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

The Short

If you....

Are dumb when it comes to downloading stuff (aka porn, toolbars, "free" programs)

Want somebody telling you what you can and can't do with your computer

Don't care about gaming.

Have money to throw away(I'm talking double what a similarly specced PC would cost)

Like looks more than function or durability(attacking macintoshes build quality)

Like to hop on bandwagons.

Then purchase a Mac

On the other hand...

If you....

Want a computer that does what you want it to, when you want it to, even stuff it was not quite designed for..

Want the same amount of power and infinite customizabilty, for half the price of a comparable mac

Are into high end anything, especialy gaming...

Are not stupid about what you download, or don't mind purchasing a good antivirus/antispyware (being the most used type of computer in the business and home market has its price)

Don't particularly follow fads, and don't like other people telling you what to buy(most of course have no idea what they are talking about)

Then buy a PC.
I recommend looking around on Sagernotebook.com. My laptop is the NP9262 with quite a few of the options selected to make it rather expensive, around 3000$. A 3000$ macbook does not come anywhere near my capability. For one thing they don't even offer a 3.0 ghz dual core(highest is 2.6) and I could have paid for a quadcore. Still can upgrade as a matter of fact. Apples site does not even mention the video card in the pro.. I had the choice between 3 different ones, and whether or not to run them in SLI (aka dual)

I have built at least 20 desktops, 3 of them I own, and all of them are in the top 6%(of the 5 million computers that have published 3dmark results) when I benchmark them with 3dmark06. I don't even have to look at the box when it comes to requirements.

The bottom line here is your bottom line, if you want to pay money for a name and a pretty box/case, then buy a mac. If you want double the power for 1/2 the price(yes this carrys over to the mid-range and low end markets) then buy a PC.

The mac fanboys are sure to try and argue with me about this, citing the whole BSOD, and viruses, and whatever. Well at least the BSOD tells me whats wrong, when if there is something wrong with a Mac, it just doesn't boot...or it doesn't turn off, or it just doesn't work. About the virus and spyware thing, if you don't download them, you won't get them. I download everything from porn to programs, to music and movies. Chances are if you would want it on your computer, I've downloaded it. I don't run virus or antispyware unless I know I am about to get an virus (its not hard, .mov and .exe=bad, porn websites and any software thats free and NOT open source is bad.) and I never get one by accident. Sometimes I find a fun one and put it on my wifes computer just to watch the show. I reccomend Vipre antivirus and antispyware, great program and unlike norton does not kill your computer resource wise or lengthen startup times noticably.


Well, to end this long post, please excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes I didn't care enough to fix (got to leave something for the Mac fanboys to have fun with)

Oh and one more thing, don't go off of my advice, Unlike the MAC guru's out there, my advice and "arguments" are backed up with fact, so just google some laptops and speccs from both apple and the 150,000 companies that make PCs and you will see everything I mean.

Zacm05, Where to begin! I work on PC's and all of he Windows OS's plus I have a Mac as well. No virus for the Mac? Come-on there are nasties out there for every OS, including the mac. There was a story the other day that said the virus writers were beginning to target OSX due to it's rise in popularity. Apple tech support doesn't send you to India?? I called apple myself when I had problems installing OSX Leopard and guess where I got transferred to? INDIA!! Apple stores are only in major cities and what do you do when you don't live near one? Send your mac off to be fixed and be without it for weeks on end. Vista sucks?? How would you know? Have you ever used it? I have Vista on my desktop and on a laptop and I love it! It just works and I have never-ever had a crash in the year and a half I have been using it. My dell laptop looks beautiful and has all the accessories you listed for your mac, and guess what? It costs half as much! The only real reason I can see to own a Mac is for video editing and the Mobile ME service which I also have. PC/Vista is a good choice and so is a Mac, it all depends on what you really need it for. Zac go bury your head in the sand, you've been owned! By the way I'm writing this on my Mac.

