Ok, so I need to get a laptop for college, and I need a little help deciding on what to get. It's between a Macbook and a Dell, and I'm definitely leaning towards the Macbook, but the Dell will probably end up being a bit cheaper, and my parents aren't totally convinced on spending the extra money. They already know about how you get a free Ipod and printer, and there's also the fact that Mac's get basically no viruses, and I've already tried out my friends and I really liked it. But I've used Dell's for so long now it might be kind of a weird change, although most people I know that have switched from PC's to Mac's have said they don't want to go back. So I'd appreciate it if any Mac users out there could fill me in on why Mac's are better and why my parents should shell out the extra cash.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Laptop Help
- Thread starter bosox097
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
just add up the cost of all the things you would normally need to purchase (printer, ipod, anti-virus, etc) and see if it adds up to the difference. that's what i did, and it totally worked. maybe edu. discount too? =)
Longevity, the typical mac user keeps his computer much longer than a PC user and since they do incremental updates instead of changing them up every other week the way PC manufactures do developers continue to develop software for older configurations than on the PC side.
And you can run Windows on it, should you actually need to.
And you can run Windows on it, should you actually need to.
There are any number of pros and cons for both Macs an Windows-based machines.
My first recommendation for you would be to check out the computing requirements of the program you are entering. No sense of buying a Mac if you're going to have to shell out for a PC down the road, or vice versa.
If that's not an issue, then you next need to get past the 'weird change' factor. OS X is different from Windows, yes, but it's not like you'll be in completely alien territory. A little playing around, some time spent in the Mac environment, and you'll be comfortable enough to be productive. Then you just take time to learn the tricks. Finally, if that's not enough for you, your Apple notebook can run Windows.
Interface aside, OS X really is a better operating system. I credit it to the fact that Apple builds the software to run on Apple hardware. One company responsible for both. This means that Apple computers are specifically tailored to run OS X, and the operating system is optimized to run on Apple hardware. Now compare to Windows and the millions of hardware configurations that may or may not run that operating system.
As for affordability, the Education discount is your friend (back to school iPod deal even better), and similarly spec'd Macs and PCs are so close in price that the slight difference is worth it. And if that's not enough, check out the refurbished machines on the Apple site (though no free iPod with refurbs).
As for me, I switch back and forth between my MBP and my 6-year-old WinXP box on a daily basis, as well as the PCs on my university campus and student lab. I'm completely comfortable in both environments. However, when my PC desktop finally kicks it (or just can't keep up), it will be replaced with a Mac.
My first recommendation for you would be to check out the computing requirements of the program you are entering. No sense of buying a Mac if you're going to have to shell out for a PC down the road, or vice versa.
If that's not an issue, then you next need to get past the 'weird change' factor. OS X is different from Windows, yes, but it's not like you'll be in completely alien territory. A little playing around, some time spent in the Mac environment, and you'll be comfortable enough to be productive. Then you just take time to learn the tricks. Finally, if that's not enough for you, your Apple notebook can run Windows.
Interface aside, OS X really is a better operating system. I credit it to the fact that Apple builds the software to run on Apple hardware. One company responsible for both. This means that Apple computers are specifically tailored to run OS X, and the operating system is optimized to run on Apple hardware. Now compare to Windows and the millions of hardware configurations that may or may not run that operating system.
As for affordability, the Education discount is your friend (back to school iPod deal even better), and similarly spec'd Macs and PCs are so close in price that the slight difference is worth it. And if that's not enough, check out the refurbished machines on the Apple site (though no free iPod with refurbs).
As for me, I switch back and forth between my MBP and my 6-year-old WinXP box on a daily basis, as well as the PCs on my university campus and student lab. I'm completely comfortable in both environments. However, when my PC desktop finally kicks it (or just can't keep up), it will be replaced with a Mac.
