71% of College Students Prefer Macs Over PCs According to Jamf Survey

[Darth Tulhu]

Let's see, what does the past 18 months look like? New Mac Mini, new iMacs, new iMac pro, two upgrades of MacBook Pros, new MacBook Air, new OS, and new Mac Pro and new monitors soon to be released. Yep, no love there at all. LOL.

It's not that they've released items in the Mac line, so much as what they've done to said lines.

The Mac went from the most flexible, connectable, upgradeable, and reliable machines in the know computing universe (2011) to some of the most unreliable, un-upgradeable, un-serviceable, disposable, adapter-heavy machines sold today.

Not to mention more expensive than EVER, while providing less features.

Of all the machines you mention, the mini is probably the least offensive here (and the only one I'd recommend), but they STILL managed to solder it up.

Let's see what the so-called Mac Pro will look like.

 

[curtvaughan]

There's another factor to consider: gaming.

I believe that modern students and younger graduates game quite a bit, and if you're going to afford only one machine...the PC is where it's at. All 4 of my kids want a PC, even the 2 creative ones (cinema and graphic arts), despite growing up in an all-Mac household.

Then again, they all shun the iPhone due to it's lack of flexibility and the headphone jack dealbreaker (to the detriment of their relationships, I might add).

I guess they inherited my anti-social, counter-culture, the-emperor-is-naked attitude.

Yes, not having ever been a gamer myself, I hadn't considered that aspect. Until recently (Linux is beginning to get a foothold) gaming was pretty much restricted to Windows on high end PCs. I really am interested in the fact that your kids care about the missing headphone jack. I DEFINITELY do (as I've sounded off about on this forum a good deal), but was beginning to think the younger generations mostly just cared about wireless convenience over sound quality. As I mentioned earlier, the changes in both Apple Macs (in my opinion, for the worse) and vast improvement in PC offerings, both at low and high ends, and in conjunction with much improvement in Linux as a desktop alternative to Windows, make the old "I'm a PC; I'm a Mac" days rather dated. I live in central Austin near the University of Texas, having both gone to school there and had a career there for 34 years in computers/networking before retiring, so get my overall student/faculty/staff impressions from daily observance. Since 2016, I have observed greater incidence of high end PCs than the new Macs. I haven't paid close attention to smart phone usage, but I will start doing so. I do think I've rarely seen the face id phones among the student crowd - don't know if that's due to design, high prices, or both.

 

[nt5672]

It's not that they've released items in the Mac line, so much as what they've done to said lines.

The Mac went from the most flexible, connectable, upgradeable, and reliable machines in the know computing universe (2011) to some of the most unreliable, un-upgradeable, un-serviceable, disposable, adapter-heavy machines sold today.
. . . .

Yep, but you forgot to mention that all Macs are thin and light with no real design differences. Sure there are laptops and non-laptops but, they both run laptop CPUs. The quest for thin and low power across all devices has ruined the Mac lineup. Sure, this is appropriate for some, maybe even most devices, but not all.

 

[coolfactor]

Alternative headline: 29% of college students are nerds

Hey! I take immense offense to that! I'm a Mac user, and I'm a NERD!

 

[dguisinger]

…. then they realize they can’t type their papers on broken keyboards, get thrown out of college, and live their lives out of a cardboard box unable to pay off their $10,000 laptop

yes, still angry over my second 2018 MBP keyboard failure. Don't know why I would ever buy another mac, their commitment to the platform and its users is abysmal

 

[zenkikid]

My fiancee and I bought our first macbook pros (late 2011 models) in 2012 and theyre still running without any hiccups. My fiancee's is factory stock and has slowed down just a tad bit and mine has an SSD and 16gb ram and runs just as fast as my dads 2017 mbp.


They may be expensive up front but the reliability and durability is amazing.

 

[Fried Chicken]

Users have loved the Mac for decades. I came to Apple because of the Mac, and I hope I won't have to leave because of the Mac. It's Apple that's turned it into a shadow of its former self, and still the Mac brand is persevering.

I hope there will be a reversal. But after years of fruitlessly waiting for Tim to deliver his fantastical "pipeline", the hope is gone dry. The only thing that keeps OSX alive in the minds of users is that despite their great strides, Windows is still a worse experience in comparison.

As it is, I cannot recommend in good conscience a Mac to anyone.

Well said.