I'm going to have to agree with what most of hawkeye61 stated. First off, I own a PC laptop and a Macbook Pro 15 inch penryn.
1. Viruses exist on both machines aplenty. Mac users who believe that there aren't any spyware or viruses for Macbook are just sadly delusional, or just misinformed.
2. How well a computer handles multitasking is largely based on the hardware, not so much the software.
3. Apple redirects you to India all the time for tech support. Most tech companies do this.
4. Windows Vista sucks? I noticed a trend these days where most people switching to Mac know very little about computers. With little maintenance on my Windows Vista machine (about 5 minutes every week), my computer boots up at least twice as fast as my Macbook Pro and shuts down about three times as fast. And it runs smooth as silk. And the sad thing is, my hardware in my Windows Vista laptop is actually inferior to that of my macbook pro.
5. Mac doesn't experience crashes or BSoD? Ok, they don't experience the blue screen of death, but they do experience kernel panics, which are basically the same thing. BOTH computers can crash. Again, another fact that is misconstrued by the mac fanboys.

In the end, you shouldn't buy a mac because of it's ease of use or lack of viruses or it's inability to crash, because you can find those same features on a PC. However, you SHOULD buy a mac if you are into serious photo and video editing. For example, I use photoshop and final cut pro extensively on my Macbook pro. These programs, and others like it, run more efficiently on the Mac and is sometimes exclusive to the mac OS. So buy a mac for it's capabilities, not for it's "ease of use" or "no viruses/spyware".

hahahahahahahahahaha..... Woww..! what a weak attempt to put Mac in the same viral territory as Windows.... There are nearly 300,000 viruses for Windows..! That's not including spyware and adware. So with just a single virus for Mac by 2006.!!! I'd say this reinforces the Get a Mac argument pretty strongly.

Mac is already super popular amongst computer scientists, you know the people who would have knowledge of how to write viruses. People keep saying, oh well, when Mac gets popular enough the virus writers will start to "target" Mac... pfffft..! I don't think so boys and girls... Mac is based on a unix like operating system called FreeBSD. Want to talk security? Check what kind of operating systems that banks, communications companies, and mission critical enterprises use to run their business and it will be some flavour of Unix, Linux, or BSD... period. Why? Because you would be very concerned if your bank hosted your bank account on a Windows Vista machine.

Typical of Windows fans to try to sell the fear that they have boughten into.

I am a Mac user at home and a PC user at the office. I also had a PC at home to allow me to work via modem for a while. Once Virtual Private Networks were developed and made available for the Mac, I became PC free at home. Although I found the PC a little more daunting to work with at the resource level I became a proficient user of both. Both Microsoft and Apple software are so well integrated today that there are no worries once you learn how to use the software.

My children were encouraged to be exposed to and learn both systems to excel in school. Wendee you do not need to worry about the computer. You must learn to use a computer as a tool for getting the job done. Either system will get you there fine - email, pictures, music, graphics, letters, drawings.

One reply said there are plenty of computer geeks at schools to help you out of a rough spot and keep you producing. S/he is right! After you have graduated and gotten your first job you can decide which computer is right for you. Now go get that education. I recommend a Mac

My daughter started college last year. We are an unwavering Mac family from Day One. We got our daughter a 15" laptop. Of course she loves it. Most of the kids in her dorm had Macs. In this day and age, with Macs being as mainstream as they are (In the "old" days, in was that only the 'elite' could afford them.), the Mac is the computer of choice. A couple of my daughter's "suite mates" had PC's. When they saw how easy Macs were to use, they switched.

The Mac is user friendly, with an intuitive interface. It literally runs itself with a few clicks. Also, Applecare give you all the tech support you need.

With all the media around -- photos, music, YouTube (movie clips), how can you not thoroughly enjoy a Mac? Working and playing on a Mac and its operating system is so fun.

My daughter's college supports both platforms, and did explain that with certain majors they recommended a Mac, but not necessary with certain other majors. Guess what?! Most students showed up with a Mac. How can so many people be wrong? And yes, Macs have become so affordable, with more memory, larger hard drives, etc.!

Don't forget that if you go on Apple.com, and sign-on as a student with the name of your school, you get sizable discounts and promotions. Before the deadline, they usually throw in $100 toward a printer (so you can actually get a free printer), and $300 toward an iPod (so you can get a free iPod, or buy the top of the line iPod Touch by paying the difference of $200.00). Can't beat that!

Good luck! Carmen

If you don't mind making the change, I'd reccommend at least trying a Mac out at an Apple Store to see if it would work for you. If you have $1500 to use for a computer, I think you could get either platform and do well.

