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Gearing up For College Should I go Mac or PC??

happle said:
u come on a mac forum to ask this :D pretty obvious answer :apple:
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But buying a Mac practically IS a PC (except for the BIOS/Firmware).

There are several windows mags that have said that Macbooks make great bare metal windows boxes. That being said I'd only sparingly boot into windoze. Why endure the pain? :D
 
jrp95 said:
I am getting ready for college and I need to make that life changing decision...macbook pro or Hp envy. Please help me out.

Ok, First I need to tell you what I am doing. I am going to be running 3D CAD (computer aided design) software on my laptop and I need the power capability to do it. Also, I already own an iPad 2 and iPhone 4s.

Anyway, the big issue is a comproble HP Envy 17 is $1000 less than a really nice MacBook Pro 17. I am talking like $3012.12 (after tax and education discount) to the HP $2066.99 (no discounts and tax included). I know you get great software with a Mac and the customer service is great. I also love my iPad and iPhone but is it really worth the extra $1000??

Just looking for some input.

Thanks,
Joel:rolleyes:
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Wow a 17?? I would go for something smaller and an external monitor for college. 17 is not much of a portable!
 
Wow! Thanks for all of your help

Here is what I did. First I can get a free edition of the CAD Software because I am a student (full software) and it is made for Mac as well as PC. I will add more ram myself (double the gb of ram to 8 from just 4) and I downgraded the size from 17" to 15" (so it will fit better in a backpack)

Here are the new configs
2.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM — 2x2GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit

total price: $2485.48 (tax and education discount included)

I checked out lenovo and I really didn't like their product. I tried building a HP envy with the same fetures as the MacBook and the difference came in at less than $100. So I think a Mac is my next computer. I am going to buy it in April so I have 4 months to learn apples OS. Thanks again for your help.

I have heard once you go mac you never go back! :apple:
 
jrp95 said:
Wow! Thanks for all of your help

Here is what I did. First I can get a free edition of the CAD Software because I am a student (full software) and it is made for Mac as well as PC. I will add more ram myself (double the gb of ram to 8 from just 4) and I downgraded the size from 17" to 15" (so it will fit better in a backpack)

Here are the new configs
2.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM — 2x2GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit

total price: $2485.48 (tax and education discount included)

I checked out lenovo and I really didn't like their product. I tried building a HP envy with the same fetures as the MacBook and the difference came in at less than $100. So I think a Mac is my next computer. I am going to buy it in April so I have 4 months to learn apples OS. Thanks again for your help.

I have heard once you go mac you never go back! :apple:
Click to expand...

That seems like an ideal setup for what you are doing, and good choice on not going 17" if you're planning on actually going to class with that thing. I downgraded from a 17" to a 13" and it feels more like an upgrade for me. (But for what you use it for, the 13" is not powerful enough, and does not provide the screen real estate you need, but it is perfect for me)

And since this will be your first Mac, remember the X in Mac OS X is pronounced Ten, not Ex...Going around saying Mac OS Ex will definitely let the PC user in you shine when talking about Macs to other Mac users ;)
 
jrp95 said:
I have heard once you go mac you never go back! :apple:
Click to expand...

Yeah that is definitely true. I got my first macbook 3 years ago in addition to my school pc. Now I am purely using apple products...the seemlessness of everything and how well integrated everything is just made me move towards a pcless et up.

You should pick up an external monitor! I found it priceless when I had to multitask, taking notes and watching webcasts of classes on the monitor.
 
Just keep in mind that prices will always go down, and your new MacBook will be 'obsolete' next year.
So Before starting to spend, try to save, you might not need the latest and greatest or the fastest or top of the line.

Check with current users of that specific CAD software that you are planning to use:
- What are the minimum requirements to run it? This might give you a crippled performance
- What are the recommended requirements to have a decent performance
- What are the best hardware specs that will give you the best performance.

Sometimes is not the processor but the RAM and the graphics card and its memory.

You can get more RAM but if the CAD software doesn't run in 64 bit mode then you might not taking full advantage of the hardware.

