so im new here and I have a couple questions for you all if that's cool. I'm going to college as a computer science major and game development and wasn't sure if I should buy a Mac. I want to get a mac but Ive read around and most people seem pretty biased. If I do purchase a mac would it be wise to buy the time machine, or a ext hdd, and which mac do you reccomend? And do you use any virtual machines, say windows for visual studio, or linux? Should I buy a tablet, tech, or any software you recommend for me to buy as a computer science major/game dev? I have a budget of around 3500$ but I only want to buy what I need because you know, college is already expensive. Thanks everyone!
Buy the Mac Book Air. Because it is light and small and you will have to cary it around with you all day. If your eyes are very good and you can read tiny size type get the smaller screen. If not get the larger one. You have to cary this around all day.
Virtual Machines are just like real machine, you load an OSon then and boot them. I suggested you down load "virtualBox" right now and learn about it. It will run on "anything" so there is not reason to delay another minute.
Get as much RAM as you can, the most that fits in the machine. VMs like RAM.
Of course you need at least one external disk. Yo need multiple REDUNDANT backups that are kept in multiple locations. Time Machine comes with Mac OS X. you don't have to get it. Just enable it. Use at least one TM disk and one on-line backup system like Backblaze or CrashPlan. (two backups with one being to a remote location is the minim, more is better.)
Hard to imagine a CS major not already having a bunch of computers and strong preferences. but maybe you want to see what others are thinking. I was a CS and EE major back in the early 80's and now I'm an old-guy back in grad school. I found that lugging the computer around is a big deal. Many people go for an iPad to save weight and bulk. That would not work for you except as a secondary device. But if you must have a bigger machine and you want it to be faster and better graphics the new MacBook Pro with Retina display is FLASH based and light enough to cary around, good battery life too.
Also in addition to the MBA, get a large monitor, at least 24". It does not need to be an Apple monitor.
Th air is powerful enough for any kind of undergrad CS class, don't worry. Mostly you use the computer for writing papers, nots and presentations or at least that Is what I mostly use mine for at school. The software and games you wrote will be proof on concept sized student projects. Any current Mac will do.
Ge the MBP Retine with al the RAM you can then spend on the SSD or a more reasonable machine is the MBA, screen size depending on your eyesight, but max out the RAM for the VM, it needs at least 8GB to run well.
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Understanding that I don't have all you requirement details, I can offer the following generalized suggestions.
One machine = 15 inch MacBook Pro...
That is easy to suggest but no one wants to carry such a beat with them all day, every day. Then the big 15" don't fit well on those little desks in some of the classrooms.
Get the smallest computer you can and then plug it into a big monitor when you can.
