Hi, so I was planning on buying a new laptop computer for college next year. I would purchase this computer sometime this year, in the winter or the fall, so that the money used for the laptop is not included in financial aid assessments.
I would mostly be doing normal academic work with this computer, but I would also like it to be able to play games, specifically battlefield 3. I have been looking at various computer sales websites, and have found that many PC computers offer better hardware for a cheaper price.
However, I have used macs my entire life, (my family has never owned a PC) and I am afraid that I will find the windows operating system frustrating. I am also a fan of the high build quality, compatibility, and ease of use of macs.
Simply put, is it worth it to go for the mac? I was thinking of the 15" i7. In later years, will it be able to continue playing new games?
You WILL have frustrations with the Windows Operating system. Because you'll be using Windows to play BF3. So no matter what, the Windows problems like driver incompatibilities, virus protection, and other things will be a problem. However, if like me, you use Windows 7 primarily for gaming and little else, then you won't have as many issues.
As you probably know, Macs are generally quicker and more responsive, sleeker, and possessive of fewer of the "small headaches". People who complain that the "convenience of mac" is just an overrated commercial ploy, have just gotten used to the slow un-indexed searches and impudent updates that will literally quit applications and restart the computer.
Superior hardware in windows computers? my ass. You will find a more powerful graphics processor in those things. That's about it. Asus G73 whatever has a lower price and lower clock graphics card than the one in the Macbook Pro, a crummy screen in pixel ratio and cleanliness, a huge weight, 10% the battery life of the MBP, a lower processor, pretty much same RAM (you need no more than 4 gigs for maxed out gaming), a hard drive that gets loaded with obscure things. IT DOES HAVE: a GTX 560M. Did I mention it gets ugly, scratched, and dusty really quickly?
Presently, the Graphics card in the Macbook Pro (as of today, a 6750m with 512mb at minimum) is meh for Battlefield 3, however it WILL DEFINITELY PLAY IT. If you're one of those people whose self esteem hinges on whether or not he/she can run games at max settings with FPS rates only a humming bird could see, then Mac is not right for you.
I would say, however, that because of the good-running and long last of Apple computers, their wonderful processors, convenient applications, and clear screens, that for virtually any schoolwork (including graphics processing), they are worth the extra money. Besides, if you look at the computers spec for spec, PCs and Macs are really the same price. No joke. People who say Apple overprices their computers by a long shot are ignorant.
All in all: If you want GAMING POWER AND LONG ERECTION BECAUSE OF BURN-OUT PROCESSOR AND 2-TON LAPTOP: Get a PC. It's worth the workout from carrying it and the endurance gained from headaches. If you want to play the game with only some of the eye candy enabled, and have a nice computer for everything else, Apple will provide. Presently, the top end 15" computer can be outfitted with a great hard drive, 3rd party RAM, a good GPU, and a perfect processor to play BF3 for entertainment purposes. Decide NOW.