My suggesting is be more specific about the CAD software that you will be using, and what else you will be doing with this Mac.

For how long are you planning to keep it?
And what other future upgrades can you do or planning to do:
1- Adding more RAM
2- Installing an SSD
3- External Monitor
4- Etc...
 
jrp95 said:
I am getting ready for college and I need to make that life changing decision...macbook pro or Hp envy. Please help me out.

Ok, First I need to tell you what I am doing. I am going to be running 3D CAD (computer aided design) software on my laptop and I need the power capability to do it. Also, I already own an iPad 2 and iPhone 4s.

Anyway, the big issue is a comproble HP Envy 17 is $1000 less than a really nice MacBook Pro 17. I am talking like $3012.12 (after tax and education discount) to the HP $2066.99 (no discounts and tax included). I know you get great software with a Mac and the customer service is great. I also love my iPad and iPhone but is it really worth the extra $1000??

Just looking for some input.

Thanks,
Joel:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

What is your major? In engineering, I used a lot of CAD (available for free to students from AutoDesk website and it has a native Mac version), SolidWorks (not available on Mac but you can always install Win – something I absolutely don't like), Arena (again, not available on Mac), MiniTab (not available on Mac), MatLab (available on Mac). Bottom line: get the Mac. Why? It just works. I have spent so much time fixing stupid PC problems – I bet that time could have gained me well over $100 in productivity if I had used a Mac. BTW, if you're doing engineering and have a Senior Design Project – no matter what, do not use XP or Vista (the COM port drivers installed by Microsoft are extremely glitchy).
 
jrp95 said:
I checked out lenovo and I really didn't like their product. I tried building a HP envy with the same fetures as the MacBook and the difference came in at less than $100. So I think a Mac is my next computer. I am going to buy it in April so I have 4 months to learn apples OS. Thanks again for your help.

I have heard once you go mac you never go back! :apple:
Click to expand...

Lenovo's Thinkpad design is classic, but not very appealing unfortunately. Good choice for going with the mac.

Buying in April is somewhat dangerous, since new MBPs might be around the corner by then. Intels Ivy Bridge is scheduled for April, making the current CPUs immediately obsolete.

I don't know if anyone here has experience with CAD on Macs. The software might be available for both platforms, but I remember reading somewhere that the Mac version is somewhat inferior to the Win7 version. But I don't know which CAD software was being discussed in that context.

@dusk
I don't think the 2.5 GHz upgrade is a waste of money. He will benefit from more power, and it does make the laptop last longer.
 
thundersteele said:
@dusk
I don't think the 2.5 GHz upgrade is a waste of money. He will benefit from more power, and it does make the laptop last longer.
Click to expand...
It is a difference of 4%(min freq.)-3%(Turbo) in the best case which is definitely not noticeable. It won't last any bit longer. Battery life tends to be lower. If you mean it last longer in performance. 3% difference is so little for whatever the 2.4 Ghz will fell to slow the 2.5Ghz makes no difference.
It is 250 bucks for nothing noticeable. I just recommend spending the money on just about anything else before that.
The rule of thumb is also that you need at least 20% difference to notice it sitting in front of two machines with one slower one faster. Smaller difference people don't notice without some kind of benchmark software showing them numbers or finishing times.
You need an even bigger difference to get the it lasts longer diff. because it usually for whatever one cpu is noticable to slow a slightly faster one is too.
 
Ok well I used a PC for all my life (young, but been using computers for years) and just switched to Mac last year. The only thing I can say is that I can never imagine going back... Ever.... Also, I would advise against the 17" because of the lack of portability which is essential in college. I bring mine to high school often and the 15" is perfect sized. Happy computing!
 
dusk007 said:
It is a difference of 4%(min freq.)-3%(Turbo) in the best case which is definitely not noticeable. It won't last any bit longer. Battery life tends to be lower. If you mean it last longer in performance. 3% difference is so little for whatever the 2.4 Ghz will fell to slow the 2.5Ghz makes no difference.
It is 250 bucks for nothing noticeable. I just recommend spending the money on just about anything else before that.
The rule of thumb is also that you need at least 20% difference to notice it sitting in front of two machines with one slower one faster. Smaller difference people don't notice without some kind of benchmark software showing them numbers or finishing times.
You need an even bigger difference to get the it lasts longer diff. because it usually for whatever one cpu is noticable to slow a slightly faster one is too.
Click to expand...