Right now unless you're a light computer user, or do photography/music production/videography, the mac is only marginally better than a PC.

 

[Breaking Good]

71 percent of students surveyed said they would either use a Mac or prefer to use a Mac if cost were not a consideration.

I wonder how many students have actually used a $3,000 Window computer?

There are a lot of things I would use or prefer to use if cost wer not a consideration.

 

[coolfactor]

Macs are good if you like A/V crap. If you like workflows for productivity and creativity. But other than that they are expensive toys with a shiny logo. As a rising Twitch streamer/celebrity a Mac is useless. PC is so much better and cheaper. I can emulate games and achieve 120 FPS in RE2. Mac can barely play BioShock 1.

You've judged an entire platform based on one app? Your point is valid, many popular games have been CODED to support Windows more optimally. That's not a fault of the Mac, just a fault of the approach taken by the game developers. Big difference worthy of consideration. And there are different Mac setups that would blow a typical Windows PC out of the water. For example, attach an external CPU (now a standard feature) and you gain a tremendous amount of power. Try doing the same (as effortlessly) with a typical PC and let know how it goes. So at the end of the day, it's not as simple as "Mac vs PC", but one setup vs another setup.

 

[x-evil-x]

Since when is $3K the starting price for an Apple laptop?

Average price with tax for a 15” with decent storage

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Good post. I work at an elementary school and we are all windows laptop. Half are touch screen. The kids hate using the laptops without touchscreens. Curious to see if there strong preference for touchscreens continue when they get older. I also wonder if Apple will continue on their path of not having touchscreen laptops.

I find it hilarious that Apple refuses to make a touchscreen laptop supposedly on the basis of ergonomics (the LAUGHABLE TouchBar) and then design and sell you a keyboard specifically for the iPad, effectively contradicting themselves.

If been saying this a lot: an iBook 2-in-1 (iOS-based) could work well, IF priced well (not Apple's strong suit).

 

[coolfactor]

Well said.

Right now unless you're a light computer user, or do photography/music production/videography, the mac is only marginally better than a PC.

Absolute nonsense. I do software development, and I'm far more efficient on a Mac than I ever was on a Windows computer. There's a UNIX command line inside every Mac. This brings tremendous power than is painful to emulate on a Windows system. And a similar pain on a Linux PC. You may have the native command line, but then getting world-class applications is where the pain comes in. The Mac covers all bases more elegantly.

 

[gavroche]

Where is the option for "Use Mac but prefer PC"? It should be there for accuracy. There are people that crazy!

I suppose that since Mac users can choose to dual boot.. or just run windows exclusively... that there is no barrier to them doing so if they wish. Windows machine owners don't have that option.

 

[coolfactor]

I find it hilarious that Apple refuses to make a touchscreen laptop supposedly on the basis of ergonomics (the LAUGHABLE TouchBar) and then design and sell you a keyboard specifically for the iPad, effectively contradicting themselves.

If been saying this a lot: an iBook 2-in-1 (iOS-based) could work well, IF priced well (not Apple's strong suit).

It's not just ergonomics. iOS (on the iPad that you mention) is designed *around* touch interaction. Larger icons, etc. Many things you can do on a Mac are not possible on an iPad because they've had to compromise due to the touch interface. macOS is not designed for touch. Trying to work with macOS using touch would be a bag of hurt. Apple is smart to take their time with that.

 

[SecuritySteve]

If gaming wasn't mentioned as a reason to support Windows amongst college students, the survey was done incorrectly.

 

[Hockey_Gym]

I wonder what professionals prefer.. As much as I like OSX, I'm way more productive on Windows. The file system is still way better than the Mac.

(Graphics work is better on Mac though.)

 

[coolfactor]

…. then they realize they can’t type their papers on broken keyboards, get thrown out of college, and live their lives out of a cardboard box unable to pay off their $10,000 laptop

yes, still angry over my second 2018 MBP keyboard failure. Don't know why I would ever buy another mac, their commitment to the platform and its users is abysmal

... says this 2 days after Apple releases new MacBook Pros with improved keyboards.

 

[truthertech]

It's not that they've released items in the Mac line, so much as what they've done to said lines.

The Mac went from the most flexible, connectable, upgradeable, and reliable machines in the know computing universe (2011) to some of the most unreliable, un-upgradeable, un-serviceable, disposable, adapter-heavy machines sold today.

Not to mention more expensive than EVER, while providing less features.

