student is the best criteria. Cost, availability of software and support, personal experience, comfort, fun, and utility of use are important areas. Both platforms access the Internet effectively, perform word processing, gather pictures and sound, and substitute as a TV set, among other things.

If I were to acquire a student system I would purchase: a 14.1 inch Intel CPU based laptop (HP/Gateway/Acer) with integrated wireless and camera, 200+GB disk, 3GB memory, Windows Vista Home Ed.; the MS Office 2007 Student package; a 20" - 22" 1080i flat screen rotating monitor (Dell/Gateway/Acer); a Hauppage USB HDTV TV tuner digital/analog); an HP printer (OfficeJet) with copy, print, fax capability; and two 2-4GB USB keydisks for backup and portability. Unless I have miscalculated the cost should be in the $1,500 range, particularly if the college has a good student buying program. If you have a "gold" credit card use it, it may extend your warranty to two years. Purchased extended warranties are generally not worth the cost.

Laptops are easily lost, stolen, or damaged --- more than most imagine. The 14.1" laptop is very portable and manageable in libraries and coffee shops. The coffee shop was and still is one of my favorite places, however, I found it to be the most dangerous place for laptops. It is easier, but not pleasant, to lose a $700 laptop as opposed to a $1,500 laptop.

Wendee, your question is one that I recently had to deal with given that I just dropped my daughter off at college yesterday for her freshman year. I myself have even recently contemplated going from always having used a PC based system to "the other side". From my personal and practical experience here is the best advice I can give: "The ends justify the means".

1. You need to look at your major and beyond. Are you an art major or a computer science major which may require choosing one alternative over the other? What does the industy generally use in the profession that you are studying for? If, for instance, you are looking to advance into a design field and a majority of the companies you may be looking to for employment down the road use a Mac, then you may want to lean towards that direction.

2. What will your college requirements be? Looking over your schedule and courses for the next 2 to 4 years, what kind of software requirements will you need to meet and what system will be needed to run that required software? I myself just recently completed my BSIT degree through an on-line institution and my course objectives specifically required me to use Microsoft software products. While I understand that there may be tools which will allow me to run MS products on the Mac, given that I'm working two full time jobs and going to school at the same time, quite frankly, I didn't have the time to even consider that option. I had to go with what I know already. (I couldn't afford to go through a new learning curve)

3. What kind of support can you get? Back to the college point of view: will your instructors be able to help you with 'issues' if you choose one system over the other. I remember one student asking the instructor how to perform a certain function on a Mac system snd the instructor was clueless. Will the college technical department be able to assist you with Mac related isues in the same manner that they most likely be able to help you with PC types of problems? Or vice-versa, for that matter?

Finally, a bit of my sage advice about PC's and pricepoints - I never owned a Mac so the following relates to PC based laptops: More expensive is not always better. When I was travelling quite a bit on business I always used to justify keeping up in the tech game. Every two years, I would always go out and buy a new top end lap top; generaly plunking done $1,800 to $2,500 at a crack. I now own a $600 laptop I bought at WalMart, added an extra $100 of RAM and have a laptop that, for my needs, works as well if not better than any that I have owned in the past. Unless you have very specific, high demand needs, such as heavy video editing, major number crunching, or 3-D rendering and the like, I would suggest keeping the laptop simple and light. If you do need a powerhorse, consider, then, using a desktp system for the heavy duty stuff and a laptop for the everyday work. As your scholastic needs then expand, you can reletively easily upgrade the desktop to meet those new needs instead of becomming strapped in with a laptop that may have very limited expandability.

Oh, and one last piece of advice - albeit way off topic: Really consider paying the $100 or so for an extended warranty on any laptop. I have yet to own a laptop that hasn't needed some repairs. And for another $50 or so, really, really consider getting a student insurance policy to cover your personal items while on campus in case of loss, damage or theft.

I hopt that this all has helped.

Hi there,

I'm heading off to college also this fall. I like to consider myself extremely tech savvy. All my life I worked on Windows machines and was first in line for Vista. Which, by the way, Vista has been nothing but great for me, so if you do choose a Windows machine, rest assured Vista, not XP, is the way to go. But anyways, as I was getting ready to start researching laptops (around January '08) I had this crazy idea that I might want a Mac. I say crazy because I KNOW Windows inside and out. I struggle with the daily hassles of editing start-up registries and keeping up with a networks and the occasional Registry editing. But as much as I was familiar with Windows I knew Apple computers offered an ease of use, so I researched and researched and researched. The only experience I'd had on an Apple was some programming I did two years ago on eMacs. Basically the new Intel Cores put me over the edge and I figured it was a good buy. So I bought the current MacBook Pro about a week after it came out and I couldn't be happier. Now on to your questions...