In terms of price, Macs are not nearly as much more than a PC as many think. A basic $999 (education price) MacBook will get you everything you need for writing essays, searching the web, watch movies or listen to music, just as a $700 PC laptop would. But I've yet to see a PC come ready to edit videos out of the box or be so hassle-free -- two things I find easily worth the extra few dollars. And with Apple's high quality of support, something I see nowhere else, it's nice to know that I can easily find the help I need, limited as the need may be. And to address the India thing, I've only had US centers answer my calls when I've contacted them, though I prefer going into the store. And since many many third party tech stores are Apple certified, they can often send you that way if you need a quick fix.

If media type stuff is going to be important, I think it's generally agreed that Macs handle it better. iMovie is the best in the business for basic video editing, Garageband is popular and easy for music creation, and iTunes is the standard for playback.

Although the Mac is not immune to viruses, I have never seen a virus actually infect a Mac. It will happen someday, I know, but it is not as major a concern as a virus is on the PC. I have seen numerous PCs crash and corrupt from a virus or trojan, and consider it a must to run virus software at least once every 12-24 hours of use to pick off anything that's worked its way through -- and it takes several programs to do so. On the Mac, I run one program about once a week and have yet to have it tell me I have a virus, trojan, or any type of malware... compared to the hundreds I find weekly on my various Windows boxes.

As for Vista... I know that the technological savvy will find it decent if they don't mind a ton of tweaking, but I have heard too many horror stories that I simply don't want to be one of the 10% that have had huge problems after upgrading. A friend of mine works with the head of computer security at a major aerospace company, and mentioned that the security guy said Vista was, by far, the worst OS he had ever seen, and was so unstable he was not allowing anyone to connect to the company network while using it. Stick with XP if you choose Windows.

Hey it's 2008 not 1988... The old virus writers analogy is dead long ago. It is common knowledge that Macs do not suffer from viruses. This is due to Mac stemming from a unix based operating systems which uses permissions on every file in the system, and passwords for administrator privilege actions, not just logging in. It's a completely different operating system, yet does all the familiar things people do on Windows (minus the virus scans, spyware, and adware scans)

Even IBM the maker of the original PC has began using Macs for their desktop in the office. http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/04/16/ibm-launches-pilot-program-for-migrating-to-macs/

Nobody cares about zillions of programs, they generally like to stick to what works for them. Bottom line, Mac is well thought out, well designed, and user friendly. Windows? is like a kick in the bawlz in comparison.

Drives are not what makes operating systems crash, it is the programs that are running and the operating system running them.

The Mac has the leading edge graphics for the end user and for the creator.

Macs are made to make your life as simple as possible, PCs are made to make as much money for the corporation selling them. Prime example, all the crapware that comes loaded on PCs which is trial based and requires registration. Day 1, you are paying some tech geek $50 to remove it so you can actually use a PC... sick...

You need a new calendar...

xX_Sindear_Xx - thank you.. I think you put it better than anyone else could (by using their own words against them).

I'm not against macs, I just hate all the crap they come up with for why it's "better than windows"... it's just another choice.. not better, not worse.. just down to personal choice.

First, as pointed out by another, the reason Macs have gone so long virtually virus free is that viruses are written to use vulnerabilities in particular OS's. Since Windows has held the majority of users for so long, they are most commonly targeted. As more people go to Mac, those wishing to do harm will turn to writing viruses for Macs.

Another point to make. As someone that came out of the IT field and is in retail currently, I've seen Vista on many kinds of computers and laptops. Many laptops, especially early in Vista's release were truly not capable of running stable due to hardware deficiancies and the early-on issues with drivers. This turned many people away from Vista completely, leading to today's Mac and Linux trends. As more people use Vista on machines made to handle the OS, the better for Windows in the marketplace.

As to anyone looking today for college, of course see if one or another is prefered by your college and in your field of study. The different OS's have their strong points for different things. If you end up deciding on a PC laptop, go with a decent dual core, such as the Core2 Duo or AMD 64x2 (if budget is tight). Make sure it has 2 or 3 gigs of ram and enough hard drive space (remember that once the hard drive has over 75% capacity filled, it begins to slow) for what your needs are. With these criteria met, you can find a Vista laptop a reliable and joy to use.

