Should I buy a mac or a pc laptop?

The fact is, the majority of people use Windows, so normally I might say, just for the sake of the rest of the world, and very reluctantly, get a nice PC. However, this is not a problem anymore because Macs can run Windows through Boot Camp or Parallels, so you can run any Windows software! So now I will say: get the Mac. You will not regret it.
The bonuses of a Mac are:
The OS is far superior to anything Microsoft could put out and you will love it.
No viruses! Just make sure to scan any files you might send to any Windows users as they might contain Windows viruses (viri? :P) which could infect them (but not you).
Much easier for creative work. You've heard this before. Macs are soo much easier for anything creative, so if you major in anything like graphic design or whatever you will not regret the Mac.
For more, just look at these: http://www.apple.com/getamac/works.html
I hope this helps...and steers you toward a Mac! 😀

You're on an Apple owned Discussion board. What do you think? Why don't you go to those Apple rumor sites and ask your question.

PC.

It really depends on what apps you plan to run and if you have anything that cannot run on a Mac. If you are sure that there is nothing that will require Windows, then there certainly is no reason not to buy a Mac.

Be careful. There are some schools that have testing software that is Windows only. If you have a Mac, you would have to use a PC, or boot into Windows using Boot Camp in order to run it.

The nice thing about Macs now is that they can boot into Windows natively without emulation software. All you need is a copy of Windows - XP with SP2 or Vista - and install it. I have used Vista on my MB for several months without problems at all - and that is with the beta, not the final release.

IMHO? Okay! Here's a bit of reasoning for you...

If you can afford a MB Pro, I'd say split the money instead and buy an entry level MacBook and a bottom bargain WinPC laptop since you can buy PC laptops at very reasonable sub $600 prices nowadays. Thus, you would have a PC laptop when you truly need one for school purposes and a MacBook for evertying else! :o)

Actually...Northoak's post makes a lot of sense. I'd say if you can, go for it. If you can't afford it, get the MB and install Windows.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you would be fine using a MacBook for school. I've become accustomed to using word and powerpoint on my macbook. Microsoft office for mac os x should only cost you like 5-20 dollars through your school. I would only get a PC if I knew that there were a lot of programs that I was going to use that were PC only, but then again with bootcamp and parallels that problem is solved.

Hey!
I'm in third year of college now, and invested in a Macbook at the start of this year. Once you have the Microsoft Office programme on your computer, you're fine, you can share files and projects with PC people... then when you have a presentation to do on your own you can wow them by using Keynote!!

I'm also always the one that makes up "company logos" for our group projects (I do business..). I find the macs far simpler to use, infinately more ergonomic, it doesn't crash as often as my friend's PCs, and I get no viruses (a huge plus in college cos there is a very high risk of coming in contact with them)

I also have Parallels to run Windows, but to be honest I've never used it. My mac has been 100% compatible with everything I've needed to do, and, let's face it, is a lot prettier than any PC you'll buy 😉

go mac, it'll mark you out as the cool creative kid in class and make your life easier!

You don't even need Microsoft Office.

Download free NeoOffice http://trinity.neooffice.org/

This will allow you to share documents and spreadsheets etc. with Windows users. Just remember to go into the TOOLS -OPTIONS - LOAD/SAVE - General and set default saves to .DOC etc.

Cheers

Dick

The macbook is extremely convenient, light and portable. Very good battery performance. The Macbook Pro is a great laptop but it's a little larger which may not be what you want (the macbook Pro has a better graphics chip if you are into games). Either of these laptops have DVI output so you could buy a larger external monitor/keyboard/mouse for use at your dorm. All new Apple products play HD movies, btw.

For word processing, AppleWorks is a fine word processor. Students get good discounts on MS Office if you really have to have it but i'd check into what ships with the macbook before spending any more money.

If you need Windows for some things i'd spring for an $80 copy of Parallels which allows you to seamlessly integrate Windows on the Mac desktop. You can have the best of both worlds on a single, well-built Apple laptop.

You will want the 2GB RAM option if you plan to use Windows on the laptop.


The apple laptops are a giant leap forward compared to the typical cheap Windows laptop. They're a little more expensive but they have far more versatility and useful application base (iPhoto makes digital camera photo management a snap, and iChat is great to talk to your friends and family).

I wouldn't base the purchase solely on the price of a machine - look at what is inside and what other things you can do with it.



The bottom line, in my opinion; you'll have a lot more value and versatility with the Apple hardware than Windows. Beyond that, it's a simple matter of size and weight and what you are willing to carry around.

There is no reason to get a $600 PC when your Mac can boot into Windows just fine. You can buy a copy of Windows for around $100. Save the other $500 for beer.

How do you know he wants beer? lol

Just as a side note, Minidee.

Get yourself some sort of tracking program. I have read a couple other threads on these boards about an Invisible Application that can actually email you and the authorities, I believe it is this...

http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/

It is only $39

if it gets stolen, can tell you where it is. And never , ever turn your back on it when you are using it out in public. invest in securtiy stuff. Take it to the restroom when the time comes. They are very attractive to others, more so than a pc laptop.

Good Luck at College.

Adam

He's in college 😉

I go to RIT(Rochester Institute of Technology) and I'm majoring in Computer Engineering. I'm running three operating systems (WinXP,WinXP/Linux,OSX) on a sony, and AMD64 and a Macbook respectivly. I'll tell you right off the bat, I use my machines for different things. If you're majoring in anything that's engineering, you're best off getting a PC. I'll tell you though, OSX is the superior operating system. If you're going to be using Autocad and PCBExpress for engineering for sure a PC. If you're just MSWord and PPT for business management, macs are pretty **** nice, but the price tag is always hefty. If you got extra cash, go mac. If you're looking for something cheap, so you can buy that PS3 to go with your new TV, you might want to consider a PC.