Of all the machines you mention, the mini is probably the least offensive here (and the only one I'd recommend), but they STILL managed to solder it up.

Let's see what the so-called Mac Pro will look like.

You're reading too many MR forums. Apple's not perfect, but they make beautiful hardware that sets the standard. In the real world, people love their Macs, and they continue to be the top rated for reliability and customer satisfactions. Here's just one example of how far off you are when you base your assessment on forum posters. Apple laptops are still the envy of EVERY manufacturer:

Predicted Reliability

APPLE
10 / 10

SAMSUNG
8 / 10

ASUS
6 / 10

LENOVO
6 / 10

ACER
6 / 10

MICROSOFT
6 / 10

HP
6 / 10

DELL
5 / 10

Source: Consumer Reports' 2018 Winter Survey

Owner Satisfaction

APPLE
10 / 10

MICROSOFT
7 / 10

ASUS
6 / 10

SAMSUNG
5 / 10

DELL
5 / 10

LENOVO
5 / 10

HP
5 / 10

ACER
4 / 10
Source: Consumer Reports' 2018 Winter Survey

 

[ElectricPotato]

Use Mac, but giving Apple one last chance by getting the Mac Pro right, otherwise switching to PC

It would be nice if Apple clarified their plans for the Mac. They claim to "love Macs" while neglecting much of the Mac hardware line and macOS. That gap between statement and action damages customer trust and creates confusion.

When faced with significant hardware cost you want to know Apple is committed to the platform and not just milking it while planning to pull the plug.

The Mac Pro will be a good indicator of that commitment.

 

[Heelpir8]

... says this 2 days after Apple releases new MacBook Pros with improved keyboards.

To be fair, the same butterfly design with "new materials" might not actually be an improvement. Guess we'll find out.

 

[Beenblacklisted]

Great article, exactly on point. The Selected pool was very specific, College students 18-22 who most likely

Macs are good if you like A/V crap. If you like workflows for productivity and creativity. But other than that they are expensive toys with a shiny logo. As a rising Twitch streamer/celebrity a Mac is useless. PC is so much better and cheaper. I can emulate games and achieve 120 FPS in RE2. Mac can barely play BioShock 1.

This plays a huge part in it. If you are a consumer of data Versus Creator of data. Most of these 18-22 year olds are consumers. Not data creators.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

I’m a college student and I prefer Mac

Windows laptops by comparison have noisy fans, flimsy plasticky build, inferior trackpads, and an OS that despite the improvements made to it, is still not a better experience than macOS.

Macs aren’t perfect, but they’re still the clear choice for me.

 

[ocnitsa]

I teach at a university and anecdotally can confirm...I would say a majority of my students use Macs...In my opinion, for many of them, it is a brand thing...Having a Mac laptop at college is like wearing a pair of converse all stars...it's a matter of established style/expectations verging on "normalcy." Many have iPhones, as well. Ironically, in the classrooms, the majority of computers at the instructor stations are PCs.

 

[truthertech]

It would be nice if Apple clarified their plans for the Mac. They claim to "love Macs" while neglecting much of the Mac hardware line and macOS. That gap between statement and action damages customer trust and creates confusion.

When faced with significant hardware cost you want to know Apple is committed to the platform and not just milking it while planning to pull the plug.

The Mac Pro will be a good indicator of that commitment.

"Neglecting much of the Mac hardware line." Have you been off the Internet the past 18 months? They've been pushing out new Mac hardware so much that we've now reached the point where pundits are questioning whether Apple is upgrading the MacBook Pro too fast, wondering if the people are going to feel ripped off because Apple is pushing out upgrades so soon after they purchased the last version. LOL.

What does the past 18 months look like? New Mac Mini, new iMacs, new iMac pro, two upgrades of MacBook Pros, new MacBook Air, new OS, and new Mac Pro and new monitors soon to be released. Yep, no love there at all. LOL.

 

[Blaze4G]

I find it hilarious that Apple refuses to make a touchscreen laptop supposedly on the basis of ergonomics (the LAUGHABLE TouchBar) and then design and sell you a keyboard specifically for the iPad, effectively contradicting themselves.

If been saying this a lot: an iBook 2-in-1 (iOS-based) could work well, IF priced well (not Apple's strong suit).

Agreed. It's hard to give examples when I use the touchscreen on my laptop but when I am using a laptop without, I keep touching the screen.