(Just to point out, I'm currently using XP on a couple year old machine that dual boots Linux. I've wanted to look into Mac, but haven't had the chance yet)

I own both a Vista laptop and a macbook. I prefer Mac. It starts faster and quits faster. I have had several crashes on the vista machine although the interface has tried to emulate the Mac environment. My vista notebook sits at home even though it is lighter and has a faster CPU. The vista machine is docked and running quickbooks. It did not take very long to adjust to the MAC, you can also run windows software on the MAC if you need to do that. There are student discounts for MAC machines and software. My daughter is starting college next fall and I bought her a Macbook. Of course she grew up with Macs. The bottom line for me is less frustration with the MAC.

dear wendee

i recently changed from a desktop pc to a laptop pc
a so called hp media center

i have had a few problems but overall it runs smoothly, i do advice you to buy it before going college, cause for instance if you have never used windows vista, it would be easier for you to have learned the system itself before going to college.

another thing i'd advice is to check your college's website, because most of the time they have contracts with computer distributers, and thus allowing you to get a laptop for a cheaper price. i know this is so because i'm going college end of september too and i bought mine that way

anyways, i had some more things to say to you but apparently they were already said ^^

cheers

pete

I agree with all that Zacm05 said about preferring a Mac. I'll add one point though. You asked about the learning curve...what I tell folks is that they are so uncomplicated that it makes it seem complicated. Windows users are looking for that crazy weird terminology or the least likely path to find something, with a Mac you don't have that problem. Plain English and simple is the way to go. Don't try to make anything more complicated than it is. Starting out college is fun and exciting, you don't need computer problems mucking things up for you. Best of luck.

1. Recently, Macs can be infected with spyware and viruses. Hackers have been turning their attention to Apple products now. So you cant say their 100% safe, no viruses ever. Nothing is ever 100% safe. heres proof: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080810/tc_afp/usitinternetcrimecompanyappledefcon;_ylt=Apl3DxCokgqvZtjyBQpA2SuDzdAF
4. lame reason, all your files are supposed to be compatable...
7. like everything, vista has its problems. But to say vista sucks all around is total crap. I have a Mac, XP, and Vista. I like using vista the best, i mean, theres nothing wrong with it. Some people have had problems, I havent. Every operating system has its strengths and weaknesses.
10. not true. I have a Mac laptop, and its hard drive is dying. Every time I use it, it goes ca-chunk ca-chunk. an awful sound. My XP computer of the same age is working perfectly fine. Oh yeah, and for awhile, It would not even boot up, the equivalent of the blue screen of death. Eventually I got it working, but it wasnt easy. So to say they never crash is also a lie.
11. this is also opinionized. I dont think windows will run better on a $1500 Mac than a $4000 gaming PC. Its all a matter how you look at it. I am def not an apple fanboy, nor a Microsoft fanboy, because I have both, and they both are good in their own ways.
Besides, this was supposed to be about which is best for school, not the fight about windows and mac. so you can take your apple fanboy crap somewhere else.

I am an unabashedly pro-Apple person and freely admit that. (I have a working Apple ][ computer in my basement, much to my wife's chagrin). I feel that the Mac end-to-end experience is easier and more intuitive than the PC experience. That said, if you have a great deal of experience with Windows and are familiar with updating drivers, the need to purchase new hardware / drivers / cards with any significant update of the system software (such as moving to Vista) then you may well want to stay with PC. Please note other readers that I don't type the last sentence as a criticism but as a fact since I one of the partners in my practice just converted to VIsta and encountered about 20 hours of work / time on phone with Dell / etc. That said, he now says he loves Vista. If you get a new computer powerful enough to run it, he would tell you it is a good product.

I feel that with the incentives for education, Mac is the clear winner for cost and for ease of use. I suspect that after less than a week of time with the new machine you will be proficient. The fact that many, many of your classmates will have Macs will also make it an easy transition.

The reason that Macs work better is that Apple has the advantage of producing both the hardware and software so that the end-user experience has continuity end-to-end, which means that once you understand how one Mac program works / looks / feels you can pretty much launch any program and be up to speed in no time.

Another main advantage of Macs over PCs is actually the lack of crashes, and easier recovery when they
do occur. Macs simply work. I do recommend you go to an Apple store (if one is nearby) or a Best Buy (many feature an Apple mini-store) and see for yourself. I hope this helps, and whatever you decide good luck on entering an exciting and fun phase of your life!!