MacBook for an engineer?

I think that a macbook would work well for you. But instead of using VMware or Parallels use bootcamp because when you use VMware or Parallels you are running two operating systems at once and the macbook isnt designed to do that but I'm sure I will get many quotes of people who say they do it and it runs fine but when doing intensive apps it slows the computer down quite a bit. in conclusion get the macbook and upgrade the RAM 3rd party ad you should be set

 

1. It's cool to the touch but be prepared not to see the fans spin up until it's hot.

2. The 9400M is more than enough for Sims, etc.

3. Ah, license.txt. That takes me back. What do you plan on running that you think you can't run on OS X?

4. 4-5 hours

 

uh what?

 

Hey. I just got my macbook and its my first one. I am a engineering master's student, I am running Bootcamp current for my windows apps, I'll receive my VMware tomorrow so I can post my views on it as I get it.

As far as heat goes, it gets a bit warm on the left side, I'm not sure if this is normal. I need to test out even more. (Currently installing smcFanControl to monitor the temps)

Performance wise, everything has been running smoothly, will update soon.

Btw, I got a Unibody Macbook 2.4Ghz 250 gigHDD w/2gig ram. I will install 4gigs of RAM from Crucial which I just got in today after I find my Phillips screwdriver ... btw, crucial has 4gig DDR3 RAM for just 60 bucks!

 

I'm a graduate engineering student with a 2.4 unibody macbook. It works great for engineering apps (like Matlab). I also have Xp Professional installed on bootcamp and I have VMWare FUsion 2.0 (when I need windows for less intensive things) for the few non-OsX apps I need to use. This is laptop is (surprisingly) the best windows machine I've used (other than the fact that apple's touchpad drivers for windows aren't the best).

 

I am chemical engineering consultant and use my MBP from home a lot for work and actually looking at the new MB to replace my laptop and simply hook it up to an external monitor at work.

I share word and excel documents all the time between my mac and my windows computer and it is seamless. You should read about the differences between old versions of Excel and the 2008 version as there are some differences in functionality.

I would suggest the following:
1. Buy the 2Ghz MB
2. Take the $300 you saved buy ram (4GB to run parallels better) and a 250 GB HD

 

You'd be lucky to need more than $150 to do those upgrades. Even a 7200 RPM 2.5" drive is affordable nowadays.

 

Corsair 4gig I just installed was for 60 bucks! ... no hicupps so far

 

8) Take every class you can with Dr. Wilson. He is a great professor.

SEAS '04

 

I used parallels, versions 1, 2 and 3. I was deeply unhappy with the features and performance.

I now use VMware fusion and I am happy, once again!

Seriously, though. Take a good look at both companies' support forums. See which product's users are receiving answers and which product's users are left hanging for weeks, or even months.

Then decide...

 

3'rd year EE student too.

Modelsim and Multisim work without problem in a VM (I'm using parallels). VM's are VERY convenient and usually adequate for such things. Get extra RAM, specially for the MB. You can do everything you need.. even use a USB to serial adaptor to hook up your TI calc if you please.

The newer unibody's run MUCH cooler than the older ones..

Screen size is under-rated. I've got a 15" MBP and its obviously not as compact as the 13" but I don't find it too much to take to campus with me. The extra convenience of having screen space way over-weighs that for me, ESPECIALLY since this is the only machine I use. coding, simulations, writing or reading documents (often 2, side by side), etc.. is actually convenient. I'd have a much harder time with a 13". I'm very content with the balance of screen size/portability.

The machine should be useable in a few years. I just sold my 2 year old MBP which was still very capable. I sold it at a sweet spot though, after 2 years with an extra year of applecare, and at a pretty good price.

Use Spaces.

Enjoy.

 

I use ArcGIS on XP Pro under Fusion and it runs great. I am using a MBP, which is not what you are looking at, but it is a resource hog of a windows only program. I often use GIS while having photoshop, indesign, word, etc running simultaneously, which eats ram like nothing so get 4GB ( I would love 8).

 

Office Mac vs. Office Windows

I have Office Mac and run Office Windows using Fusion. For Word, I just use the Mac version as there's not much difference. I spend a lot of time using Excel, and pretty much hate the Mac version so use Windows version on XP and VMWare Fusion, which works great. As for Powerpoint, I vastly prefer Keynote.

13" previous-generation Macbook, 2GB ram, 250GB 7200 rpm HD. This is a very powerful machine, amazes me. Of course, I'm a geezer who cut my teeth on a MacPlus.

 

im just saying thats its better to use bootcamp when your are running intensive apps

 

If all you want to do is use Matlab, you can get the mac version. My school has licenses for all engineering students to have it on their personal computers, and yours might too.

 

Hah, I was in a same situation as you before, as you can see in my sig, I used to use (and still do) the Fujitsu T4215MK. Though I wasn't exactly a "swticher" since I've used a Mac since their G4 times...

Anyways, I switched to MBP 15" and loving it! My fujitsu did the work fine, but trust me, the MBP runs a lot HOTTER than Fujitsu. I actually never had any heat problems with my fujitsu even when I was running games.. (I play SC, D2, WC3.. all those good ol' blizzard games)

I'm not sure about MB but MBP definitely runs hotter than my Fujitsu even when it's on 9400M mode.

I use office 2007 Ultimate on my fujitsu and office 2008 on my mac, both work very nicely although I prefer the Windows version over Mac version.

anyways, I'm sure you'll like it, and for your needs even the Whitebook would suffice, but the unibodys are just so sexy haha.

G'luck!

 

A program called Crossover is a way to run Windows programs on a Mac without the need for a Windows install:

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/

Basically, it runs .exe's, and creates its own essential Windows files that the program will need, but it only runs at about 100MB + the space required by the programs you will actually run.

 

a couple of answers

I use a an original MBA with Office for Mac. I use Word, PowerPoint, and a little of Excel- no compatibility problems with my Windows XP SP2 at work. You should be fine with Sims.

You are gonna love it.

 

Hey,

Also undergrad EE (2.5 years done, 1.5 to go, just like you). I've been working on an original CD Macbook 2.0 ghz with 2GB of ram and 200gb 7200 drive. And it's still rocking. I've installed Vista via Bootcamp and I run the partition via VMware Fusion. I've also installed Matlab on both OS... and I have to say that the Windows version is more stable. I still get some bugs/crashes with the Unix/Mac OS version of Matlab.

Office:mac isn't bad. If you can have it for 10 bucks, go ahead; but don't except much for it. Word runs OK, as it's not that much compatible with the Windows version (one obvious flaw : no math equation, duh !) So, it's great to have Office and Excel around, for basic compatibility with everybody, but I mostly use Pages. But, with your college, you basically can have Office for Windows for free, so I would install on both OS.

So , yea : I have 2 Matlabs, 2 Office and I find myself using all of them..

And remember, I run all this from a first gen Macbook... and it runs everything basically very well. Nothing to complain.

Cheer !

 

Graduating Mech. engineering senior here.


I won't reiterate everything said but yes a macbook will do everything you need just fine.