Ok, I see it as follows:
Take the high end option on the parts that are not user replaceable, and worry later about other components.
There's also that 8MB vs. 6MB L3 cache difference. It's hard to estimate the benefits, but I think the performance gain, depending on the application, is 5%-10%. I don't need that kind of performance, so I actually went with the 2.2 GHz model. But for some people it might make sense to go for the best available configuration, and for those I wouldn't call it a waste of money!
 
Sell the iPad and get the Mac. In my opinion, there isn't much need for an iPad when you have a great laptop and a great phone. I used to have an iPad and I can tell you from experience that it will likely fall by the wayside. Unless you use it for some specific task(s) that an iPhone or Mac can't do, it'll begin to look like a big check just ready to be cashed in. Also, don't upgrade your RAM through Apple. They jack the price up sooooo much.
 
I got my Macbook Pro for college 4 years ago, and as a computer science major, it served me well. Had Microsoft Office for Mac, really all you need to get through college. For the odd class assignment that required a program that wasn't mac compatible, I have Windows Vista Home Premium (I know, wish it was Windows 7) installed via Boot Camp. In my 4 years of college, it never let me down once.
 
2.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM — 2x2GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard

$2332.46 is pretty cheap :) I fell that this configuration is starting to lack the power I am going to need.
 
jrp95 said:
2.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM — 2x2GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard

$2332.46 is pretty cheap :) I fell that this configuration is starting to lack the power I am going to need.
Click to expand...

Unless you start running very large finite element analysis with your CAD software, you will not notice any difference at all between the 2.5 and 2.4, don't even bother. And even then, the upgrade is not worth the price unless you need every ounce of number crunching power you can get, which, as a student, you don't.

I'm currently majoring in mechanical engineering and run Solidworks 2011 SP4 on 64-bit windows, with 4GB RAM on an older core 2 duo machine and get by just fine. Sure, I could get a machine with a better GPU and CPU, but really, the only thing I'd be saving is rendering time, or calculation time when running finite element analysis, which really isn't the bottleneck in my normal workflow.

You're trying to justify overspending for power you will not need. If you were truly wanting to buy a dedicated CAD rig, you'd get a proper desktop for half the price your MBP is going to cost you, that would blow your MBP out of the water performance wise.

It all comes down to preference, I prefer the battery life and build quality and OS X on a Mac. But in my work, windows is essential, and is all I ever use when it comes to engineering, because that is the OS which is compatible with the most engineering software.
 
One thing no-one talked about is: Glossy screen. I cannot stand working with a glossy screen, my eyes tire in no time. There is also something about screen flicker with some of the Mac's due to the refresh rate of the LED screens, check that out too. (some have a headache within half an hour due to that)

Second item: I had originally Toshiba and then moved to IBM Thinkpad. Bought in July my first Mac after 23 years because I consider the new Lenovo machines the proverbial brown matter. (I have the last Thinkpad T61p that came off the line) Some A31's that I sold on 4 years ago (and had myself for 4 and 5 years) are still running, IBM was over engineered and Lenovo has gradually been running it into the ground. (just my opinion)

Apple has always been known for running hot - are you wanting to use it on your lap.

HP is a has-been in the consumer market - am not sure what their commercial stuff is like. (I remember Compaq being the top of the bunch back in 1984) Asus and Toshiba are two other brands coming to mind. Ofcourse if you are rough with your gear then not much will beat the Panasonic Toughbook.

Just check the reliability ratings of notebooks.

PS I normally bought the top of the line of the previous years model when it is on a special. Never get one of the first machines coming of the line - you run the risk of a lemon.
 
