PhD Worthy Laptop

Either one would work for those requirements. However, and since we don't know what kind of budget you have, if money is no object a MacBook Pro would be a better choice.

This one for instance: 15-inch MacBook Pro - Space Gray - Apple

If possible bump the RAM up to 32GB and the storage to 512GB.

Do note, that you will need some adapters to continue to use your monitors with these new MacBook Pros. Thunderbolt 3 to whatever connector your monitors have.

Something to keep in mind is notebooks cannot be upgraded afterward. Future-proof your computer by making sure you get enough RAM and drive space for as long as you intend to keep the computer. So I'd say 8GB RAM minimum and maybe 16 GB if you want to be sure. None of the applications you mention make big demands. I remember running those 15 years ago.

"Adobe" isn't saying much. Adobe what? If you're doing lots of Photoshop that's going to make demands. If Acrobat, not so much.

Your monitor demands may have more specific requirements.

Again, "PhD worthy" doesn't say much. :-) PhD in English literature or PhD in climate modeling? Computer needs very different!

I have not seen any laptop from any manufacturer that has the specification "PhD Worthy".

You should consult with others at your university who are in the same field to get their advice regarding which laptop would best meet the needs of the environment.

If it were me, I would get the most powerful laptop I could afford that is 100% compatible with my colleagues and advisors.

If $ matter (PhD; been there; done that) check refurbished units:

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac

Hot and humid -- not the greatest for a notebook but I can understand if you have no alternative and don't want to lug around a desktop. :-)

VToria32 wrote:

Thank you for you insight. I truly appreciate it.. My PhD is in Exercise Physiology pertaining to sweat sodium concentrations of female athletes in hot, humid environments. Sorry I didn't specify...

I was thinking that the 16GB would be best for my needs. As for the Adobe it's just Acrobat, I forgot that Photoshop was part of Adobe..

I just have a 4 year old MacBook Pro that no long can sustain SPSS, Microsoft Word, Acrobat, the internet, and my background apps all running at the same time.. So I'm in need of a newer and more powerful model..

.

An PhD candidate worthy of his/her salt will include in his budget the added expense of AppleCare+ for the extended warranty to cover his/her investment of a top of the line new machine.

If you have AppleCare+ it will cover hardware failures for two years past the 1-yr basic warranty and a large portion of accidental damage.

https://www.apple.com/support/products/mac.html

AppleCare is pretty much a necessary thing these days. I don't like extended warranties but the problem with modern computers is they are only made out of a few pieces. It used to be if something went wrong you could buy a $50 part and a screwdriver and fix it yourself. Now it requires replacing an entire logic board for $600. So basically if you see a $1200 Mac you really have to see it as a $1400 (or whatever) Mac, plus think of it maybe only really having a lifespan of 6 years instead of 17 years (and going strong!) like the G4 purring away on the floor next to my feet.