1) Learning Curve
If you can navigate a Windows machine, you can navigate a Mac. There was almost no learning curve required. It's cliche, but Macs just work, there really shouldn't be much tinkering involved on the user's end. The functionality of a Mac is so streamlined that it's made for a first time user to be able to sit down and start working with Applications. That's not to say that Macs are for entry level customers. They have a depth to them possibly greater than Windows, the difference being you don't NEED to understand the inner workings of Mac OS. Even in programs, like Microsoft Office Mac, it's nearly identical to the Windows version you're used to. And programs that come with the Mac, especially iChat and iPhoto, offer an ease of use that will make you wonder why all programs can't be that user friendly. Ultimately, a person who has never picked up a computer would be happy and able to use a Mac, along with the long time computer programers who take advantage of XCode and the like.

2)Difference
A lot of stuff here I already mentioned but some of the differences that take a little getting used to are aesthetic. For instance, programs on a Mac have the Close, Minimize, Maximize buttons on the left. Something that was annoying for the first couple weeks as I kept on going to top right and finding no buttons... but I transitioned and now find myself going to to the left on Windows machines. Another big difference is the drop down menus and system preferences. Another thing that might both Neat Freaks is that the application windows 'float' more on a mac, but it seems to me that you can almost 'train' certain applications to be full screen. But really, other than aesthetic differences, you'll get used to the interface in a jiffy. One more thing... the keyboard. Fair warning here... Microsoft's Backspace is Apple's Delete and MS's Control is Apple's Command. That will certainly screw you up, especially considering there is a 'control' key on the Mac's keyboard also.

3)Pros Cons
Ok, it's true, Windows machines have more software support in the world. They also have gaming support. It's also true that (currently) more people use Windows machines. So the pro for a Windows machine is it's heavy support. The Pro for Mac is it's friendliness, sexiness, and hey, let's face it, it's status. Many, many, many programs though that would be used in academia are very much Mac friendly, anywhere from Adobe to Mathematica. The Con for Windows is it's bulkiness and the need to keep up with it and it's Anti-virus updates. The Con for Apple is the Pro for Windows: the lack of program support that Windows has. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT APPLE DOES NOT HAVE SUPPORT, it just doesn't have as much.

4) Better in College
It seems to be a growing trend that more and more students, especially in college settings, are switching to Macs. I don't know if it's because it's a trend, or people are just getting tired of having to deal with Windows, but you can go to most any college's tech distribution and you'll see Mac usage growing by incredible percentages. Now every college is different. I'm attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has incredible support for Mac on campus. But I was also looking at University of Illinois- Urbana, Champagne which had little to no support for Macs. So it's a matter too of what college you're going to. Also contact the department you're going in, to see what most of the prof. use. The main reason I got my Mac is for its ease of use. You can literally trust that it will do what you want it to do, and I think that's something all college kids want there computer to be... an ally you're at peace with, not the antagonist that kept you up all night trying to find where you essay had been deleted to so you can retrieve it from back-up.

5) Price
Now you didn't say what you were planning on going into, but if it's the engineering or science field, I would highly recommend that you try to convince your dad to go $200 higher for the MacBook Pro which gets you, among other things, (like a 15" screen, more RAM, and a larger HDD) a dedicated Graphics Card which will almost for certain be necessary in the science/engineering field. The student discounts Apple offer are really great, plus you'll get a free iPod, but also check at your tech store on campus because occasionally they'll offer even better deals.

Final Thoughts
As a whole, Macs are more expensive, but I KNOW that it's worth it. And you can be confident that if you absolutely 100% hate Leopard, the Mac OS, you can install Windows on your machine. I know a while back (I don't know if it's still true so be nice to me) when the current generation MBPs came out it was determined that a MBP actually ran Vista better than any other common consumer notebook you could get. It's ultimately your decision. I believe most people, if they gave Macs a chance, would see that it truly is a superior product. But I also know that Vista is a fine product too and that you'll succeed. I highly recommend taking a look at Apple's many video tutorials and seeing if you like the interface and you think it's something you would be interested it. If you live near an Apple store go to it and just spend some time messing around on their computers. Have a customer assistant show you some 'cool' features. By having stores, the hardware support is phenomenal and somewhat alien in the world of repairs where companies make customers feel guilty or at fault. I told them I had a faulty Airport Card (which I did) they ordered a new one, and had it installed within three days. Fantastic. You can read similar 'success' stories by searching any blog. I hope this long-winded answer helped and take it from someone who was right where you were... you won't regret a switch to Apple!

-Aaron C
Crystal Lake, IL

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mac+or+pc+laptop&aq=1&oq=%22MAC+OR+

I use a PC but many love a Mac. But colleges sometimes suggest a type of laptop for their classes. Some schools even offer discounts on a laptop. Check with the school (dean of students).

You'll no doubt get enthusiasts of both systems advising you of the benefits of their choice, but I believe you are better off going for the system you are familiar with.
Do you really need the aggravation of learning a new system at this point? If there is no compatibility issue with college equipment the only justification I can see for change is if your intended profession is one that requires use of a particular system.

well since you have a limited budget and are familar with the Windows operating system I would recomend a PC based laptop. You can look at the ACER 6920 a 16" widescreen laptop with a generous amount of RAM & Harddisk space + a load of other features selling at $700 - 800 depending if its on sale or not. Also software is cheaper as well as hardware for PC based systems. Hope this helps.