I wouldn't get a mac for college. Macs are beautiful crafter machines but fragile and prone to theft. Unless you're pursuing an online degree I'd advise against getting a Mac:

A. If you're housed in a campus there's a chance it might get stolen (everyone craves for a Mac and knows they're worth $$$ - I'm sure there's even a black market for these in every campus)
B. There will be always careless people around from which you'll have to protect the Mac - it's known that most people aren't just careless about their own things but do not feel any accountability for other's property
C. You will become if not a target for muggers then one for envy

So go with something (HINT: PC) that doesn't stand out in a crowd.
 
dontwalkhand said:
And since this will be your first Mac, remember the X in Mac OS X is pronounced Ten, not Ex...Going around saying Mac OS Ex will definitely let the PC user in you shine when talking about Macs to other Mac users ;)
Click to expand...

While your are technically correct, (since it was the follow-on to OS-9); enough people refer to it as OS eX that it's part of the vocabulary.

Of course, real Macheads call it by it's name - from Cheetah to Lion; OS- 7.6, 8 (what a difference an 8 makes) and 9 was really the only numbered names; before that is was simply System.

But for the OP - strongly consider Apple Care and insurance - the last thing you need is to be ought a computer at school. There are a number of legit dealers who discount Applecare - such as B&H Photo. Not a lot, but still better than full or edu pricing (do they still discount it for edu buyers like they used to?)
 
Find out what your schools requirements are and work from there. You're on a Mac board, you're going to get answers related to the primary subject matter more often than not.

Sent daughter off to school this year with a new Mac. Majoring in Chem, and it was fine. She's switching majors to engineering, and they specify not only a Windows machine, but very specifically a Sandy Brige Win 7 machine, and specify that VM's and bootcamp will be totally unsupported by the school - effectively you're on your own. Fine for me, but certainly not workable for her. So new computer it is.

What I'm saying is that you should take any advice here with a grain of salt and concentrate on the schools requirements, not just starting but year 2, and 3 also.

Good idea when you drill in as to how her school specs it. I'm sure yours has something similar.

http://infotech.seas.virginia.edu/firstyear/UVA-SEAS-1stYr-FAQ-Mac.pdf
 
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praetorx said:
I wouldn't get a mac for college. Macs are beautiful crafter machines but fragile and prone to theft. Unless you're pursuing an online degree I'd advise against getting a Mac:

A. If you're housed in a campus there's a chance it might get stolen (everyone craves for a Mac and knows they're worth $$$ - I'm sure there's even a black market for these in every campus)
B. There will be always careless people around from which you'll have to protect the Mac - it's known that most people aren't just careless about their own things but do not feel any accountability for other's property
C. You will become if not a target for muggers then one for envy

So go with something (HINT: PC) that doesn't stand out in a crowd.
Click to expand...

You are indeed right, but I'd like to point out that people will steal any unattended laptop, it doesn't have to be a Mac before it's a victim of theft.
 
praetorx said:
I wouldn't get a mac for college. Macs are beautiful crafter machines but fragile and prone to theft. Unless you're pursuing an online degree I'd advise against getting a Mac:

A. If you're housed in a campus there's a chance it might get stolen (everyone craves for a Mac and knows they're worth $$$ - I'm sure there's even a black market for these in every campus)
B. There will be always careless people around from which you'll have to protect the Mac - it's known that most people aren't just careless about their own things but do not feel any accountability for other's property
C. You will become if not a target for muggers then one for envy

So go with something (HINT: PC) that doesn't stand out in a crowd.
Click to expand...
i wouldn't say that a macbook pro is fragile; i treat mine horribly throwing my bag with it in it, i've dropped it more times than i want to think about, i've dropped stuff on it...still works like new(well, it's had issues, but i don't think they were from how i handled it, and they were fixed for free under applecare so even if they were i really don't care)

at my college campus(state university), i see probably 60% mac. at my girlfriends law school(private, $35,000 a year) it's more like 95% mac. if anything, having a windoze based laptop stands out more. not like it really matters, laptop theft is a crime of opportunity; if you have a windoze laptop that's easy to steal, it's not like someone's going to walk past it at and say "i'm not going to steal that, but if it was a mac i totally would..."
 
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