I just came across an article that really tackles this question with very non-biased answers with facts and things to consider:

http://www.switched.com/2008/08/06/mac-vs-pc/

I think a Mac may be a good idea for your situation. If you buy a Mac, you get a free 8GB iPod. But, as far as your spending limit goes, the MacBook is $1100, so it may be better to get a Dell Laptop (I would recommend the Studio 15), And put OS X Lepoard on the Studio 15. You can transform your current PC into a Mac to try Mac out, with Fly A Kite OSX, at http://www.flyakiteosx.com/download/

As a recent graduate I can say that likes and dislikes have little to do with answering this question. You need to sit down and figure out what is going to work best for you. What are you going to school for? What does the school you are going to use? I went to school for computer networking technologies, so I chose a PC because my school was using all PC's and I didnt want to have to worry about going from one to the other. On the other hand, when the Interactive Graphic Arts program started, we put in MAC's because they seemed to handle the work load better. You will get people who are going to say go this way or go that way but truely you just need to figure out what you are going to need to accomplish your goal of graduation.

Charlie-
I cant believe that you would suggest to someone blindly to purchase one over the other based on the information given in the question.

I think the good first step would be to talk to your program adviser to find out what is the prevalent system in use. That said, you can always go with a MacBook (MacBook Pro, not the Air or the plain-jane one) and just run Windows. I would max out on drive storage and buy as much memory as I could afford.

I don't run Windows on my Mac, but I did buy Office for the Mac, and it's been fine running all the MicroSoft productivity software. Another choice, at no cost, is OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org), a free, full-featured suite of productivity software, that runs great on the Mac, has most of the bells & whistles, and did I mention, it's free? It will save in all Office formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt), but you have to tell it to save it that way. I tend to use OO more, but I've noticed that Windows versions of the new Office software now save in a new, web-ready format (e.g. .docx) which, to date, OO can't open, nor can older versions of Office.

Best regards for your studies and work, have a great time at college.

Hi, Wendee

For me, a computer is a tool rather than a hobby or avocation in and of itself. I use mine to accomplish tasks online and offline including a small home business (copywriting, creative writing and photography), shopping, research (surfing), communication, entertainment, etc.

1) I find PC's easier to understand with far more resources to call upon via the vast variety of helpful websites and not just limited to those of the manufacturer. If I run into a problem or I want to figure out how to do something, a simple websearch generally produces a whole raft of results which means if I do not understand one explanation, I can usually find another I can understand.

2) Following on this, I find Mac's often too "proprietary". For example, if you utilize iTunes for music and purchase music through the iTunes store, you can play the music on your computer via the iTunes program and on an iPod, but not any other sort of MP3 player like Zune. On the other hand, music I purchase via Zune or other venues, I can play via Windows Media Player (which I cannot with iTunes) AND via iTunes so I can load to both my Zune player and my iPod.

3) More programs and varities of programs are available for PC's than Mac's. For example, there are more photo-editing/paintshop type programs for PC's than Mac's. Many of these have up to 30 day free trials, so you can try them out until you find one you are comfortable with. Another example, if you are interested in such, is games and (as mentioned previously) music. I have found some Internet sites that either look very strange to the point of bizarrely unreadable using a Mac as opposed to a PC, though I have to say of the various browsers, Internet Explorer returns the highest number and best quality of sites whereas Firefox even has the occasional hinky pull up of a site.

4) Maintenance and repair. I have found it far easier to find programs, and more of them, that help me improve productivity, speed, etc. on my PC than on a Mac. Likewise, if in need of repair, there are far more options (allowing me to "shop around" for best price, too) for repair of PC's than for Mac's

5) I have found a greater variety of peripherals (optical mice and keyboards, printers, etc.) that are available for PC's rather than Mac's.

6) Price: You are more likely to find a laptop PC with the software and hardware bells and whistles you need/want at a better price than any Mac simply because there are far more PC laptop builders than Mac sources. This includes a greater variety in customizastion at brick & glass stores like Office Depot and online like Dell (P.S. Dell, Gateway and others also often have "outlets" or "warehouses" with even better discounts)

I will be honest and admit that I started out on a PC which my slant my opinion. I have found Mac's occasionally a bit more difficult to operate, but it may be that if I had started out on a Mac, this might not be the case.

Certainly there are others, many far more computer savvy than me, who have a different view, but please do not let any of the rabid pro-PC/anti-Mac or pro-Mac/anti-PC opinions you may encounter cause consternation. Like the old adage about politics and religion, 'tain't fit for genteel conversation. *LOL*

Wish you the best, whatever your choice.

Many will agree that the Macbook is the best laptop for students due to its ease of use, great battery life, portable dimensions and weight, immunity to viruses and spyware and great build quality. And because you can run both Mac OS X and Windows(Virtualized and Native), there is no application you cannot run! I have one and I love it!!